30 Day Meme - Day 8

Day 8 - a photo that makes you angry/sad

This is another vaguely embarrassing one for Jennie.



This is Jennie, Dad and myself, taken a couple of decades ago now. Please ignore the hideous dresses, it was the Eighties. It makes me sad because I don't have that relationship with my Dad anymore. I don't know if I've ever written out my entire life story on here, and if I haven't I'm not entirely sure if I will yet because I haven't told most of the people involved how it's all affected me. But I was raised in that little group. Me, Jennie and Dad, with Mum visiting as much as she could. That was my family.

It changed a lot after this picture. People arrived, discoveries were made, and when I was fifteen it all blew up. I left. I adore Michaela, and I know (finally) that I wouldn't change my past because it brought me to where I am now with the people I know now, but I miss my dad. A lot.

My relationship with him is all but gone. A few years ago I told him I missed him, and he invited me to his anniversary party. It was an emotional day, and things were very strange. But while I reconnected with a favourite uncle and met a new favourite aunt, it didn't change things with the rest of my family.

I miss my dad, a lot. But as long as certain factors are in play, I'm never going to get the chance to be the way I used to be with him. Even if those factors weren't in play, I don't think it'd ever be the same. And that makes me sadder than you can possibly imagine.

30 Day Meme - Day 7

Day 7 - a photo that makes you happy

Hmmm, there are many many to choose from for this, but I've had a scroll through all the photos on my computer, and I've found this one...



I can't remember when this picture was taken, I know it was a few years ago now. But it shows me and my two sisters. Pictures of the three of us don't happen a lot. Jennie is usually on the other side of the camera, and for a long long time she was so caught up in University and things that she didn't really hang around with me and Michaela a lot.

But this picture shows a time when she was relaxed enough to sit with us, and to play with us, and the three of us are generally beating the crap out of each other. I believe that shortly after this, Michaela had to escape the pile up before she wet herself, but seeing the picture always makes me smile. It's one of the pictures I have framed on my wall.

There's obviously a big age gap between me and Jennie, and Michaela, and sometimes that's been a problem, but for the last thirteen years I've been a lot closer to Michaela than to Jennie, despite the fact that Jennie and I were raised together. When things went weird with my family when I was fifteen and I left my dad's house, I know I hurt Jennie a lot. I didn't realise it at the time, but I did. A lot. And it screwed our relationship up quite a lot.

But recently, since she's graduated and moved in with her fiance and is settled, things are a lot better. I can call her just for a chat, or for a short loan, whereas a few years ago she'd have told me where to shove it. She's getting married in a couple of months, and I'm not looking forward to having to face all the family I haven't seen in a decade and a half, but I am very proud of her. Insanely jealous, but that's related to various jealousy-issues I have regarding her.

I do love her, and I love Michaela. I love both my sisters, and when I have those moments where I don't feel too good about myself, I can look at this picture and remember that they love me too. There are very, very few pictures of the three of us together, but I think I love this one more than I'd love a posed one.

I love you Sprogget and Little Squish.

30 Day Meme - Day 6

Day 6 - Whatever Tickles Your Fancy

Firstly, major relief that there's no more "favourite" questions. As you might have gathered, questions like that annoy me. I can answer some of them though. For instance:

My favourite colour is purple.
My favourite holiday is Christmas.
My favourite comedian is Michael McIntyre (currently).
My favourite ....

Okay, so I can answer three of them. Lol. What else tickles my fancy? Cheesecake. I've been having a rough week, and I've made myself a chocolate chip and pecan cheesecake today. It's setting in the fridge. I'm trying to see how long I can wait without starting to eat it. Aside from anything else, this is the first time I've made an actual cheesecake - as opposed to cheesecake topping in a pie case - and I don't want it to collapse when I take it out of the tin.

I did get to lick out the bowl though (major advantage to baking for yourself) and it was delicious.

My kit for Hogwarts

A vintage, and therefore very used and dented, silver cauldron. A crazy little kitty. A magic broomstick that gets bigger when I use the right charm, easy for carrying. And my wand - 9" purple willow with a dragon heartstring core.

More mini aliens

I've decided that since I'll be making so many I'm just going to give them numbers for names.

This is Number Four



This is Number Five



And this is Number Six

30 Day Meme - Day 5

Day 5 - Your favourite quote.

