Cloth Face Mask

So I decided to try making a fabric face mask. This one is actually too big for me, but it will work for my husband, I think. 

I used these instructions:

Instructable

And made Mask 2 - Large

I had some red fabric left over from something else.

Cut 4.

Sew. (For all of the instructions, go to the site linked above!)

And then I went to the grocery store.

Totally need to make a smaller one. 

I Made a Rug

I have a desk the basement. The flooring down here is a vinyl laminate over concrete. My feet get cold even through slippers. For a couple of weeks, I had just kicked an old, stained twin sheet under there, but I decided to actually try making a braided rag rug.

Step 1 - use the sheet and some other yard goods that were laying around (an old cotton curtain, leftovers from other projects) and tear into strips about an inch and a half thick. No measuring actually happened. 

Step 2 - braid them into a really long rope. 

I didn't pay much attention to which fabrics went where, except that I decided to end with the yellowish one to the outside of the rug.

Step 3 - sew it into a sort of circular shape.

I was going for oval, but failed there. I started on the sewing machine, accidentally started making a fabric dowel instead of a rug. Took out a bunch of rounds (not really enough the flatten it fully, it turns out). Sew some rounds by hand. Decide that is too time consuming and wow did my hands get tired. Alternate between machine and hand work a couple of times. Finish most of it on machine.

Step 4 - trim the loose strings, hand sew up a couple of gaps, and: I made a rug!

It's kind of lumpy.

Oval shape would have worked much better.

It will still keep my feet warm. 

I purchased nothing for this project. I used up at least 4 partial bobbins left from other projects.

Coffee Cake

It is wet and cold and rainy today.

The perfect kind of day to bake something warm and sweet for breakfast. I had the perfect amount of time, too - I was up about 30 minutes before anyone else in my family usually gets up.

My mom gave me this recipe - that's her handwriting and everything! No idea where she got it from, but I would guess the back of a Bisquick box.

This time I used nonstick cooking spray on the pan. It worked just fine. 

I use my local store's Baking Mix instead of Bisquick. 

I used almond milk and margarine - but I added 3 tablespoons of margarine instead of 2, because it finished off the end of the stick and I was lazy. 

This time I used a pastry knife to make the crumble (instead of squishing it by hand) and it was much simpler and way less messy.

In the oven for 22 minutes. 

Tasted a little eggy to me - but I think that may be something about the almond milk? Becuase my waffles tasted eggy as well. Maybe the almond milk doesn't cut the egg flavor like other liquids would. 

No complaints from the first child to emerge and consume their share.

Banana Bread

I baked today! 

So I didn't have either chocolate chips or nuts. Sad. I used almond milk, and I subbed in 1/2 cup of the flour with whole wheat. I used some chocolate extract as well as vanilla.

Gloppy and ready to bake. 

Ended up being 55 minutes in the oven.

It would have tasted better with some chocolate, or spread with nutella....

It did turn out well. 

Scavenge the Stars

By Tara Sim

Hardback

327 pages

Owlcrate 

Loosely inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo, this is a YA novel about revenge. Amaya, the protagonist, teams up with a mysterious stranger on a quest for vengeance.

 When Amaya sails into town, she realizes that her own story is much more complicated than she expected. 

It's the first in a duology. I would be interested in reading the next one when it comes out.

It came on one of my Owlcrate boxes, and is signed! I always enjoy that.

Waffles

My first post was better, but I forgot to save it before checking a text and it disappeared. 

Waffles for dinner, because the kids outvoted me.

My recipes don't typically have a lot of details. 

I usually double this, and use almond milk.

Soupy and lumpy and kind of gross looking. But perfect. 

If I don't spray each time, I get scraps instead of waffles.

About this much.

Waffles. Letting them wait on a cooling tray keeps them crisper for longer. To keep even longer, set that in a warm oven.

Makes 8 as written, 16 doubled. More or less.

March 2020 Owlcrate

I've been getting Owlcrates for upwards of 4 years! Still never had a disappointment. 

The box!

The theme is Music of the Night

Under all the fluffy paper worms

All the swag!

Socks, book, lip scrub, poster, bluetooth speaker, book plates, pin, candle, wooden art.

Dancing with Mr. Darcy

Paperback

240+ pages

This is a collection of Austen inspired short stories that I finished this morning. Sometimes it's nice to be able to pick something up, read a very short story, then put it down again. 

It's quite a varied selection - some loosely inspired by author or novels, some which draw more directly.  

It was fine, but not amazing.

Chicken Curry with Chickpeas

Since we aren't going out, I've decided to post about my cooking. 

Today's dinner is curry.

I don't follow this recipe exactly. I usually use one pan, browning chicken first, then throwing onions in while I cut chicken on the cutting board.

 I have started using coconut milk for the sauce. 

I usually throw in a can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans before the simmer. 

Sometimes I just use 2 cans of beans instead of any meat. I have made it vegan, but usually don't. The kids love it with chicken.

I serve with plain white rice.