Bagels & Bina Brianca

The Creative Round Up

Last week I went a little nuts with the baking/cooking.  I’m not sure what came over me but I’ve been experimenting more and more lately.   The main thing I worked on this week was bagels.   I’ve still got a ways to go before they taste as good as the ones I like from the Seattle Bagel Bakery but I’m working on it.

Bagels

I made two batches.  The first batch was just ok.  I used this recipe and the boys ate them happily but I thought they turned out pretty small and really dense.

The next day I tried this recipe with half whole wheat pastry flour & half bread flour and liked the result much better.  Still a bit on the dense side and not quite as flavorful as I’d like but much improved from the first batch.

Bina Brianca Wrap

I’ve always been interested in this wrap.  It’s supposedly worn by women the world over and can be worn in multiple ways (shawl, cardigan, poncho, head wrap, etc).  But it costs almost $50 and it’s just a slip of fabric.

Surely it should be easy enough to make your own, right?  Well, kinda.  I made one.  And it turned out ok.  But the material is actually much more important than I thought.  I used a faded red jersey sheet leftover from the boy’s room redo and it’s just a little too thick to flow well.   I think it needs some rayon in it to get the flow you need.

Ahhh well.  I wore it yesterday afternoon, poncho style, for grocery shopping and hanging around the house.  I’m not sure I’ll wear it much.  I wish I’d used the material to make my favorite palazzo pants instead.  Ah well.  Every gal needs an ill-fitting poncho, right?

Other creative attempts this week included a batch of really bad granola bars and a Meyer Lemon pound cake.

Upcoming Projects

• Still researching a Weekend Bag and trying to find a good (free) pattern.
• These zippered bags for cosmetics and travel
• Croissants
• New heat packs for around the house.