Panda Parables

the panda quilts: #6 {another} baby boy blanket!

2012-02-06T21:25:00.000-06:00

a friend of mine is expecting a baby boy next month & i had lots of free time 2 weekends ago, so that could only mean one thing...{another} baby boy quilt. i got started late on a friday evening, so instead of rushing out to the fabric store (as i am prone to do when embarking on a new project), i decided to try to pull things from my stash. i suppose that's why we build up fabric stashes to begin with!

i used the michael miller "honk honk" print as my main fabric and added some dark brown, light blue, yellow and light green kona solids. i threw in a navy polka dot, a rainbow polka dot and some of the leftover heather bailey fabric i used in my first quilt. i liked the mixture of pastels & dark colors. i cut out ninety-nine 4 1/2" squares and used my 11-rows-of-9-squares formula once again. then, i went to work laying out the design (another random one, just like holden's quilt).

the next day i wasn't really fond of the rainbow dot fabric, so while i was out & about on my saturday errands, i ran into joann and picked up a half yard of different polka dot fabric to use instead, which was just enough for some squares and a strip for the backing.

sewing all the blocks and rows together went smoothly. i outlined the squares for the quilting & used the yellow solid fabric for the binding.

took it outside for a photo shoot, then packed it up & sent it off to soddy-daisy, tn!

the panda sews: owl & pussycat pleated purse

2012-01-27T17:01:00.001-06:00

i made myself a new purse. the pattern ("tiered bag") came from the book "1-2-3 Sew" by ellen luckett baker (check out her blog here).

i was so immersed in those quilts around christmas, i had almost forgotten how enjoyable and fulfilling other sewing projects could be. it was nice to try something new, and i learned some new skills in the process (making pleats and installing a magnetic fastener). the directions are very easy to follow, although i found myself a little tripped up making the vertical folds.

i used a precious piece of heather ross fabric for the outer fabric and lined it with the green "pearl bracelet" lizzy house print (totally obsessed with both these ladies and their adorable illustrations. they make me happy!)

the panda quilts: #5: sashing & rectangle modern meadow

2012-01-26T18:06:00.000-06:00

i immediately new what pattern/fabrics to use for carrie's quilt. courtney's quilt left me befuddled. i looked at patterns online and in my books; i browsed the online shops; i wandered up and down the aisles at textile, but nothing jumped out at me and screamed "COURTNEY!"

until i saw this and my mind was made up:

i stumbled upon this pattern online. it seemed easy to follow and i liked how it showcased bigger portions of the print fabrics.

one of my favorite things about quilting is picking out fabric - i like pulling things from different designers and finding nice combinations. this quilt pattern calls for 10 different prints, so i was surprised that i bought ALL the prints from the same designer, joel dewberry. most are from the older modern meadow line and one is from the newer heirloom line. they just looked so darn good together! i especially love the flower fields (i used it for my skirt), and the herringbone is one of my all-time favorites:

i used kona snow for the neutral sashing strips and the binding, and ordered a shot cotton called "nut" to use in the "B" rows. herein lies the problem of ordering fabric online: while you save money, you really can't tell colors 100% accurately. when the order arrived, the shot cotton looked way too reddish-brown. so i went to textile - i couldn't find a single solid that matched perfectly. i found something at joann that was exactly the right shade i needed. all that to say: my goose chase for the perfect shade of brown really delayed my start, and i wondered if i'd make my self-imposed christmas deadline.

i had it in my head that this pattern would go a lot quicker than the small plates quilt, and while there was less cutting to do, pinning and sewing all the sashing strips took longer than i imagined. but it all came together quite nicely.


basting on the kitchen floor...barely enough room!

for the back, i sewed a strip of the leftover prints and anchored it with kona stone and kona mustard.
for quilting, i did vertical straight lines on both sides of the printed "A" rows.

i finished it on december 23...just in the nick of time. courtney had remarked to her boyfriend that she hoped i'd make her a quilt for christmas, so i am glad i could make her wish come true!

the panda quilts: #4: small plates / outfoxed quilt

2012-01-24T19:56:00.000-06:00

i don't know when the idea first occurred to me to make my two sisters quilts for christmas - must've been sometime in early november, because that's when i placed my fabric.com order for the outfoxed prints for carrie's quilt. regardless, at some point i got it in my head that a month and a half was surely enough time to complete 2 twin-sized quilts. i'm not an ambitious person, but this was certainly an ambitious undertaking (considering that most of my weekday hours are occupied by my day job- hence my sewing time's limited to the weekends).

i had purchased elizabeth hartman's "the practical guide to patchwork" book some months ago, and found that the "small plates" quilt pattern really appealed to me. since this was the first official quilt pattern i was following (the others had been more free form and random), it seemed like an easy enough undertaking, and i decided to use it for carrie's quilt.

i fell in love with lizzy house's outfoxed line the moment i saw it, and since carrie loves animals, purple and orange, it seemed like a good starting point for the fabrics. i used a few things from my stash and made trips to textile, joann's and hancock to fill in the rest.

the quilt calls for 80 square-in-square blocks made from 20 different prints and a solid, but hartman suggests a few alternatives (i went with option 3, which makes the same number of blocks using only 10 different prints). i used kona neutral for my solid.

i didn't keep a ongoing tally of my hours spent making this quilt, but it did seem to occupy every spare minute i had. i spent one afternoon doing all the cutting (80 center squares + 80 long strips + 80 short strips. hartman lays out all the cutting instructions in such a clear & non-fabric-wasting manner, so it wasn't that bad). then one night sewing the print blocks. another sewing the solid blocks. and another pressing all the seems open (time-consuming, but totally worth it).

i realized that most of my blocks didn't turn out as perfect 9" squares as called for (a lot were a tad short), so then i had to square up all 80 blocks to 8 3/4". after posting cries of frustration to the discussion board for the elizabeth hartman flickr group, i concluded that i wasn't using a "scant" 1/4" seam allowance. (hartman personally responded to my inquiry in the discussion thread, which i greatly appreciated).

i spent a few hours laying all the blocks out for the final design. it about drove me crazy trying to come up with the most visually-appealing layout (and trying not to repeat the fabric motifs in the horizontal and vertical rows). i never realize the extent of my obsessive/perfectionist tendencies until i do something such as this.

at that point i was finally able to sew the blocks into rows, and then all the rows together to complete the quilt top. phew!

i made the quilt back a few weeks later, since i had to wait on my fabric order. i found a couple of coordinating lizzy house prints from one of her other lines:

(i didn't get a picture of the quilt back before i gave it to carrie, but this is one of the fabrics i used)

rather than basting + quilting carrie's quilt, i decided to start on courtney's quilt top. it was mid-december at that point, and i was kinda thinking that there was NO WAY i'd be able to finish both in time for christmas. i figured i'd rather have 2 incomplete things on christmas day rather than having 1 fully-realized blanket for carrie and nothing for courtney. (spoiler alert: i got them both finished!)

basting on my kitchen floor went well (although i realized that i don't have the room for anything much larger than twin-sized). for the quilting, i went with straight, outline quilting around all the blocks, and i was able to complete it over the course of an entire day. thank goodness i had the entire week off work, otherwise i would not have finished. i used kona eggplant for the binding.

i was a little apprehensive about washing it, since i had some dark purple fabrics and i hadn't pre-washed the fabric. i scoured the 'net for advice, and washed it cold, gentle cycle with shout color catchers AND a splash of vinegar. probably a little overboard, but it turned out ok.

carrie was speechless when she opened it on christmas, so i take that as a good sign?

the panda quilts: #3: snickerdoodle quilt

2012-01-02T19:59:00.000-06:00

another dear friend of mine is expecting her second baby (due sometime in the next couple of weeks), so i started planning/working on this quilt as soon as i finished holden's quilt. since i had so much success with the 4 1/2" patchwork squares, i decided to do the same sort of thing for this one. i had fun picking out the fabrics, and my inspiration came from a few random sources:

i saw this picture and immediately fell in love with the color palette (knitting pattern can be found here). i thought it would be a nice and unisex for the so-called "baby snickerdoodle", since mom & dad didn't find out the sex. i promptly ordered a few kona solids that looked similar (seafoam, apricot, lake and medium gray). i also wanted to include some fabrics from the adorable little apples line from aneela hoey; in particular, the little turtles. while visiting my friend over the summer in florence, al, she showed me all the turtles that stayed around their creek. finally, i picked up a few miscellaneous fabrics at bolt fabric shop in portland, or.

this japanese one killed me - Megumi Sakakibara's doodles are so so cute.

with all the fabric in place, i cut out a bunch of 4 1/2" squares. at first, i thought i'd just do random placing like holden's quilt. then, i had a vision: group the gray print with the gray solid, the blue print with the blue solid, and so forth. (this idea literally popped into my head while trying to fall asleep one night). i scrapped the seafoam green altogether.

when i laid out the squares, i was so excited to see it shaping up.

for the quilting, i followed the shape of the rectangles and spaced the lines accordingly. i used a disappearing pen to mark the lines so that they'd end up straight, and a tiny orange/white gingham for the binding. after the baby arrives, i will let you know if it's a boy or a girl!

the panda quilts: #2: holden baby quilt

2011-11-13T11:09:00.002-06:00

while i was hard at work on my first quilt, my mind was already churning about what to make next. a very dear friend was expecting a baby (due in november), and that seemed like a perfect project (and i liked having a pretty firm deadline in mind). i had the discipline not to start working on quilt #2 until #1 was 100% complete, but in the meantime, i picked out fabrics.

i had a whole yard of a lisa dejohn animal print fabric (same one i used for my first zipper pouch) and i knew i wanted to incorporate that...those darn animals with their little cute eyes! i knew my friend had chosen light green, yellow and chocolate brown baby bedding, so....i wanted to try to incorporate that as well. when i went to the fabric store, i ended up picking up some lime green (!) and orange (!) filler fabrics. on paper, sounds like a crazy mish-mash, but they all blended together really well.

i like the looks of those simply-designed patchwork square quilts, so i cut 108- 4 1/2" squares from my seven different fabrics. the sewing of the squares and rows went very smoothly and went a lot faster than i imagined. (side note: since i worked on quilt #1 over a 3 month period, i was surprised when this whole top came together in an afternoon). the final thing ended up with 11 rows with 9 blocks & the finished size was about 36x44.

i made the back out of some leftover squares & yellow and green solids, but it looked awful. field trip to textile, where i purchased kona natural fabric & a tiny orange checkerboard print (and a chocolate brown for the binding).

i opted for horizontal straight line quilting again. when it was complete, i washed it and sent it away to california! baby holden arrived on october 28, and i have a secret hope that this quilt will be his lifelong blankie.

the panda quilts: #1: sampler quilt + quilting 101 summary

2011-11-12T22:26:00.002-06:00

several months have passed & i realized i never wrote about my quilting 101 experience. i began the class back in may as a total quilting virgin. while i had learned the basics of sewing during my spring sewing 101 session, i went into this class not knowing a single thing about quilts (and up until this point, i had it in my head that they were granny-ish and meant for country cabins). boy, was i wrong.

during the 6-week course, we learned about piecing, quilting techniques and block designs.
we learned how to make at least 9 different blocks which would be used to make a sampler quilt. every week, alexia taught us a new block or two, and we'd usually have to work on them independently at home throughout the week.

the initial stack of fabrics i chose to work with grew during this time - i envisioned yellow & turquoise as the predominant colors - and it was interesting to see how that evolved to include more browns. it was neat figuring out which fabric(s) would go best in which block - keeping in mind alexia's hints about scale, color and value - in order to create a nice visual harmony.

each week i grew more an more confident with my sewing machine and my fabric-cutting abilities. i checked out quilting books at the library and learned more about the history of the craft. i started reading more quilting blogs and buying more and more and more fabric. i didn't quite realize it at the time, but i was becoming obsessed.

when the class series ended, we chose a date several weeks away to reconvene. our goal was to have all of our blocks sewn together with the sashing and border- basically, complete the whole quilt top. at this point, i laid out a few different alternatives before i settled on this, which has similar blocks at opposing ends (a slight method to the madness):

it was crazy to see how it all came together. as i sewed the sashing, i realized the importance of PINNING, PINNING and PINNING!

quilt top, complete!

when our group got together in august, we basted our quilt sandwiches (top, batting layer, and back) and learned about the different quilting methods (hand sewing, tying, machine quilting). and that was that! we said our goodbyes and were now left to quilt the quilt on our own.

i was so scared to actually start quilting. i was afraid i'd botch it somehow and end up ruining all my hard work. but, i had a goal in mind: textile fabrics wanted to do a display window filled with alexia's students' work, and she invited me to participate. i had about a month to finish it up. i was honored to be asked & i couldn't pass up this opportunity.

i practiced a little bit, then opted for a simple horizontal straight-line quilting pattern using a light blue gutterman thread. because my quilt was kinda big (i don't know the exact dimensions, but it grew from having 9-blocks to 16), it was really hard to maneuver - very heavy and awkward. as time went on, i got more comfortable. it took awhile - several days of sewing for several hours, but finally, i finished. next up - binding! making and sewing the binding on was easier and faster than i expected it to be. i chose a turquoise fabric with a very subtle print.

quilt back - nicey jane hop dot in 2 colors

THE QUILT

i dropped my quilt off to alexia the next day, and a few days later, it was in the window!

at the start of 2011, i didn't know the first thing about sewing. it blows my mind that half a year later, I MADE A QUILT. i guess that's the thing about having a passion. you spend all your spare time learning, practicing and thinking about that thing. figuring out ways to improve and make your own mark. i feel very fortunate that i found something i love doing so much.

if you're interested in taking one of alexia's classes, learn more HERE or email her: stitchnashville@yahoo.com

some of the fabrics i used in this quilt:

joel dewberry deer valley - floral drop in barnwood
joel dewberry modern meadow - herringbone in pond
denyse schmidt DS quilt collection for fabric traditions / joann
studio e - brooke by cp designs (biding)
heather bailey - nicey jane hop dot in sky and cream (backing & sashing fabric)
eleanor grosch - zoo menagerie - geometric green
spring street by carolyn gavin - raindrops in blue
innocent crush by anna maria horner - bubble burst in turqoise
dena designs - kumari garden sashi blue
atelier akiko - tiny dot chocolate
alexander henry - april showers

mary blair exhibit at disneyland

2011-09-02T22:50:00.002-05:00

scotland concept art for 'it's a small world'

i've had an affinity for mary blair ever since i stumbled upon her work years ago (as documented here...sheesh, can't believe i've had this blog for 4+ years!) i've acquired a few books (glad i picked up "the art and flair of mary blair" before it went out of print...), but i've come to realize that her stuff is kind of hard to come by. i know she has some fans out there, but i don't know if she gets all the acknowledgment and credit she deserves. anyway, about a week before my trip to california, i randomly googled "mary blair exhibit" and was ecstatic to learn they were showing tons of original works at the disneyland gallery (in the past, art galleries in tokyo and san francisco have hosted some of her art). i was kinda already hoping to spend my birthday at disneyland, and learning this sealed the deal for me. side note: an old grade-school friend of mine hooked us up with FREE disneyland passes. we were blown away, and her gesture helped save us the almost-$200 admission fee.

the last time i had been to disneyland was 1987. i had no idea if i would feel the magic and excitement that i felt as a 10-year-old, but when the shuttle pulled up to the gate i got a little misty-eyed. when you walk through the front gate, you're thrust into main street, which is lined with shops, restaurants, more shops and more restaurants. the disney gallery was our first stop (and the highlight of the day). i never imagined i'd get to see those paintings and drawings in person, and i felt the same way i felt when i first saw works by picasso and miro and klee in "real" art galleries...such a different experience than seeing something in a book (or online). it was amazing. there were works from 'alice in wonderland' and 'cinderella', but most of the gallery focused on the concept paintings and drawings from 'it's a small world'.

