HELLOmynameisHeather

Float Bloat

There was a tear in the time/space continuum last month that left us about two weeks behind the rest of the world in Holiday spirit.  Kick off the Holidays as late as December 22nd and you might welcome your gussied tree to hang around long past New Year's. 

Well, today was the day.  The tree has left the building. 

One last hoorah with a Gingerbread Man Float and it's onto sugar detox.  Here's hoping the Jones Soda Company brings these back next year.  Mmmm.

   

Sugar Sugar Coconut

Elijah & I made coconut marshmallows last night & this morning.  We added three teaspoons of coconut extract to the recipe and toasted coconut to the top.  These babies are slated for some rockin' s'mores, cut-to-fit.  If you've never had a homemade marshmallow, then you've never had a real marshmallow.  It always amazes me how few marshmallows it takes to kick a sugar craving.  Hoo-ee.  You see, with chocolate, the craving keeps kicking back. 

And, speaking of chocolate, go order a "Double-Chocolate-Chip Frappacino" at Starbucks sometime -- icy cold, less-guilty than a milkshake and so chocolately.  Perfect for our ridiculously-hot summer weather.  Elinor clued me in to her frappacino fetish on Saturday when we went for a trim-dig at a local fabrics-by-the-pound shop.  I picked up a funky assortment of buttons: wooden birdies, plastic telephones, tea kettles, bugs, and a few metal ones that look a bit like Madeline.

S'mores tonight!

Mintmallows

a.k.a. The Peppermint Experiment No. 2

I had meant to make these with Elijah on Christmas Eve, but we used up our baking time hunting all over town for a candy thermometer.  We found one in store No. 6, but only after checking two different sections of that store - twice - and then asking two managers if there was any other place they could be. 

We were told that they used to have a few hanging on a "clip strip," but were currently sold out.  You're thinking, "What manager knows the exact state of his store's candy-thermometer inventory at any given moment?"  Precisely, my thought.  So, unwilling to give up entirely, we took one last jog to the baking aisle to check the clip strips and there they were, two glorious thermometers.  At that point, I would have paid a mint, but we got out of there for only $1.06 - a Christmas miracle.

Of course, it was too late to make marshmallows in time for Christmas, but we did have fun running through the stores holding hands. (Who knows how much longer he'll hold my hand, so I've got to soak it up.) 

We initiated our thermometer last night, using Jocelyn's basic vanilla marshmallow recipe, then flavored the mallows with peppermint extract and dressed up their tops with swirls of red food coloring (her idea too).  Sticky, sticky fun.  I love the mildy-sweet powder they're coated in and their springy texture (reminds me of my sweet children's cheeks.)  And, ooo, what a way to justify a cup o' cocoa!  A serious upgrade from store-bought marshmallows. 

Improvements?  Next time I'm going for stronger flavor.  Maybe I'll add some crushed red hots or leftover candy canes into the mix.  After all, there are two minty holidays, Christmas... and Valentine's Day (arranged with leftover candy canes in mind, I'm sure).  And, I'm making a half-batch.  That recipe makes a ton of marshmallows, no kidding.

Worth the hassle?  Totally.  At least once.  For us, I'm certain there will be cherry-vanilla marshmallows and chocolate-dipped coconut ones in our future.  And shaped ones too.  I can easily see homemade marshmallows becoming an enduring holiday tradition at the Baileys'.

On other fronts, I spent the entire day yesterday catching up on emails.  I've never written so many emails in my life and I still didn't get to responding to any of your comments.  Thank you so much for the love.  I'm overwhelmed by your kindness.  I appreciate each and every note. 

Do you ever wish there were two of you?  Or three, or four, or five?  One of me would be assigned to never letting any comment or email go unaddressed.  One of me could do the exercising and healthy-food-only thing.  One could be super-mom.  And the other two or three of me would be assigned to keeping up with the idea factory.  Aah, sounds nice.

Back to emails, a number of yesterday's emails led me to some boutique children's designers who sell their one-of-a-kind outfits on eBay.  It looks like Freshcut has shipped and is starting to pop up all over the place.  Check out these cutie patooties:  here, here, here, and here.  Adorable!  And, some of these photos make it much easier to see the fabrics than those little swatches on the fabric sites.  A happy diversion, if you're looking for one.

Or, you can check out the Heather Bailey interview just posted on CRAFTzine.  Fascinating.

*This post was brought to you by the number: two*

Little Drawers, Little Breads

My parents just moved to a new home this month. And, lucky me, my mom brought me this little chest of drawers she didn't want to take with her. I have a thing for small chests of drawers. When I get my studio sorted out and photographed, you'll see what I mean. This little number is the best one yet.  It's a perfect notionkeeper. Each drawer is divided into four sections and the drawers don't fall out when you pull on them. All it needed was a happy color -- a great excuse to use the green spray paint I bought a while back. I'm just tickled to have it all done.  No fretting or planning, just one impulsive, "I think I'll go paint this thing!" -- and voila! 

Now I’m going to go fill it with needles and thimbles, fray check and seam rippers, and all manner of happy things -- a much-needed respite from dancing with desks.

On a different note, this is what I made for dinner last night, Little Breads. Yes, Little Breads – a ridiculous name, I know. I make this for dinner when I want something yummy, decently healthy, AND super easy. I never thought of my creation as a recipe until I learned that my sister, Julia, had adopted it for a regular meal and her husband had given it the official name, "Little Breads.” Brent has an odd, yet unaffected sense of humor, which I much appreciate and must endorse, so the name is indeed official. 'Recipe' here.

Note to self: Track down Brent’s poem about flies & see if he’ll let me share it.