Time to make my annual fall arrangement, using the invasive pampas grass that grows nearby our property on city land. It's a tough plant that is native to southern South Africa, and seeded itself in a crack in the pavement. Its location impedes the view of anyone trying to make a left turn onto a busy street, and taming it requires thick leather gloves, a sharp pair of Felcos, and strong hands.
Fall arrangement with invasive pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana)
Despite all that, the long graceful plumes of flower clusters provide a dramatic element to a fall arrangement, and catch the golden fall light.
The plume-like flowers catch the fall light
The seeds are dispersed by the wind, so careful disposal of the arrangement and pruned stalks is imperative. I should find a way to eradicate the plant (I'm guessing it would take quite a few seasons to do so). In the meantime, I enjoy the periodic fall arrangement (carefully).
Autumn has arrived here in the San Francisco Bay Area, and this is the perfect time of year for bread making, which ties in with our "homesteading in the city" theme. All this year we have been making and doing for ourselves, with all the comforts of modern life. This time we’re making fluffy dinner rolls, using a stand mixer that is equipped with a bread hook. I haven’t done much bread making, so this is a chance to develop a new homesteading skill, and prepare for the holidays ahead.
Fluffy dinner rolls brushed with melted butter
My inspiration is my Aunt Char who is a master of the fluffy dinner roll. When she has hosted Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, she typically has a huge Tupperware bowl filled with living, breathing bread dough. She effortlessly pulls off chunks of dough, rolls them into balls, lets them rise in her warm kitchen, and then pops them into the oven. They are served piping hot, with butter and jam. The jam is often procured by my mom from the bakeries and gourmet kitchen shops that she has visited, as she and my dad travel up and down the west coast. Together, the rolls and jam are absolutely delicious!
I decided to use the “Best Homemade Dinner Rolls Ever!” recipe by Rachel Farnsworth, from the “Stay at Home Chef” blog. I recommend watching Rachel's video several times before starting, and reading her recommendations. She has developed this recipe over a five-year period, so draws upon a lot of experience!
Ready for butter and jam
Mix and Rise Phase
Combine ingredients.
Incorporate flour.
Let rise.
Combine ingredients with a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook
Form, Rise, and Bake Phase
Form rolls, and let rise.
Bake rolls.
Remove from oven.
Form dough
Let dough rise, and then bake
Serve and Enjoy
Finally, it’s time to enjoy these fluffy dinner rolls! I’m serving them with butter and delicious raspberry preserves from Los Rios Ranch.
Fluffy dinner rolls and artisan jam
Freeze for the Future
I tried freezing six of the rolls in a plastic container for later. About an hour before dinner, I took several of them out of the freezer, and then wrapped them in a moistened dish towel and warmed them in the microwave right before we sat down to eat. The rolls were delicious and a real treat for a midweek meal. I haven’t tried freezing the dough for later use, so that will be a future experiment.
Freeze some rolls to pull out for midweek dinners
In closing, this a wonderful recipe and very successful, even for a newbie. My only complaint with making dinner rolls is that they take planning and time, and need to be coordinated to have them available to eat with the meal. With experience, this would become easier to do, and well worth the time to learn the skill. Bring on the holidays!
It is October and starting to feel like fall here in the San Francisco Bay Area. We still have the dry, hot days that are characteristic of our Mediterranean climate. Plants are looking a little dry, leathery and dusty, and the hills are brown. But, the days are getting shorter and cool off nicely in the evening, and the golden light of fall is magic!
The Lake Temescal boat house bathed in golden light
My husband and I recently attended a wedding reception at the Temescal Regional Recreation Area in Oakland. Besides all the fun of celebrating the happy couple (in person), we had the opportunity to hike around Lake Temescal. This provided some exercise and a chance to enjoy the view in the fall light of late afternoon and early evening.
View of the East Shore fishing pier, from the West Shore Trail
We left the celebration feeling energized, ready for more outings and gatherings, and eager for all the pleasures of fall!
In this post I'm closing up my atelier for the season, and taking a look back at all our projects. We tried eco-dyeing and more solar dyeing, experimented with alum and ferrous sulfate mordant brighteners, and worked with exhaust dyes from previous seasons. We obtained a wonderful range of soft and bright colors. Following is a wrap up of our Plants to Dye For season in 2022.
Shades of logwood, cochineal, avocado, marigold, and coreopsis (cotton, linen, and wool)
Eco-printing with spring flowers, leaves, and ferns (silk)
Projects and Videos
Dyeing fabric using plants grown from seed, kitchen scraps, and exhaust dyes from previous seasons. Into the mix we experimented with different fabrics and fibers, and mordants.
Amazon.com: shop for alum, Synthrapol, soda ash, washing soda, dyes, and jars.
Peaceful Valley Farm & Seed Supply in Grass Valley, CA: their online store, GrowOrganic.com, lists a "Garden to Dye For " seed collection for plants that produce botanical dyes. If it's out of stock, add your name to the waitlist (it worked for me).
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange in Mineral, Virginia: a search for "dye plants" yields Calendula, Coreopsis, and Hopi Dye Sunflower.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in Mansfield, Missouri: they carry Hopi Dye Sunflower and Hopi Red Dye Amaranth.
Renee's Garden Seeds: the warehouse is in Boulder, CO. They collect seeds from around the world, and grow them in test gardens in different climate zones. From personal experience, the Marigold, Calendula and Coreopsis seeds yield good results here in the Bay area.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. To see what we did last year, see Plants to Dye For: Wrap Up 2021. Stay tuned for more dye projects in the seasons to come!
