Archive for August 2015

TGIF Leave a comment

Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 8/20/15.

Posted August 21, 2015 by henrymowry in National Parks

Tagged with bear, Katmai, National park, US Department of the Interior

Things Were Different Then Leave a comment

Many Yosemite National Park visitors have heard of (as well as witnessed) the famous Firefall, a cherished tradition in which a bonfire was pushed over the edge of Glacier Point, creating a fiery spectacle. But did you know there was another Firefall?
In the 1920s, there were a few evenings when the Firefall was relocated to a different Yosemite landmark: Half Dome. Using pack mules, Curry Co. staff would haul gallons of used motor oil up to the summit, ignite the face of Half Dome, and “Let the fire fall!”
Photo courtesy of the Yosemite Research Library. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 8/13/15.

Posted August 20, 2015 by henrymowry in National Parks

Tagged with Firefall, National park, US Department of the Interior, Yosemite

Velda’s Spent Grain Burger Buns 1 comment

These buns made – my words – the perfect sandwich. I don’t use those words lightly in Velda’s kitchen, so, please, enjoy these buns!

Ingredients

1 cup water, lukewarm
1 large egg
2 Tbsp shortening
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp molasses or honey
1 cup spent grain
1 cup white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp vital wheat gluten
1 Tbsp yeast
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 large egg yolk, beaten

Directions

Combine melted shortening, butter, water, molasses and egg in a mixer bowl. Beat together, then add spent grain, white flour, vital wheat gluten, yeast and 1 cup of whole wheat flour. Mix.
Add salt. Switch to dough hook, and add remaining whole wheat flour to form soft ball and knead for 10 minutes.
Form into ball and let rise til double 75 to 90 minutes.
Punch down and let rest for 5 minutes.
Cut into 8 pieces. Roll each into smooth ball, then flatten to 3-4″ circle (should be about 1/2″ thick).
Prepare baking sheet with non-stick spray and semolina. Place buns on baking sheet to rise til slightly puffy, about 15-20 minutes.
Prepare oven to 375*. Brush tops with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle sesame seeds (or, King Arthur Flour Harvest Grains Blend makes a perfect topping!) on top.
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature is 198-200 degrees.

Posted August 19, 2015 by henrymowry in Recipes

Tagged with bread, buns, From Velda's Kitchen, spent grain, VMICA

The Board Chronicles: Tehachapi Mountain Festival 3 comments

The Board Chronicles is an ongoing series of articles about the adventures of Mrs M’s Handmade as a vendor at community festivals & craft fairs. Mrs M’s subsidiary, Mr M’s Woodshop, has been approved to create this chronicle for the good of vendorkind.

It was our big August event … the only August event we scheduled. The average temperature in Tehachapi for August indicated that the lotions should be OK (direct sunlight and high temps are not their friend!), so we committed to the event in spite of some heat concerns.

And it was hotter than normal this year, come to find out. Temps went into the 90s, but with judicious use of our portable awning (as you can see in the bottom picture), the lotions were just fine.

As were we.

Best. Event. Ever.

We had our best sales event yet. In our vast experience as vendors (we’ve been doing this 18 months, can you believe it?), we hit our stride at this event.

This is a wonderful community event. People wandered in to the park throughout the day to enjoy free live music and stroll through the handmade craft area. There was also a smaller area for commercial vendors, as well as food vendors (of course!). Some of those booths were fundraisers for community organizations (hot dogs by the Boy Scouts!).

New Ideas

I had a “complete” inventory at this event, with examples of every kind of board that I’ve been making. The result of that complete inventory was sales of 12 different kinds of boards. I know that my challenge is to keep this variety available through the holiday season.
We moved up from keeping wads of cash in our pockets to actually having a professional cash drawer. It really did make handling the money much easier.
Two different total strangers thanked me for being a part of the Mountain Festival. These weren’t staff members from the sponsor, the Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce. I mean, wow. LOVED this community.

