What Did She Do Today?

She Ate At Republic December 13, 2010

It's a sad state of affairs, really.  There is a little fabric store in Manchester that is stocked with bolt ends from NY.  In years past, it and it's predecessor, Lavine's, were bursting with all kinds of amazing fabrics, so many it was hard to narrow the pile.  It's still a great place, don't get me wrong.  There is a lovely assortment of fabrics, especially fleece, but their wools were lacking, and there is no hope for more to arrive, as the next buy is in Spring.  The reason for all this, is the fact that all our clothing is being made overseas, so all our fabric is being cut there too, hence not bolt ends.  It's sad really, not just because I don't have the amazing selection of fabrics I once did, at the wonderful prices; 100% wool suiting for $8.00 a yard!  Amazing.  But it speaks to a larger problem.  The US has given up so many of it's backbone industry.  It's a shame.  They did have new fold over elastic, so I picked up some tutu pink and a lovely steel blue.  A yard of flannel, but no wool.  The prospect of Joann Fabrics being my only garment fabric option is really getting me down.

On the flip side of all that doom and gloom was lunch!  Mom and I were trying to figure out where to eat, what would be the least offensive option, when I remembered an ad, or spot on NPR, or maybe it was an article, I read, or a combo of all of the above.  Republic, a new cafe/bar/restaurant on Elm Street in Manchester!

Local meats, produce (when in season), dairy products (including cheese, except parmesean), oh my!  The price points were fair and quite varied.  You could enjoy an appetizer or salad for less than $10.00, a sandwich or lunch special for around $10.00 or entrees in the $15-under $20 range, with one meal hitting $23.  Mom and I decided on the same thing, but it was delicious.  Farm Fresh eggs poached in a lovely tomato based sauce, topped with a piece of fried polenta and local mozzarella. 

We had a lovely chat with Claudia, co-owner, about their practices, and how things are going.  They have some great partner farms, that they list on a board in the front (I was very happy to see Brookford Farm listed, as Yogurt supplier), and she told us the story of a farm that they work with that is going to be making some changes to be able to provide a great amount of diverse produce through the entire calendar year, for 2011.  They are struggling with local produce now that winter has hit, but are still going strong with their meats, seafood, and dairy options.  I made a couple suggestions of farmers she wasn't familiar with, that might still have something other than squash (which she still has a source for).  She's excited with how well they did this year, and anticipates even more, next year.

I highly recommend stopping in. 

Upon arriving home, I decided to take advantage of the warm weather and headed to my unheated glass studio.  I've been having so much fun being back at the torch!  I have a couple more sets of buttons to bring on Wednesday, to Spinning Yarns.

I have had a couple folks ask about buying my buttons online.  I am not offering them there yet, but will update here when I do.   My current plan is to add them to my Etsy Store in January, if I can keep up with the demand at Spinning Yarns and online.  I'd like to think I can, but as I said, I'll let you know here, when they are available outside of Spinning Yarns.

 

She Enjoyed her first Thanksmas November 25, 2010

My grandparents spend their winter's in Florida now, and Gram didn't want to wait until the end of December to make the trip.  For this reason, this year, that side of the family celebrated Thanksmas.  We enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner, followed by the family Christmas gift swap, followed by Thanksgiving leftovers for dinner, including fried stuffing!  Everyone seemed okay with the idea, so this may be the first of a new family tradition.

This means I get to start early, this year, sharing the handmade gifties I gifted.  So here they are.

My cousin got a necklace, but forgot to photograph it...poo.  She also recieved some of Irma, my sourdough starter.  I built her up to be able to gift 1 1/2 cups of her, and my cousin and her husband were excited at the thought of sourdough bread.

Their daughter looked adorable in the velvet bonnet I made.  I used the Angry Chicken pattern, for a baby, as she's 6 months old.  It come out perfectly, and Mini and The Baby will be recieving one soon, too.  Who doesn't want a cotton velvet lined hat, this time of year.  Not only did she look great in the hat, she liked wearing it!

