snow mysteries

I love it when it's cold and bright outside, especially when you throw snow into the mix.

It's a lovely, crunchy walk back to the barn for our daily work.

One of the best parts is trying to decipher the mysterious tracks in the snow that appear when the snow sticks around for several days.

This splayed bird shape is probably from a small hawk, diving for a mouse or mole traveling beneath the snow.

Back by the barn, this large tamped-down circle is probably from a gathering of coyotes.

Tracks leading into the circle show that the coyotes came from all directions.  We need to get a trail cam set up back here!

Who are these mysterious companions that made multiple trips to our front pond?  One is certainly cat, but the other is strange.  Four distinct large prints, then a significant space, and then the repeating pattern of 4 prints.  Something surely hopped or loped, but what? 

Of course, bird tracks are unmistakable.

I love seeing the birds come...

...and go...

...around the feeders.  There are plenty of seeds for everyone.

Claudia doesn't seem to mind the snow too much.

The horses, too, have been out every day.

The snow will probably be gone within a day.  The sun has been bright, causing drippy icicles outside...

...and sleepy pets inside.

The snow will be gone, but we'll still have those amazing sunrises and sunsets to look forward to.

Have a great week! 

Padding, Pillows, and Plenty of Pudding

Before our current cold snap, I was able to get out in the yard and get some much-needed work done...under careful supervision, of course.

My sister brought over a big load of rich, healthy compost, which I'll till into our poor soil soon to add some much-needed nutrients.

Everything seemed to come to life at once. My autumn sedums look like miniature lettuce heads. They'll make a beautiful display in September.

I found another nice natural groundcover. This is persian speedwell...tiny blue flowers that spread in bright patches in our yard.

Blue is such a lovely color in the garden!

The columbines are making great headway. I expect to see stalks within two weeks.

Not to be outdone, the lilacs are showing bright green leaves all over. I simply can't wait until they bloom! I have the most beautiful bouquets in nearly every room in the house.

I found evidence of past life...some insect spent some time here in the fall!

Best of all, though, I found evidence of future life: the ground under our big pine tree is littered with tiny bits of fuzz, which the birds nesting above have dropped from their nests.

Lots of activity inside, too. Single flowers make beautiful displays in egg cups, assisted by a few pebbles within to help the stems stay upright.

Besides flowers, I've been thinking of more ways to bring some bright color into the house. I recently bought this pillow at IKEA for, I believe, around $10. I wanted to buy more, especially the blue plaid counterpart, but that could get expensive pretty quickly. How hard could it be to make my own? As it turns out, making a pillow is incredibly easy.

I found a man's button-up shirt at a thrift store that I thought would work nicely. Cost: .75.

I found an ugly old pillow that the cats had been kicking around on the front porch. Origin: unknown. Cost: free.

I placed the pillow on top of the spread-out shirt...

...and cut out around the pillow, making sure to leave a wide margin on all sides. I should've left a wider margin, but that was easily solved by removing the cover from the brown pillow to make it a better fit.

Then, I turned the shirt inside-out and simply stitched around the edges, making a nice, even square. I did this by hand, which took less than an hour. If you use a sewing machine, this would take mere minutes.

After your pillowcase is sewn, unbutton the shirt and turn it right side-out. Slip in the stuffing (or the pillow you're covering) and button the shirt up again.

Ladies and gentlemen, that's a pillowcase!

Or, if you prefer the flip side:

I'm really pleased with this less-than-$1 DIY project. The two pillows are complementary, I think, and make a good pair. I'm envisioning a whole stack of beautiful plaid pillows. All I need is a thrift store shirt!

I can't wait to go back!

My knitting needles have been clacking along, albeit slowly. I haven't had too much time to work on my cardigan, and certainly a sock yarn-weight cardigan takes much longer to knit than one knit with the typical DK- or worsted-weight yarn. I'm pleased with the way it's turning out, although I'm still a bit nervous about the modifications I'm making: lengthening the body, raising the neckline, and lengthening the sleeves, not to mention the size and gauge guesses. I will make it work somehow! I think it will be a perfect cool-weather cardigan.

Of course, I've been very busy in the kitchen as well. We just finished off the last of the coconut cream cupcakes, and my homemade butterscotch pudding with carmelized bananas and homemade whipped cream only lasted 2 days. But I did have time for another sweetie...any excuse to use my new tart pans!

From-Scratch Chocolate Pudding Tarts
Adapted from food.com
Serves 4

Pudding
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
4 - 6 tablespoons butter, melted

To make the crust, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and then carefully press into your pie or tart pan. Bake for 5 - 7 minutes.

For the pudding, mix all ingredients but the milk and vanilla together, and then add milk. Whisk until fully combined, and then microwave uncovered for 3 minutes.

