Mad about Mushrooms . . .

A bag is just a bag until it's a mushroom bag

A bag is just a bag is a bag ... until it's a mushroom bag.

Yes, we're still in quarantine, and I'm still trying to come up with projects that satisfy and keep me occupied.  Bet you are doing the same thing!

That's how I turned to making bags.  First, I thought of them as grocery bags, and then it dawned on me that they might really be mushroom bags for collecting mushrooms or anything, for that matter.

The instructions are pretty straight forward and easy, even for the most inexperienced of sewers.  100% cotton fabric is a great choice - it's sturdy and washable - be sure prewash the fabric before putting your bag together.  Once you've made the first bag, you'll find yourself energized and thinking of the many different sizes and fabrics that might please when making additional totes.

The bag in the attached photo is a roomy 15 x 17 x 6 inches, lined, with a flat bottom.  Other bags that have been created in my sewing area have interior pockets which can be quite convenient for tucking away little items or are lined with a fusible fleece which creates a more substantial product.

Wonder what's in the bag?

Show your true colors in a mushroom print face mask

My face mask making days seem to be slowly coming to a halt, thanks to the ever increasing availability of commercial masks.  But, boy, it was such a crazy ride for a couple of months, making masks and masks and more masks, primarily for the local senior centers. 

Finding the fabric was easy and fun.  I had good access to a variety of printed cottons, some with fish, other with flowers, autumn leaves, geometric shapes, honey bees (yes, for those bee keeping friends), and so on.  The only challenge was finding the elastic pieces for the ears.  But, there was never a challenge finding people who wanted a free face mask; most often they were quickly drawn to one print or another. 

Now, I am going into semi retirement, deciding to specialize in mushroom print face masks using a bolt of fabric that I purchased a number of years ago in Seattle.  In the past I've made this dramatic print into shower curtains, blouses, aprons and the like, but making a face mask out of this material was a first. 

Thinking that you too might be interested in constructing a couple of themed fabric masks, I am happy to share the following instructions from the Great Falls Clinic.   I'd recommend that you check out their online video which is quite well done and helps to clarify the written instructions.

The mushroom print face mask is a popular choice.

Who's afraid of the big, bad mushrooms?

Yes, we all know them. Those people who are “mycophobic,” afraid of mushrooms. I’ve encountered them as I’ve traveled throughout the world, but most commonly they appear to be in Great Britain, Canada and the US.

Just merely mentioning that I gather wild mushrooms tends to make these folks distance themselves from me. Then comes the eye rolling, and the confession that they “would never do such a thing,” as one Scottish BNB owner unequivocally stated. She hastily added that all the mushrooms that she prepared came from the market down the way and that was the end of that conversation.

Unfortunately, there are times when even these commercially distributed mushrooms may hold some dangers. We’ve recently been reading about the enoki mushroom listeria outbreak that has been unfolding over the past 3 years, running from November 3, 2016 to December 13, 2019. After much study and testing by the FDA and other agencies, the finger pointed to enoki mushrooms distributed by the Green Co. LTD of Korea. Satisfied with the outcome of their investigation, the FDA and CDC officially closed their investigation on June 9, 2020.

Commercially farmed enoki are a very distinctive mushroom.

Hua Hsu lead me to Merlin Sheldrake's celebration of fungi

Here's a big shout out to friends who keep me informed and stimulated, people like Paula who recently presented me with the May 18th edition of The New Yorker which included an article by Hua Hsu, a staff writer at The New Yorker, entitled "Fungus Among Us."

Hsu's piece was rather interesting and a good read.  I especially appreciated the comments concerning Merlin Sheldrake.  Hsu noted that Sheldrake "was drawn to fungi because they are humble yet astonishingly versatile organisms, 'eating rock, making soil, digesting pollutants, nourishing and killing plants, surviving in space, inducing visions, producing food, making medicines, manipulating animal behavior, and influencing the composition of the earth's atmosphere.'"

Further research into the young fungal biologist Sheldrake found him to be the author of the much praised Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures.

June, 2020's Recipe of the Month: Andrew Francisco's Chanterelle Mushrooms, Brie & Hazelnut Toast

I try to keep abreast of new trends in culinary matters, and, as a consequence, you'll frequently find me pursuing the latest issue of one magazine or another.  This activity often reaps enormous benefits, as this recipe which was plucked from 1859 Oregon Magazine, March 2020 issue. 

Sure it seems quite early for a chanterelle recipe, yet experience has taught me that it is never too early to fill my files with recipes for the upcoming fall bounty, especially when the recipe can be attributed to Chef Francisco whom we previously had met at the Oregon Truffle Festival.

Can't wait until fall to create this tasty morsel?  I'm thinking that morels or boletes might be equally enjoyable!

We couldn't resist adapting this lovely recipe to
accommodate the morels we recently gathered-delicious!