Cool Cats (Warmer Now)

In Michigan, October brings a more serious chill to the air and I find myself tempted to turn on the furnace. While I can add a sweater, my cats were glaring at me to let me know they can’t. Many years ago I went to thrift stores collecting wool sweaters. I planned to felt them and use the felted fabric to make a jacket for my daughter. She was 4 then, and she is 17 now so clearly I have missed the moment!

Recently I saw a project that constructs a pet bed from old sweaters where you stuff the arms and body (see link) creating a bit of a hug. Since I still needed to find a project for the 13 year old felted sweater material; I designed my own cat beds. To felt the sweaters, I simply washed them in hot soapy water which shrinks the wool and locks the fibers together preventing the sweater from coming unraveled when cut into pieces. Three of the four sweaters were 100% wool and the pastel striped sweater was over 50% wool blend which resulted in a felt with some visible knitting remaining. Constructing my own bed design allowed me to make it just the right size for my cats.

I cut the fabric for the bolster to measure 6 inches wide and long enough to complete a circle around my base with overlap. I used 2-4 pieces of felt for the bolsters depending on the color pattern I created. For the base, I used a platter and added one inch to create an appealing shape for a cat nap.

  • Three inch doubled fabric.
  • Base is one inch longer than platter.
  • Various sweater pieces were used, sleeves were cut to measure 6 inches.

Using a simple blanket stitch I attached the sides to the base (which contained no stuffing). I sewed all the pieces together at one time which made the project come together quickly.

  • Pinning bolster to base.
  • Note the overlap of bolster pieces.
  • Use blanket stitch over the edged of all pieces.
  • This is the resulting seam which is underneath the bed when completed.

Using polyester batting and a long wooden dowel I stuffed the bolsters and then sewed those pieces together with a simple running stitch. I placed them in some of Simon and Kimbers favorite spots and they seem to enjoy them!

  • Simon will still leave it to sit on the keyboard.
  • Simon enjoying his power position on the sectional
  • Kimber enjoying her spot on the back of the sofa.
  • Completed cat beds. I kept the sleeve ribbing for a visual reminder of their origins and to get the “hug”.

Stay warm and be well!

Garden Crafts: Botanical Note Cards

In my previous post Garden Crafts: Pressing Flowers I shared how I have been preserving my garden by pressing and drying flowers and leaves. I thought I would take a minute to share with you some of what I did with those dried pressed flowers. I purchased some blank note cards at my craft store and applied Matte Modge Podge to the card, applied the flower or leaf and then sealed it over with more Modge Podge. I used them immediately to send thank you cards and a birthday greeting and learned they didn’t all travel well. To make sure the delicate petals don’t flake off make sure they are placed on a nice layer of Modge Podge and that they are entirely covered in Modge Podge to seal them in. After I learned this I included a rectangle of parchment paper to protect the front of the card from sticking to the envelope. I also used some elements from my spice cupboard by adding poppy seeds to give it texture and outline the delicate white petals.

Note cards created with dried pressed flowers.
Note cards created with dried pressed flowers.

Now that it is autumn in Michigan I have loaded up my flower press with leaves I’ve collected. I am unsure if they will keep their brilliant fall colors but I am hopeful.

I am trying to collect enough flowers and leaves etc. to have on hand the materials to design more cards over the winter and perhaps try framing some to hang on the walls. I hope this has inspired you to “harvest” items from your garden in a new way. Enjoy!

Garden Crafts: Pressing Flowers

I’ve dreamed of growing flowers that can be cut and used in floral arrangements. Unfortunately, my cats prevent me from having nice things including houseplants, cut flowers and nice furniture. The tuxedo cat is Simon (the destroyer of floral arrangements) and the tabby cat is Kimber (the destroyer of houseplants).

Years ago my mother-in-law gave me her flower press which consists of two wooden boards held together with screws and wing nuts. It contains layers of paper to absorb the moisture in the plants. I refreshed the old paper and replaced it with cardboard, construction paper, paper towels and parchment paper. I positioned the fresh flowers between the paper towel and parchment paper to both prevent sticking and absorb moisture. Of course you don’t need a flower press, a heavy book will do. You can speed up the process by using the microwave (YouTube tutorial here: https://youtu.be/IIb879Uhda8) however you will not be able to get them as flat as the flower press which is an important detail for some projects. I marked my calendar and tightened the screws after a week and removed them after two weeks. Your results may vary depending on the types of flowers and conditions in your home.