Observations

Great neighbors at this event. Of course, we chose to be next to Theresa’s “Heart String Creations,” and the producers accommodated that request. Theresa is a joy, and her neck coolers helped us beat the heat throughout both days. (HIGHLY recommended!) The other neighbor sold tutus, magic wands and such for little girls, and did a great business. My fellow slave labor from that booth is a radio personality in the Fresno area, so we bonded immediately and told war stories all weekend. Being around good people is such a rare and wonderful thing!
Very good attendance for what proved to be a relatively small number of vendors. There were about 30 handcrafted vendors and perhaps another 16 commercial vendors. Very little duplication, and I heard several vendors talk about they were having a good event. We certainly did!
Anytime I sell the most expensive board on the table, I have a good event. This time, I sold 4 of the 5 most expensive boards on the table. That makes for a very good event!
With sales success comes the realization that I need to make more stuff. And go to the lumber yard. I’m good with glue for now (I bought 2 gallons last time), and I should have mineral oil to last the year (Velda bought 8 gallons when it was on sale).
Do you know anyone else that has gallons of mineral oil in the ~~garage~~ woodshop … and is happy about it?
There was a fire burning between Tehachapi and our home, so we couldn’t take the most direct route home. We detoured to the east and took a freeway (the 14) home once we reached the Antelope Valley, and avoided the roads closed by the fire. That fire in the San Francisquito Canyon isn’t very close to our home, by the way, but did add 30 minutes or so to the ride home.
All product & booth infrastructure was unloaded and into the house, shed or ~~garage~~ woodshop at 9:50pm. Then I got to sit down. This is a glamorous and glorious life….

The Food

Saturday Breakfast: Holiday Inn Express (note to self: use more salt & pepper for at least SOME flavor)

Saturday Lunch: Velda’s fruit & cheese extravaganza

Saturday Snack: Too busy. Too hot. Not hungry.

Saturday Dinner: I was promised Mexican, but I got South American. Not the same thing, but very good.

Sunday Breakfast: Holiday Inn Express with more salt & pepper

Sunday Lunch: Velda’s fruit & cheese extravaganza, take 2

Sunday Snack: Still too busy. Definitely too hot. Not hungry.

Sunday Dinner: Take out after we got home from Carl’s Jr. Necessary, but hardly satisfying.

The Facts

Total miles driven: 327
Booth cost: $300 for a 10’x20′ booth
# of people we met during the event from the producer: 1
Total sales: $2,631
# containers of product taken: 27
# boards available: 118
Saturday alarm: 7am
Sunday alarm: 7:10am
# transactions: 70
# soap & lotion vendors: only 1!
# woodworking vendors: only 1!
Edge grain vs. end grain: 15:7

Boards sold: 22

Lazy Susan: 4
Large edge grain cutting board: 4
Cutting board: 2
Large cheese & cracker server: 2
Small board: 2
Cheese board: 2
Pig cutting board: 1
Small sous chef board: 1
Medium surfboard: 1
Chess board: 1
Bread board: 1
Custom board order: 1

Cutting Board # 15 – 048. Hard Maple, Black Walnut, Cherry, Jatoba, Honey Locust, Purpleheart & Yellowheart. Mixed Grain. 11″ x 15″ x 1″.

Large Surfboard # 15 – 20. Cherry.

Lazy Susan 15 – 010. Black Walnut. 17″ diameter.

Small Board # 15 – 038. Cherry, Black Walnut & Hard Maple end grain. 10″ x 12″ x 1-1/4″.

Cutting Board # 15 – 069. Hard Maple, Padauk & Yellowheart. Edge grain. 12″ x 16″ x 1-1/4″.

Cutting Board # 15 – 064. Black Walnut. End Grain. 14-1/2″ x 18″ x 1-1/2″.

Cutting Board 15 – 066. Cherry, Jatoba, Jarrah & Black Walnut. End Grain. 12-1/4″ x 17″ x 1-1/2″.

Lazy Susan 15 – 014. Cherry … in many colors. 17″ diameter.

Small Board # 15 – 046. Hard Maple, Cherry, Purpleheart, Yellowheart, Jatoba & Honey Locust. Edge Grain. 9″ x 11-1/2″ x 1-1/2″.

