Sunday Happy

I woke up this morning with a very vvid recollection of the dream I was having. In it I was the inventor of a thing called The Fire Stick, which essentially was a fishing pole with fire on the end that you stick in water( know, it makes no sense ) and it somehow propels you around. In the dream, I was using my Fire Stick to cruise down a river on a makeshift raft because I was fleeing something and I needed to leave by water.  Thats it, but I know in my dream I was damn proud of my Fire Stick. Dream me is very strange and scares me a little. 

The mr and I have no big projects going on right now so he is doing a bunch of side work and I am doing little things around the house plus trying to get through the taxes (I am procarsinationg so hard) I am getting a touch of cabin/spring cleaning fever and am starting to think about running away or  repainting all the walls... which is crazy because  it hasn't been more then a year since I last painted. So I guess that leaves running away. Ha.  What I really need to do is build a shit ton of shelves and reorganize the closets, but that takes measuring and buying wood and power tools and the mr so it will have to wait. ( I have to sweet talk him into having a shelf making day with me.. I would do it alone, but it will be much easier and nicer if he helps) And the running away part, well we are working on that part too. 

Other then my crazy, the week has been pretty good. The mr got me another new power tool (I am returning the scroll saw in favor of band saw) The back porch has unofficially turned into a wood carving studio. And not just for me, the mr is really into wood carving right now too. We even braved negative temperatures to walk around on the beach to find cool pieces of drift wood to make spoons out of. (he gets pretty jazzed about stuff and there is not stopping him) Before that freezing  cold returned there was a day where we were able to walk the wold without jackets and that was the day we took Shannon out for a walk. That lady just got a new hip and already she is walking better then I can. Maybe I will get myself a new hip too. Or new knees. I could be unstoppable. 

 Qui came over for a vegan banana bread baking how to, which got me thinking that  I should start teaching vegan baking.  Then Barb came over for chili and a dance party party, and  then we had the little over for a sleep over and all around house trashing. I don't know how they do it, but those littles  make the biggest mess out of nothing. And they are sticky and gross and even surface needs to be wipes after they leave. 

We did treat ourselves to a little culture and went to the Shelburne Museum to check out the Sweet Tooth art exhibit. It was cool, but not exactly what I was expecting.  It was only a small room with a handful of pieces and I wanted more, and bigger and more, like the giant ring pops. Those were cool. I want a room full of giant candy, but no candy wrappers. The wrappers freak me out. But the next exhibit I am really interested in seeing too. It's a puppet exhibit and that's got be be some kind of fantastic. 

Are you super bowling today? Yesterday the mr and I ran into the grocery store and it was packed with people, with shopping carts all full of chips and beer and garbage food. It was kind of crazy. We figured it was all for the football game. Then we started to blame everything that was annoying on the football game. It's nice to have a reason for it all.  This football game day thing always makes me feel like it is a holiday that I am not celebrating and I am ok with that.

So no football here today, just keeping it easy, maybe getting out into some woods at some point then maybe some reading or Netflixing some Grace and Franky.  Keeping it low on this non holiday day. People be crazy and I want to stay away from them. Plus I have the Fire Stick to think about. Haha.

Stuff from the internet that I read this week. 

-The 'IKEA Effect' — And Getting Kids To Eat Their Veggies. Eat what you make and be proud of it, veggies and all. 

-Things we should all know. Why Dogs Have Floppy Ears: An Animated Tale

-It’s Reportedly Becoming ‘Normal’ to See Whole Foods Employees Cry at Work. I think I cried a little when I worked at Heathy Living. 

-I have had a conversation with the littles  about what shape carrot tastes better (when they are cut into chips) Does Chopping Change Your Vegetables? 

-Interesting planned, one that I think humans should leave alone. It's enough to destroy one plant, lets stay away from the others.  Pictures of Mars

-The Many Questions We Have About These Cookbook Covers. When I saw this, all I could think was douche bags. If anyone came up behind me while I was chopping anything, well there might be a unintentional stabbing. 

-I don't know if I ever will do this, but I really like the idea. HOW TO MAKE A LARGE SCALE (PATCHWORK) DIY RUG

-This is no Why Procrastination is Good for You

-What to Do When You Worry Yourself Awake.  Do your worrying during the day. 

-Axe-Throwing Bars: Why Mixing Weapons And Beer Is Surprisingly Good Business. But is it? Got to keep the hipsters happy. I guess it is kind of like really big darts, which I could totally get behind, but there is some real potential for some crazy shit to happen. 

Pictures from the week. 

Have a good weekend.

-C

Plum Cake

This summer I have gotten like 5 lbs of blackberries, a humongo bowl of raspberries, so so so many pears, and lots of random veggies, all from my neighbors and their gardens We live in a very giving and generous neighborhood. And it helps that they can't possible eat all that they grow and that I am always willing to take it off their hands (and put it into my mouth) In return we have given out rhubarb and jars of honey and overall charm and smiles. (the charm and smiles are on the mr to give out)

The other day on a walk, the mr and I saw this sign outside of a neighbors house. Plums, please take some! Well pull my arm, I guess I will have too, because the sign said please right? Anyway, these little plums, not sure what kind they are, but they are so good. Sweet and bite sized and pretty. I ate a few then decided that I needed to share my shared plums and went about making a cake to stick those said share plums into.