'cinderella' sketch. i love the deep turquoise color....

on our way out of the park, we stopped by the gallery's gift shop where i picked up some plates and mugs and ordered some prints from a little kiosk (which was super convenient, since they shipped them to our house and we didn't have to schlep them back to tennessee). basically i spent all the money i would've spent on admission at that shop. a perfect birthday, for sure.

the panda sews: another a-line skirt

2011-07-23T12:39:00.000-05:00

making a second skirt has been on my to-do list for awhile now (ever since i made the first one, in fact). but then i started my quilting 101 class and all other projects fell by the wayside. i even had the fabric (one of the denyse schmidt joann prints) pre-washed & cut & ready-to-sew for several weeks.

fabric close-up (ds quilts collection in "picnic")

last weekend i finished up my quilt top (one big round-up post documenting the whole process will follow in a few weeks, although i've excitedly shown a few people a sneak-peak picture i snapped on my iphone). i had some free time last night so i finally got around to making the skirt. enough time has passed that i barely remembered what we did in class, so i was glad i ordered the official amy butler pattern & had the instructions to guide me. i installed the invistible zipper on the outer fabric without a hitch, but my trouble came when i had to attach this whole part to the lining. but, it's done. because of the length (a few inches longer than the first one i did) & the weight of the fabric & lining, it almost feels more like a fall skirt - almost a bit too heavy for these near-100-degree days.

mango salsa black beans with quinoa

2011-07-14T21:18:00.003-05:00

mango salsa black beans with quinoa

(2 servings)

ingredients:

1 15-oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup of "refrigerator"/ fresh salsa of your choice (i used chachi's mango salsa & some Mrs Renfro's Hot Habanero salsa)

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (i used 1/4 cup red, 1/4 cup regular)

directions:

1) place your black beans in a small sauce pan. add your salsa. cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes.

2) meanwhile, cook your quinoa: in a small saucepan, add 1 cup water, 1/2 cup quinoa and a dash of salt. bring to a boil. lower heat & cover. simmer for 15 minutes. when all the water has been absorbed, fluff with a fork.

3) to serve: put quinoa in a bowl. top with black beans.

topping ideas: tortilla chips, avocado, cheddar cheese, sour cream, etc.

the panda sews (and sells!): an apron

2011-06-09T18:48:00.000-05:00

i had an impromptu yard sale last weekend & wore one of my homemade aprons to stash all the cash. a neighbor lady inquired about it, and she ended up custom-ordering one from me! i greatly undervalued/undersold it/my time, but i was so flattered that i didn't even care. she wanted longer wrap-around straps & 2 pockets. i completed it minutes ago, and just rode my bike up the street to hand-deliver my very first sewing sell!
i am still getting all my ducks in a row in order to set up an etsy shop, and i will be sure to keep you posted when this idea actually comes to fruition.

saturday morning blueberry muffins recipe

2011-05-21T12:22:00.000-05:00

saturday morning blueberry muffins with crumble top
makes: 10 muffins

ingredients (muffins):
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

ingredients (crumble topping):
3 TBS flour
3 TBS brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 TBS butter

directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease your muffin tin, or line with baking cups.
combine all the dry ingredients & make a well in the center
combine egg, milk and oil in a separate bowl. add to the dry ingredients & stir just until moistened - the batter will be a little lumpy.
gently fold in the blueberries
to make crumble top: combine the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter until it turns into coarse crumbs.
spoon batter into muffin tin (i made filled 10 tins, but i'm sure you can stretch it out to a full dozen if you're less generous when filling the cups). sprinkle crumble topping on each of the muffins.
bake for 18-20 minutes, or til a toothpick comes out clean.

the panda sews: free as a bird tote

2011-05-15T18:42:00.000-05:00

i spotted the fabric that heather moore designed for cloud9 fabrics on a few sewing/fabric websites and instantly fell in love. in an effort to keep my fabric purchases at bay, i held off purchasing some, although "free as a bird" was tempting me every time i trolled for fabric online. i was surprised to see it for sale on fabric.com, and since i ~~needed~~ wanted to order the amy butler barcelona skirt pattern, i went ahead and picked up a yard. I LOVE IT. i knew it would pair great with some dark grey linen i got at hancock, so today i made tote bag, using the same lotta pattern i used for the mushroom tote.

note: when i made the mushroom tote, i had a hard time sewing the straps onto the bag. lotta says to attach them by sewing a rectangle - i did such a piss poor job on that thing, so i ripped up my initial stitches and re-did them {exercising more patience this time around}... it looks TONS better. all that to say: when it came time to sew the handles onto this bag, i felt much more confident.

another note: i plan on buying some more of this fabric ASAP - i think it would make a lovely skirt!

the panda sews: a bicycle tool bag

2011-05-15T14:22:00.000-05:00

the mister has a road bike & has been doing some distance rides (anywhere from 12-18 miles). he wanted/needed a tool bag to roll up & stash extra tubes, a pump, cell phone, etc. (and after he got a flat tire a few weeks ago & had to walk a bit in order to find a phone to call me, the tool bag became an absolute necessity). he found something he liked online and asked if i could try to sew him something like it. so with this as my guide, i made him this bag (for a fraction of the cost). he picked out a sturdy railroad fabric & i went to work. it has three bigger pockets that have some "room"/dimension to them, and two small, flat pockets. i also added a d-ring belt to tie everything together when it's all rolled up. i was kinda scared to delve into this, because it's been the first thing i've tried fully on my own without the assistance of a pattern or directions. but it came together quite nicely and he's pretty happy with it (or so he says).

EDIT 9/2/2011: went back and re-read this - had a laugh that i noted the mister's long-distance rides were anywhere between 12-18 miles. since then, his riding skills have VASTLY improved and he averages 40-60 miles per day and he's also completed a century).

the panda sews: an a-line skirt

2011-05-07T23:22:00.001-05:00

the final installment of my sewing class was held today. i went in with 1 1/4 yards of fabric and a zipper, and five hours later, i left with a skirt. it boggles my mind that i was able to make something i could actually wear. dare i say, it's better quality than the clothes at old navy (though that's probably not saying very much). we followed the amy butler barcelona a-line skirt pattern, and i chose a joel dewberry fabric called "floral fields" for my main fabric. i made a trim at the bottom, since i didn't really want to hem the bottom up (i didn't want the finished skirt to be any shorter). yippppeeee! i definitely plan on making another skirt or two in the near future...

don't my knee caps look funny?

the panda sews: a chicken apron

2011-05-05T21:43:00.000-05:00

my sister carrie has chickens & she loves the heck out of them, so as an early mother's day gift, i made her a chicken apron, using fabric from alexander henry's farmdale collection (i love the way the 'crosshatch sage' partners with the chickens! you can find it all over the 'net, but i was also surprised to see it at joann). i reinforced the pockets with some decor bond fusible interfacing, figuring she could fill them with chicken snacks.

she's a fantastic mother to humans and chickens (and dogs and rabbits) and the most positively influential older sister a person could imagine. i've never known anyone with a bigger heart. happy mother's day, carrie!i love you!

the panda sews: a sailor zipper pouch

2011-05-03T22:16:00.000-05:00

i was really quite smitten with this sailor boy fabric i picked up at textile (it can also be found online at superbuzzy, which is my favorite place for all those cute japanese prints). those lil' sailors are just so cute and tiny, with their miniature flags and sailboats and anchors. since i only bought 1/4 yard and i wanted a quick-ish project to work on tonight, i decided to go with a zipper pouch. i lined it with a navy-with-white-polka-dot fabric i got at hancock fabrics. the final bag ended up around 10" x 7", so now i just have to figure out what i'm going to use it for.

the panda sews: a mushroom totebag

2011-05-01T22:13:00.001-05:00

i wanted to try something out from my lotta jansdotter's simple sewing book, so i made another tote bag. i used the same natural-colored linen from the raindrop tote & a mushroom fabric i picked up at jo-ann. i'm not 100% happy with how this one turned out - the tote isn't lined (nor does it require interfacing for added stability), so it doesn't feel as strong as some of the other stuff i've made. and her method of sewing on the straps left some unsightly stitches (although this is totally my own fault. it definitely would've helped if i had used a green thread to match the fabric rather than the white). i'll probably end up adding some sort of trim or ribbon to cover it up. all in all, i had more success with this tote bag method.

on a side note, i found a crazy-good rowenta professional iron at the goodwill for $6.99 (refurbished/used ones still sell for $75), so that was a total score! way better than my previous iron.

edit: a few weeks after i made this, i pulled out my "unsightly stitches" and re-did it. i am now officially 100% happy with the results.

the panda sews: linen tote bag w/ appliques

2011-04-29T19:25:00.004-05:00

class was canceled AGAIN last saturday, so i've been doing quite a bit of home sewing over the past few weeks. i made a few aprons and have toyed with the idea of opening up an etsy shop. in my "ideal fantasy" world, this would give me some extra funds i could use toward fabric-buying (wait, i guess in my ideal fantasy, i'd already have enough money to buy tons and tons of fabric...and i'd live on a beach.) but it's still an idea at this point - i'd like to get a bit of an inventory built up- so stay tuned for updates. i guess i want to make sure i'm 100% satisfied with my product.

i wanted to work on something else yesterday, and this tutorial really caught my eye (linen! little raindrops!) plus it would give me a chance to learn a few new things (sewing with linen & making appliques).

notes:

this is one of the best tutorials i've ever seen online - helpful pictures, easy-to-follow directions, etc.
seriously, be patient sewing the appliques, esp. the tiny raindrops. i used the hand-crank (she offers this advice in a different tutorial : When sewing around smaller, tighter curves or circles: I sew these in a very slow and methodical way, sometimes just a stitch or two at a time if necessary. I’ll sew one or two stitches, then, with the needle in the down position, lift up the presser foot, turn the fabric slightly, then put the presser foot back down and go another stitch or two. Sometimes I’ll even just use the hand wheel on the side of the machine to move the needle to avoid accidentally shooting ahead a few stitches with the foot pedal. I’ll repeat this process typically for just the tightest part of the curve, and get back to a normal speed whenever I can.
full disclosure: the brown cloud is actually covering up my first botched applique attempt. same with the lightest-colored raindrop. i was able to create slightly bigger versions and go over my 'mistakes'. i tried hand-sewing them too, but it looked too sloppy.
i love the look of natural-colored linen, but it sure is wrinkly.
i can't hear the word "applique" without thinking of this song. "designer jeans with appliques on it"

edit: i added a trim to the top. here's what it looks like now:

the panda sews: a big tote bag

2011-04-19T10:40:00.000-05:00

when last we met, i had begun work on a tote bag in my sewing class. the next class ended up being postponed because the air conditioner wasn't working (and on an 85 degree day in a 2nd floor old house, you really need A/C...) but we were back on track on the 16th and i finished up the bag:

i chose a deep purple, floral fabric (to counteract all that cute animal stuff i'd been using, i suppose). it's lined in aqua and has 2 big pockets, with some little pockets sewn onto the big ones (see photo below). the bag could be reversible, but i sewed down the corners (much like i did for the produce bag) to add some depth. all and all, i'm very pleased with it.


"inside" of the bag

i've also been making some more wallets. i did a cute tree one for my good ol' buddy liz (didn't snap a picture)...and this rooster one:

my fabric stash is getting slightly out of hand:

our final class is the 23rd...skirt! in the meantime, i need to figure out if i'm going to take sewing 102 or quilting 101...

the panda sews: zipper pouches

2011-04-02T20:25:00.000-05:00

during last week's class, we made a zipper pouch. i used an awesome animal print (tiger! octopus! chicken! elephant! they have eyelashes & they're all hanging out on the same fabric!) and lined it with a brown w/ white polka-dot print. i felt really discombobulated and out-of-sorts during class, and ended up messing up my zipper piece 3 times (we sew a little piece of fabric to the ends of the zipper) AND i measured the fabric wrong for my size zipper. my zipper foot for the machine was a little wonky, so that played a (small) part in my error(s), but 99% of it was my fault. and when i finally finished it, i realized i had sewn the fabric too close to the zipper and it didn't zip all the way open. boo. definitely not my proudest day. (side note: the next day, i got a migraine, so at least there was a reason i felt like a pyschopath).

l-r: carrie, courtney, katie. zipper pouches for sisters three!

i decided to not let the day's failures prevent me from trying again, so i made 2 more pouches for my sisters. everything went swimmingly. the purple spotted fabric is carrie's (i lined it with a solid plum purple) and the panda/pig one is courtney's (lined with brown w/ white polka dots). everything went really well making those two, so i decided to re-do my own animal pouch. more trouble! (i'm beginning to think that fabric is cursed, but then again, it was 1am at that point). i finally wound up with something i'm proud of.

last night, my pal/classmate julia & i wanted some more practice before today's class, so after eating and playing some ms pac man at her house (they have many arcade video game machines!!!), i made this for my mother-in-law. it's lined with plain navy blue & has a grey zipper:

today's class was spent measuring out all the fabric for a tote bag, which we'll complete next week...

how we make our sauerkraut

2011-03-20T22:23:00.000-05:00

i've mentioned the mister's homemade sauerkraut when i made reubens and piroshkis. i've also devoted countless facebook statuses to the stuff. so you may be wondering, "what's the big deal with sauerkraut?"

i had it in my head that i didn't like it (stemming from many unreasonable fears & general disgust for a great number of now-awesome (to me) foods (like rye bread, bananas, and sauerkraut). yet i used to eat mcdonald's happy meals and hot dogs. go figure.

just before christmas 2009, the mister started doing intense research (as he tends to do) on sauerkraut and the vessels used to make it at home. mrs. claus brought him a harsch stoneware crock for xmas (she ordered it from this website - based out of alabama and very reasonable shipping rates for such a heavy item). since then, we've tried to keep a batch going at all times, although we experience some down time when he goes on tour. and then i have to buy bubbie's or boar's head just to get my fix.

so the mister made the very first batch, but it didn't really like it. i'm not even sure if i remember the first time sauerkraut really clicked for me, but i think it may have been triggered by a seitan reuben i had in chicago last spring. and now, i can't get enough. i like to eat it with mashed potatoes and kale (a la colcannon)...but it is also great all by itself. it gives me energy and makes me feel clean.

so what goes into making our kraut? (the mister used to be the sole kraut-maker, but i've helped out the last two times. so now i think it's safe to say we're co-kraut conspirators).

cabbage procurement (usually 6-8 heads). ideally, we'd get locally grown / organic (or in a perfect world, we'd grow our own), but most of it has come from the grocery store. reserve a few of the big outer leaves to put between the mashed cabbage & weight stones.

