Winter in the summer

I know it seems odd, but I'm already gearing up for the holiday season. I have to get my offerings ready now so there's plenty in November and December. So, I'm in shorts and sandals working with polar fleece. Luckily, my sewing area is in my nice cool basement.
I'll be putting out my new Autumn offerings in the next few weeks. Photos of the items will be up soon. Watch this space!

More new items

I've been working on new items for the shop. I just posted the first of the hot water bottle covers. More fabrics coming soon.
There are also new hand warmers, perfect for cheering on your favourite fall or winter team. These are the first ones out of the sewing machine but I haven't been able to hem them yet. Let me know what you think.

My New Craft Space

I haven't posted in quite a while. I've been busy with work and life in general. 

I've been working on my new space, an office for my crafting. Here's what it looked like before I got started and after. It's not done yet but it's so much better.

I'm developing new products in my new space so stay tuned!

Colds and Remedies

Well, my sweetie and I got that nasty summer cold that's going around. So no flavored vinegars again :(    But I did think about what we were doing to combat the nastys. Here is my recipe for a lemon pick me up for those with colds. Its hot in more ways than one.

Hot Lemonade for Colds
1 tbsp Lemon juice
6 oz Boiling water
honey to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

Put the lemon juice, Cayenne pepper and honey in the bottom of a mug and pour the hot water over it. stir well and drink.

This is not the most delicious thing you have ever tasted but it cuts through nasal congestion and mucus in the throat very well. Please be cautious with the Cayenne if you are not used to hot foods. Use what seems hot to you. A couple of grains might be just right.

My, it's been a long time!

Well, I'm back. I got a new job after the last post and life just ran away with me. I love my job. It's right up my alley; training, supervising and plenty of Zen computing(that's data entry for the rest of the world). I have a lovely new schedule I work a 4 by 10, 4 days for 10 hours, that's 3 DAYS OFF! the rest of the time, I get to spend with my honey and family, craft, clean the house, and get back to writing this blog. No weekends for me anymore. I'm going to start back developing more tutorials.

Speaking of which, the flavored vinegars are still in the fridge. As soon as I can, I'm going to get them out and finish the tutorial. This is the right time to start drinking some summer drinks like "medieval cool aid".

See you next week!

Medieval Cool Aid

Medieval cool aid is what I have heard sekanjabin called. It is a medieval drink that is still made in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. It is usually made with mint but I wanted to try some with fruit as I have had it at events.  Drinking vinegars are now available in stores but they are easy to make at home with a little time. Small prep times and long wait times are the way I make them. Last week, I started two different ones, cranberry and peach. I had some peaches that weren't getting eaten and I hate to waste food. I also had a large bag of frozen cranberries that I wanted to use up. The photos are of the cranberries. 

The items you will need for the first part of this project are:

Vinegar, not distilled. I used cider vinegar but white or red wine vinegars are fine.

A sealable container. I used a mason jar. I trust the seal and the glass does not react with anything I put into it.

Fruit to fill the container, usually 1 to 2 cups

space in the fridge to put the container for several days.

 Fill the jar with the fruit

 Fill the jar with the vinegar and leave a head space at the top.

 Seal the top and put in the fridge for several days.

I'll post part two later in the week.

Sweet Times in the Kitchen

Making your own simple syrup is easy and fast. Simple syrup is used to sweeten cool beverages like iced tea or coffee, fruity drinks or cocktails. My local coffee shop calls it liquid sugar but I've seen that they get the same effect from the same amount as my syrup.

So here is the recipe:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Put the water and sugar in a saucepan.

Heat over medium high heat until the sugar disolves and the mixture is clear and simmering. 

 Remove from the heat and wait for the mixture to cool. Then put it into a vessel for storage. I use a glass bottle that I cleaned well.

 Label and store in the fridge. I like having my drinks the same temperature when I mix things up.

I love having this available for my iced coffee in the morning. This will keep in the fridge for about two weeks in a closed vessel. I make what I need for that time which for our house is about 700 mL, or double this recipe. That's the amount you see in my 2 quart pan in the photos.

Have a sweet day!