Baking and Problem-Solving

First snowflakes of the season today, powdering the ground like the icing sugar on the linzer cookies I baked this morning, and I got caught in quite a little swirl of the snow while I delivered the baking.

The Friends of the Farm are having a craft sale / bake sale fundraiser tomorrow (10-4, in building 72, I believe), and were looking for people to bring in baked goods, so I decided that making something to bring would be a nice excuse to mess around with cookie cutters. Especially since I'm teaching the last dye class of the season tomorrow, and won't be able to go to the sale itself.

The cookies were fun. It was the packaging that gave me pause. Oddly enough, I never think of that part of it when I'm planning. And I'm not the sort of person who keeps disposable plates in the house. In retrospect, filled cookies sprinkled with icing sugar might not have been the best choice, but they were pretty. It was just a case of getting them divided, wrapped up nicely without messing the icing sugar up too much, and transported on the bus. Ended up making squares of corrugated cardboard from a Knitpicks box I had, covering those with foil, and using some larger plastic bags to tie over the foil board with cookies, since the sandwich bags I had were too small to use without making a mess of the cookies. Then, luckily, the CAT box my work boots came in was just the right size to stack the squares in. Tied it shut with my green jute garden twine, and presto. It worked great.

There was another bout of problem-solving a little later which also worked out pretty well in the end. The linzer recipe only used the egg yolks, so I thought maybe some meringues to use the whites would be a nice idea. A quick flip through recipes found an espresso version and a chocolate one using cocoa powder. Now here's the importance of reading a recipe properly - the espresso ones said to mix the instant coffee with the sugar. I thought for some reason that the cocoa would be the same (hey, flavoured powder, right?) Um, nope. After my nice fluffy egg whites had turned into chocolate goo and I had tried in vain to stiffen it into peaks with the beater, I took a look at the recipe for the chocolate version and discovered they had you fold the cocoa in at the end. Oh.

Well, I hated to waste something which at this point was basically a runny chocolate icing, but I thought, hey, eggs and sugar and chocolate...if I add some milk and cornstarch it'll basically be a pudding mix, right? So I did just that, stirred it over the heat for a bit, and voila. Not something I could bring for the sale, but tasted very rich and chocolatey, and textured like a soft custard. Dessert for a couple days, definitely a win.  

Farm Show

Last year, what with school and all, I didn't get a chance to go out and do too many demos with the Weaving and Spinning Guild. But I've managed a couple this winter, and yesterday was the demo at the Ottawa Farm Show. I did this one a couple years ago too, the first year they were at the Ernst and Young Centre, when we scored fleeces from Rare Breeds Canada to sample.

It's a fun show, for several reasons. I always get a kick out of seeing the contrast between the EY Centre, which is shiny-modern-new, and the show clientele, which is heavy on pick-up trucks in the lot and feed-caps, plaid shirts, and jeans on the people. And even if you're not interested in the latest breed of wheat or model of John Deere tractor, there's plenty to see in the way of antiques and fun things in the exhibition area. Our station was right outside there.

We had a  good variety of things to show people about the Guild and what we do.

Across from us was a rope maker, who also had some wooden toys and games, and who got people to help make plied and cabled ropes from cakes of baler twine. Inside the exhibition there was leather-working, antique implements, quilts, detailed wooden models, and a sock-knitting machine.

Some of the booths in the show had what definitely could be called eye-catching displays, like the stuffed bison I passed on my way in.

And then there's the loot. We saw people passing with foam #1 fingers, wooden staffs, Kubota bags, balloons, and who knows what else. I think the best, though, was the T-shirts that were for sale. Both of my demo partners bought shirts. One said 'Kiss me, I'm a farmer', and the other said, '100% Farm-Raised'.

The only draw-back, in fact, was the weather. Snow and wind all afternoon and evening, making getting home lots of fun. Sigh. More white stuff to melt before we can do more than plan gardens and start seedlings, and dream of going outside without a coat and boots...