29 cents a lb at publix. we couldn't pass that up.

clean it WELL, then cut the core out.

i shred/cut, while the mister salts (roughly 3 TBS per 5 lbs of cabbage) and mashes it down. (they do make cabbage-specific mandolins (and we own one), but usage resulted in a near decapitated fingertip (they recommend wearing kevlar gloves) and it doesn't cut the cabbage as thin/consistent as we'd like).

the wooden cabbage tamper (also purchased from the wisemen trading company) is a very useful tool. prior to buying it, the mister used a standard mashed potato masher.

basically, you mash the ever-loving stuff out of the shredded cabbage in order to draw the liquid/water out (the salt also assists in this process). put the saved outer leaves on top. then you place the weights on top of everything. after the weights go on, you need the water level to be at least 3cm above the stone. Push everything down with the tamper, using all your might.

put the lid on (making sure the "lip" of the lid constantly has water to keep a tight seal), then wait 3-6 weeks (depending on the season/weather/temperature of the house).

not our photo. i wish we could make the lid levitate like that though.

and that's it! (let me just say that the cleaning/cutting/mashing is at least a 2-hour process (with both of us working. solo, it used to take him 3-ish hours). your hands cramp up and your muscles hurt. but it is oh so worth it.
Still need some convincing? Check out some info i found here:

Specific Health Benefits

Sauerkraut as immune booster
One of the not so secret benefits of sauerkraut is the boost it gives to immune systems. Packed with vitamins andminerals, sauerkraut has been used as a lay immune booster for centuries.Sauerkraut contains phytochemicals which are created during the fermentation process. These naturally occurring, beneficial by products of sauerkraut help boost the immune system which leads to a decrease in a number of health problems. The common cold, skin problems, weight gain and tainted blood are all fixed by a healthy functioning immune system.
Sauerkraut as cancer fighter
The most recent evidence of sauerkraut's status as a Superfood is found in numerous studies on the cruciferous wonder's cancer fighting properties. The results of a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry concluded that sauerkraut is a cancer inhibitor. The study discovered that the fermentation of cabbage produced a substance called isothiocynates, which prevents cancer growth, particularly in the breast, colon, lung and liver. Although raw cabbage is normally rich in a compound called glucosinolate, the researchers found that during the fermentation process enzymes are released that completely decompose the compound into several breakdown products. The majority of these products are cancer-fighting isothiocyanates. The University of New Mexico published a study linking sauerkraut consumption by adolescent females to a reduced risk for breast cancer earlier studies indicate sauerkraut may reduce the risk for other forms of cancer including lung, colon, prostate, and liver We are finding that fermented cabbage could be healthier than raw or cooked cabbage, especially for fighting cancer, says Eeva-Liisa Ryhanen, Ph.D., research manager of MTT Agrifood Research Finland, located in Jokioinen, Finland. A recent study by the American Center for Cancer Research has found that sauerkraut has a profound effect in preventing and healing breast cancer. Based on reports that breast cancer rates amongst polish women in the United States were much higher than those in Poland researchers set out to find out why. Their answer; the women who still lived in Poland ate significantly larger amounts of sauerkraut especially important while they were in adolescence. The research found that the women who immigrated Americanized' their diets and stopped eating as much of the super food that is sauerkraut thus increasing their rates of breast cancer.
Digestive Aid
Eating sauerkraut is a great way to protect the balance of bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. Sauerkraut is one of the few foods that contain the bacterium Lactobacilli plantarum. L. planatarum is a very dominant strain of healthful bacteria which helps your digestive system in the following ways: boost the immune system by increasing antibodies that fight infectious disease help inhibit pathogenic organisms including E.coli, salmonella and unhealthy overgrowth of candida (yeast) create antioxidants (glutathione and superoxide dismustase) that scavenge free radicals which are a cancer precursor transforms hard-to-digest lactose from milk to the more easily digested lactic acid. It neutralizes the antinutrients found in many foods including the phytic acid found in all grains and the trypsin-inhibitors in soy generates new nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, digestive aids and the trace mineral GTF chromium. These various properties are the best scientific reasons given for what has been known by loyal users for millennia, sauerkraut cures an upset stomach and is the best natural physic there is. Many sources say raw fermented foods are beneficial to the digestive system by increasing the healthy flora in the intestinal tract or creating the type of environment for them to flourish. Sauerkraut and its juice are traditional folk remedies for constipation. Fermentation actually increases nutrient values in the cabbage, especially vitamin C. Fermented foods are also said to facilitate the breakdown and assimilation of proteins. They have a soothing effect on the nervous system. The benefits of sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice have been recognized for generations. In some families of southern Germany, the children are fed raw sauerkraut twice weekly to support their intestines. Today it is thought that these benefits may relate to a high proportion of lactic acid in sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice that naturally supports the digestive processes, maintain intestinal flora, and increase the feeling of well-being.
Flu Fighter
With the spread of Avian Flu spreading across the globe, one enterprising Korean scientist, Kang Sa-Ouk of Seoul National University, took 13 chickens infected with avian flu virus and a couple of other diseases, fed them Kim chi extract and found that 11 of the birds recovered. Experts think the vital bacteria are created during the fermenting process and this gives the dish its health-boosting qualities.

the panda sews: fabric produce bag

2011-03-19T22:37:00.000-05:00

week 3's sewing class was canceled today, so i went to the franklin farmer's market & brunch with a pal, did a little shopping (bought nothing), and hung out with big sis carrie and nephew elliott (went to e's baseball practice & indian food for dinner...no complaints there! perfect way to spend this lovely-weathered day).

i don't want to lose what (little) sewing chops i have, so i decided to tackle a new project (rather than falling back on the two things i already know how to do: folding wallet & pillow). i found this pretty easy & free .pdf pattern for a fabric produce bag, so i grabbed my least favorite fabric from my stash (in case i messed up) and one hour later churned out this:

now that me and my sewing machine are on a somewhat friendly basis, i think my next hurdle will be reading/understanding patterns. it's easier for me to have a human show me what to do rather than deciphering pattern directions (i'm totally owning up to this being my own fault/problem, and it has nothing to do with the pattern-makers themselves). it takes me a second (or ten) to get it. and when i finally do, i think, "duh, katie!" it was neat to try out a bag with depth and handles. and now i can add this to the ever-growing list of "things i can make." but i am certainly looking forward to a human lesson next week.

(yet another) vegan banana bread recipe

2011-03-15T11:40:00.000-05:00

does your banana bread always result from spotting those near-black bananas on your countertop? mine always does.

{katie's} (yet another) vegan banana bread
makes: one 9x5 loaf

ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
3 ripe, mashed-up, medium-sized bananas
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup (4 oz) applesauce (4 oz. = one of those small individual serving cups)
1 TBS ground flax seed, mixed with 3 TBS water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees. spray 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray
mix (well): sugar, oil, mashed bananas, milk, applesauce and flax mixture in a large bowl.
combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl (flour, soda, salt, cinnamon).
add the dry to the wet and stir only until blended.
fold in the walnuts and coconut
spoon batter into the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes.

the panda sews: pillows part 2 and wallets

2011-03-13T21:53:00.002-05:00

wow, it really has been about a year since i sewed my first pillows. since then, my sewing machine has been sad and lonely, and every once in awhile i'd glance at it and wonder when i'd feel comfortable touching it again. when i learned about STITCH classes (taught by alexia abegg in a studio above local honey on belmont blvd), it seemed like the perfect (and affordable) thing to get me (back?) into sewing. i am currently enrolled in sewing 101, and with 2 classes under my belt, i have a newfound enthusiasm. all i can think about is sewing and fabric. i can't remember the last time i had such fervor for a creative art. and it feels so nice!

the night before the first class, i (tried to) reacquaint myself with my sewing machine. but it was like running into someone you've only talked to once, then you see them again and you're forced to make (awkward) conversation. it was uncomfortable and i treaded very lightly around the threading mechanism.

during the first class, i was still a little nervous, but in the end, i walked out with a little (lopsided) pincushion. i practiced some more the next day (after a trip to hancock fabric in murfreesboro, where once again i had to sort through 90% crap to find the 10% awesome that store has to offer).

friday night i made this pillow (this is a good tutorial), and after doing so, i felt WAY more confident on my sewing machine.

we made wallets during saturday's class, and i was excited to use this super adorable bear fabric i bought at textile fabrics (unlike hancock, textile is 90% awesome and i have a hard time restraining myself).

tonight, i used this strange fabric (butcher & the baker!) to make the mister a wallet:

next week, zipper pouches. then a tote bag & an a-line skirt. huzzah!

crispy fried plantains

2011-03-11T15:04:00.000-06:00

i think there's 2 kinds of cooks out there: those who plan out meals, print out recipes, and scour cookbooks (that's me). and the other type throws meals together on a whim, based on what's on hand in the fridge and pantry (that's the mister). i have to admire his ability to spice things just right, and he really is an ace at indian food and "asian"-ish noodles (made with tofu & whatever veggies we have in the fridge).

the other night, i remarked that the plantain was about to go bad, and he immediately said, "you know what would be good..." and before i knew it, he was crunching up corn flakes and we ended up with these guys:

my only input was suggesting that he needed a liquid before "dredging" the plantain in the coating.

crispy fried plantains
serves 2. good for snacking or dessert

ingredients:
1 plantain
coconut oil
coconut milk creamer (or coconut milk...or almond milk)
crushed up corn flakes
a few dashes of ground ginger
a few dashes of cayenne pepper
a little bit of brown sugar
honey, for drizzling

directions:
peel the plantain and cut into small discs. crush up the corn flakes in a small bowl, and mix in your spices and sugar. pour a little coconut milk creamer in a separate dish. melt a bit of coconut oil in a nonstick pan. then create a little assembly line: dunk each piece in the creamer, cover with the corn flakes, and place in the frying pan. flip the pieces after each side gets brown and crispy, and drizzle with honey.

the recipe-follower in me apologizes for the vagueness of this recipe (i.e.: "a little bit of this..."), but since this was just thrown together on a whim (mainly by someone else), i did the best i could!

steel cut oats - rice cooker recipe (vegan)

2011-03-03T10:23:00.000-06:00

ever since i've discovered my love for steel cut oats, my rice cooker has (almost) been granted permanent space on the countertop (i think the stand mixer and food processor are a bit jealous, actually). i tried making them in the crock pot overnight and wound up with a burnt, sticky mess (and no breakfast) the next morning. next, i tried using my 3-cup rice cooker and discovered a fool-proof (and fast) way that gives me perfect oats every time. we found this rice cooker on closeout at kroger years ago for $4 and couldn't be happier with it.

rice cooker steel cut oats recipe (vegan)
makes 2-3 servings

ingredients:
2/3 cup steel cut oats (this kind can be found at trader joe's & it's cheaper than mccann's)
2/3 cup almond milk
1 cup water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash salt
dash vanilla extract
3 tsp pure maple syrup
3 tsp ground flax seed meal (optional)

directions:
combine/stir all the ingredients in the rice cooker and set to "cook". it'll take about 20-25 minutes.
stir and top with your favorite toppings (i like a little more syrup, a little earth balance, and some dried fruit or fresh blueberries).

english muffins v 2.0

2011-03-01T15:28:00.001-06:00

the mister's missed out on a lot of rad food (pizza, english muffins) being out on tour (although he's had some culinary adventures of his own), so now that he's home, i made some more english muffins. he requested some non-vegan ones (these are made with buttermilk), and i thought this recipe on tastespotting looked good, so i went with that.

followed the recipe as-is, except i used a cast iron skillet rather than a griddle for 'cooking' the muffins. i took her advice and weighed the dough with a kitchen scale - it gave me 6 uniformly-sized pieces (i had a problem with that with the vegan muffins...some were too thick, some were too thin. it seems easy enough to eyeball it, but weighing is the way to go if you want conformity). these are VERY easy to make & i highly recommend it, especially if you're looking for an easy yeast-based thing to try. just make sure to account for all the rise time when you start it (60-90 minutes for dough {mine took more like 90-120 min...house was a little chilly} / another hour before baking them). so it's a good activity if you've played hooky from work.

verdict:
taste: vegan vs these: tie
texture/consistency: these guys

says the mister: "the best english muffin i've ever had".

the great bedroom furniture re-arranging of 2011

2011-02-28T17:50:00.000-06:00

our bedroom furniture has been in the exact same place ever since we moved here in 2005. we felt a little constrained by the air vent & tv cable placement. last week we got an ikea expedit bookcase for the living room (record storage!) so we did a little switcheroo in that room. the yellow painted glass-door cabinet was temporarily moved into the bedroom. then i started thinking about moving the bed to the wall with the windows, and a quick measurement proved that our queen-sized bed would fit (and it wouldn't block the air vent). and the tv could move walls because we downgraded our cable package and got rid of the receiver in the bedroom.

of course, i decide to do all of this furniture moving 1) at 10 pm 2) when the mister is out of town. i guess adrenaline kicked in, and i have bruises all over my legs and a backache to prove it. we had discussed making the painted yellow cabinet our living room entertainment center, so i moved that back into the living room, unhooked all the tv stuff, and tried it out. it was way too tall, so back into the bedroom it went. i also had to remove all the books from my bookcase in order to move it. and all of the mister's books too.

the bed used to be on this wall

then the dresser with the tv lost one of the wheels/casters, and that brought my HGTV-inspired decorating dreams to a halt. our dressers are part of my great uncle's furniture set and are probably about 70 years old. we no longer use the headboard because it's full size, but we do still have the 2 dressers and nightstand. seems like years of moving from dorm room to apartment to duplex and back again {coupled with the extremely heavy tv on top} finally took it's toll on the poor old thing. anyway, at this point, it was around 1 am so i finished up what i could, took a benedryl (thanks, dust!) and went to bed. it was strange falling asleep facing a different direction (and my mind couldn't stop racing with what i could do to fix the dresser situation).

this morning, i measured the caster and figured that a cinder block was the PERFECT size to use on the wonky dresser. yay! so i finished the final piece of my decorating puzzle (and went to target and got a new brown hamper to take the place of our silly plastic ikea one).

i plan on hanging up some more art eventually (especially on the wall below) and probably re-doing some of the knick-knacks, but i feel pretty happy with it.

i am a little concerned that the yellow painted cabinet + the quilt look a little shabby chic/country cottage (barf!!!)...opinions? it doesn't seem that way in person, but in the photos it kinda does.

i also would like to re-paint the room soon. when we painted a few years ago, it was so much better than the original puke-green color that i failed to realize the color is kind of baby-boy-nursery-blue.

sorry i don't have any "before" pictures.

pineapple cookies (vegan recipe)

2011-02-25T18:22:00.002-06:00

i bought one of those grocery store pre-cored (sounds like an emo-based music genre) pineapples and didn't know what to do with it. i didn't want to make muffins since i'm still polishing off some scones and don't need another breakfast bread around. i was going to make some sort of pineapple fried rice dish, but i've cooked a few different dinners for myself this week and still need to eat those leftovers (i've been cooking regular-sized recipes for my (temporarily) single self, so that means a lot of extra food!)
i decided on cookies. i browsed around the net and came up with my own concoction based on approx 10 different recipes.

vegan pineapple cookies
makes: about 30 cookies

ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick/8 TBS) earth balance shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup pineapple, crushed

directions:
-preheat the oven to 350. line baking sheets with parchment paper
-cream the shortening and sugar together in a stand mixer. (my shortening came straight from the fridge, so it took several minutes to achieve a creamy state)
-add extracts & pumpkin and mix to combine
-combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
-slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones.
-add the crushed pineapple and mix just to combine.
-drop tablespoon-sized balls onto the cookie sheets and bake 'til golden, around 16-18 minutes. let cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

notes:
-i crushed/chopped the pineapple in a small food processor (just a few quick pulses). you can it cut by hand, just make sure to get pieces chopped up fine. alternately, you can use canned crushed pineapple, just make sure to drain off most of the juice.
-the parchment paper thing didn't hit me until i had already baked 2 dozen cookies. since they're kind of cake-like and moist, it created a bit of a problem when trying to remove the cookies from the ungreased cookie sheet. i used parchment for the final batch and it worked a lot better.
-at first the idea of pureed pumpkin for my "vegan egg" seemed strange (mixing an autumn staple with a tropical fruit?!), but i didn't think the flax/water thing would work for such a delicate cookie. (click here for a list of vegan egg substitutes). the pumpkin provides more of a fluffy-textural element and these don't taste the slightest bit pumpkiny.

and now for a song:

black eyed peas and kale from "appetite for reduction"

2011-02-23T20:14:00.002-06:00

this is another one of those meals in which i could tell i was eating something wholesome, delicious, and nutritious the minute i bit into it. "thanks for not eating pizza leftovers again, katie!" my body said to me. just furthur proof that you should pick up the 'appetite for reduction' cookbook (i know it probably seems like i must be getting kickbacks from all these isa chandra moskowitz shout-outs, but i promise i'm not... i wouldn't even bother mentioning the food on here if it wasn't awesome). it comes together pretty fast & couldn't be easier. the recipe calls for a TBS of hot sauce, so i used a combo of:

pickapeppa red hot sauce

and captain rodney's corazon del fuego

did you know captain rodney's is made in bell buckle, tn? their mango pepper jelly is awesome too, especially with cream cheese + triscuits.

i much prefer hot sauces when they have a hint of sweetness, rather than the taste of tabasco sauce (which i actually don't really like at all), so these caribbean/jamaican-ish ones really hit the spot. my lips are still burning, but in a happy sort of way. i served it over brown rice, and i can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow.