I'm not going to do my whole rant again, I'll just tell you that I have more than twenty books of quotes, and three notebooks full of additional quotes that I've collected. I have various frames in my living room with quotes that I've liked so much I wanted to display them, and about ten cross stitch quote samplers in my crafting to-do queue.

New Thing: Challenge # 33

Challenge 33 - Watch 26 movies that you've never seen before, one for each letter of the alphabet (2 weeks)

Here are the movies I chose and got hold of...

A) Amelie

This was kind of sweet. I liked the love story between Amelie and her geeky nerdy man.

B) Bloodsuckers

Second rate vampire movie. Not as good as it could have been.

C) City of God

Interesting, but nothing something I'd probably have chosen to watch if I wasn't also trying to complete the IMDB 250.

D) DeVour

A Jensen Ackles movie that I watched because it was a Jensen Ackles movie. It was a little weird, but it had Jensen Ackles in it :D

E) Exam

Brilliant British indie film. Bit of an odd one, vaguely disturbing with the paper cuts on the eyeball, but it was good.

F) Free Willy 4

It's another Free Willy movie. It's about as good as the other three. But it has a big cute orca whale in it.

G) Grapes of Wrath

Story about a family during the Great Depression. Good movie, but made me feel horrible about the big bowl I was eating at the time.

H) Hot Tub Time Machine

I figured this was a cheap budget crappy movie, but it was actually pretty good. I really enjoyed it.

I) Infestation

This one was obviously not that good, because I can't remember it. Lol. Oh, giant bugs taking over the world. Wouldn't bother really.

J) Judgment at Nuremberg.

Another good but depressing one. It's about the Nuremberg Trials after the Holocaust.

K) Kick-Ass

Hilarius. I do love a good superhero movie, and I love Nic Cage movies, and I love gruesome deaths.

L) Legion

Kinda dull, but I adored the black, chokered angel look.

M) Metropolis

I think was probably the oldest one of the lot. It was a little weird, but it was good. It was also my first ever silent movie.

N) Nanny McPhee II

Kids movie. Cute, vaguely funny, not exactly a masterpiece.

O) Old Dogs

Cute, vaguely funny, not exactly a masterpiece - but it has Robin Williams, John Travolta and Seth Green in it.

P) Pan's Labyrinth

Never got around to this one.

Q) Quantum Apocalypse

Meteor crashed into Mars, cue lots of disasters until some autistic mathematician saves the day. Kinda crappy actually. I chose it because I like global disaster movies, but there was too much of the planning and not enough of the disaster.

R) Requiem for a Dream

Drugs, psychos, etc. Little odd.

S) Shutter Island

Crazy crazy movie. With a nice obvious plot twist at the end. It's Sixth Sense but with Leo DiCaprio instead of Bruce Willis.

T) Ten Inch Hero

Rom-com, with Jensen Ackles as a punk rocker. Brilliant.

U) Unforgiven

Vaguely interesting cowboys-take-on-cowboys movie.

V) Valkrie

Story about a plot to kill Hitler. Pretty dull.

W) Wolfman

Not as interesting as it could have been.

X) Xanadu

I never got around to this one.

Y) Yojimbo

I didn't get around to this one either.

Z) Zoolander

I've always avoided this one, but it was on the IMDB 250 so I gave it a go. Was actually kinda funny, but not enough to watch again.

I managed to watch 23 of them. I got distracted yesterday by "Diets That Time Forgot" on 4OD, which was 6 50 minute episodes. If I hadn't watched that, I'd probably have completed this challenge. But oh well.

Current saved total: £65
Current donated total: £100

Zig zag scarf

You like? It took forever to do, but I could do it without really thinking. Nice simple pattern, but not so simple it was tedious. And it's deliciously soft :-)

The Newest Member of My Family

Let me introduce Smudge. She's four months old, rescued from Freecycle. Here are some bad pictures...





Pixel doesn't seem to mind her, she just tends to keep out of her way. Smudge hisses whenever Pixel is near, but I'm hoping that'll wear off.

Smudge is so soft, very delicious. If she was a long haired cat, I'd brush her and make yarn out of her. She's also very affectionate. Spent all of her last night on my bed, curled up by my back. Every time I rolled over, she'd wait a second and then hop over me so she was curled up by my back again. Very cute.

