It's been a wee bit nippy here. Starting with the ice storm shortly before Christmas and continuing on practically non-stop since then it's been... more like the winters I was used to than the ones we've been having lately.
Thursday, 30 January 2014
Frozen
It's been a wee bit nippy here. Starting with the ice storm shortly before Christmas and continuing on practically non-stop since then it's been... more like the winters I was used to than the ones we've been having lately.
Thursday, 23 January 2014
Sustainably challenged
...and I mean that in the literal sense.
This is a fly-by post, because I've got a tonne of posts in draft form but I've been deep in marking joy because I am determined that this year I will not be stressing out the weekend before marks are due because my marking will be mostly done well before then. Which means I'm stressing out now. Naturally.
Anyway, this is to formally announce that I'm participating in the Sew For a Change challenge, put on by Sew Sew Sew Your Boat and Oh My Green Darling. Last year I quietly tried to avoid buying any new clothes unless I couldn't make them myself, and I was successful, but my budget seemed to go into shoes and fabric and wool and jewellery supplies instead. So I think I need a way to focus my spending.
Enter...
Starting February 1, you get 75 points for the year. There are monthly challenges to add extra points -- February's theme is Decluttering, which is so perfect for me right now I'm a little concerned Alexandra and Malin have been looking sternly at my apartment. I'm really hoping that the challenge leans towards paper, is all I'm saying.
The nice thing about this challenge is you can take part even if you don't sew or knit/crochet/tat/whatever. There is a handy points card and score chart, and you know how I love a good score chart.
ETA: I am going to include jewellery in this list. I'm thinking 10 points per bought piece and 3 points per supply, which could include a length of silver wire, a packet of beads, a length of stone. I think this keeps it in line with the point chart from a sustainability point of view. I would probably give more for gold than silver, but gold and I are not terribly friendly, so I'll let it go.
It begins in 8 days. Bring it.
This is a fly-by post, because I've got a tonne of posts in draft form but I've been deep in marking joy because I am determined that this year I will not be stressing out the weekend before marks are due because my marking will be mostly done well before then. Which means I'm stressing out now. Naturally.
Anyway, this is to formally announce that I'm participating in the Sew For a Change challenge, put on by Sew Sew Sew Your Boat and Oh My Green Darling. Last year I quietly tried to avoid buying any new clothes unless I couldn't make them myself, and I was successful, but my budget seemed to go into shoes and fabric and wool and jewellery supplies instead. So I think I need a way to focus my spending.
Enter...
Starting February 1, you get 75 points for the year. There are monthly challenges to add extra points -- February's theme is Decluttering, which is so perfect for me right now I'm a little concerned Alexandra and Malin have been looking sternly at my apartment. I'm really hoping that the challenge leans towards paper, is all I'm saying.
The nice thing about this challenge is you can take part even if you don't sew or knit/crochet/tat/whatever. There is a handy points card and score chart, and you know how I love a good score chart.
ETA: I am going to include jewellery in this list. I'm thinking 10 points per bought piece and 3 points per supply, which could include a length of silver wire, a packet of beads, a length of stone. I think this keeps it in line with the point chart from a sustainability point of view. I would probably give more for gold than silver, but gold and I are not terribly friendly, so I'll let it go.
It begins in 8 days. Bring it.
Saturday, 4 January 2014
Pancake of the month: Chai Vanilla
Anyway. I have decreed that it's not really January until I go back to school on Monday, which is why this is December's Pancake of the Month. I tried making chai pancakes a few years ago, using brewed chai instead of milk. Didn't really work, so I let Google suggest this recipe from Not Your Momma's Cookie. I served them with maple syrup instead of the custard sauce (note that NYMC files it under breakfast sweets!).
The result?
Very tasty; they taste nicely like chai tea, and honestly I'm pretty sure I'll like anything with cardamom. The pancakes are reasonably fluffy and quite pretty with the visible spices, but I only got 10 3/4 at 1/4 c. scoops where the recipe says 12. Adding more buttermilk would probably fix that.
On a final note, my maple syrup bottle has been growing some really beautiful sugar crystals in the bottom. At least, I hope they're sugar crystals...
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