Author Archives: Becca

Hibiscus Fabric Dying

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Due to the following series of events, I’m experimenting with natural fabric dyes far earlier than I had planned on.

I purchased dried hibiscus flowers to make tropical punch with. Java Bean helped unload the shopping bags and took my flowers outside. The bag was punctured and ground water infiltrated the flowers. I now have about 4 ounces of hibiscus that is no longer useful for food preparation.

I also had just finished a persian coat, and forgot to include seam allowances in the calculations. Luckily, layers are a big thing, so I can just dye the shift (underlayer) I made that I wasn’t planning on having visible.

To start off with, I cut a piece of a 100% unbleached linen I had (I have doubts on the no bleach part, but that’s beside the point), and used a scrap from the fabric I made the shift from (I think it’s 100% cotton, but I have no idea).

I brought a 1:4 vinegar:water mixture to a boil, then reduced to a simmer and added the cloth. This was left on heat for 1 hour.

While waiting on the vinegar mixture, I added 1/2 cup packed hibiscus flowers to 4 cups of water. I brought this to a boil and killed the heat, then left it to steep.

After 1 hour, I turned off both pots and let cool to room temp.

1 hour later, I rinsed out the fabric pieces, then added them to the dye bath. I put the dye bath over a low burner. The fabric soaked up the dark liquid very quickly. This time, I left the flowers in the pot while the fabric was dying.

1 hour later, I cut a swatch off both pieces of fabric, washed them with soap, and let them out to dry. I left the remaining fabric and dye bath sit over a low heat.

I left the remaining fabric in for 24 hours, un heated. here the samples are side by side.

And here is my favorite one with the coat colors

I’m happy with the results, so I now have an underdress thing to dye.

Corned Beef (salted beef)

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While corned beef is very solidly traced back in Ireland and the UK, over in the India peninsula, it also has a rather rich history and a different method of preparation.

As I have just gotten a side of beef, I have a lot of options to experiment with.

I’ll be doing 2 different preparations of corned beef, one following a more European approach, and the other following an approach that appears to have been from the Cochin Jews immigration to the Indian peninsula.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/corned-beef-recipe-1947363

https://indianvagabond.com/2017/01/04/salted-beef-kolkata-anglo-indian-style/

Once the chuck roast I have thaws, I’ll evaluate it’s suitability for the indian method, as that requires trimming all fat off the meat. If the chuck roast is too marbled, I will need to wait a few days for a shank to thaw out so I can trip that.

RESOURCES:
for “traditional” corned beef:
https://www.thedailymeal.com/1228035/the-complete-and-fascinating-history-of-corned-beef/


for Indian corned beef:

Fall Garden

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Update Oct 10th
– many of the onions planted are sprouting
– garlic is kinda hit or miss, but they were also old garlic heads that were sitting in the kitchen all summer
– the turnips Java helped plant are going crazy, the pile where we get more water are doing better than the ones a bit further away from the sprinkler
– 1/5 sweet potatoes has broken the soil with growth, it’s looking good so far
– cabbages are finally sprouting
– since cauliflower and broccoli were not getting watered, planted some closer to the sprinkler in already tilled ground
– I am unable to locate the kale hoard, but it should be large enough to see through the grass in another few weeks
– random sprouts seen: squash, lots of corn, some onion/garlic

Avocado Tree

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I had been attempting to sprout avocado seeds for months, some in paper towels, some in plastic bags, some sitting in water. None of those worked.

While getting the Fall garden planted I ran across a little avocado tree growing out of the compost pile. I carefully dug it up and got it in a pot.

White Bean Sausage Stew

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It’s getting to be a bit crisper at night, lending to the desire for a nice warm bowl of something for dinner.

The fridge is a bit sparse, someone has been slacking in thawing meat or grocery shopping, so the recipe search was driven by minimal shopping needed.

Original Recipe from https://themodernproper.com/white-bean-sausage-skillet

1/2 t Oil
16 oz Sausage (I used cracked pepper by https://conecuhsausage.com/)
1 T garlic, minced
1/4 onion, diced
2 15 oz cans of white beans
1 1/2 c Chicken Stock
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t thyme
3 cups kale, stemmed
1 T lemon juice
shredded parmesan, to garnish

Heat large skillet or pot over medium high heat
Brown sausage on all sides, remove from pan
When sausage is cool enough to handle, slice into rounds
Brown sausage rounds on both sides
Add onions to pan and cook until it starts turning translucent
Add garlic and cook until fragrant
Take 1/2 of a can of one of the beans and mash into a paste, an immersion blender does wonders
Add all whole beans to the pan (undrained), black pepper, and thyme.
Bring to a simmer
Add chicken stock
Bring back to a simmer
Add mashed beans
Bring back to a simmer
Add kale
Stir gently until kale is cooked to your preference
Turn off heat and finish with lemon juice, check seasoning and adjust
Serve up in a bowl with parmesan sprinkled on top.

Optional things that sound like they’d go really well with this:
– hatch chili paste (or other hot sauce)
– sourdough toast
– croutons

The verdict?
We will be making this again. Quick, easy, one pot, and the husband really liked it.

Pad Thai Experiments

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For dinner the other night, we made some pad thai. As my kitchen journal went missing in the move, I didn’t have my go to recipe. Gimme Some Oven usually has recipes that hit the spot.

Overall, it was good, a solid 3/5. Changes we would make next time are:
1- add tahini or sesame paste to the sauce
2- reduce the amount of fish sauce. We found it very salty, even with using low sodium soy sauce

Here’s a link:
https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/pad-thai/