Keep out of reach of children, they say. Keep the blade cover on, they say. Can cut through layers of fabric, they say. Sharp and dangerous, they say.
Imagine my surprise when I go to use a rotary cutter for the first time and it's not cutting through my cotton like a hot knife through butter. More like a rusty saw through mahogany (because rusty saws aren't very sharp and mahogany is very dense- I always like it when people explain their jokes). But I'm persistent to the point of stupidity, so I keep making these terribly jagged, uneven cuts. Note: there is a new blade sitting right next to me.
After making one small pile of strips (who am I kidding, it was a large pile), I decide maybe it is just an old blade, not my technique or lack of ability, and I should replace it with that ever-so-convenient one sitting beside me. And lo and behold, this one could cut a person's finger in half. (Sorry, Hugh.)
Makes me wonder how much fabric my bestie was cutting before she lent me her quilting supplies… I haven't seen any quilts from her… Maybe she's quilting undies… One never knows.
Mae Cake, you're soooo helpful.
On a random note, have you had any pineapple lately? It's getting a little late in the season for fantastic pineapple, but you can still find really good deals on a fresh one and they are like candy when they are ripe.
I bought my first pineapple earlier this spring in my "I read this is supposed to be good" way of things (see: tart cherry juice). I got it home and stared at it. How the hell do you cut this spiky thing?
Let me show you:
Start with a pineapple… Ooo! Wouldn't you like to know how to choose one first? Here's my method: smell the non-leafy end. Does it smell good and maybe like pineapple? It is ripe. I hear you can tug on a leaf and if it comes out easily, that also means it is ripe. That's more subtle. So, anyhow, you got a pineapple…
Get your sharpest knife. Chop off the leafy and non-leafy ends.
Stand up your fruit and cut off the spiky-ness. I try to cut enough off so there's no brown little knots left in my fruit, but you can dig those out with a spoon or tomato corer if you're picky.
Lay your pineapple back down on its side and slice it.
Now cut pieces away from the core. Voila!
This might not the most uniform way to do it, but I like it and it's fast. Plus, my little ladies eat it as fast as I cut it, so it doesn't last long enough to need to be pretty.
What's your favorite fruit? And how do you prepare it?
Riot and Frolic 
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