Bay Rum

We started the Bay Rum aftershave tonight. Here am I, disheveled from work, and very sleepy child making the concoction.

Puttering about the kitchen

Over the past few weeks I've used my crockpot more than I had in the previous year or so of owning it. It's a tiny one with only one setting ("On") but it got us a good batch of Hoppin' John on New Year's day, some okay "baked" beans, and most recently I've used it for easy seitan!

I haven't eaten land animals in decades but I do like a chewy, "meaty" mouthfeel in food. So far, the best homemade seitan recipe I have found is from the now defunct blog A Veg*n for Dinner. It's the Seitan Fillet Mignon and I probably should have taken a peek at it before making seitan last night. Still, my batch, based on a ratio of 1 part vital wheat gluten to 3/4 part liquid, was pretty tasty. The biggest boon, however, was simmering it overnight in the crockpot. TONS of flavour and no hassle! I flipped it over in the broth once a few hours after putting it in but other than that I didn't touch it until this morning when I removed it and prepped the crockpot for it's next task of making beef stew for Spouse's lunch.  Given how easy that was, I think it's worth getting the vegan cookbook (so I don't have to keep searching archive.org for the site) to have that and her other seitan recipes onhand.

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One other other things I've been eyeing in the kitchen is a bowl of bee's wax and oil that I made up to condition some wood. While I planned to use the rest of it to rub on the pantry shelves once we can clear the dishes off of them (when the cupboards are ready to go back up), it got me thinking about homemade cosmetics as it's also the basis for cold cream.

A few years ago Spouse decided to start wet shaving so I got him pre-shave oil, shaving cream, a brush, etc. Pre-shave oil, while sparingly used, is still incredibly expensive! When I checked the ingredients, basically essential oils in a carrier oil, I realized I could make it at home for much less. So now he only uses my oil, custom blended with rosemary, eucalyptus and citrus. Since Spouse is allergic to tree nuts, I use avocado oil rather than almond, which is usually recommended. I find the oil works beautifully for my cold cream as well, and does not have the heavy scent of olive oil.

Now we've decided to go one step further and try to make some aftershave. Spouse doesn't tend to use aftershave, but after I found these recipes for Bay Rum, heimmediately wanted to try. So tonight I shall be going on a booze and spice run and making up a first batch. I'm thinking orange, clove and allspice will be the main scents in this batch, with perhaps a touch of vanilla. If it works, the sky's the limit!

Kitchen is coming together

Spouse built me shelves.
A few months ago I posted about some decorating ideas. This included building some shelves in the pantry as well as getting some counter space. Well my wonderful husband has shown himself to be a wonderful carpenter as well. Here is the reveal on the pantry shelves he built and installed as a Christmas present. He worked through the night for several nights and ALL Christmas eve, so his camera work isn't exactly the greatest. But you get to see both the pantry and the island

Deleading

Well, the deleading is finally underway. We're required to be out so are staying with friends nearby, which  is the best thing that has happened with this whole thing. We're all together, even the cat, with plenty of room, kitchen and even closer to the T than our house is. Still, I want my house back soon.

When we do get to move back, which, if we're lucky will be next Monday, it will be like moving in all over again. We had to move out as much as we could so our shed and basement are full of packed books, clothes, food, furniture, etc. Everything left in the house was put into the center of rooms and covered with thick plastic to keep them dust-free during the work. Once we are back we will finally be able to begin painting and really unpacking. Only six months after buying the place!

Spouse wants to take thing slowly, and I think I agree (although also want it all done NOW). My first room to attack will be the kitchen. We still need to move the cupboards up but once they are off the wall to begin with then we can paint the walls. When I do that, Spouse can finish the counter workspace and shelves he's making for me.  Then pantry shelves, another counter, paint the dining room, bookcases, ... Ugh! Well, at least the lead will be gone.

Sunday Bread

So I made this today. It's a no kneed recipe I found online that I made with sourdough instead of dry yeast.  t came out very nice but the flavour is a bit too sour for Spouse (who said it tastes like snot.) the Sprog and I like it though.

I'm not giving up on the recipe though and will do the next batch with honey in the dough. I think the child is old enough now for honey, plus it will be baked so it's not like she'll be eating it straight.

Kitchen table

So I made a table.

We really needed a kitchen table, in addition to other things in there that will be coming later, and Spouse and I disagreed on they style. I wanted a formica '50s jobbie like I used to have years ago and he preferred a farmhouse style. The ones I like, however, are rather expensive. So I went with farmhouse and decided to make it myself.

I found the Ana White site, which has TONS of plans of every level. The Narrow Farmhouse Table was the style I was looking for, but not the size. Fortunately the plans are very clear and I was able to alter it to make the table the size I needed.

table legs and apron

I decided to go for a cheaper wood for the bottom of the table and paint it. My main concern was just that it be sturdy so I went for poplar. In retrosepct, I think I should have gone for something heavier as the table top is oak which is incredibly heavy. All the planks were purchsed in standard widths and cut to the right length at Home Depot. That saved me a lot of time and probably kept me from making a complete dog's breakfast of the project.

The legs are supposed to be tapered and since Home Depot doesn't do custom cuts, I did have some actuall cutting to do. Fortunately, I have a circular saw. Unfortunately, I'm afraid of it. Or rather I was afraid of it! Eight cuts later I think I finally got the hang of it! (If we discount the mistake in cutting the support planks)

Starting to look like a table!

After the bottom was put together wth glue, screws and nails (many thanks to Spouse for doing all the nails!)  it was time to get the oak plans on. They're mounted with glue and screws to the apron and with some more to a single support plank the middle underneath. All the countersunk screws were then covered with wood fill and it all left over night.

I should probably clarify the actual time on this. I started the table on a Sunday with buying and cutting the wood and getting the base together. Monday after work I cut the support and did some more sanding. Wednesday was getting the top on and Thursday was sanding and finishing.  The entire project wasn't that long but as I was doing it in small chuncks between getting home and having dinner it did take a while.

So last night was finish night! After some sanding, and I really should have sanded the legs more, but I think they'll be fine, I painted the bottom Mid-Century White. I wanted the top stained but really don't like working with traditional stain. I searched around online and found it is indeed possible to stain with tea! So the top is stained with a very strong tea reduction. It will be sealed soon with an oil and bee's wax mix, also home made.

Things I would do differently:
The next table I make will have more similar wood top and bottom, at least by weight.
I'd like to try pocket holes for the screws to really hide them and make it look professional.
In addition to making my own stain, I'd like to try making my own paint as well. I think a home made milk paint, which will develop a patina over time, would be very nice with the farmhouse style.

So, there's my table. The next kitchen project will be a kitchen island to be used in lieu of counter and cabinets in a vacent corner. This one will be Spouse's project but I know I'll at least be making the stain again, if not horning in a bit on the contruction.

Finally finished!

Just a quick update on the sweater. Finished it last night but it gapped a bit in the middle so I added a few button this morning. Blurry tablet photo taken just before the wee one woke up (in time to test it out!)