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February 2009

  • Pendleton Woolen Mills - 100 years

    Submitted by Pam on Thu, 02/26/2009 - 16:17

    To celebrate PENDLETON WOOLEN MILLS 100th anniversary, I finally made this tote for "craft projects in progress" from a remnant I picked up at the mill store 12 years ago! Blanket weight 100% wool that feels and looks almost like felted wool. The price tag was still attached - $2.00 for this 60"x24" piece!

    From its beginning in 1909, Pendleton Mills focused on the Indian trade blanket market, basing its designs on those used by the American Indian rug and blanket weavers. Read more about Pendleton Woolen Mill's facinating history here. Or seek out a copy of The Language of the Robe for the full story of the American Indian Trade Blankets.

    The Mill Store in Washougal, WA is an little-known treasure trove of gorgeous remnants and mill ends left over from the fabulous wool fabrics produced for the retail market. Here is a testimonial from one happy fabric shopper! You can find blanket-weight fabrics, lightweight fabrics and even fabric for wool skirts and jackets.

    The remnants (which are usually 60" wide) come in handy for lots of household projects, like this table runner I made out of a lightweight fabric. All I had to do was hem the sides. The selvage ends are just beautiful as they are. The colors in this piece are what my friends refer to as "Pamela colors". (In case you are curious, that lovely piece of blown glass is from my favorite glass artist, Susan Kindland, at Ice Fire in Cannon Beach, Oregon which is right next door to Center Diamond Fabrics. Two good reasons to go to the Oregon coast!)

    Now look at this! Because Pendleton employs Jacquard looms, their fabrics designs are double-sided... so I actually have two table runners from this one remnant!

    Another narrow remnant; 60" x 16" that I use as a table runner. This one is made from the heavy blanket-weight fabric, which is so much like felt I don't even bother to hem the edges!

    12 years ago, I recovered my dining chairs in this teal blue blanket-weight wool remnant. You might want to consider finding a lovely remnant at the mill store for your own chairs because it wears like iron! These chair seats have been in almost constant use since I covered them (you see, my dining room table is also a sewing table, a craft table, a microscope station for viewing microscopic minerals, and a wedding album assembly table). And the fabric looks as beautiful as it did on day one.

    And then of course there is my stash of remnants for skirts that I will sew... someday! I am NOT going to dig them out and photograph them because I don't need to be reminded!

    If you live anywhere close to the mill store or plan to visit the Portland area, be sure to check out this best kept secret! Map, and store hours and woolen mill tour times are here.

    Pendleton Mills Outlet Stores throughout the United States are listed here. I don't think they carry the fabric remnants, but anything Pendleton, especially at a discount, is worth seeking out.

    Oh! Almost forgot to mention - these remnants make excellent scarves! A great Christmas gift idea to get started on right now!

    The fabric in this scarf is not a Pendleton fabric, but this is a great opportunity to show off one of my most treasured handmade gifts from Diane! You know - it's a Mother thing!

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  • An Award! For ME?

    Submitted by Pam on Tue, 02/17/2009 - 19:55

    My lovely friend Chris over at Prism Trail! bestowed this award on me weeks ago! And I know she forgives me for the delay in passing on the award. She is a kind soul who is always, always crafting, is an enthusiastic supporter of bloggers (which has had its rewards), and she never fails to approach whatever life sends her way with a positive, upbeat attitude. Whenever I get discouraged, I remember this post! (If my oven quit - I would never have thought to go to Trader Joe's to save the day!)

    And my favorite cactus and daisy artist Teri at Teri's Painted Daisies has just received this award and passed it on to all of us who read her blog! Check out this cool Photoshop technique she uses on some of her paintings. We have used it on some of our photographs and have gotten some surprising and intriguing results. Teri is quite an amazing woman and her blog is a delight.

    THANK YOU BOTH! I ACCEPT! Chris and Teri have given me unwavering support and constant encouragement throughout the first few months of my blogging adventure. I hope someday I will meet both of them.

    My task as recipient of this award is to name 7 things I love so here goes:

    - Hanging out with my children is definitely at the TOP of my list!

