The Passing of Time

Seymour, our giant rose plant, looks fantastic this year! He hasn't gotten to the little shop of horrors stage yet where he takes over the whole front porch, he's just nicely blooming everywhere right now.

I brought some blooms inside and coupled them with some sweet pea's from around the estate grounds. They smell so good!

Staying on the olfactory scene, I sewed up some little sachets for the diaper pail. I just made some pockets from scrap fabric, stuffed it with some plain fabric I have tons of to serve as batting, then sewed them closed and stitched over the top to quilt them. I plan to put some drops of essential oils on them and toss them in the pail; they can be washed with the diapers and reused again and again. Not sure how well they will work but will give it a try...

Something yummy also happened recently. Lemon Bars! I used the recipe from Veganomicon but switched it up a bit...here's my version:

1 3/4 cup flour

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup Earth Balance

some water

Mix up the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, then cut in margarine with a fork. Add some water to make it like a pie dough. Press into a greased baking pan, prick with a fork and bake at 350 until golden brown (mine baked about 40 minutes). Let cool.

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/3 cup water

2/3 cup lemon juice

lemon zest from one lemon

1/4 cup soy milk

3 T cornstarch

In a saucepan, stir the water and sugar until boiling; continue to stir until sugar dissolves. Add the other ingredients, bring back to boiling and stir while boiling for another 3-5 minutes (should be thick now). You can also add some tumeric or yellow food coloring if you like. Let cool for a few minutes, then pour over the crust. Chill in the fridge for 3 hours or until set.

The recipe also calls for a sprinkling of confectioner's sugar on top of the bars before serving but these were plenty sweet enough for me. You can do what you like.

The nursing wrap is entering it's final stages; hopefully soon I will have a photo to show it's been completed. I'm already thinking about what to knit next; crazy, huh?

When the chips are down...

...make cookies with 'em! Behold the vegany oatmealy choco-chippy goodness:


Yesterday I decided, whilst raining, my good friend Seymour needed a trim.

Some in my neighborhood have already trimmed their rose bushes back, but Seymour just kept on producing roses. I cut the last new bud off and then I put Seymour to sleep for the winter. I had to be very careful to ensure I did not get eaten by this monstrous plant. This rose must have lived here for years. The Estate itself was built in 1921--do rose plants live that long? I've never met a rose bush that grows as much as Seymour does--he's quite wild.

Sock #2 is coming along but very slowly. They are too much like sleeves--once you make one, the second isn't as exciting and it quickly loses my attention. Oh well, I will plug away at it this afternoon, maybe while taking a walk in the park. It's warm and the sun is peeking out from time to time. Snow is on the horizon so this may be one of those last great days...