My other cousin recieved a couple goodies.  First a pair of wool/cotton pot holders.  She's a baker, an amazing baker, at that (oh, the pumpkin whoopie pies she brought..oh!).  So with the potholders she recieved an 8oz bottle of my homemade Vanilla.  She also received some local popcorn!  The potholders were so much easier to make this time, thanks to my fabulous Walking Foot for the sewing machine.  It allows you to sew through several layers of fabric without getting the annoying puckering that can occur when you do that with a regular foot.  It's the best sewing accessory I ever bought.  I'm glad to be reminded of how smoothly it makes the process of making potholders go...it's very helpful when making bibs, too.

Finally, I owed her a gift from last year, since what I was knitting for her became a problem, and I didn't have time to recover.  I tried another project that wasn't working up nicely, so frogged it all since the weather was too warm for warm woolies.  This fall, I found a pattern that worked up great.  A nice bulky, cozy, wool, cowl, adorned with a glass button I made.  She lives in Boston, and has short hair, so anything to help keep her neck warm gets a big thumbs up.

I recieved gift certificates for knitting, and book buying.  Perfect. Now I'm going to dream, fondly, of the pumpkin whoopie pies, with the cream cheese filling, that my cousin let me take a half dozen home...I'm only going to dream of them, because I'm quite full!  But, they are in my fridge for tomorrow.  Happy Thanksmas!

She Enjoyed Better Health September 22, 2010

Oh, my!  Life has been rough, these past few days. I caught some sort of cold that would not let go.  Soar throat, stuffed head, headache, cough that pulled stomach muscles, and kept going, creating much pain.  I couldn't even get out of my own way, and any moving around sent me into a coughing fit.  I didn't work for a whole week...can't remember that happening since I started my business.  I didn't even do much on the computer other than watch Hulu.  So glad that is behind me now!

What I did have the ability to do was sit in one place, cuddle The Baby, watch Mini do her clever tricks (she was thrilled for a stationary audience), and knit.  I finished my sweater, which is blocking right now, and will have buttons soon, which is when I'll show it to you.  I made mittens for Mini, and I thoroughly love them.  They were made with Mochi Plus in a rainbow coloration, and they are so darn cute, warm, soft and cozy.  They are the perfect mitten and fit her perfectly. One of the things that makes them perfect is there is no specific left or right, either fits either hand. I love such projects!

The food preservation came to an abrupt halt last week, making me very glad that I pushed to get some much done, earlier.  I'm hoping for another round of tomatoes, but if not, I'm feeling good about the 78 quarts and 7 pints I have to date.

Apple picking is on the agenda for this week.  The season is off kilter this year and I need to be sure to get some applesauce into jars for my crazy, fruit loving girls, before they are all gone.

Yesterday was the first day of the Kids Clothes Sewing Challenge, and I did diddly squat.  No sewing yesterday, or today.  Not a good start.  I was going to clean my sewing room last week, but with being sick, I didn't, so I'm not organized, or ready to start...I know, wah wah wah, stop your whining and get something stitched...okay, I'll try.  I gift a handstitched goodie last week...does that count?  No, of course not, but you still want to see it right?  This was for my neice, in honor of her first birthday...never mind the fact she was over 13 months old before she got it...shhh.  I love these sets.  My girls are both still wearing the sets I made, like it, for Mini.  Mini wears them as a shirt, with jeans or a skirt, and The Baby is wearing them as a dress, or a long tunic with pants, depending on the weather.  Well worth the time spent sewing. 

I haven't really kept you up to date on the rabbit news.  We have a litter of 8 from Clementine which are almost 5 weeks old, and weighing in at over a pound each!  It seems my new feed schedule might be working, and I'm excited to see how that plays out through 12 weeks.  Josie kindled Sunday night, but of the 6 born, only one was alive this morning.  I'm not sure what happened.  Two were on the wire, which was sad, but 3 of the 4 in the nest box didn't make it either.  They all looked fully formed and were good size kits, so I'm perplexed.  Sometimes there is just no way to know what happened, or why.  I need to breed all the girls for one more litter before the cold of Winter arrives. 

The sunflowers are not nearly the size I was expecting, but they did flower, and I will have some heads to throw to the chickens, this winter, for a tasty, healthy treat.

