born.in.japan

Quiet in Chaos

Despite the chaos surrounding me (boxes, clutter, mess) there still is one little quiet space. One little place where I can go to tune it all out and take a few moments to relax, create, and focus.

My spinning corner.

While I can still see all the chaos from the chair behind my wheel, it is so easy to ignore it all as the fiber travels through my fingers and the steady treadling works to calm my breaths.

Right now I’m working on spinning up a gorgeous brown fleece, gifted to me by a family friend. So far about 350 yards have been spun and plied, bulky weight.

It is light and lofty, the most gorgeous chocolate brown. While not next-to-the-skin soft, it is soft enough for me. Only 350 yards done, a fraction of what I have to spin, but I’m already dreaming about what it might eventually become.

Some strong contenders,

The Hemlock Ring Blanket, a stunning and beautiful design by Brooklyn Tweed. (Photo is his)

In a close second,

The Shalom Cardigan, by Involving the Senses. (Photo is hers) I first saw this lovely little cardi in a post by Soulemama and I’ve wanted my own ever since. It is simple and beautiful. I’d keep it short sleeve, I love the look with a long-sleeve layer underneath and I think it would be the perfect thing to layer over my already-expanding tummy. I’d be the perfect thing to throw on in our new we-have-to-pay-for-heat apartment, wool is going to be a necessity! But, if I want it for this year, for this pregnant season, I’d better get those needles clicking, and fast!

Plan B

Today was one of those days. So much work, yet so little progress.

A handful of boxes were packed, leaving the house seeming so.very.cluttered. I can handle dirt and dust, but clutter is enough to drive me crazy.

Phone calls were made, trying to figure out why it is taking well over a month to get our washing machine fixed. Despite a good 45 minutes spent talking to multiple different people, it still remains a mystery.

A quiche was planned for dinner and right from the get-go it was ill-fated. Ewan was underfoot in our tiny galley kitchen (two weeks until a bigger kitchen!!!), the oven was preheating making our steamy apartment even hotter, and the crust just wasn’t cooperating, despite following Virginia’s tried-and-tested recipe.

I threw in the towel, literally, and knew that I had to come up with a Plan B. And, based on the rumblings in that pregnant tummy of mine and the cries from the babe now on my back, I knew I didn’t have long.

A quick glance in the freezer and through the recipe box and the day, well dinner at least, was saved.

My standby pancake recipe with strawberry sauce.

Plan B Pancakes

In the morning or as a dinner, these pancakes do double duty. If you like your pancakes plain, this recipe can’t be beat, the vanilla and cinnamon add just enough flavor to keep them interesting without the usual accompaniments. But if you’re feeling extra fancy (or your day has been particularly crappy), top them with strawberry sauce like we did.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Milk (dairy, soy or rice), until desired consistency

Directions

• In a large bowl mix together dry ingredients.
• Add eggs, vanilla, and oil and mix lightly.
• Add milk, slowly, stirring in between additions until your batter is of desired consistency. We like pancakes on the thin side around here, so we add more milk. If you like yours thick and fluffy, add less.
• Cook on the griddle.
• Top with strawberry sauce, butter and maple syrup, or enjoy them plain. It’s up to you!

So, if you find yourself at that pre-dinner hour in a bit of a jam like I was, whip up a batch of pancakes to save the day. Dare I say that I think my Plan B was even better than the quiche would have been. Yes, I do think that one thing went right today.

This Moment

Inspired by Amanda over at Soulemama, I’ve chosen to spend Fridays taking the chance to record a single moment from the everyday around here. One moment that I just don’t want to forget.

Spending afternoons inside to escape the “excessive heat” meant that we had to get a little creative around here. A fort was just the thing. Took the living room to a new level and gave the little one new places to explore.

Sidewalk Painting

After a few days of too much business and not enough fun, a few days of too many chores and not enough making, it was high time for Ewan and I to get out and get our creative groove on.

Homemade sidewalk paint, to the rescue!

A quick search online yielded a number of recipes which were all basically the same three ingredients – cornstarch, water, and color.

Most called for a 2:1 ratio of cornstarch to water, but I found that a bit thin. Instead I went for a 3:1 ratio.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• Food coloring

Directions

• In a small bowl or jar mix together the cornstarch and water, making sure there are no lumps.
• Divide the mixture evenly into four smaller jars or bowls.
• Add five drops of food coloring to each jar and mix.
• Grab some paintbrushes and head outside to paint the world!

After a short little introduction, Ewan jumped right in and got busy brushing and splattering and, ahem, pouring the paint all over the concrete.

The other children passing by, out for their morning walks, watched longingly. Long no more, mix up a batch and get out painting today!

Busy Lady

In addition to all the summer lovin’ I was talking about last week, I have been a pretty busy lady.

While I haven’t been working or making a whole lot of the usual stuff; knitting needles have been sidelined, the sewing machine has sat idle, and the oven has been, sadly, empty. There has been a whole lot of making going on.

Making of the baby variety.

I’m nine and a half weeks along (edd – early march) and so far things are going so very well. So well that I was, kind of, doubting that I am really pregnant. So well that the days-without-puke vastly outnumber the days-with-puke.

So, now that this is all out in the open, I think I might be around here more. Perhaps there will be less to talk about of the crafting and making that you’re used to hearing about, but there will be more about the making of this very special little person. This little person that will turn our family of three into a family of four.

And, when this first-trimester fatigue lifts and I start doing a little more than sitting in the chair and staring into space (or napping), there might be a little making for this special little one. Oh, I just can’t resist making tiny little things for tiny little people!!

Testing, Testing

You still there? Yeah? OK, good.

I’m sorry things have been so quiet around here. There’s been lots going on. Mostly, unfortunately, stuff that I can’t or don’t want to talk about here. That’s the nature of blogging, I suppose.

