Mind Enchanting Laddus

This is a special post for the lovely and talented Lorilee at Mamakopp Wooden Toys. Go see her work, if you haven't already, they are unparalleled!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5498615

And now - lets make laddus!

You need to slowly melt one stick of unsalted butter, and add 3/4 + 1/8 C chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour. This means, that you need just a little less than one full cup of flour. Stir over slow fire until it turns a pretty light latte color and smells nutty.



As the flour melts with the butter, it will be a thick pancake butter consistency. Take it off the fire, stir for another 30 seconds, then let it cool down.

Mix in 3/4 + 1/8 C (same amount as flour, a little less than a cup) confectioner's sugar.





roll it into small balls, put it into the fridge for 20 minutes, then




and then



These laddus are very adaptable. Our favorite addition is walnuts, you add them with the flour so they get yummy and toasted. You may add lemon grind, a pinch of nutmeg, toasted coconut, raisins, roll them in any number of things, let the imagination soar!

I want this for my birthday!

I am looking for the best plan for my mother-in-law to teach my daughter the recorder. In looking up recorders, I came to this one:

http://www.eriktheflutemaker.com/Kiowa_Pottery.htm

Erik, the flutemaker, my dears, is a GENIUS!!! He is also a very nice person and has a lot of projects helping children, currently ones that previously lived in a garbage dump in Nicaragua.

I am afraid I want all his flutes.

But this is the one I am wholly in love with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOFwVK2DoA8

(Sorry I wanted to add the video here, but didn't manage, I am really not good at this blogging thing. Do watch it though, it is worth it!)

This flute is a courting flute with a pentatonic scale. It's sound deeply resonates with the soul. Prayerful, meditative...

Only now I am not peaceful because I REALLY WANT ONE!!!

New Hopes

On Friday we went to an Art Show in Bellefonte, Pa. It is our favorite town around here, so quaint and it has the best park, ever, and even old fashioned train rides. AND two great toy stores.

So I made up some small dolls and took some of the bigger dolls to show to the owner of one of the toy stores, and she loved them! Brought them all, and she has great plans for us. I am so excited!

Selling dolls in person is so much nicer than over the internet. (For me, anyhow.) I love to see the reactions on peoples' faces, there is noone who doesn't love a Waldorf doll. Also, pictures just don't seem to do justice to the dolls, they are a lot nicer in life.

Well, let's see how it goes, but for now I am very happy to have spread a little love.

Blueberry Cobbler

Last Friday we were freezing blueberries, and doing the compulsory baking. I promised blueberry pie to The Husband, but with all the dollmaking and heat of the summer, I just didn't feel like all the work, and particularly the cleanup, so decided to go for a simpler recipe.

This is what I found, it practically requires no cleanup and it was one of the tastiest blueberry dish I've ever made. Here goes:

Any Fruit Cobbler

4 c ripe berries of fresh fruit, sliced
1 c flour
3/4 c sugar (or less, this was a little too sweet for us)
1 t baking powder
1 egg (I used egg replacer)
1 stick butter, melted

Butter an 8 inch square baking dish. Put the fruit in the bottom of the dish. In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add the beaten egg and mix well with a fork or your fingertips until the flour is dampened and in small clumps. Scatter the flour mixture over the fruit. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top. Using the back of a spoon or your fingers, distribute the butter over all. Bake in 375 F for about 25 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

New Discoveries in the Head Department

It is a happy day! I made a very useful discovery today.

Like Meike, I'm still on a quest to figure out The Perfect Head. I used to just stuff the wool into the inner head tube, until I read this lovely tutorial
from Berry (who is also my hero a little bit *pink cheeks, shy smile* ), so I now follow her instructions of rolling a ball etc. But for the vertical string, I used to go through the bottom of the head, pick up at the side, go through a little bit of the top, pick up a little wool on the other side and through the bottom again (does that make sense?). And I was still not quite happy, I did not find the chin defined enough.

This morning I was experimenting with pulling the string under the chin and tying it on top, and that is when I saw it: if I pull the chin string forward slightly, it will not only give me a lovely chin, but a nice defined neck also! Like so:



Oh, very satisfied now. I'll try to push the top part down now for fat cheeks, like Christina suggests.

Dear, this dollmaking is highly addictive, isn't it? And I love these group of beautiful, selfless and amazingly talented dollmakers!


Still on the happy note: we had lovely doughnuts today, made the Hungarian way - well, almost, except for a ton of chocolate glaze. And, they were finger-licking good!








PS: No, I don't chew on my fingernails, but I do trim them very closely. :)

Herbal Elfs

I am very much in love with these little guys. Something about the simplicity and the soothing fragrance...

When I was little I used to have a stripy little bunny that was knit this way. It was just 3 inches or so, and I used to bring him to school every day and let him hide and watch and listen. I don't know what happened to him since, but I guess I still like the design.



And so does Bhima, it seems xox

Ponytail Holders

We (my daughter, my niece and I) made some wet felted ponytail holders yesterday. Lucky it was so fun, because it sure takes much more time than I expected! But the girls had a nice time, Gopi helped roll and roll the little wool balls around with the help of warm soapy water, and Pishima, who is practically a grown up at 7 years old, was allowed to handle the needle and sew beads on.

I am so happy I get to have girls to play with!