Laura's Fiber Art World

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Been baking !

I made homemade New England Clam Chowder in the crock pot...it was yummy! My first attempt at it! Also, I got the book "Artisan Bread in five Minutes a Day" by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. It is a great book...and for the first time in my life my bread worked! All other times ...it turned out like a brick! And it is so easy to have fresh bread every day. The dough lasts 14 days in the fridge and it makes about 5 loafs and then you just keep remaking the dough. It is so easy...I am amazed it works so well...my family loves this bread. I recommend the book...you can also make many different types of bread as well..you just change the base recipe a bit.
On a different note...I got my flu shot today...and my arm just started really hurting so I am going to stop blogging and get off the computer and get in my jammies early and read.

Art is Magic!

Art is magic... But how is it magic? In its
metaphysical development? Or does some final transformation culminate
in a magic reality? In truth, the latter is impossible without the
former. If creation is not magic, the outcome cannot be magic.

Now I hook at home

Well...I have not been on my blog very much. My art gallery closed...and I have been busy mourning and dismantling my wonderful gallery. So sad.....well, now I have my little corner in my dining room to hook in. Now that I am not working 6 days a week I will have more time to do my own artwork! Always a silver lining. I am looking forward to doing more hooking and being more creative again.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Monday, July 19, 2010

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Zucchini has to be one of my favorite summer vegetables and this weekend I was in luck as the farmers market was overflowing with them! Of all of the many things that there are to do with zucchini, the one that I keep coming back to time and time again is the classic zucchini bread which I end up making at least once every summer. The farmers market was also full of fresh local blueberries that I could not resist picking up and I knew what I was going to have to use them in, a blueberry zucchini bread! For the recipe, I started out with my basic zucchini bread recipe and added blueberries. Nice and simple eh? I really enjoy this zucchini bread recipe as it always comes out nice and light a moist and good! Some of the things that I like about this recipe include the use of the whole wheat flour and the vanilla yogurt to cut down on the amount of oil that is needed. I tend to use a mix of green and yellow zucchini to give the cake a nice mixture of colours and this year, with the addition of the blueberries the bread was even more colourful that usual. This blueberry zucchini bread is a perfect celebration of summers bounty and I am looking forward to enjoying it for breakfasts for the rest of the week!

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

(makes 8+ servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups zucchini (grated, squeezed and drained)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup pecans (chopped)

Directions:
1. Mix the zucchini, sugar, oil, yogurt and egg in a bowl.
2. Mix the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients.
4. Mix in the blueberries and pecans.
5. Pour the batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.
6. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, about 50-70 minutes.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

A new find from the second hand shop!

Isnt this lovely! One of my most favorite new finds from the thrift shop! All hand made ..no tags on it...but it was a work of love from someone! Its just a small shoulder pouch....just right for your cell phone and wallet...yea !!!! Sorry for the blurry image..