This Week, Back at the Ranch...

This has been an off week. I didn't do all that much. I did, however, go to a party. A girls only party. And sorry guys, it did not turn into anything inappropriate. We had a tex-mex theme. So for this party (I attended, not threw) I made citrus salt. To go on the margaritas. It was pretty easy. It does not look so great a few hours into the party though. It tastes great, so that's good.
I also have been working on several cross stitch pieces. I'm up to 8 so far. They're all fairly small, I'm not really sure what I'm gonna do with them, but I can't stop making them. I even went so far as to buy some 22 count fabric to try my hand at really tiny detailed work. I need more practice. 22 count means that there are 22 "squares" per inch. Most of what I do is on 11 count or 14 count, so this new fabric is really not so easy. I need better light. And a stand to hold my frame. And one of those big magnifiers on an arm. And a whole host of other things. I really should get organized first though. That means a few MORE items are needed, and scans or photos need to be taken of the existing work. Meanwhile my room is developing a pile of shnibbly bits of embroidery floss, the snipped off bits. I keep picking it up, and it just keeps piling up. The annoying thing is they stick to my clothes, and I keep finding random threads on myself when I'm not at home. Grrrrrr!

Citrus Salt

2 cups Sea Salt
2 Tbsp Orange zest, FRESH
1 Tbsp Lemon zest, FRESH
1 Tbsp Lime zest, FRESH

Mix all together in a bowl. Spread it in a metal pan that has a lip (you'll see why). Bake at 225 f for about 2 hours.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Put through a food processor on pulse to blend thoroughly.

This is also good for chicken or seafood. You can also reduce the amounts, to create a smaller yield.

--Little Bird is going cross-eyed