I found the cost of a hearth to place under the new pellet stove more than I was willing to pay. Since I have many saltillo tiles and that look is now in two rooms of the house it made complete sense to make a hearth that fit in and wouldn't cost me any more out of pocket money. I had everything on hand. Yeah..no driving to a store!

A pellet stove typically requires two inches of hearth behind the stove, five inches on each side and six inches in the front.

Eric cut a piece of 1/4 inch plywood 36 inches square. I used all purpose ceramic tile adhesive to affix 12 inch tiles to it. After waiting 48 hours for the mastic to set up (required for adhering to plywood but less if using concrete board) I used the same color grout (suntan from Lowe's) as in the bathroom and WC.

After cleaning the grout from the tiles and leaving it to dry and set, I sealed it with tile sealer. That step too requires drying time. Now it's time to move it into place and put the stove on it. Once it is determined where the hole will be cut, the stove will be installed and turned on. Yippee! A whole new chapter in home heating.

Winters around here are pretty cold with temperatures dropping into the teens most of the time. I only have one hose bib on the house that needs covering with insulation but it sticks out too proud for a regular insulating device to cover adequately. I've made my own.

I found a child's sand bucket on the dollar table at the local grocery store. I removed the handle. Then I filled it half way with expanding insulating foam. I put a plastic bag over the faucet and placed the bucket of foam over it. The foam expands up and around the faucet filling in the spaces. The handle holes were perfect for attaching it with screws to the house. Voila! an insulating cover that fits and doesn't look like a breast. Who came up with that one and then had the audacity to call it a Dolly Parton?! Can we all say "demeaning"? No imagination. The next one I make will be a plastic horse head. I'm sure there's one out there I can fill with foam. I ran out of time this year to find one and we're expected to have temperatures in the twenties this week.

A rooster head would be attractive. Ooo a mule head would be perfect. A big sunflower? Front end of a John Deere tractor? Even a flower pot. See guys...imagination. Breast on a house....not here.

Few things give me the type of joy I feel after a morning of canning. The fun of picking the fruit, preparing it for the jars, hearing the "ping" of sealing lids and the gleam of the colorfully filled jars. It's cooking at its best.

My mother's fruit trees were dripping with perfect peaches and Italian plumbs. Free for the taking and prime for canning. Oh sure there was some eating of the fresh fruit but the idea of popping open a can to savor this winter is what inspires me. Peaches are a labor of love with all that peeling of skin and syrup making. I put some up in the freezer as well.

I used half of the plums gathered to make Chinese plum sauce. Nice little treats to give at the holidays and oh so good with spring rolls. Yes, there are gluten free spring roll skins.

Here's the recipe I used.

Chinese Plum Sauce

8 cups plums pitted and halved (about 3 pounds)
1 chopped onion
1 cup water
1 tablespoon ginger root minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne chili
1/4 teaspoon clove
1 inch chunk of tamarind paste
1/4 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
1 tablespoon tamari

In large heavy saucepan, bring plums, onion, water, ginger, tamarind paste and garlic to boil reduce heat and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Puree in food processor or blender. Return to pan and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring, then cook on low until the consistency of applesauce, about 45 minutes.
Fill and seal in sterile jars. Process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes.

I'm required to eat a gluten free diet. It's not a problem for me until I want cake or cookies. Since I cook from scratch I'm able to consistently monitor the use of gluten free ingredients. I read all labels as wheat products are in many prepared foods. Sometimes it gets discouraging but as long as I can make up something like this dessert I feel it's worth the trouble. I found it on the website of the National Foundation of Celiac Awareness. Sometimes a girl just has to have a goopy sticky chocolate dessert.

How to make the Pudding Cake:

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup soy flour
7 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
1 1/3 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In mixing bowl combine sugar, flours, 3 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and salt.

Blend in milk, melted butter and vanilla until smooth.

Pour the batter into 8x8x2 baking pan.

In a small bowl combine brown sugar and remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa.

Sprinkle mixture over the batter in the pan. Pour the hot water over the top but DO NOT STIR.

Bake 40 - 45 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Spoon into dish and top with vanilla ice cream.

I added a thin layer of chocolate chips between the batter and the topping to make it even more gooey. Hey. I need some chocolate.

My daughter had blessed me with pickled ume plums after her summer exit from Seattle. She muled them from Uwajimaya's as they aren't the kind of thing found in rural Eastern Washington. I already had pickled daikon in the refrigerator so I was set for a wheat free feast. No fat no gluten no hidden dangers. Score!

Here's how to make them:

Cook a cup or two of rice after gently but thoroughly washing it. I use a rice cooker so as not to over cook or over water it. For rice balls and sushi pearl rice is fine. I've even used jasmine rice in a pinch. If you only have converted rice stop here and forget you ever saw this recipe.

Transfer the hot cooked rice to a large bowl and gently stir in the seasoned rice vinegar to taste, about a half cup more or less, while doing this have someone fan the rice cool. This allows the rice to be coated with a sheen of vinegar.

Cut the sheets of seaweed into halves. No need to toast them for this use. Most seaweed comes pre-toasted anyway.

Put a half cup of seasoned rice vinegar in a medium bowl.

Cut the pickled daikon into halves.

