January 2009

Peasant Bread

Breads

Ivory’s culinary memory is impressive. I served this bread to her and another friend, alongside some tomato soup, ten years ago, and she has remembered it ever since. She recently suggested I make some for the blog.It takes three days to get the “sponge” ready, so you have to do some advance planning. I doubled [...]

Read it →

Lavender-Rosemary Soap

Crafts

This was part of the Christmas gifts for some of my relatives. Lavender-Rosemary Soap. I used the All-Vegetable, No Coconut or Palm recipe on Kathy Miller’s page (scroll WAY down.) 1. Sprinkle the lye crystals into the measured amount of water for the recipe. Swirl gently. 2. Weigh out the shortening and melt it over [...]

Read it →

Ivory’s Bead Stitches

Crafts

I’ve been asked for pictorial instructions for the beads on my rosary pattern. It’s a puff stitch, but doing it on a chain can seem a bit weird. 1. Yarn over. 2. Turn the stab the ‘bump’ on the previous ch. 3. Yarn over and pull through one loop. There will be three loops on [...]

Read it →

Turn Your Oven Into a Proofing Oven

Recipes

If you have ever worked in a commercial kitchen, you may have had experience with a proofing oven. It’s simply a big metal cabinet with racks for trays of dough (rolls, doughnuts, loaves of bread). It maintains a warm, moist environment for the yeast to prosper and create perfectly-risen baked goods. Few of us are [...]

Read it →

Free Printable-O-Rama: Herbs, Fall, and Recipes!

Beginner Gardens

I am ADDICTED to making these little books. I HATE big sheets of paper in my way and I carry a teeny-weeny purse, so these fit perfectly. But, instead of going on and on about how to assemble these, like I did with the 2009 Spring Garden Planner and the 2009 Handmade Gift Planner, I’m [...]

Read it →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →