CEA's progress report #8

Item #17. Make pesto from my backyard herbs
Did it!  I used the pesto recipe from the Martha Stewart Kitchen's Everyday Food:  Great Food Fast.  The recipe was so fast and easy that I made it right before a dinner party, including going out to the herb garden and harvesting the basil.  I halved the recipe, since it calls for four cups of basil, and I didn't want to use up all of my current crop.  I doubled the number of basil plants in my herb garden this year, and I plan to double that number next year.   I used the Texas Olive Ranch olive oil.  The pesto tasted fresh and delicious, and I plan to make it a staple of my cooking from now on.  I served it with crostini made from the Central Market rosemary baquettes which can be found in the freezer case at major HEB stores.

JR's list #27: (done) Bind the edges of the woven afghan hanging in bedroom for cleaning.

Too many years ago for me to remember, I purchased a complete a bedding set and accessories from a J C Penney's catalog.  The picture in the catalog showed the set with a woven afghan hanging on the wall behind the bed.  I liked the bedroom set, but truth be known, I bought the set because of the afghan which I also purchased.  For years, I would take it down off the wall, take it outside, and shake the heck out of it to eliminate any dust.  I was afraid to wash it for fear it would unravel.  I was afraid to have it dry cleaned for fear something would happen to it.  I finally found a fabric glue that was invisible,  flexible, and washable.  I applied the glue on the back of the afghan close the the fringed edges.  The glue dried, I waited the recommended week for the glue to cure, and washed the afghan with the gentle cycle.

The afghan is now clean, fresh, and back on the wall over the my bed, and all is right with the world.

CEA's progress report #7

#44.  Get Janet to teach me how to handle our blog.
Janet is usually my teacher on all-things-computer-related, but since we're separated by time and space, I've learned how to operate the blog by trying. So far, so good, so I'm giving myself credit for #44.

#59. Paint candlesticks black and glue gorgeous shells to the tops
I've admired the shells on stands I've seen in catalogs but have been shocked at the prices.  One day I noticed that the stands looked a lot like candlesticks.  I bought wooden candlesticks at Michael's and painted them black, then used a hot-glue gun to glue shells to the tops.  The challenge came in finding just the right spot on the shell that would allow a good bond and present the shell at its best angle.  We placed the shells on the mantel in the library as part of our shell decorations for the luncheon on Saturday. 

PS:  I learned how to insert a photo!