Henry celebrated his six-month birthday today. He is a real bright spot in my day--every time I walk by Felix's room, going down the hall, he lets out a beautiful, loud wolf whistle! Most cheering.
He's now diligently practicing the Andy Griffith theme song.
The girls and I made donuts this afternoon after putting our loaves of bread together. I accidentally used all whole wheat flour in the dough, instead of half white, and the donuts were a little more fragile to handle before cooking, but tasted just fine with a nice crumbly texture. First we mixed everything up by hand:
Cut them out (this is the fun part and Bella got to do it all today):
Fried them (Clara's job):
Then sifted powdered sugar over them:
Then we ate all the donut holes!
What can I say? The dire predictions came true and during Clara's last rehearsal I went to the yarn shop again, this time with my mother, the worst of ennablers. A wonderful knitter herself (Daisy's hats and sweaters are locally famous--well, famous at Kroger), she egged me on to purchase all *eighteen skeins* of Debbie Bliss cashmerino for my next project, a cardigan for Clara. Found in the Junior Knits book above, it is styled like a parka--a hood, a drawstring waist, fun pockets, and a "fishtail" back that buttons up to the waist. I realized after the fact that it is one of the most complex patterns in the book but oh well! I'm committed now, with almost two skeins used up.
Giles was sadly overworked by school projects today (ha!) but promises photos tomorrow . . .
A peek into Daisy's bedroom, the Mango Lounge. I painted three of the walls this rich orange color (aiming for "ripe mango") when I thought the room would be my painting and sewing room. Little did I know I would use it for a nursery!
The tiger lily watercolor on the wall is one of my favorites. Unlike many of my paintings which are cut up and reassembled, this one was painted in two fell swoops and left alone: quite a success in my terms!
My recent creation from this pattern, McCall 1018, dated sometime in the 40's, is a bed jacket:
I made View A with lace only at the yoke seam and at the wrists. I used a crisp pale pink cotton which was nice and firm for the embroidery. The pattern offers several fabric choices, including "fine flannel or albatross." Sounds delicious.
I had so much fun doing the embroidery! The instructions called for some odd choices of stitches--all those tiny leaves were supposed to be done in outline stitch, which I tried unsuccessfully before deciding to do lazy-daisy loops. I think that whatever works is the best choice. Even the dots were supposed to be done in outline stitch--changing to French knots was a no-brainer and looks wonderful.
Now I am looking for a little bout with something not too uncomfortable that will call for a little bed rest while looking glamorous . . . .
Bella
and Daisy
and Bella again
(in honor of Giles' camera returning home in working order).
Soup is one of those things you cook that is all about *why*--once you know that, the what, when, and how much all fall into place, and you will never need a recipe. There are different members of the soup family--I've posted a recipe for cream soup before that it is infinitely changeable for any vegetable you might be hosting. Making a good vegetable soup is a little different, but once you have mastered the basic process, the world will be your oyster. Remember, it's not about a specific list of ingredients, and it's certainly not about going out and shopping for a bunch of exotic items you'll only use once. Get a feel for the process, and all will be well in your kitchen.
*Schoolhouse Vegetable-Beef Soup*
1. You want some meat to flavor your soup and lend it protein, so that you don't get hungry half an hour after the meal. So get a pound of frozen hamburger out and brown it, with a chopped onion. If it was fairly greasy, you might want to drain the grease off. This is your base.
2. Next you want a flavorful liquid to add volume and, well, flavor. Now, I was raised a storebought-stock snob. My mother never had it; she was above it. I have changed though. I have no problem at all with a nice box of chicken or beef stock from the grocery store waiting in my pantry. I do read labels and avoid brands with chemicals--but that aside, a box of stock in the hand is worth two pots of stock I haven't made yet. So put a box of stock in--chicken, beef, or vegetable. If it needs to be a big pot of soup, go ahead and put as much water in also. This is your liquid.
