Saturday, March 30, 2013

Decorating for Spring


For years now, I've had a 'year 'round tree' that I decorate seasonally - it's been full of snowflakes and blue glass balls during the winter months following Yule, and I was a bit late getting it switched over to Ostara/Easter/Spring - which seemed fair enough since  there was snow on the ground just a few days ago.

I'm not fully happy with my Spring decor - every year around this time, I get either busy or sick or embroiled in some other distraction that keeps me from making or collecting the elements I see in my head (and look around the Internet - so MANY beautiful, natural ideas!).  This will do for this year, though.  Mainly, I want to lose the plastic eggs - a couple on the tree are homemade blown eggs, and eventually I'd like all of them to be something I made or was given.

At the top of the tree is a doll I've had for decades - she was a gift from my mother shortly after I'd first left home.

The hat she wears was taped to my daughter's head when she was first brought to me from the nursery after she was born - it was right around Mother's Day that year.

So, embodied in this little dolly are three generations of women in my family, and that seems very appropriate for this season of new life and growth.

The tree sits on a repurposed entertainment center, so there is room at the base for a few more seasonal items.


Mostly, what I've got going here are some blown eggs (some are my own beginner attempts at pysanky style decorating, some are really good quality pysanky or painted blown eggs), perched in flower pots, on stands or - and finally, a practical ue for them! - on stitched biscornu pillows.

I really liked the effect of eggs on stitched pillows - it gives me a good idea of where I want to go with this in the future: a collection of spring biscornus to house my little collection of blown eggs.  This is always a work in progress!

As spring progresses, the eggs will eventually be put away to be replaced by winged things, birds and butterflies and perhaps a few fairies.

Shared with: Thrifty Things Friday, Show and Tell Friday, Pin Me Linky Party, Freedom Fridays, Friday Favorites, Creative Friday, Dare to Share, Create & Inspire Party, Sweet Saturday Link Party, Show & Tell Saturday, SHOW-licious Craft Showcase, Get Schooled Saturday, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Craft-Create-Inspire Linky Party, The Weekend Creative Saturday Link PartySunday Show Off Party, Think Pink Sunday, The Creative HomeAcre Hop Busy Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, Made By You Monday, Make It Yourself Monday, Marvelous Mondays, Mix It Up Monday, Mop It Up Monday, Mostly Homemade Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Motivated Monday, Anti-Procrastination Tuesday, Time to SparkleYou're Gonna Love It Tuesday, Creative SparkFluster's Creative MusterShow & Tell Wednesday, Two Girls & a Party, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Wicked Awesome Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Creative Juice, Eat-Pray-Love Link PartyHookin' Up With HoH, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Transformation Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Thursday's Treasures.                           

Friday, March 29, 2013

Time to Make the Donuts!


One of the hardest parts of eating grain free, I think, is when it comes to desserts - I've been really missing having the occasional donut, so I figured it was time to try making some.  I'd bought a mini-donut pan awhile back but didn't try using it until today.  It worked very nicely!

This is a very basic recipe - as I've mentioned before, when I try new things, I like to work it out as a basic, 'master' recipe and then think of variations.  My inclination, honestly, was to shake  them up while hot in some cinnamon-sugar, but it's been so long since we've even used granulated sugar (even rapadura) that I didn't have any on hand.  Some sort of frosted spread, a sprinkling of nuts - these would jazz these up nicely.

But meanwhile, there are lovely cakelike little bites just as they are - I had to take this picture very quickly before they got devoured.  I've no idea how long they keep - these will be eaten long before they risk getting stale.

Cinnamon-Chai Mini-Donuts (Grain-Free)
(makes about 18 mini donuts)

1 1/3 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
3 eggs, whisked
1/4 coconut oil or ghee, melted
2 Tblsp. honey or maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Into a blender, combine flour, salt, baking soda and spices.  Pulse to combine.  Add eggs, oil, honey and vanilla.  Blend for a couple minutes so that the batter is very smooth.  Stop and use a spatula if needed  to ensure all the almond flour is thoroughly moistened.

Grease a mini-donut pan and pour the batter into each mold 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 10 minutes at 350F.  Turn out of pan onto  a rack to cool.