Snowflake Hat Challenge

Last time I dropped things at Johanne's and we discussed what she wanted next for the store, she had a hat in mind.

It was a blue and white hat, a stocking cap with snowflakes on it, that she had seen on a Tim Horton's commercial a while back.

Then she had seen something very similar on someone at the bank recently, and decided to ask me about making something similar, and she drew me a little sketch picture and gave me a couple skeins of alpaca lopi yarn, one indigo-dyed and one white.

I love getting to exercise the creative juices on something like this.

A search on google failed to turn up any indication of the Tim's hat, so that meant I was on my own. I hunted out an idea of how a stocking cap was shaped, swatched and calculated, decided on 6mm needles, found a nice snowflake design in an appropriate size, and settled in to work.

It felt like Goldilocks for a while. The first hat was too small, so it got ripped out. The second hat was too big, so it got ripped out. The third hat (thankfully) was just right. And it didn't run me into a second skein of the white yarn.

I think it's kind of cute, so I hope Johanne likes it.

It's been snowing most of the day. Wonder if there's any chance the weather's linked to the snowflakes on the hat? The next project has a southwestern feel in the pattern, so maybe that'll improve the conditions outside...  

The More It Snows, Tiddley-pom

Has anyone noticed that it's a tad snowy this morning? Seems like it's a pretty big system, a lot of the eastern side of the continent is pretty snowy right now.

It looks like we had a foot overnight, and it's still coming down pretty good. The birdbath and the fences here at the parents' are getting pretty close to buried, and the car was up to its fenders this morning - it was clean yesterday.

I'm very glad the important stuff got done yesterday - drop off knits for Johanne, dentist appointment for me, and vet for the cat. Julia still wasn't eating, so we took her back for a check-up, and now she's got some different antibiotic for the ulcer, and cortisol pills, and soft convalescent food I basically have to force feed her with a syringe...needless to say she is not happy with me, but she lost close to a pound between the two vet visits, and she needs something!

We'll try to venture out later today for a few errands, but for the morning, the plan is to help Mom warp the loom, and watch the birds at the feeder in this wintry wonderland.

Finished my first project for the Ravellenics last night, a baby sweater with alpacas on the yoke. Hopefully delivering that later today as one of the errands. This pattern is getting referred to as the Noah's Ark sweater from now on - the original had sheep, but now I've done it with horses, and elephants, and alpacas...wonder how many versions it will eventually go through!

Stealth Knitting / Let it Snow

I would just like to note for the record that stealth knitting for a Christmas gift is very difficult when you are in the same house as the recipient, and you have all sorts of holiday baking and such to do as well. Thank goodness we aren't having Christmas gifting until tomorrow night. I finished my gift last night, in bed, at 2 am, with a little headlamp for illumination.

And you know what's more fun than stealth knitting? Stealth blocking. In a house where the primary heat is the kitchen woodstove. I take great pride in the fact that the gift in question is done, blocked, dried, and packed now.

It's been a gorgeous day here. The soundtrack was definitely either "Let it Snow"  or "A Marshmallow World". That lovely winter storm predicted came through here overnight and all day, and dropped enough snow to have us wading thigh-high in the drifts. The birdbath looks like a plum pudding, minus the holly or berries on top. So far, though, no success in getting a cardinal to land on it for the necessary note of color.

Oh, and that trail in the snow? That was Rex, the bigger dog. He was chest-deep in it, looking like he was swimming. The car was a foot deep this morning - Dad was cleaning it off when I took the picture after breakfast, but enough has fallen since that it looks like he didn't do anything! Everything was quiet, muffled by the snow, except the twittering of the birds at the feeder - eating with impunity, since the snow is well over the cats' heads.

We went for a walk/wade in the bush with the dogs this afternoon, and it was lovely, like a scene out of "The Nutcracker". Tufts of snow on every twig, and lining every branch and fir bough, turning them into something sculptural.

