What Have I Been Up To?

Sadly, not a lot of art being made around here.  Mom and I did take a class that I enjoyed, doing a Tim Holtz project:

It's not really my own ideas and design, so I can't really claim much credit, but I like it, and the class was fun.

At home, I've been focused on other stuff, though, and it seems that my mind has room for only one creative pursuit at a time.  Currently, that creative pursuit is Middle Eastern dance.  I started taking lessons last year, and I'm really enjoying it.  And while I don't practice perhaps as often as I should, I'm starting to put things together on my own a bit.  And I'm designing costumes in my head, which I'll actually sew once I get myself to settle on some fabrics.  There's a sale on at JoAnn Fabrics this weekend, and while I don't usually shop Memorial Day sales (too crowded, and our vets didn't die for 50% off at Stuff-Mart), I might actually get that going.

I've also established a tiny little garden in pots on our balcony.  I wanted to grow tomatoes and herbs this year, along with my one pot of lavender.  And since the only one of our balconies that gets sun is the one off our master bedroom, our tiny little kitchen garden is upstairs instead of near the kitchen.  That's okay, once we get tomatoes on the plant, then if I wake up hungry I can roll out of bed and pick breakfast ;)  Mom and Dad came over and planted it with me last weekend, since I squandered my youth not helping them in the garden and therefore don't know my way around a potting shed.  Here are some glamor shots:

The newly planted tomatoes are in the red-covered Earth Box with some marigolds; lavender in the center and herbs in the pots to the sides.  Parsley, rosemary,thyme, chives, and mint.  Still have to get my basil.

My lavender, and marigolds on the downstairs balcony.  I've been playing with Instagram, too.

This weekend, work is closed Friday and Monday so I've got a forced long weekend.  I've got quite a long to-do list for myself, which includes cleaning up the Spare Oom so I can more comfortably get back to my art, finishing up a couple of art projects I started ages ago, and a few culinary adventures.  The first of those culinary adventures is done:  lavender lemonade!

First you pick your lavender lemons:

Just kidding.  That's a tiny lemon that didn't get used, I couldn't resist posing it in my lavender.  It nestled in so nicely!

Anyway, what you really do is make a simple syrup and steep dried lavender in it for about 10 minutes, then strain it.  Then you proceed to make your lemonade with equal parts syrup and fresh squeezed lemon juice (borrowed my mother-in-law's electric juicer - so much easier!), and dilute it with water til it tastes the way you want it.  It turns out looking something like this:

I'm sad I can't share some with you all.  It's delicious.  It's even Mr. Pocket Approved.  The herbal/floral flavor of the lavender is a really nice accent to the lemon.  I'll definitely be making it again.

I'll try to post more this weekend, with my continuing adventures in the pocket-sized kitchen.  And yes, our kitchen is pocket-sized.  Anyway, coming up next is bread, to be baked in my enameled cast iron dutch oven... here's a teaser...

Main Squeeze

As you've seen recently, I cannot do anything in the kitchen without making a huge mess.  Like tonight, when I pretty much spattered olive oil all over the stove frying sausage for dinner.  Well, Saturday morning, I had just cleaned the kitchen when Mr. Pocket and I proceeded to make a colossal mess.  You see, we had some lemons  and some limes, all of which we needed to use before they go bad.  And we have new citrus juicers.  So... when life gives you juicers, you make lemonade, right?

Yum.

That picture was taken after we'd each poured ourselves a glass.  It was a pretty tasty first batch of lemonade.  Next time, I'm gonna try and make lavender lemonade.

Now, Sunday, the post-party letdown was finally starting to creep up on me.  So Mr. Pocket packed me off to Mom's to do some crafting so I'd feel better.  I did feel better by the time I came home for his German relatives' birthday party.  His uncle and his other uncle's girlfriend have birthdays very close together, and since they're still here from the wedding, we were all celebrating both of them at his parents' house.  So I made a card for each of them:

His uncle's was very mechanical, because he used to make tools.  I had a lot of fun making it grungy and almost oily looking.

His uncle's girlfriend is very bright and cheerful and fun, so I knew I had to do something vibrant.  When I asked what her favorite color is, she answered yellow.  Oh no!  The one color of ink I don't have!  So I went with related colors, and did manage to find a paper with a little bit of yellow in it.

It was nice to be playing with papers and inks again.  Now I just need to get back to yarn, too.

Best. Dinner. Ever.

Confession time:  I've been collecting recipes that I haven't been using.  I have every intention of cooking for real, but with all the stuff I end up doing after work, usually it's up to Mr. Pocket to throw something together.  Now, don't get me wrong, Mr. Pocket is quite the amateur chef.  But usually he improvises, so the recipies I've been collecting just don't get used.  Until now.  This is one that Mom gave me, because she'd tried it and loved it.  It came from Cooking Light, and the recipe is here.  You should try it.  Because oh my goodness, it's the best dinner we've cooked in the new place.  Mr. Pocket even said so.  I mean, look at this:

Mr. Pocket's second helping.

How can chicken, rosemary, thyme, potatoes, tomatoes, and olives ever be bad?  (Okay, sure, if one of those things is something you generally don't like, but aside from that.)  It's super easy, too.  And roasting might be my favorite way of cooking.  I don't care that it takes longer.  Really, try this recipe.  You'll thank me.

Meanwhile, an update from Mr. Pocket's World of Maille:

The dear gentleman hard at work.

There's been a lot of mailling going on.  He's working on a hauberk, as you see above, in stainless steel.  And he's been making some small items for friends out of aluminum rings and scale:

Gauntlet in progress...

Hiiiiya!

I, meanwhile, have lots of wedding things to do.  Pray for me that I get it all done in time!