Spicy “Indian” Chickpeas

The closest I’ll ever get to India is Priti, Joan’s college roommate, whose parents are from Gujerat.  But Indian food, now.  That’s another story entirely.  I first fell in love with these chickpeas at a Diwali celebration at the University of Idaho, and tracked down a version on the internets that was really close.  Over time [...]

Read Full Post »

My Mother-in-Law’s Way, Way Cooler Than Yours

It’s not your fault, mind you.  But I’ll bet your mother-in-law wasn’t ever a real live ballerina, was she?  Mine was.  She danced with Edward Vilella once, actually.  She used to pry the heels off her loafers to make them completely flat.  She can drive all night without getting tired.  She never laughs at kids.
And [...]

Read Full Post »

Indulgences

There are so many things that I love–things I don’t need at all, things that probably cost too much, especially in a miserable world, things that there’s no real excuse for.  But every so often, life requires a little dip into the unnecessarily delightsome.  Here are the things–pricy, cheap, silly, obscure–that I turn to for [...]

Read Full Post »

Aisai Bento

Lately my bento have been, well, uninspired.  Tuxedo Boy and Little Sunshine are very choosy about what goes into their lunches, and I’m not quite back in the swing of daily lunch making.  But last night I broke out of my slump and sent Joan off to work with my version of aisai bento (“loving [...]

Read Full Post »

Pincushions! Prizes! Competition!

pear factory
Originally uploaded by Loobylu

Piecework magazine is sponsoring an Excellence in Needlework pincushion competition, with a $500 prize. Tell me you’re not dying to come up with the Platonic ideal of pincushionery and scoop that magic cash–not to mention the exhibition in the National NeedleArts Association conference, and the photospread in Piecework. The adorable pincushions [...]

Read Full Post »

My Table, without the Cinnamon Rolls I Made

This is my table.  You’ve seen bits of it, as background to lots of things, from Squishy to cookies.  But it is a thing of beauty in its own right, even when all 2 dozen cinnamon rolls I made today aren’t on it, because they have all been eaten before I could get the camera.
Papa made [...]

Read Full Post »

Squishy

This is Squishy.  I’ve been home with a cold today, and had a chance to finish him for Tuxedo Boy, who has an insatiable appetite for amigurumi.  This one was designed to his exacting specifications, and subsequent to these early photos, Squishy acquired flippers to order.
Sadly, his prim demeanor hides a very disreputable past, as [...]

Read Full Post »

Never a Dull Moment

You may have wondered if a new post would ever appear . . . but when I tell you what’s detained me, you will wonder only at the foolhardiness that led me to begin a blog at all.
 The story begins with my generous and delightful parents giving me, for my birthday, house paint.  The weather was [...]

Read Full Post »

It’s Not Even My Birthday Yet!

But look what came in the mail for me! 
Joan, it transpires, came upon a Penzey’s catalog I had marked up (this is a bad habit of mine–I go through catalogs marking all the things I’m too cheap or too sensible or too poor to buy, but would get if I ever won the lottery and [...]

Read Full Post »

Wedding Cake

I perpetrated another wedding cake this weekend.  This one was designed by one of the brides, a very artistic and creative person who doesn’t like cake.  But she knew what she wanted:  vanilla cake, raspberry filling, vanilla buttercream, and fondant.  She gave me a very detailed sketch of the decorations she wanted.  There’s a lot [...]

Read Full Post »