let's make something!

Let's Make Lasagna Rollups

2012-01-08T16:30:00.003-06:00

Chicken & Spinach Lasagna Rollups with a Mixed Spring Greens and Cherry Tomato Salad

Today I was inspired by Pinterest to make some lasagna rollups for Sunday dinner. These are just lasagna pasta rolled up with filling rather than layered. The original recipe calls for ricotta, Parmesan, and chicken only, but I added chopped frozen spinach, one cooked & diced carrot, and oregano. I ran out of chicken mixture and had to make 4 of them with ricotta, Parmesan, and "mixed Italian cheeses."

Lasagna rollups standing upright and ready to be topped with marinara.

The original recipe has the rollups laying "flat" with the seams at the bottom. I thought it looked nicer with the rollups standing upright. I was a bit concerned the cheese might soften too much while cooking and slide out the bottom but it didn't; works perfectly. Before you put the rollups in the baking dish, spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom to keep them from sticking.

Before baking . . .

Top with sauce and cheese, and bake in a 375-400F oven for about 30 minutes, or until the lasagna is hot and the cheese is bubbly.

After baking!

Salad of spring greens and cherry tomatoes with lasagna rollups.

I served my lasagna with a simple salad of mixed spring greens and sliced cherry tomatoes, dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette, and sprinkled with a bit of Parmesan cheese. I made about 15 rollups using this method, so it helps if you need to prepare a lot of lasagna in a small baking dish. This recipe made plenty of leftover rollups which will make a perfect Monday lunch (and dinner).

Let's Decorate for Xmas

2011-12-09T12:09:00.004-06:00

On my walk home from a sandwich last weekend, I spied some overgrown holly hedges outside an abandoned hotel and used my trusty pocket knife to prune a big branch. I took the branch home and stuck it in an old lamp base. Ta da! A seasonal flower arrangement that doesn't need water and won't turn brown for weeks.

I lucked out: this lamp base looks sort of like a snowy evergreen tree or pinecone.

DIY Simple, Season-long Flower Arrangement

1 lamp base with shade and guts removed
1 big-ish holly branch
Pruning shears, knife, saw; as needed

Prune/trim the branch and leaves as needed to fit and remain standing in the lamp base without tipping over. Alternately, this could also work with a naked branch which could then be spray painted any color or texture (glitter), decorated with tiny ornaments, lit with tiny LED lights, and/or without any adornment be a nice decorative piece any time.

Let's Go Shopping: The Day That Must Not Be Named

2011-11-29T12:20:00.004-06:00

In spite of not at all enjoying crowds of tryptophan-addled shopping zombies all trying to suck the brain juices from the same item, I did go shopping on The Day That Must Not Be Named . . . . but to some thrift stores and JoAnn's.

From l to r: Master Book of Bonsai compiled by the Directors of the Japan Bonsai Association, An Easy Guide to Japanese Flower Arranging Styles by Lida Webb, Under the Trees and Through the Grass by Alvin Tresselt, Mister Penny's Circus by Marie Hall Ets, Betty Crocker's Paries for Children, Swimmy by Leo Lionni, Know the Stars by H. A. Rey, The Egg Tree by Katherin Milhous, Gardening with Terrariums and Sand Sculpture by Rex E. Mabe, Cutco Cook Book by Margaret Mitchell (I assume not the ghost of the same Margaret Mitchell who wrote Gone with the Wind)

Thrift stores were not playing around. One I went to: everything 50% off. Here is where I bought a bunch of books. I have a real serious fondness for old children's books, especially from the 1960's, with neat-o illustrations -- they are great sources of inspiration.

Murder! and Burglary

Betty Crocker's Parties for Children is extremely amusing to me. From 1964, this book has some really terrific illustrations. Among the party game ideas are Murder and Burglary.

Caveman and cavewoman, smoking pig, children fondling sausages, chicken otolaryngologist

The Cutco Cook Book from 1961 also has amusing illustrations. I particularly like the smoking pig.

Things nearly organized neatly

At another thrift store I got some rick rack, felt Halloween stickers, and vintage souvenir patches.

From l to r, back row: Andrea Katz Objects for Vogue patterns V1102, Donna Karan for Vogue patterns V1220, Butterick Double-breasted coat B5685, Butterick gloves B5695, Stitcher's Revolution Roaring into the 20s SR14. From l to right, front row: fat quarters, DMC floss, elastic threaders, loop turner, fat quarters.

Technically, I went to Joann's on Saturday but the shopping mood was the same. I picked up a few patterns, some embroidery thread, and some fat quarters, but most excitingly, a loop turner tool and a set of elastic threading tools. You don't really need a loop turner or elastic threader (you can use a safety pin) but these tools do make doing those things easier and the price was right. Merry Xmas to me.

I've decided I want to tackle making a quilt -- a simple patchwork quilt to start. Have you ever made a quilt? No? Let's make one together! (Unless I realize quickly I wasn't put on this Earth to make quilts, I plan to write about my attempt.)