Shared with: Fight Back Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Foodie Friday, Rattlebridge Farm Foodie FridayFresh Bites Friday, Simple Meals Friday, What I Am Eating, Weekend Show Off Party, LHITS DIY Linky Party, Farm Girl Blog Fest, Freedom Fridays, Friday Favorites, Frugal Friday, Pin Me Linky Party, Show and Tell Friday, Get Schooled Saturday, SHOW-licious Craft Showcase, Simply Natural Saturdays, Show & Tell Saturday, Sweet Saturday Link Party, A Favorite Thing Saturday, Your Great Idea Link Party, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Craft-Create-Inspire Linky Party, The Weekend Creative Saturday Link Party, Sunday School Blog Carnival, Sunday Show Off Party, Think Pink Sunday, The Creative HomeAcre Hop, Gluten-Free Recipe Round-Up, Make Your Own Mondays, Just Another Meatless Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Mondays, My Meatless Mondays, On the Menu Mondays, Busy Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, Made By You Monday, Make It Yourself Monday, Marvelous Mondays, Mix It Up Monday, Mop It Up Monday, Mostly Homemade Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Motivated Monday, Nomday Monday, Fat Tuesday, Family Table Tuesday, Hearth & Soul Hop, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Scratch Cookin' Tuesday, Anti-Procrastination Tuesday, The Backyard Farming Connection Hop, Time to Sparkle, Tutorial Tuesday, Eco-Kids Tuesday, You're Gonna Love It Tuesday, Allergy-Free Wednesday, Wednesday Fresh Foods Link Up, Gluten-Free Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, What's Cookin' Wednesday, Wheat-Free Wednesday, Wonderful Food Wednesday, Creative Spark, Down Home Blog Hop, Fluster's Creative Muster, Frugal Days - Sustainable Ways, Healthy 2D Wednesday, Party Wave Wednesday, Seasonal Celebration WednesdayShow & Tell Wednesday, Two Girls & a Party, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Wellness Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Wicked Awesome Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Creative Juice, Eat-Pray-Love Link Party, The HomeAcre Hop, Hookin' Up With HoH, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Transformation Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Thursday's Treasures.                                             


Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Ornament SAL - March Check In

I have so many unfinished ornaments this month!  I managed to finish 1, count 'em, ONE, in time for today's check in:


There was no pattern for this - I just used a Tokens and Trifles perforated paper sewing shape and some floss that was in shades of red and green (an unlabeled bit of leftover, so I'm not sure what brand).  I attached another card as a backing, held together by thread and red seed beads - the beads give the otherwise very lightweight ornament enough heft to hang well on a tree.

Shared with Ornament SAL March Check In.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Chicken Liver Pate

I have always loved chicken (and turkey) livers - one per bird, cooked up and enjoyed as a little prize for the cook (that's me).  Occasionally, I've purchased a packet of livers and sauteed them up with onions and served with rice - eaten mostly by myself because while that's some delicious down-home cooking, I've never shared a table with anyone else who liked  them.

I have very occasional cravings for beef liver and onions but I've never made that myself - it's one of those things I look for when I find myself in an old fashioned country restaurant.

I also grew up on liverwurst and braunschweiger (which is pretty much the same thing, only lightly smoked), which are made with pork liver, and managed to even turn Michael (who thought he was a liver hater) onto the joys of liverwurst and cheese on crackers.

So - I am not liver adverse at all... but I am somewhat liver intimidated when I comes to cooking with it at home.

I was somewhat hopeful that now that he'd discovered he liked liverwurst, Michael might find out he was similarly fine with chicken livers, so I decided to try a recipe for chicken liver pate, using  a pound of livers we'd bought at the farm.

Let be right up front - he took one bite and pronounced it 'way too livery' - and it is very livery, so this is for someone who loves liver.  I'm eating it and enjoying it, but it is quite rich, took a bit of time to do, and I probably would have been happier just sauteing them whole and eating them with eggs some night while he had bacon. (Oh who am I kidding - I'd have had them with the bacon, too.) Proving that I am quite capable of still feeling mildly deflated if I'm the only one who likes what I make even though my kids are now out of the house and no longer accusing me of poisoning them at random intervals.  There are so few things Michael doesn't like that I shouldn't feel bad when it happens, but I do. A little.  Or at least question my own tastebuds.

