Sunday Happy

How are you doing? You good? You taking all the care you need to with yourself and other? Good good. Keep positive, wash the hands, and think about the fun things one can do will maybe being stuck in one spot for 2 weeks or so.

Which then leads me to think about all the babies that are going to be born in 9-10 months from now.This would be a great time for you to learn to knit a baby blanket or something…And that is where my mine goes. Hehehe.

So yeah, this week has been a week for sure. Nothing really feels normal at the moment which is a hard feeling to processes. The mr and I are still doing the things we need to do, but with caution and know that at any minute, things could change. But that is life in the great scheme of things so we do and we live and that is that.

At the beginning of the week I did manage to go for a lovely walk with Megan and Barb, which I think for the next few weeks at the very least, is going be our mode of interaction. We also managed to get to my moms for a dinner and some good trash talk with the boys. Then on Tuesday morning, I had just got home from a very nice walk with the mr and clumsy me, I opened a desk drawer a little to forcefully and pulled it completely out. It dropped on my foot and everything fell out. No big right? Well after I picked up the contents of the drawer I was left with a giant puddle of blood. The drawer hit my toe so hard it ripped my nail completely out of the toe and split the toe in half. A toe disaster if ever there was one. And me being me, decided no doctors (I probably should have gotten stitched). Needless to say, me and my foot were in a bad place. I couldn't walk and it fucking hurt like crazy. So yeah, that really screwed up my weeks well but it’s doing all right now. I am walking, I am doing normal stuff, just keeping a close eye on my bandaged toe and hope that it doesn’t fall off.

Other then that, I did work at the studio and managed to move over a thousand pounds of clay. I did a little grocery shopping (that was madness and pissed me off. No flour anywhere. So if you are a person that bought flour that usually doesn’t, good for you. I am excited for you that you are planning on baking. But please don’t be an asshole and not use it to only toss it in a a few months. Make sure to USE IT!), and we stopped in on the littles to suck in there youthful happiness. I did end up at Costco this weekend at opening time. That was something. The line out the door alone freaked me out. But I was lucky. Got in, got my flour, and got out. I was hearing of talk from fellow shoppers of how much toilet paper they could fit into there cars and it seemed like people were starting to get toilet paper crazy. I was worries a t.p. riot was about to happen. But what I want to know is how much freaking toilet paper do people really need anyway? Are they building bunkers out of it? I mean you can’t eat it or do much of anything other then wipe your ass with it. But apparently when shit starts to hit the fan, people want to clean the shit up with something and toilet paper certainly does clean up shit. HAHAHA, I am so funny.

So yeah, crazy times. I have just been trying to stay put as much as possible which is easier then you think when for a good chunk of the week I could barely walk. And honestly, the social distancing thing, well I have been living this life for a long time now. I am very, VERY, good at social distancing. Not that a pandemic is anyway shape or form good, I do love the excuse to not have to talk to anyone or get close to anyone, or be social at ll. Stay the fuck away! But that’s my normal so this is working for me. HAHA!

And now it is Sunday. A day to decompress. l I think the mr and I are going to pack up a lunch and go find an easy hike in some woods. I can walk well enough, it’s been gorgeous out and the woods, they be calling to me. And then I need to run to the library because while everyone is talking about all the binge watching they are doing right now, I am just super happy to read my ass off. I see days ahead, me sitting on the front porch with a big cozy sweater, humongous cup of hot beverage, book in hand, feeling the spring air on my face.

I am really too good at this.

Stay healthy and responsible friends!

Internet from the week.

-These are very good rules. The Etiquette Rules of Coronavirus Grocery Shopping: Be a Good Person and Follow These!

-Covid-19 Fears Shouldn't Trash Your Zero Waste Efforts, I worry people will say fuck it and go all crazy being wasteful for the foreseeable future. Lets not do that ok.

-I definitely bake when I am stressed. Good thing I keep a pretty decent stock of ingredients on hand, just in case I need to bake 14 days of cakes, breads, and cookies. Quarantine Baking in Times of Crisis

-Impacts of Technology During Mealtime. One of the top arguments of every person I know.

-What would happen if the world reacted to climate change like it’s reacting to the coronavirus? Seriously. Why aren’t we freaking completely the fuck out about global warming?

-Oh how I wish I had a cabin in the woods right now. This All-White A-Frame Cabin Mixes Rustic and Scandi-Modern, and It’s Dreamy

-Bread goals. Twisting Vines and Leafy Botanics Carved into Crusty Breads by Blondie + Rye

-Speaking of bread. Introduction to tangzhong. On my list of things to try these next few weeks.

-Dolly Parton Wants to Recreate Her Famous Playboy Cover Four Decades Later. You do you lady.

-Do you use vegan butter? We Tasted 10 Vegan Butters in the Name of Science

Pictures from the week

Sunday Happy

Welp, we had a few days of winter. But all that nice pretty snow, well it’s basically all gone again due to all the freaking RAIN. Honestly, what the real fuck. I am starting to think that we won’t have any real winter this year and I am made as hell about it. And no I don’t want to hear it, that you like the warmer days and all that. It is winter, in Vermont, so it it suppose to be snowy and cold. GRRRRRRRRR. (Rant over)

The week came and went with the usual and such. The mr and I went snow shoeing one afternoon, built new shelves on the wall in the living room, and started talking about a time we need to talk about tax stuff. Blah. I also turned a year older, spent a good amount of time working on my pottery that will be up for sale soon (heart mugs are looking good!), picked up farm share, worked at the studio, and did this and that and what have you.

