angry chicken

I prefer to say dried plum

We had an unopened bag of prunes in the pantry and I never thought I was going to use them until I found this recipe from the EDF issue #46, October 2007. I searched for this Spiced Prune Cake recipe on the MSLO site just now and didn't find it in the 2.5 seconds I have for this post, sorry for the lameness.

It was great. I reduced the sugar by a 1/2 cup, used an equal mix of whole wheat and white flour, and reduced the oil by half and added applesauce instead. Next time I will 1/2 the recipe and bake it in a loaf pan, it was so good, but there was a lot of it. No one needs to be eating this many prunes. Enough said.

These photos were taken with the old broken camera. The color is so weird I find it distracting. In other news, we are all set for Halloween tomorrow. The girls are not really into candy--a bag of potato chips is their favorite. However, I was reminded by them that they do like kit kats. So, a little less adult pilfering of the treat bags will go on this year.

The Bend-the-Rules Sewing book signing is next Thursday! I will send out a reminder e-mail to the mail list and post about it again next week. I am very excited. There will be more there than donuts and witty banter--the first 15 people who come and bring something they have made from the book to show will receive a little gift bag from me complete with a special sewing related item custom designed especially for the Bend-the-Rules Sewing Book Signing Event by the small object! whoo-hoo!

And due to the popularity of Halloween around here, The Tie One On gallery will probably not up up until the weekend. The submissions look amazing! Keep them coming!

salt and herbs (and I got a new camera)

Am I the last foodie to get on this salt train? Finishing salt? What the heck? I don't get out enough. I use kosher salt for everything. I made the switch a long time ago and besides being a bit bummed that the grind doesn't fit in cute vintage shakers-I love it. Before then (10 years ago?) we got really into pepper and got a great super heavy and very small grinder that we would take with us to the beach (seriously) but I am slow to the fancy salt thing. Well, no more! While strolling around N. Mississippi last night we stumbled into this wonderful shop The Meadow, and left with a lovely everyday grey salt and a fancy finishing salt to try. Amazing. The owner was so nice and informative and told me of a salt they carried that is smoked and when sprinkled on vanilla ice cream, tastes lake caramel. I will have to try this soon. They have a blog, which I just found by accident while linking to their shop site, I love that. And wow, after reading it, I guess there is a lot to know about salt.

Here's some fresh rosemary from our gargantuan rosemary bush for making rosemary oil. Rosemary bushes grow huge here in the NW, like the size of a small car. I am in full bore apothecary mode now with herbs, tinctures, oils, salts, and empty containers all over the place. I used to make this stuff a ton when we lived in Eugene when I was still in college and got really into it. I had a few disasters, like on the 95º day when I tried to emulsify oil and beeswax together to make lotion in our one and only kitchen blender. I used to make soap then too, real soap, with lye and everything, not the glycerin kind. This was, for the most part successful, but I ended up with a lot of soap. A lot. It was a family joke for awhile and almost ruined the scent of lavender for me forever.

Thanks for all the herb shop tips! The Herb Shoppe, here in Portland, was the winner for me. They carry Mountain Rose Herbs, (from the online shop which I highly recommend) most of which are organic, and this shop has a lot of turnover, so I know they are fresh. I actually called them and got most of it packed over the phone so the girls wouldn't freak out when we went, which was a good idea. They stayed interested just long enough to get muslin bags. So, soothing herb baths, vapor rub, and homemade chap stick. . .  here we come. Delia has a really runny nose today, just on time.

Unrelated, I saw this book made from the art project at the website Learning to Love you More by Harrell Fletcher and Miranda July, and am excited. They give 63 assignments on their website then post the submissions. You have to read the assignments and take a look around to see the genius of this, it's really amazing what people come up with. You can get a feel for it in the synopsis here. It sounds like much is lost from the website to the book, but still, I think I might have to get it. Is there anything cooler than participatory art? I don't know if there is in my book, I dig it so much. So, Harrell Fletcher is having a signing tonight at Powell's (he lives in Portland) and I really hope to go, but who knows.

The new camera is a Canon Rebel XTi EOS 40D. Sweet. I am still figuring it out, but so far so good. And the Local Pride aprons for Tie One On are due this Thursday!!

the season of the witchy

I don't remember why I was researching herbs for kids, but I was, and found this book, A Kid's Herb Book, which I just bought. I love it. It's simple and easy to read because it's meant for kids but is perfect for adults learning about using herbs and plants for the first time. It has an overview of about 15 herbs that are safe and perfect for children. Then it includes recipes (teas, baths, salves, etc.) for each of them. Over the summer, the girls loved gathering basil and thyme for cooking so I thought they would also dig learning about using herbs for medicinal purposes. I need to find a good Portland shop for herbs (any suggestions?) because I didn't grow many of these this summer, so don't have any dried herbs on hand. I think I might get some dried herbs, muslin bags, and beeswax from Mountain Rose Herbs in Eugene if I don't find a good Portland shop. (There must be one.) I love this kind of stuff and love the idea of being able to make my own non-creepy vapor rub for little colds this winter.

