Some sewing, some cooking Redux

new bag:

The Multitasker Tote by Anna Maria Horner

Well, it seems that I am up to my old tricks, naming this post almost the same as this one, cooking and sewing in between working and studying and all that. The cooking and sewing looks better on film though.

Sometimes I like to cook with sugar, you know white, refined, and much like cocaine (in terms of how bad it is for your body).

Other times, I like to cook without. And lately, we are also doing wheat-free baking for one family member who is less itchy without it. Here are some sweet potato muffins, Jonas's favorite.

JONAS'S Favorite and Mostly Healthy Muffins

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease your muffin cups or use liners.
• Into the bowl of a standing mixer, put in:

1 c. cooked sweet potato

1/3 c. vegetable oil

1 egg (if you are going for vegan, just substitute a couple of tablespoons of flax meal)

1/2 c. maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener like honey or agave nectar or whatever you have)

1/8-1/4 c. molasses

• Mix this up.
• In another small bowl, or if you are a cheater who doesn't like a bunch of dishes, just use your measuring cup:

2 c. flour (wheat or gluten-free or spelt, whatever)

1 t. baking powder

3/4 t. salt

1-2 t. cinnamon (we like it spicy!)

grated nutmeg (as much as you can stand to grate. I usually tire
of it after about 1/4 t., but I am a fan, so do more if you can)

allspice or cloves (a tiny pinch)

• Add your dry ingredients to your wet in 3 additions or so until
  

there are no obvious lumps of flour.

• Throw in a handful of chocolate chips, or raisins if you are
  

feeling virtuous. Mix.

• Plop in muffin cups and put in the oven for 20 minutes or so.

Here's my new spring/summer tote! Laminate fabric on the exterior for easy cleaning, nice roomy interior for all the stuff that goes along with me to the beach.

looking inward, from above

These four little exterior pockets, which I am loving, are perfect for your sunglasses and keys, ie. those things that are frequently hard to find in your voluminous pouch.

The little owls on the interior pockets, leftover from the Letter Pouch. I have to say that I really love the Anna Maria Horner pattern because it's written well and easy to understand. I will definitely look for more AMH patterns out there. There were some quirky steps in this bag, but I felt confident because the pattern was so well done. And I am really happy with how it turned out. In fact, last week I was able to go to work with just TWO bags in hand (a record), instead of the usual three.

As you probably already guessed, I had a really nice visit to Alewives Fabrics lately to redeem my Christmas gift certificate! (Can you believe it lasted so long?) So nice to see the lovely ladies there, as always. Rhea, the owner, is wonderful, and she seems to have a knack for hiring helpers who are equally so. This linen with the birds on it is a Japanese fabric and will be a new summer Barcelona skirt; A-line, not tiered this time. Can you tell I am looking ahead to summer sewing projects when I am not in school?

And some more of that owl fabric, to be a new pair of PJs for my very long-legged boy, Jonas. Notice those sweet Matryoshkas? Also a Japanese fabric, it's so so so soft that it is screaming (ever-sweetly) to be a new hankie. I am pondering a giveaway of hankies soon (a Matryoshka one will definitely be in the mix!), just as a thank you for reading gift, so keep checking in.

When she perches up here,

she usually thinks about flying down for some time,

and clucks very loudly while she contemplates

Finally, how is our friend Puffkin doing? The ongoing saga of our sweet hen continues. In the warmer weather, I removed the Chicken Cozy Neckwarmer and upcycled a tee-shirt sleeve (men's) to be a little protective covering that fits under her wings and over her healing parts. She lives in this little box in our woodshed and in the nicer weather we let her free range in the yard. The other chickens are securely in their chicken yard now, since my husby fixed their fence! So no danger of Puffkins being bullied or treated poorly by her feathered colleagues. For now, she seems content to go it alone, and when she's ready, we'll reintroduce her to the flock.