101 ways to cook sweet potato and other fun stuff

Yesterday was about peace through cooking, since I needed to calm down from the various excitements of the week.

I made the usual Big Batch of Yogurt, then addressed the sweet potatoes you saw in my Misfits box this week.

First up a sweet potato cranberry bread 

You see the texture is firmer than if I'd used bananas, and very good. I'll toast and butter a slice for breakfast. Several pieces went to Gary whose two grandchildren are with him this weekend. 

He and granddaughter K visited, and she accepted an artist portfolio to keep her own artwork in, with a box of sweet potato bread. 

Later she brought her brother over because I'd offered him an artist book too, which he picked out and thanked me with a hug. He towers over me now, at twelve.

Sister,  K, seized the chance to ask about another artist book of handmade paper and beads. I think it was the one she really wanted, but didn't like to ask for earlier! So it went with her, and this was the absolutely best form of winnowing. 

Back to sweet potatoes. I made mini tortillas from sweet potato and chickpea flour.  One medium sweet potato which you saw above in the bread setup, and a cup of chickpea flour, mixed, kneaded 

It rests like this for an hour, then I made it into a sort of log, cut it  into six pieces, rolled into balls, then slapped, old lady style, between my hands into flat mini tortilla shapes

Five are in the freezer, one cooked, see the nice blistering! 

And it went well with the butternut carrot spicy cream soup. The other 99 sweet potato ideas yet to come.

And today I spent a bit of time with this book you saw earlier 

It's a great survey of fashion, social expectations, and some surprising things.

Linda and Mary and I will appreciate this pedlar doll and her wares

Note the red cloak, country outdoor wear of all classes and ages of women in the regency period.

And remember the wet shirt Colin Firth scene in the best evah production of Pride and prejudice?

Okay, here is the style, made in linen with a muslin neck frill. Now here's the surprise, it's all made with rectangles! Like this 

Not at all the fiendish shaping I'd thought. This explains how most people with pretty ordinary practiced stitching skills, like Jane and Cassandra Austen, could routinely stitch shirts for male relatives. 

I did watch this wonderful movie, again, speaking of Colin Firth (!) who stars

I'm devoted to the book and try to get everyone to read it. And it's one of the few movies that truly understands and presents the novel. It's on YouTube. 

Meanwhile I did some weaving experiments, and here's a unit partly woven, partly manipulated, plus a handspun silk yarn weaving. I'll make more, and I think I'll weave wire into the yarn square.

This is learner stuff 

 

Hand in picture for size 

We'll see how this goes. It's such a good feeling to make things. 

This was a busier day than I'd realized! Oh, and you did get the Haggard Hawks puzzle?

FURLONG 

And I'll leave you with this 

Happy day, everyone, enjoy whatever your day's about.