House Capuchin Shield2Holidays and events mess with schedules, but this coming week should be more normal. Tymberhavene’s Yule, a bunch of sewing and some recipes this week.

  • Herb Bunch – At Ancient Light, Saturdays, 11am-1pm
  • Sewing Time – At Ancient Light, Saturdays, 3-5pm
  • Project Day – At Ancient Light, Sundays, Noon to 6pm
  • Next Potluck – 1/20, (no Feb potluck), 3/17
  • Winter Feast Date is 2/17/19
Progress on Saturday – Still need to trim ends

Here is the direct Portfolio link which has all the past Project Day reports and various projects, original here:  https://housecapuchin.wordpress.com/portfolio/  and new one here:  https://housecapuchin2.wordpress.com/portfolio/ and number three is here: https://housecapuchin3.wordpress.com/portfolio/

Early Week – …got eaten by the holiday celebrations, but Sasha got to try some more of the goodies that we’re putting together for the Winter Feast.

Eugene Trip, 12/26, Anja’s take  – We had a tire blow Tuesday evening. Loren ran over with the tire as soon as the tire place was open and then got it mended. We’re still not sure what happened with it, but it got mended….. so, he got it onto the car and got quite soaked in the process. He had to come in and change before we headed out and we had a tote of stuff and my walker to load. I had been talking back and forth with Vesta since the night before when we realized the tire problem.

I really needed the walker, too. Whatever I did to my right hip on Wednesday was still whalloping me and I had to use the walker to keep from limping (which does more damage….)

We had a lovely drive down. The *views* from the car of the ocean and then of the trek up and over the Coast Range! It was decent weather, only a little spitty at times, and the roadways weren’t slippery. We talked the whole way, chatting about this and that, things that we often don’t have time to bring up, since we’re so busy.

We had stopped for gas in Florence, but that was all, and we got to the restaurant (Vietnam Restaurant on 11th, Eugene) 10 minutes past the time we were supposed to get there, but Vesta was waiting. I ordered what she suggested which was the #4, a shrimp/chicken/veg roll with peanut sauce, in an almost transparent casing and beef pho. Now, I get what the shouting’s about! That was delicious, but some of the odd bits that floated up in that bowl… Um… well that was neither beef nor a noodle…it looked like it had suckers on it. Maybe I don’t want to know… I happily chowed on it until it started to get cold. That was a mixing bowl, not a soup bowl…. So I got mine into a tub to take home.

We exchanged presents. She gave Loren a loaf of delicious bread and me a beautiful Czech tablecloth…vintage at this point, since it says, “Czechoslovakia”. 🙂 She had a good laugh over the Nutella socks that we had for her and loves marzipan. 🙂 …and we talked and talked. It was good to be able to do that outside of an SCA event.

She took off for the rehab center where our friend, Iurii, has been since he got ill around Thanksgiving. …and we followed the google map directions and got thoroughly lost for over an hour. We finally called the rehab center and one of the secretaries talked us in. Loren says he’s humiliated forever…. 🙂

Iurii is still looking peaky and he all kinds of places for tubes to attach. all plugged off, but wasn’t attached to anything at that time we were there. Vesta took off (she’d been there for 1 1/2 hours before we got there!) and we gave Iurii his Christmas goodies and then sat and talked for awhile. He was kinda dozy. I’m sure he’s still on a bunch of pain meds, but he was moving easily and coherent, so I know he’s doing better.

We were supposed to go to fight practice after, but Loren was tired enough that we headed back. I dozed a lot, but Loren was dealing with people trying to drive in our non-existent trunk and high beams and fog, so I kept getting startled awake. I got some lovely views of the starry night sky and some really spooky vignettes of the foggy landscape. I finally came completely awake at about Mapleton on the way back.

We stopped at A&W and had a good supper with cheese curds for dessert. 🙂 They really do have the best root beer! We took it easy on 101 from Florence to Waldport, since we were mostly alone on the road. The Heceta Light was amazing in the slightly foggy weather, the rotating beam sweeping over the trees and cliffs and us and ocean. We had seen the brightness for most of a couple of miles.When we came around the bend by the Sea Lion Caves, though, *WOW*! They have the whole B&B lighted and it’s really lovely. …and then coming home…seeing the lights of Yachats appearing and disappearing as we came around the curves. …and all the holiday lights on houses…. I haven’t managed to say anything about those, but we looked and commented all day. I wasn’t counting, officially, but it was upwards of 400! …and we came home and slept *hard*.