3. Now you want to think about flavoring the liquid. You are always going to want a can of tomatoes--diced if you don't mind pieces of tomato, crushed if there are children in your house good at picking things out and laying them aside. I use a 28-oz. can because I always need a lot of soup. Guess what? You can use tomatoes in *any* form. What do you have in the pantry or freezer? Tomato sauce? Stewed tomatoes? Rotel? V-8? It will work! Now get to work punching the flavor up a little. Salt? Check! Minced garlic or garlic powder? Yes! A big slosh of Worcerstershire sauce or pepper sauce or tamari sauce? Of course. Half a cup of wine? Why not! Bring it all to a boil.
4. Veggies next. Think about how long they need to cook. I like my soup veggies soft and forgiving. If they need a while to cook, they go in now (white or sweet potatoes, winter squash, frozen green beans, frozen lima beans, carrots, celery). I like to make sure I use at least five kinds of vegetables all together, and onions count, so that's just four more.
5. You made it to base camp. Now you get to simmer; aim for at least an hour. I also like to turn it off after awhile and just let it sit on the stove for a while--gives the flavors time to blend without beating the vegetables to a pulp.
6. Half an hour before dinner time, get out any fragile vegetables you're going to use--frozen or fresh corn, yellow squash or zucchini, fresh or frozen spinach. Give them ten minutes of simmer, then turn off the pot and put a lid on it to keep it hot. Taste and see if you need more salt, some pepper, some balsamic vinegar, etc. Serve.
Further notes:
1. Don't simmer broccoli or cauliflower; they're just too strong in a mixed soup.
2. Cook pasta or rice separately to add in; they will soak up all your tasty broth if you throw them in the pot.
3. Add fresh basil after turning the heat off.
See, you don't need a recipe. You can make a thousand different soups all your very own invention, and you will feel so smart. I do!
Several years ago I became enchanted with the David Austin roses from Wayside Gardens and planted many of them in my flower beds. The hot humid summers have been hard on them and I have lost several, but my Heritage roses are hanging in there. I have found for the last several years that the biggest, sweetest blooms appear in November and early December, before the first truly bitter frost. And they seem even softer and pinker in cool, foggy weather, like today.
Some ideas on how to integrate a learning seamstress into a *real* sewing project:
1. Start by laying out the pattern pieces yourself and having her cut them out. Truly sharp scissors are essential and can be handled carefully by a medium-aged child. Demonstrate notches and other markings.
2. After learning about grainlines, the child can do the pinning herself. Check before she cuts! It doesn't hurt to have a little extra fabric either for the layout, just in case!
3. Even a beginning seamstress can run up straight seams--skirt sides, bodice sides, shoulders. First I pin them and hand them over for sewing, then we move on to the child pinning, getting checked, and doing the sewing.
4. Pressing seams open is a great job for a learner--especially those straight seams.
5. After practicing with the zigzag function, set her to work zigzagging raw edges of seams.
6. Let her run easing or gathering stitches--show her how to change the machine setting, how to use two rows of stitching for gathering, and how to leave a long tail of thread.
All of this seems to take more time and effort at first than doing it yourself (oh right--that's teaching a child anything!), but a child who is interested in sewing will take these basic skills and run with them! I have been so pleased and surprised with Clara's wonderful workmanship, and look forward to teaching Bella more soon.
We took a fall color day trip today--just in time, as all the leaves on the north sides of the mountains were down. The south sides were still glorious and the deepest, brightest yellow we have ever seen, much more so than usual.
We picnicked in the car on our packed lunch and in early afternoon arrived at a favorite stop, a funny town perched on the mountainside, with streets full of Victorian-style cottages, many of them gloriously shabby.
We wandered in and out of little shops: Daisy found things to look at in the toy store.
Richly-colored pansies in a window-box.
The Composer with Giles and Felix ("the guys", Daisy calls them) in the park.
A happy autumn vignette.
We finished off with dinner in a renovated mill--a treat indeed. Although Daisy, with her head cold, was not hungry and systematically rejected each bit of food we placed on her saucer. At last she held up the frilled toothpick from Giles' ham sandwich and asked, "Can I eat this?"
She is safely tucked away in bed now, after a long and beautiful day.