Then the past few days have been kind of crap with me having some sort of head thing. My head feels like an overinflated ballon that is full of jelly and is wrapped in rubber bands. Not exactly sick but not exactly not sick either. And me being me, and as the mr pointed out, when I feel under the weather I tend to feel guilty and push myself to do stuff which is the exact opposite of what I tell everyone else to do when they feel like crap. Not really the best approach to getting better. So I think I really need to work on being ok with feeling like shit and doing nothing and not trying to clean out the basement. HA

Today the mr and I have a good amount of chores to do so that is the plan for the day. I still, as of now, am feeling like real shit so I am going take it easy while running around. And at least with chores comes coffee and no matter how crappy I feel, I won’t complain about coffee.

Links into the world wide web.

-When I am tired for no reason it is most definitely stressed induced. What Kind of Tired Are You?

-I feraking love this. Use ‘Roadside Wildflowers at Full Speed’ to Identify Plants Without Leaving Your Car

Before You Buy a Persimmon, Remember This. I have yet to buy one this year. Maybe today I will seek one out

-THE SUBVERSIVE JOY OF COLD-WATER SWIMMING. I think if I swam, I would be really into this.

-A long read about worms and why they are not as great as people think they are. Cancel Earthworms.

-What Percentage of the Human Brain Is Used? I don’t know about your brain, but I am pretty sure I use a lot more then 10% If I had to guess, probably around 70%. 80% on a good day. Ha

-Super into this house. Look Inside: This Bright Red ‘70s Ski House Is on the Market  

-Winter actiivnites and all the places to camp this time of year. Vermont State Parks Winter Activities.

-Whwnever I hear about anything that ws said by anyone from “GOOP”, I instantly think “bullshit” especially when it comes to anything vagina related. 'The Goop Lab' Is Just 'Jackass' for Girls

-Secondhand screen time may be just as dangerous as secondhand smoking. No shit. I see it all the time.

Pictures from the week.

-C

Cherry Oat Muffins

I recently found my old cast iron muffin pan hiding in the basement over at the loft. I totally forgot I had it and was very much happy to find it not covered in rust and still looking all nice and basically ready for use. Not even the seasoning and non stickness that I worked hard to produce on it was messed up, which is amazing because I also found another cast iron pan that I left down there and it did not fair as well. It had a little rust and was grimy. Fine by me, I didn’t even want that pan anyway.

And that is basically why I made muffins. Because I wanted to use my muffin pan again.

These muffins. First off, muffins are muffins and are not meant to be a pain in the ass to make. This muffins are not, unless you think pitting cherries is a pain. For that I am sorry, but that is a small price to pay for a tasty ass muffin situation. Secondly, these muffins are well worth the tiny effort it takes to pit cherries because you end up with cherry muffins, and that alone should be enough of a reason. And the fact that they are damn tasty. The mr, who eats everything but never says too much about whatever is going into his mouth, texted me at 630 in the morning while I was at the gym just to tell me how amazing he thought they were….

Amazing at 630 am. That’a validation.

Now go get yourself some cherries and make some muffins. And it is ok if you don’t have a super sweet cast iron muffin pan. Most don’t. But you are still cool, don’t worry.

To the muffins!

The stuff. In the bowl is flour, rolled oats, baking soda and powder, salt and cinnamon. Also have cherries, brown sugar, almond milk, canola oil, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and a lemon.

Hardest part of the whole shebang… pitting the cherries. Not my favorite thing to do, but definitely not the worst.

Do it any way you see fit, but I just cut them in half and kind of wedge the pit out with my thumb.

Once all the pits are removed, chop those sherries up into small pieces.

Then make the batter. Mix the dry together with the sugar and the zest of the lemon. Just make sure there are not huge clumps of the sugar in the mixture. Then add in all the wet and gently mix until combined. And then fold in the cherries.

So purty.

Fill up well grease muffin pans with the batter then sprinkle a little brown sugar and a few oats on top.

Pop those soon to be muffins into a hot oven.

Baked for your pleasure.

Remove the muffins from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Cherry oat muffins. You are good.

-C

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Cherry Oat Muffins

makes 11-12 muffins

• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

• 2/3 cup of old fashion rolled oats (plus 2 tablespoons to sprinkle tops with)

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup brown sugar (plus 2 tablespoons to sprinkle tops with)

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• A lemon (juice and zest)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 cup plant based milk

• 1/3 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 350

First thing first, remove steams and pits from cherries. Do it any way that you want, but I find just cutting them in half and kind of popping the pit out with my thumb works best for me. Anyway, once the pits are remove, chop cherries up into small pieces.

Place flour, oats, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, and zest of lemon into a big bowl. Mix together until completely incorporated. Make sure there are not huge clumps of brown sugar, if there are, break them up with your fingers. Add in the milk, oil, vanilla, vinegar, and juice of half a lemon. Gently mix until just incorporated. Now fold in chopped cherries.

Evenly scoop the batter into a well greased muffin tin. (There is enough batter for12 normal sized muffins.) Sprinkle the tops with the extra brown sugar and oats then pop the pan Ito the oven. Bake for 28-32 minutes or until the tops of the muffins are a nice golden brown and a taster poked into one of the muffins comes out clean.

When fully baked, remove muffins from oven and pop them out of the pan. Let cool on a wire rack but feel free to eat one or two warm.

Store any extra in an airtight container on counter for a day or two but in the fridge for about a week. Individual muffins can be wrapped and frozen for a good long will too.