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You are here: Home / Archives for crochet

Recipes and a Scarf

November 29, 2015 at 9:10 am by Claudia

11-28 geranium

My geranium is still chugging along. I took this photo yesterday and there are even more flowers today.

The impatiens might not have fared as well, since I forgot to cover them last night and the temp was below freezing. I’ve been ambivalent about overwintering them this year, so maybe this was meant to be. The truth is, I’m having a hard time and certain tasks or ideas or plans have lost their appeal. They seem to take too much energy. I know that will change in time, but for now, that’s the way it is.

As promised, the biscuit recipe:

Cloud Biscuits

2 cups flour
1 tsp. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. salt (I usually cut this amount in half. If you like salty biscuits, have at it.)
½ cup butter
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup milk

Cut butter into dry ingredients, until well chopped. Stir egg into milk and into dry ingredients. Place on floured board and knead until blended. Flatten out (but not too flat) until smooth, cut with cookie/biscuit cutter and place on oiled cookie sheet. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes.

A couple of tips: Baking time will vary. In my oven, 12 minutes seems to do the trick. And don’t make the mistake of flattening out the dough too much. I usually leave it at least a half-inch in depth, if not more. If you flatten it too much, the cloud biscuits won’t be quite as big and fluffy.

The link for the Stuffed Portobello Mushroom recipe is here.

And if you google Deirdre Imus and Crabbiless Crab Cakes, you’ll probably find that recipe. The reason I didn’t share it here is simple. The recipe is in a book we purchased – The Imus Ranch: Cooking for Kids and Cowboys – that is full of the vegetarian recipes Imus uses at the Imus Ranch, a ranch that is devoted to children who have cancer. Since the proceeds from the book go to the Imus Ranch, I do not feel right about publishing the recipe on this blog. The link for the book is here.

There you go. This is a rare recipe post from yours truly, so make a note on your calendar. It doesn’t happen very often.

New in the shop:

11-29 etsyscarflakeblog

The Obsession Scarf in Lake. It’s tricky to photograph, but the variations in the shades of blue and aqua are very subtle.

11-29 etsylakescarf3blog

It’s very pretty and is 74 inches long.

Update: Sold! Thank you! I’m listing another scarf in Wildberries later today, so keep your eye on the shop!

Happy Sunday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: crochet, etsy, recipe 37 Comments

Scarf Madness

November 28, 2015 at 9:17 am by Claudia

11-28 scarf on table

I’ve been non-stop crocheting. I have some orders to fill and also some new scarves to make for the shop.

I might go mad. Don might come home and see a crazy woman babbling “slip stitch, chain 6, turn, slip stitch into loop…” over and over again, perhaps with a cackling laugh added for dramatic effect.

I know I promised you a new scarf today. In fact, I listed the scarf right before I started this post, and it sold before I could write about it on the blog. Sue, you were fast! I may have to reverse the order in which I do this in the future! I’m going to post a photo of it anyway in case any of you are interested in special ordering one in this colorway.

11-28 etsystainedglassscarfblog

Obsession Scarf in Stained Glass.

I am happy to crochet special orders for you. I just have to order the yarn and list the scarf under Reserved for (fill in the blank.) Up until now, I’ve been waiting to list the scarf until I’ve finished it, but I think, in the future, that I will list it as I order the yarn and then ship when it’s completed. That way, I know what orders have to be filled and you know I’ve reserved one for you. So if you see one you’d like, let me know. Several people have done that already.

Or, you can be surprised when I list one in a new colorway and grab it then.

Fair warning: I won’t be making these indefinitely.

I got my new iPhone the other day! Huzzah! I had been using an iPhone 4, which is several years old. It was getting harder for me to read things on the screen and I use my phone often – especially when I’m on the road. As I was eligible for an upgrade, I upgraded to an iPhone 6. If I’m ready to upgrade, I never get the latest model, I wait until the newest version comes out and then I buy the now-discounted previous version. It’s a great way to save money.

11-28 iphones2

 

As you can see, there’s quite a difference in the size. (Those are Scout’s paws to the left. What can I say? It’s morning tunnel time.)

Anyway, I love it. The camera is much, much better. I can see the keyboard when I’m texting. I can see  photos on Instagram without squinting. Everything works more quickly and efficiently.

I just need a new case. So in the meantime, I’m being very careful  with it.

11-28 iphonescout

When choosing the wallpaper, there was never any question as to who would make the cut.

My girl.

(I’ll post the biscuit recipe tomorrow, as well as the link to the Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms.)

Happy Saturday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: crochet, etsy, iPhone 28 Comments

Dinner, A Present & A Scarf

November 27, 2015 at 9:00 am by Claudia

I hope my American readers had a lovely Thanksgiving. I know we did. We had a very quiet day. I did a lot of crocheting – new scarf in the shop and another one will be listed tomorrow – and Don took a trail walk. We did have a lovely dinner. We don’t do meat on Thanksgiving, or any other day for that matter, because I’m a longtime vegetarian. Don found a new recipe for Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms in the New York Times and he made it for our dinner.

Oh my heavens.

11-27 thanksgiving dinner

Unbelievably  good. Mouthwateringly good. And, may I say, much more tasty than any meat I can think of.

And I, of course, made my grandmother’s Cloud Biscuits.

11-27 biscuits

Fresh from the oven. These biscuits are one of my favorite things ever. Grandma made them, Mom made them, my niece makes them, I make them. Don drools over them, as do I.

I have a feeling they’re very close to traditional baking powder biscuits, but in my family they are Cloud Biscuits.

Pumpkin Pie for dessert. We were stuffed.

My main birthday present arrived on Wednesday. I found it on Etsy and Don thought it should be my birthday present. I, of course, agreed.

11-27 parrish

I had to have it.

The frame isn’t as beautiful as the one I saw locally, but I think the print itself is bigger.

There was only one problem. It arrived with the glass broken.

I was very unhappy.

The nice lady who is selling part of her Parrish collection did not do a good job of packing it. No bubble wrap. Just protective cardboard corners on the frame. And nothing between that and the top of the box. I wrote her immediately and she’s going to send me money to replace the glass, but come on! I now have to find someone to cut the glass and carefully pry off the vintage backing – probably from around 1910.

I’m sure you won’t be shocked when I say I’m pissed off.  So is Don.

She felt very badly about it and said she uses the same company all the time and this has never happened. They were supposed to mark it as Fragile.

Not one indication on the box that the package was fragile.

I had to take it out on the porch, put it on a towel, and carefully take the broken glass out of the frame.

The seller is a sweet lady and has the same passion for Parrish that I have, but I told her she has to pack things more securely in the future, or this will happen again.

Sigh.

In spite of all the drama, I’m thrilled to have my own original print of Dinkey Bird. It’s stunningly beautiful.

But it has no protection at the moment, so I’ve put it somewhere out of the way.

New in the Etsy shop:

11-27 etsyscarfgrapevineblog

Obsession Scarf in Grapevine. I really, really love this one. The colors are so lovely. It’s available here.

Update: It sold almost immediately! Another one tomorrow, I promise. Keep watching for updates.

I’ll be listing another scarf tomorrow. I’m also crocheting some special orders, so these hands are busy.

Happy Friday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Filed Under: crochet, etsy, Maxfield Parrish, Thanksgiving 33 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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