Camouflaged Cavy

Boadicea usually doesn't try to hide from me but she must be practicing her stealth mode, just in case.  Doesn't she match the background so well?  I bought these fleece patterns because I thought they'd be good for hiding poo.  I hadn't considered they'd be good for hiding guinea pigs as well.  If this wasn't such a close up shot, she'd blend right in!

The other day I walked into the room as I heard the water bottle rattle.  At first glance, there was no guinea pig at the bottle - until the nose popped out of the tunnel.  Boadi made me think of a kid wrapped up in a sleeping bag on Saturday morning.

Navy Bean, Sausage and Spinach Soup

Fall.  The perfect time to try out new soup recipes.  This time I wanted to try something with white beans and kale.  Unfortunately, I was unable to get my hands on my favorite Russian kale.  Sadness.  So I grabbed some spinach and tried this recipe, instead.

This is a hearty soup, reminiscent of Lentil Kielbasa Soup.  I may try it again without the sausage and more spinach.  A small bowl is quite filling.

I've been on a dry bean kick, but you could easily substitute the dried beans with four 15oz cans of navy beans (or any white bean) and skip the soaking/precooking step.

Shattered Kites - Blogger's Quilt Festival

I'm entering Shattered Kites as my second entry in this fall's Blogger's Quilt Festival for the Scrappy Quilt category.  Regular readers have seen it before (bear with me one more time!).

Last year I decided I wanted more rulers than just my plain straight ones.  I bought a kite ruler because it seemed more versatile than an equilateral triangle (which I wanted).  It sat amongst my boring rulers for nearly a year - then this the summer I began a crumb quilt.  I decided making kite-shaped crumb blocks would look really cool.

Snowflake Banner - Blogger's Quilt Festival

I love that I finished this just in time to enter into the fall Blogger's Quilt Festival in the Small Quilt category.

My quilting projects normally start with an end result in mind.  I'm making something for myself or a friend or donation.  These snowflakes were the first time I made blocks just for the sake of making them.  Then they sat for a while as I figured out what to do with them.  Who knew they'd start a trend:  I now have three stacks of various quilt blocks I've stitched up without a final item or destination in mind.

Raining Carrot Peels

Cannoli is a timid guinea pig.  Generally, if I'm standing near or over the cage, she will be tucked in whatever corner is farthest from me.  Food can draw her out, briefly; it's usually a grab and go.

There is one scenario that she's out in front and stays there:  when I peel carrots.  Most veggies are prepared in the kitchen and trimmings delivered to the pigs.  Carrots, however, are peeled directly over the cage.  Saves me time.  Plus it's entertaining.

Cannoli and Boadicea beg for the first peel or two until they realize what is happening.  At that point, it's heads down to devour whatever carrot curls have hit the ground.  They often stand right in the line of fire and covered in carrot confetti.  Noli had to shake herself off the other day, but still refused to budge from her spot.  They do their best to eat as fast as I produce.

Trial Run

I was asked to bring something to a bake sale.  Actually, it's less bake sale and more silent auction, so I want to bring something that catches people's eye.  I also need it to be something that can travel well, doesn't require refrigeration and goes on a plate I don't need returned.  I also need it to be quick and easy to make.  So, unfortunately, those requirements nix many of my decadent Thanksgiving/Christmas desserts.

About the same time as the baking request, I found this giant peanut butter cup recipe from Bon Appétit.  Certainly looks decadent.  But there was no way I wanted to make something this large for the first time to raise money.  What if it looked terrible?  Or worse, tasted bad?  It was tempting to make a full-sized one for myself.  Instead, I whipped up a half recipe and split it into two mini pie plates.  I topped one with milk chocolate, the other with semi-sweet.

A Slew of Sewing

September was a slow month for sewing - vacation and several days of not feeling well will do that.  Now that I'm feeling better, it's like SEW ALL THE THINGS!

I keep slopping stuff all over the table next to the guinea pig cage.  I've had to refinish the table recently, and figure a table topper may prevent more damage.  In August I made a stack of half triangle squares from Summer Seashore trimmings.   I've started on a table topper with the HTS and some other summer scraps.

Bar Chewing Badness

Boadicea is concerned that Cannoli is having all of the fun getting picked up, weighed and medicated twice a day.  Especially since this routine happens to coincide with snack-time.  As if dealing with Cannoli isn't enough, I am now getting bad behavior from Boadi.

First, it was limited to chattering at me.  I can understand that.  After all, a little pig can only be patient for so long when expecting bell pepper treats.  Obviously I was not forthcoming with those treats fast enough.  Still, I am not giving her the attention she deserves - so she's added bar chewing to her repertoire.

This is not cool.

I could live with bar chewing while I medicate Cannoli.  Except Boadi is extending this new-found activity into the day and focusing on other off-limit items such as the ramp and binder clips.  Needless to say, Mama is not amused.

I've seen genuine enthusiasm in Boadi comparing flavors or textures (or whatever piques a guinea pig's interest when chewing things they shouldn't).  I haven't had serious bar chewers since Victoria and Willow.  Most of the bar damage in the cage dates back to them.  I am hoping this behavior will be short lived and she'll get bored with it.  May I be so lucky.  I will start with some attention and affection (ew!  kisses!).  Meanwhile I have dug out the sheets of plexiglass I used with Willow to block the bars.  It wouldn't take much work to reinstall those.