Saturday baking

And it's that wonderful cocoa aroma.  Instead of making the usual chocolate zucchini bundt cake that brings me to my knees, I tried something new.  Mark prefers nut breads or banana bread to cake so I gave this one a try.

Death by Chocolate Zucchini Bread

(click for the recipe)

 

Good grief.  I already burned my mouth snatching a corner crumb.  The aroma is wonderful and waiting for it to cool is unbearable.  There is a difference in scratch cake made with cocoa and this one also adds chocolate chips.  The pan is dusted with cocoa instead of flour.  I was cooking with zucchini all day and left it shredded in colanders for over an hour, then double wrung in flour sack toweling.  The recipe doesn't specify to do that but I always do. The video states 325 degrees but the written portion states 350 which is what I used.  I think this will surpass the box cake bundt but I won't know until I consume at least half of the loaf.  That's the only way to get a really accurate analysis.

 

Tried a few new zuke recipes and still come back to this quiche (recipe here).  The pizzarelles Mark makes are addictive but I wanted something that freezes well for the excess.  An elderly friend gave him the recipe, made for wild mushrooms, and he called them pizzarelles.  Haven't met anyone yet that doesn't like them!

 

Dinner will be the stuffing mix meatloaf that Carole's friends rave about.  I always use the onion soup mix and we love that one, but thought I'd give this a try.  In the oven now. 

 

All the tops fit Carole and the best deal of the bunch was this $70 pink sweater with black beading and embroidery for $7.98.  A little short for her liking but I told her to wear a longer black blouse beneath and let it hang.  Seems to be the style now anyway.  Problem solved.  She stopped over on her way to dinner with the girls last night and she had on a top I had not seen before.  When asked, "it's new and really cheap from a catalog".  Looked nice to me!  Then today, she felt like a Panera and drove there for a sandwich!  Girl, you have no money!!  As I've said before, when people ask if I have children I answer, "yes, I have a 78 year old daughter".  She is a stinker.

 

Enjoy your weekend.

I hope to pick the next project and paint those boxes.

 

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Better late than never

Sorry!  Everyone was entered into Random and all I had to do was hit the button at 4, but I started playing with Lucy.  Lots of moving and manipulating but I worked out a label for the square boxes.

I didn't realize how much time I was spending on it, but I finally hit the button.  Mimi Gannaway will be receiving the tags.  She sent in an email along with 18 others that I added to the comment entries.

 

Thanks everyone!  Mimi, I hope you like the tags!

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A year later....

as we continue following The Story of Kitchen, Dominic called!  Now.  He did not understand my clear, twice written dimensions, but at least they were under and not over so they did fit into the cupboard.  And here's what we had him make.

 

 

Our corner units have a middle fixed shelf that is 16" deep.  It could be cut out and a corner lazy susan installed, but because it is a retrofit, the size would be small in order to get it into the opening.  Not worth it.  I designed these full extension drawers because I have had enough of the bending and reaching.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Putting them on a base with the glides allows for easy installation, just screw it down to the shelf and bottom. 

 Nothing can be installed in the corner but that's the only spot I will need to reach.

 

 

All four 16" drawers are full extension and can be pulled out far enough for easy access.  Yahoo baby. If I had them made any deeper, they would be sticking out and not allow the other drawer to open.

 

 

 

And as usual, I get the best ideas after the fact.  So Mark will have to remove the top two, but I'll hold the light for him. It's the least I could do. We have two of these corner cabinets and Dominic only got around to making one set.  Good thing.  After seeing the space left above the drawer on the middle shelf, I decided to have Dom build a double decker.  Adding another drawer with less height above the deeper one will give me a utensil drawer.  Or spices, or hot pads, or casseroles, or lids.  So the two on the middle shelf will be relocated to the bottom shelf of the other corner cabinet and I'll wait for 4 double deckers to install on the middle shelf of both cabinets.  This is next to the stove and will remain cooking items, the other will be canned goods and with two double deckers plus the bottom drawers, no need to use the empty corner space at all.  I just hope it won't take him another year to get to them.

