Continually mending

Life is interesting.  About the time I have found something I really like, I love it to death!  Mending in every form must happen.  But it is also true for the rest of the household.  I chose to work on a sweater yesterday.  A new sweater but my Mondays are usually spent mending if I do not need to be out of the house.  There is always mending or repairs that need to happen.

Mending.  Why mend?  There are multiple reasons.  I make very little now compared to previously in my life but the happiness is much greater.  Going out and buying new is not always an option.  But, buying new does not happen often just because I cannot find what I want in the stores.  Things I like seem to not stay around very long in retail establishments.  Which means I mend or make.  If I can get it back into my wearing rotation faster by mending then making, that is probably the way I will go.

There is another reason.  The carbon footprint of clothes is four or five years per item.  If I can keep wearing something for longer then that, it is a win for my pocketbook and the planet.  I remake and alter many things too.  Not buying new fabric is already a win.  Mending keeps things working and sometime make them even more unique.  Like this sweater.  Like my Beloved's work pants.  

Mending does feel never ending.  I have even mended some of the boyos things.  I stitch well.  But my family and friends play and work hard.  There is a lot of laughter and work but that means that clothes wear.  And I mend.  Mine too.

poncho because yarn

I know people have lots of feelings about social media.  I do have to say I enjoy Instagram.  I find interesting things there.  Like skeins of yarn that are called Tea Cakes.  They just tickled my fancy so I went to Michael's to see if I could find any in person.  

Of course not.  I feel like I live in the biggest small town in the whole wide world.  People talk about yarn that I cannot find.  Oh well.  But Michael's had Latte Cakes that were so soft.  I normally do not work in acrylic or non-natural fibers but I bought some.  I was thinking that I could make a poncho that could be a hug for my best friend when I was not there.  I actually purchased enough yarn for two ponchos.

This is the one I crocheted for my best friend.  She picked the edge color.  The other skein I have is more purple and blue then blue and creams.  The fuzziness of the yarn makes the colors blend together.  Especially since I was using them at the edges where they had to go farther.  

I enjoyed making this poncho.  Yes, by the end I was wanting it to be done but that is how I usually am.  I want to see now!  It is off in the mail so she should be getting it when she gets home.  Whenever that is.  She travels a lot.  But it is one of the reasons I liked the idea of the acrylic yarn for this for her.  She can dump it in a motel washing machine or Laundromat and not worry so much about it.  There is no special laundering instructions.  And in the evening, when she is crocheting, she can be warm and snug.  

"easy" doughnut holes

I have been asked for doughnut holes again.  I really do not mind making them but when the request comes out of the blue, it can be more work then I wish.  But what if I am making bread anyhow?  And bread based on my the dough from my favorite hot cross buns or cranberry walnut buns?   Because sometimes that is the bread that is wished.

I rolled off 24 small balls of dough.  Let them rise.  And fried them at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit until they were golden and baked through.

I made a glaze from powdered sugar and milk with a touch of vanilla for these.  The household thought these were wonderful.  I still think the potato doughnut holes are better but that is me.  The recipe is very similar except for the addition of mashed potato.  But I have also been enjoying lefse more then tortillas lately.  My taste buds must have changed.

Easy?  Just because the bread was already being made.  And it made people happy.

and the truck slowly moves forward

I keep slowly working on the sharpening truck.  The floor is actually finished.  Even though this picture does not show it.  I have the frame for one side up and am working on the other.  At least to the top of the bed.

I try to keep moving forward with it but it has been slow.  My body has said no.  I am appear to be very allergic to tree pollen.  After Imelda, there has been a lot.  Friday night, my eyes started to ooze.  Saturday, my left eye was swollen shut.  But I rested, iced it, and took meds.  I was able to coach Sunday.

I actually feel better today.  I again took life slowly yesterday.  But both my eyes are swollen today!  Lots of ooze and redness again.  Which made the boyos wish to kick me out of the shop when I went to sharpen.  I am still learning.  I think I am getting better and then I do not feel like I am.  Again, I need to be patient and take life slowly.

I am going to ice my face again today before I go coach.  It means I probably will not to get to work on the truck today.  Which is a little bit frustrating but healing is the point.

I am giong to ice and bake cookies.  Maybe they will be at a point where I can get an hour in today.

I saw some pretty cutting boards on line this weekend.  Now I want to play instead of working on this project.  And get the dye pot going.  And print with leaves.  And.  And. And.  Life.  It is just life.

fry bread

I have been taking quiet moments and actually reading books!  I love to read but quiet has been hard to come by with three more people in the house and two of them very short.  I like real books but I am finding that I am reading a lot on my phone.  I have access to three libraries on my phone and that is probably not the best for reading books. 

The physical book I have been reading is Rebecca Roanhorse.  She writes about the future and is centered around the Navajo nation.  She has wonderful writing and is very vivid about the food they eat in her stories.  She made me wish to eat fry bread.  Which I have made in the past but I went looking for a simple recipe and found one.

fry bread

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup warm water 

OR

1 cup sourdough starter (I took some from a bowl of starter I was using to bake sweet bread, I used half milk and half water as the liquid to refresh it)

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

enough flour to make a soft, kneadable dough

3 cups oil for frying

In a skillet, pour the oil.  I use a cast iron skillet.  I just heat it over a medium heat until hot and then lower it to a medium low.  It works.  If you were using a thermometer, the heat would needs to between 350 and 360 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a bowl, mix the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.  Add water until you have a soft dough.  I find a cup is a bit much and usually just add enough flour to let me handle the dough.  Knead five or six times to bring it together into a smooth ball. 

Let the dough rest while the oil is heating.  If you are making the sourdough version, the resting can be longer, say an hour or two.  I got really puffy fried bead with that option

When the oil is hot, make eight balls.  Either roll out or pat out into circles about six inches in diameter.  Gently slide one at a time into the oil.  Fry until the bottom is golden.  Gently turn and fry until that side is golden.  Remove and place on paper to drain.

The first fry bread I covered with black bean chili that I add more beans to plus lettuce, cheese, and salsa.

The second, I drizzled my lovely gifted honey from Taos over it and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.  The whole meal felt like a gift.  I think I will need to make more soon.  And I need to remember to make the chili too.  I forget when it is hot!