    - Christmas, St. Nicholas Day, Feast of Guadalupe, Santa Lucia Day, Solstice... I absolutely LOVE the winter holidays- the cooking, crafting, decorating, crafting...and THE COOKIES! To be clear - EATING the cookies. While I'm crafting!

    - Crafting with tin, beads, wire and gourds

    - Cooking and baking, especially when I am trying out new recipes

    - Sitting on my patio first thing in the morning sipping my husband's EXCELLENT coffee (he is THE coffee God) and meditating on my garden

    - Hiking in the mountains, the desert, the Olympic Forest and dreaming about the new places I haven't yet explored.

    - The whole amazing process of creating

    I understand the other condition of acceptance is to name three bloggers I feel deserve the Kreativ Blogger award. That is a difficult task indeed! So, I have decided to give the award to three bloggers who have enriched my crafting experience as a result of a post or tutorial.

    - Lolly at Lollychops, because she is encouraging me to return to crewel embroidery with this post and because she introduced me to the cutest "stuffie" I have ever wanted to make!

    - Margit at papirklip og aesker, because she has provided so many Woven Heart patterns - I have just finished making this one! Take a little time to explore her site and discover all her wonderful woven heart and folded box templates.

    - Hope at Taueret posted images of her gorgeous weavings last Fall, and inspired me to reacquaint myself with weaving and...to assemble the table loom I bought for my birthday last May! It is time! I have a box stuffed full of lovely weaving yarns I bought in the 70's!

    Thank you, thank you... I am so happy to have been chosen to receive this award.

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  • Double Frosted Bourbon Brownies

    Submitted by Pam on Fri, 02/13/2009 - 17:04

    Make these delicious brownies for your sweetie for Valentines, or even better for "just because".

     

    A moist, rich brownie full of walnuts, sprinkled wth a little bourbon after baking and topped with two layers of frosting. Not only are they yummy, but they keep well in the refrigerator for several days. (Bring them to room temperature before serving.)

    Of all the cookies I bake, these are my husband's favorite and the cookie recipe I get asked for most often.

    So... lets get started. Begin with the BROWNIE LAYER.

    Assemble your ingredients. Everything is mixed together in one sauce pan - like I said - very easy!

    Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter and 2 Tbsp water in a medium sauce pan and bring them just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat.

    Add 6 oz (1 cup) chocolate chips and 1 tsp vanilla.

    Stir until the chocolate has completely melted and the mixture is smooth.

    Add 2 eggs, one at a time, to the mixture, beating well after adding each egg.

    Just checking to make sure you're still paying attention!!!

    In a small bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp baking soda. Mix well so that the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

    Add 1-1/2 cups walnut pieces to the flour mixture, and stir to coat the walnuts. (This helps them stay "afloat" as they bake.)

    Now, add the flour/nut mixture to the chocolate mixture in the sauce pan and stir just until the flour is mixed in.

    Line a 9"x13" baking pan with heavy duty foil, coat the foil with butter or nonstick cooking spray, and pour the brownie batter into the pan, spreading it evenly. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 25 minutes. The brownie layer is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean. Watch it carefully and do NOT overbake.

    (Lining the pan with the foil is a great trick to use for all bar cookies. Once the cookies are baked and cooled, the whole thing can be lifted out of the pan with the foil. More about this later.)

    Immediately upon removing the brownie layer from the oven, pierce the surface with a fork at two inch intervals.

    Then, immediately drizzle 4 Tbsp of bourbon over the surface. Be sure to do this the minute the brownie comes out of the oven. Most of the alcohol evaporates as steam when the bourbon is poured over the HOT brownie. I am sure the liquid that remains is a big part of the reason these brownies are so moist.

    Cool the brownie layer to room temperature.

    Now for the FROSTING!

    Ingredients for the white frosting layer: 1/2 cup soft butter, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 cups sifted powdered sugar and a little cream (a tablespoon or so - depending on the amount of water there is in the butter you use.)

    Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat them with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add more cream as needed to get the mixture to a nice spreading consistency.

    Spread the frosting over the cooled brownie layer.

    More often than not, a little of the brownie will tear away from the surface as you're spreading the frosting, leaving crumbs in the beautiful white frosting. The bourbon did it!

    Just smooth the frosting over the torn area - crumbs and all. Once the chocolate topping has been spread over the frosting, no one will ever know!

