The rest of the story, belated pancakes

New readers start here:

March 1 a prescription was delivered to, and stolen from, my step. Police report, pharma report, doctor report. Pharma promised replacement.

Now read on:

This morning I found a pharma package, sealed, on my step. Brought it in, thinking it was the replacement they'd promised.

And found 

No cap, most pills missing. Lengthy attempt to reach a human at the mail order pharmacy, finally did. He said no, not the replacement, which they haven't shipped yet, but evidently the original order.

Evidently the tealeaf who took it brought it back! Who knows why.  Seemingly they'd resealed the package.  Meanwhile the real replacement will arrive Tuesday.  And I informed Officer Joe that I think his case is closed.  

His theory: someone took it, found it was no use to them, tossed it, another person found it and returned it to the address on the label.

This wasn't how I'd planned to spend my time this morning;  my red lentil flatbread will happen tomorrow.

And instead I'm having belated pancakes, forgot all about them on Shrove Tuesday. 

Whole-wheat flour, aqua faba replacing egg

Decisions are needed now: lemon juice and sugar, traditional Yorkshire way, or honey, or molasses, my way? Why not all of them in turn, also my way -- when in doubt do everything. And I still have apple slices in the freezer for dessert pancakes.

Happy day everyone, when in doubt, shout it out. You'll feel better, and surprise the neighbors.

Ted sez 

White rabbits, pancakes, and soup

Yesterday, way back in March, white rabbits,  I  found a great recipe, which I adapted, of course, for chickpea flour pancakes and spicy vegetables. I learned that you need to have thought of this earlier, because you need an hour to get the batter to hydrate fully. 

Here it's broccoli stems, peeled, diced, with onions, garlic and Serrano peppers, hot sauce, lovely spicy mix with a contrast of the pancakes. 

See how the hydrated mixture bubbles nicely in the pan. Yessss.

you're suppose to enclose the veggies in the folded pancake, but I liked them separated like this. Dessert was yogurt and cane sugar, great follow on for spicy lunch.

Then, since no Easterly things are happening till Wednesday, I was free to make soup, first making the stock, and baking a butternut squash, ready to scoop and dice and add. Also carrots.

And plenty of chili powder, some salt, quite a bit of milk.

Here's spicy cream of carrot and butternut squash soup. It's one of the better soups I ever made, really good. And there are six more helpings to go. Slice of toast broken into it like easy croutons, so good.

I also wove while I listened to more Ken Follett, that book is going on and on. It's like a part time job. It's good, and I don't think I'll take in another very soon.

I'm liking how this is coming along. I have an actual real pinloom on order, thinking well, why not. Not an expensive plastic modern type, a vintage metal one. So it won't trigger more manufacturing, and will eventually be biodegradable. And other such rationalizing.  That's a strength ;)

Textiles and Tea, and pancakes

Yesterday's Textiles and Tea featured a cheerful worker in woven sculpture. She works in -- paper! Strips of paper she's hand painted with acrylic, to make a supply for  weaving.

Although it's referred to as basketry, these are not containers for carrying physical objects, but vessels for carrying ideas. 

I only caught part of the episode because of an unexpected visit from Handsome Son. He got his share of Valentine chocolate cookies and a pot of tea, and was enthusiastic about the cookies.

After he left, it was time to make pancakes, for Pancake Tuesday, half and half chickpea and whole wheat flours, and they came out lovely and light.

With agave syrup.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy day, in any years!

Photo AC

Suddenly it was Pancake Day

 I found out this morning that it's not next week, it's today. 

There's the story of it.

I invited Handsome Son, who had a day off, to come over this afternoon and enjoy pancakes.

All set this morning, with a blender of batter, thicker than my usual, but thinner than the classic American style

And the kitchen island self serve set-up near the stove, with the required lemon juice and sugar, me, and honey, HS.

In the middle of the prep, this little thing took off from the dishwashing bowl 

And perched for a while on this copper fencepost cap.

The dining table was occupied by a jigsaw puzzle, so we used the coffee table

After enjoying five of his own and one of mine, handsome Son declared the pancakes good.

In the middle of this feasting he got an emergency alert on his phone. Tornadoes possible in the next half hour.  There had already been a thunderstorm and hail which had abated. 

Soon after, sunshine and a rainbow. Peaceful and we continued with the tea and pancakes.