I was most impressed by the roses which flattened out and dried into cute little button shapes. The petunias surprised me by starting out red and ending up purple!? The pressed petunias were translucent, delicate and painfully thin. I was disappointed that the nasturtium lost some of the painterly effect seen in the leaves prior to drying. The small coreopsis petals hung together well and dried beautifully.

I decided that the best way to store these delicate beauties would be under sheet protectors. I filled the sleeves with card stock and gently placed the dried flowers, leaves and ferns into the sleeve. The static under the plastic was frustrating for placement but was just what I needed to keep them from falling out. Now I have a binder to help me store and collect the delicate specimens. Next, I will use Modge Podge to fasten them to greeting cards or position them for framing.

My bedroom has floral Audubon prints and I imagine framed pressed flowers will be a welcome addition. I hope that preserving the garden in this way will reminded me of the warm summer months when we are deep in a Michigan winter.

Baking for Dogs

Gracie has the purple leash and Louie the red.

We are on day 27 of our Stay Home/Stay Safe order here in Michigan, USA and it has been 31 days since the President declared a National Emergency. I did a pretty good job of stocking up on essentials and preparing our family for 30 days of sheltering in place (only taking trips to the pharmacy and bank so far) however I forgot one thing… dog treats. Our dogs, Gracie and Louie are accustomed to getting treats every day at bedtime (this started as an attempt to keep their bellies full so we could sleep in on the weekends) and occasionally in the afternoon just to break up the day and add a little excitement. But no worries I told myself… I can make some!

I needed to make some important exceptions because we avoid peanuts (my daughter is allergic) and we use a largely plant based diet so we did not have a lot of bacon lying around or liver etc to add flavor. Many recipes used peanut butter as a central ingredient in dog biscuits and was the hardest to work around. Substituting almond butter felt too decadent knowing the price tag. After a couple hours of reading I went with a basic recipe from http://www.mkclinton.com Barking From The Bayou which included whole wheat flour, cornmeal, oil and water. I added some of the other popular ingredients that I stumbled across in my research: carrots and broth. My daughter emerged from her room while these were baking and wondered if I was going to serve her beef stew with egg noodles! They did smell pretty tasty and, I did taste them (why not? they are all human grade ingredients) and they were savory and mild with a meaty aftertaste. I do want to highlight that I used sodium free beef bullion so be careful not to make yours too salty if you use a different product.

Beef Stew Style Dog Biscuits

  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 6 tbs vegetable oil
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 3 packets of granulated sodium free beef or chicken broth
  • 1 finely grated large carrot
  • pinch of salt
  • white flour for dusting the board

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Allow dough to start off a little dry because carrots will impart moisture. Knead the dough on a floured board until smooth. Roll out to 1/4″ thick and use cookie cutter to form shapes, press firmly to cut through bits of carrot. Bake for 20 to 30 min switching trays around halfway through. The biscuits should be dry, hard and lightly golden. Store in air tight container for up to two weeks, they can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Notice the dough is a little dry allowing the moisture in the carrots to deliver a supple dough.
The dough is smooth with flecks of carrots. I used a medium bone shape and a small fire hydrant shape. Important: The sharp edges of these metal cutters help to cut through the carrot pieces.
These biscuits can be crowded because they will not spread.
My cat Kimber was not impressed.
Louie is a gobble monster!

Whew, the Dogs LOVE them!!

Gracie is always polite.

Do They KNOW?

Every spring the chipmunks and squirrels divert sunflower seeds from the bird feeder and plant them in the garden beds and flower pots. I pull up a lot of the subsequent sprouts however a few make it through or I appreciate the placement and, in the fall a sunflower is born!

As you can see a space next to the trash & recycling bin sheltered this cheerful sunflower. A couple weeks later I came across this scene…

So the question that we toss around year after year is…do the critters plant seeds knowing that they are planting future food sources? or is it an accident? My husband is convinced that they have no idea they are planting future food, he thinks they are just setting aside seeds for later and this is a happy accident. I think…critters know setting these seeds aside will help them in the future and they do this by design. What do you think?

Let me know in the comments below.