 

 

 

 

She Took a Challenge September 10, 2010

I'm knee deep in canning and butchering season, but my kids still need clothes.  While some might say "Just go buy some".  I really can't do that.  I just can't bring myself to.  I've been sort of spoiled with how my girls have grown, they just keep getting taller, but not wider, so the clothes I made 2 years ago for Mini, still fit her, they just need jeans with them (those, I still buy), and they fit The Baby.  However, this winter there needs to be some new items to fill in and freshen the wardrobes.  I am, of course knitting, but as much as I want to sew, I never really do.  I was excited to see a challenge on another blog.  The week of September 20-26, the challenge is to sew 1 hour a day, and see what gets done.  Okay, I can do that...I hope.  So here is the button, committing me to giving it an attempt:

I'm not sure why I don't spend time sewing, other than maybe I can't stop spending time knitting.  It really is my go to, few minutes to myself, relaxing thing that I like to do.  I recently finished a shawl for myself, in a great thick wool, and a lace pattern, that will be perfect for keeping away the chill this Winter.  The pattern is Shetland Triangle Lace Shawl, which was written for a lace weight yarn, but I used Cascade Eco+ Wool, at $15.00 a skein, it created a nice comfy shawl.  I did need a smidge bit more from another skein, but if you only did 10 repeats instead of the 11 for the pattern, you would be fine with one skein, and you'd still have a nice sized shawl.

This is a work in progress shot, and I can't find the images I took when it was done, with the fun little pointed edges.  If I find them, or take new ones, I'll show you.

Then I cast on a sweater for myself.  This is from the pattern, Peasy, and is a top down, raglan style, cardigan with a lace yoke.  I love this sweater, and found knitting the yoke fun, but am at the stockinette forever part, so I really need a good movie, or book, because now it's just b.o.r.i.n.g.  At least the yarn feels nice in my fingers.

Lest you think all the knitting around here is selfish, I assure you, it is not.  The girls have some wonderful new fall cozies that are being finished up too, but I'll have to show those another time.

 

She Gave in, Exhausted, but Left You with Inspiration September 3, 2010

I'm very tired today.  Not sure why, but I woke up quite early, and couldn't go back to sleep, despite the tired feeling that I was experiencing.  I bit the bullet and started my day.  I never shook the tired feeling, and by the time I got the girls to bed, I was ready for some quite time before retiring myself.  I decided to muster enough energy to make a batch of those amazing sourdough skillet cakes that I am in love with, then I topped them with some fresh peaches, that I picked today, and went to Progressive Pioneer to see what ideas she had for the "Make and Do" Friday.  I was disappointed to find, she had none.  Fair enough, she does have a lot going on with a new baby and a little guy, and all, so here are my ideas for the weekend...

Make a Harvest basket.  This looked like a fun idea, that would be handy, and simple.

Shop at the local Farmer's Market for some delicious heirloom tomatoes to make some of the Tomato Butter that I can't stop talking about.

Grill Some Peaches

Make a deck of cards, and spend some family time playing with them.

Make a Pretty Windsock to welcome the cool breeze of fall!

 

 

 

She Did All Sorts of Things July 13, 2010

I made Sprouted Spelt Flour.  I've read that sprouting the spelt berries, then dehydrating them, before grinding them into flour is a great way to remove the phytic acid that each of the berries contains. 

Phytic acid is the chemical that allows a seed to keep from germinating until the time is right.  It is what allows seeds to be eaten by animals, survive the digestive track and make it out the other side, it a lovely pile of manure, the perfect growing medium.  The problem with phytic acid is it also keeps the seed, even when ground into flour, to release all it's nutrients to our bodies, to be used.  Phytic acid also makes digestion more difficult. 

 

One way to remove the phytic acid is to soak the grain in an acid based liquid, like water and some apple cider vinegar, whey, or yogurt.  That isn't always practical, and cuts down on the ability to bake anything on a whim.  So the other way to release the phytic acid is to sprout the grain.  Once it sprouts, the phytic acid is released, your body views it as a veggie and digests is much easier and more thoroughly.  Very cool.  I decided to soak some berries, and dehydrate them, so that when I want to just whip something up, it will be ready for grinding.  It stores well when it's sprouted/dehydrated, as well.