 

I found some fabulous tops in JCP's clearance section for Carole.  Plus size Alfred Dunner beaded tops and blouses for less than $10 with my coupons ($32 for four!).  Just can't pass up bargains like that.  I've always shopped for Mom since her stroke, Dad because he wouldn't buy himself anything, Mark because he has poor taste, my brother because he has no idea how to bargain shop, my nephew because he is too cheap to spend on himself, my aunt because her DIL's are "busy", and Carole because she can't walk.  Unless it's to lunch or dinner with her friends.  She goes out a lot with friends, most all with expensive clothes, so I would pick up some nicer things when I saw them.  Then I find out that her closet was filled with them, TAGS STILL ON!  She lost weight and started to rid the excess items and I couldn't believe it.  From years ago to present day, my efforts (and $$$) were for naught!  Totally ticked off.  She didn't need anything new at all and felt bad that the items she "loved to death" were never worn and given away.  So today, I continued the idiocy I swore to stop, because I can't pass up a bargain or a coupon. 

The End.

 

Back tomorrow for the drawing!

Now wasn't this boring?

 

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A beautiful night

 

Perfect temperature, low humidity, the second month of summer gone.

 

  

 

 

I finished the little hornbook that was to be Martha Hards sampler.  I like it.  For now anyway.

 

Almost made a trip to the ER.  I've put off the heart monitor for two months, time to get it on.

 

 

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Testing testing....

You will get to choose from two options. 

Sorry for the poor photos, but the tags are high gloss and I had to take these without much light, so they are not very clear.  They are 3", 2 1/2", and 2".

 

The first is from Lucy Redd. 

The second group is from various samplers.

 

This third group is the one I just now decided to keep for myself.

 

They are on thin acrylic, not perfect, and not tested for durability.  The edges may eventually lift a little ..... add a dab of Elmer's.

The red houses on wood have warped and that's a shame!  Usable, but I'm not comfortable offering them.  I think the others are really nice and I love the feel. 

 

So if you would like to enter the drawing for these tags, choose #1 or #2,  include your initials or email in your comment. Email me if you can't leave a comment for your entry. samplersandsantas@gmail.com

 

 

I will draw a name on Friday the 29th at 4pm.  Then I will throw a hissy fit about losing July.

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Only because you asked, brow time

Permanent cosmetic tattooing lasts for a few years,
but is not forever like traditional tats.

 This is a solid powder fill because I have only a few hairs from the middle to end.

 

Close up - you can see my thin hairs ending around the middle.  There is a method called microblading or something like that, it's very fine hairlines and totally realistic.  But it may only last 6 months, my method fades in about a year or longer (depending on the # of sweaty flashes) and then is touched up to darken again.  And the most asked question - no it really doesn't hurt too bad.  They use a numbing cream over and over during the procedure and although I did feel it in the beginning, it was like getting pinched.  And it's over pretty quick so no big deal. BUT - make sure you see her work beforehand - some use very dark ink and terrible looking hair strokes.  The first week will be darker because some of the ink sloughs off, and you may need a touchup after a few weeks if there are any spots that didn't take as well.   I choose a medium brown even though my hair color is very dark (when I color it on time).  It's lightened and is now perfect.  You can also get a shade of gray for salt & pepper hair.  Her charge for both brows was $125, so so worth it to not have to worry about the pencil coming off.  I came home from a flashy shopping trip to find myself with one brow gone and one smeared.  Kind of like walking around with my one lens sunglasses.  I feel it's made a huge difference and ...... I'm 65 and it's time I started doing some things for me.

 

Other than eating a bag of Dove chocolate covered blueberries AND a bag of chocolate covered cranberries.  Neither survived 48 hours.  I am so ashamed.

 

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