I *will* conquer the bread....

I'm not sure that I could ever live without bread. And by that I mean, fresh baked french bread or something similar. I honestly cannot be held reponsible if you stand between me and a still warm baguette....It could get ugly. But since we're trying to live a little more "off the grid" and be more self sufficient, I'm trying to master making my own bread. Wheat bread. But after many attempts of nastiness and a failed batch from a fellow bread maker that came out like mud, I think I have it figured out. Easiest recipe ever and fluffy, half wheat half white bread. Can you hear the angels singing?

1 1/2 tbs dry active yeast (is it really advisable to use the non active stuff?)
1 1/2 tbs kosher salt
3 cups lukewarm water
3 1/2 cups wheat pastry flour
3 cups white flour

Mix it all up and let it sit on your counter for about 2 hours. Punch the dough down again with a little kneading, and let rise again for another 2 or so hours. Punch down and knead and place in bread pan or whatever you would like to bake it all up in, and let rise again to desired height (another 2 or so hours). At this point those little yeasties have worked purty hard and should make a lovely bread. Bake @ 350 for about 45 minutes.

*drool*

Earthquakes, Bears, Volcanoes, Oh my...

Mt Redoubt has been rumbling for a few months now but has finally started to blow it's load. Flights are cancelled, mail isn't moving, and we finally got ashfall today. Driving around in our beater car (277,500 miles) and realizing 'huh, this isn't fog is it...?' Now we are safe at home and all the new electronic toys are covered just in case and a small pyrex dish sits in the driveway to catch the ash. Hooray! Aren't these pictures of the eruption crazy?? Lightning! Wow! I really had no idea we had the possibility for so many natural disasters when I moved here. Seriously. Tsunami, Earthquakes, erupting volcanoes, wild animals....Who knew? For realz.

If I venture out and wear my sexy mask I will be sure to be the envy of all who see me....

Back from the 'Banks

Jetty Mae and I took the ever so loverly road trip up to Fairbanks (approx 6 hours) for the Women's Show. *le sigh* Those be my peeps. Always good to see the folks who remember us from year to year and tell us how they are collecting our jewelry. It makes my heart go pitter patter...sort of like prom night. But without the ripped dress. Anyhoodle! Our first night in the hotel was spent with a hockey team (see? I knew you were wondering where I was going with the ripped prom dress thing)...in the room directly above us. I think they were practicing their skating on the floor or perhaps checking each other into the wall.....But Goddess bless the front desk clerks and the manager for changing our room the next night and refunding our monies. Yay!

Today has been spent tying up loose ends and crunching numbers and making multiple trips to the bank. I know. It would be so much easier if I did all my maths first, but I like to keep stashing little bits of cash away at a time. Ha! Soon I will be toddling down to the bookstore to sell them some old books, and if I can't control myself (which is totally probable) I will come home with some more. Sshhh...Don't tell G.

O.M.G. Too much of the cute

Can we just talk about how freakin cute this bird is for a sec? As in, fit in the palm of your hand? Or ride around in your pocket to stare up at you with those big eyes to say "Yes I know you want to go to Hogwarts....You're purty." See?! Cutest thing ever.

This little guy is a Saw-Whet Owl. And I have to have one. So I can then start wearing cowboy shirts with breast pockets and let him live there.

And I would name him Peter. Or Mable. Yes....Mable.....

Missing Booger....

We got Booger 3 weeks after I moved to Alaska and she was the bestest little furbaby ever. Would ride around on your shoulder, come when called, and give you sniffy kisses all day long. She was the smallest of our ferrets, but had the biggest heart.

Unfortunately after I got back to AK from my whirlwind East Coast trip she didn't quite seem the same....so all the kids went in for their yearly exam and we found a heart murmur....so we di x-rays and found that she only had 15% or so lung function as it seemed she was drowning in fluid. We scheduled in a procedure to remove to the fluid for Halloween, but the day before we a rough one so I took her in early. It turns out that it wasn't fluid, but a large tumor which had taken up her entire chest. So I made the terrible decision to let her go.....

She visits me in my dreams and dooks around just out of my vision. I miss that little monkey. I love all the others of course, but my Booger was my baby.....and sometimes it just hurts....

Branching Out

I've been with Etsy for over 3 years now....maybe 4? How long has it been around? Ha! And now I've sauntered over to open another shop on Artfire.com. I'm quite impressed with the range of advertising options they give you and have ready at your fingertips. So the goal is to now not only keep Etsy updated, but Artfire as well...And B....Ha! Stay tuned for my ever eveolving reviews of the site....muhahaha...lol

Big dreams and procrastination are my middle name...

We have our biggest show of the year coming up next weekend...in Fairbanks (oh the irony is not missed on me I promise you).....and we're slowly getting our acts together to get some inventory stocked. Each year I come up with some sort of system to make searching for certain items easier and thinking I've rocked the world. This year the system is plastic bags and sections. Yep. I should market the idea. Little plastic bags to hold things? Whoa. Hold on now....

I also applied for Bust's Spring Fling Craftacular in Brooklyn. Ha! If I actually make it in I will be beyond myself with 'holy shit.' A new system will have to be thought of. Much more inventory stocked. And a garden dress. I will need a new garden dress and some white gloves. kthnxbai.

Unapologetic Hipster

I have been having a very unhealthy relationship with "Panic From the Disco" as of late. And if you haven't heard them you should. It makes me tap my toes and grin like I've been pumped full of Stummies in Brain Candy. Back in the day when I was slinging coffee and portraying the tragically cool coffee girl with the arm tattoo as best I could, we circulated "The Hipsters Handbook." And of course, I was the stereotype barista to a t: short black hair, tight old band tees, arm tattoo and long apron. I would even threaten to give you decaf if you didn't tip well enough or were rude to me......I wonder what I am now? I would still absolutely give decaf if I could, but you couldn't pay me enough to warm up muffins and pour "a grande house on wheels with room" at 6am anymore....Now I need to get my hands on the book. Do they have a section about snobby boutique owners? Girls who try to make their own bread and use moonpads instead of storebought stuff? I guess I'm still probably the same...sans apron but with more tattoos.

Blueberry-Banana muffin-gasm

Since G has gotten here I have been introduced to the land of Costco. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it yet, but the little ladies in hairnets with samples of funky food are slowly forming my opinion of the place - for the better. We had 3 funky looking bananas left last night so I whipped up a batch of muffins and threw in the last of the blueberries too. OMG. Delish.

1 3/4 cups flour (I use wheat, but whatevs)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup apple sauce
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
3 whole mashed 'nanas
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blueberries.

Stir and drop into your muffin pans. This recipe makes enough for a pan of the full size and a pan of the minis (because 8 minis are equivalent to a regular one right? Don't judge me). 350* for approx 15 minutes. What does that all spell? Love and deliciousness.

*le sigh* Now pass the muffins before someone gets hurt.