  1. Unknown's avatar
  2. piratepieman's avatar

    I was nervous because my dogs often reject crunchy snacks because they are missing teeth but these were welcome anyway!…

  3. nothingbutknit2's avatar

    I love seeing what everyone is baking:) Myles (miniature poodle) would love these. Of course he’s never met a treat…

  4. piratepieman's avatar

    Yes, Indeed! And my husband has already started a list of peppers that we have not already stocked up on.…

  5. Unknown's avatar

Hostess Gift Ideas

On Sunday, I was making meals for the coming week and it occurred to me that these simple cookbooks I rely on, would be an outstanding addition to any home chef’s collection. My mother gave me these books because she loved them, and I can see why. The recipes are elegantly simple and use smart time-tested techniques that deliver good results. If you are lucky enough to attend a friend or family member’s holiday dinner or brunch you probably realize the time and energy put into the affair and feel like you are taking advantage just showing up to eat, enter the hostess gift! Here are some ideas…

The Best Soup Cookbook by Marilyn Crowley & Joan Mackle

Robert Rose Inc, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. pp.185. Paperback, $27.22 on Amazon

  • Toppings
  • 125 soup recipes
  • Chowders
  • Consommes
  • Chili
  • Garden soups
  • Classics and new recipes
  • Basic stocks
  • Cold soups
  • 16 color photos

I have not made every recipe, however I have found family favorites that are a snap to pull together like Creamy Corn ‘n’ Cheddar Chowder, Finnish Vegetable Soup and Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Seeds. The Bay Scallop Chowder with Double Smoked Bacon rivals anything you might find in a sophisticated restaurant; it is rich, creamy and amazing.

The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham

Alfred A. Knoph, New York pp. 320 Hardcover $16.81 on Amazon

Here is another book that offers a wide range of ideas for the breakfast or brunch menu, including breakfast staples like coffee cake and new ideas like breakfast cookies.

Hardcover Only
  • 288 recipes
  • Hot and cold
  • Menu ideas
  • Beverages

This book has also delivered family favorites: Irish Oatmeal Muffins, Gingersnaps, Oatmeal Bran Breakfast Cookies and Apricot & Prune Coffee Cake. I find my waffle recipe, scones, and biscuits here also. Marion Cunningham is well known for her Fannie Farmer cookbooks which is arguably the first cookbook to give your kids as they leave the nest. It covers almost every expected American meal choice in a straight forward fashion. I am embarrassed to say that mine is in pieces having broken the spine after 25+ years of regular consultation.

Irish Oatmeal Muffins- Double Batch

I always bake a double batch of the Irish Oatmeal Muffins because 1. they are that good, and 2. it uses the entire carton of buttermilk. The magic in this recipe is the process of soaking the rolled oats in buttermilk 6 hours or overnight and then mix in the whole wheat flour, sugar and eggs. They are not too sweet to accompany a roast or soup (which is what I was preparing). Hearty and filling we eat them plain with coffee on the go; their spongey quality allows for eating in the car or on the bus without making a mess.

While these titles are not available as eBooks… Here is how you can give an eBook – no shelf space needed.

Go to Amazon.com and select the Kindle Store from the task bar on the left. Select Kindle e-readers & Books and then select Kindle e books…or

  1. From the Kindle Store in your desktop browser, select the book you want to purchase as a gift. Note: Free books, books on pre-order, and subscriptions cannot be gifted at this time.
  2. On the product detail page, click the Buy for others button.
  3. Enter the personal email address of your gift recipient.Tip: If you are unsure of the email address for your recipient, you can select Email the gift to me before placing your order. This allows you to forward the gift email or print and personally deliver it to your recipient. The gift recipient can enter the Gift Claim Code from the email, after logging in to their Amazon account.
  4. Enter a delivery date and an optional gift message.
  5. Click Place your order to finish your gift purchase using your Amazon 1-Click payment method.

Kitchen Accents

Add style to everyday items
Make a simple gift special with little touches.....
Clip your card to the gift/book

Or a one-of-a-kind item everyone will admire…

Like many an aspiring artist I have an Etsy Store ThePiratePieMan where I hope to find homes for the many inspired items I have created, things I love so much I assume others will too.

Carrot Cozy $20

A Tea Cozy keeps the pot warm for an hour or more so the second cup is as welcome as the first! This comes in two styles: Carrot Cozy and Hot, Hot, Hot! (teapot not included)

Hot, Hot, Hot! $20

You may have noticed that this post has veered off into a shameless plug for my Etsy store so… while we are here, I will also include some items for the kids which is a legitimate strategy for keeping the hostess happy.

Knitted donuts, cupcakes and bagels are perfect for pretend play.

