Wonderful Wednesday - Dandelions

Dandelions are everywhere

They grow in fields and lawns and parks

They cheer me up when I am sad

With their sunny yellow sparks

Some people think they are a weed

They try to pull them out and spray

But I admire their resilience

Somehow they find a way to stay

They bring me back to childhood days

When I would make a wish and blow

Their fluffy seeds into the air

And hope for something good to grow

Dandelions are more than flowers

They are a symbol of the sun

They remind me to be grateful

For simple joys and fun

It is Almost Spring! And Spring Means ... Dandelion Wine

 Darlings!  Hello again!

Spring means a lot of things, but in Fab world, Spring means, mostly Gardening and Lawn Maintenance. And lawn maintenance means ... dandelions.  Oh! The Fab is not one of those people who maintain a perfect lawn.  The casual observer might say that the Fab doesn't do much lawn maintenance at all. That would be true. The Fab is a lover of whatever grows in a lawn. And the lower that whatever grows, the better. But the Fab intended to talk about dandelions.  She loves them.  Early happy yellow discs scattered over her lawn brings the Fab joy.  Joy and that other delight of springtime. Dandelion Wine.   

Dandelion wine is a homemade beverage that captures the essence of spring adventure. It is made from the bright yellow flowers of the common dandelion, which are steeped in water with sugar, lemon, and yeast. The result is a light, refreshing, and slightly fizzy drink.

 Dandelion wine has a long history and tradition, dating back to ancient times. It was popular among European peasants, who used it as a tonic and a medicine. It was also a favorite of American pioneers, who found dandelions growing abundantly (they were brought over by European settlers in the 1600’s.

 Making dandelion wine is a simple and rewarding process, that anyone can do at home. All you need is some basic equipment, such as a large pot, a strainer, a funnel, a glass jug, an airlock, and some bottles. You also need some fresh dandelions, picked from a pesticide-free area. Also, please choose an area free from dog traffic. Does the Fab need to elaborate on that?

 

Dandelion Flower Wine

Ingredients

4 Quarts of Fresh Dandelion Flowers 

4 Quarts Boiling Water

1 Cake of Wine Yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons or 1 packet)  *see notes on yeast below

3 cups of sugar

3 Oranges and 3 lemons, diced

 To make dandelion wine:

- Pick 4 quarts of dandelion flowers. The best time to harvest them is in the morning, when they are fully open and bright.

- Rinse the dandelions and remove any green parts, such as stems and leaves. You only want the yellow flowers. Place in a large heatproof glass or ceramic container with a lid.

- Boil a scooch more than 4 quarts of water in a large pot. (some water will turn into steam)

- Pour the boiling water over the dandelion flowers. Cover lightly with the container lid.

- Let the flowers and water stand lightly covered for 3 days. 

After 3 Days:

- Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth or a fine mesh into a sterile glass container and discard the flowers.

- Add the wine yeast, diced oranges and lemons and stir well. 

- Cover the container with clean cheesecloth place the lid on lightly. Store the container a dark and cool place for about 3 weeks to a month, until the fermentation stops.

- Strain the wine into clean bottles and cork them. Store them in a cool and dark place for another few weeks, or longer if you want a more mature flavor. Shorter if you want to see what your Spring juice tastes like.

Dandelion wine mixed with flavored sparkling water is a delightful porch sittin' beverage.  By making dandelion wine, you can transform something ordinary into something extraordinary, and you, like the Fab are all about the extraordinary.

**Notes on yeast.  Yes, you can use regular baking yeast, but baking yeast will stop fermenting at about 8% alcohol content. Wine yeast will remain active to achieve about 15% alcohol. To the Fab more is just ... more.

Fabs Thoughts on Men and Hair (and how to paint a groovy sweatshirt like the Fab's)

Hello Darlings!  Today the Fab is going to share her thoughts on men and hair-do's. No! No, not men's hair. Real hair-do's, those structural masterpieces called the bee-hive. I swear to you, beauticians of the past were either engineers, or magicians. Anyhoo, below is 13 seconds of wisdom from the Fab. You are so welcome Darlings!

Now, of course along with the right hair, a gal must have the right sweatshirt!  For instance, the Fab's lovely safety yellow with the groovy pink flower number.  Stunning, correct?  Well, you might have a better idea, almost certainly you do.  If you have a great idea for a groovy sweatshirt, but aren't quite sure how to customize one for your self, the Fab is here to help!

