Make Your Mark In Life : Mixed Media Mail Art
Couch Talk
Our daily routine hasn’t changed much but we did have a busy weekend. We bought part of a cow from a local farmer to fill our freezer. Not only did I get to see my cousin for the first time in months, but we got lots of hamburg and cuts of steak that we have never tried. We are looking forward to some delicious grilled meat over the next few months. I can’t tell you how many time the meat shelves at the store have been empty in the past month. Hubby and I discussed buying part of a cow before but with the meat shortage in the stores we thought this was the perfect time to give it a try
I haven’t done too much reading the past few months as my tribe is keeping me busy but I think my reading mojo just came back. I just got this Book for my birthday so I am hoping to get some answers to my FAQ in bread baking. I am having issues with oven temperatures and under-cooked centers. Hopefully, I will eventually get this down. I would love to share my bakes with others but my worst fear is giving someone a loaf with an under-cooked center.
Baking Class
We have still been busy baking bread but I will spare you the pictures. My middle son, baked me a delicious healthy Gingerbread cake for my birthday yesterday. I didn’t take a picture but he did an awesome job!
I made this Sourdough Cinnamon Crumb Cake for dessert this week.
Making the Mail Art
I am finally getting in some creative time and this week I worked on mail art. I like working with the 4×6 size as it is small but not too small.
My background is patterned paper covered with embossing, paint and tissue paper. Everything else was a scrap from somewhere on my table. Easy Peasy.
Tea Day
Today, I am joining the tea day ladies, hosted by Elizabeth and Bleubeard. My tea is Mahamosa Strawberry Lychee Sencha Tea 2 oz
Any thoughts on getting your bread centers fully cooked as well as convection vs. conventional ovens?
Happy Tea Day,
Kate
well, lately who cannot leave here without being hungry- home baked- oh there is nothing like it!!! You can have the cow though….
Only thing i learned from my bread baking days was to have a HOT preheated oven and spritz water on the bottom of the oven for steam once you put the bread in- have you read about that?
Always love seeing your mixed media art with all those luscious layers! Enjoy that birthday tea- happy T day!
What an incredible piece of mail art. I can’t believe your scraps. They are SO much more beautiful than mine.
I missed your birthday, so happy belated birthday, dear Kate. You sure know how to bake wonderful goodies. I’m impressed. And that strawberry tea looks lovely in that spoon. What beautiful colors, too. Thanks for sharing your baking, your art, and your tea with us for T this Tuesday. And happy belated birthday, too,
Crazy. Here you just go to the butcher and buy the meat you want. Now, should I get suspicious???
Where does it come from???
Happy belated Birthday! To a great new year in your life, but, wee… Ginger bread here is for Christmas! 😉
Though, how stupid is that?! Your Son is right!!!
Now I´d like ginger and cinnamon-stuff, too!
Clever piece of work. Boy, what do you do with it? If I see all the great pieces… I think I´d put them on the wall and it would be too much!
Hmmm, that tea sounds very yummy!! You have a great, sweet Hubby 🙂
A happy T-day!
Happy belated birthday, enjoy your new book. You have been making wonderful baked goods again, yummy. And your crafting is fantastic, as always, love the texture and dimension. Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie
Kate your baking always makes me hungry, I just looked to see if it was lunchtime yet! I’m useless at making bread but it seems everyone is having a go now, it’s always better than the bought kind.
Your artwork is lovely and colourful, nice to hear you’ve had a little time away from childcare, it must be exhausting now they are home all day for so long, I know our son is finding it challenging looking after a four year old
Happy T Day
Jan x
Happy belated birthday. All of your baked goods look delicious. I read an article that there will be beef, pork, and chicken shortages due to covid-19. 🙁
Happy T-Day!
Belated Happy Birthday wishes Kate, I hope you had a lovely day, It was good to see the results of your baking, your children must be enjoying the delicious home made cakes, and bread, the photos looked great.
A thought on your bread baking, we have a well used pizza stone that we put in the oven as it heats to temperature and we place the bread directly onto it.
We slide the bread onto it using a well floured pizza shovel, before we got the shovel we used a flat backing tray.
