Oh, the Blog...

This has been an interesting week, with a family medical emergency (all is well) and office medical emergency (all is well) resulting in nervous chocolate eating and tea drinking.  

All week Smith has been nervously watching his garden and caring for his soon to be planted tomatoes and peppers. The weather has been less than cooperative. He also babies this strawberry plant (in a hanging pot on the patio) and, from the looks of it, he will soon be rewarded with fruits of his labor (if I don't get there first).

Cormo/alpaca/silk from Fiberfox Fiber

My poor wheels, Emmylou and Corrina, have been neglected too long.  Once again, Cookie's Team CrankyPants will be part of this years Tour de Fleece and, because a ton of fiber is hidden in this house, I think I'll join. I will be realistic about my capabilities and commit to one full ounce. Seriously.

The lilac sugar may be a bust, as after finding this recipe, I realized my flower to sugar ratio was way off.  The moisture from the petals has made the sugar clump, but I will continue to shake the bottles daily as suggested. The jury is out. 

TGIF

Comments

[Mel]

Couldn't you just mix in more sugar to balance out the moisture and adjust the ratio?

[Laurie]

Do a quick whirl in the food processor? Or push it through a colander?

[CindyCindy]

Both of the above are good ideas, but personally I would wait it out and keep shaking. It is, after all, a grand experiment. Congratulations to Smith. Strawberries? WOW! Have a great weekend, Sweetie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Carole]

Look at those strawberries! Yummm! I'm glad all is well in your world.

[Anne]

Sounds like a busy and stressful week. I like your goal. I could almost... ALMOST... manage 1 ounce myself right now. :P

[Lisa]

I bet once Crankypants gets started you will want to spin more than one ounce! Just sayin'.

[jill]

I hope your body has been kind to you through all the medical stresses. Enjoy your fiber.

[Kym]

TGIF, indeed! :-) I'm going to be an Official Team CrankyPants Cheerleader this year, and root for all of you from the sidelines. Go, team, go! (Those strawberries are looking good! Now is the time to get protective --- because any Woodland Creatures with access to your patio will also be watching them ripen. . .)

[Chris]

Here's hoping that the weekend is much calmer and you get a chance to relax and recuperate!

[lisa]

I love that you are joining this big spin off but are setting your own limit. I was thinking about you the other day. I've had this nasty cold all week and have been more or less prostrate on the couch. I admire your courage and good humor about all that you've had going on this past year.

Hope those strawberries are delightfully sweet!

[Vicki]

Wishing you a calm and relaxing -- less "interesting" -- weekend, Margene!! Take care.

[nancy]

Throw a few grains of rice in to absorb moisture, it works with salt shakers....

[Laurie]

You named your spinning wheel "Emmylou"? Margene, you are my kind of woman! LOL! Loving the strawberries...our neighbors are growing them this year. I'm gonna hang back and see how their do before jumping in. You never can tell how things are going to do around here.

[Marcia]

I bet once you start spinning that Cormo/silk you'll do WAY more than one ounce! Good luck with the garden...I've given up and am having it all plowed under when the machines are here to do our patio.

[Cheryl S.]

I'm all in favor of a nice, relaxing weekend with NO emergencies.

[Katherine]

Do not worry about your ratio. I don't know which way you feel like you're "off," but these types of recipes are very much estimates. And it's okay if your sugar is getting a little clumpy; that just happens.

You could heat it gently in the oven after you're done so you can break the clumps up again, but then you'll probably lose some (maybe a lot) of your lilac scent.

I would just dig it out with a spoon when you want it, and not worry about the lumps. In fact, don't worry about anything.

[Knitnana]

If you're planning to use your sugar for sweetening something liquid? It's fine if it's lumpy! And I bet you could mush the clumps up anyway...I, too, would wait it out!

Hmm...gotta find some food quality lavender to make lavender sugar...

Enjoy Emmylou...I know you love her so. Happy Weekend (and I'm glad all is well now)
(((Hugs)))

[Birdsong]

Sounds like the kind of week where you could use a restful weekend! Hope you have a relaxing spring weekend and time to enjoy!

[Doris]

I joined Team Crankypants...looking forward to getting back to my wheel too. I hope your weekend is more low-key.

[Kristin]

Great minds think alike! I've been doing a lot of nervous chocolate eating this week myself.

[Cookie]

The sugar will be fine.

I am so glad that will be spinning with us this year. I hope you and yours have a peaceful and uneventful weekend.

xo

[Sarah H]

I love the photos today. Hmmm...not sure what you can do with the lilac butter.

[Sarah]

I am glad that through it all, all is well.

Go TeamCrankyPants! I need to get over to training camp.

xo

[Hillary]

Your strawberries look nice and big. I hope that they're as yummy as ours have been.

[Teyani]

clumps schmups... the sugar will still taste good (and just be more lilac-ie)
ah yes... spinning.... it seems that is somewhere in my brain as well :-)