But - I was also happy I tried it and maybe will be brave enough to try something similar with beef liver, which may appeal to him more (you never know until you try).

If you'd like to get liver in your diet but aren't sure you can - small dabs of this, cheese (try cream cheese - or some really good goat cheese if you like strong flavors), and some thin slices of pickle on a cracker or rye bread.  Strong mustard tastes good with it, too. I'm using rice crackers, but some lettuce or cucumber slices would also work as a base.

The basic unattractivenes of pate does not really add to its appeal, does it?
Chicken Liver Pate
(Makes about 2 cups - enough to fill two ramekins)

2 T. grassfed butter or ghee
1 lb. chicken livers (from pastured chickens - the darker the livers, the healthier the birds)
1/2 a large onion, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup. grassfed butter (softened)
2 hardcooked eggs, chopped (optional)
sea salt
cracked black pepper

In the 2 T. of butter or ghee, saute the onions until tender (for a richer flavor, slowly cook them until they are caramelized), then add  the livers and continue to cook until just cooked through (don't overcook).

Add the wine, minced garlic, mustard, rosemary,  thyme and lemon juice and simmer, uncovered until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Transfer to a food processor, add the softened butter (a Tablespoon at a time), and pulse until a smooth, creamy paste forms - stop adding butter when this occurs. Salt to taste.

Optional:  Mix in chopped cooked egg if you'd like, stirring to blend.

Transfer finished pate to ramekins and give each a healthy sprinkle of cracked black pepper.

These will keep about a week, but they can be sealed with a thin layer of melted butter, let cool, and then wrapped tightly and frozen for a couple months.

Shared with: You're Gonna Love It Tuesday, Eco-Kids Tuesday, Tutorial Tuesday, Tuesday Greens, Time to Sparkle, The Backyard Farming Connection, Anti-Procrastination Tuesday, Scratch Cookin' Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Hearth & Soul Bloghop, Fat Tuesday, Family Table Tuesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Wicked Awesome Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Wellness Wednesday, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Two Girls and a Party Linky Party, Show & Tell Wednesday, Seasonal Celebration Wednesday, Party Wave Wednesday, Fluster's Creative Muster Party, Down Home Blog Hop, The Creative Spark, Wonderful Food Wednesday, Wheat-Free Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesday, Simple Living Wednesday, Thursday's Treasures, Thursday Favorite Things, Transformation Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Hookin' Up with HoH, HomeAcre Hop, Eat-Pray-Love Linky Party, Creative Juice, Simple Lives Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Fight Back Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Foodie Friday, Rattlebridge Farm Foodie FridayFresh Bites Friday, Simple Meals Friday, What I Am Eating, Weekend Show Off Party, LHITS DIY Linky Party, Farm Girl Blog Fest, Freedom Fridays, Friday Favorites, Frugal Friday, Pin Me Linky Party, Show and Tell Friday.                              

Adventures in Monotangle #3

Wow, this one was hard - it uses a template shapee (like a quilt square) and I must have tried it a half dozen times before I figured out what pattern I wanted to use - keeping in mind that all of these are very new to me.  I settled on Chard because it reminds me very much of a blackwork needlework pattern I've used before.

I'm satisfied with this, though not exactly in love with it - but again....beginner.  This one put the 'challenge' in challenge!



Monday, March 25, 2013

What's Cookin'? - Mar. 24 - 31

Here's what we actually ate last week:

Sunday, Mar 17
 Blueberry Grain-Free Pancakes
Canadian Bacon
Scrambled Eggs with Cheese

Monday, Mar 18
Dinner out with friends

Tuesday, Mar 19

Wednesday, Mar 20
Leftovers

Thursday, Mar 21
Appetizer Dinner 
(Cheese, Rice Crackers, Liver Pate, Pickles and Olives)

Friday, Mar 22
Homemade Corned Beef
Homemade Sauerkraut
Honey-Mustard Carrots and Sweet Potatoes
Saturday, Mar 23
Dinner Out

And these are our intentions for this week:

Sunday, Mar 24

Monday, Mar 25
Leftover Cabbage Rolls
Baked Potatoes

Tuesday, Mar 26
Ground Beef and Mushroom Curry
Mashed Cauliflower
Paleo Flatbread

Wednesday, Mar 27
Slowcooked Chicken
Butternut Squash

Thursday, Mar 28
Slowcooker Meatballs and Sauce
Spaghetti Squash

Friday, Mar 29
Breakfast Dinner

Saturday, Mar 30
Leftovers / Fend for Selves

Sunday, Mar 31
Baked Ham
Cole Slaw
Deviled Eggs
Vegetables
Grain-Free Biscuits

Saturday, March 23, 2013

aLtEReD OZ Giveaway WINNER

I was up and out the door too early to post this this morning, but I've picked the winner of the aLtEReD OZ giveaway!  I used the old fashioned method of listing all the commenters on that post (other than me), in order, and then using random.org to generate the winning number.

