Lemon Curd in the Vitamix

I have two previous posts on making curd in the microwave:

Here is the one for lemon curd:  http://quitereasonable.blogspot.com/2014/01/lemon-curd.html

and here is the one for orange and lime curd:  http://quitereasonable.blogspot.com/2014/03/orange-curd-and-lime.html.


I have a new favorite way and that is in the Vitamix.  I started with their recipe here:  https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/recipes/lemon-curd

But it wasn't near lemony enough and the color was bland.

So here is mine.

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 cup fresh lemon juice (6-7 juicy lemons)
lemon zest from 3-5 lemons 
1/2 cup unsalted butter cut in 16 pieces

Place lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, yolks, and sugar in Vitamix in that order.

Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.  (My Vitamix doesn't have high so I just left it on 10.)

Blend for 5 minutes.

Reduce speed to Variable 5 and remove the lid plug. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, through the lid plug opening incorporating butter completely between additions.  (I did a piece every 10 seconds.)

Replace the lid plug and increase speed to Variable 10.

Blend for 30 seconds.

Pour into final containers.  Chill before serving or allow to cool slightly and serve at room temperature.  (My girls poured it hot onto fresh pound cake and threw strawberry slices on top.)

Ottobre 4-2011-15 and another Jalie 2796 Circle Skirt

I pulled out an old favorite Ottobre 4-2011-15 to use for the top of Merida, but since it has been a while since I made it, I had to make it up again in red as a sample first.

The nerdlet decided to play the part of uncooperative child today.

I did get some cooperation after she had worn it half a day and had breakfast and spilled stuff on it.

This top is a size 98 in width and a 110 in length and made out of red rayon knit.  The Merida top is out of a cotton jersey and will not be so clingy.  When I showed it to the bear cub, once again she wasn't enthusiastic about it and my mother figured out that the bear cub doesn't want to wear red.  The nerdlet loves it though.

The skirt is a size 7 Jalie 2796 skirt with the Mickey fabric as another circle skirt.  The nerdlet fits into the size 4s that I made earlier, but she much prefers the extra room in the bigger skirt, so I likely will be making them bigger since they don't fall off of the nerdet who has the smallest waist of my three girls.

Donation Quilt

This quilt was actually finished during Lent as part of my Lental promise/sacrifice.  It's to be donated to children's advocacy.  It's a simple quilt with a butterfly quilting pattern to match the butterflies in the black, blue, and yellow patterned fabric  It's bright and colorful and I hope some child loves it.

I actually haven't done much quilting lately.  I'm half diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and probably getting the full diagnosis at my appointment on Monday.  The x-ray and MRI has confirmed arthritis, but I hadn't noticed any psoriasis outbreaks, but I've had three since my last appointment and the current outbreak covers both my lids, which is grossly uncomfortable.  My mother has psoriatic arthritis and it apparently has a large genetic component so this will likely complete the diagnosis.  I'm actually looking forward to the diagnosis because my mom says that the medication specific to psoriatic arthitis that is not used for the other types will make a big difference in how much pain and discomfort I have.

I have finished a cute long sleeved shirt that Kate has agreed to model tomorrow so I'll be posting after pictures.

The Dresses Worn

 Doesn't the nerdlet look cute?  She decided that she thought the shirt was too short and ended up putting a long sleeve striped shirt on underneath it right before she walked out the door.  It totally ruined the Minnie Mouse, Liitle Orphan Annie look of the outfit.

I had a really hard time getting the bear cub to stand up and show off hers.  So I ended up having to take the pic after she put on her backpack right before she headed out the door.

Minnie Mouse Outfit

So this outfit was a trial before I made the same outfit in red polka dots as a Minnie Mouse outfit. The top is Ottobre 6-2009-19 in a size 98 in width and a 110 in length.  I decided to try to use snaps instead of buttons and was not entirely successful in having the front hang perfectly flat.  The bottom is Jalie 2796 with an attached circle skirt.  

I showed the bear cub the skirt and asked if she was going to wear it tomorrow.  She said, "No!"  The nerdlet immediately piped up that she would wear it since her sister would not.  I'm hoping that it isn't too childish for 2nd grade because I don't think that there is anyway that I could talk her out of wearing it.  I just don't want her to be teased and since she is already a bit of a bully magnet so I worry.

Now that the bear cub has rejected the first of the line I plan on making, I'm wondering if she'll wear any of them.  The only sure thing is Sofia the First because the bear cub loves her.  Next up is Merida.

I'll try to post a picture of this one and it's trial with the girls in them tomorrow.

Craftsy t-shirt class

After reading Sham's (I type that like I know her and she even has a clue who I am) suggestion on her blog to take the artistic t-shirt craftsy course, I signed up for both that class and the basic t-shirt class. I don't really have any formal or informal sewing training and so I didn't feel comfortable jumping into a class without taking the basic course first.  This turned out to be a mistake as I learned very little and most of that was which advice not to take.

I do love the t-shirt that I ended up making even though it looks nothing like the shirt that they make in the class.  I haven't started the artistic t-shirt class though I received the pattern a while back and even picked out fabrics to make it with.  I'm going to be focusing on the bear club outfits first.

Another Ottobre 2-2007

After making the version of the dress for Darth Monkey, my mom fell in love with the fabric and requested for me to make her a shirt from it.  She doesn't wear sleeveless items and I didn't have enough fabric for more than that so I made it thinking that it would be muslin.  

 I also forgot to add the seam allowances so then  I really didn't think it would work at all.

She decided that she likes it a lot and has been wearing it for working out at the senior center.  I've also cut up a bunch of her t-shirts and reshaped them to fit her better.  I've also resized some t-shirts for the girls so that they would fit them better, too.  I've decided that unless you really like the t-shirts for some reason it is easier to make a t-shirt than to resize one.