Lovely spontaneous afternoon, and a great fun couple of hours.

A few minutes ago I learned that a few miles away, many trees were brought down onto houses, live power lines everywhere, entire roads closed to traffic, first responders going door to door checking on residents. No injuries reported, thankfully, all school buses accounted for.

So I wonder if the threatened tornado touched down there while we were peacefully enjoying pancakes. Hoping everyone's nerves are calming now.

Would you like a puzzle before Lent is upon us? For a lot of us Lent's not a thing, though this year I'm thinking of marking the forty days in some way.  With some sort of continuing activity, yet to be decided, since I was a bit late thinking about it.

Anyway here, for no reason

Happy evening everyone, enjoy your puzzling,  Throw beads for Mardi gras, enjoy however you choose.

 

Embossing returns also Textiles and Tea, and pancakes

 I needed to make a few cards yesterday, since I never replied to any Christmas mail, so I assembled the doings for embossing.

Took ages to find the burnishers, hiding among other art materials. I always forget how small they are.

So here's how you do it

Plain cardstock over stencil held to window, just run the burnishers steadily around the edges of the cutouts. 

Card and matching envelope flap. Done. No artistic skill required. But it's very pleasing.

You can use a light box too, but I find the window in daytime easier. Also I've taught groups of kids, easy to have them spread out around classroom windows.

And they don't need fancy burnishers. A blunt knitting needle, even a pencil, if you don't mind pencil markings on the back. Kids usually don't, they're so excited about the embossing. Maybe this is one to show Kira, little nextdoor visiting grandchild, come to think of it.

Speaking of fun, here's a medieval scribe with a sense of humor

Yesterday's Textiles and Tea featured Chris Acton, an enthusiastic speaker whose delivery was so fast it was hard to follow, but she was lovely and she teaches online weavalongs. I had a bit of help in the chat function with some words, nice group.

 Happy day everyone! Enjoy making something, or thinking about it if that's your speed. I started my day with this

On the one hand, and then the other..

Handedness seems to be around. The other day I had an interesting dialog with Darrell Wakelam, that artist who makes wonderful works with young children. I'd noticed on his videos he cuts with one hand, draws with the other.  I don't think he'd mind if I share

The bottom one is mine. The top is his reply. Then Mary Anne brought up dominance in the comments.

So I thought it would be fun to explain what I did with adult drawing beginners to show them that handedness is fluid.

We established eye, ear, hand and foot dominance. If you're right dominant with all, chances are you're good in sports, especially those needing aim.

Anyway to find out, I ran these again yesterday to see what was what chez Boud.

Do these without thinking. 

Roll up a piece of paper like a telescope, immediately hold it to your eye to look through. You'll hold it to your dominant eye.

Even if the vision isn't as good in that eye, the brain will insist. Handsome Partner was very amused when he tried this and the paper went to his left, blind, eye!

Mine: right 

Which ear do you hold the phone to? Mine is left, even though my right ear hears better. 

Which hand do you throw and catch with? Write with? Draw with? Paint with?  Deal cards with? Thread a needle with? I throw and catch left, draw and paint with either, write right, deal left, which my father described as the card sharper's deal, thread left, stitch right.

Your best foot forward now. If you can. Stand up, take a step. Which foot went first? And start to climb a step, note which foot. I step up right, down left. 

This is just fun, not to be taken too solemnly. But a lot of people get a surprise when they realize they're more complicated than they thought. Then when I suggest they switch hands to draw, it doesn't seem as unlikely.

In fact a lot of people draw better with the non dominant hand because they're less set on the results. It's just here goes nothing, a relaxed frame of mind which is good for making art.

So I hope this has resulted in a lot of people testing their assumptions and letting us know how it goes.

Meanwhile food on top of the stove is going.

This unlikely combo is the start of a stock. It began to smell heavenly and I remembered putting the ginger peelings in the bag.

Then I made a cream of carrot, cashew, ginger soup with nutmeg.

And later, not being able to bake bread till the stove's fixed, tomorrow we hope,  I made pancakes, using the homemade butter.

The butter spreads easily, doesn't melt, but does mix very well in a batter. Really good fluffy pancakes. Lemon juice and sugar with.

Breakfast this morning, too,  when I get to it 

I finished the First Purple Sock before my arm started fussing about the booster. And before a few waves of shivering and self pity.

Hoping for better today. 

Happy day everyone.