Wow, thanks for all the great links and comments. I wish I had more time to explore them this season, but I will have to save some for next season. When I woke up this morning half of the plums I had cleaned were already splitting in their over ripe state. I panicked and went with the easiest thing I could find: a little water in the pan, get it boiling, stick in the plums and cook for 5-10 minutes. Then skin (the skins just pulled right off – and they kind of are like fruit leather, yum, I ate a lot), pit and puree. 

I got a lot, it was great. I also saved the juice from the pan, it seemed too good to waste. Ideas on what to do with this part? I'm a little afraid to use it too generously, I mean isn't plum juice basically prune juice? And doesn't that, well, you know. 

My friend's mom emailed me with her process and she uses one of these juice cooker things, intriguing, I might have to get one for next year (well, I'll definitely add it to my look for while thrifting list). I think the puree is a bit strong for Tuesday so I'll add it to banana and my homemade rice cereal for now. We (Emilie and I) gave her a little straight up, her reaction was pretty funny.

I also had to take care of another baby feeding issue. Miss Slippery Pants slides all around the old wooden high chair we use. She's skinny and can slip right under. Of course I never leave her alone in it, but I knew Bj would be working late tonight and I wouldn't have the extra hand to help me steady her. I came up with a strap contraption I think works pretty well. 

I needed it to fit now and later, and to be sturdy and easy to clean. I used a four inch strip of cotton fabric cut on the bias (how many times am I going to cut the ends wrong to join and make a long strip? I always forget the right way to do this on the first try – you lay them perpendicular, and sew on the diagonal). I folded the edges towards the middle and then backed it with some sturdy grosgrain, sewing it all together on the edges:

I love grosgrain, it's the work horse of ribbons. I made a loop out of the piece that goes under the crotch and put a double seam in to have a place for the ties to cross in the back:

I'll either pull those stitches out to lengthen or use the next loop when she grows. After ends are crossed pull snug and tie:

It's no 5-point harness, but if you are sitting with baby I think it will do the trick nicely. Plus when we take the tray off and pull her right up to the table it will still work to keep her from slipping. I know she likes it because before tonight she was gripping the arms of the chair while we fed her, you know, basically hanging on for her life. 

Carmen and I always pine that we can not craft together as we live so far apart. She has sent me things she's made and I've made her things and sent them, so I know she is being crafty. Just not with me, boo! While I was at her house she showed me this awesome outfit she made Chloe out of one of her husband's old tee shirts. Of course I snatched it up and said, "I must squeeze Tuesday into this so I can blog about it!"

Is this not adorable?!?! It is a concert tee so check out the back:

The pattern is McCall's 8574 Um, I had Carmen tell me, and wrote it down and everything but now it is lost, boo. Carmen please comment with the pattern number when you get a chance! Carmen made me a couple of these out of plain knit (what the pattern calls for) and then she must have taken a genius pill because she came up with this! Or maybe that's what happens when you're in Alaska and you don't have the crafty resources. Anyway she's clever and I love this.

In completely unrelated news I need plum advice! I went to hang up Tutu's diapers and realized that we have a plum tree! I had forgotten about it when it was being crammed out of our yard by a cedar that we had cut down earlier this year (two were growing too close together with the plum and they were all going to die, I don't take tree cutting lightly). We all went out and picked a bunch tonight. I cleaned them, and now they are sitting on my counter:

only I put tea towels over them. I don't even know how to store them, I just took my best guess. I'm not sure what these type are either, but they are freaking awesome and taste like candy. I want to try and make some baby food for Tutu and freeze it, maybe a plum jam, or a plum sauce on a pork chop (mmm). Ideas, advice? I wish I would have figured this out earlier, they are ripe like, yesterday. And some are bruised, as you can see, from tossing them into the bowls (there are not a lot of low branches). Please give me some advice ASAP! I will send you big kisses!