blog #447 >> Sauerkraut and Snow

Nearly three weeks ago, I chopped up some cabbage, soaked it in salt, stuffed it in a giant jar, and simply left on my kitchen counter for a REALLY long time. I have to admit, I had my doubts whether or not it was actually fermenting. I was afraid it was just going to sit there, rot and get moldy. But I'm happy to say that I just made the BEST sauerkraut I've ever had! WOW! I will NEVER buy it from the store again. It was unbelievably easy and well worth the wait. Next time I make it though, I think I'll use a little less salt, and I think I could have let this one ferment a little bit longer. But I could tell it was fermenting correctly, because when I took it out of the jar and drained it, it was surprising warm to the touch. It was about the warmth of hot tap water... it was kinda strange. But absolutely delicious! (I should also note that the cheese cloth lasted about three days, before I gave up on it and took it out. I'm still trying to find a good way to weigh the cabbage down.)


Today we also had our first snow of the year! Unfortunately, the roads were clear, so I still had to go to work and couldn't stay at home and drink tea all day while knitting and watching the snow fall... but I'll admit, I did show up a little late anyhow. It took me longer to brush all the snow off the car than it did for me to drive to work!

T

blog #446 >> Creek Rabbits

We now have bunnies down by the creek! I'm really hoping they stick around and don't hop off or get devoured by a predator. My brother dropped them off today. They were roaming around his yard, but he's afraid they'd get into the garden, so it was time to find them a new home. And the creek is a beautiful home where they can roam free and at liberty. They are very tame and seemed really happy to see us... well I guess the carrots I brought them helped. I think I'll be sneaking them lots of veggies in the future.


T

blog #445 >> About Toast

...and toasters... and other things too.

But first, I just want to say that, I LOVE TOAST! mmmmm... buttery, crispy, cozy toast! I enjoy a nice slice of toast or two with tea and milk everyday for breakfast. And the great thing about toast is, there's so many things that taste great on it. It's delicious with jam, or peanut butter, or nutella, or cheese, or soft boiled eggs, or bacon, or cinnamon and sugar... it's just so versatile! So when my toaster broke down last week, it was actually a bit traumatic. My entire breakfast infrastructure was thrown out of balance. I am willing to eat cold cereal and fruit for breakfast once in awhile, but it's just not the same as a warm slice of toast with a hot cup of tea. However as you can imagine, someone who loves toast as much as I do, will have a back-up just in case.


I started buying things for my apartment when I was thirteen, so by the time I moved there wasn't much left that I needed to buy. And since I got everything so long ago, I had duplicates of a few things. Somehow I ended up with five ash trays, and I don't even smoke! I also ended up with two toasters, not such a bad thing at that. I knew my favorite chrome toaster would not last very long. My parents got it for a wedding gift and they gave it to me when I moved out. Surprisingly, it has lasted these past five years without any problem, that is, until last week. I just could not get it to work. Therefore the little yellow toaster my sister gave me came out of the basement. Cute? Yes! But to my dismay I realized that it makes TERRIBLE toast! Do all modern toasters work so horribly? Technically, it should be the best toaster ever! It has great features. It pops up when it's done, and it is extra wide for bagels. But I don't eat many bagels... I eat toast! It will burn one side of the bread and barely toast the other. It also doesn't toast the bread all the way through. So sad. Yet there is HOPE! My dad is very clever at fixing things, and at last my beloved toaster is repaired and back to its normal feisty self. (It hasn't popped up on its own since I was about five years old. But since it's never worked, I have developed an "inner toaster sense" and know exactly when it is done without even looking.) I'm so happy to have my good old toaster back! I think I'm going to go try it out right now! And the little yellow toaster is going to find a happy new home full of bagel lovers!

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And as for other things.... af;lajdsf;awoifjsdknlxhjkl... sorry, I was brushing the toast crumbs off my keyboard. These are the swell sewing things I got today at Knittin' Kitten and Scrap. The shoe stretchers I got at Mike's for $1! Altogether everything cost $10! Pretty good bargain day for me!


And this is my crazy Christmas cactus which doesn't know what time of year it is, but at least it finally decided to bloom.

T

blog #444 >> Happy St. Valentine's Day!

Happy St. Valentine's Day!
T

Image found at vintageholidaycrafts.com

blog #443 >> Knitted Hat

At last! I've finished my hat! Now I think I'm going to make arm warmers to match.
T