nut butter cookies

There are days, weeks where my life gets turned on its ear.  I have a lot of unplanned paths taken.  This morning has been all of that as I try to get things I screwed up not so screwed up.  As I get ready for a family memorial/reunion.  This cookie recipe is actually that as well.

Koda Bear was helping me make bread.  I always make sourdough.  He was laughing because we always talk about the yeastie beasties farting, and peeing, and dancing.  To a tune, that is exactly how it is said.  This particular morning, I was asked if we could make cookies with the yeastie beasties instead of bread.  Realizing that bread still needed to be made because it always does.

I said yes.  I have enough cookbooks and read enough cookbooks that I had a plan.  I followed Sarah Owens nut butter cookie recipe the closest.  But remember, I cannot follow a recipe.  I even cannot follow my own and never write down all the variations for all the recipes on here.  The boyos thought these were pretty fabulous and the tin I sent with Koda Bear to his other grandparents came back empty.

I have even gotten asked for them again which is always a good sign.  They are similar to a peanut butter cookie but much moister.  I would say like a breakfast bar and the keeping quality was exceptional.  

sourdough nut butter cookies

140 grams sourdough (I freshen it for bread and make extra so I have 140 grams for cookies)

2 eggs

60 grams maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

400 grams peanut butter

180 grams organic cane sugar or turbindo (something not completely processed and white)

300 grams quick rolled oats

70 grams rye flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix the sourdough, egg, and maple syrup together.  Mix in the nut butter and sugar.  Mix in the vanilla.  Mix in the rye flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Drop by teaspoons on a silpat or parchment covered baking sheet.

Bake about 8 minutes or until the edges are firm.  The batter is already brown so it will be difficult to see the browning of the edges.  Do not over bake.

You can roll into a ball and press a sugared fork into them if you prefer.  That way they look more like a peanut butter cookie.

All I know is that the boyos were happy.  And I have been asked for them again.  I would not be surprised if I get asked for the yeastie beasties to be in a cake sometime!  It is doable.

just life

I needed quiet this weekend still so I took it.  There will be traveling at the end of the week and next so quiet will be the last thing that will happen.  Quiet means working on a quilt and audio books.  The back of this quilt is done and it is basted.  I am ready to quilt it.  But because quilting is a work out, especially the first quarter, I may break it up more then normal.

The boyos cleaned out the old knife making shop to make it into a leather shop on Sunday.  There is dust everywhere!  If it all comes out of the air in less then two years, I will be happy.  

I put a large pot of elk spaghetti sauce and a pot of noodles together for them.  I then went on a walk.  The magnolias are blooming.  In many ways, I like the fallen blooms better then the blooms that are perfect.  The imperfections speak to me.  I have played editing them.  I post those on Instagram.  I like monochromatic.  Usually black and white but not always.  I am actually hoping to have be able to get more flower pictures on the travels next week.  And maybe a large handful of pine branches for dyeing.  Part of the travels is to the mountain.  I miss it so.

long t-shirt skirt

I am a bit surprised that I am writing today.  My arthritic conditions have an element of fatigue to them.  With the allergies this week, I am tired.  Every time I walk out to my truck, the windshield and wipers are covered with pollen.  I am too tired to be using my sewing machine or working on anything that is to be sold.

The solution to that problem is hand sewing for msyelf and presents.  My old treadle sewing machine does not deal with stretch fabrics well.  But I can do them hand sewing.  I would actually only have to hand sew the curves and anything that stretches but I just do the whole thing.  Videos and audio books become my best friend.

This is an Alabama Chanin pattern for their long skirt.  It is also very similar to the Sense and Sensibility walking skirt.  After too many Murdoch Mysteries, I need more of this style in my life, whether it is t-shirt knits or woven fabric.

Alabama Chanin uses a lot of raw edges in their designs.  It is a trademark of theirs.  I like finished edges so I used a stretch embroidery stitch around the hem.  I also did not make the waist too tight, even though it has elastic in it.  I just do not like tight waists very much.  I would rather be appalled at the waist measurement and have something be loose then have a smaller waist and have something tight.

I embroidered a flower on the back.  It has texture so in the dark, in a tent, I can figure out where the back of my skirt is.  This is the true reason why I started adding tags to everything, easier dressing in a tent.

I have worn this skirt on errands this morning and I will have to say that it so comfortable.  My hands are a little tired.  And once I am off the computer I may end up taking a nap or in my sewing chair hand sewing more because I think my errands were a bit much this morning.  It will work well for both.  I would like a few more and I can see them as a great travel skirt, especially as after walking clothes.

ottomans

I have been noticing that when I do my hand sewing, I never seem to know where to put my feet.  My chair is lovely for my joints.  Yes, it could do with some refinement and I think I should sand some of the sharp edges off but it works on my hips.  I feel like I should build another.  I will paint turquoise or red when I do.  But my chair was needing an ottoman.

I looked at different types online.  I wanted something I could build or make.  I also knew I needed softness.  The cube shaped ottomans appealed both in terms of price, size, and softness possibilities.  

On a rainy Sunday afternoon, I picked up two pieces of upholstery fabric.  Each one yard.  It is enough to make two ottomans.  I cut six 18 inch by 18 inch squares of each and started stitching.

I will say the stitching on the stiffer fabric was easier then on the softer fabric.  But not terrible.  I fashioned a t shape from all the squares and then sewed that together so I had a cube with one side still open.

It was cheaper to buy inexpensive pillows then the amount of polyfill I would need.  Six standard pillows fit into each of the ottomans.  The cashier thought I was having guests over.

I pinned that last opening and hand sewed the edge together.  I bent every single straight pin.  The squeeze clamps the boyos use in knife making actually worked much better.  If I were making many of these, I would invest but instead I borrowed.

Now there are two lovely ottomans.  

The blue one sits by my sewing chair and is quiet lovely.  The brown/grey one above sits by my Beloved's rocking chair.  It gets used quite often as well.  Not bad for an afternoon of work.

Craft bag for me

While I was traveling, I bought a craft bag that holds my crocheting exceptionally well.  It stands by itself.  It has pockets.  It controls my yarn better then any yarn bowl has.  I started doing much more hand sewing when I got home.

I decided to give making one of my own craft bags a go.  I chose not to use any zippers but I had a fun pinecone button.  Also, the colors I chose actually please me more then the bag I purchased.

A bit of time on my sewing machine and I had one.  The time it took felt like less time then a market bag but that may just be due the bag being something new.

I am very pleased.  I use it everyday for my projects.  When I traveled recently, I put a crochet project and a hand sewing project into.  Nothing too large but I was only gone for about 48 hours.  It was a good size because it gave me choices of projects to work on but I did not bring too much.  I am notorius for bringing too many projects and books while traveling.  Anything that helps to limit that quantity is a good thing!

I have started to put some in my shop here and my Etsy shop.