Pit the pickled plums, if that is your preference. I use them unpitted as sucking on the salty pit is an added pleasure for me.

Take a half sheet of seaweed and dip it in the bowl of vinegar, coating both sides, and shake off the excess.

Hold the sheet of seaweed , shiny side down, in the left hand and dish a heaping tablespoon of rice into the center.

Add a plum or a piece of daikon, (plain rice is also good) cover with a little more rice and wrap it up in the seaweed. Gently squeeze and form into a ball.

Place on a plate and allow to cool at room temperature for half an hour. OR you can, like me, dive right in. YUM!

You may have noticed the gentle treatment of the rice. It's a revered food in Asia and is best when the outer surface is not roughed up or the kernels mooshed. One is looking for whole, smoothly coated grains that have a firm but cooked texture. Over cooked rice or rice that is too wet is only good for jook, a nasty Chinese soup dish. Google congee if you have over cooked your gloppy rice. I won't be posting a recipe here.

The bird tables I made for feeding seed to the masses of birds have worked well but I was given a simple seed feeding idea that saves me time and assures all those feathered friends a constant supply of food. Bob Tracey of Ritzville drew out a simple plan so I'm sharing it in photos.

How to:

Use a bucket or large plastic container with a snug fitting lid.

Use a knife, soldering iron or heated wire, to make three cuts in the plastic an inch from the bottom of the container. This creates a hole with a flap at the bottom to prevent the seed from pouring out too quickly.

Fill with seed and place outside. I put mine on the bird table but I don't have to take precious time in the morning for feeding. The seed filled bucket lasts a good four days.

I belong to a bunko group and it's my turn to host an evening of dice rolling and eating. It seemed like a good opportunity to try out a recipe for the first time. Moroccan chicken with artichoke hearts and preserved lemons. Dessert is also served so I've made medjool dates stuffed with almond paste to go with fruit and ice cream. They turned out just like the picture in the cook book and taste wonderfully. Here's how to make them.

1lb slivered blanched almonds

3/4 cup powdered sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

3 tablespoons orange flower water (easily found in health food stores)

3 drops green food coloring

In a food processor grind the almonds until paste like. Transfer to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients.

Cut open one side of the date, remove the pit and stuff with the paste.

Yummy!

I found I had dry rot around the toilet where the "bolts" had been. It's not uncommon around toilets in old houses. No problem. Using a technique I learned from working on boats and old trailers I strengthened the wood with five minute epoxy.

Without drilling through the floor, drill small holes into the wood moving out to unaffected areas. Mix epoxy and fill holes and the surface area so it can penetrate into the rotted areas and some of the good wood also. In this case, about a three inch diameter.

I felt comfortable enough with the job to start screwing down the plywood to the old floor.

I seem to use a volt meter a lot as my world is full of electrical projects. I got tired of needing three hands to test wires or outlets. I like to think of myself as talented but I just can't seem to grow another arm so I created a way to have the volt meter right where I can read it and still have two hands on the tester leads. This has been especially handy when testing wires situated above my head.

Project:
Making a wrist holder for small volt meter.

Tools and Materials:
Scissors
Glue I used my favorite, Gorilla Glue
2" wide Velcro strapping with hook end and loop body. I bought one about two feet long at Home Depot for $6.00 - "A" in picture
A piece of Velcro hook material 2" X 2.5" - "C" in picture

Step-by-Step:

Cut the Velcro strapping approximately 9-10 inches at the buckle lead end.
Cut off the hook end from the remaining strapping
Attach the hook end to the cut loop strap (hook to loop sides together) - "B" in the picture
Cut a piece of hook material 2"x2.5"
Glue the hook piece to the back on the volt meter with the hooks facing out - "D" in the picture
Let the glue dry completely

To use just put the strap on the wrist and attach the volt meter to the strap. I suppose one could also wear this as a party accessory. It would be a conversation piece.

Thank you to all those people who return to this site and have sent their prayers for my speedy recovery.

I'm not good at being physically incapacitated. It makes me cranky and unhappy. There are small tasks I can do without too much pain. Watering the garden, brushing the girls and of course cooking. I've been doing a lot of cooking.

My sister came over one afternoon to keep me company. We watched a movie (even if laughing is painful) and I made phad thai. I have already posted the recipe for kecap manis which is nice to have around and add as an ingredient to Thai recipes. Here's a fool-proof recipe for phad thai sauce.

6 tablespoons fish sauce
6 tablespoons lime juice
4 tablespoons kecap manis or brown sugar
6 tablespoons of ketchup
At least 1 tablespoon of cayenne powder for some hot and spicy results. If hot and spicy isn't your idea of a good time then add 1/2 tablespoon but it should have a little zing.
1 teaspoon salt

Stir this all together and taste. It should have a nice balance of tart (sour) and sweet. Add a little more sweet or sour or salt to match your desired phad thai taste.

Phad thai is best when made with rice stick noodles. One package can make many meals so only soak a small portion. I have my favorite ingredients but it's a dish you can have fun trying different vegetables. My standard items are tofu, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, baby corn, egg, green onion and GARLIC. I've been known to add broccoli, spinach, chard, kale, chicken, shrimp. Phad thai is my comfort food of choice so I keep all the ingredients on hand. You never know when a cracked rib will need soothing.