Pig # 15 – 08. Jatoba, Jarrah, Hard Maple & Padauk.

Lazy Susan 15 – 012. A rare asymmetrical design. Cherry, Hard Maple & Black Walnut. 17″ diameter.

Surfboard 15 – 16. Black Walnut, Red Oak, Hard Maple & Cherry.

Ches Board # 04. Padauk & Honey Locust Squares with a Cherry Border. Note that the orange Padauk will change over time – particularly with UV exposure – and will end up a nice warm brown.

Cheese Board # 15 – 015. 8″ x 10″ x 1″. Hickory, Honey Locust, Black Walnut and Cherry.

Cutting Board # 15 – 061. The meat eater’s board. Hard Maple end grain with juice groove – a deep, wide juice groove. 13″ x 19″ x 1-1/4″.

Sous Chef # 15 – 31. Goncalo Alves, Hard Maple & Purpleheart.

Cheese Board # 15 – 023. Hard Maple, Purpleheart, Yellowheart, Jatoba, Black Walnut & Honey Locust. End Grain. 7″ x 9-1/2″ x 1/2″.

Lazy Susan 15 – 013. Hard Maple, Yellowheart, Teak and Black Walnut. Lovely grain on this one – this dark brown Hard Maple came from a single plank, and the grain is matched across the piece. 17″ diameter.

Medium Surfboard 15 – 02. Cherry and Padauk.

Cutting Board # 15 – 050. Black Walnut, Cherry, Jarrah & Jatoba. End grain with juice groove. 16″ x 21″.

Posted August 18, 2015 by henrymowry in Craft Fairs

Tagged with Cheese Board, craft fair, Cutting board, Los Angeles, Mountain Fest, Mountain Festival, Mr M's Woodshop, San Fernando, Santa Clarita, Tehachapi, vendor

Pizza Server 14 comments

Yes, I get requests.

When I had someone ask if I’d ever made a pizza server, I was embarrassed to say no.

I’ve got a pizza oven. We make homemade pizza on ~~a regular~~ an occasional basis.

We love pizza.

Clearly, I needed to make a pizza server. Here’s the prototype, and I need your help.

This piece is 17″ in diameter, with a short handle on one side. Should the single handle be longer? Should there be 2 handles (very non-traditional, that)? What would you like this to be? Comment away, please!

Oh … and this piece went on display at last weekend’s Tehachapi Mountain Festival. Guess what the # 1 comment was about this “pizza server?”

“Hey, this would be a great cheese server!”

Sometimes, I just have to keep my mouth shut and smile.

Pizza Server 15 – 01. Black Walnut, Cherry & Hard Maple.

Posted August 17, 2015 by henrymowry in Woodworking

Tagged with Cutting board, from Mr M's Woodshop, Los Angeles, pizza peel, pizza server, San Fernando, Santa Clarita

Sorry, Susan Leave a comment

The Lazy Susans are back!

With all due apologies to the Susans of the world, here’s the latest batch of Lazy Susans. I was out of them for a while, and hope to keep them in stock going forward. Come to find out, a lot of people want this increasingly rare serving piece on their table.

I’ll do my best to help.

All are 17″ in diameter and about 1″ thick, with the turntable hardware underneath. Adhesive wool bumpers will protect your table from the metal turntable.

For the story of how these serving pieces first came to be in use (Thomas Jefferson loved his!) and forever branded Susan as lazy, click the link below for “The Cleverest Waitress In The World.”

Lazy Susan 15 – 010. Black Walnut. 17″ diameter.

Lazy Susan 15 – 011. Cherry & Black Walnut. That’s curly cherry sapwood in the center; when you spin this lazy susan, it goes psychedelic! 17″ diameter.

Lazy Susan 15 – 012. A rare asymmetrical design. Cherry, Hard Maple & Black Walnut. 17″ diameter.

Lazy Susan 15 – 014. Cherry … in many colors. 17″ diameter.

Lazy Susan # 15 – 015. Cherry, Black Walnut & Hard Maple.