How to Create Your Own Groovy Sweatshirt 

Materials Needed:

• Sweatshirt: Choose a plain sweatshirt in the color of your choice.
• Fabric Paint: Acrylic fabric paint works well. Select vibrant colors for that groovy vibe. Fabric Paint Markers if you want to add fine details
• Paintbrushes: Different brush sizes for various details. (Or old clean make-up sponges, or new clean regular sponges, no need to be fancy)
• Cardboard: To keep the fabric flat and prevent paint from bleeding through.
• Drop Cloth or Garbage Bag: To protect your work surface.
• Chalk: For sketching your design.
• Optional: Stencils, fabric markers, and spray bottles for different effects.

1. Prepare Your Sweatshirt:

1. Wash and Dry: Machine wash and dry the sweatshirt on the highest heat setting to pre-shrink it. This prevents paint from cracking later.
2. Insert Cardboard: Slide a piece of cardboard inside the sweatshirt to keep it flat and prevent paint from bleeding through.

2. Set Up Your Workspace:

1. Cover Surface: Lay a drop cloth or slit a large garbage bag lengthwise down one side to protect your work surface.
2. Spread Sweatshirt: Place the sweatshirt on the covered surface, leaving plenty of drop cloth extending out from each side.

3. Sketch Your Design:

1. Use Chalk: Lightly sketch your groovy design directly on the sweatshirt using chalk. This will serve as your guide. You can print out one of the Fab’s Groovy Designs below and poke holes in the lines, then secure the holy design to your sweatshirt with tape, then mark over the lines with the chalk and the chalk will mark the sweatshirt in little dots from the holes in the groovy image.

4. Hand-Painting with Brushes and Markers:

1. Apply Fabric Paint: Put coin-sized amounts of fabric paint on an artist’s palette (or an old plastic container lid. You know the ones where they have multiplied in your cupboard with the matching container nowhere to be found?)
2. Brush Strokes: Use short strokes to apply the paint directly on your sweatshirt. Experiment with different brush sizes for varied effects.
3. Polka Dots: Dab round brushes straight down if you want to freehand polka dots.
4. Detailed Lines: Draw with fabric paint markers for adding fine details.

5. Let It Dry:

1. Patience: Allow the paint to dry completely. Follow the instructions on your fabric paint for drying time. (It will be longer than you hope for, be patient Darlings!)
2. Heat-Set (Optional): To make the design permanent, iron the painted area (inside out) with a cloth over it.

6. Rock Your Groovy Sweatshirt:

1. Wear with Pride: Your hand-painted groovy sweatshirt is ready! Show off your unique creation and spread those good vibes.

Remember, there are no rules in groovy art—just let your creativity flow! It doesn’t have to be perfect, nothing ever is.

Some ideas to get you started:

And then there is Mary's interest in bigfoot

 Fab Regrets this announcement, but aside from fun attractive videos featuring the Fab, Mary also is interested in ... (sigh) bigfoot.

Yes, yes, darlings, Mary is getting to be of a certain age.  Her attitude is that she did what she was supposed to and needed to do for decades and now, now it is her turn to do what she wants to do (almost too late, but not quite).  So, Mary also has a second YouTube channel that she is working on that is mostly populated with her animations of ... (sigh) bigfoot.  While the Fab would rather she not, Fab is a loyal go-with girl so she indulges Mary's interest in bigfoot.

This link will take you to Mary's latest bigfoot animation.

1 minute bigfoot animation

The Fab has returned

 Why yes darlings! It HAS been 10- years since I posted. My how time flies!

Speed dating version of my last 10 years with Mary. The fella became very ill, died (mixed emotions on that, no need for sympathy), Mary (and the Fab) loaded what they could into a 30 year old truck that Mary rebuilt, moved 400 miles west, bought a HUD house, fixed that up, Mary discovered the 3D CG software called Blender and she was off to the races.  

Oh, Mary didn't forget the Fab.  Fab has been consulting on Mary's creative projects (Mary is kind of dull without the Fab.) Anywho, Quick link to one of Mary's projects featuring the Fab.  The animation was created last year to celebrate sister J's birthday. Fab Celebrates sister j's birthday with a cake and a dance  That darlings is a link to the Fab's ... (cough, cough) Mary's YouTube page where she posts animations that she has created, mostly featuring the Fab, because, of course.