Daisy is suffering from a dreadful cold, tortured by congestion that makes her suddenly let out a war-cry and run for the Kleenex box to wipe unassisted. She doesn't nap when she's sick, and of course doesn't sleep well with such a stuffy nose.
Here's what I am doing for our mutual comfort:
1. Boxes of Kleenex everywhere. I think I have eight boxes in circulation downstairs.
2. A sick child should have her own bottle of saline nasal spray. This is unmedicated, but still very helpful in clearing out nasal passages for easier breathing. Of course, it should never be shared.
3. Even though Daisy usually sleeps without a pillow, I have been putting her to bed on one as raising her head keeps her a little more comfortable. A fresh, ironed pillowcase every night.
4. A humidifier by the bed, cleaned and refreshed before bedtime.
5. For me, I make sure to dress in something warm for bedtime, knowing I will be up and down. Setting aesthetics aside, I will be choosing the flannel sock monkey pajamas, and keeping my slippers handy. Even cosier, I will make sure I have a large warm blanket ready at the chair I will sit up with Daisy in.
6. Library videos for tomorrow afternoon.
And maybe tonight will be better.
Yesterday I finished this flouncy skirt for Bella, working without a pattern. I had the cutest, softest, finest-wale corduroy with polka dots (as you see), and made three tiers. The waist is elastic, and the other two tiers gather into the one above. I trimmed the two seams with hot pink velvet ribbon.
Not my favorite project, as gathering corduroy seemed to go on for hours and hours and my bobbin was *continually* running out of thread at the most inopportune times. I never did get my gathers very evenly spaced, but if there was ever a trotting horse that was not going to show mistakes, that horse is Bella!
This is my all-time favorite way to prepare chicken for an easy family dinner. First of all, I like to start with my favorite chicken arrangement, the Whole Cut-Up Chicken. Yes, the frozen bag of breasts is wonderful in the freezer for elegant boneless dishes, and the whole chicken wins for cuteness and Sunday dinner, but for ease of fixing and a mix of light and dark, I go for the package of parts.
The marinade:
You can do this early in the day, or as late as half an hour ahead of time. I like to aim to have the chicken marinating all afternoon. And don't forget--your version will be as good as mine if you need to substitute something. I use:
juice of a lime and an orange (or two limes)
about 1/3 c. mirin or honey if I'm out of mirin
about 1/2 c. tamari (crucial)
3-5 crushed cloves of garlic.
Mix and pop it all in a gallon ziploc in the fridge.
To cook:
Heat oven to 425. Spread your chicken out spaciously, no touching. Make sure the skin side is up. I often need two pans for this--so be it. Do not cover. Stick in the oven and leave for 45 minutes or so. Fancier cooks will turn the chicken pieces over for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking--I often don't bother.
Oven technique is everything here. Don't be afraid of that high heat, and don't start thinking you need to drape some foil over the meat! Your chicken is going to go to a deep dark delicious mahogany brown, and it will be crispy on the outside and juicy and tender inside.
I use the pan juices straight or the fat separated off if I'm feeling virtuous, poured over rice, or even stirred into risotto at the end of cooking. Salty but so good!
I have fallen in love with these breakfast dishes from Cath Kidston's delicious catalog. Isn't this mug made for cocoa? And this plate for toast? I think yes.
We had perfect weather tonight for a bonfire and three families over for supper. After a gray day, the evening was chilly and almost misty. We lit the brush pile that had been growing over the summer and watched it shoot sprays and sprays of sparks up into the dark.
Inside the house we had everything laid out on the island for a nice junky supper--hot dogs and buns, Fritos, grated cheese, and a huge pot of chili that had simmered all afternoon. An urn of cider and pitcher of iced tea.
I think the best part for the children was tearing around in the dark and flickering shadows, chased by insouciant fifteen-year old boys; then coming in the house to divvy up the huge bowl of candy that had been sitting on display all through dinner.
Clara needed her dressy winter dress last Sunday, so together we made this old favorite pattern out of a beautifully-draping frost blue tiny wale corduroy. We lined the bodice with white cotton (a sheet!) and included a double-frill of lace at the cuffs to indicate that it is, in fact, a dress-up dress. It's as soft as velvet without being too fancy for church, and perfect for trips to the symphony!
