sewing space

This has been my sewing space while we are here.  Our site does not have a picnic table and it has been a bit chilly outside!  I have learned that I miss my worktable at home something fierce.  My back hurt a lot after cutting out a dress yesterday.  But once it is cut out, it does not take to long to stitch.

It is one of my simple dresses that goes down to my ankles.  The floor does not work to well because then it has a tendency to drag.  It is a wool remnant that had a bit of a flaw in it.  The flaw is in the hem and I got a pricey bit of wool for half off.  It is nice for the chilly up here and I can do about anything in a dress.  Including sitting outside a library and typing.  The library closed early!  Poo!

I did find today I got captured by a book!  It nicely relaxing.  

a view from my window and gluten free sourdough starter

This is the view from the window where I work in our travel trailer.  I have been watching the clouds race across the sky and the leaves dance today.  It is a bit chilly outside but I put on a ratty cardign sweater and a quivit shawl and I am good.  I am not very bundled when it comes to other people I see so I just think i tis the quivit.

This is what most of the day has looked like.  That field was harvested before we got here and it had bell peppers in it.  There were workers in it today picking up the plastic that had been layed down.  I expect them back tomorrow becasue I do not think they had finished.  I could be wrong.

This is what the sky has been like.  Clouds then patches of bright sun.  I would not be surprised if there was snow tomorrow morning.

We had french toast this morning made from gluten free sourdough biscuits.  I do not buy yeast unless I am caught traveling without my starter.  I have a wheat one and a gluten free one.  The gluten free starter is a new creation.  I created it specifically to make biscuits but I am going to use it to make bread as well. 

Gluten Free Sourdough Starter

Note:  The recipe is on my site, but if you wish to make a regular sourdough starter, replace the flours with the equivilant amount of wheat flour.  The process is the same.

40 grams almond flour

40 grams sweet rice flour

40 grams teff flour

40 grams sorghum flour

3/4 cup water

Mix all together in a non-metallic bowl.  Let sit loosely covered for 3 to 7 days.  It will be bubbly and there will be a liquid on top.  

That is all there is to it.  You now have a gluten free sourdough starter that you can use in bread making.  I would label what it is in your refrigerator so someone does not throw it away by mistake.

finishing up a bag and more leaves

This is the view from the public library in Canton, North Carolina.  Is it not pretty?

But not long after I took that picture, I notice the clouds in the sky.

And the weather moving in.

We woke up to rain this morning.  There is snow in the forecast for Friday morning.  It is in the 80's back at the house and where the Tall Short person is but I do not mind the weather here.

I spent the day finishing up a bag from our last trip.  Both myself and my Beloved have noticed that our travel trailer does not have enough shopping bags.  It is a task that I have decided to undertake while I have some time.  Though maybe I should be considering working on a wool dress.... I do have wool with me, patterns, and a sewing machine.

It was a nice relaxing process.

I happen to love this fabric.  I played with the pocket on this side.  It is hard to see but it actually goes all the way across the bag.  My Beloved asked that it be stitched in such a way that it was actually two.  I made sure at least one pocket was big enough for my checkbook.  That way it will have a home when the bag is full of groceries or other purchased items.

This is the side I worked on on the last trip.  I finally took the time to put the pocket on it and put it all together.  It will be a lovely addition to Aria, our travel trailer.

And here is a picture of the pond and Grist Mill from this afternoon.  The temperature has dropped and those dark clouds mean more weather is coming in.

Now, if I can just figure out how to fix an elbow joint in a water line....  Did you know anything is possible in a dress, including plumbing?

traveling, wifi issues, and ice cream

We have been traveling again.  My Beloved is taking a bladesmithing workshop for two weeks at Haywood Community College.  It is in North Carolina and this part of the country seems to appreciate their handcrafts.  There is at least two programs I would like to take here.  

I have to admit that I have been enjoying autumn.  We just do not get it at home.

And then there is Haywood Community College campus.  There is a horticulture program here that maintains the campus.  There is also a program that is about low impact conservation.  It is beautiful.

I walked for about a mile on campus just taking pictures.  Those above are just a few.  The grist mill was built by students.  And we will not even talk about how many pictures I took of autumn color and the campus.  I do not think you wish to look at hundreds of pictures.

Yesterday, I was going to post some of these pictures but I had a hard time with wifi.  I was at a public library and it was just not working to get here.  But the community college library's wifi works well.  So now I know where I be working in the mornings.  I may do some more walking.  

I have done some cooking.  Shauna of Gluten Free Girl and the Chef just posted that she can no longer eat eggs.  I was reading the comments with the post and noticed that one lady posted a very simple ice cream recipe that she said her grandmother used to make.  Since I can be sensitive to eggs, I decided to give it a try.  Especially since it is not a custard base so it works well for traveling.  The funny thing is, that I think it is as good if not better then ice cream made with eggs!

Vanilla Ice Cream

1 (14 ounce?) can condensed milk

500 ml heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Freeze as ice cream in your favorite method.  I put it in a large pyrex and stir every couple hours until frozen.

And you have pure simple elegance.  I made a simple hot fudge to go on top just because.  Heaven!

And this last picture is just because!

If I get distracted by autumn and do not post as much as usual, I hope you understand!

gluten free snickerdoodles

This last weekend we were at a workshop for my Beloved.  I wrote about it a little bit yesterday.  I realized that we had eaten all our snack food on the trip over.  Snack food for us was apples and two different type of nut butters.  I decided we needed a bit of snacky food for the way home.  

The Tall Short Person had leant me a copy of the Halloween version of Martha Stewart.  There was a snickerdoodle recipe in there that I decide sounded like a lovely thing for a dessert after lunch and the drive home.  I just turned it into gluten free.  I am going to try the Boston Cream Pie in there soon.  It has pumpkin in it!

Snickerdoodles

Note:  Adapted from Martha Stewart Halloween 2011.  If you wish to use wheat flour, use 1 3/8 cup.

82 grams almond flour

82 grams sorghum flour

82 grams teff flour

82 grams arrowroot flour

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 teaspoons butter

Cream the butter and 3/4 cup sugar together.  Mix in the egg.  Add the flours, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Mix well.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours or over night if you can.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cover a baking sheet with a silpat or parachment paper.  Mix 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon together in a shallow bowl.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator.  Take a teaspoon of dough and roll it in a ball.  Roll it in the sugar cinnamon mixture.  Place on a cookie sheet.  Do this until there are a dozen balls on the sheet.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the edges are golden.  I think they are better on the under done side so try 10 to 12 mintues first.  Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.  Repeat until all the cookies are baked.

So this is a gluten free whole grain snickerdoodle.  Coming from the one who can eat gluten, these are probably the best snickerdoodles I have ever made.  I would continue to make these just this way for everyone.

By the way, they disappeared.