In a similar theme, I just got this lovely print from the Tiny Showcase by Katy Horan and it's called The Healers. Perfect! I have loved Katy's work for a bit now and was super excited to see it for sale. (It sold out.) Pete suggested that the bison (?) which looks dead, is a tad creepy and the spooky masked figures might freak out the girls. I suppose he's right, but there's bunnies there too, see? It will probably go in my art pile of "too freaky for the girls" art for a while, anyway. I actually might put a bunch of prints in an album, so we can look at them whenever instead of stashing them away. Hey, that's a good idea! okay, I am going to do that.

Katy's work is so crazy cool and witchy-pagan without being too hippie/acid-ish. Sorry. That was probably the least elegant art description I have ever written--but there you go. It's Friday and I haven't had coffee yet.

the sallys

Well, I did sew their costumes this year. I think having a back-up plan gave me the extra energy. They came together really fast spread out over a few nights. The fabric was all from my stash, which is so satisfying. I realize they don't really look like Sally's dress exactly, but I have never really liked Sally's dress. I will confess here that I, personally, have dressed up as Sally for Halloween every year since the movie came out except for 2 times. So this is like the dad giving his baby a football for Christmas, you know? I feel like I swayed them to be Sally, but come on! They really did want to be Sally, I swear--just the way they really love ABBA (and will hopefully love rollerskating, and Xanadu.)

So when the girls announced they were both going as Sally this year my friends gave me that look. The "Really, why am I not surprised?" look and so I avoided eye contact . . . anyhoo the point of all this is that I feel qualified to take as many liberties with Sally dress as I want. There will be deadly nightshade in their baskets with a cloth to cover it with and stitches drawn on their faces, of course. They haven't seen the movie, only have the book and the music, so it's fun to see them act out what they think it's all about. I used this blouse pattern and added a skirt to make it a dress. These fabrics are left over from all the clothes I made the girls this fall.

We have recently been singing quite a bit with the fraggles. I found this site with a ton of songs you can download-so awesome. And I am thrilled to report that we now have the songs from Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas from here. Oh, how I love the internet! My brother and I loved this stuff! (He might deny he loved fraggles, but I loved them enough for both of us. And I know he loved the Riverbottom Nightmare Band, for sure.)

monkey sick.

In the wee hours the other night I was researching donuts (don't ask) and was very excited by the idea of a donut pan I saw. It was for baking donuts. Intriguing! I found a bunch of recipes and then realized it seemed no different than just a muffin batter in a donut shaped pan. While I fully support this wanna-be-donut-muffin type baked good, I realized I could also just get my baked donut fix by making monkey bread with the girls.

So, we did. It's a favorite activity of theirs. It makes way too much and because it's only good for about a day or two it makes me very sick, but I love it.

There recipe is here and have made it many times. . .  I know I have shown this before, but life is repetitive, so why shouldn't my blog be? I have made a few changes to the recipe; I add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough, skip the nuts, and substitute half the white four for whole wheat.

unrelated-

I am so excited to have found this link! Catalog Choice goes through and cancels all the pesky catalogs that come in your mail box. I get a ton--like loads and loads, and seeing as how I am actively trying to reduce bags, paper, and all that, I was just feeling sick I was getting so many catalogs. Especially since Grammie gets the same ones, so if I ever need any, I can use hers. My new rule for myself is unless I plan to keep the catalog forever, I don't want it-not with so many websites available. So far I have canceled 15 catalogs, and I know there is more. **tip, you need the customer code in the blue box on the back of the catalog to cancel, so don't recycle it until you jot this number down.

more halloween stuff

It's pretty much the same Halloween decor here as last year, but I still have to show it. This garland is from mailorder #4, the one with the earflap hat pattern, and I realized while moving around boxes last night that I have about 20 left. It's a great one, with a pumpkin spike cake recipe card and cool paper projects for Halloween. E-mail me if you would like one (they are $12 which includes shipping)

Okay-thank you! They are gone! I am 99% sure that eveyone who has e-mailed me is getting one, you will be hearing from me shortly. . .

I am getting a new camera-see that weird purple?? My girl M gave me the lovely porcelain faux bois vase lurking back there. I love it so much.