    Chill the frosted brownie layer until the frosting is cold and firm.

    Now for the best part- the CHOCOLATE TOPPING.

    In the top of a double boiler, mix together 6 oz (1 cup) chocolate chips, 1 oz square unsweetened chocolate, and 1 Tbsp Crisco. Place the bowl over very hot, not boiling, water to melt the chocolate.

    Stir the chocolate until it's smooth and glossy, and pour it over the top of chilled frosting.

    Working quickly, spread the chocolate over the white frosting. It is not necessary to cover every tiny bit of white, but do try to cover it as evenly as possible.

    Chill it again until the frosting is set.

    About 30 minutes before cutting, remove the brownies from the baking pan, using the foil to lift them out. Remove the foil from the brownie - it is quite firm after chilling, so if you handle it gently, you shouldn't have to worry about it breaking. (I love baking in foil-lined pans because when I am ready to cut the brownies, I don't have to dig out the first few ragged pieces. I simply lift out the whole baked sheet, remove the foil, and cut PERFECT squares!)

    (By the way, the reason you remove the brownie from the pan 30 minutes before you cut it is so that it can rest on the cutting board at room temperature. This lets the chocolate topping warm up a little, so it's less likely to break when you cut it.)

    Cut the brownie into squares using a sharp knife. I dip the knife in HOT water and then dry it off with a towel before making EVERY cut. And when I cut, I take it slow and let the warm knife blade melt through the chocolate. When I feel a little "give", then I can apply pressure to complete the cut. Then my chocolate topping will be perfect and unbroken. (Mostly!)

    There are always a few bars that just HAVE to crack to keep me humble. But I am blessed - my husband is totally committed to eating up every imperfect bar in order to preserve my reputation.

    A VALENTINE DAY THOUGHT:

    Valentine's Day doesn't have to be just for "lovers". Here is an idea! Give a Valentine to someone who is totally NOT expecting one. Someone who provides a service to you throughout the year and is usually only remembered at Christmas. You will make their day. And their smile will make yours. I promise.

    Thanks so much for sharing Valentine's Day with me.

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  • Valentine Cookies!

    Submitted by Pam on Thu, 02/12/2009 - 16:42

    Guess what I've been up to these last few days!

     

    If you guessed "baking Valentine cookies" - you would be right!

    Visit Diane's post from last February at CraftyPod to learn more about my annual Valentine project. Valentine's Day is, after all, the best time of year to let people know that the things they do for you all year long are appreciated.

    So here is the cast of characters in this year's production, including some recipes and a few preparation tips.

    Starting at the top - (and then moving clockwise)

    Double Chocolate Bourbon Brownies. I will be sharing the recipe with you in my next post.

    Linzer cookies! Everyone's favorite! This recipe is very similar to the one I use. TIP: "Grind" your almonds in a food processor until they are very fine - almost to the flour stage.

    Grinding the almonds this fine makes a very flavorful and tender cookie.

    Island Macaroons - another favorite. I couldn't believe it when Diane found the very recipe I use on the web last year. The recipe is so simple and tastes like you really knocked yourself out. TIP: Toasting the coconut and macadamia nuts requires constant attention. They burn quickly!

    Stir the mixture thoroughly EVERY sixty seconds. If you are diligent and watchful, your toasted coconut will look like the tray on the left. Toasty. Delicious. Perfect.

    Crunchy Sugar Cookies with pistacios and dried cranberry added. The sugar cookie recipe I use is from the King Arthur Cookie Companion, but this one from their web recipe index is very close.

    The cranberry red and pistacio green make these a festive choice during the winter holidays. TIP: I always add large sugar crystals for a little extra sparkle. Just before I pop these in the oven, I will press each one gently with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to "seat" the crystals so they won't fall off after baking.

    Aaaaaaah! Lemon Bars. I love the "Triple Layer Lemon Triangles" from the Better Homes and Gardens 2004 Special Interest Publication: Christmas Cookies. I wish I could find this recipe on the web so I could share. If you still have the issue, look it up and try it! It is the most unusual and delicious lemon bar I have ever eaten.