Sewing projects are so fast with her helping--I run up the seams and she presses them, or I get busy setting in sleeves and she finishes seams. Even working with one machine we accomplish things twice as fast.
Giles asks that I note that his *real* camera is out for repairs and he is embarassed by the photos I am posting which were taken with the inferior camera which cannot be focused to his satisfaction.
From a wonderful cookbook, given to me by my mother while I was in college. I remember reading it while living in a dorm room, longing for a kitchen and a pantry full of good ingredients. My copy has completely fallen apart, but I keep all the pages tucked inside the cover and use it often for its special breads and general inspirational quality:
"I often ask people what they think of breakfast, and most reply instantly that it is their favorite meal. When pressed to tell what they eat for breakfast, their answers become rather vague. I've decided that they love the idea of breakfast, but they need some good guidance and recipes actually to get them to cook it. Breakfast has remained pure amid all the food trends with their stylish dishes and chic ingredients. The honest simplicity of breakfast is so captivating."
"She had his coffee all poured, and there was oatmeal with cream and pulverized sugar. There was half a grapefruit too, all cut and ready for eating . . . She was bringing hot buttered toast and scrambled eggs and wonderful-looking fried potatoes. He could have hugged her, they all looked so good . . ."
I have been thinking about breakfast this week and wondering why I have been satisfied to serve my family so little for lo, these many years. I have routinely allowed (made) them to subsist on cold cereal with the occasional pancake morning. And why? Because it felt like too much work to do anything more!
I have resolved to do much, much better and in fact we have had a week of wonderful breakfasts. I have made breakfast every morning since Sunday, and served it at a table set with plates, silverware, napkins, juice glasses, and cocoa mugs. My aim is to serve a little protein, a little fruit, and some nice whole grains every morning. It seems so luxurious to sit down *together* and eat something nice, all at the same time as a start to the day. Such a change from everyone standing around in the kitchen with a bowl of cold cereal.
It is taking much less time that I feared--I start preparing at 7:30 (Clara makes a silver pot of cocoa; I do the rest) and we sit down at 8:00, everyone dressed and beds made.
Sample Menus:
Cinnamon-raisin toast, bacon, cocoa, orange juice.
Toast, scrambled eggs, caramelized apple slices, cocoa, orange juice.
Biscuits, sausage patties, cocoa, orange juice.
Cinnamon rolls, fried eggs, plain yogurt with brown sugar and fresh raspberries, hot tea.
I'm having fun!
I am constantly shedding hair on my bathroom floor, and my hair is long and very dark, and my bathroom floor is pale green painted pine. Gross. I have never thought vacuuming the floor every day was a worthy goal, but I don't like living in mess either.
So I stole a fantastic idea from my mother's house--she keeps a Swiffer in her bathroom! One with a dry disposable cloth. It really, truly, picks up all the hair and any dust bunnies lurking on the floor. I keep mine tucked away in the bathroom closet, use it every day for 10 soul-satisfying seconds, and change out the sheet on the day I clean my bathroom. Works like a charm!
My big front circle garden has been an eyesore this summer--drought and deer have just about knocked out the perennials that kept it looking nice for so long. I never watered ever this summer and it was very, very dry. But. Looking on the bright side, I believe I have discovered the plantings that will truly care for themselves, so this week I have been working on clearing space and mulching and now planting some things that will bring it back to life.
When I say we have a deer problem, I mean that there are multiple deer standing in the front garden several times a day, even though Giles gets them with his pellet gun whenever he can. They like to wait until the lilies are about to open, then eat them. Same with tulips. Salvia. Daylilies. Hydrangeas. Ferns.
They haven't bothered my thorny roses, lavendar, crepe myrtle, ornamental grasses, rosemary, wigelia, or spirea. So I'm doing shrubs from this list. Easier to water than lots of little plants. Plus they'll grow big and make more of a showing. Fall is such a great time to plant! It's cool out, lots of things are marked down at Lowe's, and I can see where the holes are in the garden. Onward and upward!
