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!

New Dolls

I admire those ladies who make dolls while caring for a bunch of little children. How do they do it??? There is no way I can do any serious amount of sewing during the day and caring for my brood, making the meals and keeping house just about wipes me out by the evening.

My children are like little birds, they wake with the sun and go to sleep with the sun and no amount of ritual has managed make them take naps.

Anyways, I did actually finish one doll - well, almost, except she has no shirt, but I guess it is ok in this summer heat. I've been very anxious to list some more dolls in my etsy shop
but guess what - my little Gopi decided to adopt this one. Awww..... it is the first dolly that I've ever made that she cared for, including the first one that I ever made that I made especially for her, so I let her keep it. She named her Hooti Baby.

A mother's heart, and these little ones know just so well how to melt it. <3