AfricanKelli

« Home

Okay Finny, the winner for the February project has to be KraftyKraut’s bat bag. Love the way she made it from a t-shirt and what in the world is the prop that’s holding it? KK — shoot me an email and I’ll send off your prize! Although a close runner up is Sue, who inspired February’s selection only to create an entirely different bag that finds the balance between practicality and stylish design.

The March recipe is Irish Soda Bread — to celebrate St. Patrick’s command that all snakes be banished from Ireland. (Any man who hates snakes as much as I do is worthy of homemade carbs.)

(Modified) Cook’s Illustrated Irish Soda Bread:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk flours, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in large bowl.

Work softened butter into dry ingredients with fork or fingertips until texture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add buttermilk and stir with a fork just until dough begins to come together. Add dried fruit.

Turn out onto flour-coated work surface; knead until dough just becomes cohesive and bumpy, 12 to 14 turns. (Do not knead until dough is smooth, or bread will be tough.)

Pat dough into a round about 6 inches in diameter and 2 inches high; place on greased or parchment-lined baking sheet or in cast-iron pot, if using.

Place the loaf on a cookie sheet and cut a cross shape into the top.

Bake until golden brown and a skewer inserted into center of loaf comes out clean or internal temperature reaches 180 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and brush with melted butter; cool to room temperature, 30 to 40 minutes

I look forward to hearing about your baking and sewing adventures. Don’t forget to post to the One Yard Wonders photo pool!

Fin, let us know what the sewing project is!

~ K

Fin,

By the hair on my chinny chin chin, I got both of these projects completed this weekend. To be honest, I loved the cauliflower recipe. I love veggies just about anyway you give them to me. I went to an international dinner party of sorts last night, hosted by a Sri Lankan friend, and ended up bringing the cauli as an appetizer. I followed your recipe and then threw in all in the blender with a bit of chicken stock (minus the capers) and brought crackers. It was adored! Bravo!

As for that folklore bag, I don’t know if I am just out of practice or grouchy from TOO MUCH YOGA. Phew. Needed to scream that. (Ask me how I feel about “namaste” sometime and I’m likely to bite your head off. I am loving this challenge and yet there are days when I cannot for the life of me catch my breath.)

Anyway – the folklore bag was a chore to make. Not just the tissue paper patterns, which wisely I will now store in Ziplock bags, but also because I found the directions a bit tedious. I am hesitant to criticize, but I will just say it is not my favorite pattern.

It is, however, going to one of my favorite people. The end result is cute enough and on its way to Aimee, who may just be the world’s best advocate for animals. She is beyond sweet and I’ve wanted to return a touch of the kindness she’s sent my way over the years. An elephant bag with bee-print lining is just the ticket.

Now, what’s up for March? I’ve got a recipe or two in mind. (Think Irish and bread.) And did you pick a winner? I’ve got an idea for that too…

xo,

Donk

P.S. More than a little excited I get to see you and the Bubba in a couple weeks!

Dear Fin,

Okay, I have a big dirty secret to admit: there are times when I am so sick of sewing, I don’t look at my machine for months. When I left for Cancun December 15th, I tucked my machine and supplies away. They didn’t re-emerge until last night. I needed a break. You could tell in my work that I was bored and frankly, it gave me time to fall in love again with knitting. (Not to mention, this craft is much easier to take with you on said beach vacations.)

Yesterday when I pulled out my shiny new copy of “One Yard Wonders” for our sew-along this year I was utterly dismayed to find tissue paper patterns. Am I the only one who finds these insanely difficult to work with and store? Perhaps I don’t have the patience required. When I finally found the pieces, cut them out and refolded all the other giant sheets of tissue patterns, I realized there was absolutely no getting them back in the book’s tiny front pocket from which they had emerged.

The good news is — I’ve got the patterns cut and some super cute fabric to work with for this Folklore Bag. Isn’t this elephant print delightful? It is actually a giant pillow sham I received as a gift from a friend. I’ve been waiting to use it for just the right project. It’s folksy and fun and has elephants! Perfect.

Rant over. Hope you have the patience I’m missing!

xo,

Donk

Dear Finny,

You say you did a bit of fuzzy math to the tune of pi, and what I read was, “Pie? I want pie!!” The Homer J in me kept me from even trying the hat pattern, but I did rock the dressing. So, mission nearly accomplished for our January One Yard Wonder sew/cook along.

{Your hat is adorable.}

Congrats again to Lori, whose hat is pretty rad. Plus, it is recycled and plaid – two of my most favorite things. Preppy green!

As for February, I was thinking we’d keep up the green theme and go with the folklore bag. I like the simplicity in this design and I go through fabric totes like you wouldn’t believe. They never seem to be quite big enough to get all my gear and my lunch to my desk without appearing like a ragamuffin in the process.

Instead, with this new bag in the works, and your yummy new recipe for spicy cauliflower with capers packed for lunch — I’ll be set!

Also, I’m sending you a Valentine — as I do every year!

xo,

Donk

Dear Finny,

I once again found myself with a group of girlfriends yesterday explaining the origins of your nickname. Thankfully, they didn’t ask me about Donk. Can you believe we’ve been coordinating these sew-alongs for 3 years? I must say, I never thought we’d host one with one of YOUR books. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve long since known how fabulous you are. I just didn’t realize you were planning on conquering the literary world as well.

Dude.

You are awesome! Look at your book! Naturally, we’ll use it as our sew-along book for the year. And while we are destashing with these great patterns, we’ll also destash around the kitchen. Each month’s challenge will also include a recipe.

There are a handful of kitchen techniques that take you from being simply a cook”to a domestic goddess. This year is officially the year of going from good to great. The best part of these great secrets is they are easy! (Just like most cooking or sewing projects, they simply take leaving your ego behind and jumping in with both feet.)

So — to be clear: each month Fin and I will select one project from One-Yard Wonders and one recipe.

Interested in playing along? Whether you are new to the group or have been hanging around since day one — the rules of such a sew along remain the same (and are set up to be as easy as pie, I must say):

• At or around the first of the month, Jess (Finny) and I will both post the month’s ONE sewing and ONE cooking project and one of us will announce the previous month’s winner. It’s possible that the number of projects might change and we’ll just expect you to be adults about the whole thing. Embrace change and what not.
• By the last day of the month, anyone who wants to participate will finish one or both of the projects and post pictures to our new One Yard Wonders : Sew Along 2010 pool for judging.
• We will then show back up at or around the first, announce the winners and do the rest of the stuff I just said in the first bullet.

One-Yard Wonder project: The “Good Hat Day” Hat by Rebecca Jo Malmström

Recipe: Spicy Garlic Salad Dressing

Homemade salad dressing can take any salad from “eh” to “Wow!” Plus, it is healthier and less expensive than anything you’d find in a grocery.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon or more of Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons red vinegar
1 pinch of garlic salt
1 pinch of coarsely ground black pepper
juice of 1 lime
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon honey
any fresh herbs you may have — I used thyme

Blend this in a food processor, adding more red wine vinegar and lime juice if necessary. This is also easy to make if you want to omit the chopped garlic by simply adding all ingredients to the Dijon mustard bottle and shaking with fury. Then pour over your salad and enjoy the fresh, rocking dressing you’ve made!
Do you have a salad dressing idea? Share it!

Thanks again, Fin. Looking forward to another great year of creativity with you!

-donk

P.S. The winner from Nov-Dec’s sew-along was: Askercado. Bravo! Email me with your contact info for your prize.