Yes, I am finding the knitting to be addictive. I must confess to having pulled my project out of my purse in court today while waiting for my case to be called. I've worked past the rolled part of the brim only having had to rip out once!
Clara had orchestra this morning, so she and I left everyone sleeping and set off early for the city. I wasn't sure how I was going to put in the two hours of waiting time during rehearsal, so after I dropped her off I drove the few blocks to the shopping district near her rehearsal hall. I parked and started down the sidewalk looking in windows--it was too early for much to be open--but when I got to the yarn shop the ladies inside were convinced I needed to come in, even though it was half an hour til opening time. They opened the door and beckoned me in and oh dear! I have made it this far in my life without getting absorbed in knitting but today spelled my doom!
My mother taught me to knit when I was eleven or twelve, but I have never loved it. I did finish a couple of small projects in high school, and started another before I left for college. I took that one with me--a plum-colored wool sweater vest with a single cable running down the side--and it became a watchword in my dorm. None of the other girls had ever seen knitting up close, or seen a knitter. The joke was that I taught at least a dozen of them how to knit, and before the end of the school year they had all moved on to fantastically complicated, twelve-color sweaters I could never dream of making, while I never did finish my vest.
I was going to be able to walk right out of the yarn store this morning, but a saleslady started flipping through a Debbie Bliss book when I casually mentioned making "soft pants" for Daisy to wear under her dresses. After drooling over the gorgeous photography I started inspecting the baby garments scattered around the shop. My heart went out to the short-sleeved, collared cardigan knit in a lacy stitch (so thirties!) for a toddler, but in a moment of sanity I settled on a hat for myself, a rich and cheery pink merino which I will embellish with periwinkle crocheted flowers.
The shop ladies insisted that I sit right down and knit a swatch before they would allow me to purchase needles (the gauge!). I ran next door for a hot chocolate then got settled in. Too much fun! I was astonished at the endless parade of stylish thirty-somethings in their stacked-heel boots that came to spend their Saturday mornings in the knitting shop. All so helpful and optimistic (especially considering that some of them had only been knitting for a week). I had a lovely morning and look forward to showing off my progress during Clara's next rehearsal.
I love this anecdote from Madeleine L'Engle's book The Irrational Season, in which she writes about discovering the power of being willing to serve others. The story happens in the context of her discomfort with her in-laws while going to their house for a week for a family celebration. The truth, though, is for any time and every place.
"I felt inadequate. . . I was clumsy and inept. . . I could not begin to come up to her requirements. . . I tended to be awkward and defensive.
When we set off for Tulsa I had decided within myself that I was going to do everything possible to make this a happy time for my [husband's family]. So, from the moment we arrived, I really knocked myself out to be pleasant and helpful. We hardly had to think about the children. . . so I was free to cook and do dishes and make beds.
It was an eminently successful week. When we were on the plane on the way home I suddenly realized that I had been given the grace to get out of my own way; all my activities had been unselfconscious; and so, all during that week, I had been given the gift of poverty of spirit without even realizing it.
And there in Tulsa, in a world in which I felt myself to be inadequate and inept, I was given a glimpse of the Kingdom of Heaven."
Say you come home in the rain and it's a little cold and the house feels a little unloved. What to do?
•Do a load of wash and then throw it in the dryer for a little heat, a little background noise, and of course, clean clothes.
•Fix something hot to drink--tea, cocoa, or water with lemon in a china cup.
•Music never hurts, but nothing too rowdy or too gloomy.
•Light some candles, preferably hazelnut.
•For showstopping instant cozy, light a fire in the stove or fireplace. Nothing is better. Of course you have thought ahead and have some dry logs in the mudroom (or at the very least a tarp over the woodpile). And naturally a big box of little starter logs. I am a late convert to these, after a childhood of starting fires from tinder and kindling. You know, I *can* do it that way, but that doesn't mean that I *want* to be shaving cedar chips off of anything when what I want is to be snuggled up by the fire in a rocking chair, playing Monopoly with the children. I call the thimble.