I hope you all enjoy your holiday gatherings and with these simple, special touches everyone will know how much you care.

For The Love of The Game

I never imagined that part of my daughter’s high school education would include training her to be a warrior.  With the help of coaches Kate Twichell, Casey Lamp, Mike Peters and Erynn O’hara she is a formidable player on the Portage Women’s Lacrosse (PWLAX) JV squad.  Over the years we introduced her to gymnastics, tennis and diving. But n the Spring of 2018 she came home and said “I think I wanna play Lacrosse.” Gulp, I had never seen a lacrosse game.  Initially, I thought it would be a good chance to do some knitting in the stands. I was so wrong.

“Spring” sports in Michigan means winter weather wear.

Women’s lacrosse is designed to be elegant and fast paced; depending more on skill and teamwork without the brute force present in men’s lacrosse.  Players wear wire goggles, colorful mouth guards and carry sticks with nets on the ends for catching, shooting and passing the ball. The players look fierce and focused using their stick to block, defend and shoot.  

Without enough female players in either of the Portage District High Schools they have combined to create Portage Women’s Lacrosse.  This means the girls meet kids from both Portage Northern and Portage Central High School and the friendships help them to feel at home on both campuses.  Fields from each school are called upon for use in practices and games. This year we are enjoying the new Huskie Stadium for our home games while the Central Field is under construction.  The teams color scheme borrows one color from each of the districts high schools; orange (Northern) and navy (Central). Each girl becomes a member of US Lacrosse and enjoys a subscription to their magazine which connects them to the broader Lacrosse community including college level competition.

Portage Northern’s Huskie Stadium

The sport is well known on the east coast where it has been played for hundreds of years. A lot of people (myself included) considered lacrosse a rich white game; however lacrosse has important Native American origins.  Native American cultures believe the game is given to them by the Creator and is considered medicine. Many native kids grow up with a stick in their hand and play lacrosse throughout their childhood. In Michigan, the game is less well known and US Lacrosse holds various clinics and events to help grow the game.  

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

This year, there are some exciting developments in the design of lacrosse sticks that will help new players become better ball handlers from their very first game.  Like my daughter, many PWLAX players have had no previous exposure to the game and are given expert coaching to become valuable team members by their second or third game. Watching my daughter grow in skill, confidence, strength and love for the game has made sitting in the cold stands worth every minute.


Cooking Adventure: “Turkey” Seitan (A.K.A. Turkey Loaf)

On November 22, 2018 in North America, most of us celebrated Thanksgiving.  This is a feast day to commemorate 17th century European colonization.  As children we are told a big meal was served to celebrate the settlers successful preparation for the impending winter and Native Americans peacefully took part.  The Native Americans don’t feel this warmly about the day however.

This year, we bucked the trend and instead of making a turkey we chose to roast a leg of lamb and tried our hand at making a seitan “turkey.”  Of course we started out searching the internet and read a bunch of different recipes and selected this as a starting off point.  Sylvia Bass on her web site Cookie Chicka has a lot of nice photos to accompany her recipe so that you can follow along with confidence, and they helped.  Overall the recipe contains vital wheat gluten, beans, chick pea flour, nutritional yeast, vegetable bullion or “poultry flavored” bullion and spices.  Mix all ingredients and steam them in a foil tube for one hour and then bake for 30 min.  I did not have a large enough system to steam all the ingredients in one tube of foil so I did two and I didn’t have chick pea flour so I used the entire can of white beans.  

Turkey Loaf baking alongside our leg of lamb.
Turkey Loaf after baking

I found it to be a lengthy process but the results were pretty satisfying.  The Turkey Loaf sliced easily and was tender and had all of the flavors we expect for a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  I served it with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and broccoli; it was a satisfying meal.  I used ‘Herbs de Provence’ a blend of rosemary, thyme, marjoram, savory and oregano which made it taste a lot like stuffing (a seasoned casserole of bread cubes, carrots, onions and celery with lots of regional variations) which I was not serving so I went for it knowing it would make up for it’s absence.  

Turkey Loaf being sliced
Sliced Turkey Loaf

Leftovers…

So the reheated Turkey Loaf was just as delicious the following night.  It will allow you to get thin slices and would easily make a nice sandwich filling.  Here is a list of ideas for what to do with the remaining servings:

  • Mix in with scrambled eggs along with bell peppers. (see photo)
  • Grill thin slices and serve as sandwich filling.
  • Toast and serve as a salad topper. 
  • Add to pasta with tomato sauce.  
  • Cube and add to pizza toppings.