 

I tried it today to make up some Strawberry bread! The flavor and texture was great, but was too moist, so didn't cook all the way through.  I'm thinking I'll just grill it to finish it off, piece by piece!

Today was actually pretty productive.  I started the morning in the studio making some beads and testing a new tool.  I'll show the beads later, as they need to be cleaned, but the knobs don't, they come out of the kiln ready to pop on a drawer! 

I really like the orange and brown, but something happened to my oxygen while I was making the blue one so there is dark gray streaks in it.  I'm still putting it on my daughters dresser of random blue knobs, but I wish the grey wasn't there.

So are you tired of hearing about my eating rabbit?  I hope not, because I'm going to tell you again...

Tonight I fried some bacon, removed it from the pan (used it to make a very yummy blt), then browned the rabbit (that I had pieced and coated in egg and herbed flour).  Removed the rabbit when browned, then tossed in a whole heap of onions and garlic.  Sauteed, then added the rabbit back in, covered everything in rabbit stock, and let simmer all afternoon.  Delightful!

I served it with pan fried potatoes and a salad.  I love rabbit!  I have a couple left for sale, if you are interested, contact me Amy(at)Zooziis(dot)com.

I found this very cool tutorial for turning a tank top into a romantic top of a century gone by.  I loved the idea, and thought it would work for a sleeveless linen shirt I have.  I gave it a try tonight.  I like it.  I opted for multiple linen fabrics for the flowers, to tie it all together.  I think it will be fun to wear.

 

I also snuck off to pick more black raspberries! I am so excited with the amount I've been able to pick this year.  I'm going to do some sort of preserve so I can make Sage and Raspberry Duck this winter...mmm.  Doesn't that sound amazing!?  I love eating from my yard <grin>.

Oh, cool thing that I didn't do, but pertains to the blog...Someone contacted me from "The Forum...News from the towns around Pawtuckaway".  It's an online news source that also does a print version a few times a year.  They wanted permission to publish my blog posts on their site!  So cool.  They thought I had a voice that others might light to hear.  That made me smile.  They put up my post from yesterday, today.  If you came her from there, welcome neighbor.  I hope you enjoy the blog, and maybe we'll run into each other at a Farmer's Market or other local event!

She Had Her Faith in Humanity Renewed March 12, 2010

Okay, so the title is probably a bit dramatic...

I did find two very helpful, knowledgeable and kind guys, who were willing to fix my oxygen concentrators.  I use oxygen concentrators to power my oxygen/propane mix torch for bead making.  They are the kind that are used in hospitals and nursing homes, for people who need oxygen.  They take the air and separate the oxygen particles out and filter them through a hose.  I hook that hose to one part of my torch, and a propane tank to another.  The oxygen makes the propane burn cleaner and hotter, to melt the glass more efficiently.  You can use a tank of oxygen, too, but it's a lot more expensive. 

So, anyway, I have 3 used concentrators, that while still very viable, are no longer eligible for medical use.  They have powered my torch for a number of years, until recently.  I called and called and found no one who could fix them, as most places that sell them just send them in for credit when they don't work, because people rely on these things to breath, so you can't have them breaking down.

Finally, I found a place in the Manchester area.  Brought them over, the guys pulled them apart, showed me what needed to be cleaned, how to clean them, attached a couple things that had come loose, found an old owners manual for the one that is still giving me trouble, explained to me how to fix it myself, to avoid a costly repair bill...all that and they wouldn't take any payment!  They were such nice people, and for no other reason, than to be nice.  They didn't need to take any time with me, but I'm extremely thankful they did!  I'm so excited to fire these up and make more beads!

After getting the units fixed I was able to connect with a friend, who lives nearby, and who I haven't seen in far too long.  We had lunch, caught up, and I got to see her new dog and bead making studio.  It was a very lovely day in the Southern part of the state.

Finally, a quick stop at the Fabric Fix, where I found a VERY cool patchwork fabric.  I picked that up with a couple other pieces, a bunch of fold over elastic (my new love), and headed home.