I had a busy day today of "fluffing the house" in preparation for guests. The sitting room had been collecting stray books; many games had wandered from the cupboard in the dining room; I had brought some ferns in from outdoors that still needed to find final homes; and I had a new little side table to make pretty with candles and a runner. In addition, I had to change sheets and freshen up children's rooms and a bathroom for our company.
I did find a few minutes this afternoon to sit down and work on my new sewing project--a vintage bedjacket. I'm having so much fun with the embroidery on the front yoke. The pattern came with the embroidery transfers unused and included! I'm using a pale pink broadcloth-type cotton for the garment, and chose embroidery floss in shades of chocolate brown, deeper pink, and ivory for some little accents. I think it would look fantastic also done in only black on a crisp white cotton, and if this comes out well I think I will make another in that colorway. It should go together quickly when the embroidery is done, and I will surely show and tell.
I was surprised to see the enthusiasm that greeted my urn of hot cider at our party. It wasn't that cold outside or in, but apparently the fragrance of cinnamon and cloves is irresistable this time of year.
Hot cider can be a big production, with different fruit juices mixed together, spices measured, cheesecloth sachets, etc. I kept things very *very* simple and poured a big jug of apple juice into my (clean) coffee urn, then dumped in about 1/4 c. of sugar--I only had white, though I would have preferred brown. I added a tablespoon or so of cinnamon, a good shake of cloves, and plugged it in without the percolator basket.
It was so convenient--nothing to dip out or pour, just the handy little lever that makes it fun to get a hot drink. I rarely make an urn of coffee, but I think an ongoing urn of cider this winter would be very popular!
Here's a little taste of the wonderful music from our weekend with Grandpa--in fact, Daisy calls this piece "Grandpa's Song" even though it is, in fact, "Appalachia Waltz" by Mark O'Connor and Yo-yo Ma. Scroll down to Track 2 and click listen.
The Composer and the children and I had been planning for this weekend for months. The Composer's father, my beloved father-in-law, turned seventy. We decided we were going to do it up right.
The Composer rented a lodge in the mountains. He sent out invitations to *all* his dad's relatives, around fifty. We planned a menu. We sent out maps. We rented tablecloths and coffeecups. Most especially, the Composer put together an unbelievable film about his father's life. Heartbreaking music, beautiful photographs, interviews with contemporaries and grandchildren, archives from his university, everything.
His dad didn't know anything was coming. Every year we like to have a special birthday dinner for him here at our house. This year, we suggested meeting up in the mountains for a hike first, then going over to their cabin where I would prepare supper. He completely bought it. Even when we led him in the front door of the lodge where his family from all over the country waited, he still thought we were at a visitor's center at a trailhead!
My blessed mother and her husband came up with the kids and me the night before, and got up first thing and started in to work with me. She cooked without stopping from 8 in the morning until about 4. We set the tables--for 44 people. 
My friend Carol had made the cake and delivered it to our house the night before--beautiful! Layers and layers of maple butter cake, iced in maple buttercream and sprinkled with chopped pecans.
She and her daughter arrived late in the afternoon to help serve and run the kitchen. Bless them too!
The menu:
•mushrooms stuffed with cream cheese, garlic, and spinach
•mixed greens salad with toasted walnuts, pomegranate seeds, and red pear slices
•French bread and butter
•slow-roasted pork loin in wine and citrus
•Greek potato salad vinaigrette
•sauteed yellow squash and zucchini
•maple cake and vanilla ice cream
We served everyone plated courses at their seats. That was a lot of plates! Clara and Bella and their cousins helped pass cake and fill drinks as well. The mountains outside grew dark; inside was candlelight on dear faces.
After cake was served and everyone had another cup of coffee, we pulled down the huge projection screen (this was the perfect lodge for our purposes!) and the Composer showed his movie. No words to describe it.
Happy Birthday.
"Do not make the mistake of thinking that an apron is a not-so-very important garment. As a matter of fact, it is really quite as important as a dress—for who can tell when an unexpected guest is going to "drop in" for a chat and find one at the disadvantage of being aproned! But the disadvantage can be changed to an advantage. The apron can be made a very delightful garment. One may actually feel proud to be found wearing a pretty combination of lace and ribbon and soft white dimity—or a rather trig apron-affair of gingham and muslin ruffles.
