Little decorations...
Happy Inauguration Day!
It was a very foggy morning and I awoke much earlier than I normally would. It was a great sunshine morning and there were the tiniest drops of water suspended in the air all around... It lasted for about 5 minutes, just long enough to capture a few photos. So this is our neighboring forest of trees during sunup through the fog.
Little decorations...
Little decorations...
Got 5 minutes?
No kidding! It works.... We subscribe to the Mother Earth News magazine (we plant trees, and we hug them) and they have some great articles about all kinds of handy, good to know information.
So we baked a simple bread recipe (it is reeeeallly easy! no kneeding or anything) and it worked and we, well, I was amazed. Cause I have always been kneading and pressing and rising and punching and waiting and slicing.... and on an on and 8 hours later, a loaf of bread.
So these authors broke it down to the simplest ingredients, yeast, flour and water. It makes a wet dough that you keep in the fridge and just pull out what you need for a daily loaf. Set it on a pizza peel (or a floured surface that you can slide it off into the oven) and let it set for about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven for 20 minutes (we have a breadstone and a pan for a cup of water in there with it) and after 20 minutes, add a cup of water to the pan and slide the bread onto the stone. Get this, that's it! 30 minutes later you have a beautifully crusty loaf of fresh bread!
We have not purchased bread this year at all. We bought the book and it has tons of recipes and alterations for things like cinnamon rolls...all from that basic starter dough.
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. It's true.
So we baked a simple bread recipe (it is reeeeallly easy! no kneeding or anything) and it worked and we, well, I was amazed. Cause I have always been kneading and pressing and rising and punching and waiting and slicing.... and on an on and 8 hours later, a loaf of bread.
So these authors broke it down to the simplest ingredients, yeast, flour and water. It makes a wet dough that you keep in the fridge and just pull out what you need for a daily loaf. Set it on a pizza peel (or a floured surface that you can slide it off into the oven) and let it set for about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven for 20 minutes (we have a breadstone and a pan for a cup of water in there with it) and after 20 minutes, add a cup of water to the pan and slide the bread onto the stone. Get this, that's it! 30 minutes later you have a beautifully crusty loaf of fresh bread!
We have not purchased bread this year at all. We bought the book and it has tons of recipes and alterations for things like cinnamon rolls...all from that basic starter dough.
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. It's true.
My mind is in the zen gutter...
A little more progress on the pergola. It withstood the weight of the foot of snow easily. No problem at all. It actually would have been a great place to take jewelry photos except for the whole below freezing (and me being a wuss) issue. We are thawed out now, and the pergola has been outfitted with a hand split bamboo gutter.
Just today we got a nice copper rain chain with cute little flower type basket things to put in that hole and drain into a pottery basin. I'll get another picture so you can see it, but this is what we have so far.
Just today we got a nice copper rain chain with cute little flower type basket things to put in that hole and drain into a pottery basin. I'll get another picture so you can see it, but this is what we have so far.
I just had to take this little art shot of the leaves atop the pergola roof. I like the leaves, they make the whole area beneath the pergola glow with color.
Have not had enough of the pergola? Here are all the posts and progress of construction http://liciapots.blogspot.com/search/label/pergola Start at the bottom if you want to go in order of time. :)
Awesome Chicks of Etsy
I started something... see, I was in chat (as is common) and talking about how I don't really get dressed anymore or go outside or eat or pee. Okay I do all those things. I get dressed, and go outside to get the EtsyMail. I still pee too cause it's one of those things. TMI?
Anyway, I kinda started a group based around the whole chatting in your jammies theme. I call us the Awesome Chicks of Etsy...and the initiation is that members have to photo themselves (even if it is just their feet or something) in their jammies. Right away there were members taking photos, ready to be seen in jammies! I was a little surprised but got to thinking, this could be a really good informative blog about how me and others have learned to run an Etsy shop!
That is how this all started... and that is what I want it to be about. Someplace fun where people can share information about how to become successful selling handmade items and supplies on Etsy (and beyond).
Follow us, or join in the fun, it's up to you. Followers will be entertained with useful posts and links to great information already online. Members will be encouraged to create their own articles, and we will choose among them to feature on the Awesome Chicks of Etsy blog. And hey, we take Roosters too! Just get those PJ photos ready and join in!
I'm ready to share what I have learned about selling on online! I look forward to hearing what my fellow founding authors have learned as well!
Enjoy!
Anyway, I kinda started a group based around the whole chatting in your jammies theme. I call us the Awesome Chicks of Etsy...and the initiation is that members have to photo themselves (even if it is just their feet or something) in their jammies. Right away there were members taking photos, ready to be seen in jammies! I was a little surprised but got to thinking, this could be a really good informative blog about how me and others have learned to run an Etsy shop!
That is how this all started... and that is what I want it to be about. Someplace fun where people can share information about how to become successful selling handmade items and supplies on Etsy (and beyond).Follow us, or join in the fun, it's up to you. Followers will be entertained with useful posts and links to great information already online. Members will be encouraged to create their own articles, and we will choose among them to feature on the Awesome Chicks of Etsy blog. And hey, we take Roosters too! Just get those PJ photos ready and join in!
I'm ready to share what I have learned about selling on online! I look forward to hearing what my fellow founding authors have learned as well!
Enjoy!
Wet.
It's wet here... bring a boat.
Deschutes River
Dead End.... no shooting.
NO parking this side of street...