I made the cake, invited my mom and a couple of sibs over. Mom didn't come but Barb and Paul did so they got the cake, Well they got half the cake, the mr ate the rest. I was told that this cake is one of the best. I bet it is when you used share plums because sharing is caring and sharing cake is all that good stuff.

The stuff. A bowl with flour, baking soda baking powder, and slat. Then you have brown sugar, coconut oil. vanilla extract, soy milk, and a little apple cider vinegar. And plums of course.

Once you have started preheating the oven, cut your plums in half and remove the pit.The best way to do this is to run the knife along the pit all the way around the plum and then twist to break in half. Pop the pit out with you finger.

Set plums aside while mixing cake

Warmed coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla all get mixed together into a smooth consistency then dumped into the bowl of dry stuff.

Soy milk and vinegar get added and mixed in.

Cake batter ready to go.

Batter gets poured into a very well greased cake pan and the plums get placed, cut side down,right on top. A sprinkle of sugar to top it off is not a bad idea.

Into the oven it goes to turn to cake!

Pulled from the oven looking so nice. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before taking it out. Hot cake is hard to handle!

And as soon as you get it out of the pan you can start eating.

Enjoy the last bits of summer. Share if you can!

-C

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Plum Cake

Makes a 12 inch cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking sods
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup coconut oil (warmed so it's liquid)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 12-14 small plums (the plums I used where golf ball sized so you might need less for larger plums)
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

Preheat oven to 350

Start by slicing the plums in half and removing the pits. Set them aside. Hint. for slicing, the best way to do this is to run the knife along the pit all the way around the plum and then twist the plum in half. Pop the pit out with you finger or spoon.

In a large bowl, whisk together the salt baking soda and powder, and salt . In a smaller bowl mix together the coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the wet into the dry and add in half the milk, mix together, then the rest of the milk and apple cider vinegar. Mix until all incorporated and smooth.

Pour batter into a well greased 12 inch round cake pan.  (If you don't have that a 9x9 square pan will work) Smooth out the top then grab your sliced plums and stick them, cut side down, on top. Give each plum a little push into the batter so it half submerged. Sprinkle the top with white sugar and pop into the oven

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a fork or toothpick stuck int he middle comes out clean.

Remove and let cool completely in cake pan, it's easier to remove the cake when it is not hot.
And once it's cool, remove cake gently and ta-da. Cake time

Sunday Happy

This is the golden time of the summer. Warm days, cooler nights. It's still summer but fall is so close that sometimes you can almost feel it, like in the morning when it's chilly enough for a sweater or see it when you notice a few tips of trees turning colors. It's the best and I am eating it all up.  Plus I am really excited for apple soon. Early macs should be on there way and I am craving me some apple stuff.

The week has been a little foggy very much productive. Foggy because my allergies have taken hold of my brain making me cranky and at some points unable to hold a single though. Productive because well we got so much done. See the porch(picture above) It's freaking amazing. The mr is so so good. (he did most of it)  And I am not the only one to think it. Every day that we are outside working on it, at least 5 old ladies have to stop and tell him how amazing he is. I think a few of them might have a little crush (hehe) So porch is built and painted and the sealant is drying out now, the rest of the house is painted, all the siding is finishes,  and it's pretty much done out there besides a few little things and landscaping. It's crazy, I didn't think it was ever going to happen. But it did and now on to the last big house project...The downstairs bathroom. Saving it for last because we have been using it as the dirty paint sink and litter box room (need to figure out a new spot for that) but now it's time and back to the fixations of a bathroom remodel.  I am on the hunt for a very specific, never to been seen in real life, cast iron corner shower base. I have seen a few pictures, but not many and I even had found one for sale but it was (was because they sold it) 4 hours away and we thought we could wait to buy it. Lesson learned on that one. We even took a trip to a few salvage yards and come up with nothing. So if you by chance have something like that, let me know. I need it to be happy.

Today is going to involve a bit of cleaning and organizing and bean picking? I have been slacking on my farm share pyo (it's beans and flowers right now) because the garden in the back yard has been keeping me plenty busy picking out there. The tomato plants alone are a freaking jungle with a thousand pounds of fruit that is going to need to be picked this week. I am going to have tomatoes all winter long. So yeah, go to farm, maybe library, clip my nails, just take it easy. You know, do the Sunday thing.

Internet reads from the wee.

-These Are the Foods Climate Change Will, Well, *Change*

-Don't just stare up at the sun, it will be bad. Planning To Watch The Eclipse? Here's What You Need To Protect Your Eyes

-Bring back the swing set so I can play on it. A Short-Lived Swing Set Makes a Splash in Burlington's South End

-It’s Officially Too Goddamn Early for Pumpkin Spice. I completely agree. Also to freaking early for all the Halloween candy on display at the grocery store. IT'S NOT EVEN FALL YET!