Christmas Prep and Allie's Adventures

Happily settled in at the parents' for the holidays, and since it appears the world didn't end yesterday as predicted, the Christmas prep is in full swing. There's a line of cookie tins in the pantry, along with a couple bushels of pine and cedar boughs, and filling for tourtiere cooling on the counter. We went out Thursday and hunted a tree, and the ice and snow are dripping off it in the living room, where it'll get put up and decorated tonight.

For a couple days there, I was a little worried about whether it would be a white Christmas - even yesterday's storm was half rain here - but it's been snowing most satisfactorily all day today. The big wreath Mom put on the barn/garage door is dusted, and the cardinals are coming to the bird feeders, adding a note of festive color.

And who's this helping Mom with filling the bird feeders?

The spotted dog on the left is Allie, and she's been here for a week. Someone apparently dumped her on our road about two or three weeks ago. She was living in an abandoned barn down the road, hunting mice for her living and coons for fun, when my father saw her. One of the neighbors told Dad about her (including the fact she had apparently killed four coons), but he hadn't been able to take her himself, since he already had four dogs. So Dad said hello to Allie when he passed during his run, and when he invited her, she followed him home. We won't say she's settled in perfectly yet, but she's getting there. Our big dog, Rex, is mostly ignoring her, with the occasional argument. She was a little prone to chasing cats and chickens, but that's improving. She mostly ignores the chickens now, and may be down to chasing the cats only if they run. (Thankfully. She's not fond of going up stairs, but she will if there's a cat, with the result that twice in one day we had to carry her down the shed loft stairs, because she was afraid to go down, then rescue the cat she chased up there. So far, knock wood, no injuries to anyone involved.) She's learned how to sit already, and Dad's teaching her to catch bread cubes. She looks to be at least part Australian cattle dog, and they're apparently good at playing ball and frisbee, so maybe next summer...

Christmas Cookie Countdown

Although some members of the family have little to do except doze by the stove, some of us have work to do.

Since I came down Monday night, it’s been a whirl of pine and cinnamon scents. I’m counting down to Christmas not in days left but in baking and decorating things each day.

Tuesday was butter tarts and mint-chip shortbreads, and decorating around the house – fresh greens, stockings and crèche and lit village, a choir of mice, and a collection of snowmen on a cupboard, and crocheted snowflakes in the windows, mocked by the green grass outside.

Wednesday was cutting the tree, and decorating same – a process that takes 4 hours and I don’t know how many boxes of ornaments. In between we had a break by stopping by two friends who wanted extra hands for setting up looms.

Thursday – back to baking. Cherry thumprints, fruit bars, and gingerbread.

Friday: Holiday oatmeal cookies with cherries and raisins and coconut in them, and speculaas cookies, our version being crisp thin cutouts, lightly spiced. There will be lots of those, since at least half will go as gifts, and not just for our eating.  And mince tarts, and the housecleaning has to get done, and remaining gift wrapping, since people arrive the next day.

And it snowed! The lovely kind that coats everything and makes a winter wonderland.

Tomorrow the baking should be almost done, finally, only the breads to do: marzipan-filled stollen and cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning.

It always looks like so much baking, but it all gets eaten or given, every year. A sweet season indeed.

Snow!

I know we're only a little over a month from Christmas, but it's been hard to get in the mood, as it were. Not like everyone hasn't been trying. Lights are up in the neighborhood, carols are playing (or blasting, in the case of the car that zoomed by me last week with Feliz Navidad at top volume), and the craft fairs are in full swing.

I splurged just a tad at the Glebe Center craft fair last weekend, but I can justify the results as Christmas presents. Look, aren't they gorgeous?

Pysanky ornaments, from Myrosia Humeniuk . All hand-drawn and her own designs. She had some of the gorgeous traditional pysanky also, works of art but out of my budget, sadly.

Now it looks like Christmas outside, though. Toronto may have gotten freezing rain, but Ottawa woke up to snow!

(And to the inevitable traffic problems caused by the fact that for some reason, every year, people forget how to drive in snow. First day of snow always means traffic issues and accidents all over.)

It's supposed to melt off in the next few days again, but for today I will make myself a hot cider and enjoy the view.