Sewing – Anja is starting the big project that she’s trying to finish for 12th Night. So far, that’s mostly been re-studying the pattern and instructions and making sure that she has pieces, but a couple of the biggest pieces are actually already cut and partly sewn. That’s going to help. Some small hand-bits got worked on and the fasteners ordered. (pictures below)

Herb Bunch – We didn’t have the usual Saturday workshop, but during the week a number of herbs were pulled from the drying rack and put by for processing. 

Tymberhavene Yule – Anja’s Take

Friday evening we sat down to make sure we had the pickles ready to go, and then set up a pot of čočky (lentil pottage) to cook overnight. We were up pretty early, got our food things put together and into the car and headed out. The wave action was wonderful to watch. I haven’t seen the spouting horn at Neptune Park go off for several years, but caught it going, yesterday. It’s just a tad over 2 hours to where we were headed. We talked the entire way, nothing of any consequence, just commentary.

Once we were at the site I spent quite awhile getting our food contributions set up and then circulated for a bit, saying hi to folks that I haven’t seen for awhile. During the afternoon I spent quite awhile embroidering, watching what others were up to, nibbling on the lunch stuffs and occasionally lurking in the kitchen.

There were several new people there and I gave them all some of my coins. I also handed some to Seamus’ family and a couple of other Tymberhavene folks. I kibbitzed over the embroidery Snorri was working on all afternoon and finally went over and go a good look at it. It’s lovely!

Progress on Saturday – Still need to trim ends

…and not a single picture happened. Not sure why. There really aren’t any even on the Tymberhavene group although I’ve put out a plea for a few. If I get any they’ll get added, later.

The feast in the evening was really delicious. I got more pepper than is good for me, but didn’t hurt myself on it. A bunch of us spent time bullying the Seamus (who was running the event) and Alexander (the guy running the kitchen) about putting out a cookbook. 🙂 The cheese and egg pie was especially good and there was a meatball dish that I want to try. …and I fell apart eating the berry cream and black forest cake, omgs…. We brought home some leftovers and I gave away some of our pickles that folks particularly liked.

Clean-up was actually fun. Various people were talking recipes and I got to ask Alexander about vigil food for Seamus’ at 12th Night. I kept spilling stuff, but at least it went into the tablecloth…

I dozed most of the way home. I had gotten soaked getting to the car, since the mist that we had earlier in the day turned to real rain and an overflowing gutter dumped down my neck, and by the time we got the car started I was really cold, actually past the shivering stage, so it was a relief when the heat kicked in and the windows unfogged and I could turn the heat on my feet and gradually warm and dry. Once I was warm, though, I just couldn’t hold my eyes open.

When I was conscious we talked about the event, people that we had met, ideas that came up…and then I would doze off again, waking when we hit a bad patch of pavement, or at the occasional cussing from Loren over drivers who pull up into your trunk with their high-beams on. I got to see Heceta Head again, but the B&B lights were off. It was just the beautiful light from the Fresnel lens sweeping across the ocean and the trees.

We off-loaded, put the food away, at least, and crashed, only to start in on dishes and such Sunday morning.

Project Day – Started with cleaning up from the Tymberhavene Yule. There was food to put away, pickles to sort and dishes to do. Anja did the write-up and then started with pix, then with sewing, doing the first one of the tissue holders (pix below). Loren was working on another needle, smoothing it. Later in the day Anja got some of the kirtle for her 12th Night project cut and the gown sleeves cut and sewn.

Outfit pix

Recipes – I promised the watermelon pickle recipe to a couple of people at Yule. This is *modern*, but it’s yummy.

Pickled Watermelon Rind

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Watermelon rind, white only
  • 1 cup salt for 2 gallons water
  • 4 inch piece of ginger, peeled, grated (for “tea”)
  • 3 cups sugar x?
  • 1 cup vinegar x?
  • 4 sticks cinnamon x?
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cloves, whole x?
  • 1 ½ tablespoons mace, whole x?
  • plus fresh ginger piece and more cinnamon sticks

Tools

  • Canning jars, lids and rings
  • Water bath
  • Cheesecloth

Preparation

  1. Any quantity can be made using the formula below. This recipe is enough for 1 large watermelon.
  2. Peel and cut watermelon rind into strips. Weigh.
  3. Soak in a strong salt water solution (about 1 cup salt dissolved in 1 gallons water) for 24 hours. (Use a big canning jar!)
  4. Grate a 4 inch piece of fresh ginger and steep 2 quarts of hot water for 30 minutes to make a ginger “tea”. Strain the tea through a filter or cheesecloth to remove ginger.
  5. Drain well and rinse with plain water,.
  6. Put the rind into a crockpot with the ginger tea on high for an hour.
  7. Add syrup makings using the following formula. For each pound of melon weighed at the start, add 1 cup sugar. For each 3 1/2 pounds of sugar used, add 1 pint of vinegar. For each pint of vinegar, use 1 1/2 tablespoons of whole mace, cloves and cinnamon bark. (Alternatively, boil the syrup separately and then add to crockpot)
  8. Cook on low overnight.
  9. Add 1 cinnamon stick and one slice of fresh ginger to each jar before filling.
  10. Using a slotted spoon, pack rind into pint or cup jars, letting the liquid drain back into the pot.
  11. Divide leftover spices evenly, then add syrup, ditto. There is usually some syrup left over after filling the jars. If there isn’t, boil some water and add, *carefully*, to the center of the jars, using a funnel.
  12. Put the canning lids on, then rings and allow to cool on the counter.
  13. Screw down the rings and refrigerate.