And then, of course, there is the feeling of utter neatness and satisfaction when one is wearing a crisp little apron. Even though it does hide the pretty dress underneath, it can be so very pretty itself that one hardly minds."
This chocolate sauce is a useful one for various reasons: the ingredients are always convenient to hand, it's dairy-free, it whips up in a very few minutes, and it keeps well. Unlike a fancier fudge sauce that involves cream, butter, and a candy thermometer, this is a low-stress chocolate fix.
Keep on hand for topping ice cream at night, or for making individual mugs of cocoa in the morning as sleepy children stumble into the kitchen looking for something warm to drink (one tablespoon per mug of heated milk, stir well).
*Schoolhouse Chocolate Sauce*
Mix:
2 c. sugar
dash of salt
1 c. unsweetened cocoa
in saucepan.
Stir in:
1 c. cold water.
While stirring, bring to boil over medium heat. Turn heat to low and allow to simmer for five minutes. Take off heat and enjoy--be sure to store it covered.
I found this fabulous pattern on e-bay and had to have it--just look at the vintage sportiness of the lady golfer and lady bowler! It is in fact described as a bowling or golfing dress, and that large pocket I love so much is designed to hold golf balls! Other lovely details are the deeply pleated (inverted box) back under the yoke, a breast pocket for a scorecard, and sleeves that unbutton all the way to the shoulder! I love this dress! 
I made it up in a quilting-weight cotton. It holds its shape nicely, has a moderate drape, and I couldn't resist the color or print. The left side under the arm opens with a zipper, besides the functional buttons down the bodice front.
Here's a back view--check out that major center pleat and then the lesser but still grand flanking pleats!
Finally, a sleeve detail--how many times have you needed to unbutton your sleeves *all the way up*?
Maybe we got a little carried away today during our session of baking: after putting together my usual four loaves of whole wheat for the week I mixed up almost the entire yeast bread chapter from Marion Cunningham's The Breakfast Book:
•dried cherry and fig batter bread (a very soft dough that is stirred, not kneaded)
•whole wheat cinnamon and raisin bread (two loaves)
•chocolate-pecan butter bread (two loaves)
•a Sally Lunn loaf baked in an angel food cake pan (light white loaf with cream and a delicate crumb)
I made up my different doughs one at a time, working from dairy-free to dairy, of course. I tried to stagger the rise times knowing that I only had six pans to bake in. If I needed a dough to take longer I put it in a cooler spot in the kitchen. Doughs which I wanted to rise quickly I put on my beautiful warming shelf, and they popped right up.
They will wait happily in the freezer and make us many nice Sunday morning breakfasts!
I looked down from my sewing today to see that Daisy had spread this polka dot fabric out carefully over the tiny couch I am recovering, and was fastidiously sticking one pin in each dot.
Just for the record, I don't consider straight pins to be *too* life-threateningly dangerous for a child if that child is calm and focused. Silly and crazy, and I'll take that pincushion away immediately.
"Her neat blue and white checked gingham was just low enough to show the white of her throat, above the sheer collar that matched the rolled back cuffs and pockets banded with the gingham. The whole school thought that Mary Truman was always well dressed. Those little gingham bindings on the organdy pockets, for instance, marked the line between the banker's daughter and other girls whose mothers had not the time to bother with such details."
This morning our church held its annual garage sale, proceeds going to send teenagers out on short-term mission trips. I put a few hours in yesterday sorting and pricing, and went this morning to help run it.
Clara and I got there by 6:40 ready to go. Why so chipper? Because I was wearing a shopkeeper-style apron, of course! I sadly have gotten to the point where I can do no work without an apron. On the bright side, however, tie one on me and I will do anything at all from scrubbing toilets to chopping onions to carrying dusty boxes out to people's cars--with a smile! Further, my handy apron pockets were just the thing for sticky labels, a marker, and stray dollar bills.
