Hobbit Socks

.

Oh, man, what I wouldn't do for a pair of these socks...


Based on my favorite edition, and everything!

Link.
Thanks, Cory!

Pippin Lodge

.Designer Teresa Layman built this exquisite miniature hobbit house, which she calls Pippin Lodge. From the site: "Teresa Layman built this comfy little dwelling in a class given by the amazing miniaturist Rik Pierce at the Philadelphia Miniaturia show in 2003. After the class was over, Teresa took the hobbit house home and added details to suit her own vision."

"One part of that vision was a little hooked rug to lie in front of the fireplace. Well, that was the beginning… the need for a little hooked rug, paired with lots of encouragement from family and friends, has grown into the needlework business, Teresa Layman Designs."

"Pippin Lodge is now part of the Kathleen Savage Browning Miniatures Collection and will reside in the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center in Maysville, Kentucky 41056."

Link to Pippin Lodge.
Link to Teresa Layman Designs.
.

Still More Mushrooms...

.
...but then this is it for posts about mushrooms, at least for a while. My project is finished, and A Hobbit's Holiday is no longer on holiday!

These wonderful mushroom images are enamels - hailed as The World's Most Wonderful Enamels - from Wm Spear Design.


From the website:
Haven't ever had any formal training, but have always drawn and painted. Became fascinated with the pins because I felt that the ancient art of enameling was being debased by a bunch of yahoos sending a picture cut out of a newspaper to China and having pins made for their fast food franchises. Felt that if the pins were designed as pins, with the strengths and weaknesses of the medium in mind, and putting a bit more effort into the quality, they could be very wonderful items at a reasonable price. I was right. They were and are.

They are indeed wonderful - there is a degree of detail that I've never seen in any other enameled work. They absolutely glow in the light. Link to Mushroom Page.

Hob's To Do List: Eat More Mushrooms!

.

Golden Chanterelle

David Arora recommends making a cream of chanterelle soup, using any basic cream of mushroom soup recipe. I've actually had cream of potato and leek soup that included chanterelles ~ it was pure hobbit heaven! You could tell it was a special dish because the aroma was different - richer, somehow deeper and more fragrant.

Porcini (King Bolete)

A summer favorite with garlic, cheese, and crusty bread (although I've only ever had them dried). I have happy visions of roasting some fresh porcini mushrooms over an open fire... We'll see how the summer goes; it's definitely on the official to do list.

Horn of Plenty

Described as the most flavorful of the chanterelles, but also one of the toughest, requiring prolonged, gentle cooking. Because it cooks up black, it's recommended for things like omelettes, sandwiches, pizzas, etc. I've never tried this mushroom, even though it's said to be common for my part of the world.

Thanks to Wikipedia for the images; thanks to David Arora's guidebook, All That The Rain Promises, and More...



.

A Shortcut to Mushrooms

.

It's always fun to go mushrooming, but unless you really know what you're looking for (or looking at), it can be a dangerous prospect: sickened at best, dead at worst. Soaking dried mushrooms is an option; buying fresh from a local greengrocer or trusted mushroom hunter is just as good. Or you can grow your own, thanks to Fungi Perfecti.



Fungi Perfecti® is a family-owned, environmentally friendly company specializing in using gourmet and medicinal mushrooms to improve the health of the planet and its people. Founded by mycologist and author Paul Stamets, we are leaders in a new wave of technologies harnessing the inherent power of mushrooms and fungal mycelium worldwide. Fungi Perfecti® is Certified Organic by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. In business since 1980, we offer an ever-expanding product line for the mushroom enthusiast.
.

A Hobbit On Holiday

.
Dear guests,

Your friend, Hob Meadows, hates to be a rude host, but alas... I find myself unable to update this site for a few weeks. (It's a busy time in the Shire, let's just leave it at that.) But "A Hobbit's Holiday" is not abandoned, not under construction, and certainly not on indefinite leave!

Truth is, I'm working on a project that takes up all of my time, and will be completed on March 21. I expect to start working on "A Hobbit's Holiday" as soon as this project is completed (and who knows, maybe I'll be able to sneak in a post or two between then).

Thanks so much for being the understanding guests I've come to know and appreciate.

Cheers for a happy spring!

Hob
.