-I would like to think I would be fine with this but I am not so sure. I guess I need to try it to see .World’s longest suspension footbridge opens in Switzerland

-I would so buy it if I lived in Sweden, and had the money. This Gorgeous Greenhouse in Sweden is For Sale

-Why You Should Slurp, Not Sip, Your Soup. I am a slurper

-Why Newborn Babies Smell So Delicious. I hear it all the time from people around babies. What does it mean that I never find newborns to smell all that pleasant?

-Do you watch the GBBO? If yes, you gonna watch the new season? After seeing this, I am for sure. I mean, biscuits barfing up jam.... The New Great British Bake Off Trailer: Is It Saccharine? Creepy? A Surrealist Stop-motion Extravaganza?

-Vibrant Mushroom Arrangements

A few pictures from the week.

Bye

-C

Sunday Happy

Happy May! I love this month. It gets all warm (hopefully), flowers blooming, green trees and I am yet to get to super hot and cranks. Plus it's garden time!!!! Just a few more days and the 6 cubic yards of dirt are being dumped off at our house to fill up our raised beds and it's go time. All more poor seedlings are are the verge of not being good. They need to get into soil asap.

The past week has come and gone so fast. Rainy days or to cold temps have kept us from doing a lot of the outside work that we have been needing to do. (Can't paint in the rain) Fortunately there has been plenty of others things to do so we have been keeping pretty busy. Even with all the rain we have had, we did manage a good afternoon of firing up the big blow torch and shou sugi ban-ing. We finished making our raised beds, I carved a spoon (only cut myself twice) and got rid of the 5 extra cast iron radiators that have been in the back yard for a year. Also the back sun porch got a a floor to ceiling paint job and now we are waiting for it all to dry.  Busy as always, but it's been good to see so much get done.

Sunday doings. The back porch should be dry by today so I am hoping that I can spend some of the day. setting it up with comfy seating and then take a afternoon nap back there. Anything else we are doing today is kind of a wait and see deal...It all depends on the weather.

What I read on the internet that might be of some interest to you.

-The birds are crazy around our house, chirping away all day, all night. It's pretty fantastic. I think I might be turning into a birder. This helps. Guide to North American Birds

- I hope this doesn't happen to me. Why Taste Buds Dull As We Age.

-Buildings and Stars Cut into Blackout Curtains..... These are so cool.

-This happened. A Man Ordered an Airline’s Gluten-Free ‘Meal’ — and Got a Single Banana With a Knife and Fork.

-Do you ever talk to yourself? I do. It's usually me reciting lists of things I need to do or swearing lots of swears to make me feel better. (swearing out load, even to yourself when you are made will make you feel better) The Perks of Talking to Yourself

-If you are awake at night. Spring Meteor Shower and 6 More Sky Events in May

-THIS IS HOW MAPLE SYRUP GETS MADE, AND WHAT THE NEW GRADING SYSTEM MEANS

-I like blue. Crayola Gives The People What They Want: A New Blue Crayon

-This alone makes me want to go back to Copenhagen. Friendly Giants Built From Recycled Wood Hidden in the Forests of Copenhagen

-I hope we spend some good time in the Vt State Parks this summer. Can't wait for camping!

Pictures from the week

Have a great day!

-C

Sunday Happy

I know we are losing an hour of life today, but I am really excited about daylight savings (it's today if you forgot so set you clocks forward) It just makes the world seem, well, brighter, but also signals the start of spring and all the good things that come with it, like green stuff, and warmer weather. I can't wait until we get some warm weather again. I need it bad. The cabin fever is setting in.

The week stared out with a bang. A water leak in the pantry that sent me into a nervous breakdown (don't worry, it was a stupid bathtub mistake) a slip and fall hard on my ass,  pulling out the sewing machine only to found out it was broken and spent like 2 hours taking it apart an trying to fix it (I somewhat fixed it). Then I left my shoes next to my locker at the gym and someone ended up throwing them into the trash. (ok, I get that they might look like garbage, but really?)  The mr has been dealing with faulty heater at one of the apartments all week so he has been a stress case too.  But it wasn't all bad. Things did get accomplished, we saw just about everyone in my family at least once, and found a couple cool light fixtures for the house. We will call this week a draw.

Today calls for lots of coffee, a book, a blanket, and a nap. I want to try to take it easy today. I hope the same for you too.

Interesting internet from the week.

-Don't complain about the price of cashews. The Way Cashews Grow Is Mildly Shocking If You’ve Never Seen It Before

-Maybe You, Too, Could Become A Super Memorizer. But me, probably not.

-I looked up when the new season of Broad City is. Found this. Abbi and Ilana freak out about Trump in new Broad City promo. Gold.

-Planning some new adventures for summer.

-Total solar eclipse and The Path Through the United States. Planning on being in it somewhere

-The Earth Has Oceans And Continents: How Weird Is That?. It is kinda weird.

-My pots get used daily and are stained as f*ck. Why Enameled Cast Iron Discolors (& How to Fix It)

-What Kind of Sleeper Are You? I am strong morning.

-All of our rooms are white and bright, but I wonder. Really digging the dark.

-Getting ready for seeds this week. PLANTING DATES CALCULATOR

A few pictures..... It was one of those weeks that I didn't grab for my camera much.

Have a great day

-C