And the winner is.. So Dark So Cute!



Please contact me at lfe61 (at) comcast dot net  and let me know if you'd like a copy of the full sized drawing or a smaller original (small enough to tuck into a greeting card - since I will be redrawing it, it won't be identical, of course), along with your address.

What had me out so early was a brewing class Michael had up near Baltimore - and I decided to tag along and go see a movie - The Great and Powerful OZ, of course!  I enjoyed it very much - lots of cool explanations for why things are  the way they are in Oz...and right in the middle of it, I figured out exactly what I want in the middle of my cut out logo.  It's going to take a few days to put it together but I'm excited now. I hope it comes out the way I'm seeing it in my head.

(to the winner - if you'd like to wait on my sending it til you see it done, you can decide if you'd like a copy of it blank, or in it's fully finished state - looking forward to hearing from you!



Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Bohemian Pot Roast and a Monotangle

Let me start with this week's Adventures in Monotangles Challenge - this time the challenge was to use a pattern called "Rick's Paradox" which apparently gives a lot of people fits, and to use it in a non-standard way.  Since all of this is new to me, I first had to practice, practice, practice - and yes, it can be complicated to work out (and fun!) - I had less fun trying to use it for shapes with more than four sides (or leess, in the case of circles, which come out looking vaguely cabbage-rose-like).  Once again, I am sharing three attempts:


The first shows some of the various standard ways this pattern can be used with squares.  The second shows a much more free-form way of working with it - a lot of looser sections divided into curved 3 or 4 sided shapes, and a few tries with circles. For the last one, I used a loopy cursive L (for Lynda, of course) as a string, and then worked Rick's Paradox into the resulting areas - and the L completely disappeared!  I liked the result, but honestly, I prefer working this pattern in it's more standard configurations.

One thing I'm learning amongst those who do this Zentangle style doodling is the mantra "There Are No Mistakes" - its a philosophy I try to follow in cooking too - if something isn't working as planned, then alter the plan and work it out.  It's just a shift in course, not an irredeemable error. It doesn't work 100% of the time - if you burn your dinner to charcoal nuggets, or a deer breaks into your dining room and dives face first into your bowl of salad (this actually happened to a friend of mine once!) - then shifting course MAY mean ordering pizza, but for the most part, it works once you understand the basics of cooking.

Last night's dinner involved a few changes of path - the lovely chuck roast I had was supposed to spend a day in the crock pot with some homemade barbecue sauce to become some barbecued pulled beef.

About 1pm or so, it was pretty obvious that wasn't happening.  I could have tried it in my cast iron dutch oven but even at that, it would have meant getting out to the kitchen right then, and putting together the barbecue sauce and... uh... I was lacking numerous ingredients on that particular list, so no, not happening. (and not buying commercial, because if there is a brand that isn't filled full of HFCS and a half dozen other sugars, I don't know what it is).

I recalled that we had purchased Tender Grassfed Meat on our last trip to the farm - which is a true goldmine of recipes and techniques for ensuring one's grassfed beef, bison and lamb come out perfectly - grassfed meats don't cook the same way as factory meats, so for me it's been a matter of unlearning what I thought I knew.  All the recipes in this look so delicious, I think Michael and I are both tempted to just slowly work through the entire book.

There are a couple of recipes for chuck roast - one requiring an overnight marinade (so not doable), and one called "Gypsy Pot Roast - Bohemian Style" that involved a rich Paprika sauce with a couple other spices, including allspice, which I did not have.

