Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Mary Janes for Baby, Shortbread

Knitting:

Annie at Knitsofacto, knitter extraordinaire, published a complimentary pattern for baby Mary Jane booties found here (not for sale).  They were so cute that it spurred me on to knit some.




Only one completed thus far.  Linking up with Small Things

and also linking with Tami at Works in Progress Wednesday.

Painting:

Almost finished with this for sale at the Palisade Art Lover's Show in April:


Oils, 11" x 14"

Cooking/Baking:

Here is an old favorite recipe from Natalie that I'll be making soon, adding culinary lavender for spring flavor:

Scottish Shortbread Cookies

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, unsifted
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut in chunks
(lavender, chopped finely, about 2 Tbsp, optional)

With your hands, work mixture until it is very crumbly and no large particles remain,; then press mixture into a firm lump with your hands.  Place dough (it is crumbly) in an 8 or 9 inch layer cake pan with removable bottom and press out firmly, evenly.  Impress edge of the dough with the tines of a fork and prick surface evenly.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes or until a pale golden brown.  Remove from oven and while warm, cut with a sharp knife into wedges and sprinkle with about 1 Tbsp. sugar.  Let cool, then remove pan rim and transfer cookies to a serving tray or airtight container.  Keep at room temperature as long as a week; freeze for longer storage.  Makes 8 to 12 cookies.


The picture above is of two ladies knitting at the Shetland Scalloway Museum.  I took it last summer while at the coffee shop museum.  They meet weekly and knit, chat and share SCOTCH SHORTBREAD (note the plastic container between them that holds their treats).  I just loved that they brought their own cookies to the museum while they worked and chatted with me. Their brogues were very thick, and I had to ask them to repeat their words several times.  And yes, they did give me permission to take their picture for blogging purposes. These two ladies were amazed that there picture appeared immediately on the iPad!  Neither had seen an iPad before.

Read this Month and maybe back into February:

Hidden, by Catherine McKenzie (excellent!)
Best Kept Secret, by Jeffrey Archer (The Clifton Chronicles) a keeper
The Way of Perfection by Saint Teresa of Avila (written in the 1500's, and I just could not understand most of what she had to say about Purgatory, but I was determined to read it for the Lenten Season.)  Read it only if you dare.
A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch (loved this 2008 Agatha Award Nominee Book; Inspector Exeter of Scotland Yard at the turn of the century kept me interested; will be reading more by Charles Finch)
A Time to Kill (only 20% through this), by John Grisham.  Lots of courtroom drama
Sycamore Row by John Grisham (the husband said to read A Time To Kill if I liked this one, which I did)

What are you up to?

14 comments:

  1. Those are some mighty cute shoes:) Great work! Sweet little ladies sitting and knitting! YUM to the shortbread! I'll have a bite! Have a blessed evening dear friend, HUGS!

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  2. What a cute Mary Jane. The paprika color is very nice. Shortbread is always so tasty. Those two women are adorable.

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  3. What cute shoes! What adorable little ladies!!!

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  4. I was just about to start a pair of those sweet shoes but I don't know what a cable cast on is! I'll ask Annie. We like to call our shortbread 'Scottish'.....Scotch is more usually the amber nectar you put in a glass and drink slowly! Bet those ladies were as bemused by your American accent, Nancy, as you were at theirs and their quaint little ways! The fact that they had their shortbread in that plastic container denotes that it was most probably homemade. Have you seen the film 'A Time To Kill'? I think it has Matthew Mc-what's-his-name in it and is very good. Love your painting too.

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  5. ps The BBC have a new detective series on a the moment called 'Shetland', based on the books of Anne Cleeves. Don't know whether you would be able to get it over there?

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  6. I looked up the museum site, then scrolled waaaaay out on the map to figure out where exactly it was ... wow, way north of the Scottish mainland! I imagine it's never warm there!

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  7. I've been looking for a good shortbread recipe, thanks!

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  8. You have been busy Nancy, booties and painting both lovely. My son has done a shortbread for his school catering exam which had a layer of apricot conserve in the centre of two layers, it was so crumbly and delicious. Betty

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  9. I just read all of the Charles Finch mysteries. Addictive. I also recommend the Guido Brunetti series by Donna Leon - set in Venice.

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  10. Yay ... you knitted some Mary Jane's! The one's you've completed looks fabulous ... I love the colour :) I hope you're finding the pattern straightforward to follow x

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    1. Have fun to get your message!! I have hung onto your pattern for a while now and just now knitting it (I DID finish that second booty last nite). It was very straightforward, thank you. I will reposition that button to make it closer to the top so it will look more like YOUR cute Mary Jane's!

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  11. What cute little shoesies those will be. I love the painting and the shortbread, but especially those lovely knitting ladies.

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  12. Oh Nancy, that bootie is so precious, how cool to have knitted Mary Janes! You did such a good job. And, I'm proud to see that gorgeous painting on your header. Its fabulous! I've been working hard lately...tax season and all, so I've been scarce on blogger for a little while. Have a wonderful weekend! ♥

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