Two batches of candied citrus peel are currently completed, have been rolled in sugar and dried enough to keep well, some in jars for next year, some to send to my dad, and some for a future fruitcake... One was bog standard orange, and the other using the pomelo skins, which may or may not be actually huge grapefruit after all. Pomelo makes the most succulent candied peel, some of those strips are almost a half inch thick, and translucent like stained glass. If I'd remembered to save some of last year's candied peel, I could have baked my fruitcake weeks ago... I'm rather a bit late this year, (my holiday fruitcake will be for 12th night).
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~ creativity challenge ~
making things for Sekrit Santa Swap, so not able to share the photos here, yet... I have been exploring a bit of papercraft, and getting back to a bit of bookbinding and heraldic painting. It has been fun, and I intend to do a bit more of that in 2022. In particular, I want to explore the possibilities of the Turkish Map Fold structure~ creativity challenge ~
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This essay is food for thought, about the things we lose...
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December SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | carpenter pockets | pruned Japanese maple | yard waste bin |
| 2 | 3 jars spiced pears | pruned persimmon tree | recycle bin |
| 3 | some candied peel | reset back door latch | - |
| 4 | more mini papel picado | AC removed for winter | - |
| 5 | final quince jelly | - | - |
| 6 | x | x | - |
| 7 | x | x | - |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitude - two new baby pear trees (in 1 gallon pots) arrived with the aunties on Saturday! One is a Seckel pear, and one Bosc, they look rather like wee little sticks right now, but hopefully in three or four years there may be pears growing here at Acorn Cottage! I need to find out how best to keep them safe and happy now that winter is almost here, and figure out where best to plant them. So bright and early Monday I called Burnt Ridge Nurseryand asked for advice; was told that temperatures in the 20's are no problem, as long as the temperature stays above 10F the trees will be fine just as they are, since they are dormant. and if it looks to go down to single digits, then keeping them insulated from the cold will be needed, but it doesn't normally get that cold here in zone 8.
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