We had a warm in addition to productive Father's Day yesterday. Erik in addition to Mae came upwards for a breakfast of Eggs Benedict. I made the Hollandaise, in addition to Mae poached the eggs. Erik helped serve it upwards when it was time. I got a bee inwards my bonnet to role about vintage cutting drinking glass juice spectacles I inherited from my grandmother. When nosotros visited them, I'd e'er drinkable my milk from these glasses. They're close half dozen ounce size, in addition to they tally my child's hands perfectly. When my woman rear inherited them, she knew I was fond of them in addition to gave me the whole set. It was fun to acquire them out in addition to role them for our orangish juice.
Matthew's Unpresidented Brass Band was marching inwards a parade inwards downtown Portland, in addition to thus nosotros missed him. (My kids guide keep really busy lives.) He called afterwards inwards the hateful solar daytime to country us close the parade in addition to to wishing Mike a Happy Father's Day.
After breakfast, I got to function making the Lavender Blossom Jelly. You powerfulness shout upwards that I was a niggling worried close the color this would plough out to be. The lavander blossom infusion faded to a variety of drab brownish-purple, in addition to I worried this would last about ugly jelly.
When I added inwards the remaining ingredients, cooked it, in addition to and thus ladled it into jars, it turned a pretty rosy pinkish again, in addition to the jelly turned out really pretty. My yield was four half-pints, addition a bonus half-filled jar.
It has an interesting season amongst the slightest hint of bitterness, but inwards a adept way. The fragrance of the lavander comes through, in addition to it tastes adept to me. I'll definitely produce this again.
Here's the recipe I'm using. It's the same 1 I used for the Chive Blossom Jelly. My side past times side endeavor volition last amongst mint leaves, in addition to I'm going to couplet it amongst apple tree juice to encounter what I get.
Herb Jelly
Adapted from learn2grow.com
Yield: four half-pint jars
2 cups fresh herb leaves or herb flowers (see note)
2 cups clear water, clear juice, or wine
1/4 loving cup lemon juice or white vinegar
1-2 drops of nutrient coloring -- optional
four cups carbohydrate or honey
pinch salt
iii ounces liquid fruit pectin
Wash the herbs or flowers in addition to chop coarsely, if necessary, in addition to lay inwards a medium saucepan. Add H2O (or clear juice or wine) in addition to select to a consistent boil for 10 seconds. Remove from heat, comprehend in addition to allow stand upwards until completely cooled. Strain 1 1/2 cups of liquid through a java filter or layered cheesecloth, pressing the season from the leaves amongst a wooden spoon or vegetable masher.
Pour the liquid (now an "herbal infusion") into a large pot or Dutch oven in addition to stir inwards the vinegar (or lemon juice), tabular array salt in addition to sugar. Heat the mixture to a difficult boil ()a boil that can't last stirred down), in addition to thus add together the liquid pectin in addition to move along to boil for precisely 1 minute.
Remove from heat, in addition to thus skim off whatever foam in addition to discard it.
Pour the hot jelly directly into build clean half-pint jelly jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars in addition to seal amongst the two-piece canning lids. Process inwards a boiling H2O bathroom for 10 minutes (add five minutes or processing fourth dimension for each 1,000 feet of elevation).
Suggestions for changing upwards the recipe:
Add 2 tablespoons cloves to a sweetness basil infusion.
Use cherry grape juice inwards lemon balm jelly
Use white grape juice inwards lemon thyme jelly
Try lemonade inwards lemon verbena jelly
Use grapefruit juice inwards marjoram jelly.
Use apple tree juice inwards mint jelly
Use H2O or dry out white vino inwards parsley jelly
Incorporate about balsamic vinegar into rosemary jelly.
Cider or apple tree juice is dandy inwards sage jelly.
Try cranberry juice inwards savory jelly.
Water or apple tree juice is adept inwards scented geranium jelly.
White vino or H2O amongst vinegar is dandy inwards tarragon jelly.
Add regal grape juice inwards thyme jelly.
For a tangy twist, role cherry juice amongst 1/4 loving cup cinnamon or tangerine juice in addition to 1/4 loving cup crushed cloves to whatever herb jelly.
NOTES: The next herbs or their flowers tin give the sack last used inwards this recipe: scented basils, beebalm, chamomile, chive blossom, fennel, garlic, ginger, lavender, lemon thyme, lemon verbena, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, rose petals (white heel removed), savory, scented geranium, sweetness woodruff, tarragon, or thyme.
White or balsamic vinegar tin give the sack last substituted for all or component subdivision of the lemon juice for a tangy, sweetness season that is gratuitous to meat in addition to cheese dishes.
* * * * *
With that finished, I was prepare to acquire dorsum to function on Todd. When I left him on Saturday, he looked similar this:
It was fourth dimension to give him about ears. First, the correct ear...
Then, the left...
Well, howdy there, Todd!
After that I finished upwards the correct side of his cervix in addition to gave him a body. For this, I decided to add together 1 large slice of fabric,
in addition to and thus add together color over the top. I spent most of the afternoon making all those intricate cuts, but past times day's end, he was finished.
Here's the master picture I was working from for comparison:
From there, I peeled him upwards off the pressing sheet. For that, I role tweezers to tweeze upwards a niggling corner, in addition to and thus slide them further nether the piece, spatula style. Then, I agree them upwards to the lite to honor whatever niggling gaps inwards the design. There were a few inwards a higher house the eyes. It's slowly to merely lay a fighting of cloth behind, in addition to and thus fuse it to the back.
After I had all the niggling holes patched, I gave him a background...this light-green seemed similar a adept choice.
Then I went pawing through my scraps to honor a slice for his border. I liked this 1 every bit a border, binding, in addition to back, but I idea it needed something to split Todd from the border.
This rich chocolate-brown halt edge should produce the trick.
Today I'll run upwards on the borders, in addition to and thus dorsum it amongst batting. Then, I'll last using monofilament thread to stitch downwards all the niggling pieces, in addition to and thus I'll used about colored threads to select out the details. I similar to produce all of that stitching through the batting, but earlier adding the quilt back. I'll produce a niggling chip of quilting when all the thread function is done, but the thread function actually serves the business office of belongings the batting inwards place. There's all the same a lot to a greater extent than to produce on this, but I should guide keep it finished for June's OMG without whatever trouble.
This morning time when I got up, I spied this rufous hummingbird sitting on the tomato plant cage where the one-half eaten cherry tomato plant resides.
