It's time to get serious about cherries! Cherry Harvest 2016 is ON!
CFR 8 is coming! Oct. 8, 2016!
Sign-ups begin June 1, 2016 for those who have already atended.
Sign-ups begin July 1, 2016 for new folks!
More information here!
The 2017 MOTHER BEAR CAL/KAL IS ON!
Information is here.
3 bears per person can be turned in at the Mother Bear Project booth at Stitches West (+ $3 per bear for shipping overseas)
Bears can also be turned in at CFR 8, if you are attending--again with $3 per bear for shipping.
15 Bears in 2015 is OVER! See below:
KNIT 15 BEARS IN 2015!!! Post a group pic of the 15 bears you've made for Mother Bear Project in 2015 by Dec 31, 2015 on our thread to compete for prizes. POST #93 has the list of who is where in this process.
FINISHERS: SEND ME YOUR ADDRESSES for wristbands
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What's On My Hooks, Needles, and Spindles:
Finished
Nothing this time!
In Progress:
Second Bear from Fiji
Continental Knit Scarf in my own checkerboard pattern.
The OHM Shawl by Michelle Miller.
Crazyfoot Socks--one down!
Dizzy Blondes:
Project "Spin Everyone on the Ranch"!
Still working on Baron's undercoat.
I have finally scored a Supported Spindle from
Royale Hare! I got mine from
The Woolery, which actually had them in stock when I phoned to check! this is THE BOMB for spindling shorter-stapled fibers, such as cotton or dog undercoat.
Here is a video to show what makes the spindle so special.
Spindolyn is another option.
Strategy:
Dimensions of Mindfulness: the Plan
Put a Lid On It:
Ready to pit cherries:
tea towl on counter to contain staining, pitter, sharp knife to check pits are really out, plastic bag to dispose of pits in your trash without leaks or stain, jar to drop pitted cherries into.
Cherry Harvest Phase One: Infusion Recipes:
Vanilla vodka-- use 9 beans from Penzeys, sliced along the edge to open + 750 mil bottle of vodka
Cherry vodka--I just packed cherries into 2 big jars with stoppers and them divided a 750 mil bottle of vodka between them.
Cherry-vanilla Vodka--Add vanilla-infused vodka to your cherries as above,
Cooking Vanilla (Bourbon)--same as vanilla vodka, using bourbon, as is common in cooking vanilla.
Pickled Cherries--from
The Joy of Pickling
Then, of course, this happened:
For the first time, I got the custard to firm up nicely by making a few changes to the recipe:
I increased cooking time (but we do live at high altitude, so I must do that anyway) and also placed the pie pan on a cookie sheet to manage spills and to heat the underside of the pie more evenly. I used a pre-made crust of Oreo cookie crumbs, and I used my Kitchenaide mixer to really beat the eggs to a froth, then added the sugar, continuously beating, and then the same with the sour cream. I went a bit more lightly with cherries, as the pie pan was overflowing, and I simply stirred them in by hand.
Planned: Cherry-vanilla vodka, amaretto cherry jam, pickled cherries, cherry chutney, cherry jelly, sour-cream-cherry pie, Black Forest Compote, traditional cherry pie.
.
Recipes from
The Joy of Pickling or
The Ball Book of Preserving Foods or
The Joy of Cooking
Aw Shoot!
Plodding along at the level of 1.5 mile sprints--uphill.
The Pacific Electric Trail and Rails-to-trails programs, in general.
Make YES Happen--Route 66 virtual is really rather ugly (left) as compared to the REAL Route 66 in Upland, CA
Something I Really Like:
Poke bowls!
The Royale Hare Support Spindle for fiber with a short staple, such as cotton or dog undercoat. Check other sources, such as
The Woolery for these left in their stock--call them first to check before ordering. More info
here and
here.
Blather:
I will be at Retzlaff this year!
Cherry harvesting makes me glad of heart.
Allergies torment me!
Calendar:
The Calendar of Upcoming Events:
June 4: Spinning at Retzlaff
August 18-21, 2016: Sunnybank again--northern new Jersey
September 2-4: Racing at Disneyland
Oct 8, 2016: CFR8! Mark your calendars!
Blankets knows that her best bet is to hang out in her cave under the dining room table while the cherry harvesting frenzy takes over the kitchen!