These are new. Halloween Sonny Angel Kewpie dolls to add to my collection, from the eggplant of course. So flippin cute and funny, boy parts and all.

I also am now organized enough (new print run) to sell bonnet patterns wholesale, so if you have a brick and mortar shop or an online shop and want to sell some, please send me an e-mail! Thanks!

book review-it is awesome.

I have been waiting for this book The Daring Book for Girls, waiting and waiting. . . with excitement and loads of trepidation. A huge perk of writing a book is that I now get some books a wee bit early (I often beg) and it's like Christmas, I tell you! When it came today I almost couldn't open it. I had such high hopes, so high that there was no way it could live up to what I wanted it to be. This is the companion book, or girl's version, of The Dangerous Book for Boys, which I loved and had already written about. (Despite some gender issues I had with it.) Being a mom of 3 girls, and a woman who was a girl, and on top of that loving reference manuals, encyclopedias, facts, and lists so much, so much that it's what I base my mailorders around, I just knew I was going to be disappointed.

Okay. . . it is better than I could have ever imagined it to be. Honest to god, I just can't believe it. It has everything I would have killed for in a book when I was 10, and so much I want to learn/revisit now, I am sort of at a loss to describe how much is in it and how wonderful it is. Buy it, that is for sure, but more than that, read it. For now it's going to be more of a parenting idea manual because Sadie, at 5, is too young to read it, but the maps and old timey illustrations will serve her and her sisters well until they get older.

Pete and I have been geeking out all night reading about jump rope rhymes, hand clapping games, the elements of a good ghost story, camp songs, and re-learning first aid. It's that good.

Here's a bit of what is inside:
-Rules of the game: Basketball
-Palm Reading
-Four Square
-How to Change a Tire
-Playing cards: Hearts and Gin
-Weather
-Joan of Arc
-Explorers
-Words to Impress
-How to be a Spy
-Make your Own Paper
-Five Karate Moves

The list goes on and on and on. This is a fraction of what is included. No cloying, saccharine illustrations or copy here either. Straightforward no nonsense writing makes this a wonderful read. It's not a hand-holding pre-teen "you and your feelings" type book, it is a daring book, full of games, projects, activities, and adventure ideas with inspiration provided by women explorers, scientists, collective kid history, and the world at large.

The authors, Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz have both published before, and although I haven't read any of their previous work, their writing expertise is loud and clear. It's perfectly edited--with enough info to actually be useful and informative without taking up too much space. This book is crammed full.

This book does not cover sewing, cooking, personal hygiene, friendship, crafts, or that sort of thing. The title speaks to what is in it. It can't include everything and definitely is for the tomboy. The friendship topic is the only one I miss. I think being a good friend can be quite daring actually, and a list of common sense guidelines would have been nice to see in this format.

I still would love both books to be called the Dangerous Book for Kids Vol 1 & 2, but I do see the value in separating gender for empowerment and all that. (I took plenty of women's studies courses in college and valued them greatly.) However, I think both of these books are equally important for all kids. Or, more precisely, I'd hate to think the titles will turn off kids (or the parents of kids) of the opposite genders. There's just too much fun to be had in these two books, it would be a shame for boys and girls to not fully enjoy both.

spooky stuff

These are the .68 cent cupcakes I mentioned last week. 2 kinds here--a pound cake with marionberry swiss buttercream and an espresso cake with mocha swiss buttercream. Mariko and I did the testing. I'm not a huge frosting fan, a little goes a long way for me, so I knocked off more than half. The marionberry was the winner-just a tiny bit of tart, very lovely. The Halloween sprinkles were added by the baker, which the girls loved, but they still wouldn't eat a bite of these. I plan to order more for a upcoming baby shower and will report further. They are from holiday essence, and it's run out of a house and you have to order in advance. It's old school, and there's something very reassuring to me about patronizing a non-hip bakery. I also ordered a Swedish princess cake for Mariko for a belated b-day, she will have to show photos of that one. They didn't even flinch when I told them to write "you suck" on it. It was perfect.

With all this cake love I should announce that the bend the rules flickr group is well over 1000 photos now, and I did eat way too much cake, coincidently, so thanks for helping me get a sugar headache you all!

Sally. This is who the girls want to be this year for Halloween. I plan to sew some muslin dresses, but I am also trying to be reasonable after my hardcore burnout last week. For instance, I am ordering the cupcakes for the upcoming baby shower, not making them from scratch. And, when grammie and I were out last week, we picked up some 50% off fairy costumes for the girls (complete with wings) to have in my back pocket if I just can't sew costumes this year. I feel sort of sick at the idea of not making the Halloween costumes, and I probably will, but come on, man! Plus, if I actually do, I can save the purchased ones for Christmas, they will be prefect in the dress-up box. I actually have felt a ton of relief knowing I have a back up plan.