But I think I’ll be back this week.

I have stories to share. Happy, well-rested, night-weaned family stories to share. Fun adventures around the city stories to share. Cool, fun stuff to make stories to share. Soon. Very, very soon.

For now, let me distract you with a few pictures of an uber-cute babe (if I do say so myself) enjoying his very first chocolate chip cookie. For him it was an experience, a deeply gratifying multi-sensory experience. Watching him eat that cookie reminded me how good they are, freshly baked and warm, and how I should appreciate them on a much deeper level than I have been known to.

So there, my friends, go bake up some cookies and enjoy. Because, I have it on good authority, they are so worth the effort.

Project 365 – June

(click on the photo to head over to Flickr to see all the pictures)

This month summer came, officially. And with it, so did all the things of summer. Picnics. Ice cream. Trips to the beach. Sprinklers. Fountains. Parks. Storms. It’s Ewan’s second summer, though his first, real, introduction and, so far, I think he’s a fan. As am I. I’m such a fan of sharing summer with this little guy.

A few favorites from the month:

A big storm yielded a wonderful, beautiful rainbow. Aaron noticed it and made sure to share the sight with me.

Ewan got a taste of his first frozen treat. At first, he didn’t know what to think of it. Cautious and hesitant, as usual. It didn’t take long, as you can see.

I continued stitching on a project that I can’t wait to finish. It is slow. So many other things are cropping up and demanding my immediate attention, but it is fun and I know I’ll enjoy it once it is done.

Homemade Yogurt

Making yogurt is simple, easy. Even if it were difficult, I think it would be worth it because it is just that delicious. Lots of folks make yogurt lots of different ways, what I’m about to show you is nothing new. But after many months of making yogurt at home, I have come up with a few little tricks and tweaks that make it even easier. If you can believe that.

Let’s get started!

First, add some non-fat dry milk powder to nice clean jars. I add 3/4 cup milk powder to a 32 ounce jar. Our family eats a whole whack of yogurt, so I make three jars at a time.

Next, add a little bit of milk (skim, reduced fat, or whole will do the trick) to the milk powder.

Cover it with a lid and give it a little shake until all the milk powder is dissolved. Repeat, using the same lid, with the remaining jars.

Now that the milk powder is dissolved, fill the rest of the jar with milk. Leave a bit of room at the top; you’ll need a bit of space for the starter.

Add some water to your stock pot, just enough that the water goes about halfway up the side of the jars. Put a thermometer into one of the jars of milk. Submerge three lids and two spoons (one is a backup) in the water. This will sterilize all the equipment that comes into contact with your yogurt after its been pasteurized, an additional measure that I like to take.

Place the pot on top of the stove and turn the flame on high. Heat the milk until the thermometer reads 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the jars from the pot and set them to cool. I leave them on the countertop and it takes a handful of hours. I could put them in the refrigerator to speed the process, but whenever I do that I forget they are in there and usually end up with milk that is too cold to become yogurt.

Monitor the temperature. When it gets down somewhere between 90 and 100 degrees you’re ready to add the starter.

Your yogurt starter can be yogurt from a previous batch, so long as it is less than a week old. Alternatively, it can be store-bought. When buying a starter at the grocery store choose a plain yogurt that you generally like the flavor of (some cultures seem to be more tangy than others) and be sure that it contains live and active cultures. Brown Cow is our favorite.

Using a sterile spoon from the stock pot add a spoonful or two, approximately 1/4 cup per 32 ounces of yogurt, into the warm milk.

Cover the jars with the sterile lids and let them set in a warm place. You want the temperature to stay within the 90-100 degree Fahrenheit range during fermentation. The inside of our oven, with just the pilot light, works well. We’ve also set it on top of our refrigerator wrapped in a towel. Experiment and find a spot that works for you. When you make the first batch or two, you may want to check the temperature periodically to make sure it stays in range.

After about 12-15 hours your efforts will be rewarded with delicious, thick yogurt. Put it in the refrigerator and get ready to enjoy!

We like to top it with a drizzle of honey or a spoonful of preserves. Tell me, what’s your favorite way to eat yogurt?

MacGyver Moment

A few weeks ago my friend posted about her MacGyver moment. It made me chuckle and wonder, when in a pinch, what I could come up with.

Yesterday, I found out.

A three hour train ride turned into an eight hour train ride.

We had a small amount of food and only a handful of toys. More than enough for three hours, not enough for eight.

Round about hour five, I knew I was going to have to get creative. I went down to the cafe and asked if they had any boxes I could use.

Armed with a cardboard box and a plastic knife, I crafted a little impromptu toy that saved the day.

Busying himself with putting things in and taking them out, Ewan forgot, for about an hour, about his displeasure with the situation. Instead of looking out the window and repeatedly saying “buh-bye,” he sat with his box. Putting cars in, taking them out. Putting lids from water bottles in and shaking them about.

MacGyver moment, success! Creative mama, success!

Tell me, what things have you made/crafted/come up with to entertain your kid’s in a pinch?

Painting (with a twist)

Sometimes, with a little one around, the days can be long. They need just a little something new, novel and unexpected to grab their interest and engage their bodies (and minds) in something productive and fun!

We were having just that sort of day. The toys were old news. Our books were boring. Ewan needing a little something. And, boy, did he get it.

We painted with our feet!

Materials

I started by taping a few sheets of giant paper to the sidewalk outside. Then, I squirted some tempera paint onto the paper (a bit too much in hindsight). I took off the babe’s shoes and clothes to simplify clean-up and let him at it.

Turns out, he was something of a natural.

Making quite the masterpiece on the paper.

And off.

Even after a thorough washing and two showers, he still has paint stuck in his toenail beds. It’s a good reminder.