Don’t Lose Your Marbles

I have to confess when my older daughter told me about Pinterest more than a year ago, I stayed away from it. When it comes to collecting patterns, books and ideas I have more than enough stuff already. More than I can make in a lifetime. Besides, I’m just as likely to make something that’s been bumping around my noggin.

Then I started this blog. Some of my blog photos are now on a Pinterest board. While on the site I got curious. The container you see in the above photo is a result of that curiosity. Technically, I suppose it’s a candle holder. I bought it several years ago for my older daughter’s bedroom when it was decorated with a Chinese theme. We poured a few bags of red, decorator marbles in it and added some LED tea lights to it. She could have the ambience of candles, and I wouldn’t have to worry about the house burning down.

Last fall, she moved out. The container migrated downstairs and did some time with the Christmas decorations. Then it remained parked on a table whose sole purpose seemed to be the collection of clutter. At the beginning of Thanksgiving break I needed to clear that table so I could use it as a work surface for my Roman blind. After everything else was put away or added to the donation pile, I found myself staring at the candle holder/vase with its ruby red marbles. What to do with it? There was nothing wrong with it; no cracks or chips. It just didn’t seem very exciting anymore. Then I recalled projects I saw on Pinterest, projects involving glass decorator marbles affixed to other glass items. I studied the quantity of marbles in the container and concluded I had enough to cover the outside. Thanks to the presence of 2 fish tanks in my house I also had the appropriate adhesive.

This newly revised candle holder/vase was the project I worked on when I got tired of my Roman blind or didn’t feel like cooking. After I finished putting the marbles on the outside, I put a strand of LED lights in the container and filled it with the roses. Right now it’s sitting on my desk at work. I may eventually give it to someone but haven’t quite decided yet. I do know there are some other glass items in my house that will probably get the marble treatment.

The Project Queen

Roman Blind Holiday

I have a dog who takes her guardianship of our house very seriously. Her name is Alexa, and she was introduced in a post back in October.

Alexa’s self-imposed guard duties include watching the front yard from our living room window. Whenever neighbors or strangers walk by (even on the other side of the street), or roaming animals visit our front yard, she barks, then demonstrates her willingness to tear the interloper to pieces by shredding my curtains. Over time her abuse resulted in a bent curtain rod and hardware. Plaster came off the wall around the screws holding everything. Three weeks ago she ripped a panel off the rod while my husband and I were running errands.

My husband wanted to purchase new curtains, but I knew it was only a matter of time before Alexa destroyed them too. We needed something we could put out of her reach. I detest dust collecting mini-blinds (and they have no energy saving properties) so a fabric Roman blind was the solution. I just had one problem. The window measures 70” square. Finding a ready-made blind that size isn’t easy.  They’re also expensive.

Back to the stash again. As it turned out I had a floral fabric that actually coordinates with the paint in that room. And I had more than enough.  With a decision made the race was on to get the blind finished. Until my new covering was in the window, my husband had replaced the missing curtain with a brown panel I had for another window. The remaining, tattered panel was dark blue. We really didn’t want to receive a letter from the subdivision Gestapo informing us that we had inappropriate window coverings.

I had never made a Roman blind before and would have preferred not to start with such a large window. My mom had made some Roman blinds when I was in high school. I remembered a bit about their construction. I also have a book about making fabric blinds in my craft library. However, I didn’t find it as complete as I would have liked. I tried watching various how-to videos, but I have to confess they made me nutty. There didn’t seem to be one single set of instructions to reach the final product. In the end, I formulated a plan based on the mechanical supplies I was able to find in my local stores. Once I got started, the project took 5 days of my Thanksgiving break. Overall, I’m pleased with the way it turned out, and the mechanics work. I also like the way the fabric blind provides better insulation than the curtains did. Over the Christmas break I’ll probably make a matching blind for the dining room window which is 47”x70”. After that, who knows? I have 3 other 70” square windows. Not sure I’m that ambitious.

The Project Queen

Dressing Cornbread Muffins

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and dressing is one of my favorite dishes. But all the carbs that get served at the Thanksgiving table are beginning to concern me (and my waistline). Usually I make mashed potatoes, dressing and some kind of yeast roll. This year I gave my husband a choice of sides. He chose potatoes. I still wanted dressing, and it occurred to me, after making a batch of cornbread muffins with added sweet corn, that I could have my dinner bread and dressing in one nifty package.

Although there is some prep work involved, these muffins are less labor-intensive than dressing, and bake in 15 – 20 minutes. They’re a great time saver and also less expensive because they require fewer ingredients. Feel like dressing with your favorite weeknight meal? Now you can easily have it, without resorting to that stuff in the box.

