It's been glorious sunrises and sunsets this week.
I've been taking lots of pictures and playing with layers and filters.
This morning there was the more typical November rain.
Soup weather.
Yellow split peas + onions + celery + garlic + carrots + a bit of balsamic vinegar + water + olive oil.
And just a tiny bit of stitching.
It doesn't matter what I am trying to do, the cat wants to be involved; preferably from the shoulder.
She's been a constant companion as I've finished Robert Macfarlane's Landmarks. I want to dive right into Underland but am making myself wait. There is no way I am going to finish all 12 of the books I picked out at the beginning of the year but I'm going to see how close I can get.
The tomatoes are gone for another year. I used a version of this recipe to make chutney.
Changes to the recipe:
The quince crop was small this year. I made a small batch of quince paste. It's lovely as a layer in scones.
The current bus project.
Instead of switching colors daily as originally planned I've been switching weekly.
Marking time, measuring time.
I was there to meet Hazel and for a class with with Christine Mauersberger, at the Pacific Northwest Art School.
Wish I had more time to make post cards but it was back to work quickly for me.
In the morning before class I would go down to the pier.
It was two blocks away from where I was staying
I find my most true self when I am down by the water.
One evening Hazel and I watched the sunset and the moon rise.
It was magical time.
Worlds blended and resorted and came together differently.
A little alteration made a heron that would have blended in more visible.
Perhaps that is what considering does....
I've given in. The fireplace is on now and the cat is very happy.
There are still strawberries at the farmer's market. Good flavor but firm. I bought some to dehydrate and some for jam.
The jam went right into a batch of scones. I split the dough in two, flatten out the first half, add jam, then flatten out the second half of the dough and place on top.
They are baked as a whole disk for about 30 minutes and then cut into wedges, pulled apart and then baked until done. Just like making biscotti.
I am loving these right now.
I need to finish dyeing with the fresh indigo. There are some cold nights coming. This is the first batch. The color isn't quite right but it"s close. It's brighter and reminds me of the sea.
From the right hand corner, clockwise: the shawl I knit this summer (silk/wool/alpaca), wool, a tank made of hemp and silk (I made it for my mom awhile ago), and local wool yarn.
Apple sauce bread
The story of the applesauce bread is longer than I can tell tonight. That's one thing I've learned from this last month...limits of what I can do. Maybe limits isn't the right word, but it's the one I have right now. As for the applesauce bread...
There is a layer of family, not just through birth but also through affection. A layer of tradition and preserving history.
There is a layer of location. Ingredients from my garden (the grapes and apples), from the county next to the one I live in (the flour), from the state closest to mine that grows warm weather crops (olive oil), to the world at large (spices).
I could have made the ingredients slightly more local by swapping the walnuts out for hazelnuts. I decided not to for the family connection. My dad's aunt and uncle had a walnut grove for years in California. During my childhood I remember coffee cans of walnuts arriving for Christmas.
"Very Good Applesauce Cake from the kitchen of Lucille F."
4 cups Flour + 2 cups sugar + 2 teaspoons of corn starch + 4 tablespoons cocoa powder + 1 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon cloves + 1 teaspoon baking soda + 1 teaspoon nutmeg + 2 teaspoons cinnamon, sifted together.
Add 2 cups raisins + 2 cups chopped walnuts to the batter, then 3 cups of applesauce and then 1 cup cooking oil (I used olive oil).
Bake in a slow oven (about 325 F) for about an hour. A tooth pick should come out clean.
I like that this is an inclusive cake...vegan; good for people with dairy and egg allergies. I suspect the wheat flour would be easy to swap out too.
I like it best made as small loafs but it's also good as a thin cake.
Digital Stitching
The pairings are coming together.
My sense is they are brighter than I want so they may get dipped in the walnut vat.
I do want to make a blanket but the weight needs to be managed. It has to be washable. Maybe a layer of silk for the bottom layer? Maybe some flannel?
It will continue, just as it was started a little bit at a time.
Carrot soup = comfort.
Paired and altered.
The thread is distracting but it's past my bed time...
Goldenrod and walnuts.
Onions, potatoes, broccoli, chicory, and peppers.
I add the chicory just at the end so the heat wilts it just a bit.
The last of a loaf of bread that went into the dehydrator.
The bottom makes me think of pumpkin pie.
And because I can...
Things that I eat that aren't from the state I live in: citrus, avocados, olives, olive oil, some nuts, some cheese, soy sauce, maple syrup, sugar.
This is not a complete list.
Today's pair layered with solar lights and an art project.
Fast food since most was prepped earlier.
Potatoes + lentils + apples + the tiniest bit of cumin with a drizzle of yogurt mixed with lemon flavored olive oil.
Pairing number 12.
Digital pair...or layer. It was fast too.