Castle Shed Turret Base

Jan finished the second turret base on Sunday afternoon before we went to the kids' for an early family dinner. Doug sure knows how to make a good steak!

Jan is Dutch for John, pronounced yan. So confusing, just think of the old song, "A Boy Named Sue."

The octagon turret base is made with 4x4 and 2x4 treated wood, held together with metal hangars and plates.

 Here he is bending one of the metal plates to the correct angle.

 

While Jan was working I made a strawberry pizza to take to dinner for dessert. They are so gooooood! I hadn't made one in many years because the old recipe calls for Danish Dessert which has been impossible to find. In August I researched recipes for a strawberry glaze to substitute and tried several and tweaked till I was pleased.

Well, I meant to take photos of the steps and the finished dessert but forgot!

It takes flour, butter and sugar for the shortbread crust, Philadelphia cream cheese and Cool Whip for the creamy layer.

 

The topping is sliced fresh strawberries in a strawberry glaze.

Next time I'll take pictures and post the recipe. 

Have you ever had a good home made strawberry pizza?

Castle Shed Model Got Wet! Stuffed French Toast for a Hungry Man

Saturday was a cool sunny day, unusual for Fresno in late September, it's usually still very warm. It was a perfect day to work on the yard building.

I keep thinking about a name, it needs a name. My vision is that it reminds one of a castle but it's not much more than a fancy shaped shed, it's to be more of a shabby mini castle shed where I can arrange, photograph, display and have fun with so many things that I've had stashed away and also for Jan's wonderful hand painted fairy doors and other things he has made. They can be seen at our Paris Cabinet Etsy shop.

So, here is my sweetie, working so hard to please me and make my dream shed, got to love a man like that! In the foreground is a tool box he made last year.

He set up saw horses to hold the second turret base he was working on and the miter saw. On went the safety goggles.

Soon it was dusk and I suggested moving the saw and tools to the patio in case there is a little dew in the morning. Well, it rarely rains in Fresno in September and no rain predicted but this is what it looked like in the morning.

 

Rain! I didn't bring in the model so it was wet, everything was wet except what had been brought in to the patio. We didn't have a downpour, you can still see a dry spot under the black saw horses.

Wet tools are not a good thing, we quickly dried them and I decided my man needed a yummy breakfast.

Stuffed French Toast

 On sour dough bread spread soft cream cheese on one piece and orange marmalade on the other, put them together like a sandwich.

Beat 2 eggs, a dash of salt and a little over 1/2 cup of milk, pour into a flat dish or pan big enough to hold both sandwiches. Lay them into the egg and milk mixture, let it soak a minute.

 Flip over so the other side will soak up mixture.

Warm up a grill to medium heat. Flip again if necessary, when the stuffed French toast has absorbed all the liquid it is time to toast.

Butter the grill, put the sandwiches on the grill, add dabs of butter on top so when it's flipped over there is a little butter on the other side.

Looking good, toasty toasty.

Ready to serve, the sour dough bread is large slices, takes up most of the dinner plate.

Side view so you can see bits of cream cheese.

The Dutchman likes his with a Dutch syrup called stroop.

 I prefer mine the American way, with maple syrup.

Enjoy!    ......and back to the shed project, the sun is out.