Carnations and Characters

The only thing that can take the bitter sting out of the ice storm we got last night, (I won't bore you with photos, I'm sure you've all seen enough ice for the year!) is the fluffy pinkness of grocery store carnations.

At $1.99 a bunch I can afford to chase the gloom and think of sunshine and warmth and all things spring.

 Earl saw me photographing these and commented that he assumed I was posting a bitter rebuttal to the winter weather.  Oh yes, the man knows me well.

On another subject I thought Iwould show you what has been taking up so many hours that I can barely keep up with blogging. Oh yes, it looks innocent enough, but when you're learning, it is hours of diddling around at the computer.  The assignment was to illustrate a video game or comic type character, based on ourselves, that told something about us.  I sew, of course, so here I am in all my superhero glory.  I want you to know this is an exact replication of what I look like. Really. I have an outfit just like the one I'm wearing in this illustration.

 And I'm that skinny.

And  thimbles shoot from my fingertips.

Sometimes I crack me up.

Happy St. Pat's

Forget red, green is what I crave right now. It's beginning to peek through the snow (which should be completely obliterated by warmth and rain by the end of the day!) and we have a predicted high of 64 today, which in Kathyworld means almost 70. I'm tempted to call into work with Spring fever but I'm just too darn responsible, so I'll open the window when I get there and count every ticking second til I can walk out the door. Although, really, Spring fever is a recognized malady isn't it?

I've  been hard at work on the kitchen, homework, weeding out the house in an attempt to simplify and spending time with the girls, since Victoria is home on Spring break:>)  It hasn't left much time for blogging but I won't apologise. Sometimes real life takes a front seat and there are only so many hours in the day. Did you find that setting the clocks ahead gave you an extra hour? Isn't it supposed to?

I'm Going Crackers

So here it is, a week into March and I still haven't found the time to update the blog. Time flies ya know?

Today is cool and rainy, Spring weather if ever I saw it. I'll take rain over snow any day, but, Cool and rainy equals baking to me. I didn't want to bake something sweet, (well I did want to but I'm trying to be good), and I remembered seeing a recipe for homemade crackers in an old issue of Mary Janes Farm that I have hanging around. So I dug around in my magazine stash, pulled it out and tried these Italian herb and sun dried tomato crackers. Yum! They were supposed to have fresh basil in them but I was out so I used a grinder of Italian herbs and I think they turned out great!

There are several variations to the recipe, and I sure wish Mary Jane had them on her website because I just am not feeling the love of typing them all down here. But I will give you the recipe I used:>) They warmed up the house and didn't feed my wicked addiction for sugar. I just cut the shapes roughly because I have a lot to do tonight, but next time I plan on using some cute little cookie cutters I have just so they're purty. I prefer to think of them as rustic, you know I could make them awesome if I wanted to right?

So, here's the recipe:

Basic Farmhouse Crackers

1 1/2 cups flour                                       1/2 c water

1 1/2 t cream of tartar                            1 med egg

3/4 t salt                                                  2 t sugar

3/4 t baking soda                                    1 t balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup oil                                               1/4 c sesame seeds toasted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, Lightly spray or wipe baking sheet with oil

2. In a medium bowl, combine first four ingredients and mix well.

3. Add oil and stir until mixture resembles coarse meal.

4. Add water and stir until dough forms.

5. In a small bowl whisk together egg, sugar and vinegar and set aside.

6. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and roll out very thin, brush with egg mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cut, tear into strips or use cookie cutters to make any shape you want.

7. Bake 15-20 min. (depending on size and thickness of cracker) transfer to racks for cooling.

Store crackers in an airtight container. If they ever pick up moisture and lose their crispness just pop them into a 250 degree over for a few minutes.

Variations

Sun dried tomato basil crackers

1/4 c fresh basil

1/4 c sun dried tomatoes

2 T olive oil

2 T Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

In blender of food processor, add all ingr. and mix well. Add mixture to basic dough after step 4. Omit sesame seeds.