Biker Santa

This project took 2 weekends and a week of nights after work to complete.

The plans were from Toymakerplans.com for the bike build. 

Here are the pictures from start to finish.

Little Trump Wood Carvings

These little guys seem to be very popular. 

I call him "Angry Trump"

"Stormy Daniels Trump"

Thanks for the visit. 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MacsFarsider

Hand Carved Santa's Sleigh and Reindeer.

Another Santa, Sleigh and all the Reindeer ready for paint. I did two different Santas. I am thinking that the smaller one is a better fit for the scene.

Little Trump Wood Carving

l call him "Little Trump".

Creating Toy Tops

I'm working on something a bit different going into the direction of toys for kids.

Back when Hurricane Sandy hit, a rather tall Rose Of Sharron tree was toppled. I cut up several pieces of the heavier parts of the trunk and branches figuring I could use them for some future project. 

It's the future> I took a couple pieces and really like working with the wood. Very hard and works to a nice clean finish. 

I turned out a few Tops. A toy from the past. A toy not usual today, but a fun little toy. I made up several and keep playing with them myself. Shhhh. It's very relaxing giving a top a good spin and waiting to see how long it takes to get that fall over wobble.

Here are the first examples. I am not sure about a finish though. I really like these natural but I know that kids prefer brighter colors. What do you all think? Should I maybe give them a light stain and finish or should I give them some color? 

I will most likely have these for future sale at about 10.00 each depending on how detailed a finish becomes.

These tops are all about an 1 3/4" in diameter and from 2 1/4" - 3 1/2" tall.

Headless Horseman WoodCarving

Another Headless Horseman off the bench. 

I usually make these with a Pumpkin but I decided to do a caricature skull this time around.

Thanks for looking. 

Please visit my Shop.

A Nice Day To Make Perogies

It was a great day today to make Perogies. 

3 Chief sized Potatoes peeled, quartered and boiled. The riced. 

1 cup of Shredded Cheddar cheese. I like white New York Sharp Cheddar. Vermont too. Add to potatoes in a mixing bowl. 

8 slices of fried bacon. Reserve drippings. Chopp up bacon and add to potato mixture

1 medium onion diced and sauteed in bacon drippings. Removed from the drippings with a slotted spoon and added to the potato mixture. 

1/2 cup of sour cream. 

Mix the above ingredients and season to taste with salt, pepper and just a touch of garlic powder and a touch of nutmeg. 

For the dough, 4 cups of flour, 3/4 cups of water, I use the water that I boiled the potatoes in. 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease, 2 beaten eggs and a tablespoon of salt. I put the salt and flour in a Kitchenaid mixer bowl. Then while mixing with the dough hook, I slowly add the liquids which have all been mixed in a 4 cup measuring cup. I slowly add about 3/4s of the liquid to see how the dough comes together. I want the dough to become little pieces about the size of Pastina pasta. 

Once the dough is where I want it I then bring the mixture together by hand and wrap with plastic wrap. 

Place a pasta rolling attachment onto the mixer. cut off about a 1" slice off the dough and start rolling. I like to roll it to the number 4 setting on the roller.

Once rolled I then cut rounds from the sheet of dough. I roll one sheet at a time. 

Cut rounds with a 3 1/2" cutter. Place 1 rounded teaspoon of filling on each round and then seal the Perogie by pinching the edges of the dough together around the filling. This is fresh pasta so I don't need egg or water to moisten the dough. The Perogie is 1/2 moon shaped. I then lay the Perogie on the counter and make sure that the Perogie has a flat bottom side. I also take the opportunity to press the sealed edge one final time while it is laying flat. I'm not the type that feels the need to crimp the edge with a fork but I know some that will do it at this point. 

I place each batch as I finish making them on a greased baking sheet. Each batch usually produces 9-10 Perogies. 

The filling and dough will make about a total of 65 Perogies. 

I continue rolling and filling until all the Perogies are made. 

I then boil the perogies until they float in the boiling water. Not too hard of a boil. I boil at about a medium heat. They take about 3 minutes. I remove each batch, the 9-10 Perogies, to a colander with a slotted spoon to drain. Do another batch while transferring the cooked batch back to the sheet pan. 

Continue till all of the perogies are cooked and placed back on the sheet pans. 

Allow the perogies to cool and then freeze them on the sheet pans. Once frozen, place the Perogies into freezer bags. One bag per batch. 

When I am ready to cook a batch, I bring salted water to a boil, Boil the perogies for 3 minutes and drain. Then I melt butter in a nonstick skillet, add the batch of Perogies and one medium sliced onion.  Sautee the Perogies until they get to a nice golden brown and crisp around the edges. I like to dip them after they are cooked in sour cream that I add chopped green onions too.

The filling.

Roller for the mixer to make sheets of pasta.

Rounds cut from the sheet of pasta.

Placing 1 rounded Tsp of filling on each round. 

Making the Perogies.

Sealing the Perogies and the half moon shape.  Flat Bottoms. 

Over 60 Perogies ready to freeze.

Perogies frying in butter with sliced onions.