Clara and I had cleverly scheduled haircuts for 9:15 so were able to do our time at the sale and then head out to get beautiful. We wrapped up our town errands with a quick poke-around the vintage bookstore (two new Grace Livingston Hills--baby!) and came home in time to find Grandpa bringing over a big box of hamburgers for everyone. We had a delightful lunch, a sunshiney game of petanque in the front yard, and a pleasant afternoon of sewing, running after Daisy, and a walk under a cloudless sky.
Detail of pink velvet armchair.
I love my two new chairs! They are so much more mod in style than anything else in the house, but I think will work as a seating area in our bedroom. I love the tufted button backs especially, second only to the wonderful salmony-pink fabric they're sporting.
Tonight I supplemented our grilled-chicken-sandwiches-and-a-salad supper with a big pot of broccoli soup. It was very easy to make, delicious, and full of vegetables, so what's not to love?
In a large pot, saute:
1 chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
in
3 T. olive oil
til onion is transparent.
Add:
6-8 cups chicken broth (I used two boxes of storebought)
2 large bunches of broccoli, broken into large pieces
2-4 potatoes, scrubbed and coarsely chopped.
Cover and simmer until all vegetables are very tender, about 40 minutes.
In batches, whirl in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pot and season with salt and lots of pepper. If desired, stir in:
1 c. heavy cream
and heat but do not boil. This is a very soothing soup, and good for girls who have recently gotten braces.
The little tiny town where I sometimes have court on Wednesdays has turned into my favorite road trip. I take all the children with me to visit friends, walk from our friend's house over to the courthouse, and then pick the kids up for fun times. Last week we went to the famous Tiny Town Barbeque and had huge delicious lunches. We also cruised through the antique mall next door, mostly just looking since their credit card machine was out of order and I only had a twenty from Giles' pocket.
Yesterday, however, I had court there again and came prepared with a checkbook. What a haul, and all at tiny town prices! I just love antique stores in out-of-the-way towns: everything is dirt cheap and not picked over. I got *two* PINK VELVET ARMCHAIRS in great shape for $56 each!! Also a gorgeous battered green-painted wooden table I will use a sideboard in the dining room ($38, don't hate me), and two wonderful vintage metal painted wastebaskets: green with lilies of the valley, as seen above, and for Bella's room, robin's egg blue with bright tomato-red tulips!
Although I have made bread at least once a week for the last thirteen years, it is something I never get tired of. Every time I go through the process I enjoy taking the raw ingredients and turning them into fragrant, irresistable loaves that we will make into a hundred sandwiches through the week. I also love knowing that for very little money I am providing a truly nutritious staple for my family.
•I never deviate from my recipe for our daily bread, although I often make an extra batch and turn it into sweet rolls, dinner rolls, or doughnuts of some kind. It is very flexible, and I often add more oil or honey when baking something special for breakfast. I appreciate the simplicity of having a standby recipe that is reliable and memorized.
•I use my same old aluminum pans every week. They are lightweight and cheap, but the bread comes out with a perfect crust and perfect degree of doneness. Years ago I discovered that eight-inch pans are much more successful than nine-inch for whole wheat loaves, as they help the dough to get more vertical, and rising can be a challenge with a whole wheat dough. I only use my larger pans for quick breads.
•I turn my dough out onto a damp dishtowel to cut and shape it. The dampness keeps the dough from sticking, and doesn't add the toughness that extra flour might. The damp dishtowel then covers my rising loaves to keep them from drying out.
•I always use a timer so I don't forget I've got bread baking!
The bread came out beautifully today. Actually, I have been having excellent success the last few weeks getting my dough to rise fast and high, both in the first rising and especially after it's been shaped into loaves. The secret? Using hot-to-the-touch tap water rather than tepid. I've always been afraid of killing my yeast with too-hot of water, but apparently it can take a little heat. Even though these loaves are almost all whole wheat (12 cups whole wheat + 2 cups white flour) they are coming out light and fluffy.
I'm not doing coconut tea strips tomorrow, but I will make whole wheat bread and maybe some cranberry muffins!
