ginger cinnamon soda

I run so hard that I have been under the weather this weekend.  Good for the book pile, not so good for everything else.  Even my puttering slows down.

I have spent some time in the kitchen.

 

This is what my stove top looks like on I day I am under the weather and home.  I thank Russell for all his help.

I was making syrup and decided to add in some cinnamon sticks.  I did not think think that I was going to post about this, but it was so good that I had to share.

Ginger Cinnamon Syrup

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 piece of ginger the size of your fist, skinned and sliced

6 cinnamon sticks.

In a pan, place the sugar, water, ginger, and cinnamon sticks.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer for 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let sit for about a half an hour.

 

Strain the syrup into a jar.

The syrup is the most beautiful color!  

Put an inch of syrup in the bottom of an eight ounce glass or similar.  Add ice and soda water.  Stir.

This is pretty fabulous if you like ginger and cinnamon.  Enjoy outside!  Hopefully, you are not having thunderstorms and can be outside!

blackberry buckle

It was really a toss up about I was writing today but since I am still craving blackberry buckle, it won hands down.  A buckle is a cakey fruit dessert.  Or is it a fruity cake dessert?  I do not think it matters because it is just yummy.  There is a bottom layer of cake, a middle layer of fruit, and a top layer of crisp.  I simplified mine a bit and made the crisp sugar.  

Blackberry Buckle

1 cup plus two tablespoons butter

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, milk, or hempmilk

10 ounces frozen blackberries

1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease a 9 in springform pan.

 

In a bowl, cream the butter and the sugar together.

 

Mix in the eggs and vanilla.

 

Mix in 3/4 cups of flour.  Then 6 tablespoons of cream.  Mix in 3/4 cups of flour.  Mix in the rest of the cream.  Mix in the last of the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar.

 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle the blackberries over the top and the sprinkle with sugar.

Bake one and half hours or until a knife interested comes out clean.

 

If you can possibly wait, this is actually better the next day but it is pretty wonderful straight out of the oven.  It is difficult not to eat it all at one sitting!

making futons

Our travel trailer needed a different mattress.  It was much too soft for both Russell and myself.  We tried to order a custom futon but I will not post about was a debacle that was!  I have ended up making "it."  

I start with a roll of organic cotton batting that is 100 inches by 20 feet.  Russell helped me so that it becomes 75 inches in length. 

 

I took a thrift store sheet and wrapped it around the batting.  I needed a bit of extra so I used a piece of flannel from Danica's raised from the dead comforter.

 

I pinned it all together.

 

And then started stitching.

Russell helped.

 

We made a two inch futon.

 

Only three more to go!

bean salad for when it is hot out, not warm, hot!

We like beans in this house but when it is most hot, it is difficult to eat hot beans.  I started making bean salad.

i start with an empty salad bowl.

I start with 1 to 2 cups of Rancho Gordo white beans.  Yes, I buy expensive dry beans and mail order but we taste a huge difference.  I put them in the crockpot, rinse, and let cook all day on low and they are fabulous.  The pot liquor that comes off them is yummy but for this salad, I rinse the beans.

 

The vegetables can change dependent on what I have.  I added roasted eggplant here.  I have also added tomato and cucumber.  You could add anything you would like to eat in a salad.

 

Chopped onion and garlic are a must.  I prefer roasted garlic when I have it but some garlic is pretty much a must.

 

I always chop an avocado into it.  It makes Russell smile.

 

Mix it up a bit.  Drizzle some good olive oil over it.  A sprinkle of salt and pepper and the salad is done.

Depending on what our mood is, I serve it with toast that has a drizzle of olive oil on it or corn chips.  It is very good.

Thanks to Russell for taking the picture today!  <muah>

a request for autumn

I am so ready for autumn that it is not even funny.

So I made myself a gift.  I took a piece of muslin that was 37 inches by 37 inches and hemmed the edges.

I then drew a pattern I had modified on it so I could embroider it.

 

And then I just started to outline with thread.  I sat next to Russell and watched a picture show and embroidered instead of crocheting.

 

Now, I have a new dish towel to remind me that autumn is coming.  Similar but different to what my great (great?) aunt used to make and I grew up with.  It is amazing too that I made a dish towel for myself and not for somebody else.  A notorious gift around here. 

Let autumn get here quickly please!