Fawned Fridays

This is the last day of work for me!  Off on 1 week of vacation, followed by a year-long maternity leave (if things continue to go accordingly!).  Feels a little weird to be packing up this part of my work life.  Still have my own creative side projects to look after so it will be an exciting challenge to learn to balance family and creative contracts before going back to the office for full-time technical work again.

Madeline corset from Starkers! Corsetry

1. Love this corset from Starkers! Corsetry. I bought my wedding corset from her as well and it was absolutely gorgeous and amazingly comfortable!
2. Funky shoes
3. Toms wrap boots make me think of a props for a mummy movies
4. I keep meaning to check out this optical store in Peterborough.
5. This is very close to my house.  What a beautiful photo by Mark Muschett
6. I spent a lot of time playing in this park as a little girl.  Another beautiful photo by Lydia Dotto.
7. I’m a sucker for menswear inspired looks. And more cute
8. Projects like this make me want to develop my crochet skills further
9. This knitting project makes me want to learn more about colour working in knits
10. Love Googling tree murals for nursery

Fawned Fridays

Friday again and I have really been slacking!  Still do not have any of my art up here.  Still have not gotten all the dragon sketches onto canvas for the baby room, or finished the porthole trim there either, or put any proof of these things up on this blog for your viewing pleasure.  Sheesh, what a slacker!  Will have to remedy that soon.  For now here is another Fawned Friday edition:

Butterfly Pendant

1. Beautiful
2. This was my work day happiness
3. Cool way to organize collections of rocks, shells, buttons, bones or whatever!  A great site for organizing ideas.
4. Interactive music and art!
5. Kaz Oshiro
6. Peterborough 2004 my city under water
7. Fun green DIY fashion projects
8. Green furniture
9. Where were these adorable fun capes when I was a child?  Looks like some great projects to do with young ones, and the young at heart.
10. Daily Canadian art auction

Fawned Fridays

Another week, another Fawned Friday edition.

Eagerly counting down the minutes until my weekend begins.  So much to do!  So much I want to do!  But most importantly, relax and enjoy the little things when you can.  Speaking of which, approximately six or so more weeks until I can consume scotch again… can’t wait!

World Construction Kit, by artist Julien Pacaud

1. Loving Julien Pacaud’s work
2. Cute tiny planting project.
3. Tree houses
4. Some wonderful pictures of Syria, before the devastating current events
5. I wonder if this is good with almond butter sandwich…
6. How to braid your challah in various ways.  I know I need a lesson in bread braiding!
7. I love reading about other peoples travels.
8. Vintage knits are yummy.  The title of that piece makes me wonder what it was people went out and did on Sunday nights way back then….
9. Love this dress, and this dress, and I love 60′s mod looks, this dress is classy, and this dress is just fun.
10. Some monkeys are at home in the snow

Fawned Fridays

Back again after a short hiatus!  Aw life, you are far to chaotic and busy these days, but I can’t truly complain, it’s been great to me as of late.

Limited Edition Cold Water book locket Rose And Anchor

1. This is so pretty
2. There really aught to be more oddly shaped pies in the world.
3. Giant Bunnies!  Or Google image search for “giant rabbits”
4. Cool Straw Bale cottage
5. Trees as important functional spaces.  I seem to have architecture on the brain these days…
6. Grassy roofs
7. The title of this book. More proof that anything with the word “intergalactic” in it sounds cool.
8. Gorillas paint.

Kitchen Disaster of the Week: Gluten-Free Hamentaschen

Hamantaschen is a traditional Ashkenazi cookie with filling (traditionally sesame, or prune and walnut but these days anything goes) Made for the holiday of Purim.  I had never eaten one before today, so I had no idea what to expect.  Luckily my husband is more than happy to be the official taste tester.   I have been learning about each Jewish holiday and the foods associated as we progress through the year.  As my husband and I are starting our own little family it is even more important to us to explore and create our own traditions.

Making Hamantaschen

I decided to try the Gluten Free Raspberry Hamantaschen recipe from Elanas Pantry.  A nice simple easy recipe, I changed made a few alterations: almond meal instead of blanched almond flour, honey instead of agave syrup, kosher salt instead of sea salt, and blueberry jam instead of raspberry.

Baking Hamantaschen

Why is this a Kitchen Disaster? My first mistake was that the dough was only supposed to be refrigerated for 1 hour, but it ended up staying there for 2 days.  As it contained honey it seemed very moist and damp.  Working with it was unpleasant as it was very crumbly to roll and work with and broke easily when trying to fold the cookies.  I eventually gave up on folding and instead just formed them into Hamantaschen shaped tarts.  They only took 8 minutes to bake, and although they do not look pretty and were frustrating to shape, they stayed together through cooking and the  taste was really good, the crust is buttery tasting although they are dairy free.  I would make them again.

So, as many of my other disasters, things turned out tasty in the end and I learned a little something new.  Really, that is all I am aiming for!

Hamantaschen!

Other Hamantaschen recipes I came across that I would also like to try:

• http://glutenfreebay.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-gluten-free-hamantaschen-recipe-for.html
• http://glutenfreenosh.com/2010/02/28/gluten-free-hamantaschen/
• http://www.jewishfood-list.com/recipes/cookie/hamant/hamantaschglutenfree01.html
• http://www.heythattastesgood.com/2009/03/hamantaschen.html

I want to use this recipe for Walnut prune filling.  This is not a gluten-free site, but I love it, Burekaboy has great step by step pictures of his process and lots of terrific recipes on his blog, I will be returning for more great food!

And finally, A little cookie making humour appropriate for Purim: Cookie cleavage: How much is too much?

Fawned Fridays

Hurrah Friday! I am again this week joining So Fawned and her weekly Fawned Fridays and you can join in too.

By Heidi Taillefer

1. Painting love. Wonderful Surrealist anatomical paintings
2. I’ve been fascinated by dome homes ever since childhood.  This one rotates 
3. Yum, I want to try this gluten-free challah recipe
4. If you are not already on Ravelry and you knit or crochet, get on it! There are tons of resources and free patterns there!  I have found it useful for years and the site keeps on growing, the two-millionth Ravelry signed up on Wednesday, February 29 2012.
5. Can’t wait to get started on this in red
6. An art exhibit where content is completely reliant on the viewers
7. Wow, that’s a lot of bananas!
8. Cool cave homes
9. Earl Grey Tea love

Monday Love

Mondays can be a little sour.  Here are 5 things that sweetened my Monday:

Yarn Food, is it art?

1. Knitted and crocheted food.  It’s the most ridiculous thing I have come across today. Here is more yarn food. Does it serve a purpose? Is it art? Discuss!
2. Today’s tea!
3. Avocados, yummy and healthy.
4. Pinterest because it’s fun sharing how I’m wasting time.
5. A little shoe love.