    The shortbread crust is flavored with cloves, cinnamon, and crystallized ginger. Just before you bake the shortbread, you brush a thin layer of molasses over the top. After the shortbread bakes a while, you add an egg & lemon juice topping and bake it a little longer. Once cooled, you spread a thin lemon/powdered sugar glaze over the top. Ooooooh - just excuse me a minute will you - I need to go raid the lemon bar tin.

    Rolled Sugar Cookie Valentine Hearts. I just discovered the most wonderful rolled sugar cookie recipe from King Arthur - again in the Cookie Companion. But this one from their web site is also very good and easy to work with.

    TIP: When rolling out sugar cookies, be gentle. Do not use very much pressure or the dough will repay you by becoming a nearly permanent part of your rolling surface!

    Most cookie doughs do not like to be handled too much - they will reward you with rather tough little cookies. I try to get as many cookies cut from the first "roll-out" as I can by cutting the cookie shapes as close to each other as possible. Re-roll cookie dough only one time for best results - ie: tender cookies!

    Don't you just love the pink sanding sugar?

    Carmel Nut Squares. Another fabulous cookie for which I am unable to offer a recipe link. A lovely caramel topping made with butter, brown sugar, honey, cream and mixed nuts spread over a shortbread crust flavored with lemon peel.

    Shortbread cookies - my second favorite cookie. (Sugar cookies being my first cookie love.)

    I have not tried this shortbread recipe from King Arthur, but I have never had them fail me yet!

    Or... Try this! Beat 1 pound soft, salted butter with 1 cup granulated sugar until it is well mixed. This incorporates air into the mixture, which will give you light and tender cookies. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and mix it in. Add 4 cups flour and mix just until it is blended into the butter/sugar mixture.

    Now, turn a jelly roll pan upside down, (about 11"x17"), and pat the dough out onto the surface. Try to pat it to an even thickness.

    Score the dough with a sharp knife, marking the bars. I make mine 3/4" x 2". (I should have taken a picture, shouldn't I???) Then prick the bars with a fork - at least twice per bar.

    Place the cookie sheet with the dough still on it into the refrigerator or freezer to chill.  Remove when firm, cut the bars apart with a sharp knife, and place them about an inch apart on a cookie tray lined with parchment baking sheet..

    Bake at 275 degrees for a total of 35 to 40 minutes, turning the tray after 20 minutes to ensure even browning. Ovens vary - bake until they are a lovely pale golden color. Do not under-bake them.

    Sometimes I drizzle melted bittersweet chocolate over the bars. Picasso style!

    I really wanted to dip mine in white chocolate this year, but as always, always, always happens when I try to melt white chocolate, it turns into a paste-like substance, not at all pretty or workable.

    Is there anyone out there who can help me???? Is there a way to make a lovely, flowing melted white chocolate that will coat my shortbread with a pretty blanket of white?

    Happy Valentine baking everyone!

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  • Ice Crystals

    Submitted by Pam on Mon, 02/09/2009 - 14:16

     

    Just LOOK at these gorgeous ice crystals we found growing on the twigs and grasses beside our favorite walking trail along Salmon Creek here in Vancouver. The crystals are attached to the twigs and grasses, but the branching formation is all ice!

    Of course, we ran home, grabbed our camera and tripod and headed back to capture as many crystals as possible before they melted away. I totally loved this little frozen pond surrounded by grasses encrusted with ice crystals.

    I shot A LOT of images at the pond and one of them will definitely wind up as our Christmas card this year. Don't you love the little twig sticking up out of the ice on the right side of the photo. There are no branches underneath - it is just ice gone wild!

    Almost missed getting this photo - ice started melting as I was focusing! Whew! Again, that is all ice formations except for the center twig or grass they formed on.

    Now - this is really cool! That very evening, we just happened to log on to Mindat - Mineralogy Database, and we found THIS as the picture of the day!

    An image of the mineral Cerussite taken by geologist and mineral photographer Tony Peterson. I don't think I need to explain why I had to share it along with my ice crystal photos!

    I am very excited to find Tony's website - rockeyecandy.com. He has created beautiful posters and calendars of minerals that would be great for classrooms or for bedroom walls for kids - of all ages! Tony will be updating his site very soon to include smaller and less expensive posters so you may want to bookmark and check back again soon.

    Just can't leave you without sharing just one more!

    Thanks so much for visiting today.

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