happy blogiversary

Velvet Crumb Cake, made with Bisquick substitute. And also,
without the brown sugar, because I didn't have any of that, either.

This picture is from H's birthday a few months ago--I never have enough candles on hand so I just put two (having just the one candle seemed a bit lonely). But anyway, it's been exactly one year since I started this blog, and a little bit longer since I started cleaning up this house--click here for a reminder of just how bad it was on the outset. With a few exceptions (the master bedroom and the fourth bedroom, and their respective closets) all of the rooms have since been cleaned up, though I do revisit certain areas from time to time to get rid of additional junk that I wasn't ready to throw out earlier. The yard, as you've seen, is starting to take shape, too, though there's still a whole lot of work left to be done.

Here's to progress. And reasons to celebrate.

swimsuit cover up

I stitched this up for the Craftzine / Singer swimsuit cover up contest, which I don't expect to win (WAY too much talent out there to compete with) but which was a fun challenge anyway. And I got to use up this fabulous lightweight cotton(?) print cloth that I found buried in the bottom of my mother's closet.

It's sewn on the bias, which means there are no pesky zippers or other fastenings to mess with. It's the first garment I've made entirely from scratch (not merely an alteration of an existing piece of clothing), and so far I am loving it, particularly on hot, hot days like this one.

m.i.a.

I know I've been a lousy blogger lately, but there hasn't been a whole lot to report. The family of sparrows have fledged and gone. I've left the nest in the eaves, for the time being, just in case they should still need it, but the lack of peep-peep-peeping all day long tells me that they are indeed gone. These photos are actually of a robin's nest that I collected a month ago.

The backyard is taking shape, slowly but surely. We are almost ready to put down the landscape fabric, flagstones, and rock mulch. We've laid down a rough sketch of the meandering path that will circle around a small patch of drought-tolerant garden, and trail off to a small patio in the rear of the yard.

It's nearly finished already, see? I can imagine taking an easy stroll, walking around and around these piles of dirt.

take two: breakfast bars

I gave this recipe a second try over the weekend, this time baking them all the way through (and adding dried blueberries and sesame seeds), and voila! Yummy oaty goodness. They are a bit on the sweet side, which makes me think I may try Sweet Kitchen's version next, but overall I am pleased with the results--H. rather likes them, which means I will have to make another batch anyway if I'm to take any to work for my snack stash.

In other news, I've been busy these past weeks with unexpected company, a leaky water valve, pushing dirt around in the backyard, and a nest full of hungry peeping sparrow chicks, which I've been watching through my front window. You can't actually see much, apart from the comings and goings of the two parents, but the placement of the nest keeps me from walking on that side of the yard (I try not to stress out the birds more than I have to), so I end up just pointing the garden hose in the direction of the hydrangeas, and hoping that enough of the water makes it to the roots of the plants. I can't wait for the chicks to fledge and leave the nest, so that I can climb up there with the ladder and clean all those twigs and straw out of the eaves. What a mess.

failed breakfast bars

I've been eating a lot of granola bars from Trader Joe's lately (whole grain, healthy snacks help stave off both hunger and headaches) but decided I could do better by making my own... so I dug out Nigella Lawson's recipe for breakfast bars (from her Good Food Fast cookbook; you can also read a modified recipe on the Sweet Kitchen blog) and had a go at it. I think I must've played with too many variables, though, because they turned out less of a bar and more of a crumbly bread pudding/granola mixture, some parts being soggy and other parts crunchy.

I didn't have any condensed milk on hand, so I substituted a can of coconut milk (not really the same thing, I found out later), then left out the coconut flakes (which I didn't have either), and instead of dried cranberries I used raisins, and instead of unsalted peanuts and assorted seeds I added slightly salted cashews. I did think to toss in a little ground cinnamon, which would've been a nice touch if only the texture had come out properly.

I'm still getting used to the new toaster-sized convection oven, so I think I took it out a little early. Not much else could have gone wrong, but at least it's not burnt, right? It's actually still munchable, but just not as appealing as a good solid cookie bar would've been.

I'll have to pick up some condensed milk from the store and try it again, one of these days. Does anyone else have any good recipes? These raspberry bars and these blueberry bars also sound great.

warm and fuzzy: guerilla knitting at the library

A librarian friend of mine coordinated with a crafty group of knitters to decorate some of the trees around her library... I love guerilla knitting, and I am kicking myself for not having thought of this idea myself. The tree cozies fit in perfectly with this year's summer reading program theme, "Be Creative," so I thought I'd take this opportunity to remind everyone to sign their kids up right away, if you haven't already done so, and if your library allows adults to participate, sign yourselves up as well. Not only does the summer reading program help to keep your kids' brains nice and sharp, it's just one more way to show your support for your public library*. And, if you can believe what your local librarian tells you, it's "loads of fun."

*Little known fact: Higher usage rates and other "measurable" statistics can help us to secure funding in order to continue providing the programs that you and your kids love. Though government budgets are tight these days, corporations and local businesses are often willing to donate money (and sometimes goods or services) if they know that their contributions will be appreciated.

this makes me happy

I can't remember if any of us actually wore this darling little baby sweater, but it certainly looks like something that should be treasured and kept so that future generations may drool and make spittle all over it.

I am needing a break from the cleaning and decluttering and the shoveling of dirt, so today I plan to relax and do a little sewing/mending, and perhaps a little reading.

I hope everyone is having a great week!