Stir.

Then you'll continue to microwave in one minute increments, stirring after each minute. You'll notice after 4 or 5 rounds that a thick brown "skin" covers more and more of the pudding's surface each time. I usually stop once there's just a small bit of light brown remaining in the center.

Mix in the vanilla, and you're done! Note: if you like a sweeter pudding, add 1/3 cup sugar instead of 1/4 cup sugar. I just prefer the "darker" taste of a less-sweet pudding.

Spoon the thickened pudding onto the graham cracker crust and refrigerate.

YUM! These cool in a few hours and are ready to eat. They're absolutely delicious. I've been making the homemade pudding for years - I'll never go back to the powdered stuff! - but this is the first time I thought to pair it with a graham cracker crust.

It's a good match.

You'll notice that I don't have a photo of the tart out of the pan and ready to eat...a certain someone likes these a little too much, I think! They didn't last long enough to photograph. That's all right...it's quick and easy to make more!

I hope you'll give them a try. Have a great week!

Feeling Soup-er

It seems like everyone's enjoying the crisp fall weather that's finally arrived in the Midwest. From this female fox squirrel, who's taking advantage of the bounty of seeds and nuts in our yard...
...to Bosewichte, who rolls with exuberance at every opportunity. Of course, he still takes time out...
...to stop and smell the flowers.

Clarence is still coming around for snacks every day. I've been worried about him being outside in winter weather, but Todd is going to build a small shelter for him so he'll have a place to curl up, just in case he gets too cold.

I've been watching the ginkgo tree across the street with particular interest. I look forward to this change every year. First, the leaves develop a slight golden edge.

Then, whole swatches become golden.

Finally, the whole tree is aflame.

Alas, it only lasts a few days. Today, most of the leaves are a soft, brilliant carpet beneath the tree.
This particular tree is a male. Female trees produce a small, round fruit that have a very pungent smell, especially when accidently squashed underfoot.

Speaking of underfoot...I really have to be careful when visiting the kittens now. They're incredibly active. They have great fun with each other now. Climbing...

...kicking...

...wrestling...

..romping...

...and the occasional ambush.

The kittens are seven weeks old now. It's really important to socialize them with humans, and several different ones, by this point. Kittens who associate positive feelings with human touch from an early age tend to be much friendlier adults. Thankfully, these little guys get lots of love from lots of people!

Any little scrap can provide entertainment for them.

They are so inquisitive, too!

So angelic-looking...but don't be fooled!

I've been knitting a lot lately, as the weather provides the perfect atmosphere. I've felt particularly restless here. I didn't feel like knitting more mittens or hats. I didn't want to start on a sweater or another pair of socks. I decided to dig into my knitting binder for some seasonal motivation, and found this great idea. Tiny stockings to string on your Christmas tree, or even for an advent calendar. You can slip a small piece of candy and a note in each one, to be retrieved each day in December. What fun!

I made just one before realizing that I couldn't pull this together before December. I'll be working on it as time allows over the year, however, and hope to have an active sock advent calendar in 2011!

Meanwhile, I contemplated my sock yarn scrap stash. I've been collecting these mini-skeinlettes for months, through Ravelry swaps and outright purchases. They're about 10 grams each and I love the fiber and color variety.

I originally started collecting them for the purpose of starting a sock yarn blanket. Inspired by Shelly Kang's creation, I started stockpiling scraps. A blanket. Knit with size 2 needles. Sock yarn. Insanity? Perhaps, especially considering that each square takes 20 minutes to knit, and most blankets have around 500 squares.

Regardless, I'm diving in. My blanket contains seven squares, and I'm going to set a goal of knitting at least one square per day.

Todd has been sick with a terrible cold this past week. Of course, there's nothing better than a good home-cooked remedy. Fresh sourdough loaves...

...and the best homemade chicken soup! It's so easy to make, with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

What really makes it great is fresh sage, which I've harvested from my small kitchen garden. Dried sage will work too. Anyone can have good, homemade chicken soup in about 30 minutes!

Best-Ever Homemade Chicken Soup
Adapted from MissNezz, Food.com

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 (heaping) cup diced potatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme
7 - 8 sage leaves, chopped, or 3/4 teaspoon dried sage
56 ounces of chicken broth
2 cups chopped chicken, cooked
4 ounces egg noodles
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
salt and pepper to taste

Saute carrots, onion, and potatoes in olive oil until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Add spices, chicken broth, and bouillon, and bring to a boil. Then add chicken (to save time, I just cook 2 chicken breasts on my little grill) and egg noodles. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Top with a sprinkle of parsley.

Can't you almost taste it? It's so good, especially with homemade sourdough.

Perfect for chilly fall days. Enjoy!