these shoes are made for walking

I may have mentioned that I am walking more.  Walking more not as part of a resolution but so I can be prepared for adventuring.  Wahoo!  The pair of shoes on the left are my every day but Sunday walking shoes.  The pair on the right are my Sunday walking shoes.  When they do not feel the same, it is time to make the Sunday shoes every day shoes and to get a new pair of Sunday shoes. 

Now, after work I feel the need for something a little bit decadent.  I have been taking tea and cookies on my walks.  I have a Yeti cup so that works well.  And I found that the sugar cookie recipe I used for the hedgehog cookies seem to stand up well to being put in a pocket for a few minutes.  Yes, I do things like that.

I come home.  Take the dough out of the refrigerator, roll out a few cookies, bake.  On my way.  I decided to try this recipe in the first place because my sugar cookie dough for the cookie decorating parties makes enough cookies for an army of boyos even when you cut it in half.  This one makes enough for a few days for me.  It almost takes like a shortbread but a shortbread would crumble in my pocket.  There is no reason that I would know this (cough, cough).  This is not a sweet cookie because it is made for frosting but I like them plain.  They also make really nice hedgehogs!

walking cookies

Note:  based on this Bon Appetit cookie but I tweaked due to the half batch, and my tastes.  Also, my total dislike of baking powder.  I can almost always taste it when used.

4/06/2016 I modified these with 2 teaspoons of cardamom.  So good.  I started with 1/2 teaspoon and worked up until I could taste the cardamom.  It will depend on what your want to taste and how fresh your cardamom is for the amount needs.

10 tablespoons room temperature butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Mix in the egg and vanilla.  Mix in the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar.  Bring into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap for at least 30 minutes or until you are ready to roll out.

When you are ready to roll the cookies out, preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

Lightly flour a clean surface.  I usually only roll a portion of the dough for a few cookies but feel free to roll it all if you wish.  Roll it out to about 3/8 of an inch thick.  Cut out with a cutter.  I use circles on a day to day basis.  Put on the baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes.

I usually pick up a few while they are warm to take walking with me.  On days I walk home from work, I miss my tea and cookies. 

Simple things.

made from what we had: a chimera

Last winter?  The winter before?  The chimera I had got broken.  Boyos were involved and I did not ask the details.  There has been talk ever since about getting another but I came home one day and this was what had been built for me. 

It started out with a full top but it got cut out so a round steel plate can be put there, with handles.  Better for cleaning after cooking with fire.

I have started playing with cooking with fire.  The pot on top of the chimera is pictured here before cooking.  It had white beans, red beans, kabacha squash, and seasonings in it.  Water.  Over the fire. 

The make shift grill top was just two pieces of scrap steel.  Add wood.  Add fire.  Make sure the water does not boil off and even with beans that have not been soaked, there will be cooked beans for the evening meal.

When I started building fires like this and kicking boards to feed the fire, I got called a bad ass. 

I'll take it!

The beans turned out really well.  There was a taste of smoke from the smoke that added a lovely depth.  The boyos enjoyed them too.  Eating bowls of rice and beans around the fire.

got it!

Life has been interesting recently, especially when it comes to work.  More layoffs have been announced.

I have been asked help do the impossible with the time frame given.  Which translates to many more unproductive meetings.

Because of these unproductive meetings, I have not had as much time to sew.  To remain sane.  To work on my sheath pattern.

But you know what?  Even with all those limitations, I think I got it.  I had another muslin I could wear out of the process.  One I could not.

I am wearing this dress right now.  I have already worn it to work twice and even days like today where my shoulder hurts, I can get it on and off.  I do not really think work or the weather are helping my shoulder!  It walks well too.  I walked home from work in it.  That is a good thing.

Maybe I will have more energy tomorrow.  Maybe I will laugh less because I really would rather cry.  It is all possible, yes?

simplest mango sorbet

I was listening to the audiobook Recipes for Love and Murder while I was sewing.  The heroine writes recipes and an advice column.  One of the first recipes she shared was for a mango sorbet.

It was so simple and it was read.  Peel and pit a mango.  Slice it so it freezes evenly.  Freeze until not hard frozen.  Blend with a bit of lime juice.  Sorbet.

I had to try it.  Peeled and pitted mango went into the freezer.  But then life happened and it froze hard.  Lime and a bit of water.  Or for the next batch, a bit of lemon simple syrup because it is in the refrigerator and I need to use it up.  It was just wonderful!  And the grocery had these wonderfully large Australian mangos.  They might get some more and if the do we need and equal amount for eating fresh and eating as sorbet!  Mango just lends itself to becoming sorbet.  I wish more fruit did!

simplest mango sorbet

1 mango, peeled, pitted, and sliced

juice of one lime and up to a quarter cup water or about a quarter cup lemon simple syrup

Put the slice mango on a baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper.  Put in the freezer and let freeze.  The harder the mango freezes, the more liquid you will need to make it smooth.

Once frozen, put all the mango pieces in a blender.  Cover and start to blend.  If using the lime juice, add the lime juice here.  Add about a quarter cup of water or lemon simple syrup and blend until sorbet in consistency.  If you need to add more fluid do but go gently.

Scoop into a bowl and watch disappear.

I used wonderful in the description of this post a lot because this sorbet tastes so decadent!  But it is not even bad for you.  It tastes like it should though.

playing with muslins

During all my Christmas sewing, there were times that I just had to be creative.  I sit at my sewing machine sewing something that I have done before many times and my mind goes off in interesting directions.  

I am still have problems with my shoulders almost two years later from when I injured them.  The problems come from when I do not stretch and strengthen the muscles around them consistently.  I am working on consistent but there are times when I am not.  I get to work and change from my bicycle clothes to my work clothes and I cannot quite zip myself up.  There is not enough stretch in my shoulders.  Yes, I like my A-line dresses but I also really like my sheath dresses.

I decided to take my t-shirt dress, so named by the young lady at Acme Ice Cream and Rocket Donuts, and modify it.  It goes over my head with ease and no zipper.  I added darts.  I changed the neck.  I made the sleeved three quarter length but Koda Bear approved.  He likes to put his hand on skin under clothes when he is tired or insecure.  These work.

The end product was very close to what I wanted.  The back neck gaped a bit.  I also prefer my sleeves not Koda Bear approved.  Just a bit tighter.  I also want the dress a bit longer for work.

But since I used fabric that was very wearable for the muslin, I had a new dress to wear.  In Christmas colors.  

Of course, I still have a bit of Christmas sewing to finish.  I had to stop because we were traveling.  But I think I am going to put a few more dresses together between projects for myself.  They take much less time then driving someplace to shop, shop, and drive home.  And much more meditative.