I used the cooking technique, and tossed in my own selection of spices - we like spiciness, and this reminded me a lot of my Gulaschsuppe recipe, so I was on comfortable ground here.  I also added potatoes (totally optional) because I adore potatoes in paprika sauce - these could be switched for sweet potatoes, or left out entirely.  If you like bell peppers (I don't) they would also work well with these flavors. The result is a rich, heady, and spicy-hot pot roast inspired by the recipe in Tender Grassfed Beef - if you haven't got that book yet, I encourage you to get it. Good, good stuff there.

Here's my version:



Bohemian Pot Roast
(serves 4-6)

1 3-lb. grass-fed chuck roast
2 T. sweet Hungarian Paprika
1 T. hot Hungarian Paprika (this is HOT - use less if you're not sure if you'll like it - you can add later, but you can't subtract)
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. Chinese 5 Spice
2 T. pastured butter or ghee
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, scrubbed, ends removed, and coarsely chopped (no need to peel)
1 1/2 cups homemade bone broth
2 T. pastured butter or tallow
4-6 red potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled, cut in quarters
1 T. arrowroot, mixed with 1 T. filtered water (opt. - see below)

Mix the dry spices together, then add to a mixing cup containing the broth - whisk together until well blended and set aside.

In a large heavy pot (I used cast iron), melt butter or ghee on medium heat, and then brown the chuck roast on all sides, sprinkling each side with coarse salt.  Once browned, add onion and carrot chunks, trying to work them down into the side of the beef, then pour the spice-broth mixture over all.  Daub the meat with thin pats of butter or tallow.  Bring  to a simmer, then lower the heat and cover.

Let this cook about 1 1/2 hours (chuck benefits from long slow cooking - so going longer is fine!  It should be falling apart tender by the time you serve it), then add potatoes, stirring a bit to coat the potatoes with the sauce.  Cook another 1/2 hour or so, until the potatoes are tender.

At this point, we served it - the sauce was thick and rich and all the flavors were vibrant.  However, the book (which does not add potatoes) suggests that if the broth is still thin and the onions and carrots have cooked down to mush, that's fine - they add thickness if they're disintegrating into the sauce.  But additionally, you can use the optional arrowroot mixture to create some thickening. (I suggest actually dishing out about a 1/4 cup of the hot broth and mixing your arrowroot slurry into that in a small bowl until it blends and pouring that into the pot, rather than putting it straight in - saves you from lumpy mistakes!)

I'll be having some more of this tonight as leftovers - and I'm thoroughly looking forward to seeing how the flavors have blended after a day!

Shared with: Adventures in Monotangle 2
and...
Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten-Free Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Wheat-Free Wednesday, Wonderful Food Wednesday, The Creative Spark, Fluster's Creative Muster Party, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Party Wave Wednesday, Seasonal Celebration Wednesday, Show & Tell Wednesday, 2 Girls and a Party Linky Party, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Wellness Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Wicked Awesome Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Thursday's Treasures, Thursday Favorite Things, Transformation Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Hookin' Up With HoH, The HomeAcre Hop, Eat-Pray-Love Linky Party, Creative Juice, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Fight Back Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Foodie Friday, Rattlebridge Farm Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday, Fresh Bites FridayGluten Free Friday, What I Am Eating, Freedom FridaysFrugal Fridays, Pin Me Linky Party, Show and Tell Friday, Your Great Idea Link Party, Sweet Saturday Link Party, Simply Natural Saturday, SHOW-licious Craft ShowcaseCreative HomeAcre Hop, Think Pink SundayShow Off Linky Party, Sunday School Blog Carnival, Creative Bloggers Party Hop, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Craft-Create-Inspire Blog Hop, Busy Monday, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, Made By You Monday, Make It Yourself Monday, Making Your Home Sing Monday, Maniac Monday, Marvelous Mondays, Mix It Up Monday, Monday Funday, Mondays with Countrified Hicks, Mop It Up Monday, Mostly Homemade Mondays, Motivate Me Monday, Motivated Monday, Natural Living Monday, Nomday Monday, Thank Goodness It's Monday, Tutorial Tuesday, You're Gonna Love It, Tuesday Greens, Time to Sparkle, Backyard Farming Connection, Anti-Procrastination Tuesday, Scratch Cookin' Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Hearth & Soul Hop, Fat Tuesday, Family Table Tuesday.          