30 Day Meme - Day 4

Day 4 - your favourite book

No, no, no, no, no. See my responses to similar questions on Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. I love too many different genres of book to be able to choose a favourite. Just glancing at my bookshelves I can see all Jeffery Deaver's crime books, all Terry Pratchett's books, some Harry Potter parody books, some Dan Brown, a series about the Rapture, the childrens' fantasy collection by Tamora Pierce, some Stephen King books, the Harry Potter series, the werewolf books by Kelley Armstrong, a set of werewolf/vampire/supernatural almost-porn, some zombie books, two books on Body Art, Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, the Artemis Fowl series, a couple by Roald Dahl, a collection of supernatural short stories anthologies, the Inkheart trilogy, the Anita Blake series, the Sookie Stackhouse series, the Blood series by Tanya Huff, the Narnia series, Garth Nix'x Keeper of the Keys set, the Northern Lights trilogy, a set of Superman anthologies, some Adrian Mole books and some Victorian lesbian romances by Sarah Waters.

That's just the serieseses. Doesn't include all my cross stitch/knitting/crochet books, or all my recipe books, or my billions of collections of quotes, or the hundred or so poetry books (including the set with my own poems in), or the kids books (think The Very Hungry Caterpillar), or my graphic novels, or my "adult" books. Or any of the dozens of individual books I have that don't fit in any other section.

And those are only the books that I own. There are hundreds and thousands more that I've read and enjoyed, that I've heard of but haven't had a chance to read yet...

No, no, no, no, no. I cannot narrow it down to one. Can you?

30 Day Meme - Day 3

I didn't do this yesterday, for reasons you'll see in a couple of posts, so I'm doing two today.

Day 3 - Your favourite TV show.

Yet again, I have the same attitude. I watch too many shows, I can't choose a favourite. Let me list the shows that I watch currently...

My Family
Rookie Blue
Drop Dead Diva
True Blood
Leverage
Futurama
Lie to Me
Warehouse 13
Eureka
White Collar
Psych
101 Ways to Leave a Gameshow
The Big C
Come Dine With Me
Dragon's Den
Don't Tell the Bride
Great British Bake Off
X Factor

Then there are the shows I watch that are on hiatus...

America's Got Talent
America's Next Top Model
Being Human
Ben 10: Ultimate Alien
Big Bang Theory
Bones
Britain's Got Talent
Castle
Chuck
CSI
CSI Miami
CSI New York
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Romantics
Dexter
Dr Who
Family Guy
Fringe
Glee
House
Hustle
Legend of the Seeker
Material Girl
Mentalist
Outnumbered
Paradox
Project Runway
QI
Sanctuary
Simpsons
Smallville
Supernatural
Survivors
Torchwood
V
Vampire Diaries

Oh, and the ones that have finished but that I still watch over and over...

Alien Nation
Angel
Battlestar Galactica
Ben 10
Ben 10: Alien Force
Black Books
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Charmed
Dark Angel
Dave Gorman's Important Astrology Experiment
Dead Like Me
Farscape
Firefly
Gilmore Girls
Heroes
Kyle XY
Lois and Clark
Moonlight
Now and Again
Pushing Daisies
Roswell
Sliders
Star Trek: TNG
Star Trek: DS9
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Enterprise
The 4400
The Dave Gorman Collection

Do I really need to explain why I can't pick a favourite?

30 Day Meme - Day 2

Day 2 - My favourite movie

This question has the same effect on me as yesterday's question. How am I supposed to pick a favourite movie? There are thousands of movies made every year. Going on 2000 a year, that's 56000 in my lifetime, and doesn't even include the many, many years before I was born. I can't pick a favourite movie out of all those. I can't even pick a favourite genre. I love romance movies, and comedies, and natural disaster movies and horror movies and vampire movies and.... I love most movies.

I don't think I could even pick a favourite movie for each genre. Not consistently anyway. I could tell you that right now my favourite musical is Rent, that my favourite Disney movie is Hercules, that my favourite vampire movie is Queen of the Damned, etc. But ask me again in two months, and I highly doubt they'd be the same.

Another Mini Alien

And a really bad picture of it.

30 Day Meme - Day 1

I was reading the archives of one of the crafting blogs I read, and I found this.

