Show and Tell: Bear Hat!

In the Kitchen: Festival Spice Muffins!

Here is a super easy, delicious recipe for Festival Spice Muffins from The Tassajara Bread Book:

[Makes 12 muffins]

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger *

1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup oil OR melted butter
1/2 cup honey OR molasses
1 1/2 cups milk

"Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together with as few strokes as possible, just until the flour is moistened, leaving a few lumps. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes."

* These ingredients are what make them festival-spicey. If you omit these spices, you have the regular Whole Wheat Muffin Recipe.

Show and Tell: First Hat & Pumpkin Hat!

Hey friends, it's time for our new Show and Tell series!

First, an introduction, explanation, and disclaimer: As many of you already know, it may be an understatement to say that I've been something of a homebody/domestic enthusiast lately. The main events of my days have been baking pies, cooking soups, and knitting hats . . . and I love it. And I want to show my stuff off. And what is "blogging" if not the creation of a small, public universe of which I am the center? What better forum to show off my own accomplishments to the people I love most?

Also, on a slightly less self-centered note - I think it's time that domesticity got a little positive publicity. It was, in large part, my self-prescribed summer reading diet of Barbara Kingsolver, Wendell Berry, and Michael Pollan that inspired my recent life change and landed me here in Portland with enough free hours to pursue my domestic goals. I strongly believe that re-connecting to the processes that sustain us, paying attention to and taking control of what we consume and where it comes from, and re-learning many of the basic skills we need to sustain ourselves (i.e. producing food and clothing) are among the most essential and empowering life projects we can undertake. The way they've been devalued, especially in regards to "women's work" or "housewife-ery" is a shame. So, basically, I'm just excited to share a little bit of the joy and pride that these projects are bringing me.

Phew! Now you're fully prepped to interpret my knitting projects for the politically charged, revolutionary acts that they are. And you thought they were just hats! Here goes:

Hat #1: This was my first knitting project of the season, my first hat in years. Tadah!

Hat #2: My pumpkin hat! I'm really proud of this one.
And, coming next time . . . .

I'm planning this hat:

But in my size, and in these colors:

Stay tuned!