Catching Up
Things have been a little crazy around Chez Bee lately. Work has been busy, which I like. The 'kids' continue to amuse me, which is essential to my happiness. Yesterday I had to help a Mechanical Engineer remove paper from the hole punch. His educated mind couldn't grasp the concept I was explaining as 'just wiggle it'. I finally went over, grabbed, wiggled and popped it free and he was incredulous. You would have thought I'd blatantly displayed one of my numerous super-powers.
The Knit Chicks came by for a Girls' (and Ben) Night get-together. I made the mistake of trying to 'teach' Ben not to rush the door and slobber people...to let them get in and settled first. He didn't take it well and consequently Mr. Life-Of-The-Party sulked in the bedroom all night instead of attending to his honorary aunties. I've never seen him so ticked and pathetic. It was kind of scary at the time because I thought maybe he was hurt or sick, but in restrospect (since he was back to his old goofy self the next morning) it was hilarious. I think he was genuinely embarrassed to be scolded in front of his lady friends!
I made lemon sponge squares for our girls' night. TWICE. I saw the recipe and thinking that it couldn't be easier, I decided to try them. Combine an angel food cake mix and a can of lemon pie filling and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. So I did. I got the cake mix and a large can of filling, mixed it, put it in a greased 9x13 and let her rip. What came out of the oven looked like the landscape of the moon with hills, hollows and buckles, until it hit the cool air whereupon it shrank from the edges of the greased pan and formed a smallish wad of some kind of flubber-like substance.I swear I saw it move on its own. I could barely rip it apart. I think I invented an entirely new plastic! Re-reading the two line recipe, I discovered my problem; a REGULAR sized can of lemon pie filling (such as Wilderness) in an UNGREASED 10x15 JELLY ROLL PAN! Somehow those small details had escaped me and I basically messed up anything that possibly could have been messed up. So I gathered up the materials once again and started anew and TA-DA! They came out perfectly. It said to dust with powdered sugar but I put a little glaze on instead. So my simple sponge squares weren't so simple but I'd definitely make them again. The second version first next time though!
The fleeces that I sent to the carding mill came back on Thursday as roving for me to spin ...well half of it did..NINE pounds worth! Some of it is Mick-the-dark-colored llama and Bert-the-white-sheep mixed together and some is just Bert. I started spinning it and did a small test skein of Mick/Bert and a large skein of just Bert. I forgot how much I enjoy the rhythm of spinning. And it's extra special because I know the animals so well. I get the rest of the batch this week or next; Thor-the-whit- llama and Frances-the-white-sheep and Wee Teddy the black spotted Shetland. I'll spin up as much as I can before the silent auction in August. Some of it can be sold there and I think there will be more for the website store as well. I think I have my work cut out for me over the next 8 weeks!
We've gotten some new animals at the barn:
Notice how he keeps one ear alert in case there are treats involved somehow...except for that lemon flubber...even he wouldn't eat that! What have YOU been up to?
The Knit Chicks came by for a Girls' (and Ben) Night get-together. I made the mistake of trying to 'teach' Ben not to rush the door and slobber people...to let them get in and settled first. He didn't take it well and consequently Mr. Life-Of-The-Party sulked in the bedroom all night instead of attending to his honorary aunties. I've never seen him so ticked and pathetic. It was kind of scary at the time because I thought maybe he was hurt or sick, but in restrospect (since he was back to his old goofy self the next morning) it was hilarious. I think he was genuinely embarrassed to be scolded in front of his lady friends!
I made lemon sponge squares for our girls' night. TWICE. I saw the recipe and thinking that it couldn't be easier, I decided to try them. Combine an angel food cake mix and a can of lemon pie filling and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. So I did. I got the cake mix and a large can of filling, mixed it, put it in a greased 9x13 and let her rip. What came out of the oven looked like the landscape of the moon with hills, hollows and buckles, until it hit the cool air whereupon it shrank from the edges of the greased pan and formed a smallish wad of some kind of flubber-like substance.I swear I saw it move on its own. I could barely rip it apart. I think I invented an entirely new plastic! Re-reading the two line recipe, I discovered my problem; a REGULAR sized can of lemon pie filling (such as Wilderness) in an UNGREASED 10x15 JELLY ROLL PAN! Somehow those small details had escaped me and I basically messed up anything that possibly could have been messed up. So I gathered up the materials once again and started anew and TA-DA! They came out perfectly. It said to dust with powdered sugar but I put a little glaze on instead. So my simple sponge squares weren't so simple but I'd definitely make them again. The second version first next time though!
The fleeces that I sent to the carding mill came back on Thursday as roving for me to spin ...well half of it did..NINE pounds worth! Some of it is Mick-the-dark-colored llama and Bert-the-white-sheep mixed together and some is just Bert. I started spinning it and did a small test skein of Mick/Bert and a large skein of just Bert. I forgot how much I enjoy the rhythm of spinning. And it's extra special because I know the animals so well. I get the rest of the batch this week or next; Thor-the-whit- llama and Frances-the-white-sheep and Wee Teddy the black spotted Shetland. I'll spin up as much as I can before the silent auction in August. Some of it can be sold there and I think there will be more for the website store as well. I think I have my work cut out for me over the next 8 weeks!
We've gotten some new animals at the barn:
Two 4-week old Shetland cross lambs (temporary names are Petal and Poppy). They are still being bottle fed and are small enough (less than 10#) to be picked up and snorgled. I spent a goodly amount of time doing that last Sunday!
And a pygmy goat names Zeuss (which I HOPE is a temporary name). I haven't met him yet, but just by looking at his photo, I can tell he has a high level of snorgle-ness as well!
And on top of all of that, I have been in a cleaning, reorganizing mood and have thinned out my possessions and rearranged furniture to the point where I can't find anything now! So that's what I've got going on....all of which leaves Mr Ben exhausted:
Comments
I love the wee goat picture. If you so any snorgling on him, do a little extra for me.
Just had the sheep and goats sheared and now I am in the process of skirting and washing in preparation to sending the fleeces off to the mill just around the corner.