Cream Puffs in a Pan

This dessert was what I made for Easter dinner (am I the only blogger still rehashing Easter?  we had Easter leftovers for supper tonight).

It's called Chocolate Eclair Dessert.  It's a fabulous crust like a cream puff, with gooey goodness spread on top.  I followed the recipe, but I want to try other combinations, especially when the summer fruit comes in.  Lemon curd, strawberries, and whipped cream would be fantastic.

This recipe is pretty close to what I made, except that I used vanilla pudding and I spread my crust-thing in a 10x15 jelly-roll pan.  I also pressed down the bubbles when I took the crust from the oven.

Now that I know how the recipe works, I can substitute thick homemade pudding and real whipped cream for the commercial stuff.  I would also prefer a real chocolate ganache to the icing.

I think I'm going to rename this Cream Puffs in a Pan or Pan Eclairs - to make it sound fabulous, as well as to distinguish it from my beloved Eclair Dessert.

The Easter Bowtie, Among Other Easter Things

I thought I would make Ben a necktie.  But honestly, the pattern I got online just made my eyes cross.  I've had some sewing disasters recently (working on the blog post for those), so I steered in an easier direction:  the bowtie.  I can't get my husband to wear a bowtie, but why not my son?
I chose to sew the real tied bowtie because it took, literally, 20 minutes to make.  And thanks to Youtube, I can now tie a bowtie with ease.

The first bowtie I made was too small.  It fit Bella and Genevieve was delighted.

The next one was too big.  But yes, the third one was just right.  That madras says 1980s-Uncle-Ron-at-IBM in a very good way. 

Ben didn't mind wearing the bowtie at all, just in case you wondered.

Then there was my girl in her new headband from Granny.  And a Sunday dress from Aunt Mel that was mid-calf last year is now slightly above her knee. Oh my.

Between the bowtie sewing and regular Saturday chores, I did whip out Hot Cross Buns for Easter breakfast.  The recipe I used from Recipes from the Old Mill was a little fiddly and made enough for 2-3 breakfasts for us.  They were tasty, however, even if my fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar icing was more like a glaze and didn't make a cross.  My buns had raisins, dried cranberries, and dried apricots in them.

Another breakfast, I think we'll eat them unglazed with cheese on the side.

Then there was a lavish Easter dinner at my parents' house. 

the menu:

hamballs with pineapple sauce

buttered noodles

green beans almondine

sweet potatoes

homegrown sweet corn

creamy coleslaw

ciabatta rolls

and

(oof)

Chocolate Eclair Dessert which is not what you think of when I talk about it.  I'll tell you about it in another post.

"Like Wheat That Springeth Green"

Dawn over the roof next door.

Now the green blade riseth from the buried grain,
wheat that in darkness many days has lain;

Northeast dawn over the city.

love lives again, that with the dead has been:
Love is come again like wheat that springeth green.

John Crum, Oxford Book of Carols, 1928

The ferns next door, coming up. Fiddleheads.

As we love to repeat all day, "He is risen! - He is risen indeed!"

All in a Day's Bus-Ride

Most of the time I take along a book or magazine for the bus ride.  I have knitted dishcloths.  I have tried to knit socks, but I am setting that aside for now. 

At first the socks felt like a puzzle to me (or what I imagine puzzle-lovers enjoy because I have never experienced that joy) and I was up for the challenge.  Now I have set the blasted business aside for a season - I started a single sock at least 20 times and my husband can verify that number for you.  I'm also tired of those double-pointed needles pointing into everything.

Quite happily, I handstitched the binding on these hotpads from the cutter quilt.  The sewing flew along so quickly that I finished them going to and from work on the bus!  They're in the shop.

I'm taking up Leila's invitation to link up, even with just one pretty photo.

A New Shopping Cart

After a month of two of shopping around, I bought a new shopping cart from Amazon for $26.  A very good price for a cart that got glowing reviews.  After taking the cart on its maiden market trip this week, I have to agree that it's great.

I'm not getting rid of my bigger wire granny-cart - that thing can hold 3 half-bushel boxes of tomatoes!

But wow, did my blue cart come in a big box with lots of brown paper.  I folded up the paper (sort of - there must be at least 10 yards of it) and stored it with my wrapping paper.  I will use it to wrap gifts:  "brown paper packages tied up with string" as in The Sound of Music.  And if I'm feeling fancy, I will turn my iron on its lowest dry setting and smooth the wrinkles out of the paper first.

The children played with the box for a day or so and now I have no earthly idea where the box went.  As long as it's not on my living room floor, I don't care.

Also, this week, our friend Jonathan bought some redwood planks from my husband.  This is an ingenious friend.  Jonathan took the planks home on his handmade alley-runner! 

How I Dye Clothes

I've been doing this off and on, and thought I should write down my method and tips because it is actually a thrifty way to freshen up tired fabric (and because I'm getting so old that I forget my method inbetweentimes).

Things I have dyed:
1.  faded red cloth napkins: RED
2.  Genevieve's stained white school shirt:  LIGHT BLUE
3.  two faded black sweaters:  BLACK
4.  faded tablecloth:  BLUE

Genevieve now has a light blue school shirt with permanent paint stains on it.  I'm going to try dyeing it navy when I get the dye.  The shirt is useless now, so I'm going to see if a few bucks of dye can make it school-worthy again.

1. I dye things in my big enamel canner on the stove.  I heat up 3 gallons of water plus a cup of salt. 
2. Pour in the dye - either liquid or powder. 
3. Separately, wet the cloth thing that you want to dye.  Have a stainless steel spoon nearby to stir, and then lower the wet cloth into the dyebath. 
4. Stir well, being very careful not to splash.  Keep the dyebath hot and stir often for 30-60 minutes.  5. Carefully pour off the hot dye in a stainless steel sink (porcelain or composites could be dyed!).  Use the spoon to get out the hot dyed cloth, or gently dump it in the sink.  Don't splash!!! 
6. Put on latex gloves (unless you fancy your hands dyed).  Rinse the dyed cloth under cool water until the water is mostly clear. 
7. Transfer to the washing machine and wash in cold water.  Dry on high heat to help set the dye.  I have also just run the dyed cloth through the rinse and spin cycle, and then put it in the dryer.
8.  Be careful to wash dyed things with very similar colors the first few times you wash them as some of mine have bled a little bit then.

I accidentally overdyed this toweling when I washed it with my blue tablecloth.  Luckily it turned out nicely!

Weeds

I reached out to caress a pile of greens at a farmer's stand last week at market.  He yelped "stop!" and explained the greens were stinging nettle. 

Ah yes.  I recalled how Genevieve needed to pee when we were on a hike, so my husband and I stepped her off the path to do her business.  Sadly, we were so ignorant that we let her squat in a patch of stinging nettle!  And while she was whimpering and we were looking around in bewilderment, my former principal and his wife came hiking along and stopped to talk.  Oh my.

So.  I wore gloves to handle these weeds and I think I can now identify them.  I sauteed them in butter with a little garlic, and threw in some chard that was in the fridge too.  They were amazingly delicious. . .or was that the butter?  I usually saute my greens in oil or bacon drippings.

The children have been picking weeds for me too.  Thankfully my friend A gave me this miniscule vase to hold them.  I put the weeds in the photo of books I am selling in my etsy shop - a delicious old-fashioned romance by Emilie Loring and a charming devotional.