Bushtit by stephomy
The color tones flow so nicely from bird to framing and it's such a good composition.
November 19th, 2020  
@jyokota This should answer one of your questions from the other picture. The fence is a standard chain-link fence with the usual sized diamond shape gaps. They are tiny little birds. Even some kinds of hummingbirds are bigger than them.
November 20th, 2020  
@stephomy -- Sigh. Be still, my heart -- I do want to see them, photograph them, have them live in my yard.
November 20th, 2020  
How are you doing? Are you doing your holiday baking routines yet? I baked cookies today but they were too too sweet. I baked by weight and I think I had to pack the brown sugar too much to reach the weight. I used the King Arthur Cookie cookbook that my friend gave me for my birthday.
November 20th, 2020  
@jyokota aww... I just checked their map, they don't come anywhere near you https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/bushtit They're everywhere out here. I'm sure you'll see one some day when you can travel safely again.

I'm plugging away. I just started the first step on my fruitcake today. I made the candied citrus peels. You should try this cookie recipe. It's not too sweet. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/scottish-shortbread/ I love them.

Right now at work we're gearing up to make a ton of pies and dinner rolls next week. I have no idea what the Christmas season will bring. This is my first year at this job, and the bakery is going through a lot of changes this month.
November 20th, 2020  
Lovely contrast of wire fencing and fluffy bird!
November 20th, 2020  
@stephomy -- sigh, your fruitcake, so memorably distinct. That recipe looks easy with few ingredients but it has "packed" brown sugar, and how much is "enough" for the flour? These are the kinds of measurements that elude a beginning baker. I could sure use your coaching. Did you change jobs??
November 20th, 2020  
@jyokota The nice thing about this cookie is that it'll turn out fine even if the sugar is lower or higher. When I'm scaling flour by volume I usually stir the flour a bit first to loosen it up and then measure it.

Oh boy did I change jobs a few times since we met. The wholesale work I was doing dried up, so I worked at a Japanese restaurant for a while doing their cakes and pastries, and then worked at a coffee shop/bakery making mostly challah pretzel rolls, now I'm working at a French bakery. I've been at this job since January, and it's been a relief not switching jobs so much. My boss's did a good job of setting up the bakery for take out so we've been able to work through most of the pandemic. Been busy too. I'm loving doing croissants and pastry again, but I do miss working without a mask.
November 21st, 2020  
@stephomy -- you have had a few changes! Including a Japanese restaurant :) In Japan, there are many bakeries that offer cakes of all kinds. Have you ever seen the Miyazaki film "Kiki's Delivery Service?" All I know is that each bakery is lucky to have you baking for them!
November 21st, 2020  
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