Here I browned small cubes in oil and used them in an omelette with bell peppers and onions and topped with cheese.  We all agreed that I could have added more browned Turkey Loaf because the flavor was welcome and served almost as a sausage stand in. 

I think that this seitan recipe would be easily adjusted to different flavor profiles like:

  • Italian sausage 
  • Gyro or Greek Seasonings
  • Fajita/Mexican

Please comment if you have other recipe ideas or seasoning suggestions.  

Thanks!

The Pirate Pieman

My Pet Elephant*

This summer I did a good deal of gardening. I came across a large inexpensive planter and was inspired to grow an elephant ear bulb for the first time.  I was intrigued by the idea that I could make a small investment (I think I paid around $7.00) and get a long lasting “pet” of a plant.  My elephant started as a softball sized root ball and I put it in the center and planted Caladium around it.

IMG_3889
Here is the planter after one month.

The planter lived on this ugly cement slab in my backyard on the south east side of the house.  It required daily watering and regular feeding to get the leaves to measure up to 20 inches long and shoulder height (I regret I did not get a photo of it when it was large) but it was a cheerful companion in the garden and did a nice job of adding some lushness and covering up an ugly recycling hopper.

I understood that after a hard frost I could bring in the root ball and plant it again next year.  I watched a couple YouTube videos to get some instructions.  This was the most useful.

Here are some photos of what I found on October 21st in Michigan so I went to dig up my Elephant.

After the first frost.
Root ball dug up.
Here you can see the original bulb.

I wanted to overwinter the Caladiums however many were missing and the ones I found were slimy.  If you look closely you will be able to see the multiple off shoots that grew from the one bulb that gives me hope that I will have a lot of plant growth next year.

IMG_4601

So my Elephant is going to hang out in this box in the basement for the winter.  I am going to check on it frequently to make sure it is not too moist or too dry etc and then leave it alone.  Fingers crossed.

Wish me luck.

One Water, One People

My husband and I were honored to attend a dinner titled Toward a FutureLand: Ceremony To Honor the Land and Welcome the FutureBuilders hosted by the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership at Kalamazoo College.  The Center brought together an astonishing collection of people from around the world who are engaged in global struggles for land, examining the commodities and consumption of space as well as the reach and watch of colonial and corporate power.  They welcomed conference participants and representatives from:

The conference theme, Toward a FutureLand (which I did not attend) facilitated discussions exploring land as essential to indigenous sovereignty, strength and nurturance.  It is these types of educational experiences that make Kalamazoo College award winning, and I am proud to be an alumni.

The dinner’s food dancing and music were provided three bands of the Potowatami Indians (Gun Lake Band, Nottawaseppi Band and the Pokagon Band.)

img_45831.jpg
Buffalo and Posole Stew with Salmon, green beans and salad.

It was especially nice for us to be able to meet the Tewa women from New Mexico because we lived in Santa Fe, NM for 12 years and we were happy to have lived and worked among many Pueblo Indians.

The dinner was a powerful combination of people and ideas that focused on the impact of colonialism and the ways that native people continue to be marginalized, most notably seen in the shocking pattern of missing native women in the US and Canada.

IMG_4585
Beautiful Jingle Dress Dancers

The event included a Water Ceremony, reminding us all that however far away each groups individual missions are, we are all joined by our shared need to protect our land and water.  This was made more personal highlighting how locally, the Kalamazoo River and more broadly the Great Lakes, are threatened by corporate agendas that put the movement and sales of oil ahead of the protection of our water.  Andrew DeGraw with Kalamazoo Remembers helped close the ceremony and shared some shocking information about Enbridge Energy’s behavior in our community even after being responsible for the second largest inland oil spill in U.S. history in July 2010.  According to Wikipedia the largest was the 1991 spill near Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Most days I take it for granted that clean water will run out of my taps.  However, in Michigan it is becoming more and more clear that we can no longer assume corporations share our interest in protecting our water.  Between the Flint Water Crisis and our current concerns regarding PFAS chemicals in Parchment Michigan’s water it is clear something needs to change.

I encourage you to click on one or more of the links I have provided, once you have been made aware, you begin to change; just like you can not separate out each drop of water from the ocean.

Thanks

adult background beach blue
Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com