      

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Creative Everyday Weekly Round-Up

A quick little review of what pushed my creative buttons this week, for the Creative Every Day Challenge:

Monday, March 11:
Worked on my Midnight Dip stitchery.

Tuesday, March 12:
Monotangle Challenge #1

Wednesday, March 13:
Practiced with my drop-spindle, and worked more on Midnite Dip.

Thursday, March 14:
Hand illustrated the OZ logo for Altered Oz


Friday, March 15:
Worked on "Summer" Stitchery (28xt over 1)

Saturday, March 16:
Finished "Summer" Stitchery (yay!)

Sunday, March 17:
Practiced technique for the Monotangle Challenge #2



What's Cookin' - Mar. 17 - 24

We had a lot of leftovers this week, which is always great - it let's me defer some planned meals out for a later date, stretching our food supply out.

Here's what we ate this past week:

Sunday, Mar 10
 Souped Up Cheeseburger Soup
(added bacon pieces and avocado garnish)
PLANNED to also add mushrooms and totally forgot.


Monday, Mar 11

Applesauce

Tuesday, Mar 12
 Leftover Pork and Collards

Wednesday, Mar 13
 Taco Salad (no tortilla chips)

Thursday, Mar 14
Beef and Vegetable Stew

Friday, Mar 15
Leftover Stew
Coconut Flour Biscuits

Saturday
Ostara Potluck
(our contribution: Coconut Flour Biscuits.  These these are seriously good!)

If you are curious about Ostara at our Druid grove, you can read a little about it here: Ostara at Cedarlight Grove, 2013 at The Cauldron Born.

Our meal intentions for this coming week:


Sunday , Mar 17 
(St. Paddy's Day, but we're pretty much ignoring it because my corned beef isn't ready yet)
Blueberry Grain-Free Pancakes
Canadian Bacon
Scrambled Eggs and Cheese

Monday, Mar 18
EATING OUT  
(Pub Moot at Dogfish Head Alehouse)

Tuesday, Mar 19
Pulled Beef Barbecue
Salad

Wednesday, Mar 20
Leftovers

Also: Make liver pate

Thursday, Mar 21
(Davies UU Board Meeting)
"Appetizer Dinner"
aka nibbles

Friday, Mar 22
(Home Ostara celebration)
Corned Beef, Cabbage and Potatoes

Saturday, Mar 23
(spending afternoon in Baltimore)
EATING OUT

Friday, March 15, 2013

Theme-a-licious: March Madness Progress Report

It's Them-alicious time - a little peek at what stitchery I've been working on this month, so far.  March's theme is March Madness:

"Work on something different every day...it's madness...of the funnest possible kind."

Yikes!  Well, I haven't switched out every SINGLE day (I also haven't stitched every day), but I did try to switch things up ever 3rd day or so on a few of my WIPs:

This piece was so close to done that I knocked it out first:

 Spring Sampler
Gentle Arts
DMC threads
54x58

I also got a bit farther along on each of these (two pics - one to show where I was, one to show where I am now):

 freebie Quaker sampler 
(designer unknown - I DO wish people would note their identifiers on their graphic!  This has been in my computer for a couple years)
I finished the green half-medallion, the butterfly medallion and the small pink tulip.
variegated pastel flosses (various brands)
light blue 28ct linen
148x125

Hare Biscornu
DMC threads
61x61 (x2)

Tree of Life
various flosses
88x88

Midnight Dip
DMC floss
108x98

This month's ornament theme is to make something 3D, and I've not begun anything on that score, yet, but we're only half-way through!


aLtEReD OZ - Taking Up My Pen

One of the most fun things in the world of blogging is OmaLinda's annual Celebrate Oz event.  I decided very late to join in this year (just a week ago), so I knew I'd have to keep my contribution small, and I had little idea of what exactly I was going to do.  The theme this year is Altered OZ - mashing up Oz with some other thing, and I was (am?) even less sure how I might do that.

It wasn't until yesterday - after trying on and discarding several ideas as simply not for me, or not doable in my time frame - that I dragged out my drawing pad and decided to see what might happen.

Other than my foray into doodles a couple days before, I haven't drawn in years and years - it was something that mattered to me hugely as a child and young adult, but then being 'grown up' took over and I mostly stopped... and then I really grew up, and realized I shouldn't have and by then my hands had started hurting and I got frustrated with it and put it behind me.

