Liquid Gold

I love Thanksgiving for two reasons, family and turkey stock! To those of you who just throw away those bones and skin scraps you are missing out on one delectable treat, it is so easy to make and is so very versatile. I use stock when I make soups, rice, gravy, stuffing, or anything savory that calls for the addition of water.  Yes you can go to the store and buy it in a can or box, but your also buying preservatives and a whole lot of sodium. My ingredients are simple turkey scraps, water, peppercorns, dried parsley, onion, celery, and carrots. I put everything in my largest pot, cover it, and set the burner to low overnight and I wake up to this.

Not really, I have to strain out this first...

Can we talk about that leg bone for a minute...I wonder if my Doctor could use that to fix my knee, its certainly big enough!

I pour off one container to put into the freezer and the rest makes soup for the day.

I hope you will try making stock this Thanksgiving. I promise you wont be sorry.

The little birdy told me...

to make him a book and I am quite pleased with how it turned out.

I thought the binding was a bit tight but it is working beautifully now that it is all dry. My only regret is I don't know how to sew an end tab to protect the spine, all in good time though.

Next we have a Japanese stab bound book. I love the floral print with the masculine stripes.

 Close up of the stitching

Inside cover

This next one is two kinds of binding combined. I used an accordion folded spine with the stab binding method. Probably not the first person to do this, but I thought it was unique and appealing.

Close up of the basket weave paper and stitching

 

This have been a very enjoyable learning experience and a huge Thank You to my friend Amy for her skillful lessons.

I'm very excited because I think I might have gotten hubby interested in making a book with me so we shall see if it happens.

Book Page Wreath

We decided to take the mantle off the kitchen fireplace for a spell and just hang wreaths, that being said we also didn't want something you can buy just anywhere. My quest was to find something different I could make and low cost so when I tired of it I didn't feel guilty. This wreath filled the bill perfectly. The only purchase was a twenty-five cent trashy novel from the Good Will store and when we are bored it will make a nice fire starter.

Banana upsidown cake

This cake is my new favorite way to use those browning bananas nobody will eat.

Banana upsidown cake.

Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans
4 bananas,2 sliced  2 pureed
1 (18.25 ounce) package butter recipe cake mix

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour Tube pan. Combine butter and brown sugar, pour in to bottom of pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over brown sugar mixture, arrange banana slices  over that.

2.Prepare cake mix according to package instructions and add 2 pureed bananas.
3.Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 15-20 minutes. Turn cakes upside down on a platter or plate, gently tap bottom and carefully remove pan, replacing caramel mixture that sticks to pan.

 I am not a fan of boxed cake mixes, but the butter recipe is a good cake on its own and then when you add the banana it changes it drastically.