TMI ALERT: 3 beanos beforehand. wondering if they'll do what they're supposed to do. if there ever was a meal to test this theory, it would be this one.

yet another reason you should buy the 'vegan brunch' cookbook...

2011-02-20T19:36:00.000-06:00

...english muffins!
seriously, vegan or not, buy this cookbook!

pizza time!

2011-02-20T19:31:00.000-06:00

there are as many pizza dough recipes on the internet as there are chocolate chip cookie & brownie recipes (i'm sure you have googled "best ____ recipe" before). after looking at a few on the 'net, i looked at my cookbooks and decided to modify mark bittman's 'how to cook everything vegetarian' pizza dough recipe (by "modify", i mean follow exactly as-is, except i added a teaspoon of sugar & lengthened the rise time).

recipe can be found here.

notes: for my flour mixture, i used 2 cups bread flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour.
rise time: 3-4 hrs instead of 1-2 (i went to target). when i got back, i put half the dough in the freezer for later, so the cooking method below assumes you're using half the dough.
toppings: a little salt & dried basil, muir glen organic canned pizza sauce & galbani mozzarella fresca
cooking method: dust a little cornmeal on a pizza stone and preheat it in 500 degree oven. roll out the dough to a good-sized circle (probably about 12 inches...the dough wasn't sticky at all & very easy to work with. i rolled mine out on a floured silipat). place on a floured pizza peel. brush a little olive oil on the crust and put your toppings on. slide onto pizza stone and cook for approx 6-8 minutes (i turned my oven light on and watched it like a hawk the entire time...turned it occasionally since my oven heat was obviously stronger in the back).

it was DELICIOUS. the crust is a perfect blend of crispy & chewy. i am exercising great restraint because the mister is out of town and i have no one to share this with. i would really like to eat the whole darn thing but limited myself to 3 slices.

a note about how i eat

2011-02-05T16:29:00.000-06:00

from the looks of all my posts recently, it seems as if i've gone totally vegan. just to clarify: i am defintely not 100% vegan, although i've been dabbling in that way-of-cooking more and more lately. i still eat some cheese. i still use half and half in my coffee (whenever i'm out of the coconut milk alternative). i don't scour the label on my loaf of bread to make sure there's no honey or milk ingredients. i've been intrigued by vegan baking (especially scones and muffins) and i've gotten a few awesome vegan cookbooks that i've been using. at home, where i have 100% control of what i am cooking and eating, i have definitely become more aware of cooking with no animal stuff (as opposed to when i'm out in public and am force-fed cheese - ha ha). i've read books and articles on the matter, and although i am close as i've ever been to being a full-fledged vegan, i am not ready to make a commitment of it just yet. especially since after almost 2 years of vegetarianism, i still have to explain to my dad that i don't eat chicken. i would blow his wisconsin-bred mind if i told him i am giving up cheese, too.

anyway, i just wanted to make this clarification, especially since people might be visiting my blog after linking here from finding vegan, only to discover archived recipes for buttery cookies and cheesecakes and whatnot.

highly recommended (vegan) cookbooks:
veganomicon
appetite for reduction
vegan brunch
highly recommended (vegetarian) cookbooks:
how to cook everything vegetarian
moosewood restaurant low fat favorites
vegetarian classics
passionate vegetarian

"chickpea salad"...kinda like tuna salad (vegan)

2011-02-05T16:04:00.000-06:00

not the most photogenic thing, but i promise it's delicious

i didn't eat tuna (or anything else from the sea) prior to becoming a vegetarian, so it's not as if i've been sitting here missing the wonders of tuna salad sandwiches or tuna casserole. but i saw this on a blog & realized i had everything on hand, so i threw it together for lunch the other day. AND IT'S ROCKED MY WORLD ever since. it's fantastic on toasted wheat bread. or with whole wheat crackers. or as a sandwich with lettuce & tomato. and now it's all gone, so my life can go back to not-at-all rocking.

vegan yumyum's chickpea salad

ingredients:

1 15oz can Chickpeas, rinsed well
3-4 Tbs Vegenaise
2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Mustard
1 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
1/2 tsp Paprika (sweet, hot, or smoked)
1/2 tsp Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
directions:
Mash all the ingredients to form a chunky spread. Refrigerate or serve immediately.

notes: i added some finely diced red onion. i also made it in my small food processor, just a few quick pulses since i wanted the chickpeas to keep some of their integrity.

spinach salad with quinoa, apples & peppadew dressing (vegan)

2011-02-05T15:38:00.001-06:00

this was inspired by the "catalan couscous salad with pears" recipe from isa chandra moskowitz's appetite for reduction cookbook. i had a craving for kale, but it was kinda moldy at food lion, so i ended up buying a bag of baby spinach. when i got home, i flipped though the cookbook and realized i could throw this salad together with what i had on hand. sorry, kale craving.

for the salad:
-put baby spinach in a bowl. add however much quinoa you desire (make sure it's cooled, see below for cooking directions). chop up your apple. add however much dressing you want.

notes:
-original recipe calls for whole wheat couscous; i used 1/2 red & 1/2 white quinoa.
-original recipe calls for a pear; i used an apple.
-switched up a few ingredients for the dressing

"peppadew" dressing, modified version of "romesco dressing"
ingredients:
3 TBS toasted slivered almonds
2 TBS chopped red onion
1/4 cup peppadew peppers (jar available at trader joe's)
1/2 cup water
3 TBS red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp agave nectar
3/4 tsp salt

directions:
pulse the almonds and the onion in a food processor. add everything else and blend until smooth. store leftovers in a jar in the fridge.

to cook quinoa:
add 1 cup quinoa & 2 cups water to a small pan. bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. fluff, cool, serve. store whatever you don't use for the salad in the fridge.

lemon blueberry scones (vegan)

2011-01-29T22:56:00.000-06:00

thanks to those rad pumpkin scones i made a few weeks ago, i've been on a scone kick lately. i had some fresh blueberries in the fridge & a bagful of lemons, so i thought those ingredients seemed ripe for some scone makin'. i perused the internet for a recipe & didn't find one quite to my liking, so i invented my own. kind of scary, but the proportions seemed similar enough to the pumpkin ones, so i gave it a go. they turned out just fine...delicious, even!

lemon blueberry scones (vegan)

makes: 8 big ones (or 16 little ones)

ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 TBS baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ginger

zest of 1 lemon

¼ cup earth balance

¼ cup melted coconut oil (or canola oil)

¾ cup almond milk

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 cup fresh blueberries (tossed with a little flour and/or granulated sugar)

for glaze: a tablespoon or so of remaining lemon juice + ½ cup powdered sugar (more or less juice depending on what you want the consistency like)…or...sprinkle unbaked scones with turbinado sugar

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. combine all the dry ingredients (flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, lemon zest) in a large bowl.

3. measure out the almond milk and add the lemon juice – let it sit while you do the rest.

4. “cut in” the earth balance (I just used my fingers to crumble it up)

5. add the liquefied coconut oil and stir til combined

6. add the almond milk to the mixture and stir til combined. Then gently fold in the blueberries with a spatula (I rinsed them in a mesh strainer, dried them off, and added a little flour and white sugar)

7. put the mixture on a silipat and form into a disc (about 6 inches across) – cut with a pizza cutter into 8 triangles and transfer to baking sheet. bake for 15-18 minutes until the scones are firm & a toothpick comes out clean.

8. Cool on a wire rack (lined with wax or parchment paper) and drizzle glaze on the top.

Quinoa Salad with Mango and Black beans

2011-01-20T18:44:00.000-06:00

this flavorful and healthful (and colorful) salad comes together very quickly. i got it out of the veganomicon cookbook, but you can also find it online here. i used half regular and half red quinoa.
while eating this salad, i got the same sensation as when i eat kale. like my body is thanking me for the nutrients and saying it's glad i didn't give it chili mac and french fries again.

there's a little asian grocery store about 2 miles away, and i got the green onions and cilantro (as well as some mint, basil and dill and a honking big piece of ginger) for DIRT CHEAP. probably about 1/2 less than the grocery store. henceforth, i plan on getting all my herbs & stuff there.

Lemon, Ginger & Cranberry Oatmeal

2011-01-15T13:35:00.000-06:00

Lemon, Ginger & Cranberry Oatmeal (vegan)
serves: 1

ingredients:
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons ginger syrup
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
zest of about 1/4 or 1/2 lemon (depending how lemony you want it)
2 teaspoons ground flax seed (optional)
dash ground ginger
dashes kosher salt

directions:
In a small pot, combine all ingredients. Heat over low/medium until it reaches your preferred consistency, stirring occasionally (about 6 minutes)

pumpkin scones (vegan)

2011-01-10T08:45:00.000-06:00

i never knew what to think about scones. they always look really dry, like you'd take a bite and just go "cachhhhhhh" with your throat. like sticking a bunch of saltines in your mouth or something. i've never ordered or bought one, and i've never baked them either. but last month at our work christmas party, i tried a cranberry scone (from panera) and thought it was great. fast forward to january, and it seems as if i've ended up with no less than 14 cans of libby pumpkin puree in my pantry (they were on clearance for 44¢ at walgreens, so i stocked up. they also had boxes of domino brown sugar for 25¢!). and i'm a little burnt out on muffins. scone time! i used this recipe for vegan pumpkin scones and made a few slight modifications (wheat flour & more spices). they turned out like fluffy little pillows - not dry at all - and not overly sweet either.

Pumpkin Scones (adapted from Vegan Joy)

1/3 cup almond milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
½ cup canned pumpkin puree
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
dash of ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt

For the glaze:
1 tablespoon earth balance, melted
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line it with parchment, and set aside.

Make the scones: In a medium bowl or 2-cup measure, whisk together almond milk, vinegar, oil, pumpkin, and vanilla. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.

Make a well in the center of the dry mixture, and pour in the liquid mixture. Using a flexible spatula, make a scraping-scooping-pressing sort of motion to gently combine the two. When you have only a few streaks of flour left in the dough, remove it to a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough evenly into a circle 6” in diameter and about 1 ½” high. Using a sharp knife, cut the mound into eight wedges; it should be fairly sticky and a bit misshapen; that’s okay. Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet.

Bake until firm and just baked through (insert a knife; if it comes out clean, they’re done), 12-15 minutes.

Make the glaze: Whisk all glaze ingredients together and drizzle over scones.

december gocco projects (and other craft stuff)

2011-01-08T19:47:00.002-06:00

i broke out ye ole gocco last month to work on a few projects. i made some note cards as my gift offering for craft nashy's annual holiday get-together (they do a craft-related gift drawing). i used a multi-pack of brightly colored cards and printed a little greeting ("bonjour, mon ami") with silver ink:

i hadn't hung out with these girls since early 2010, so it was nice to see them again. only 4 of us were at the party, and during the gift swap i wound up with a super awesome embroidered towel made by jenny:

that night, i continued to work on my deer cross stitch, which i still haven't finished. maybe by 2012...

i also made some cards/prints based on an illustration from this book:

you see, courtney got everyone in my family black forest cuckoo clocks for christmas 2009, and i thought it would be cute to hang up this print by the clock (which i still haven't hung up yet. absolutely ridiculous, i know...)

finally, this is OBVIOUSLY not my own work, but i bought these notecards on sale at anthropologie & picked up some mats and frames at hobby lobby today. i hung them up above the console in the living room. i like the way colored mats spruce up little art prints, and i am especially fond of the oval shaped ones:

here's to continued craftiness in 2011!

chocolate dipped apricot cookies

2010-12-23T19:40:00.001-06:00

i'm not one to ever watch the better homes and gardens daytime tv show, but i happened to catch a segment about christmas cookies last week. maybe it was because i was in the middle of a 3-mile treadmill run at the y, but these sonsaguns looked good. so i picked up the ingredients & made them today. i'm also not one to use baking shortcuts, but the recipe called for a package of betty crocker sugar cookie mix, so i obliged. what can i say, the holidays make us do crazy things.

you can watch the segment here, or just follow this recipe:

Dark Chocolate Apricot Cookies

ingredients:

1/2 cup softened butter

1 egg

1/4 tsp orange extract

1 package betty crocker sugar cookie mix

1 cup chopped dried apricots

12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

method:

preheat oven to 375.
combine cookie mix, butter, orange extract and egg w/ a mixer until soft.
fold in apricots
scoop out (big teaspoon sized balls) onto cookie sheet and bake until golden, about 8-10 minutes.
cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
when the cookies are cool, melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring a few times. dip in chocolate and place on a sheet of wax or parchment paper

while taking these cookie pictures, i realized that they kinda look like moppy-haired boys. and because i have nothing better to do with my time (thanks, 10-day work break!) i photoshopped faces onto the cookies. they kinda remind me of my husband.

cookie boys

potato leek piroshkis (vegan)

2010-12-22T13:01:00.001-06:00

for the grimey's employee holiday party, i made crescent dragonwagon's "potato leek piroshkis" from her passionate vegetarian cookbook.

first, you create a SIMPLE yeast dough in the food processor:

this was taken after the rise/punch down (see my fist impression?)

while the dough is rising, you make the filling, which consists of potatoes, leeks, roasted garlic, fresh dill, sauerkraut and cabbage. my filling is a pretty purple color since i used our homemade red sauerkraut:

bowl of awesome, i could eat it by the spoonful.

next, you divide the dough into 16 small balls & roll each ball into a 6-inch circle. fill with the potato mixture and create little half-moon pockets:

bake until golden:

and eat (with mustard!):

if you are curious about the recipe, let me know and i will make a photocopy for you. i tried (and failed) to find a transcribed version online, although you can see it here on googlebooks.

spandau

2010-12-11T11:15:00.001-06:00

i paid the mister $20 to wear my sister's old homemade spandau ballet short-sleeved sweatshirt to thanksgiving dinner. (yup, those are fuzzy iron-on letters)

he made friends with a lady cat that's been hanging around my dad's house. courtney first called it dion-something-or-other after some football player, but i changed it to dionne warwick after we found out it was a girl. i also called her minnie ripperton, then we went through a bunch of thanksgiving-related names: turkey, stuffing, gobble (aka "goblin"), pumpkin, etc.

side note: if you cover up the "s" and the "u" of "spandau" you're left with PANDA.

here's a good spandau ballet song, since you're probably only familiar with "true" (ps: i heard this on 91.1 on the way to work yesterday morning (!!!) and was reminded that i never published this post, even though i've had it ready to go for a week or two):

crumble top apple pie (in pictures)

2010-12-04T09:42:00.001-06:00

a story of pie in pictures.

