Lunch Today

There is so much more to say, but as we get into gear in this school year and my husband's job, I focus on keeping food in the house, keeping clean clothes, keeping the house clean-ish, and getting enough sleep.  Everything else is a bonus at this point.

I ate plain yogurt, granola, and raspberries for lunch today. I like each element to stay distinct because I like their contrast.

 My usual lunch fare is last night's dinner, but I've been fighting a lingering virus and my appetite is unpredictable - and those red raspberries!  Jewels.

Genevieve's Pale Blue Dress

Now, this project makes it onto the blog by the coat tails of thrift:  I did not make this dress.  My mother-in-law made it.  However, I explained in this post (flop #3) how there was leftover fabric from the bridesmaids' dresses at my wedding and how I attempted a dress with deplorable results.

Genevieve's dress is made from the horrible remnants of the dress I attempted. It is exquisite.  My mother-in-law is the real deal when it comes to sewing.

 

I, however, am faking the knowledge of altering the remaining, whole bridesmaid's dress that my mother-in-law saved and gave to me. Maybe next summer, chickies, when I feel daring enough.

Everyday Details

Here is a collection of details from my life, organized after Leila and Rosie's method of pretty/happy/funny/real. 

These old fabric patches are pretty.  They came to me from my cousin via my aunt.  My cousin and his household started a quilt and then gave it up.  I am thrilled to get the patches - beautiful calicos, feedsack, and seventies prints.  My plan is to make a patchwork picnic quilt, but I'm already chewing on the idea that I might like this fabric too much to allow it to be slung on the ground or tossed in the trunk. . .

Here are my happy children, washing the front porch.  If a chore involves water, my children are all over it.  Our porch gets incredibly grimy from the traffic and, this summer, road construction.  That does not mean we wash it more often (this was the first time this summer), just that the water is blacker when we do.

We used about 20 minutes before bedtime one night - I was so pleased at how fast it went and then they washed their feet, put their dirty clothes in the hamper, and put on their pajamas.

I thought it was funny when I blazed around the house making the cord tacos that my children came along in my wake, crafting and creating, too.  Genevieve's crafting spurt also happened after I allowed her to hang over my shoulder as I looked at my Pinterest feed.  She put a flashlight in a mason jar that she covered with fabric.  I don't know what Ben is making - probably some paper food for the dollies.

Here is my real confession:  I made adorable little yogurt panna cotta cups for packed lunches.  I had made them once before and thought them a little flavorless, but this time, they really were, despite the extra honey and nutmeg I added and the pretty blackberries on top.  Furthermore, the panna cotta separated into odd layers after a few days and the children refused to eat them.  Not to be outdone by them and the compost pile, I blendered the panna cotta into breakfast smoothies one morning. 

 

 

Sunday Dinner: Crunchy Ham Balls and a Delicious Salad

I was pleased with the textures and flavors of this Sunday dinner.  The ham balls are amazingly good, but I'm not always sure what to serve them with. 

 

 

Here, their richness is complemented by a unique salad that our friend Danene concocted and served us recently.  She took about 2 cups each sliced cucumber and cantaloupe (in the pictures here, I used canary melon, but the cantaloupe is prettier), added a little chopped fresh mint, and dressed it with the juice of half a lime, a splash of rice vinegar, and salt.  I've made it several times since then and we love how light and refreshing it is.  I might experiment with it by adding a little feta cheese or some proscuitto.  I could see this salad served as part of the main course, or served more like a fruit salad at a brunch or with dessert. 

 

Then, for just a little more bulk in my Sunday menu, I added the small patty pan squashes, which take about 10 minutes on a hot grill.  However, you could use any summer squash and simply roast it or saute it in butter if you're not the grilling type.

