When you bark like a dog, but identify with cats.
Dog identity crisis
Crescent rolls
Next on the list of things to bake with Heritage Wheat was crescent rolls. I missed these holiday staples during the 17 years of gluten exile! I tried a recipe from the internet (I should know better by now, but it had good ratings, and the reviews didn’t change the recipe, but alas), they were horrible. The whole lot went in the trash bin. The next day, after some research and soul searching, I selected a milk bread recipe from Paul Hollywood’s 100 Great Breads book. Rather than forming the loaves as in the recipe, I divided the dough in two, rolled each half into a thin circle, spread the circle with butter, and used a pizza cutter to make 12 slices. I then rolled each slice from the thick end to the tip, tucked the tip under, and placed it on parchment paper for the second proof. I baked per the recipe, and the rolls came out wonderfully! My family agreed, as the batch didn’t last long.
Binding the binder
Poster board, duct tape, webbing straps, elastic, thread, and command strips. These are the supplies that went into a new music holder on the side of my youngest’s coronet case. The previous pouch secured with command strips was fine for a music book and a couple loose sheets, but couldn’t hold up to the pressure of a binder. The poor binder hung out in the backpack, lost and forlorn during band practice. To reunite music and instrument, I built a new pouch on the side of the case out of odds and ends from around the house. The bottom of the poster board folder is secured with a strip of pink webbing, looped around the lid, sewn together at the ends, then duct taped inside the folder. The top utilizes wide elastic so it has some give and grip, also sewn together, then duct taped to the outside of the poster board. A couple more pieces of duct tape make guards to keep the binder from sliding sideways, and the command strips now have a minimal job of keeping the whole unit from sagging down the case an inch. The previous command strips removed easily from the case, and they way the new holder is constructed should leave no damage to the case when removed.
Deer lights
I have been wanting to make a deer holiday statue for many, many years. I have sketches and half-done plans on bits of paper here and there, but during the holidays time is eaten by the busy monster. So this year I broke down and bought one. My husband set it up in the meadow and we plugged it into the outlet he conveniently put on the outside wall of the coop. I love seeing it standing there against the backdrop of the woods!
We unplugged it for our rain storm, but I worried that I might miss a midnight sprinkle, so when I plugged it back in, I rigged an old plastic food container to offer some protection from the rain. I cut slits in two sides of the base, then snipped out holes at the ends of the slits. Once the cords are in place, putting the lid back on keeps everything together.
Maybe someday he’ll have a homemade buddy, but until then, I’m glad he’s standing guard.
Molded cranberry jelly
Well this was fun, I didn’t realize how easy it is to make a cranberry jelly mold. I took a 12 oz package of fresh cranberries, one cup of water, and one cup of sugar, brought it to a boil and cooked it until the cranberries popped. (I did help a few along by pressing them against the side of the pan. It scratches the same itch as popping bubble wrap.) While it was hot, I strained out the hulls, then cooked the liquid some more. I tested periodically by dropping a bit on a cold plate to see if it gelled. Cranberries have enough pectin on their own that I didn’t need to add any thing else (here is an interesting article on that). When a drop gelled, I poured the liquid into silicone rose tea cake molds and put them in the fridge. To get the jelly out, I ran the back of the mold under hot water for a few seconds, until the sides released. I think they turned out quite pretty! I realize that cranberry jelly is not everyone’s favorite thing, but I quite like it. It goes well with ham, and cornbread, and surprisingly, gingerbread.