More

The Cleverest Waitress In The World

Posted August 16, 2015 by henrymowry in Woodworking

Tagged with Cutting board, from Mr M's Woodshop, handmade, Lazy Susan, Los Angeles, San Fernando, Santa Clarita, turntable

Queen Of Chaos Leave a comment

I am rigid in my frame of reference. I am driven by my right brain. I am not flexible at all.

Said Velda.

Given that she’s never wrong, I enlisted her left brain to evaluate some wooden leftovers that I’ve been saving. These are extra parts from boards made over the last 18 months … and they didn’t fit into my rigid, right brain approach. Apparently.

They no long fit into my shop, either.

Velda accepted the challenge, and here is what she created. All credit goes to her. I had nothing to do with these asymmetrical, oddball designs.

Velda is the Queen of Chaos.

Want a better look? Click on the photos, and they will enlarge for your viewing pleasure.

If one of these catches your eye, you best speak up. Quickly. These boards are absolutely unique, and cannot be copied!

Cheese Board 15 – 025. Hard Maple, Cherry & Walnut. Edge Grain. 9″ x 11″ x 1-1/4″.

Cheese Board # 15 – 024. Black Walnut, Hard Maple, Cherry & Yellowheart. Edge Grain. 6-1/4″ x 10-1/2″ x 1-1/4″.

Cheese Board # 15 – 023. Hard Maple, Purpleheart, Yellowheart, Jatoba, Black Walnut & Honey Locust. End Grain. 7″ x 9-1/2″ x 1/2″.

Small Board # 15 – 047. Hard Maple, Black Walnut, Jarrah, Jatoba, Cherry & Yellowheart. End Grain. 9-1/2″ x 14″ x 1-1/4″.

Small Board # 15 – 051. Black Walnut & Hard Maple. Edge Grain. 10″ x 11-1/2″ x 1-1/2″.

Small Board # 15 – 050. Jatoba, Cherry, Honey Locust, Hard Maple, Black Walnut & Hickory. End Grain. 11″ x 12″ x 1-1/4″.

Small Board # 15 – 049. Hard Maple, Cherry, Padauk, Jatoba, Purpleheart, Yellowheart, Black Walnut & Canarywood. Edge Grain. 11″ x 11-1/4″ x 1″.

Small Board # 15 – 046. Hard Maple, Cherry, Purpleheart, Yellowheart, Jatoba & Honey Locust. Edge Grain. 9″ x 11-1/2″ x 1-1/2″.

Small Board # 15 – 045. Black Walnut & Hard Maple. 11-1/2″ x 12″ x 1-1/2″.

Cutting Board # 15 – 048. Hard Maple, Black Walnut, Cherry, Jatoba, Honey Locust, Purpleheart & Yellowheart. Mixed Grain. 11″ x 15″ x 1″.

Posted August 15, 2015 by henrymowry in Woodworking

Tagged with chaos board, Cheese Board, Cutting board, from Mr M's Woodshop, Los Angeles, San Fernando, Santa Clarita

End Grain Is Still King 2 comments

This new batch of board was completed just in time to go to our final summer event: the Tehachapi Mountain Festival.

If you’re out and about this weekend, please join us in this mountain community that’s located between the San Joaquin Valley and the Mojave Desert. It’s only 70 miles from our home, yet we’ve never been … and that’s going to change.

These boards are all going with us up the mountain … well, except for the first one. That one (# 15 – 047) was sold as soon as someone saw it in the ~~garage~~ woodshop! It’s already on its way to its new home today. The rest will all be at our event, along with the pigs you saw yesterday and some absolutely unique boards you’ll see tomorrow when you check back to this blog.

You do get the daily email announcement of the blog, right? If not, click the “Follow Blog Via Email” on the left of this page, and miss none of the daily scintillation that is MowryJournal.com.

There will be humor, too.

Sometimes.

Cutting Board 15 – 047. Cherry, Yellowheart, Jatoba, Padauk, Teak, Bloodwood, Hard Maple & Purpleheart. End Grain. 14″ x 18″ x 1-1/2″. This board was sold the first time a customer saw it … in the shop, and still rough!