Always Experimenting

 Hello dear friends!  Did you have a nice holiday?  Look what the Easter Bunny brought us!

Snow!  But that's okay, it didn't last long and it reminded of my childhood.  Growing up in northern Michigan, most of the photographs of me in my Easter outfits were  taken while standing in a snowbank. Oh!  Speaking of Easter, I went to the grocery store to stock up on eggs, thinking they would be a lost leader like they usually are this time of year.  Was I in for a surprise!  I knew that eggs and poultry costs were higher because of the avian flu scare, but I had no idea!  The first store I went to actually did have a deal at $1.59/dozen, but since it has been ages since I bought eggs I thought that was  the regular price.  So I went to Wal-mart and the cheapest eggs they had were $2.29/dozen.  Yikes!  It's a pretty sad day when the Easter ham (79cents/lb) is cheaper than the eggs.   Better brush up on all the ways to substitute other things for eggs!  I always keep flax seeds in the freezer for this purpose, but next time I shop at the bulk food store, I will stock up on more.  I used some to bake a carrot cake.  The recipe called for four eggs, but I used one and substituted the flax seed for another, and skipped the remaining two.  I also used chicken fat for half of the oil and omitted some of the oil completely. Turned out great!  

I guess you could say that cake was a "make-do" cake.  Once you get into that mindset, it becomes easier.  Here's another example of making do:

I have a limit on how much I will spend on clothes, $1. I bought this LL Bean blouse at a church rummage sale for 75 cents.  It was your standard button-down  with a chest pocket and regular collar.  I loved the print, but didn't like the collar or the pocket.  So I removed the collar from the band  and removed the pocket.  Cut the sleeves to elbow length and added elastic.  With the remaining fabric from the sleeves I made a narrow ruffle and sewed it onto the collar band.  Much more my style!  I've been cottagecore  all my life.

Another little project from my needles:

 Just a little something to use up more oddball balls of yarn from my stash.  About halfway through the first mitt, I started to worry that I didn't have enough yarn to make the second, so Ran suggested I make them into fingerless gloves.  I'm glad I did because I barely had enough yarn to finish.  It was a happy day when I knit the last stitch.  Because I made up the pattern as I went, I had scribbled little notes here and there and kept mislaying them.  I wish I had more of that green and gray yarn.  Really like the color combination.  

A Recipe, Kind Of

Well, I couldn't write a post without a recipe could I?  This is something I make often when I need a quick meal.

Meat or Meatless Patties

Mince as much as you like of any leftover meat, or  use a can of tuna, or mash a can of beans (chickpeas are really good)

Add to it a glob of mayo, about 2 tablespoonfuls, and one egg (or egg substitute)

Stir in some goodies: relish, chopped eggs, finely minced onions, diced olives, diced peppers, grated cheese.  In any combinations you like or whatever you enjoy.

Stir in about a half cup of bread crumbs (or crushed up crackers, or for beans I like to use one of those Jiffy  cornbread mixes)

Stir in you favorite seasoning that compliment the other ingredients. (Cajun  seasoning is good with tuna and curry powder is good with the chickpeas)

Form into patties.  Coat with bread crumbs and lightly fry in a bit of oil ( or use some of your tallow, lard or chicken fat).  Serve on a bun made form the last posts refrigerator potato rolls  recipe.

Two Things, One Good, One Bad

First, the good;  while I was out the other day, a man tipped his hat at me.  Wasn't that a gentlemanly  thing to do?  When did tipping hats go out of style? And he wasn't elderly either, probably in his late 30s or early 40s.  It was a little thing, but it made my day.  Sometimes it's the littlest things that brings someone  else joy.

One the other side, one day I came home at an old pitcher that I had planted with hen and chicks was laying in the yard.  Someone must had thought it was valuable and decided to take it.  Only to discover that after they dug it up, the spout was broken and it had a crack (a lady had given it to me for free at her garage sale).  I was shocked that someone would just come into the yard, so close to the house and dig it up.  Are times getting that bad?  Anyway, to end on a happy note, since it was dug up, I brought it inside, washed it up,and used it to decorate with.  Just stuck some flowers  in to kind-of cover up the broken spout. 

And that little tale was an excuse to insert a picture of the decor, as I know there's a couple of you dear friends that look forward to the glimpses of our little house. Ha!

Well, I could go on forever, but I'm sure you all have better things to do than read my ramblings. So from the old Zempel boarding house,  hope you all have a lovely day and week!  

Hugs

Jane