building

Russell worked on the Teahouse and the columns for his forge this weekend.  Eight batches of cob is now the record.  Having help helps!  Thanks Irene!

He has been experimenting with glass blocks.  

There is cob all the way to the roof but not necessarily all the way through.  All this wonderful required a favorite sweet.

Homemade vanilla creme pies.  I take our favorite oatmeal cookies and make a vanilla frosting.  I try to find two cookies a similar shape.  Spread one with frosting and put the other on top.

My beloved Mister thinks these are better then store bought and that we should always have some in the house for breakfast.  He makes me smile.

Christmas decorating

It was time to get the decorations out this last weekend.  We cannot do it next weekend because we are doing another cookie decorating party.

We keep our decorations very simple and mostly homemade.  We are not going to have a tree this year because we do not have any more room in the yard.  We always get a tree that can be planted.  So I decided we needed garland.  I started cutting out leaves and berries.

I stitched them together.

Russell helped me hang them all over the arches.

He made us a menorah last  year and we put it out.

This is our nativity scene.  The rocks and drift wood are from the Oregon coast.

Our tree.  It is quite lovely and makes me smile.

I did not get a picture of our advent calendar, but lets say it is not quite normal either.

tortas de aceite or olive wafers

I found tortas de aceite at a liquor store in town that has a specialty grocery in it.  These crisp breads are just a little bit sweet and I like them so I decided to try to make them.  Basically, it is a yeasted baked tortilla with a bit of sugar and anise.  Mister of mine calls them lembas bread after the Lord of the Rings.  I am not sure that one bit can fill a grown man's tummy for a day but it is a very nice light sweet.  I have actually changed the recipe I found to use sourdough and cinnamon.  Anise is not favored in our home and I do not buy yeast anymore.

Tortas de Aceite

2 tablespoons sourdough starter (or 2 large teaspoons yeast)

2 1/3 cup flour plus more for rolling

12 tablespoons water

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

sugar for topping

cinnamon or anise seeds for topping

The night before mix sourdough starter, water, and 1 cup of flour together.  If you are using yeast, you can mix the yeast, water, and 1 cup flour together here as well.  Let sit a minimum of eight hours.  Let it get nice and bubbly.  Take out two tablespoons of starter for your next batch of bread.

Add the olive oil and salt.

Mix very well!!!!  See how that looks?  It took a bit of work (yes, I do not have a stand mixer, just my wooden spoon!)

Add 1 1/3 cup flour.  The dough should look similar to above.  It will feel similar to tortilla dough.  Let sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make eight roughly even balls.  Roll them out to six to eight inches.  The larger they are rolled out, the crispier they will be come.  Mister decided he liked a little bit thicker.  Thinner is yummy and fun but they do have a tendency to shatter when you try to eat them.

Once you roll them out, place them on a cookie sheet that either has parchment paper or one of the silicon mats on it.  Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon or sugar and anise seeds.  I find rubbing the sugar in a little bit helps.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden.  They should look similar to the top of the page.  Very yummy!

margaritas just because

Someday's an adult beverage just sounds like the ticket.  And I have to admit that I have become much more of a homebody.  Why go out when what you make at home is better then out?

The one exception up to this point is margaritas.  I occasionally like one.  Not a big one.  Just a small one.

I pulled up google.  Did a search and research.  Pulled out my dust bottles (tells you something does it not?) and decided to give it a try.

Margarita

½ lemon

½ lime

3 shots simple syrup (1 cup sugar, 1 cup water brought to a boil for one minute and cooled)

2 shots tequila

1 shot cointreau, grand marnier, or triple sec

Squeeze the lemon and lime in a cocktail shaker or large mason jar.  Plop in fruit too.

Add simple syrup.

Smash together with muddler.

Add tequila and cointreau.

Cover and shake well.

Strain over ice.

Sit and enjoy with your beloved in you most comfortable at home chair.  Pretty spetacular!

pumpkin pie for me!

I really do not like cake so I always asked for pumpkin pie for my birthday.  And then I started to make it myself.  I have actually started to modify the recipe (do not look at the crust, I am playing with that too.  What else is new, huh?).  I start with Libby's pumpkin pie recipe:

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18470/LIBBYS-Famous-Pumpkin-Pie/detail.aspx

I changed the white sugar to brown sugar.  Added a tablespoon of vanilla and increased the ginger to 1 teaspoon.  It is pretty fabulous.  Just the thing for all celebrations!

And see what Russell has been working on:

Paring knife.

Camp knife.

The paring knife works like a dream on potatoes.  They are both for sale if anyone is interested.  Just let me know.  Maybe the will find a home in my kitchen.....  I get all the seconds and rejects!