1) made the crust the day before

2) made the crumble top the day before:

3) peeled and cut a billion apples (or about 7-8 lbs worth):

Note: there's even apples on my cutting board, pepping me up in case i get off task.

4) roll out the pie crusts:

5) fill the pie shells:

6) cover with crumbles & bake:

7) PIE TIME:

notes: i follow the recipe exactly as written, except i use a variety of apples instead of strictly granny smith. so i usually end up using a bit less sugar since some of the apples are sweeter.

Pumpkin Pie

2010-12-03T12:31:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but here's the belated story on my pumpkin pie.

I did research on how to roast the pumpkin & found many different methods - I cut the pumpkins in half, scooped out the seeds & pulp, and placed cut side down in a glass baking dish filled with an inch or two of water. 375 degrees for about an hour. Scooped out the pumpkin mush and placed in a sieve to drain a little water. Then I pureed it in my food processor to make it super smooth and ended up with this:

(I used 2 pumpkins and kept them separate. The more yellow-ish one on the left was a little sweeter)

After looking at several pumpkin pie recipes, I decided on this one from Joy Of Baking. (I was going to try this one instead, but I opted for the one that utilized a pastry crust).

I did do the "optional" gingersnap/pecan layer:

Final Version:

so...was the "real" pumpkin puree worth it? i'll answer it with a resounding "maybe". it would've been interesting to make 2 different pies (one w/ canned) for a blind taste test. but let me just say this, it really isn't difficult AT ALL to roast the pumpkins. i had the mister cut them in half for me since i've been prone to stupid kitchen injuries lately (thumb cut - food processor blade / blistering steam burn - coffee pot). and i was able to use the leftovers in other recipes. i'd do it again, definitely. i think everyone liked the pie, too.

Pre-Thanksgiving Musings (and a Recipe)

2010-11-17T09:27:00.001-06:00

I was inspired by Kim to make my own pre-Thanksgiving post. My family’s traditional thanksgiving meal is a pretty all-American, meat-and-potatoes sort of affair. My dad handled the turkey (with my sister Carrie eagerly assisting--stuffing and handling that raw bird while Courtney and I looked on with disgust). He also made the stuffing, mashed potatoes and store-bought gravy, while my mom would make her infamous “yams” (sweet potatoes with a bunch of brown sugar and butter). Cranberry sauce (homemade) supplied by my brother-in-law. Add some canned corn and some Pillsbury biscuits, and dinner was served. My dad also made dessert: usually an apple pie or two (fresh filling, but a pre-packaged crust) and a peach pie (canned peaches + pre-packaged crust)…

Not that there’s anything wrong with any of this. This meal has deep-rooted traditions and we all happily dined upon all of its yeasty, starchy glory.

But a few years ago, the official pie torch was passed along to me, after I brazenly declared that I wanted to make “real” pie crust. So for the past few years, I’ve made a crumble-top apple pie, as well as a more traditional one too.

Last year was my first Thanksgiving as a vegetarian, so I wanted to bring some more health-conscious and veggie-friendly dishes. I made a hearty vegetable soup for lunch (since we don’t typically eat T-day dinner ‘til 6 or 7, because Carrie & co. lunch with her in-laws), and some roasted root vegetables.

This year, I’m taking Wednesday off work and going to bake 4 (FOUR!) pies - we’re expecting a few guests for dessert (Courtney’s boyfriend’s family & my dad’s Arizona ladyfriend). I am going to roast a real pumpkin for a pumpkin pie (instead of canned), but I haven’t settled on a recipe just yet. And 2 apple pies and a to-be-determined 4th pie (if you have a knock-out recipe you’d like to share, please do).

I’m also going to make a soup again for lunch (maybe that bean soup from last week) and pumpkin garlic knots (to take the place of the pillbury rolls). And a pistachio/cranberry goat cheese log for snackin’. Oh, and I got myself a Gardein fake turkey thingy for my “main course” (although I feel somewhat guilty about relying on something store-bought. If I am pretty under control on the pie front on Wednesday, I may make myself a shepherd’s pie instead…)

I hope I’m not coming across as some sort of food elitist – my dad works his butt off every Thanksgiving to prepare the meal (he makes my mom’s Yams now, too). But I’ve gained such a greater awareness about my food over the past year & a half, and I want to see if I can add a little bit of my influence to the family meal.

What is your family dinner like?

Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple and Green Onions

Serves 8-10
Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
3 large beets, peeled, quartered
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
2 carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 2-inch-long pieces –the thin ones with green tops taste best
2 parsnips, peeled, halved or quartered lengthwise and cut into 2-inch-long pieces
1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large red onion, peeled, quartered through root end
Brussels sprouts
1 small butternut squash, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix oil, syrup and garlic in small bowl. Place all remaining ingredients except butter, green onions, and additional syrup on heavy large rimmed baking sheet. (You may want to cover the baking sheet with foil). Pour oil mixture over; toss to coat. Spread out vegetables in single layer. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer vegetables to platter. Drizzle vegetables with butter and a little more maple syrup. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve immediately.

garlic knots

2010-11-15T09:32:00.000-06:00

seems like tastespotting and food blogs are all a-flutter with variations on these little guys, so i decided to try them out. i followed annie's eats recipe and they turned out great.

notes:
-my dough was pretty sticky in the mixer, so i had to add probably 1/2 cup more flour. her description of dough texture was really helpful during this part.
-when i divided the dough, i flattened out the dough ball and cut (like a pizza) into 16 pieces (instead of her 10 dough balls).
-for the topping, i used 2 TBS melted sweet unsalted butter, 1 clove garlic, dried basil & about 1 TBS of this olive oil/garlic stuff i had in the pantry. next time, i will add some salt. that was about the only criticism i had of the overall taste.
-i plan on trying out (never home)maker's pumpkin version next time (maybe for thanksgiving?) so i'll report back.

hearty bean, barley & vegetable soup (vegan)

2010-11-13T11:37:00.001-06:00

i cleaned out the pantry and unearthed a package of trader joe's "17 bean & barley" mix. i roughly followed the directions on the package (subbing whatever veggies i had on hand at the house) and a few hours later, ended up with this:

Bean, Barley & Vegetable Soup

ingredients:

1 16-oz package of Trader Joe's "17 Bean & Barley" soup mix

2 Boullion cubes dissolved in 4 cups boiling water (i used 1 Not-Chik'n & 1 Low Sodium Veggie) **alternately, you can use 4 cups of canned/box broth**

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup chopped onion (i used a mixture of red & yellow)

1 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup diced mushrooms

2 small peeled & diced red potatoes

1/2 package of thawed frozen chopped spinach

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBS olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp assorted dried seasoning (i used Bragg's sprinkle...Trader Joe's also makes one)

salt & pepper

Directions

1) if you have the foresight, soak the beans overnight. otherwise, follow the quick soak directions on the package. this takes an hour. (thaw frozen spinach now too, if you're using it).

2) Dissolve your boullion cubes in boiling water.

3) Pour 4 cups of broth into pot with the beans. Add whole can of diced tomatoes.

4) put olive oil in a separate saute pan, and cook vegetables (everything except the spinach), garlic and dried basil over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

5) put veggies into soup pot and add bay leaf, spinach, seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover with more water (2 cups) and stir everything up.

6) Cover pot and simmer for about 2 hrs. Occasionally check liquid level and add more broth or water if necessary. the beans were a little hard the first night we ate this, but softened up for the leftovers.

A note on the vegetables:

seriously, use up whatever you have. sweet potatoes would be good instead of the red potatoes. bag of frozen corn? use it if you want. same goes with green beans, red peppers, zucchini, etc. kale would be good instead of spinach. recipe on the package calls for celery - i hate celery, so i left it out.

My ultra-lazy quick thaw method for frozen spinach is as follows: put frozen block of spinach in a metal sieve. run hot water over it until it starts to break up. Press out excess water.

i'm sure i end "pressing out" vitamins, so if you plan on using frozen spinach, it would probably be best to thaw it when you're quick soaking the beans.

i like: world market

2010-11-06T23:15:00.001-05:00

i like world market. for those of you who have never been in one, it's kind of a cross between pier 1 (worldly home goods), ikea (cheap kitchen stuff like plates and glasses) and specialty/international grocery store (huge candy/random food & beer selection). it's one of those stores (along with kohl's and victoria's secret) (*see below*) that actually pays the customer to shop there. granted, you must sign up for their "rewards" program (it's free), but they constantly send out $10 off/$30 purchase coupons. and tonight, i qualified for a 15% off a southwest airfare (!). i must purchase the ticket in the next few weeks and travel by the end of january, so let me know if you want to take a trip with me! ha ha!

got all this for $28

(white cheddar cheese snacks, big bag o'coffee, butterscotch chips, mineral water, sparkling fruit juices, mini muffin tin,

and 4 boxes of assorted old school sodas)

also, their coffee is good, cheap, and you get a free bag after purchasing 6 (they keep track electronically, so you don't have to carry around a silly punch card). one 24-oz bag ($8.79) fills up the trader joe's coffee containers roughly 2 1/2 times. coffee is my vice of choice, so i might as well be rewarded for drinking it.

i got 4 of these (each box has 10 "old school" sodas) - 75% halloween clearance for $2.50 (!) each.

these are the curtains i got for the computer room a few months ago

*kohl's and victoria's secret*

does everyone else get FREE panty coupons? a lot? because i do. i have a whole drawerful of free VS panties. i think they hate me because i go in, get my freebie, and never buy anything (it explicitly says "no purchase necessary). but they keeping sending me the coupons, so they must still love me. or think they can brainwash me to eventually spend too much money on one of their bras. but i'm a department-store-bra kinda gal. like macy's, or kohl's.

(segue way)

i constantly get $10 kohl's gift cards in the mail, which i use toward the purchase of (aforementioned) underthings, kitchen gadgets, dorky work pants (gloria vanderbilt and lee, say what!). i usually end up spending a little money there, so i'm not bamboozling them the way i am victoria's secret.

PS: the latest VS coupon i got is for a FREE LACIE THONG. i have no use for this. if i did have a use for it, i have no idea what that use would be. so if you'd like it (all 3 of my {possible thong-wearing} readers, i'm talking to you)... leave a comment by wednesday the 10th and i'll randomly pick a winner (using this website). and then you can explain to me why women wear thongs. i promise i won't judge you. just like you shouldn't judge me for wearing cotton briefs.

(vegan) pear hazelnut bread recipe

2010-11-04T21:25:00.001-05:00

i took a recipe for cooking light's hazelnut-pear tea bread recipe (found in this cookbook) and turned it vegan. my adapted version is as follows:

(vegan) hazelnut pear bread
ingredients:
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup shredded peeled pear (about 2 medium) *i used 1 large pear & 1 small gala apple
1/2 cup sugar
3 TBS canola oil
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 TBS applesauce
1 TBS ground flax seed + 3 TBS water

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place hazelnuts in a small ovenproof dish & toast in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes, stirring once.
3. Mix ground flax seed and water well and let sit for 10 minutes. in the meantime...
4. Combine flours, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; make a well in the center.
5. Combine pear, sugar, oil, lemon rind, vanilla, applesauce and flax mixture; mix well.
6. Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring just until moist.
7. Spoon batter into a 8x4 loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 55 minutes (test w/ a toothpick).

notes:
this was my first time "veganizing" a recipe on my own. i had made this bread twice before so i was familiar with how the original is meant to taste (and just as importantly, what the texture's supposed to be like). since the original called for an egg & an egg white, i thought i'd try out 2 different egg substitutes. i've had good luck with the flax mixture in the past, and since the bread is based around pears, i figured applesauce was a natural pairing. i also used 1/4 cup less sugar than the original called for, and after tasting the batter, it was totally sweet enough. that's one of the benefits of vegan baking - the ability to taste the batter without fear of salmonella poisoning!

show review: the walkmen, louisville, ky 10/21/10

2010-10-22T16:31:00.001-05:00

i made a semi-last-minute decision to drive up to louisville last night (by myself) to see the walkmen. i justified it this way: 1) no nashville show's been announced yet 2) it's only 3 hrs away 3) they've officially knocked r.e.m. and radiohead out of my "favorite band" spot. when i arrived (after getting lost, stopping for help 2x and finally calling my friend brandon for help...), the 2nd band was about to start (japandroids) - they reminded me a little of mission of burma. zanzabar is SMALL. like, the basement small. i realize that my own enjoyment of shows partially comes from seeing the band up close (what's the point if you're in the back and all you can hear are drunk people chattering?) so when japandroids finished up i pushed (uh, politely of course) my way up front right in front of the piano.

i am really bad at expressing why certain things move me and others do not (guess that's why i am an amateur blogger and not a big-time music writer...) so i don't think this is going to turn you into a walkmen fan. they're definitely one of those bands that hit you or not; you love them or you don't. i saw them for the first time at the slow bar - and every time i've seen them since then, i walk away with a greater love and appreciation. so anyway - this show was fantastic. kinda like the basement experience, except i wasn't drunk and rollum & co. didn't get up on stage and play with hamilton (i remember turning to courtney and alexis saying "is this really happening?!?") they played several songs off 'lisbon' (juveniles, angela, while i shovel the snow, victory) and threw in plenty of other stuff too (we've been had, all hands on the cook, canadian girl, in the new year). it was great to hear the title track from 'everyone who pretended...' and i will never grow tired of 'on the water.' i asked pete for his set list - it's harder to decipher than features' set lists and i'm still trying to figure out what 'puppies' is (i think it was 'woe is me'). here's hoping they'll come to nashville again soon.

favorite song:

one of my favorites from 'lisbon':

aloo gobi (with sweet potatoes)

2010-10-21T10:55:00.002-05:00

i was flipping through the channels one night and caught "the spice goddess" show on the cooking channel. she was making cauliflower with sweet potatoes - seemed easy enough so i found the recipe and made it a few days later. this is a good thing to try if you've never fixed indian at home - no weird spices required, so you won't have to make a run to the international market just to make this. the recipe doesn't note this, but on the tv show she ended up adding some water to the mixture (which i did). it ended up a bit mushy (due to the water & way longer cooking time) but i like it that way. i also added some cayenne pepper. not the most photogenic dish, but it IS tasty:

turmeric sure does make things super yellow

caramel apple cheesecake

2010-10-20T16:21:00.000-05:00

the mister isn't into (traditional) birthday cake, so to celebrate his 31st, i made annie's eats' caramel apple cheesecake pie. it's pretty time-consuming, so i recommend only making this for people whom you love dearly (or people who are paying you).

followed the recipe as-is, except for the following:
1) for the crust, i used half graham cracker crumbs and half gingersnap cookie crumbs
2) i did NOT make the topping (whipped cream + more caramel). i figured there was already enough fat & sugar in the rest of the cake.

next time, i'll probably use less sugar for the apples. and the parchment paper circle helped a whole lot.

it's pac man! no, it's caramel apple cheesecake!

best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

2010-10-17T12:28:00.001-05:00

the mister's favorite cookie is oatmeal chocolate chip, so i've tried about 10 different recipes over the years. the gold standard has been set by great harvest bakery's offering, so we seem to compare everything i make to those cookies. while these don't really taste like the great harvest cookies, i feel like i've found THE recipe and can stop looking. (i found it on a mexican food blog, no less...guess you can end up in unexpected places when searching for recipes...)

new subway tile in the kitchen!