Sally is from e-bay and the girls actually get the play with my Nightmare Before Christmas toys, although I sort of have to look away so I don't get all mean and controlling. I started collecting these before I had kids. They love them, good girls!!

Tie One On-Local Pride Apron

I know this doesn't look like an apron, but it is. An apron of sorts. I'm calling it the Dour Fir Apron, for the Tie One On theme, Local Pride. Doug firs are so prolific here in Oregon and a woodland fairy skirt was desperately needed for the middle child's upcoming birthday. . .so there you go. These fairy skirts are just about the easiest things to make ever. I have tried all kinds of tricks gathering the tulle and have discovered it's stupidly hard. The easiest thing to do is just pinch it together as you sew, then it's a piece of cake.

There are 6 layers of tulle in 3 different colors topped with a mildly tacky printed tulle with pine cones and fir needles. I was on the fence about using this print but decided to go for it. It makes it so Doug fir-y and sweet and you know how the kids love anything a bit tacky. I keep trying to go all minimal with them and then I get busted. "Mom, where's the glitter? The jewels?" Oh, yeah. . .

So, to make this I just measured the tiny waist and gathered the tulle layers to that circumference measurement. Then I centered the gathered puffy skirt it on a long wide ribbon and stitched it down. I topped the waist with another piece of ribbon, sandwiching all the tulle raw edges in-between. The ties are only one layer of ribbon, if this makes sense. Then I trimmed it all while it was on the hanger, making a bit uneven and puffy, fluffing like mad. No hemming needed of course, I love tulle. It all cost about $5 by the way. I am exaggerating, but it's not much, anyway. I got 2 yards in each color and had a bit left over in the length. I want one, too. I'm not afraid to admit it.

 

recipe cheat sheet

Hey, thanks for all the encouragement you guys. It feels really good. I felt way better after hanging with Grammie all day. But how come there is no good TV even with the Dish? Curses. It's a mad house around here this week with my crazy overtime working husband, but we are hanging in there. Fortunately, I have taken on a research project with Mariko involving a new (to us) bakery with supposedly the most amazing $.68 cupcakes ever. I will report back after we have the results, don't you worry.

This is a recipe cheat sheet I made over the weekend. The side of the fridge was getting out of control. The scene was bad--post-its and taped up cards held by horrible lame magnets, swearing. . .all this for things like a simple pancake recipe (the aforementioned fairy cakes, actually.) I had all my favorite recipes handwritten on random bits of paper all over the fridge and anytime a magnet fell so did a crucial recipe, landing in dust bunny land between the fridge and the counter never to be seen again. No more, I say!

These recipes are from various sources, some from Everyday Food, some from the sides of cans that get recycled, the rest I don't even remember where they are from but when I need them, I need them fast and don't want to dig. I have already thanked myself a million times for doing this and it's only been 4 days. It's so much cleaner there now, less visually horrible, and if the sheet falls or gets thrashed, I can just print another. Oh, look out! I could even laminate it. Crazy, I tell you!

On the list is: pancakes, crepes, granola, pie crust, shortbread, chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, gingerbread, plum upside down cake, raspberry buckle, pumpkin pie, apple crisp, apple galette.

So, it is here. if you are interested. It is a PDF of the file. Enjoy!

***Disclaimer. There are no directions, just ingredients and cooking times. So. . .you are on your own for that. I am cramming a ton in space-wise and since I know these recipes well, I don't need to be reminded how to make them, just of the ingredients. I hope this isn't horribly annoying. The one thing I will say is add the hot coffee/water last in the cakes and the apple galette looks like this. Besides that, it's just basic baking. Also, I substitute and reduce fat/sugar a lot, and these quantities have not been reduced. I like to keep the original amounts listed so I know where I started from.

one down and one to go-

We made it through the 5 year old's pizza party. It was great fun but I am spent. I need a break. I love my family and my kids, but good lord. I made fairy sized pancakes this morning (smaller than dollar sized) and they weren't eaten, they had butter on them. (?) That is a new "bad thing" I guess? I know they can't make their own food, but jeeez, man, sometimes I just feel tired of all the effort. So, I am off to my mom's today, with Liddy, for some TV time and company. Adult non-yelly company. Except for baby yelling.

