Author: Caryn

Cookie fail

On By CarynIn Uncategorized

I wanted to make cookies and my youngest wanted to make brownies, so we went looking for a brownie cookie recipe (the cookie brownie recipe will be for another day.) We found a recipe that called for piping the dough onto the cookie sheet to make perfect circles, which seemed intriguing. It was a fail. The cookies did not spread into perfect circles, but stayed in their piped form.

Photo description: brown cooked dough in piped spirals that look more like poop emojis than cookies

I think that I didn’t whip the sugar and egg together well enough. The “cookie” was grainy. They also didn’t taste all that great. Back to the drawing board.

Melon party

On By CarynIn chickens

We made a melon ball fruit salad, which leaves a good amount of melon still stuck to the rinds. We took the emptied melon halves out to the chickens.

Photo description: three Faverolle hens and one Black Star hen investigating three different melon species in rinds: honey dew, cantaloupe, and watermelon

The hens were immediately interested, and when I went back the next day, the rinds were completely cleaned out.

Photo description: three empty melon rinds on the ground

Passion surprise

On By CarynIn Flora

I was surprised to see a large splash of purple outside, and even more surprised that it was a couple of passion flowers blooming from a vine I thought was dead.

Photo description: purple Passion flowers blooming on a steel fence

While guiding the questing vines in a direction I wanted them to go, I also saw a Gulf Fritillary caterpillar.

Photo description: Gulf Fritillary caterpillar eating a passion vine leaf

Passion vines are host plants for butterflies, and my vines don’t usually grow faster than they are eaten.

Coaster performance update

On By CarynIn Craft

I sent my Dad four reed coasters for Father’s Day. He sent back data on preferences for hot and cold drinks.

Photo description: from left to right, #2 round reed with braided edge, reed and hemp string with braided edge, reed with tucked loop edge, reed and plied hemp string with braided edge

Dad reports that his favorite coasters for hot drinks are ranked left to right, and for cold drinks, right to left. The shades of orange coaster on the right made with several plies of hemp string absorbs the most condensation, so is best for cold drinks with condensation.

Throwback Thursday: Irish crochet

On By CarynIn Craft

In January of 2015 I was examining the construction techniques of Irish crochet, a type of free form lace that has a rich texture.

Photo description: two crocheted circles, one without padding (left), one with padding (right)

Padding in crochet is carrying a thicker cord, or multiple cords, along inside the crocheted stitches. The padding cord also gives more control of the shape of the crochet because it can be pulled tighter and lock in curves.