 

I'm still felting away on the girl's Spring play set.  I worked on her tonight...more on that when the set is done.

 

Tomorrow is the Farmer's Market in Exeter!  I'll be going with Husband.  Hope to see you there!

She Found an Amazing Website and Did Some Sewing March 11, 2010

I stumbled across a website last night that has my head spinning!  I love the idea of building things with wood.  Wood is beautiful, smells so nice when it's cut and has a very soothing effect in a home.  But honestly, I'm impatient.  Impatient with myself, mostly.  Impatient with the business of figuring.  I like to cut, screw, even nail...not so much the gluing and waiting, but I can do it, but the figuring really bugs me.  I have an idea, but then lack the know how to translate that into a functional finished product.  

It really is the lack of patience with the process because I have the mind for it.  Numbers are fun to me, and spatial relations thinking is not a problem.  But sitting down and figuring it all out, and what to cut, and what angle and on and on and on. 

This this website, it's basically how to make your own kit, then how to build it!  This is phenomenal!  I found several projects I really want to give a try.  I really needed to find this site in late Fall, not early Spring!!!  There isn't a project for rabbit housing on there, so I may need to just bookmark for now, but this is a very inspirational site!

Well, maybe I could make something small, now...like this very cool frame!

 

I was contracted to make a shopping bag, and I finished it up tonight!  I hope Tina likes it. 

She Made A Necklace and A Dress March 6, 2010

Clementine kindled last night!  She had one who didn't make it.  I'm not sure why.  It was out of the nest box, so either it arrived dead, or it came out when she did.  She appears to have 7 in the nest, so her largest litter to date.  Calliope seems to have 6-7.  I have tried to count them, but doing so while trying not to disturb them or the mama's too much, since how many has no real significant bearing on anything, other than I'm curious!!

I got a fun little pack in the mail from the Luffa Farm.  I did not know this, but Luffa, Loofa, Loufa, or any other of the many spellings, are gourds.  Not sure why, but I like a great many people thought those rough little bath sponges were some sort of sea thing.  Well, they are gourds, and apparantly capable of being grown in NH, with some season extending efforts, such as planting them inside to start, then transplanting when warm enough and possibly putting a hoop over them in the fall for a couple weeks.  Seem fun, and if you have them growing in your yard you can use them for all sorts of cleaning, like scrubbing pots, or cleaning your car (if you were into that sort of thing).  But basically, they can be used for anything, not just for bath time skin sloughing. 

I ordered a couple small luffa and a pack of heirloom seeds from the Luffa Farm in California.  I got to talk to the woman whom I bought them from and got some growing tips, so when I get my seed starting soil in the next day or so, I'm going to give them a try.  The Luffas that I purchased are quite lovely.  They are fine grained, and quite soft, compared with what you find with store bought versions.  They are quite pleasant to wash with.

I also made a great new bead.  This bead has me so excited that I even located a place to bring my oxygen concentrators for a tune up so I can get back to making beads more often.  I have ideas swimming in my head, and it's been a good deal of time that that has happened.  I also really want to finish making the knobs for my kitchen, and have 3 more of those to do.  I also may have a knob commission in the near future, with someone who wants to redo their kitchen.  That is pretty exciting.  Well, anyway, enough about what I hope to make, take a look at what I did make.

 

Oh, and I didn't tell you last night because I went on and on about that huge meal, but I also finished the dress I started last week.  It fits great, was quite comfortable to wear and looks nice...even I think it looks nice.  I used fold over elastic on the neck and arms trim and pulled it ever so slightly as I applied it so that it would keep the lines firm.  I find with dresses I make myself, the front sort of wants to fall away from my body just a bit, and I don't like that.  This solved that problem, and applying it inside out gave a matte finish to the elastic, so it doesn't look like lycra binding.  The bodice is embroidered linen and the skirt is black linen. 

 

I had fun with the tie. 

• I serged the edges of a long strip that was wider than I wanted it to be.
• Positioned it over the spot that the bodice and skirt fabric meet.
• Stitched along the join of the two fabrics.
• Folded the top of the tie down, so that it had the layered look, and because I didn't line it all up perfectly, some spots are more overlapped than others, which was my goal.
• I stitched along the fold so the top would always stay down.
• I only did this from one seam allowance to the other so that the tie can be tied in back.

