So I can fit 100 eggs into a gallon bag. If they are dehydrated and powdered first! I follow the Dirty Gourmet’s instructions on dehydrating eggs, which works really well. Now to start a new bag and see if I can store enough to make it through the next molt and winter without buying eggs.
I have an ancient (probably vintage, possible antique, not ancient, but it has been handed down a few times) darning egg with a handle that sits in the bottom of my sewing box. I am making my youngest a new set of masks since she has grown and the old ones are getting a bit snug. She likes the gaiter style, but with a frame sewn in to make it easier to breathe. I use swim material because it dries quickly, and I double layer it. This time she requested material that was “pink and blue”, she is quite fond of the rainbow mermaid fabric I obtained! Because I didn’t want rainbow sparkles against her skin, I made the lining with plain blue fabric.
Here is where the darning egg comes in. Sewing the frame to the fabric is a bit tricky, but the smooth wooden tool fits nicely under the fabric and frame and makes it much easier to stitch. First I use the sewing machine with a jersey stitch to secure the top edge, then I hand sew in in the frame before machine sewing the bottom edge. I turn the mask right side out and sew the back seam.
Our meadow is bursting with Indian Blanket flowers, hurray! I love these colors and that they are doing so well, as some of the other wild flowers have put on a poor showing in competing with the grass.
Oh for crying in the mud. Sometimes, when following instructions and the product is just not coming out right, it is worth it to step back, walk away, and come back to it another day. That happened to me with the 8-strand plait bread. For my last loaf I abandoned the idea of eight strands and went with four. I tried again, this time armed first with eight strands of paracord. When step 6 says to repeat steps 2-5, but you repeat 1-5, things are bound to get wonky. With paracord (or any other rope), you can undo and try again much easier than with dough. After a few attempts, then some more practice, I was ready to give it a go in dough.
For my next attempt I think I need to stretch the strands out more at the beginning and as I go to get a longer, thinner loaf (more crust, yum!) I’m still following Paul Hollywood’s recipe.
I was sitting inside when the cats and dogs all perked up and were very interested in something outside. I left them all locked up and went to investigate. In the backyard I heard a couple thunks and a rattle, and then the rain spout suddenly started chattering at me!
Silly squirrel. Looking for the corn that wasn’t in the feeder (oops) and he slipped down the rain gutter. The problem is that I have a rain diverter on that particular stretch of gutter and it was plugged with leaves as well (which explains why my rain barrel is empty despite all our rain.) Here’s the video. Spoiler: the squirrel makes it out! As a bonus, the leaves are now cleaned out of my diverter.