I smiled at you buying a piece of a cow for the freezer, a super idea bulk buys give you a variety of meat cuts.
Happy T day
Stay safe.
Yvonne xx
Belated Happy Birthday wishes Kate, I hope you had a lovely day, It was good to see the results of your baking, your children must be enjoying the delicious home made cakes, and bread, the photos looked great.
A thought on your bread baking, we have a well used pizza stone that we put in the oven as it heats to temperature and we place the bread directly onto it.
We slide the bread onto it using a well floured pizza shovel, before we got the shovel we used a flat backing tray.
I smiled at you buying a piece of a cow for the freezer, a super idea bulk buys give you a variety of meat cuts.
Stay safe. and enjoy the rest of T day
Yvonne xx
Good morning, I love your mail art, and your teas always look so good.
I am happy you and your family are still enjoying baking-I have done everything from scratch most all my life-my Mom was raised on farm so it’s in my genes haha Growing up we only had our own butchered meat in the freezer. and when we hunted we had that in the freezer-you will notice the difference for sure.
Happy T
Oh you have been busy (and your son too). I bake bread too, and I put a tray of water somewhere in the oven like Linda does. I also use a pizza stone (preheated). I am learning to make sourdough starters as you can’t buy any here. I am doing this Herman Friendship cake/bread, and what I am stirring every night really bubbles and rises like a sourdough starter, so I reckon it has picked up the free yeast particles and is growing that way.
I have since this morning enrolled in an online course that was on special offer (under 10 dollars) by Udemy. The reviews about Udemy are mixed, but I thought at that price I have nothing to lose. The course is called ‘mastering sourdough starters and leavens’. I’m looking forward to it.
Your mail art is beautiful! Iris is asking what you do with your art work. I would like to know the same. Your stuff doesn’t easily fit in an album.
Happy T-Day,
Hugs,
Lisca
I forgot to say that I feel I am not suitable to give you much advice on breadmaking as I use a gas oven. I think most people use electric nowadays. I’ve always been used to a gas oven and with some many power outings here it is safer to have everything on gas.
Buying part of a cow sounds like a great solution to the current meat shortage. Congratulations! Your dessert cakes make my mouth water 🙂 Strawberry tea sounds delicious. yummm 🙂 Happy T Tuesday!
Glad you managed to get some meat, we have been managing to get most things except flour so baking has to be well planned so we don’t run out. I made pancakes/crepes as a sweet treat as they have only a little flour and the batter goes a long way 😀. Your gingerbread cake looks so delicious, I love ginger so this would be perfect! Your tea sounds interesting maybe I could have a cup with a piece of gingerbread cake …lol 😉. Such wonderful art too! Happy T Day wishes! Take care! Hugs, Jo x
Great postcard, Kate! I like postcard size for the same reason. All your bakes look delicious.
Happy Birthday and Happy T-Day! Eileen xx
Happy belated Birthday Kate !! I hope you had a great time, also your gifts are fantastic, enjoy your reading a lot, and savor that tea, because, I am sure that this delicious cake will be finished 🙂 Happy T-day!
Your mail art is really wonderful. I love all those layers that you have placed so harmoniously, it is great.
Have a nice Wednesday, stay safe, and big hugs
Caty
Happy belated birthday Kate. How exciting to have your son bake you a cake. You have a little pastry chef on your hands. That is exciting. It sounds like you have had some more baking fun. And art fun too. It must take a lot of energy to do teaching with the kids and have time for yourself too. Hope it was a wonderful T day KAte. hugs-Erika
So, we can expect to see some home made bread some time soon? Your sourdough cinnamon cake looks (and I’m sure smells) delicious!
Your mail art is wonderful, lots of lovely Kate layers!!! I’m saying nothing about the cow…I don’t eat beef!!! Have a good week, Happy T Day, Chrisx
Wonderful mail art. The gingerbread cake and coffee cake must have smelled amazing. I love baking bread. After many years, I can tell by sight or smell if my bread is baked. I never got the hang of the hollow sound, I can’t tell hollow from dense. 😺 The best way to tell if your bread is full baked is to use a thermometer. Bread is done when the interior temperature reaches 190 oF. Happy T Day