I made this jumper for Miss Delia about 3 weeks ago after she was so sad about not having her own jumper to draw on. It's soft mini corduroy in a light blue with a peter-pan collar and orange machine free-motion stitching over her drawings. She loves it and before I could even hem it she sat on a rotten tomato in the garden. I let the kids really wear their clothes, and they get filthy-dirty and stained. I usually can photograph them before this happens, but I haven't been fast enough lately, or they are getting faster... and I didn't get a chance to. So here it is in all it's wrinkled worn glory. I realize that is the theme lately around here. They are fast and more. More of everything; sad, happy, excited, tired, hungry, sleepy--I feel like they are in technicolor and I am back and white. I just am moving slower than my kids. I am also sensing that this is what older kids are like, you know? It's all good, but the morning after a b-day party and knowing I have another (Delia is in early November) and then the holidays, is making me sort of crazy. But a tired crazy, not a hyper crazy. So, because of that, I have a list of the other things that occupy my mind when I can't think about what's in front of me:

-This artwork by elsita is making me insane. Can't sleep. I bought a print already and need them all. Creepy and lovely is the best combo.
-Reading His Dark Materials, and loving it
-I need this. I really don't, but I want it real bad. I am such a sucker.
-I am searching for little plastic stands (like what you use to stand up board game pieces) for Sadie's paper doll collection. If anyone has an interest in helping me find these I will send you a goody bag of stuff. Thank you!!
-I am about to severely stretch the definition of an apron for the Tie One On theme (Local Pride) this time, for Miss D's 3rd b-day
-I just bought these wonderful soft letterpress books from the lovely shop Three Potato Four and they are outstanding.
-I am so happy Michael's now takes the 40% coupons for the Martha craft line. They didn't at first and what a bummer that was.**edit, call your local store first.
-Blades of Glory is waiting for me (netflix)

Surely there is more, but that's it for now.

bend-the-rules sewing update

Here's an update from the crazy world of Bend-the-Rules Sewing. I am super excited to announce a booksigning at the glorious Portland fabric shop, Bolt. I am sure all you Portland sewers already know Gina, but if for some reason you don't please come by. Her selection of fabrics is outstanding and it's just a dang cool store. The signing will be in about a month (I will blog about it again in a few weeks) and I will be there along with no less than 3-5 dozen donuts. Now if that's not a temptation -- come on. . . I'd love to see you! And bring some projects to show and tell!

We are really close to hitting 1000 photos on the Bend-the-Rules Sewing group on flickr! (I'm gonna make a cake and eat the whole thing when we hit 1000, I will take photos.)  The projects keep coming in and they are continuing to blow my mind. Look at the Puppet Theater from domesticali. Just awesome. This is one of my favorite projects in the book and I am thrilled people are actually making it.

Here's an n adorable Sweet Wee Jacket and Woodland Elf Hat from Bertha79 (Look at the booties!)

An ingenious fabric box from sharon-lizette (Her own clever design.)

to house these way cool Mixy Matchy Napkins!

And the coolest Baby Bib ever? I think so. From leyvadiana. Her other BTRS projects are stellar too, check them out. And is craft blog photography getting more amazing each month? I think so, I need a new camera, man. Don't miss the discussion section of the flickr group is growing everyday. It's full of great information--not just BTRS topics, but general sewing topics as well. I really appreciate all your love for the book in the discussions (Thank you!!) and your truly helpful criticism too. (Like, I totally hear you that making enlargements of the patterns suck. Word. I will pass that along to the publishers.)

In other news about the book, I just got word that it is being printed in Polish!  Znakomity! I couldn't be more thrilled.

Lastly, I have a new podcast interview with Alison Lee on the excellent Craftcast. This interview is a bit different than my others. I talk more about my crafty/artistic process and about blogging, and it's only about 30 minutes long, not 1 1/2 hours like my other ones. (gads.) Alison's show has different segments which make for a nice variety. She talks a bit, reviews a movie, shares a song (a tearjerker) then I am interviewed. . .and I get all woo-woo and arty, so prepare yourself. Thanks Alison!

 

birthday part II

So, I have a 5 year old! Here she is patiently waiting for me to stop taking flippin' photos. The bonnet is way cute, but more popular with the middle child. Sadie is all about the puzzles and that's what the last 48 hours has been about.

It seemed like a good idea at the time to have her friend/family party a week after her actual b-day, but now I wonder. I am tired. She is not, but I am. . .I did have a stroke of genius and planned it off site at a great pizza place, so at least part of my brain was working. There will be face painting and games and the theme is rainbow (good girl!!)

Her cake from the actual day. My kids don't eat cake, not a lick, just ice cream, so this was more for fun and candles and wish-making. . . and um, Pete and I (and my bro, who has the same b-day as Sadie)

Thank you cards ready to go.