NO tresspassing, private drive (doubles as boat launch)
No pizza delivery tonight honey...We took a trip to Olympia on Thursday. Interstate 5 was open as far as we needed to go, although there were some lane closures since the road was half lake in some spots. The reason we went to Olympia, my sister signed to buy a house that day! My sister, bought a house! Her house is at the top of a hill, smart move in this area. (It's not the one in the photo, I should clarify. Hers is an itty bitty fixer with some "unusual" characteristics that she owns now. It's cute though, and I am her new fixer upper helper. There will be photos, you can bet :)
I am my mothers daughter...
I unwrapped this as a Christmas gift this year.
We are both a little nuts. Should I tell her this could be copyright infringement?
Good luck with the earrings ma :)
See the full line of TP jewelry at my online store. If you need some TP jewelry now, go into the bathroom and make your own. They could be great for those times when the public restroom is out of TP... or maybe if you prefer a nice two ply quilted to the single ply public restroom TP that is less generous than even cheap brown paper towels. 
We are both a little nuts. Should I tell her this could be copyright infringement?Good luck with the earrings ma :)
See the full line of TP jewelry at my online store. If you need some TP jewelry now, go into the bathroom and make your own. They could be great for those times when the public restroom is out of TP... or maybe if you prefer a nice two ply quilted to the single ply public restroom TP that is less generous than even cheap brown paper towels. 
Earth plaster is complete!
Yay! It's done in time for Christmas! The party is postponed due to inclement weather though. Which is fine because so have been my UPS shipments from Amazon.
Here is a rather poor photo of the room (I'll work on it). We are also working on a wall in the dining room as well. It really adds to the warmth, and I like it.
Maggie enjoys the new sittable window sills. She doesn't usually allow me to photograph her, so she must really like them. Another thing we want to do to this room is add large saltillo tiles after installing radiant floor heat. That project may take a while. Ultimetly we want new flooring and radiant heat housewide.
In the meantime, it has been snowing outside. We took a snowy 5 mile walk back and forth to the grocery store for something other than canned food. I am looking forward to a salad. Its been 3 weeks since we had been to the store. We got as much as we could carry and when we got home, cleaned the snow off the greenhouse. I was suprized at how much weight it could handle, but didn't want to continue to test it.
They are forecasting more snow, but we hope that it clears well enough by Sunday to have family over for the delayed Christmas party. I'll keep you posted of course.
Merry and Happy everyone!
Here is a rather poor photo of the room (I'll work on it). We are also working on a wall in the dining room as well. It really adds to the warmth, and I like it.
Maggie enjoys the new sittable window sills. She doesn't usually allow me to photograph her, so she must really like them. Another thing we want to do to this room is add large saltillo tiles after installing radiant floor heat. That project may take a while. Ultimetly we want new flooring and radiant heat housewide.
In the meantime, it has been snowing outside. We took a snowy 5 mile walk back and forth to the grocery store for something other than canned food. I am looking forward to a salad. Its been 3 weeks since we had been to the store. We got as much as we could carry and when we got home, cleaned the snow off the greenhouse. I was suprized at how much weight it could handle, but didn't want to continue to test it.
They are forecasting more snow, but we hope that it clears well enough by Sunday to have family over for the delayed Christmas party. I'll keep you posted of course.Merry and Happy everyone!
Banana bread with chocolate chips and roasted walnuts
This is a treat! If you have bananas that get over ripe... don't throw them out! Send them to me!!! Or, put them in the freezer for up to 6 months and wait for that day when you want some banana bread. (You can do the same with zucchini if you shred it first).
So, you want to make bread, and have some (at least 3) frozen bananas? Thaw the bananas in a mixing bowl. After they thaw, dump out any banana juice from the bowl (sometimes it makes too much liquid). Peel the bananas and smash them well in the bowl. Decide how many batches you want to make. I usually do a double recipe.
One cup of mashed bananas makes one batch and fits well into two 4 by 9 bread pans or twelve muffin cups if you want to do that instead.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cup Flour (all purpose is fine)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (have you switched to aluminum free yet?)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (yeah, I don't measure this part... I know I probably double this)
1 egg (my favorite eggs are from my family's hens, or buy humane labeled if you can find it)
1/4 cup oil (I always use olive oil for baking)
1 cup mashed bananas (previously frozen are sweetest)
3/4 cup sugar (I actually use 1/2 cup, especially if I use frozen bananas)
Juice of one lemon, or about 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter (real butter works best, not margarine, sorry ma)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional, but you loose that roasty flavor)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional, but not really cause it's chocolate)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add the chopped walnuts to an 8 x 8 pan and flatten them to a single layer, place them in the oven until they start to brown (about 15 to 20 minutes). Remove them and put the butter on to coat the nuts well.
In a small mixing bowl (bigger if you do a double batch) combine the mashed bananas, egg, oil, sugar and lemon juice. Set aside.
In a larger mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon (want some nutmeg, add that too).
Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the wet ingredients and blend just until it's combined. Add the toasty nuts and chocolate chips til combined. You should be able to stand a spoon up in the batter easily.
Spoon batter into two buttered bread pans (If you don't have stoneware pans, and you like to bake bread, definitely put them on your list! I don't make them for sale yet, but I will. I made the ones you see in the photo). Or you can make muffins if you like.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, testing with a toothpick (or wooden skewer like I do) every 5 minutes. Bread is done when the stick comes out clean (assuming you don't stab a chocolate chip...) In the case of muffins, start testing at about 30 minutes.
Enjoy!!!
The smallest visitors
The smallest visitors footprints leave evidence, only when it snows...
Resident Song Sparrow footprints. He was busy, and left a heart. See the heart? These are the details that I love....
Resident Song Sparrow footprints. He was busy, and left a heart. See the heart? These are the details that I love....
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