It's a 30 day meme challenge. The idea being that you blog every day for 30 days, about a different topic every day. Here are the topics:

Day 01 - your favourite song.
Day 02 - your favourite movie
Day 03 - your favourite television program.
Day 04 - your favourite book.
Day 05 - your favourite quote.
Day 06 - whatever tickles your fancy.
Day 07 - a photo that makes you happy.
Day 08 - a photo that makes you angry/sad.
Day 09 - a photo you took
Day 10 - a photo of you taken over ten years ago.
Day 11 - a photo of you taken recently.
Day 12 - whatever tickles your fancy.
Day 13 - a fictional book.
Day 14 - a non-fictional book.
Day 15 - a fanfic.
Day 16 - a song that makes you cry (or nearly).
Day 17 - an art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.).
Day 18 - whatever tickles your fancy.
Day 19 - a talent of yours.
Day 20 - a hobby of yours.
Day 21 - a recipe.
Day 22 - a website.
Day 23 - a YouTube video.
Day 24 - whatever tickles your fancy.
Day 25 - your day, in great detail.
Day 26 - your week, in great detail.
Day 27 - this month, in great detail.
Day 28 - this year, in great detail..
Day 29 - hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days.
Day 30 - whatever tickles your fancy.

The whole idea struck me as a great writer's block beater, so I'm going to attempt to write more than just a line or two each time. And here we go with day one:

My favourite song? This is one of those questions that drives me utterly barmy. On my Winamp playlist I have 3617 songs, a total of more than 207 hours of music. And I'm the obsessive type of person that goes through their music to make sure that there's nothing in there they don't like, and that there are no duplicates - yes I actually did that. So every single one of those 3617 songs is different, and every one is on the playlist because I like it. That doesn't even include all my Christmas music, or the new lot of 150 odd songs I got the other day but is in the "to check" folder. So, nearly 4000 songs. How am I meant to pick my favourite?

How do you look at a beach and pick your favourite grain of sand? How can you walk through a park and pick your favourite blade of grass, or a forest and pick your favourite tree? It's impossible! When asked the question, "What's your favourite song?" I tend to answer with whatever song I last listened to, or whatever song was stuck in my head at the time. Having said that, one of the challenges I might be doing this year is to create a playlist of my 101 favourite songs. Reducing 4000 to 101. Oh joy.

HaR August Challenge

Projects I've completed in August...

Ayuc

This mystery crochet Cayden led me to...



Hmmm, not as many as I thought, since only WiPs count.

Triwizard Tournament - Diary Assignment

Celeena Cree of Hogwarts turning in her assignment:

Assignment: The diary of Tom Riddle plays a huge role in the Chamber of Secrets. Ginny spends a lot of time telling her hopes and dreams to the diary. This proves to be her undoing. For this challenge name one of your struggles, hopes, or dreams and then knit a project that helps you to better understand the struggle, hope, or dream. An example could be the hope of a healthy baby and the project a baby sweater.

My dream is to be able to overcome my writer’s block and to be able to write fiction and poetry again. I made a desk tidy to give me a nice clean, organised and knitted environment to work in.

New Thing: Challenge # 32

Challenge 32 - write a poem using only one vowel

I spent most of the week reading the dictionary, which was fun, and writing a list of words that only had an E in them. Lists are fun too :-)

And then I wrote this, vaguely depressing, poem.

She'll be better when he decrypts her key. When he, the clever nerd, wrests her deeply embedded secrets. He'll remedy the pretty, reserved, screwy Shelly. He'll shelter her, never let her self-esteem lessen. He'll bless her by the gentlest pecks. She'll be the belle, he'll be her perfect redeemer. The trysts, the reckless depths they'll enter, the energy they'll mete. Let the Helens & Henrys envy! He's her keeper.

Then he'll neglect her. She'll relentlessly pester. He'll peel her nerves. She's restlessly fester. The resplentent sweetness: shelved. When he's left, she'll cry. Her eyes red, her bed bereft, she'll bleed. She'll teeter between here & there, between empty & hell.

She regrets, she begs; yet he sneers, he rejects her. She's left defenceless. She festers, she bleeds, she reels. She's messy, deserted, rejected. She teeters between here & there, between empty & hell.

Except, she fell.

There is a minor cheat, in that I used five ampersands, but there are no instances of A, I, O or U, so I'm happy. It's not bad either. I was half expecting the result to be something comedic, something Suess-like. I quite like this.

Current saved total: £65
Current donated total: £95

My HSKS package arrived!

