This is what three skeins of Connemara looks like, on its way to becoming a Bijoux blouse.
Yesterday I took some time to work out, and I also watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding and worked on the lengthening of the sleeves of Pipes.
When #1 daughter got engaged, she got us all together to watch this movie, because she said it was just what she knew we would be going through.
No member of the movie families in any way resembles any member of our family, but the culture conflict and the immigrant experience are both captured impressively well. Since we are coping with some of that at our house right now, there was a bit of comfort in watching it.
But mostly I worked on the store website. It was my day off for the week yesterday, so that might have been an error. By Sunday, I may be wishing that I had spent that day in housework and errands, or at least in lolling about. However, I have a sense of urgency about this project, and also it is fun, as new challenges generally are.
So I went ahead and used the day to see how telecommuting would work out.
Taking a Pilates break during the workday is great.
It is also very nice to be home when the kids get home from school. I was able to greet them with some freshly-baked almond shortbread, which is not something you can do from a store.
If you ever want to make shortbread, you will find it very easy. Here are the basic ingredients:
1c. flour
1/2 c. butter
1/3 c sugar
See how they go 1-2-3? That makes it easy to remember. You can be creative with the types of flour and sugar, but don’t fool around with butter substitutes. White flour and confectioner’s sugar will give you a nice basic shortbread, but rice flour gives a very delicate result, and whole wheat flour or a multigrain mix gives you some hint of nutrition.
You can mix the ingredients with an electric mixer, which makes the whole process very quick and easy. Then you can add other things. Vanilla is classic. The one you see here has almond extract and sliced almonds. You can use finely powdered green tea, dried pineapple and coconut, cocoa powder, dried cherries with almond extract, orange peel, lavender blossoms — there really is no end to the possibilities.
You don’t really end up with a dough, but with a sort of powdery mixture. So it is best to press into into a shortbread pan like this one, or use a cake pan and cut it into wedges.
If you are determined to make it in shapes, you can. You have to sort of pat it out and cut it with your cutters, then very carefully balance it on a spatula and put it on the pan.
Adding an egg makes it less authentic, but is practical if you want to make cookie cutter shapes.
If you make shapes, you can then dip them into melted chocolate and set them on waxed paper to dry. To do this, melt chocolate in your double boiler (or microwave) and stir in a tablespoon of butter. If you don’t care about the health issues (and it may be a moot point when you’re making shortbread), shortening gives a nice glossy finish, but of course butter has a better flavor.
The boys like having me at home to greet them, and they like after-school snacks hot from the oven, but they are concerned that, if I am working at home some days, it will cut into their computer game time. However, I think I can get in eight hours without inconveniencing them much. I have already warned the family not to think that I can be a full-time homemaker just because I am working at home.
If, of course, that turns out to be what I do. There is still a good deal of suspense on that front.
greeting the kids with shortbread? You run a kingdom not a house. RYC: You work in retail too. they are all weird people…;)…
I suppose if you do end up working from home that you could invest in a strictly business computer, with no gaming allowed.
Yum. Shortbreads. As a Canadian, this has always been our treat – as Christmas I chow down on these things with tea. Yum. I LOVE My Big Fat Greek Wedding – it is great. Unfortunately, they made it into a TV program and it took all of the joy out of it for me (it was a hidiously awful program). Me? I’m thinking that “job” trumps “gaming” for the computer. 🙂
Shortbread is my favorite. The butter will kill me and my weak gallbladder.
Quite well i must say. I am afraid I am setting myself up for failure so I have decided to amend it to “I will not purchase or seak to drink alcohol except in the confines of a celebratory toast.” otherwise as of yet I am doing quite well. I have already learned something from it. 🙂
lol lol I understand/concur the purchase and seek part in conjunction with the celebratory toast concludes that I may only drink if someone has purchase a drink for me to celebrate something of their own. Not just to get around me not drinking. They also can not know about my Lenten Sacrafice, because part of my discipline is to say no without using Lent as an excuse. So a legitimate congrad/celebratory toast to another person. i know this sounds complicated but to me it makes more sense. and i am keeping a journal of any and all times that i do drink during this 40 days. At least that’s the plan.
Yum! I have never even thought about making shortbread! I am totally inspired!
I’m trying to. “The greatest good comes from the littlest things.” thank you.