Happy Valentine's Day Apron

We went camping this weekend.  I took hand sewing with me because we were just too full for me to pull out my hand crank sewing machine.  I found the hand sewing very restful. 

I have been playing with apron design.  I love the pattern from Sense and Sensibility.  Okay, I do not like how much fabric it takes.  Or some of the construction because it is just odd.  I have always tweaked the construction and simplified pieces of it but kept the main body because I really like the fit.  But that four and a half yards of fabric.  That just hurts.  

I played with the design.  I used the skirt from most of my dresses, changed the pockets and waistband, and modified the bodice but kept the princess seaming.  I like how it turned out.

The shape is very similar to a fully princess seamed design but it only uses about two yards of fabric.  Maybe a bit more but I am still playing with the bodice a little bit.  I was able to use fabric from my pile for this without having to go to the fabric store.  I may enough of the small printed green to make another apron.

I really like the back closure because I get so tired of leaning against the knots if it was tied.  It hurts.  I do have this tendency to wear aprons most of the time.  It is one of the few ways I have pockets!

This was actually a present to myself.  My Beloved made me a card today and sharpened all my knives.  Which works for me.  I can tell when my kitchen knives have not been sharpened four days later.  Another knife sharpener my husband knows tells me I am similar to a professional chef.  I just cook a lot and use sharp knives.  Life is too short for dull knives.  

It was a lovely Valentine's day.  There will be more posts about the food we shared.

swedish pancakes

I am not the buttermilk pancake type.  Never have been.  My Tall Short Person is a fluffy pancake type.  My Beloved likes the crepe ones and these are crepey.  I have tried other pancakes but I always come back to these.  Even making sourdough pancakes, I use six eggs.  The leftovers turn into a challah type sourdough loaf of bread.  Yes, left over sourdough pancakes turn into sourdough bread.  

I actually have sourdough I need to use for a sponge tonight.  It got forgotten on top of the refrigerator while I tried a new recipe and made dinner.  Dinner was good but the new recipe was okay.  Not one of those that will ever be requested.

Back to pancakes.  Yes, that is how tired I am right now.  Babbles.  Here is my go to recipe.  My Mom had a swedish pancake recipe.  I actually found this in the New York Times.  I have modified it to be gluten free.  We find the last pancake is sweeter then the first pancake so keep that in mind.

Swedish Pancakes

Note:  If you do not need to be gluten free, use 3/4 cup all purpose or some type of wheat flour.  I have used them all.  The difference are subtle but good.

3 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

pinch salt

1 cup milk, dairy or non-dairy

3/4 cup sorghum flour or 1/4 cup millet, 1/4 cup sorghum, 1/4 cup teff

3 tablespoons of melted butter, more for the skillet

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat until hot.

Mix the eggs, sugar, and salt together.  Mix in the flours.  Mix in the milk.  You want very few lumps.  Mix in the butter.

Put a bit of butter in the skillet.  Let it melt. Pour a 1/4 cup to a 1/3 cup of batter over the bottom of the pan.  A little bit thicker then paper thin is easier to turn.  Let bubbles formon the top and you may see some brown.  Use a spatula, and turn.  Cook the other side until there are golden bits.

We eat them plain but I grew up eating them with syrup.  You can also use jam or powdered sugar.  

I eat and enjoy other pancakes, but these are really my favorite.

tacos

We had a not very fancy meal of tacos on Monday.  I have been craving tacos like the ones my Mom used to make.  To be honest, it was ground meat and the McCormick Taco seasoning mix but they taste right to me.  I will not say this taco meat tastes like that but it came out awfully taste.  The homemade flour tortillas helped too.  So, even though they did not taste anything like my Mom's tacos, they were so tasty they satisfied the craving.  Which, honestly, you cannot ask for more then that.

Taco Meat

Note:  This is the filling for tacos.  Use a bit of the meat mixture inside flour tortillas and add cheese, lettuce, tomato, or nothing at all.

2 pounds ground meat

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 onion, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons oregano

2 teaspoons coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground ancho chili

1/2 teaspoon ground chipolte chili

2 teaspoons paprika

4 tablespoons sugar

In a large skillet, heat the oil.  Add the onion.  Let it brown for about five minutes and add the ground meat and garlic.  Brown the meat.  Turn the heat down and mix in all the spices.  Let meld over low heat.  Serve with flour tortillas and any toppings you would wish to add.

hand and butt salve (formerly known as garden salve)

My hands are always beaten up because I do things.  Garden.  Cook.  Play in earth plaster and cob.  I found a garden salve that I really ilked and works on my hands.  The ingredients are simple:  olive oil, beeswax, calendula, and comfrey.  It goes on a little oil and then soaks right in.  All my hurts heal faster.  

Then the Smalles Short Person came along.  This works better then anything else on his butt.  It can make the slightest red go away in less then a hour.  

I knew it would be not hard to make so I tried.  It turned out well.  A little softer then what I had purchased but it is actually easier to get a bit on my hands.  If it hits 116 again this summer, I will need to add a bit more beeswax!

Hand and Butt Salve

3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup dried calendula flowers

1/2 cup dried comfrey leave

3/4 ounces beeswax

In a pot, put the olive oil, calendula, and comfrey.  You want to heat this until just warm and keep it there for 20 minutes.

Cut the beeswax into tiny pieces (it does make it easier to measure).

Strain the calendula and comfrey out of the oil.  I strained into a large tomato tin that I had cleaned.  Put the tin with the oil in a waterbath (water in a pot that is hot and stays hot).  Slowly, drop in the beeswax, stirring all the time.  When all the beeswax is in, stir until melted.

Pour into jars.

It firms up a bit more then this but it is very green and smells that way.  But it really soothes the skin.

new linen dress

Last weekend we went off camping.  My Beloved had a hammer-in to go to.  At these events, he networks and is exposed to knew blademaking techniques.  It is a good time for him.  We always try to find a camping spot realitively close.  We did.  I got lots of quiet time, which I obvioulsy needed.  We are going camping with the Tall Short Person and the Smallest Short Person this coming weekend just cause.  It does mean I will be kind of quiet here this week.

Part of my quiet time was finishing the newest linen dress I was making.  I took it on to the camp site with me with just the buttons and buttonholes left to do.  I was able to find the time.

I love this style dress.  I am always surprised how many compliments I get on it.  Much more then shorter styles or sheath styles.  I really do not understand but I do know I can do about anything in it.  I would have to say it is my newest favorite dress.  Especially since I had to retire four dresses to no longer being worn at work.  Soon they will be cut apart to become something else because of how they are wearing.  

This dress is a good one.  I did decide that I have to make a new apron to go with it.  Hopefully, it will be done so I can be doing the hand finishes on the coming camping trip.