How to: Make a cat scratching post

We have three very rambunctious cats so we decided last year to build them a kitty climbing tree.  It got destroyed when we left on vacation and was in need of a new kitty scratching post.  It's a really easy thing to do and they love it.  Here's how to make one:

Supplies:
Hot glue gun with hot glue sticks
A staple gun
Sisal rope (we got this at Home Depot 50ft for less then $5)

 

Directions:

Start by heating up your glue gun.  Make sure it's nice and hot to start.  Taking one end of the sisal rope, staple gun this to your post.  We have a clear 'back' to our post that faces the wall so we made sure all the staples were on that side.  

Then starting in a straight line around your post, glue one side, then lay your rope.  Hold down for 1 minutes until glue dries.  

Continue wrapping around your post until your desired length or until your rope runs out.  We stapled the rope about every inch on the back even with the glue just to make sure it stayed in place.  Finish the rope end with a staple too. That's it!

Alpaca Christmas project

I got this lovely alpaca wool from Village Wools in Albuquerque a few months ago for a Christmas present which I am just now starting.  It is Henry's Attic Prime Alpaca from alpaca's raised in Peru at 13,000 - 16,000 feet.  I'm starting to really love alpaca.  It's like knitting with a pillow.  It's super soft.  It's just perfect for what I'm making, which will remain a surprise until Christmas. ;) It was a little pricey but I got 665 yards in one skein.  It is also a nice natural dark black.  This will be the first time I've knitted with fine black yarn which I've heard will be a challenge, but I'm giving myself five months to finish it!  Wish me luck...

Roving

Look what I got!  At my last Vixen group meeting a member, Jenn, gave me this giant ball of wool roving!  It's cleaned, combed and ready for spinning.  It's a rich gray color with hues of black and white here and there.  I think it will make a great cabled scarf or something like this - if only I could knit like that! I can't believe how much there is.  It will last me the next year!   Off to go spin...!

Convergence goodies!

I'm back from Convergence 2010!  I picked up a few things there - see above.  I got these yarns from the Mora Valley Spinning Mill booth from Mora, NM.  They are a non-profit spinning mill that supports small farms and endangered breeds of sheep.  They had really pretty colors and I picked two that I will be using for a Christmas present.  They are 66% Alpaca and 33% Rambouillet.  They are both very soft and I'm so excited to start working with them.  Other then shopping, I got to see a few friends that were up there including my spinning teacher JoAnn, and Lew and I checked out the exhibit hall.  Convergence was mostly geared toward weaving, but I still enjoyed myself there. 

See you at Convergence!

This weekend I'll be at Convergence!  I didn't even know what Convergence was before moving to New Mexico, but this biennial fiber arts conference is being held in Albuquerque this year!  There are classes on weaving, dying, spinning and other fiber arts as well as exhibits, judging and vendors.  I hope to be able to look at some spinning wheels just to see more, possibly buy some roving and just take in the experience.  See you at Convergence!

For more information on Convergence click here.

Green Mod birthday card

 

Today is my sister's 29 birthday! I made her a green mod birthday card using a few things I had left over from other projects.  I started with a velum scrapbook paper on top.  I got it many years ago and it is basically clear plastic with a green printed design on it.  When it is laid on top of another color (such as the lime green cardstock I choose) it really pops.  I simply glued that down in the corners to the cardstock to make it stick.  On the inside I glued down a lighter colored carstock to make a base for the stamping.  I got these great mini stamps on our vacation and I just adore them!  I used Martha Stewart's Stem Green ink for the letters and Red Chrysanthemum for the heart.  It's a simple but fun card.  Happy Birthday Jeanine!

Brighter garden news

 

My Echeveria rosea is blooming!  It's been hiding in our mud room because our cat Smudge likes to eat plants and he already tried to dig it up once, so I almost forgot about it.  I was in there the other day trying to find something when I spotted the pretty pink flowers.  I can't hardly believe it!