So, this morning a very very exhausted owl struggled through my window carrying a box at least three times it's size and more like ten times it's weight.

The delivery charge alone was extortionate!! And in it? Well, there was all this...


Two huge packs of Twizzlers, which aren't available on my side of the pond.

Three delicious soft skeins of an unidentified yarn.

A cool purple folder with three different patterns in it.

Two very large tubs of delicious Swedish fish.

Six skeins of yummy Orchid Red Heart Super Saver.

About a bajillion patches and pins for my collection.

Four balls of variagated Peaches and Cream.

A handy knitting case.

The wacky needles inside the handy knitting case.

Three yummy fat quarters.

Some very psychadelic desk stuff.

A handy bag made of cool US fabric.

Four balls of pretty blue Peaches and Cream.

A delicious range of fabrics.

Detail of the first of three yummy American-themed fabrics.

Detail of the second American-themed fabric.

Detail of the third American-themed fabric.

This package was amazing, and after a really bad couple of weeks, actually made me cry. In a good way. Mostly. I feel a little bit guilty, because the package I'm sending back to Dragonsinger isn't half this good. But there you go. Thank you Rowan, this was amazing!!

HSKS 11 - money issues

My package for Dragonsinger is all completed, and prepared and wrapped and packed and boxed and labelled and perfect. Except that I've run out of money and I can't afford to pay the Owl Master man :-( So I'll be sending my package a week and a bit late. Oops.

Challenges Note

I messed up my dates a little bit. Challenge # 30, writing and publishing that pattern, was a two week challenge. Generally, for two week challenges, I still do another challenge on the second week. I need to do 52 challenges, one for every week. I forgot to do a second challenge during the second week of that one, so this week I'll be doing two challenges. One of them is a two week challenge, lol. Just to confuse myself. Two challenges this week, two challenges next week.

New Thing: Challenge # 31

Challenge 31 - lose 3 lbs

My challenge this week was to weigh 3 lbs less when I went to Weightwatchers. This was quite a large fail. Not only did I not weigh 3 lbs less, but I actually weighed 2 lbs more. Fun.

Current saved total: £60
Current donated total: £95

Caramel Cupcakes

So, I've done some more baking. Eventually! Was a bit of hassle this time. The recipe called for buttermilk, and when I was doing my grocery shopping Tuesday I couldn't find any buttermilk in the supermarket. I knew I wouldn't be anywhere near another supermarket all day, so I looked online for an alternative. Milk and lemon juice. Easy. I'd get some while I was in town later. Except that none of the shops I went in had any lemon juice, so I didn't get any milk either.

Then later I decided I'd make some more cupcakes but with a different recipe, one that didn't use buttermilk. Except that all the recipes called for milk, and I hadn't brought any because I couldn't find lemon juice. Sigh. Ok, save it for another time then.

I got the buttermilk, and then I made these...



The original recipe is called Toffee Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting, but that's just too fussy. I also added some chocolate to the frosting, cos who doesn't love chocolate.

I also had another issue with the cases. I brought a cupcake tray from Morrisons when I was in there, then didn't find any cupcake cases anywhere the entire day. So I brought a pack of six silicone ones that are reusable and peel off and are absolutely brilliant.

The recipe was for 12 cakes, so I baked the first batch, and went to peel the cases off so I could do the second batch. The toffee bits had sunk to the bottom and were too runny, so I left them in the cases to set for a while. The toffee didn't set, it's impossible to have the cakes without cases. So I've had to cover the rest of the batter and stick it in the fridge until I've eaten the first batch and can reuse the cases. I think my toffee bits were too big to be honest. Next time I'll make them smaller. If there is a next time. I haven't tasted them yet. Hang on.....

Droooooool. They were delicious. Well, I only had one (they're SEVEN weightwatcher's points each). The frosting is scrummy, but incredibly overpowering. I think it needs less of something, I'm just not sure what. The cakes are just devine. I think I might make the second batch with just melted chocolate on top, and leave the frosting. Either way, success!!

HSKS 11 - update

I finally got around to making a ___________, for Dragonsinger and it works really well. All the bits and pieces I ordered from the internet have come in. There's some ________________, a _________________ and a _______________. I have _______ handmade bits. I need to pop out and get some _____________________ and some _____________________, and possibly a ____________________, and I'm all set.

Although I did find a pattern for a _____________ last night that reminded me of her. I might make that today or tomorrow, just as an extra non-HP-related gifty.

