Patchwork Netbook Case

I just wanted to show off my little patchwork netbook case. I have so much fabric so I figured I would make a couple of large patchwork squares, add a little interfacing and slap it together. It's far from perfect and in my sleepy state I used the wrong interfacing. Oops. I still love it.

Fermenting Veggies

I will take some time soon and put together a post on all my fermenting projects. In the meantime I wanted to share this quickie guide to fermenting. It's as easy and cutting up some fresh veggies, seasoning them and fully submerging them in brine. It's key to make sure the veggies stay submerged to prevent mold and rot. You will also need a Fido jar or a jar with an airlock of some kind to prevent air coming in contact with your food. For a quick and easy solution, use a squeaky clean Mason jar. Pack your veggies and brine and top with a plastic ziplock bag filled with brine. This will weight down your veggies and make sure they stay submerged. For a makeshift airlock, top your jar with another ziplock bag secured with a rubber band. When the bag becomes full of gasses, you can easily burp it and replace the bag and band. Give it a try. It's a great way to preserve excess food and get in all your probiotics.Happy fermenting!!!!

Portuguese Milk Liqueur

I saw this recipe floating around on some of the fermenting forums and sites I read. It's not fermented per se, but it feeds in to my need to have all kinds of questionable bubbling brews on my countertop. It's basically milk, citrus fruit, vodka and sugar. Let it sit, shake it from time to time and in 10 days strain it. I did mine with vanilla vodka and oranges. The result is a rich, creamsicle flavored liqueur of maximum deliciousness. 

Here's the recipe I used:

http://www.thekitchn.com/a-sweet-treat-homemade-milk-li-138124

Painted Pots

I am so happy to share my new flower pots. I picked up some funky old weird 70s pots at the Goodwill Outlet for 10 cents each. 

All of the colored parts are actually little beads. Some popped out, some stayed in. I just have no idea why they are there to begin with. 

I made these a month or so ago. My only bummer is that the fluorescent pink one has kind of faded. As soon as these pansies have faded, I'll just paint it again.

Homemade Vegetable Broth

OK so it was late at night when I was making this and frankly I took crap pictures. I think you get the idea though :)

Every time I use any veggies I save the peels, ends and even onion shuck. I throw it all in a ziploc in the freezer. A gallon size is just about right for making broth. When it's full I simply dump it in the crock pot and let it run for 4-6 hours until the veggies are mush and the water is golden brown.

When it's cooked to oblivion, strain and press mixture. Cool in a shallow pan and freeze or use right away. I like to use it for soups and even in vegetable based smoothies. The pulp is compostable of course :)

Life is Beautiful

Here are just a few snapshots of life recently...

Beet dyed hard boiled eggs for Easter. They were great with a little Sriracha in the yolk mixture.

Dragon Boat on the Willamette River, Portland, OR

Bucket in her favorite spot in my office

A sweet little pufferfish I encountered at the doctor's office

Close up of an old wooden canoe

A Baltimore Orioles baby blanket I made for my baseball obsessed cousin 

My little Red seeing helper

Chia Gel

I have been making a ton of smoothies lately (more posts to come). Chia seeds have become a real staple. They are nutritious, have a weird texture that I love when they are soaked (think tapioca), and they give you a ton of energy. Give this superfood chia gel a try!

Granny Squares By The Fire

Funny enough at 51 degrees it's one of the coldest February days my corner of the Pacific Northwest has seen in weeks. I am turning in to a total wuss and have planted myself in front of the fire to do some hookin.

I have some insanely remedial crochet skills that I have been working on improving over the past couple of weeks. I usually am more of a yarn snob but this Red Heart Super Saver at $3.50ish a skein is a steal and so easy to practice with. A couple of grannies has turned in to an obsessive pile.

When I first got going with all this a few weeks ago, the plan was to make a giant granny square blanket. Six messed up samples later and I am sticking to multiple medium sized squares. Has anyone else had problems with their grannies warping as they get larger? I did a little reading and people suggested cutting and reattaching yarn every round, varying amounts of chains between shells and flipping the granny each round. I found using a larger hook and one chain between shells helped but It's still warping as it gets larger. Sigh.

So now I am working on some neon pink, turquoise, orange and pale pink squares. I'm breaking individual squares up with white and I am planning on attaching everything with a gray border. It's super 80s reminiscent, looks a bit like my thermos (as pictured) and also reminds me a lot of the colors I love in Mexican folk art. I figure it will be indestructible and fun for my five year old niece. Now the next decision is how to lay it out and how to join the squares. Anyone have a favorite method?