Happy Mother's Day

I'm really bad at being patient and waiting for things, I think just about anyone will agree, and after finally finishing Mom's Mother's Day present I couldn't wait again to give it to her. (Four days is a long time.)



There was a poem that used to hang in Mom and Dad's room that I absolutely loved that this reminded me of.

If my friends would all desert me
I wouldn't worry, fret or pout,
For as long as I have my mother
I've nothing to worry about
Though I lose all and still have her
I shall not grieve a minute
To me she's worth the entire world
And everything that's in it

Happy Mother's day, just a few days early

Silk Dyed Eggs

I spent the evening dying Easter eggs using silk ties, I am absolutely amazed. (Suzannah and I said almost nothing but "ooh" for a good 20 minutes.) I am absolutely amazed how well they worked. The dye isn't food safe, so we can't eat them, but who really wants to eat these? They're too impressive. I just wonder if you could blow the egg out, then dye it and not have to throw them away.







Silk Dyed Easter Eggs
Tutorial by www.ourbestbites.com

Materials and Tools
-Raw Eggs
-Glass or enamel pot (but pretty much any non-aluminum pot will be fine)
-Silk ties, blouses, or boxers, cut into pieces large enough to cover an egg
-An old white sheet, or pillowcase, or tablecloth, or random fabric, cut into pieces to cover silk-wrapped eggs
-Twist ties or string
-4 tablespoons of white vinegar
-Warm water
-Vegetable oil
-Paper towels
-Tongs or spoon

1. Remove seaming from ties and any lining on the inside. You just want a piece of the silk. Cut silk into a square (or a piece) large enough to wrap around a raw egg.

2. Wrap an egg with a piece of silk, making sure the printed side of the material is facing the egg. Silk can still be used if it doesn't fit perfectly around egg. Just try to make as much smooth contact with the fabric to the egg as you can. The pattern will transfer better if it is right up against the egg. Any part that is folded or wrinkled will leave kind of a tie-dyed pattern (which is a good thing, it’s pretty that way) Secure with twist-tie or string.
3. Place the silk-wrapped egg in a piece of white sheet, pillowcase, or old tablecloth and secure tightly with another twist-tie or string.

4. Place the egg(s) in the pot. Fill pot with water to cover eggs completely. Then, add the 1/4 C of white vinegar.

5. Bring water to a boil, turn heat down, and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

6. Remove eggs from water with tongs or spoon and let cool on a pile of paper towels or in a colander.

7. When eggs are cool enough to handle, you can remove the fabric.

8. To add a little bit of lustre to your eggs, put a dab of vegetable oil on a paper towel and rub onto the egg.

New Project?

I always seem to have a project going, or maybe two or three, and I think I found another one to add to the queue. Mom sent this to me earlier today and I've fallen in love with it, the fact that it's red, black and white helps out a little with that one. It's really simple but I think it would be a fun one to make. Besides, that's what summer is for, right? Getting all of the projects out for four months so you can have time to study for the other eight?

Candy Land

I was looking through pictures and found these again...I made this a long time ago for a friend's birthday, it's Candy Land!

11 Plants and One Pot...

Donuts!

I just finished making donuts, and they turned out so good once I got the oil the right temperature. The only thing, I used a shy half teaspoon of nutmeg and it was still a bit strong.

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup scalded milk
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
* 1/4 cup warm water
* 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
* 1/3 cup butter or margarine
* 2 eggs, beaten
* oil for deep frying
* 2 cups confectioners' sugar
* 6 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the scalded milk, sugar, and salt. Set aside to cool until tepid. If using nutmeg, stir it into the flour, and add 2 cups of the mixture to the milk, and beat until well blended.
2. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Stir into the milk and flour mixture, then mix in the butter and eggs. Mix in the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time. When dough is firm enough, turn it out onto a floured surface, and knead for 3 to 4 minutes. Place into an oiled bowl, cover and allow dough to rise until doubled in bulk. This should take 30 to 45 minutes.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/2 inch in thickness. Cut into circles using a donut cutter, or round cutter. Set aside to rise for 30 to 40 minutes, or until light.
4. Heat one inch of oil in a deep heavy frying pan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fry donuts a few at a time. Cook on each side until golden brown, then remove to drain on paper towels. Glaze while warm, or just sprinkle with sugar.
5. To make the glaze, stir together the confectioners' sugar and 6 tablespoons milk until smooth. Dip warm donuts into glaze, and set aside to cool.

Fabric Panels

I finally finished the fabric panels. I had a huge, blank wall in my apartment and this was a good way to pull some color and texture into the apartment