If not planning to refrigerate – Pack into hot canning jars and fill with enough liquid to cover, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust lids and process pints in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Note – This made a pickle which was a little thin and not quite sweet enough. We packed in 12 oz jars, but forgot the cinnamon stick. What we’ve been doing is when we open a new jar, we add 1 Tbsp of brown sugar, then put the lid & rings back on and set upside-down overnight and shake a bit (or stir in the serving bowl) before serving.

The next recipe is what I usually do and then the difference in ingredients and amounts for how I did the ones for Yule, follows.

Čočky – Lentil Pottage with ham bits (this is a “panic dish”)

  • 1 lb lentils, rinsed and picked over
  • 6 cups water (add more when finished if you want it “soupy”.
  • Tablespoon caraway seed
  • 1 cup ham rind or bacon, chopped
  • 1 whole medium onion
  • Salt to taste (I added a palmful)

Method

  1. Put rinsed lentils into small crockpot with water.
  2. Peel onion, take off root and tip and put in with lentils.
  3. Add caraway.
  4. Finely chop ham rind and add.
  5. Cover and start on high for 2 hours.
  6. Turn to low and cook for another ½ to 1 hour.
  7. Will hold for up to 4 hours on warm, singes after an hour on low unless you add water.
  • For pre-prep, box up and refrigerate (1 week) or freeze (3 months!)
  • This can be re-heated in a pyrex cup in the microwave or in a baking dish in the oven, wherever you have more room! Serve hot.
  • For a Panic Dish freeze in 2 cup amounts (4 regular servings, 8 for a feast) and heat as necessary. Yes, you can start from the dish being frozen to heat this.

Variation for Tymberhavene Yule – done in crockpot

  • 2 cups lentils, rinsed and picked over
  • 1/2 gallon beef broth (made from a beef roast cooked in burgundy with onions, caraway and mushrooms)
  • about 2 cups of a commercial beef broth, plus another cup or so of water.
  • 2 bags frozen carrots (total of 24 oz)
  • 2 Tablespoon caraway seed
  • 1 sliced kielbasa
  • 3 cups of frozen chopped onion
  • Salt to taste (I added a palmful)
  • No ham or bacon, just the kielbasa.

Cooked for 2 hours on high, 6 on low, sat for 2, then back on high for another 2 hours (although they were edible before this point, this took the lentils from “crunchy” to soft.

Miscellaneous pix

rabbit hood – Gorleston Psalter England c 1310-1324 BL Add 49622 fol 202v
Assisi work pelican

Music – Medieval Carols, Oxford Camerata, Jeremy Summerly

For track listing and to buy the CD: https://naxosdirect.co.uk/items/medieval-carols-jeremy-summerly-murray-khouri-oxford-camerata-naxos-8.550751-144678

Albums

Ave Maria – Les Plus Beaux Ave Maria Et Chants A La Vierge (The Most Beautiful Ave Marias and Songs To the Virgin) Licensed to YouTube by NaxosofAmerica (on behalf of Naxos); Public Domain Compositions, UMPG Publishing, ASCAP, Sony ATV Publishing, and 3 Music Rights
and
Medieval Carols,  Licensed to YouTube by NaxosofAmerica

Songs

Funnies 

Anja,  Sasha, Loren,

divider black grey greek key

Largesse Item Count – (includes gifts, prizes, auction items, etc.)

  • ASXLVII = 24
  • ASXLVIII = 88
  • ASXLIX = 794
  • ASL = 2138
  • ASLI = 731
  • ASLII = 304
  • ASLIII – 87 plus 25 pouches for block-printing, tissue holder, 8 bookmarkers, 25 bottles of gall ink, 25 unfinished pincushions, 1 sewing kit (except for bone needle), varnished stuff (124)

Total as a Household = 3771 handed off

moving writing pen motifIn ministerio autem Somnium! Anja, graeca doctrina servus to House Capuchin
Page Created 12/06/18  (C)M. Bartlett
Last updated 12/31/18