2010-10-15T21:53:00.003-05:00

backsplash: BEFORE

one of my least favorite things about our house was the half-assed backsplash behind the sink, which was made out of those sticky floor tile squares. i hated it. yet, it took us almost 6 years to do something about it. my dad & i both came to the conclusion that we loved the look of white subway tiles & hired his neighbor's brother-in-law (who used to build log cabins in colorado) to install them for us. we both wavered back and forth on the grout color - settled on gray at first, but after talking to carolyn, i realized i really wanted white. so i changed my mind. and then my dad did too. i am super happy with the results.

new backsplash: AFTER!

behind the stove before & after:

katie's seitan reuben recipe

2010-09-30T08:39:00.001-05:00

katie's seitan reuben (makes 2 open face sandwiches. probably enough for 2 people but i usually eat the whole darn thing myself).

ingredients:

-1/2 small yellow onion

-2 oz (approx 1/4 package) of Westsoy Seitan strips

-1 tsp (or a nice, healthy squirt) Bragg's liquid aminos

-1 slice of swiss cheese

-2 slices of rye bread

-mayo/ketchup or mustard

-sauerkraut

directions:

thinly slice half a small onion and saute in a nonstick skillet (with a little olive oil or cooking spray) over medium heat - for about 10 minutes, or until the onion gets nice and brown.
add the seitan and the liquid aminos and cook 2 minutes.
meanwhile, toast the rye bread and coat with a thin layer of "secret sauce" (mayo + ketchup) or mustard.
turn down the heat & put the cheese over the seitan/onion mixture. cover and cook until cheese is melty - about a minute.
put that on the bread and top (or serve with) sauerkraut.

notes: i am fortunate enough to have a husband who makes his own sauerkraut, so our fridge is usually stocked with the stuff. for you "regular" sauerkraut-less folks, i suggest Bubbies.

vegan potluck & blueberry buckle recipe

2010-09-27T12:45:00.001-05:00

last week, we were invited to a vegan potluck dinner in honor of a friend's birthday. the food spread was unbelievable - lentil stew, cashew cheese, samosa pie, spicy greens, beet chocolate cake, brownies, lemon cookies... the mister contributed chana masala and i brought this blueberry buckle. recipe can be found here.

(notes: i used frozen blueberries instead of fresh - i don't think they were defrosted enough and as such, the batter was really cold. consequently, this needed to bake WAY longer than called for (like, 30 minutes more). the next day when i removed it from the springform pan, it still didn't seem done enough, so i put it on a cookie sheet and cooked for 20 MORE minutes. leftovers were stored in the fridge - really good warmed up in the toaster oven w/ a little earth balance).

eggless french toast

2010-09-25T12:24:00.002-05:00

i'm not crazy about eggs, so i looked around for recipes for "eggless french toast".

single serve (2 slices) eggless french toast (adapted from various online sources. can be vegan depending on your bread):

ingredients:
-1/2 banana
-1/4 cup almond milk
-big dash of cinnamon
-sprinkling of cornstarch
-little bit of vanilla
-2 slices of bread

directions:

combine the first 5 ingredients in a small food processor for a minute.

pour mixture over 2 slices of bread - smush the bread slices together so that the bread soaks the mixture in a little.

cook in nonstick skillet (coated w/ cooking spray over medium heat) until brown (approx 5 minutes each side - until the bread firms up a little and gets nice and toasty).

top with your favorite toppings. i used powdered sugar, more cinnamon and earth balance. nutella or maple syrup would be delicious too.

salt & pepper shakers

2010-09-16T11:12:00.001-05:00

and now for an update on my salt & pepper shaker collection. i've run out of room atop my kitchen cabinets, so i've been more selective about purchasing/displaying them. my dad (bless his heart) buys me gas station s&p shakers whenever he goes on road trips, but i don't have the heart to tell him i am only interested in old ones. anyway...my interests now lean toward the weird, bizarre vintage ones.

not that weird, but cute:

mama polar bear holding her cub (estate sale, murfreesboro, $2)

Can't really tell what's going on here:

cats? with monocles? (estate sale, murfreesboro, $2)

JFK on Rocking Chair (yes...this is meant to be JFK. it says so on his rocking chair)

i like how his eyes make him look slightly doofy (antique store, nolensville, $12)

(vegan) lemon poppy seed muffins

2010-09-12T14:22:00.003-05:00

i've made a few things from isa chandra moskowitz's "vegan brunch" cookbook & they've all been great (pumpkin bran muffins, zucchini spelt muffins). some other vegan baked goods i've made have turned out too gummy and you could definitely tell that something was amiss; not so with the muffins in this book. these are as easy as can be and delicious! and you don't even miss the eggs and butter (i promise).

recipe can be found here.

ps: i might have asked/pondered this before, but what are the 'rules' about posting a recipe from a cookbook? do you have to ask permission? can you get in trouble if they were to find it?

relatively healthy peach dessert crumble

2010-07-13T21:34:00.001-05:00

Ginger Peach Crumble (adapted from moosewood restaurant low-fat favorites)

ingredients:
1 pound frozen unsweetened sliced peaches or 3 cups peeled fresh peach slices
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup crumbled gingersnaps (about 8 gingersnaps)
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts (my addition)
1 tablespoon butter or Earth Balance (my addition)

method:
-preheat the oven to 425.
-Evenly distribute the peach slices in the bottom of an unoiled 8-inch glass square baking dish. -Sprinkle the lemon juice over the peaches.
-Combine cinnamon, gingersnaps, brown sugar and hazelnuts in a small food processor. add the butter & pulse til crumbly.
-Sprinkle on top of peaches. Bake for about 25 minutes until the peaches are tender.

i used one of those recipe calorie analyzer thingys and came up with approx 700 for the whole dish. divided into 4 servings, that's only 175 calories per serving. now, you shouldn't necessarily eat the whole thing by yourself (like it did), but it was last night's dessert, today's breakfast, and tonight's dessert... you don't even miss not having a crust and vanilla ice cream.

Master Bathroom re-do

2010-07-05T15:21:00.001-05:00

realized i never shared before-and-afters from the "great snowstorm of 2010 master bathroom re-do"(back in january). i removed the grody wallpaper, primed the walls and painted them a nice greyish color ("100 acre raindrops" from the disney color collection by behr from home depot). it was a little more purple than i expected, so i was afraid it was going to clash with the brownish counter & shower, but i found a good shower curtain (on sale from urban outfitters) that actually tied the room together. i wasn't 100% in love with the color but kept it anyway, thinking we were gonna put the house on the market soon. but...doesn't look like selling is in our near future, so i guess i'm just going to live with it for now.

Tulum vacation

2010-06-20T00:28:00.001-05:00

view from our room

we just spent a week in tulum, mexico. the trip came together quite quickly (booked just 2 weeks before departure) and we decided on that locale because 1) flights to cancun were relatively cheap 2) it came recommended by a few friends 3) we tend to enjoy places that are more "off the beaten path".

(hotel's private beach)

day 1, tuesday the 8th:

our flight left at 6:15am & our awesome pal melinda drove us to the airport (at the crack of dawn-she rules). layover in miami; arrived in cancun around 1:30pm. the line to get through customs was very disorganized and snaked around all the baggage claim areas and whatnot. in an effort to save some money, we decided to take the bus into tulum rather than arranging for a private transport. bus #1 to playa del carmen, bus #2 to tulum, taxi to hotel. we were exhausted and hungry, so we immediately ate dinner at our hotel's restaurant.

tulum is divided into 2 areas - the "downtown" city center and the hotel strip (but no mega-resorts - a majority of the hotels are small, boutique cabana-type places, and ours was no exception). piedra escondida has 8 rooms, directly on the beach and a small restaurant on premise (that 1st dinner we had was a little disappointing so we only ate there once - although we did take advantage of the free breakfast every morning). we conked out pretty early that night.

(our room)

i was a little concerned that i wouldn't be able to deal with the lack of A/C in the room (there's no electrical grid for the beach hotels, but they use solar and wind power for "other" electricity). since the cabanas are right on the beach (i counted 40 steps between our room and the beach chairs), the breeze was definitely strong enough to keep us cool at night. it was great falling asleep/waking up to the sound of the ocean. we were on the 2nd floor and had a thatched roof, and so we heard lots of birds at the crack of dawn too. they were kinda obnoxious but i got used to them.

day 2, wednesday:

bad idea - applying SPF 50, then swimming in the ocean, then not re-applying for the rest of the day. i was ok, since i had a little sun exposure prior to the trip, but R was not so lucky & got really sunburned.

that afternoon, we went into town that day to exchange dollars to pesos - ate lunch and got some gelato (i had key lime pie, it was awesome) - wandered around a bit. that night we discovered a restaurant up the street from our hotel called Zamas. we ended up eating almost every subsequent lunch and dinner there. i had a pizza w/ gorgonzola, pine nuts, zucchini and R had a steak over gnocchi. this place was fantastic because 1) they changed up their menu w/ specials every night 2) they accepted US dollars 3) tons of vegetarian options 4) fresh ingredients 5) super friendly wait staff. i was worried how the whole vegetarian thing would play out (worried i'd have to eat nothing but cheese quesadillas every day), so it was incredible to have so many choices at this place. over the course of the trip, i had a grilled vegetable sandwich, veggie tacos, spaghetti, margarita pizza, jicama salad, asparagus salad, veggie enchiladas. R had a burger, braised short ribs/pasta and other meaty dishes that are escaping me right now. one night we shared an order of churros w/ a spicy chocolate dipping sauce - SO GOOD! everything was just top notch so we didn't even find it necessary to try any of the surrounding restaurants - especially since this place was no more expensive than the others.

that night, we decided to play "pizza crab" and "cookie crab." what is this game, you ask? PETA would definitely disapprove of our actions, but here's how you play: find a crab and offer it a keebler chocolate chip cookie. find a big crab and offer it leftover fancy pizza. shine flashlights and take pictures of crabs with the food. i was the designated photographer/crab spotter, while R was the flashlight operator/crab feeder.

PIZZA CRAB

we also star-watched that night. i haven't had such awesome star visibility since my family's trip to Yosemite in the late 80s.

day 3/4 = sunburn:

R had a bad sunburn, so we just chilled out under the umbrellas and read lots. we also played ms pac man on his PSP.

day 5, saturday:

this day was the only overcast/rainy day, so we ventured up the street and climbed up some rocks. saw lots of locals fishing.

R climbed down to this rocky thing and sat as the waves crashed into him. he had a blast.

day 6, sunday:

took the bus to Coba to see some ruins. it has the tallest temple pyramid on the Yucatan peninsula and you get to climb it!

we rented bikes when we got inside the grounds, and that was a lot of fun.

the pictures don't do it justice - but that damn pyramid is super tall (138 ft) - getting up wasn't so scary, but the climb down was a little freaky. at the top you get a great view of the jungles. we were hoping to see monkeys (no luck) but we saw a ton of lizards.

(that's me standing at the base of the steps, on the right)

day 7, monday:

more beach time.

day 8, tuesday:

bus to playa del carmen - we walked around the shops a bit. i got some sandals and a wooly owl stuffed animal. bus to the cancun airport. what a nightmare that place is - with it's margaritaville restaurant and mall-like food court. seeing all that touristy crap made us so grateful to have stayed in tulum. made it back to nashville around 11pm.

other tidbits/highlights:

the cleaning staff made towel animals

i read 2 books: man walks into a room by nicole krauss, and don't get too comfortable by david rakoff
i managed to NOT check my email at the lobby computer - we used it only to check bus schedules and look up random things on wikipedia (such a stringrays - which rollum encountered when swimming at the neighboring beach area).
no clocks/watches/cell phones
after the coba trip we stopped in an air-conditioned convenience store. it was our first/only exposure to A/C the whole trip. R stocked up on random sodas and we tried dulce de leche reese's peanut butter cups (thumbs up!)
can't remember what they called it (cheladas?), but it was a salted-rimmed glass with (lots of) fresh-squeezed lime juice and you poured your beer into it.
kinda felt like a schmuck not being able to speak the language better. i only knew how to ask for the check, look if the "tip" was included, and say please and thank you.
i used to hate bananas, and thanks to this trip, i like them now. one of the breakfast options was a fruit plate (with bananas, papaya, cantaloupe and apples) covered in yogurt and granola, and i got way into the bananas. cantaloupe is still horriblel, though.
i'm probably forgetting other stuff, so there may be a P.S to this post...

ISFJ

2010-05-20T20:18:00.001-05:00

the mister & i have both been obsessing a bit over our myers-briggs personality types after taking the assessment found here. both of ours seem to describe us to a T. his is particularly revealing, and he's found comfort knowing that there are others (uh...1% of the population) like him. see for yourself:

ISFJ - me

follows the rules, polite, fears drawing attention to self, dislikes competition, somewhat easily frightened, easily offended, timid, dutiful, private, lower energy, finisher, organized, socially uncomfortable, modest, not confrontational, easily hurt, observer, prone to crying, not spontaneous, does not appreciate strangeness - intolerant to differences, apprehensive, clean, planner, prone to confusion, afraid of many things, responsible, guarded, avoidant, anxious, cautious, suspicious, more interested in relationships and family than intellectual pursuits, not adventurous, fears doing the wrong thing, dislikes change

INTP - him

loner, more interested in intellectual pursuits than relationships or family, wrestles with the meaninglessness of existence, likes esoteric things, disorganized, messy, likes science fiction, can be lonely, observer, private, can't describe feelings easily, detached, likes solitude, not revealing, unemotional, rule breaker, avoidant, familiar with the darkside, skeptical, acts without consulting others, does not think they are weird but others do, socially uncomfortable, abrupt, fantasy prone, does not like happy people, appreciates strangeness, frequently loses things, acts without planning, guarded, not punctual, not prone to compromise, hard to persuade, relies on mind more than on others, calm

here's a few other things that stood out to me about fellow ISFJ's:

they do not usually express their own feelings, keeping things inside. If they are negative feelings, they may build up inside the ISFJ until they turn into firm judgments against individuals which are difficult to unseed, once set.
good at taking care of practical matters and daily needs
Usually good (albeit conservative) at handling money
Unlikely to express their needs, which may cause pent-up frustrations to build inside
Not likely to be very wordy about expressing their love and affection, they're likely to do so through their deeds, and will deeply value their partner's responding affirmations.
It's a common problem for ISFJ's to not express their feelings until pushed to some limit, after which they explode in anger and say things which they later feel they shouldn't have said.
they hate confrontation; if you get into a fight, don't expect them to jump in after you. You can count on them, however, run and get the nearest authority figure
ISFJ personality types have difficulty delegating things to others.

If you're inclined to take the test, I'm curious to see where you fall - feel free to share in the comments or email me. i know some people don't put too much clout in these sorts of things, but it's just kinda interesting. it's definitely made me more aware of some of the negative things about myself (the whole "keeping things inside" thing) and i hope i am able to work on changing this. maybe this explains why i am such a poor blogger (ha ha)...

Helen

2010-04-06T14:18:00.000-05:00

A visit to the vet for X-Rays confirmed what I already knew in my heart – Helen has bone cancer.

When she started limping a few weeks ago, I was a little concerned so I googled “limping greyhound” and read all about osteosarcoma. I tried not to think the worse and took her to see the vet. At that point, Dr M said the limp was “worrisome” but did not make the official diagnosis, and we decided to treat Helen with pain and arthritis meds (in case it was just a fracture or tear or something “minor”), and I’d continue to keep close a watch on her. Things were pretty bad after the appointment (and I cried whenever I’d take her on a bathroom walk), but after a few days she seemed to have more energy and was limping a lot less. Good, I thought, maybe she’s ok. But the limp came back last week, so I talked to the vet and we agreed it was time to X-Ray.

