Dog Dish Cobbler

Okay, let me explain this one. As I have mentioned in a previous post, we live in a very small "apartment" right now and I only have a makeshift kitchen for now. Any baking has to be done in a toaster oven and even though it's a pretty good size toaster oven, most of my regular baking pans, dishes don't fit in it. Well, Allen was really wanting a blackberry cobbler since there are so many fresh blackberries for the picking right now. We eat very few sweets but I do sometimes make something for dessert, mainly for him. Since funds are very tight right now due to my being laid off, this was a good deal also because I didn't have to buy anything to do it. Anyway, I needed a good deep dish to bake it in, couldn't find any of my regular stuff that would fit, when I remembered that I had thrown several dog bowls and had never sold them. Hhhmm. Stoneware is perfect to bake in. This one was the perfect size. And no, they had never been used. So, I whipped up this cobbler and it came out just wonderful! Stoneware really cooks nice; everything really bakes very even. No overdone bottoms. In fact, when I start throwing again, I may start making a similar form just for cobblers etc.

We received a good bit of rain over the past weekend so the garden is really doing well. Last year I planted 2 lavender shrubs ( plants, whatever) and they are really taking off now. I think they liked the dry weather actually. I have already harvested several bundles like this one and they keep producing more. I have them all hanging in the apartment drying and they really smell great.

On house news, Allen has about finished the structure of the pumphouse; just need to put some kind of siding on it and finish roof. I have started painting in the bathroom and bedroom!! Once again, my boys came through and I received enough paint to start this next step. I have primed the bathroom, bedroom and clerestory wall and mixed the color I want for the bathroom. I'm still working on the color for the bedroom. I want to finish the bathroom first so the flooring can go down because that means the toilet is next!!! The tile for the shower is going to run me about $360.00 so unless I came work some deal there, installing that may be a while. Also, as soon as the clerestory wall is done (trim and everything) I can remove the scaffolding and frame the wall for the kitchen. There is still sooo much to do but actually starting some finish work is really picking my spirits up considerable.