Waldorf Prototype

  This is Mandy, my first attempt at a "Waldorf" doll.  I think I did ok.  Waldorfs are supposed to be made with all natural materials thus there is a "pedagogy" which must be followed.  It means the doll has to be stuffed with sheep's wool.  Meh.  I managed to follow the instructions without using sheep's wool.  Thus, this is a vegan Waldorf or Vegal-dorf! (trademark!)  It went together pretty well as instructed with no troubles.   Connoisseurs claim any other stuffing will not feel right...that the head will not be hard enough...blah, blah and blah.  This was my prototype so I'll be keeping her.  I followed instructions from a book but they were a little weak and sometimes downright dopey so I have devised ways of making the doll go together easier without effecting the overall Waldorf-ness (other than the non-sheep stuffing).  If the next one is nice enough, I'll try to sell her or him.

Oh, and the diet is going ok too!

Happy Birthday Rocky!

My little brother turned 50 this weekend.  In honour of this, I made him a doll in his likeness (at least in my mind's eye!).  Just so you know, my brother has very little hair so Li'l Rocky is wearing a hat.  Here is the doll sans hat.  

I also made him a cake that is supposed to look like a hockey sweater because he is a bit of a hockey fanatic. I think you can get the general idea.  It is covered in fondant and was my first attempt at using this stuff.   It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be although rolling it out was a workout.  My brother has what he calls a "tradition" of swiping his finger through his birthday cake icing (I call it a "pain in the ass") and eating it.  This cake will have him foxed as the icing is hidden behind a fortress of fondant!  We are also celebrating my nephew Matt's birthday so I had to make a pile of cupcakes.  No doubt my brother will be able to mess up the icing on those.  

This blog is about my diet struggles and you can see why I have trouble when I am the chief cake maker in our family.   Every once in a while we try substituting a healthier dessert for Sunday dinner (we are still reeling from a crust-less pumpkin pie a few years back!) but the baked goods make my Dad happy and he is often looking for them as soon as I'm through the door.  I often bake him a little something to tide him over until dessert occurs!  I think his love of sweets goes back to when he was a boy.  His family did not have extras as they struggled financially. My Dad was one of the main bread winners from the age of 12.  He tells a story of the first time he had pie that is poignant.  He and his Mum were visiting a friend who was better off and he was offered a slice of banana cream pie.  His Mum told her, "He won't like it." (a bit bossy was my Nona!) My Dad said he wanted to try it and did and he was hooked.  Dad says his Mum didn't want him to have it because she knew he would want it again and they couldn't afford pie.  She was right.  

Baking and Crafting

Baking and crafting are two of my spare time activities.  I'm lucky in that I seem to have inherited these skills from my Mum although she was an artist and I'm more of a technician.  

These things keep me busy although one is a dangerous activity for me.  I don't think I need to point out which one!  As some members of my family are vegetarian or vegan, I have had to adapt my baking somewhat.  It has led to a few tasteless disasters but I can now make a delicious vegan cake that will fool even my brother.  These are some cupcakes that I made for an office function.  

Baking and experimenting with baking are dangerous for me.  I decided a while back

 that I was only going to bake white cakes which I don't like it, but as I'm preparing, I will add a little of this and that and before you know it I have a nice spice cake... infinitely more edible!  I'm experimenting at the moment with vegan-gluten free cakes.  This is more difficult.  My first batch were edible but the texture was odd...especially after you started to chew!  I have to keep working on it as my sister wants me to make a cake for her.  

The other hobby is crafting.  The little lady above is one of my more recent efforts.  The crafting is much better for me as it keeps my hands busy and I am less likely to be eating while crafting.  For a few years, I always had a crochet hook in my hand in my spare time and I was thinner!  Then my iPad made an appearance.  Love at first sight and it kept me from my crafts.  I have started to crochet again and maybe I'll stick with it and it might keep me away from cupcakes!