Her left front leg definitely shows an area of deterioration and we got the official diagnosis just about an hour ago.

So, what’s next? I will continue to give her the medication & up the dosage. I want to make the last days/weeks/months of her life as comfortable as possible. That being said, I’d leaning on the side of not wanting her to suffer just so we can have her around for a few more days/weeks/months. (And it really is that up in the air. Usually when osteosarcoma is diagnosed, they live for a few more months (untreated by amputation and/or chemotherapy). But there’s no rulebook, and the vet said Helen could have been silently suffering for several months already. As I’m typing this, I haven’t even talked to the Mr. yet. We obviously have a lot to talk about. I’ve never dealt with the decision of when to put a pet “to sleep”, and it is something I need to think long and hard about. It’s especially hard knowing that the Mr. will only be home for a week before he goes to Europe for 2 weeks, but I don’t know if it’s too premature to plan for “it” to coincide with all that.

I am not quite ready to eulogize my sweet Helen yet. That will come after the shock of all this has worn off and we have decided what to do.

Of what value are spiders?

2010-04-04T00:17:00.001-05:00

You guys know i am a sucker for illustrations like this, and I think they'd be perfect for Gocco cards or something (what's the statute of limitations for stuff like that? are they considered to be in the public domain yet? i haven't been in college for 11 years so i can't remember...).

The book contains answers to fascinating questions, such as "Is the Black Forest in Germany really black?" and "Who was the first President to travel under water in a submerged submarine?" (In case you're wondering, no and Harry S. Truman). I also scored some cute vintage drinking glasses and a few other novels.

And if you're wondering of what value are spiders? They destroy countless millions of noxious insects each year, --flies, mosquitoes, bugs, and grasshoppers.

new favorite song

2010-03-29T21:04:00.001-05:00

i jumped on the beach house train very late. i know people were talking/blogging about them years ago, but i just got out of a years-long phase in which i didn't seek out new music/bands. sure, i'd buy new releases by bands i already liked, but i really didn't get into many "new" bands. anyway...this song kills me. i am really looking forward to seeing them next month. Ticket info here.

PS: thinking about starting a music-only blog/memoir-ish thing in which i recount my past concert and musical experiences. would you read it? i think i need a more focused topic and some sort of goal. just like julie & julia (HA!)

the panda sews: sewing and pillows

2010-03-28T22:26:00.003-05:00

i used a sewing machine for the first time ever over the weekend and ended up with super cute pillows!

sewing (along with knitting and countless other crafts and hobbies) has always been one of those things i've been curious about, and after a few friends got into a google buzz discussion about it, it was decided that carolyn would teach a beginner's class at her house (pillows!). i used a target gift card to purchase a brother sewing machine, and it sat in the box for a few weeks. (side note: i tend to psyche myself out when learning something new like this. "i'm not gonna "get" it!" or "i'm gonna suck!" had it not been for our class on the 27th, the sewing machine would've stayed in the box for weeks. or months). i got to go to textile fabrics on 8th ave to pick out my fabrics - that place has TONS of great stuff, but i settled on a cute squirrel-with-a-buried-nut-treasure print, with an orange pattern to go on the back.

the sewing machine wasn't very complicated, but i still haven't quite gotten the automatic-threading system down. my very first 12X12 pillow was a success!

i decided to try my hand at another pillow today to further hone my skills (i.e. try not to forget the things i learned the night before). i went to hancock fabrics in murfreesboro for more fabric and found a few cute things. i got a brown woodgrain fabric to compliment the squirrel design for pillow #2.

front

back

other hancock fabric purchases

(the one on the left is pretty orla kiely-ish, isn't it? it was only $6.99/yd!)

i really think i could get into this whole sewing thing - looking forward to trying curtains and other things soon!

15/365: backyard

2010-01-15T16:24:00.003-06:00

i started doing a 365-photo-a-day thing on flickr after reading this & this. my buddy alexis is doing it too. i won't post my all my photos here, but i thought this one was a lil' pretty.

i forget that my backyard is a nice place.

15/365: backyard
Originally uploaded by pandaparables

Mister Wister the Time Twister

2010-01-14T11:35:00.002-06:00

i was looking at a japanese website where i saw these cute things -> which prompted me to look up "petit ours brun" -> at which point i learned it was a french cartoon. so then i ->searched for other french cartoons on youtube and found the following video (i just wanted to explain how i ended up here. i love how easy it is to end up random places on the internet.) anyway, this cartoon just exemplifies everything i love about the art of mid-century cartoons.

if you're a fan, be sure to check out Cartoon Modern Blog. I got the book for christmas - yippee!

the Stubborn Cowboy

2010-01-12T11:47:00.001-06:00

please spend the next 6 minutes of your life watching this short cartoon from 1967 - "the stubborn cowboy". it will make you smile, and if it doesn't, i don't know if we can be friends anymore. it's funny to imagine a time when it was perfectly acceptable to show a cartoon figure rolling his own cigarettes.

here's another one called "my daddy the astronaut".

vegetarian matzo ball soup

2010-01-11T08:08:00.001-06:00

since the number of jewish vegetarian readers i have is approximately ≤ 0, i don't really know why i am posting this link. but - i made this vegetarian matzo ball soup over the weekend. this is my first time attempting mazto ball soup (normally the task falls to my catholic dad - go figure - i don't think my jewish mom ever made it). anyway, it turned out ok - it's hard to judge because i am used to the way my dad's tastes, and this is my first time ever eating a tofu-based matzo ball. i actually like matzo balls when they're a little hard, and these were a little too fluffy/soft. but there may have been a critical error on my part (mine didn't do the float/drop thing when i lifted the lid, but after reading the comments on the recipe site, i should've lowered the temperature after putting the lid on the pot). the broth was fantastic. and i also made yeast rolls, but they were gross. too yeasty and no flavor. but it's fun to see dough rise and i'd love to attempt other breads in the future.

my balls, pre-boiling

if you're wondering, "what is matzo ball soup?" - click here.

other traditional jewish food info here

yum sandwich

2010-01-09T13:22:00.003-06:00

I put these halves together for a little sandwich:

earthgrains thin buns + leftover kale pesto sauce sauce + sliced peppadews + smoked havarti + cherry tomatoes + sprouts + avocado = yum sandwich.

(first i put the pesto, peppadews and cheese on the bread & placed in the toaster oven for a few minutes, so it was a little melty and warm. then i topped with the other stuff).

coffee cozy

2010-01-08T08:05:00.003-06:00

i attended a craft night this week and we made reusable coffee sleeves. i was a little nervous because i have no sewing skills whatsoever, but i gave it a shot and here's the end result:

the buttons are there for decoration only (and to hide my bad stitching!)

directions are on the craft nashy blog. if "sloppy fingers haas" (self-imposed nickname) can make this, you can too!

Sweet Potato and Vegetable Soup

2010-01-07T09:18:00.001-06:00

Sweet Potato and Vegetable Soup, from Jeanne Lemlin’s Vegetarian Classics.

1/4 cup olive oil

2 onions, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

6 cups vegetable stock, storebought or homemade *(see below)

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

1 (15 oz) can small white beans, rinsed well and drained

2 cups diced green beans

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground pepper

A few dashes cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil, or ½ teaspoon dried

4 cups frozen corn

1. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté until tender and golden, about 10 minutes.

2. Mix in the tomatoes and stock, and bring to a boil. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except the corn. Return the soup to a boil, lower to a lively simmer, and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the corn and heat through, about 2 minutes.

Homemade Stock – Makes 7 cups

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 onions, roughly chopped

1 bunch scallions, roughly chopped

3 celery ribs, roughly chopped

6 mushrooms, chopped

½ bunch parsley with stems, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

10 cups water

Dash nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, and scallions, and sauté 10 minutes, stirring often.

2. Mix in all the remaining ingredients and bring the stock to a boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Strain the stock through a large strainer or a colander set over a large bowl. With the back of a large spoon, press out as much liquid as possible from the vegetables. Discard the vegetables. Let the stock cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the stock up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.

My Notes:

Making the homemade stock seemed like the logical (and tasty) thing to do, and since I had 2 weeks off of work, I had no excuse not to.
I simmererd the soup for more like 3-4 hours. It was good the day of, but even better the following days.
I used 1 12-oz bag of frozen corn rather than 4 cups - seemed like plenty.
I think the quality of canned tomatoes is important in soups like this, and i am a fan of the Muir Glen Organic brand.

wrap-up of holiday foodstuffs

2010-01-06T19:37:00.004-06:00

i did lots of cooking/baking/treat-making over the holidays - here's a sampling of the recipes - all of this stuff has gotten the seal of approval by me, the mister, and/or members of my family!

the savory:

Pasta With Kale Pesto i was going to make store bought butternut squash ravioli & i was gonna whip up a little sauce w/ sage, brown butter and balsamic vinegar, but the ravioli had all this weird pink stuff on it (?) and i wasn't sure if it was some wacky mold or something, so i had to scrap that plan. but it was raining & cold, and i did not want to go to the store. i did a search for "butternut squash" and "kale" and found this. remarkably we had all the ingredients on hand. it was awesome. i recommend some sort of whole wheat pasta. i plan on tricking my pesto-loving nephew and my picky-eater sister with this to see if they can tell that it's not "real" pesto.

Sun Dried Tomato Spread (adapted from Jeanne Lemlin's "Vegetarian Classics" cookbook) made for christmas eve snackin'

Roasted Root Vegetables made for christmas dinner. first had this at a canadian thanksgiving celebration back in october & got pretty obsessed with them. parsnips rule!

the sweet:

Butterscotch Corn Flake Candy made for christmas eve snackin'. really simple - really good. i like the trader joe's corn flakes because the flakes are smaller than kellogg's.

Lemon Cheesecake with Shortbread Cookie Crust made for a dinner party at our house. i was also responsible for the vegetarian chili, but that was just a bunch of random stuff thrown together in a giant pot (like all good chilis should be).

Cinnamon Crumble Apple Pie made for christmas day dessert. this is my go-to apple pie recipe for thanksgiving too. everyone seems to love it.

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars made for alexis and dave's housewarming/christmas party. a co-worker made these and i freaked the heck out after eating them (in a good way). they were a little mushy when i made them & i imagine they didn't have enough time to firm up before i cut them and brought them to the party.

"grandma's friend julie's rugelach" made for carolyn & david's party, dylan & louisa's party, and the grimeys 10 yr anniversary day. i needed to bring a little jewish/Hanukkah-ness to these holiday gatherings.

the mister got the kitchenaid ice cream maker attachment for christmas, so i aided in the creation of vanilla strawberry ice cream. real vanilla bean KILLS vanilla extract. he also got a german fermenting crock, so we should have some rad sauerkraut in 4-6 weeks. i will also transcribe a really great soup recipe from one of my books - but that will have to wait for another day.
until then - stay warm!

tabbouleh

2009-11-09T12:53:00.001-06:00

i've been eating the heck out of store-bought tabbouleh (from trader joe's), so i thought i'd try making my own. very easy to do, but prepping the parsley is a little time consuming. bulgur can be found in the bulk bins at whole foods (pretty affordable way to buy your grains!) this recipe is adapted from mark bittman's tabbouleh recipe in "how to cook everything vegetarian" (he used more olive oil & scallions instead of red onion).

Tabbouleh

½ cup bulgur

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (or more as needed)

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chopped parsley, leaves and small stems only

1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

½ cup finely diced red onion

several cherry tomatoes, chopped into small pieces

1) soak the bulgur in almost-boiling water until tender, 30-45 minutes. Drain well in a sieve, squeezing out as much water as possible. Toss the bulgur with the oil and lemon juice and season with salt & pepper.

2) Add the parsley, mint, onion and tomatoes and toss gently.

Pumpkin Muffins

2009-11-01T11:39:00.001-06:00

cooking and food blogs are ripe with pumpkin-related recipes this time of year, so now it's my turn to add something. i'm not vegan, but i've been exploring more and more vegan blogs lately (out of boredom and curiosity) and have had luck with a vegan cranberry apple cake in the past. thought i'd try these, from the "post punk kitchen". normally i don't take any liberties or make substituions the first time i bake something, but i made some subs. THEY ARE AWESOME. Perfect texture & consistency. Not super sweet. Perfectly replicates non-vegan baked goods - you wouldn't even know the difference.

Here's what I did:

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup pureed pumpkin (fresh or from a can)
1 tablespoon vanilla soy yogurt
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon "ginger people" syrup + a little bit of molasses (original recipe calls for 2 tbs molasses, i wanted to try that syrup out! I found it at World Market for $2.99. You could probably leave it out altogether...)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F*.
*my oven runs hot, so i had mine set to about 325.
2. Grease muffin tins with vegetable shortening or spray on oil.
3. Sift together dry ingredients (flour through cloves).
4. In a separate bowl, wisk together wet ingredients (pumpkin through molasses).
5. Pour wet into dry and combine. Fill muffin tins 2/3 of the way.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

I also whisked together some softened Neufchatel (1/3 less fat cream cheese), some pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and powdered sugar to spread on top. Kinda like this, but i really just threw things into a bowl...

He says I got to obey him

2009-10-30T22:32:00.004-05:00

The wind blew this note onto my driveway today, which was obviously passed back and forth between two friends. I didn't know teenagers (or pre-teens?) still wrote notes. With pencils and paper. I thought it was all text messages nowadays. The scan didn't really turn out, so I'll transcribe it below. If I can get a decent scan, I may try to submit it to FOUND Magazine. I wish I knew what Chases' letter said.

Chase gave me a letter, but there are some parts that are sort of rude
Can I read it?
Sure.
Wow, thats deep
Yeah. It encourages me a little bit but Chase needs not be so rude on certain parts.
Yeah.
He says I got to obey him and I don't necessarily have to! I love him, but he doesn't need to be rude!! And if he's not rude, I want to kiss him!! But he won't be rude to me!!

awwh. How Long have you been going out?
Since May 22nd

Wow thats a long time.
Yeah. I had known for almost 2 years and now its been over 2 years since I met him
That's awsome. Ive know one of my friends scence we were 7 years old.
Wow. Um, I met somebody and known her since I was 5.
Oh wow. Ive known Mariah scince I was 4.
Really

a few recipes

2009-10-12T08:36:00.003-05:00

I did a bit of baking/cooking this weekend. Both the recipes were well-received, so I thought I'd share:

101 Cookbooks Pineapple Rice

-i used coconut oil. it was only $5-6 at kroger and it doubles as a moisturizer (it's solidified!)
-remarkably, the lowry st kroger in smyrna had seitan (publix doesn't even carry it). it was my first time using it - very good! i may try making my own soon.
-added more red pepper flakes
-everything i've made from 101 cookbooks has been fantastic. very flavor-able and nutritious.

