what I have been doing during videos

This afghan has been my project in the evenings when we watch videos.  It is a granny square pattern from Posie Gets Cozy.  I have tried to chose a grey for the outside edge and my Beloved picks all the other colors.  He really likes the orange and the red.  The pattern actually calls for only 80 squares.  It is one of the reasons I laid it out today.  I wanted to see how big 80 squares was.  Not quite big enough.  I am going to finish 100 and then put it together.  I actually have enough yarn bits (this is really nice for bits) that I will probably make another.  Or find another pattern I like and use that.  I am enjoying this even though I know putting it together is going to be tedious.

ginger snaps

Amy was talking at skating on Sunday about ginger snaps.  She got me craving them so I went to my go to recipe in the Joy of Cooking.  The only problem with that recipe is that it makes 10 dozen.  10 dozen if you make them rather large.  I always think that is too many cookies so I cut it in half.  And roll the cookies in sugar like they were molasses crinckles.  The recipe actually suggests to frost them but I cannot see that.

ginger snap

Note:  From the Joy of Cooking, 1981 (yes, year matters with this cookbook)

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup sugar 

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cloves

Sugar for dredging

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl.  Add molasses, egg, and vinegar.  Beat well.  Mix in the dry ingredients.  

Roll small teaspoons of dough into balls.  Dredge in sugar.  Place on a baking sheet covered with a silpat or parchment paper.  

Bake 12 minutes

Very yummy.  Similar to a molasses crinckle but more ginger.

And Small Mister likes them.  He likes the size too.

quilt back

I have a done quilt back.  For some reason, this one seemed to take much longer then normal.  It was probably my head space because what I really wanted to do was keep making nine squares.  20 more and I have enough for the next quilt I am making.  And my friend is not feeling well so I really hope it helps when she gets it.  I will eventually make one for me and I am excited about starting that as well.

My arthritic conditions have been really playing with me recently.  Injuring myself has not helped.  I think right now I would rather buy and grow flowers then food.  Well, except maybe for tea and homemade bread for toast.  My list for this weekend is overwhelming and I know it will not all get done.  I can hope that parts of it do.

growing cabbage

I saw this on a blog where the writer had cut off the bottom of a romaine lettuce head and grew another head of lettuce from it.  Just what had been purchased from the grocery store.  Nothing special about that head of lettuce.  I was making coleslaw and thought, what the heck, I will try it with this pretty purple cabbage I was using.  So I cut off about an inch of the end that had been closest to the roots.  Where they had cut it from the plant.  I then put it in a shallow dish of water.  I have made sure there is always water.

I have cabbages growing!  They look like three tiny brussell sprouts right now.  This is so exciting.  When the plant seem much more established and I can see roots, I will plant it in my garden.  I am going to do this much more often.  It definitely makes me smile.

By the way, ink is in but not the paper.  More waiting going on.

plates ordered!

The excitement today is a working computer and photopolymer plates ordered for printing.  The ink and paper are ordered too so life is pretty exciting.  I do admit that I hope to have some time without Small Mister to do some printing because it will be my first time doing this without guidance.  He also really likes to help with my letterpress.  Whether we are actually printing or not.  That could just be much too interesting!

I have variations of this tree ordered.  Something for my Beloved, my Mom, and two things for my Sister.  The only one missing is my best friend and by the time she makes decisions, I will probably have more to order.

Life is most interesting.