My Shower

Almost through tiling, just needed a break

My new counter top

Sleipnir

Hector's Bath

 Since I am stuck at home today, I decided to give Hector a bath, with his special Tiger's Soap...

My Tiger Hector

 If I had a tiger, I would name him Hector and feed him Turducken  and 
Maggie's Durian Ice Cream...

Sea Cakes

4 white figs

7 cardamom pods, seeds removed and chopped

pinch each:

saffron

cinnamon

nutmeg

!/2 cup rolled oats

place these items on a cutting board and cut with a knife until they resemble a coarse meal.

place in bowl

add 1/2 ounce soymilk ( silk- vanilla)

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp olive oil

mix together and allow to sit for 5 minutes

Drop by the spoonfull onto a sheet greased with olive oil and form into little cakes (about the size of a silver dollar and about 1/2" thick)

Top with finely chopped candied pecans.

Bake in a preheated convections oven for 33 minutes and 33 seconds at 300 degrees.

Condiments and Tofu

 In looking for ways to vary my vegetarian diet; I find myself totally intrigued by two sites that I have come upon recently via stumbleupon (I can't say enough good things about stumble), the  Vegan Feast Kitchen Blog (I have just put up the potted tofu and I am planning on trying the tofu feta next) and the Best Condiments in the World (right now) .

I have been experimenting with baked tofu. The first recipe yielded a substance similar to a vegetarian leather. Interesting, but not really edible.
I have reworked the original and have come up with a much better version. I am off to Harvest Market today, to invest in more tofu for version 3.
When it is truly yummy, I will share my results with you.
Any suggestions?
g

Why Build My Own Furniture?

Is it the lack of a local IKEA outlet or a general lack of funds? Perhaps it is my need to create, that has fueled this "create to fill the need".

 In this case a tiny room 11 1/2'x 9 1/2'
 with several uses

1. exercise
2. living room 
3. entertaining (Wii)
4. work station
5. spare bedroom
6. roomba barn (cat entertainment)
7. cat lounge

This tiny house (380 sq. ft) was built in 1937 (may be older and was moved to present location then) probably built of scrap wood carted home from our now defunct mill. Another popular version of this story, is that this was a line house located out on the railroad system (also largely defunct at this time, with the vestiges being our Skunk Train) and was moved here at a later date.

I am trying to create, with almost no budget, and far less in the skill and tool department (mostly borrowed),  furniture that will accomplish the above goals, staying in context with the original structure, perhaps strengthening it  in the process and adding a bit more insulation for warmth and sound (vibration). Decreasing my carbon footprint ya-da ya-da....

At some point I will leave this house and I will not be able to take it with me. Imagine- moving day, no truck, no moving of furniture. Just drive away!

Another reason to build-in the furniture. You know all that gross stuff, that gets under and behind your couch,, that causes you to have to move furniture around in a place so tiny that you can't move it and you can't even fit a vacuum cleaner into clean it up? That's right, I am attempting the near impossible; the wrangling of dust bunnies and their feral offspring.

My time frame 6 months.
Get ready, set go....