Having a tomato plant with BER

 

What I thought was a problem with bugs eating my roma tomatoes, I'm learning today is more likely BER or blossom-end rot.  All of the tomatoes on my roma tomato plant are rotting on the bottom and the rot is attracting these little white worm/jumping flea things (see picture above).  So, after doing some research online I learned that BER is caused by soil that lacks the right amount of calcium and or inconstant watering.  Apparently, tomato plants in containers get BER a lot.  Since I have been watering my tomato pretty regularly, I assume that it is problem with my soil.  I read online in several blogs that adding several Tums with calcium to the soil may solve the problem.  So, I dissolved two heartburn with calcium tablets in water and poured the water in my soil.  Maybe this will work.  It's so disheartening having plants that you watch over for months just die right in front of you.  But so is nature - always changing, dying, growing.  Perhaps this will help my tomato last a little longer!

Cast Iron Week #6: Skillet Browines

I figured I'd better end cast iron week with a sweet dessert and I found a great recipe in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food.  It's called Fudgy Skillet Brownies.  I know that Griswold makes an actual brownie pan, but I used a large cast iron skillet to make these and they turned out very yummy.  Of course, I had to add some ice cream to my dish and although I didn't make the ice cream in a cast iron pan, I'm sure you can somehow! 

Here is the link for the recipe from Everyday Food:  Fudgy Skillet Brownies

I've had a lot of fun during cast iron week and I feel like I could go on forever with new recipes.  Thanks for joining me this week!

Cast Iron Week #5: Real Tamales

Close to Thanksgiving last year a neighbor of ours brought over some wonderful tamales that she made from scratch.  They were amazing.  I've been thinking about making some ever since.  I had to buy masa for the tamale pie recipe and I had some pork shoulder so I thought I'd give it a try.

Ingredients:

Masa (about a cup 1 1/2)
Dried corn husks (about 15-20)
2-3 lbs Pork shoulder
3 cups of water
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of salt
Dried red chiles (about 10)
Garlic powder


Directions:

First, using your dutch oven place your pork shoulder on top of your trivet.  Add 3 cups of water, one tablespoon of sugar and one tablespoon of salt.  Cover.  Set to simmer and allow to cook for several hours.  I cooked mine for a total of 3 hours and turned it once.

Meanwhile, take your dried red chilies, which you can get in your local Mexican food section, and using a coffee grinder or a spice grinder, grind everything but the stem.  Grind as many as you have to into a fine powder so you have enough to make 3 tablespoons of red chili powder.  I'm sure you could just buy chili powder, but this is the way I did and it was really flavorful.

After your pork is cooked turn off the heat, take the pork out and allow it to cool.  When it is cool, shred the pork.  Save the water from the dutch oven.

After your pork is shredded place it in a cast iron skillet.  Toss in the red chili powder, some salt if needed, and garlic powder to taste.  Cook the pork on medium heat for about 10 minutes, allowing it to brown a little bit more.  Meanwhile, take your masa and add, 1 tablespoon at a time, some of the water left over from cooking the pork.  Add enough to make a dough that isn't sticky but when squeezed holds it's shape.  Put to the side.  Then, fill a large bowl with hot water.  Place the corn husks in the hot water to soften up. 

When your corn husks are soft, your pork is cooked and your masa is ready you can start putting the tamales together.  To do this first take a corn husk and tear it into thin pieces about 1 cm wide.  These will act as ties.  Then take a plain corn husk and lay in flat.  Add about 1/4 cup of the masa dough to the center.  Top this with a tong full of pork.  Fold in the sides of the corn husks, then the top and bottom and tie the whole thing closed with the corn husk tie.  Repeat this until you have run out of masa and pork.

Place a steamer in your dutch oven.  Make sure there is enough of the cooked pork water left in the dutch oven so it will steam - if you don't have enough just add water.  Then, place all your tamales in the steamer.  Close your dutch oven.  Cook on low heat for about 1 hour. 

I realize this is a long recipe and it left me with a great appreciation for homemade tamales, but it is truly worth the effort.