Saturday:
mix up ham balls

Sunday morning:
roll the ham balls, place in oven on timed bake
make melon salad
set the patty pans out

Sunday noon:
set table
grill patty pans

Crunchy Ham Balls (from Rebecca from somewhere)

2 c. very stiff mashed potatoes (use leftover if you can plan ahead!)
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese or other cheese that you love
2 c. finely diced/shredded ham
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
1/4-1/3 c. mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. pepper
2-3 c. crushed cornflakes

I use the food processor for the ham and onion. You could probably grate the cheese there, too. In a bowl, combine ingredients except for cornflakes.  Start with the lesser amount of mayo.  You're aiming for stiff, moldable texture.  You can refrigerate the mixture at this point - to stiffen up, to fit your schedule.  Roll the mixture into balls - tennis ball size is usually what mine end up.  Roll each ball in the crushed cornflakes and place on a greased baking sheet.  I usually get 9-12 balls (I think). Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.  Serve hot or hide them in the back of the fridge as the most desirable leftover and sneak them cold when no one's looking - cook's privilege.

Cord Tacos

I saw these leather cord tacos in Real Simple as I lazed through my Sunday afternoon. Lightbulb!  I got up from the sofa and promptly sewed three of them, and yes, they solved annoying cord tangles. 

The cord taco is simply a disc of firm fabric with a closure, so that it can fold around the cord like a taco shell and fasten closed. I used a button and loop, but I'm sure a snap, velcro, or even two ties would work, too.

My hand mixer came with a plastic cord-tie, which broke (of course) after a few months.  I used a rubber band to keep the cord corralled, but it wasn't easy to get on and off.  I love this cord taco!  I also made one (not shown) for the extension cord I keep in the kitchen for popping the slow cooker out the kitchen window to cook outside.
 

This is the children's night light, a vintage conch shell from my childhood which used to have its cord sprawled around it.  It has a little flower cut-out appliqued on it, but I was in a rush when I took the picture.

And then, in the zone, I solved another pesky problem and made an envelope for my cell phone charger.  To keep the envelope from being clutter or getting lost when the charger was in use, I carefully sewed the charger cord into a channel in the bottom of the envelope.  I'm very pleased with it, although I could have made the envelope a little larger.

I used the letter look from the needle case.  And yes, the lining of the envelope is a scrap left over from my shirt dress. 
 

I do so love these little solutions, these little comforts of a well-tended home.

The Other Half-Bushel of Tomatoes

Rebecca found a great recipe for homemade ketchup in The Homemade Pantry and she also talked so convincingly about her tomato soup that I bought another half-bushel of tomatoes.

I made a double batch of ketchup (12 lbs. of tomatoes), and the rest of the tomatoes went into tomato soup.

I am afraid that neither ketchup nor soup is as thick as Rebecca's, so my idea is to open up a jar in winter as I need it and let it cook down on the stove as I putter around the kitchen.  I do really love a warm kitchen full of good smells.  I look forward to that aspect of my winter kitchen.

the ketchup

The tomatoes that I bought were definitely what is called "canning tomatoes" around here, or "seconds" elsewhere.  They had some rotten spots.  I cut away anything obviously black or seeping, and then I sniffed the tomato to see if I'd gotten all the smelly, bad flesh. I've found that tomatoes can be very tricky to see where the good leaves off from the bad, so I depend on my nose to sniff out the difference.  My mom taught me to do this.

the bad spots (ewwww)

I've been slowed down this week by a bad cold and fever, but I'm on my feet again and tomorrow is pimento-canning day!

left to right:  tile saw with box, kids' paper detritus, cooling jars of tomato soup,
a few jars of pickled peppers, canning notebook, and pressure canner;
busy place around here
 

The Summer Braid

In June, I was at a publishing convention in New York.  I saw an elegant woman with silver hair and I did not forget her braid.  She had her hair pulled up high on the side of her head, braided, and laid across the top of her head.

This has become my go-to hairstyle this summer.  It is simpler than the Heidi look (which I want to stop calling Heidi braids because it makes them sound quaint, costume-y, or childish). I've seen them called rainbow braids. I can do these braids (see the photos on this post), but it takes some energy and futzing.

This summer braid, however, is a snap.  I pull back the front part of my hair into a barrette to help anchor the braid, then I make the braid, secure its end with a tiny, clear elastic, and pin it in place with several bobby pins. (That's as close to a tutorial as I'm getting).  My hair is several inches below my shoulders, as a point of reference.  I love it off my neck in the summer, and this braid is my favorite way to do that.