I'm not sure if I'll use the pattern, as is, again any time soon, since the dress is not breast feeding friendly, but the fit is good, so I may make some strap modifications, or something.

She Decided She Needed New Night Ware, and Made Ricotta Gnocci for a Dark Days Dinner February 22, 2010

Today is part two of my Dark Days meal from last week.  I decided, instead of making ravioli, I would make ricotta gnocci.  I made gnocci with friends before, but it was potato gnocci, and when I saw mention of Riccotta gnocci on another blog, I thought that would be a prefect use for my homemade ricotta from yesterday!

I searched online for a recipe and found a very basic one: 2 Cups Riccotta, 2 Cups Flour and 2 Eggs.  Perfect!  I beat the eggs, added the ricotta and flour, stirred, then a little kneading, and on to the fun, shaping.  I used a fork to put the little indents.  It worked well, dropped into boiling water, and they cooked up perfectly.

I shredded some cabbage, steamed it, and then heated the sauce from yesterday.

Roll Call:

My yard: Eggs

Local: Ricotta made by me with Brookford Milk, Cabbage (Brookford Farm)

Not Local: Flour

Roll Call reminder from yesterday's components:

Pasta Sauce Roll Call:

My yard: Peppers (frozen from summer)

Local: Carrots, onions and tomatoes (Nippo brook farm all dried or canned by me to preserve), Goat sausage (Jenness farm), butter (made by me from Brookford Milk), Kale (Black Kettle farm (frozen in the fall), Oregano, basil and parsley (a friends garden), Salt (Maine Salt)

Not local: Pepper

Ricotta Roll Call:

Local: Milk (Brookford Farm)

Not Local: citric acid to make the curds for the ricotta

I'm not in a photographic mood lately.  I didn't take a picture of today's meal, even though it was beautiful, and I whipped up a little night gown, and there are no pics of that either.  I love Angry Chicken...the blog.  It's the first one I read if there is an update, when I check in on my Google Reader.  She was on a streak of making underthings for a while and I was jealous.  I loved all the things she was making, (like this, this, and especially this!) but had no pattern to work with and was intimidated to wing it. 

Well, necessity being the mother of many things, she became the mother of "taking a leap", today.  My night ware is so lame.  I never see what I want in stores, and I really wanted something new, comfy, cute, that fit nice, and would be easy access for breastfeeding.  I grabbed a piece of inexpensive cotton knit jersey, one of the few nightgowns I have that fits well, and some fold over elastic.  Perfect!!  This nightie fits, is comfy, worked great when breast feeding, and despite it's inexpensive origins and slapping together construction, it's quite cute.

I'm now going to need a nice shopping spree!  Pretty knits, new fold over tape in coordinating colors.  I'm just giddy at the prospect of a new night wardrobe.  Oh, and the whole project, including "drafting the pattern", a term I use loosely, took less than one hour.  

Why do I procrastinate?  Seriously, when I finally jump in, it usually does work out, so I don't know why I put some things off for so long.  Maybe I'll feel more photographically inspired when I make the other nightgowns.

The other thing I did today, was sign up for an E-Course.  The subject is Nourishing Traditions Style cooking, and I'm excited.  I've been wanting to make sprouted breads and figure out some of the lacto fermentation stuff, and this seems like a fun and clever way to learn about it.  I also bit the bullet and ordered a Vitamix. 

I've put this purchase off for a VERY long time.  Mom bought one a year ago and she tells me CONSTANTLY of all the things she makes in it.  I've actually asked her to either crush/grind or let me borrow the thing several times, and finally decided I have enough uses for it.  It's recommended for the E-course, though is in no way necessary for the course, but it was the last little nudge I needed, along with getting a check in the mail from my insurance company for an overpayment...that's as close as I'm going to get to unexpected money, as I never get a tax refund.  Now I'm anxiously awaiting the UPS trucks arrival...in 7-10 days.

Well, I'm awful chatty when pictures don't need to be involved!