Pinch My Salt Pumpkin Spice Cake

-instead of 3/4 cup canola oil, i used 1/2 cup canola oil & 1/4 cup applesauce. next time i may use all applesauce and light sour cream and then you could even possible deem this to be slightly "healthy".
-i loosely followed her recipe for my jam thumbprint cookies. she's 2 for 2 in my book.

antique store treasures

2009-10-02T13:17:00.013-05:00

the mister & i went to southern indiana to visit with his family & to "get away from it all" for a few days. the antique/thrift/junk stores seem more untouched compared to the places around nashville, plus you can tell the strong european presence in the community based on some of my acquisitions:

wooden finger puppets, still in the original box. made in czechoslovakia

dutch painted shelf/bar (we'll hang it in the kitchen)

plastic tea canister

irish (?) carved wooden monk/saint dudes

green glass owl pitcher and owl trivet

record carrying case (for my future career as a wedding dj -ha!)

holland dairy metal tray

pictures

2009-09-05T13:14:00.004-05:00

how many of you get prints made from your digital photos? i just started thinking about how future generations aren't really going to have the experience of looking at actual tangible photographs. i always loved looking through my parents' photos. granted - we only had 2 photo albums (our early-80s trip to the grand canyon). everything else was in a box in the garage - hundreds and hundreds of rolls of developed film - and we'd pull the box out on occasion and flip through photos. it was fun until we got to the rolls of NASCAR races (my dad, courtney and carrie were into NASCAR for a bit??!!) courtney was always awesome about archiving her pictures. just last week she pulled out tons of photo albums (circa 2001) and we had so much fun going through those. no one ever really gathers around a computer to look at old pictures (right?). i tried to get into the habit of archiving things on flickr, but it's just not the same (plus, i'm already tired of spending $25/yr on that pro account). that being said, i feel like i should start getting prints made of some of my favorite digital photos. also... i know that CD-R's don't last forever. and finally, i haven't even gotten prints of my wedding photos, and that was 3.5 years ago.

swap em if you got em

2009-09-03T14:24:00.005-05:00

i'm getting ready to sound like i'm getting paid to promote this (i'm obviously not) - but i cannot recommend swaptree enough. if you have any books, dvds, cds or games that you're no longer into, you put them on your "have" list. and then you make a "want" wish list. and they find trades for you. you pay the postage to mail away your trade - it's so easy. i've gotten several awesome cookbooks (moosewood, cooking light) out of it. i like to keep most of my books after i've read them, so i've been keeping my eyes open at the goodwill and buying trade-able books for a buck or two (mostly best seller-ish stuff) and that's mainly where my "have" list comes from. my best trade yet - a cd for this! SCORE! (but...i haven't really been playing my ds lately, so who knows when i'll start playing this. seems like i've taken to exercising in my 'free' time, which yields better results than my hand cramping up from too much tetris.)

new desk!

2009-08-18T08:22:00.005-05:00

i've been trying to straighten up the office (again...) after R was able to move out some of his music gear. we put about half our CD collection away in storage boxes and the next task: replace our glass top desk with a different desk. i didn't know what exactly i wanted - just something old and cool. so i've been perusing craigslist daily in hopes that i would find "it" and if i found "it", "it" would still be available. i saw an ad for a vintage steel tanker desk and the guy responded quickly. still available! AND...he was willing to deliver (for free!). that's a major score because we don't have easy access to a truck AND the desk is heavy as . he meticulously brought the desk in the house with furniture dollies and packing blankets and was awesome about it all. (the last time someone hauled something into our house {new fridge} they managed to scrape the pergo floor, rip the linoleum in the kitchen, chip the concrete on the porch and bang up for the door frame). so i was so impressed and grateful with the way he brought this behemoth of a desk into our home.

i love it. it's all mad men-y and awesome. we have lots of clashing greens and turquoises in the room now, so i need to figure out how to tie it all in. i still need to file away all my goodies into the 7 (!) drawers.

i have always had a deep rooted love for desks and stationery supplies (i'm channeling my grandpa butch). stamps, pens, papers, staplers, typewriters, tape, erasers. i love it all. i still have some work to do in the office, so i'll be sure to post more pictures when it's finished.

-website w/ restored steel furniture
-and another one

New Purse!

2009-08-06T23:06:00.003-05:00

I'm never going to be able to afford an Orla Kiely bag, so I settled for this Fossil knock-off version. $24 on sale at Dillards!
I'm not the sort of girl who changes purses and handbags daily (even monthly...or yearly). I use the same darn purse regardless of if it's "in style" or "in season" or whatever. So expect to see this draped over my shoulder for the next 12 months (at least!) A fond farewell to the corduroy flowery bag that Carolyn got me last year...I'll miss you, bottomless, buttoned purse!

my husband, the style maven

2009-06-16T19:05:00.003-05:00

as featured on style.com, in their "capturing the scene at bonnaroo" photo album. he's so hip! and cute! this is likely to be the only fashion-related post i ever make:

hooray for carolyn!

2009-06-11T10:50:00.005-05:00

My pal Carolyn's awesome bookshelf is featured on design sponge today... I am so proud of my super-crafty friend (and jealous of all of her tchotchkes)!

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/06/before-after-hollys-built-ins-carolyns-bookshelf.html

i hear a symphony

2009-06-08T22:23:00.006-05:00

separated at birth: nashville symphony conductor giancarlo guerrero and mad men actor bryan batt (salvatore).

i went to see the nashville symphony with my dad saturday night. they did a schumann piano concerto and rimsky-korsakov's scheherazade. it was SO RAD. aside from the separated-at-birth thing, i noticed a few things:

as far as 'fans' are concerned, there's no real diffrence between classical and rock enthusiasts. a girl at our table talked about one of the cellists and the conductor the same way i gush about paul from the walkmen. she noted their enthusiasm and passion and was so excited when the symphony started.
cellos are rad. i like pizzacato strings.
i kind of miss playing percussion. the music-reading, the practices, the concerts. that was a serious part of my life for 10 (!) years, and even though i always just did it "for fun", i still miss the camradarie of playing in a band/drumline/ensemble.
christopher cross is doing a 3-night stint with the symphony in may 2010.
i really don't know much about classical music. i'm familair with a few pieces, but i'd like to learn more. rollum's been obsessed with holst's "neptune" lately. also, neptune in general. that's the picture on our desktop right now.
classical music must've done something right, since it's managed to stay around for so long.
if you ever get the chance to go see the nashville symphony, DO IT. in fact, you should MAKE the chance to go see them. not sure how much normal tickets are though. our seats were free, so i guess that's easy for me to say.
you could get food from a buffet and bring it to your table. i felt kinda funny eating a caprese salad and tortellini as the music was playing.
i'm so ignorant about wine, that i was surprised that my white zinfandel was pink. now i know. (brandon: teach me).
after scheherezade finished, it was absolutely silent for about 5 seconds before they put down their bows and everyone started to clap. no one even coughed. it was a nice moment.

Kasha!

2009-06-05T09:47:00.003-05:00

(picture: from the internet)

maybe it's because i'm half jewish. or maybe my distant russian heritage. but this is one of the best comfort foods imaginable. and it doesn't even involve cheese! this is really easy and delicious. don't be afraid of kasha. it rules. (recipe from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Kasha-Varnishkes-at-Wolffs-in-New-Jersey-40010)

Kasha Varnishkes at Wolff's in New Jersey

Ingredients
2 large onions, sliced in rounds
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
1 large egg or egg white, slightly beaten
1 cup medium or coarse kasha
2 cups water or bouillon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 pound large or small bow tie-shaped noodles
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (optional)

Preparation
1. Sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of the margarine or chicken fat in a heavy frying pan with a cover until golden. Remove to a plate.
2. Beat the egg in a small mixing bowl and stir in the kasha. Mix, making sure all the grains are coated. Put the kasha in the same frying pan, set over a high heat. Flatten, stir, and break up the egg-coated kasha with a fork or wooden spoon for 2 to 4 minutes or until the egg has dried on the kasha and the kernels brown and mostly separate.
3. Add the water or bouillon, salt, and pepper to the frying pan and bring to a boil. Add the onions, cover tightly, and cook over low heat, steaming the kasha for 10 minutes. Remove the cover, stir, and quickly check to see if the kernels are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. If not, cover and continue steaming for 3 to 5 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the bow-tie noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain.
5. When the kasha is ready, combine with the noodles. Adjust the seasoning, sprinkle with the parsley and coriander. If desired, add a bit more margarine or chicken fat.

Gocco'd Thank You Cards

2009-06-01T20:56:00.004-05:00

I made these dudes last night, as my contribution for this Gocco card swap.
This is my first time participating in something like this, and I can't wait to see what I get! I need to find a better resource for blank notecards. The ones from Target and Michael's don't really cut it anymore (I used gold-lined Martha Stewart cards from Michael's, and they were $5.99 for 8!) There's gotta be a more affordable way to do it...But I think it looks pretty cute with the gold ink.

In other news, we started a little raised bed garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and lettuce. I've also got an herb {container} garden on the back porch. Having it has made me feel more settled in this house. We've entertained the idea of {trying to} sell this place in Smyrna and move closer to town, maybe Donelson. Get a 50s brick home with a basement. But because of the housing "situation", I don't know if this is a horrible idea or a good one. So I'm afraid to move forward with anything, even calling the mortgage company. We can be so wishy-washy.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

2009-03-28T10:34:00.005-05:00

Rollum loves these bad boys, so this recipe is my attempt at re-creating them. I bought some almond meal at Trader Joe's last week, so I did a google search for "almond meal thumbprint" and this recipe was first on the list, courtesy of a cute little food blog called pinch my salt. I pretty much followed her recipe (which was actually based on another thumbprint cookie recipe), but see below for the changes I made (to flours & extracts). There's as many jam-filled cookie recipes as there are stars in the sky, but this one turned out pretty darn well - really easy, not a lot of ingredients (i had everything on hand except for raspberry jam), and delicious. They're not really the sort of cookies you want to eat right out of the oven & were a lot better the next day.

Jam Thumbprints

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup almond meal (trader joe's is way cheaper than bob's red mill)
1/2 cup (or so...) of whatever jam suits your fancy. (i combined about 1/4 cup apricot preserves & 1/4 cup raspberry jam)

1. Using a mixer, cream together butter, sugar, vanilla and almond extract until light and fluffy.
2. Whisk together flours and almond meal, then add to butter mixture and blend well.
3. Shape dough into a log, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350.
5. Lightly butter cookie sheet(s) and line with parchment paper. Roll about a teaspoon of dough into a ball & place on cookie sheet. Make an indendation with your thumb in the center of the ball.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool on wire rack.
7. Fill cookies with jam and enjoy!

gocco baby shower invites

2009-03-20T22:57:00.005-05:00

my sister carrie is hosting a baby shower in a few weeks, and i had the opportunity to design and create the invites using my gocco. the mom-to-be likes baby elephants, so i doodled the little dude on the invite. i played around with fonts and was going to use the "boring joined" font for the whole thing (it's the font i used for their names), but it looked better to split it up with the helvetica. the picture doesn't really show the colors too well - i used 4X6 single-panel cards in light blue, light green and a few in white (just in case...) with the dark blue/navy gocco ink. i blurred out pertinent info in case carrie has any stalker-ish ex-boyfriends that happen to visit my blog (ha ha).

to veg or not to veg

2009-03-19T21:20:00.003-05:00

i am debating going vegetarian. i've been a proud meat eater all my life. i love hot dogs and my dad's meatloaf, meatballs, and beef stew. but a few weeks ago, i ate a greasy cheeseburger at rotiers and haven't touched red meat since. i know those burgers are supposed to be greasy - that's what makes them good - but i just felt pretty horrible after i ate it. the past few weeks, i've had a bit of chicken and some turkey sandwiches from subway, but i (think i) could happily leave those behind with no problem. (i'd miss bacon more than i would chicken). so now i'm grappling with the decision: go full-on with vegetarianism, or don't label myself as anything, and if i want an occasional turkey-bacon-avocado sandwich, i'll have one?

kind of related: i'm involved in a "biggest loser" competition at work. it began the first of the year, with official weigh-ins once a month, and i've lost about 10 lbs. For the first time ever, i feel like i'm approaching weight loss in a healthy manner. i've never had an eating disorder or anything, but i've tried the south beach diet several times and it ends up doing more harm than good. i realize i'm not willing to choose to have the will power necessary for maintaining such a strict diet:
do phase one --> lose 6 lbs in a week --> follow diet for a few weeks --> stop diet --> gain it back + some.
now it's different. i've been consistently (well, 90% of the time...) using www.thedailyplate.com, entering the foods i eat and the exercise i do/calories i burn. it makes me think twice before eating an oreo every time i pass by the package on the coffee table. BUT, i've also allowed myself to indulge in pizza & sweets, as long as i stay within my calories for the day. it makes me look at the big picture - if i know i'm going out for mexican food for dinner, i'll eat salads and other healthy food that day. or i'll walk on the treadmill for an extra 30 minutes. i've become more aware about just how bad most (restaurant and package) food is, with all the high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils.

last thing i want to do is become preachy though. but i can tell the habits i'm picking up now are the right ones. and the weight loss (as slow as it has been) that has resulted is only an added bonus. i didn't enter the contest at work to win a lot of money (there's monthly $ to be had, as well as the overall grand prize in june). if so, i'd have been on the south beach bus weeks ago, depriving myself of bread and pasta and sorbet. no fun. i'm actually enjoying exercising. now that the weather is nice, i've been taking daily 2 mile walks around my neighborhood. went back to yoga tonight for the first time in weeks (schedule conflicts and that regrettable ingrown toenail kept me from going for awhile).

i'll try to update the blog with my progress over the next couple months. until then, i may post some recipes and stuff...

almond joy

2009-03-12T10:08:00.008-05:00

almonds and almond-related products rule. lately, i've been enjoying:

almond milk with my cereal (corn flakes + muesli)

trader joe's spicy & tangy almonds (flavored with tabasco sauce and lemon juice. it's weird that i like these so much, because i don't really like the flavor of tabasco. go figure. but these nuts are good.)

i haven't tried almond butter, but i'm sure i'd like it. i'd also like to get some almond flour and try baking with it.

hooray for almonds!

Find the Common Link

2009-01-08T21:13:00.009-06:00

what do these five movies have in common? find the common link!

if you said "movies you've watched in the past two weeks", you are correct! our normal dvd viewing consists of a constant rotation of 'freaks and geeks' and 'arrested development'. together, rollum and i never romantic comedies. rarely action movies. 'darjeeling' is the only "regular" one out of the bunch. here's what i discovered though: i can watch all the romantic comedies i want as long as i rub rollum's feet while doing so. and i'll watch action movies as long as we eat oatmeal cookies while doing so (but seriously, mel gibson does a fine job in that movie! that scene in his trailer when he's about to...you know...totally oscar-worthy!) other thoughts: 'dan in real life' is really lame. 'flashdance' is an inappropriate film for a 6-year-old (my dad co-wrote a song in the movie, so i saw it in the theater when it first came out. i recall there were no open seats so i had to sit in the aisle).

ps: we combined christmas money gifts and got a new 32" flat screen. hence the increased movie viewing. that, and my 2-week vacation from work.

2008 in review

2008-12-31T14:27:00.006-06:00

it's been a heck of a year, and i can't say that i'm sad to say it's over. a lot of people i care about experienced various forms of weirdness, illness and death in their lives. it created an air of negativity for most of the year. i don't want to get into it anymore than that.

but some good things happened too. rollum & i took a much-needed vacation to barbados. the features released their album. obama won! and so did my dad, as secretary treasurer for the nashville musician's union. we checked some things off our house to-do list (painted the bathroom, hired mark to paint the living room). got to spend another week in california. so...not all negative.

it was also the year of weddings. i attended SEVEN in 08. they were all lovely!

favorite albums of the year:
-the walkmen 'you and me'
-the features 'some kind of salvation'

i only remember seeing one movie this year - the batman one. maybe i saw more, i just can't remember...i also can't remember if i read any books? i know i read the new david sedaris one. and 'life of pi'.

i suppose i could share my resolutions for 09, but i haven't quite thought about them yet. yes, the typical eat better/exercise more. get out of that mountain of debt. spend more time doing creative-ish things. i'm also in the process of becoming a 'big sister' for big brothers big sisters, so i am excited about that.

i wish everyone health and happiness. here's to 2009!