Work for Idle Hands: November 2014

With crochet going on in the background, there’s some other making to be had!

That darning pile gets bigger by the day, especially knowing that I can do it now. But as it is more chore and less leisure, it doesn’t seem to get done so readily. Anyway, my trusty backpack got done as a matter of urgency.

With summer coming, it’s time to move off the hot porridge. And nothing’s better than muesli put together yourself. A cooler day let me put my oven on to roast some hazelnuts and almonds.

After they are roasted and cooled, I gently knock them with the mortar and pestle to break them down into smaller pieces, without pulverizing them to let the good oil escape.

Then I like to throw in anything and everything from the pantry: ground spices, (today cinnamon) sesame seeds, linseed, currants, goji berries.

For the base, I buy up any kinds of rolled grains I can get my hands on: oats, barley, rice, rye, kamut… whatever is available in the shop. I might also get some special goodies just for the next melange. This time I got some Iranian figs. I added the dried kumquat for extra zest.

Mix it all together and there you can recognise what is known as muesli. Only your home-pantry version so much more delicious and satisfying. It’s the only way to know for sure there really is no added sugar!

Well speaking of those kumquats, here they are as a beautiful tangy - caramelly marmalade

...lovingly brewed up by my DS (who by the way, knits some gorgeous jumpers!)

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/jwormworth

So back to the topic of mixes. I decided to have a go at making some furikake (savoury sprinkles to have with rice). My first ingredient, once again courtesy of my mum’s waste-not drying trays, was some shiso (perilla frutescens) from last year’s harvest.