Internet Connection and General Update

The last few days have not been the best for my internet connection. I broke my laptop stick on Saturday and got the replacement today.
 It was kind of nice. I think I'm going to have to take one day a week off from now on.  It's so windy I'm having to write this post outside. My Laptop keeps trying to blow away. Which is very distracting to say the lest.

  I found two hornworms on two of the tomato plants today. It's officially pest season. But there are bunches of ladybugs out there breeding and eating nasties. Too bad they don't eat hornworms, but I guess you can't have everything.   

My black iris about to bloom. And it looks like it will be a double at least! And the rose is going great guns. I don't know if it was this winter's freezing temperatures or the recent rains, but everything's blooming nicely here.




Man I wish this wind would die down.


  Bats Bizarre's having a mother's Day sale! Use coupon code MOTHERSDAY for 5% off your total purchase from today 4/29/14 through 5/9/14.

Shasta Daisy Barrette

Happy Earth Day!

 I was going to post my Shasta Daisy Hair Barrette for sale a few days ago, but my internet wouldn't go along. Not that it wanted to work today either.  Oh well... 

   I modeled the daisy on my mom's Shasta Daisies. The real ones have more petals, but other than that I think they look close. I'm rather proud of myself, I crocheted the flowers and it only took a couple of tries to get the stiches right. If you recall I'm just now learning to crochet.


I may have mentioned this before, but I really like these types of barrettes. I prefer to use it to keep my hair up, but it makes a pretty (and surprisingly secure) ponytail too.
 I have three different barrettes planed, maybe even one that's the back part in different colors without any embellishments.
   I had trouble securing my hair at first, but after a bit of trial and error I learned to put the end of my hair to the right of the other part and that I have to twist my hair to the left when putting it up. I don't know why but it works that way and only that way for me. Before it would fall out of the barrette  very quickly.
      
Here is a link to the listing: https://www.etsy.com/listing/186671893/shasta-daisy-hair-barette?ref=shop_home_active_1


                        Thank you for reading Bats Bizarre's offical blog. Have a bat-tastic day!

 P.S. I won't be posting Thursday. I apologize for any inconvenience.

Cucumbers And Other Garden News

I planted a row of cucumber seeds where the snow peas were this winter. When they didn't come up my mother and I planted two more rows, one of either side of the trellis. Some came up. And then something ate them. And mom's squash seedlings! There were dig marks were it grabbed one that hadn't sprouted yet. I'm thinking it was a skunk.

  I bought seven seedling from the store. (I will be keeping them in pots on a shelf on the porch.) Not long after that Mom noticed some more seedlings coming up. We covered them with chicken wire. They look like convict cucumbers. Wish us luck the wire works.

  I can't believe I had to cover the plants the night before last. I was afraid I was going to lose them all.



    Oh yeah, I also can't believe there are two tomatoes on one of the plants in the garden. Must be the chicken poop.

  
Happy Easter!

    Thank you for reading Bats Bizarre's offical post. Have a bat-tastic day!

Yellow Cake with Strawberry Filling and Chocolate Frosting

   We're getting into strawberry season so I thought I'd share this great recipe. The cake is the Egg and Butter Cake recipe I shared earlier, but instead of a cream cheese frosting I used my favorite chocolate frosting recipe, because chocolate and strawberries go pretty well together add some pecans and you've got a great dessert for a spring get together.

                                  
                           Egg and Butter layer Cake

1/2 pound butter                                       1/4 teas. salt
2 cups sugar                                              1 teas. vanilla
5 eggs                                                       1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teas. baking soda

Cream butter and sugar well. Blend your dry ingredients together. Add 1 egg then a small amount of the flour mixture. Continue alternating ingredients until all are used up. Beat in vanilla and stir in nuts, if using, then pour into two 9" cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Here is a link to a printer friendly version: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_M5jUvgW_JMJk_KdEk2pJIhSj6zYlTpoiy-t6zf9B-8/edit?usp=sharing


    While your cake is baking you can make your filling. This was originally a lemon filling recipe so feel free to add whatever fruit you like.

                                               Strawberry cake filling

    3/4 cups sugar                                  3/4 cups water
    2 Tbs. cornstarch                              2 egg yolks
   dash salt                                            1 cup of strawberries
   1/2 teas. cinnamon                            1 Tbs. butter

     Stir together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon in a sauce pan. To the dry ingredients add water, egg yolks, and strawberries and cook over medium heat until thick stirring constantly. Once the sauce drops heavily from the spoon remove from heat and add butter. Filling will thicken as it cools.

   Printer Friendly version here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oWsU1uoj4VqgVXyMSzMwxcis0RMPmCVM5USaSzygpv0/edit?usp=sharing

                       Then make the frosting. 

                                     Luscious Chocolate Frosting

   4 sq. unsweetened chocolate                                    2 unbeaten egg whites
   1/2 cup butter                                                            
   4 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
   1/3 cup milk


      Melt chocolate and butter together. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Place the bowl in ice water and beat with an electric mixer until it is thick enough to spread.

   Printer friendly version here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16UI8mfvvJDm7EDGoZXak4eA3AmZX08bnpd19COm5doQ/edit?usp=sharing


                   

          Thank you for reading bats Bizarre's official blog. Have a bat-tastic day!