I don't know why I suddenly seem able to again, but I'll take it!

Oz was actually the reason for my original love of drawing - as a kid and young adolescent, I saved up my allowance each month to buy another book in Baum's Oz series until I had the entire collection.  I loved the stories, but what really grabbed me were the illustrations by John R. Neill.  It was the first time I realized that 'illustrator' was something people could do, and it's what I wanted to do. I didn't waver on that until I was in my 20s.

So, yesterday, I sat down with my pad, thinking about Oz and Neill's drawings and how much I loved that iconic Oz logo, with the O and Z interlocking, and also about those Zentangle patterns I'd just been playing with, and this I drew that logo - with a tree bark Z for the forests of Oz, and a jewel encrusted O for the opulence of Emerald City.



(I also messed up on an idea that didn't work in the background inside the letters.... so I cut that part out. There's your 'altered' part, I'm afraid)


I'm also realizing it isn't finished - now that I inserted a bit of 3-dimensionality by cutting it, it really begs to have something meaningfully done with what it peeks into, and I need some time to mull just what that might be.  Actually - how about this:  leave me some ideas in comments about what ought to go behind this.  I'll pick one of them (or none and go with something of my own choosing), but everyone who gives me a suggestion will go in the running for getting  a small giveaway as a thank you.

The giveaway will be for either a copy of this piece, or a smaller art card sized original OZ logo drawing (let me know which you'd prefer) - I'll pick one of you at random on Saturday, March 23.

I'm really excited by this - I think it's opened me up to drawing again (so that's the other thing altered - me!).  Oz has always been magical that way, hasn't it?

Go see what everyone else is up to!

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Chocolate Banana Cake (GF/SF)

I wasn't at all sure how this was going to work out - was it possible to make a sweet treat that had no sugar at all other than the fruit that was in it?  Ramping up the challenge, I wanted to use dark chocolate which is less sweet than milk chocolate.  Well.... it worked, and the trick is definitely to get the bananas as ripe as possible (skins not just speckled but black).

This cake is moist, sweet and takes care of my non-infrequent chocolate cravings quite nicely.  The banana flavor is pronounced, and if I were feeling fancier, I'd have made up some whipped cream and sliced strawberries to go with it.  But it tastes great all on its own!



Chocolate Banana Cake (GF/SF)
Makes 1 8"x8" single layer cake

1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce (or coconut oil)
2 eggs
5 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 c. blanched almond flour
1/2 c. dark cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350F.

Using mixer, blend applesauce (or oil) and eggs until light and fluffy.  Add remaining ingredients and continue mixing until well blended.

Pour into an 8"x8" cake pan that's been lined with parchment paper on the bottom.  Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a rack, then keep, covered, in refrigerator.


Shared with: Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Creative Juice, DIY Thrifty Thursday, Eat-Pray-Love Link Party, HomeAcre Hop, Hookin' Up with HoH, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Transformation Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop, Thursday's Treasures, Fight Back Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Foodie Friday, Rattlebridge Farm Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Gluten-Free Friday, Simple Meals Friday, What I Am Eating, Weekend Show-Off Party, LHITS DIY Link Party, Farm Girl Blog Fest, Farmgirl Friday, Freedom Fridays, Friday Favorites, Frugal Friday, Show and Tell Friday, Get Schooled SaturdaySimply Natural Saturdays, Show & Tell Saturday, Sweet Saturday Link Party, A Favorite Thing, Your Great Idea Link Party, No Rules Weekend, Creative HomeAcre Hop, Think Pink Sunday, Sunday Show Off Linky Party, Craft-Create-Inspire Linky Party, On the Menu Monday, My Meatless Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, Mealtime Monday, Thank Goodness Its Monday, Nomday Monday, Motivated Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Mostly Homemade Monday, Mop It Up Monday, Monday Funday, Mix It Up Monday, Marvelous Monday, MYHSM Link Party, Make It Yourself Monday, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Busy Monday, Traditional Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Hearth & Soul Hop, Fat Tuesday, Family Table Tuesday, You're Gonna Love It Tuesday, Eco-Kids Tuesday, Tutorial Tuesday, Tuesday Greens, Backyard Farming Connection, Anti-Procrastination Tuesday.