For my batter I used a cornbread recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, the breast cancer edition. I doubled the recipe. It made 12 large muffins, or it would make 24 regular muffins. Feel free to use your favorite recipe.

½ c. celery

½ c. onion

1 tsp. sage

1 tsp. tyme

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. pepper

½ c. bacon or sausage crumbles, optional

Dice the celery and onion into 1/4 inch pieces. If you have one, use a non-stick skillet with a little spray oil to sauté the vegetables until tender. Set aside and allow to cool.

Once your batter is made, stir in the above ingredients. Place the batter in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to meld. I used an 8-cup batter bowl with lid to make my muffins. For baking, follow the instructions of your recipe.

Note: Keep the fat and oils of all add-ins minimal so the amount of fat in your cornbread recipe won’t need to be adjusted.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Project Queen

Poffertjes

(Puffer-ages) For those who aren’t familiar with Dutch cuisine (other than their possible influence on the creation of the doughnut), Poffertjes are small pancakes about the size of a $.50 piece. Like Aebleskivers these small cakes are made in a special pan, but the wells aren’t as deep and there are more of them in the pan. Unlike Aebleskivers, Poffertjes are not filled.

This particular recipe came from my mother-in-law and it has some significant differences from what is considered traditional. Many recipes I’ve found online have yeast and buckwheat flour. I’m not sure where my mother-in-law got her version, but I like it best. The butter gives a nice golden color and flavor to the cakes, while the beaten egg whites provide leavening making them light as air.

I made these Sunday morning in honor of setting the clock back. Usually, these are eaten with powdered sugar, but I decided to make a sauce with frozen blueberries. (Which I picked this last June. I’ve been hoarding them like a miser with gold.) If you want to eat Poffertjes with fruit you could probably add some finely grated lemon zest to the batter. Likewise, imitation rum or vanilla could be used for flavoring if you don’t want to use the real thing.

3 eggs, yolks and whites separated

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 tsp. rum

1 ½ c. flour

¼ tsp. salt

¾ c. milk

¾ c. cold water

Place pan on stove and begin heating. Mix egg yolks, butter and rum until fluffy. Slowly add flour, salt and milk, then add water. In a separate bowl beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold into the batter, being careful not to over-mix and lose the air bubbles. Use a funnel to pour the batter into a condiment squeeze bottle. The bottle is the easiest and cleanest way to pour the batter into the pan.

If you can feel heat rising from the pan when you hold your hand a couple of inches above it, it’s hot enough. I fill the wells in the center and work my way out. Poffertjes usually cook through in a minute or two. Once they are a light golden brown use a bamboo skewer and fork to flip them over. Make sure you’re keeping a close eye on them. If the pan is too hot they can burn quickly. If you have a pair of good oven mitts, you can pick the pan up by its handles and flip the cakes onto a serving platter or plate.

Where do you find a Poffertjes pan? They are available on the internet. I got mine in Old Town Spring, TX at a shop called the Little Dutch Girl. You may find a non-stick version, but I highly recommend getting cast iron. Season it properly with shortening (don’t wash, just wipe off when cool) and it will last forever.

The Project Queen



The Queen of Orchids

I may need to find another support group, one for orchid addiction. A few weeks ago I had 6 orchids, and then I purchased 3 small orchids. Two days ago I succumbed to a regal Cymbidium orchid at the grocery store. Now there are 10 plants in my collection.

I’ve been longing for a Cymbidium for some time. The store had one about a month ago, which I sadly passed by because I was afraid it would be too expensive. This time there were 7 – 10 plants available. I just couldn’t walk away again. The first one to catch my eye was the one that came home with me. She had the largest flowers on two generous spikes. Best of all, she was only $20. It was a pleasant surprise when I checked the price at the register. There was a bar code label on the pot but no price. I’ve since wondered if I dreamed it, and now my store receipt is missing. No matter, she’s a lovely lady and it’s been a pleasure to have her sitting on my desk.

In the long run we will see if our relationship is destined to last. Cymbidiums like cooler night temperatures to encourage re-blooming. (50 -70 degrees). I am more of a hot house flower. The cold and I are not close friends.  My new prize can apparently spend time outside while blooming, & right now our temps are reasonable enough that she may relocate for awhile. During the summer, she will have to be inside since it’s too hot here. Queen Cymbidium is definitely a demanding monarch requiring more specialized care. I hope I have what it takes to be her lady in waiting. If this association works out I may be well on my way to becoming the “Crazy Orchid Lady.”

The Project Queen

She's a big girl, about 34" from the bottom of the pot to top of her tallest flower spike.