New Thing: Challenge # 30

Challenge 30 - Write and publish a pattern

PASSED!! I made an Ayuc. So called because I couldn't think of a name for him. Ayuc stands for As Yet Unnamed Creature. And I published the pattern. Here AND on Ravelry. :-)

Current saved total: £60
Current donated total: £90

Free Pattern - Ayuc

Ayuc
A 2010 Celeena Cree pattern



You will need:
- Any type of yarn
- An appropriate hook
- Tapestry needle
- 3 eyes
- Small amount of contrasting yarn

Gauge is unimportant

Main body...

Rnd 1) Chain 2, sc 6 into 2nd ch from hook (6)
Rnd 2) 2 Sc into each st around (12)
Rnd 3) Sc around (12)
Rnd 4) *Sc in the next st, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (18)
Rnd 5) Sc around (18)
Rnd 6 *Sc in the next 2 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (24)
Rnd 7) Sc around (24)
Rnd 8) *Sc in the next 3 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (30)
Rnd 9) Sc around (30)
Rnd 10) *Sc in the next 4 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (36)
Rnd 11-16) Sc around (30)
Rnd 17) *Sc in the next 4 sts, dec over next 2 sts* Repeat around. (30)
Rnd 18) Sc around (30)
Rnd 19) *Sc in the next 3 sts, dec over next 2 sts* Repeat around. (24)
Rnd 20) Sc around (24)

It might be easier to add your eyes now, you’ve just made the head. You could also embroider facial features at this stage.

Rnd 21) *Sc in the next 4 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (30)
Rnd 22) Sc around (30)
Rnd 23) *Sc in the next 5 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (36)
Rnd 24) Sc around (36)
Rnd 25) *Sc in the next 6 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (42)
Rnd 26-31) Sc around (42)
Rnd 32) *Sc in the next 5 sts, dec over next 2 sts.* Repeat around. (36)
Rnd 33) Sc around (36)
Rnd 34) *Sc in the next 5 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (42)
Rnd 35) Sc around (42)
Rnd 36) *Sc in the next 6 sts, 2 sc in the next st.* Repeat around. (48)
Rnd 37-42) Sc around (48)

Stuff the body now, before you make the legs.

Legs...

- Place a marker
- Sc in the next 24 sts. Use slst to join with the marked st.
- Sc in the next 6 sts, then place a marker
- Sc in the next 12 sts. Use slst to join with the marked st.
You should have two legs, on half the body.
Repeat the process on the other side of the body, to have four legs in one line. Work 3 rounds of sc on each leg to add some length.
Finish off without closing the legs.

Feet (Make 4)...

Row 1) Ch 7, turn
Row 2) Ch 1, sc into 2nd ch from hook, sc across, turn
Row 3-4) Repeat row 2
Finish off.

Ears (Make 2)...

Rnd 1) Ch 2, sc 6 times into 2nd ch from hook
Rnd 2) 2 sc into each st around (12)
Rnd 3-4) Sc around (12)
Finish off.

Tie...

Ch 100, finish off.

Making up...

Stuff the legs. Sew the feet to the bottom of the legs, so that the edges stick out of the front to create toes. Use your crochet hook to attach 8 folded lengths of yarn to each side of the creature – one strand for one stitch, in a column, then cut to desired length. Sew the ears onto the side of the head (with the flat side against the head). Add on his eyes, then tie his tie around his neck :-)

Here's a picture of the Ayuc my pattern tester made...



I will be providing links to a Word document download shortly.

Pancake Fail

Since my baking was going so well, I decided to make some pancakes. American style pancakes, not flimsy-ass English ones. I used this recipe. The batter came out looking like cake mix, but I made one anyway.



And that's the good side. The bottom was burnt. It tasted okay though. Cayden and I thought about it and decided that yogurt must be thinner over there because the batter was just too thick. We added a splash of water and Cayden cooked up a few more. They were actually delicious, but the recipe is just too odd. I did some surfing and couldn't find a single other recipe that used yogurt rather than milk. So I'm going to try again one day, with milk.

My biggest problem isn't the recipe, or the batter. It's the cooking. I can't keep them round (even with the use of a handy pancake shaper thingy) and I can't not burn them. They're meant to look like this...



Not like my major pancake fail. Oh well, I'll just have to practice and practice and practice.