Finally, have you been living under a rock in a cave on Mars, or have you heard of Pinterest? If you like crafty-makey anything, you'll love it. Pinterest website where you can curate virtual pin boards for any theme. You can add new pins of your own or repin from others boards. I feel like crafts, fashion, and foods are probably the most popular types of boards but there are also boards for art, travel . . . everything. Lately, I've been lovingly working on my Xmas board and it's given me a lot of ideas. Feel free to follow me!

Let's Make an Advent Calendar

2011-11-28T09:00:00.094-06:00

An advent calendar garland created with origami balloons.

I first came to know of Advent calendars when I lived in Germany as a little kid in the late 80s. Let me tell you, the Germans make awesome Advent calendars. Usually they are filled with chocolate but I once had an Advent calendar filled with tiny toys. I have one tiny toy left from that calendar: a little robot/alien charm.

The only surviving tinker toy from my super awesome German advent calendar. He's a little robot or alien (I think) charm.

Last week I got the idea to make an Advent calendar garland using origami balloons. Origami balloons are really easy to make and study enough to hold a few pieces of candy or tinker toys. The fold makes and encapsulated cube but on one side is a slit in which small candies or toys can easily be slipped in side. Let's get started!

You Will NeedString or ribbon
24 pieces of paper measuring 8"x8"
Small individually wrapped candies, tinker toys, or whatever small things to fit in your balloons
Bone folder or spoon, optional
Hole punch and string -OR- binder clips

An origami balloon [instructions here] is one of the easiest things to fold. Basically, every fold you make on one side, you make on the other side.

The key to folding nice origami is creating clean, crisp folds. To do this, it's helpful to have a bone folder which is a tool that helps make sharp creases. You can also use the back of a spoon, or just your fingernail.

To beigin, I made a template 8"x8" square. Keep in mind that whatever size your square is, your cube will be 1/4 that size on each side, so an 8"x8" square will make a 2"x2"x2" cube.

Use the template to trace and cut 24 squares and then fold 24 balloons. I won't lie — folding 24 of these things takes time.

If you have to push your balloons into shape, I suggest you start on this end (the end with no hole).

I used heavy weight scrapbook paper. Because of its weight I couldn't just blow into the form to create the 3D shape. If you use a heavier weight paper you will have to carefully push the form into shape. I suggest you start with the pointed end that does not have the hole. Push this into shape. Then push the other end into shape. Lightly press each edge so that it forms a nice line and creates a neat cube.

Chocolate and toys go here.

Next slip the prizes inside. My 2"x2" balloons were easily able to hold 4 Hershey's miniature candies.

✿ Tip: If you use Reese's mini cups, it's easier to slip inside a cube this size right side up. Kisses go in easiest pointy end first.

1) Thread the elastic through the hole. 2) Loop and secure to twine. 3) Loop again and catch the twine in the loop; secure. 4) Finish by tying a bow.

Now attach the balloons to your string. I used a 1/16" hole punch and tie them on with metallic coated elastic cord. Space them out along the string evenly. Then you just need to hang the garland and start counting down the days until Xmas!

Don't just watch TV -- let's make something!

✿ Notes ✿
The type of paper you use is up to you. However, physics comes into play a lot when folding paper. You can really only fold a piece of paper so many times before it won't fold anymore (or falls apart).

If you choose a paper that is very lightweight (20# bond -- like wrapping paper or cheap printer paper) the form is easier to fold and inflate, BUT one side is apt to droop under the weight of the candy.

If you choose a heavier paper (60# - 80# -- swank printer paper/resume rag), the form will be harder to fold after so many folds and will not inflate like a balloon but require you to do as I did -- push the form into shape -- BUT when you put the prizes inside, the form will stay neatly square.

DO NOT use card stock. It's not worth the trouble unless you're going to make a really, really big balloon and use clamps to create crisp edges.

There is a sweet spot when it comes to the size of square (6"-10"-ish). Too small: harder to fold and manipulate, candy won't fit. Too large: your paper may droop and the shape may not hold so well.

You can add numbers to the balloons.

Let's Cook Squash: Sweet Pumpkin

2011-11-15T09:41:00.005-06:00

Turban squash with eyes and a shy pie pumpkin (l) and examples of fruit with buboes (r).

I bought some small weird squash to pal around with Mr. Pumpkin (amazingly still around). Spaghetti squash, turban squash, [pie] pumpkin, and two ornamental squash: one yellow with wings and one black with bumps. Woogly eyes!

Roasted pumpkin cooling on a rack.

Pie pumpkin is the kind of pumpkin one uses to make . . . . pie. They are smaller and sweeter than carving pumpkins. It's typically roasted first which causes the sugars inside to cook and ooze out of the exposed flesh: pumpkin syrup.

How to Roast Pumpkin
Heat oven to 375F. Slice off the very top of the pumpkin to remove the stem. Cut the pumpkin into quarters. Scoop and scrape away the goop and seeds inside (save the seeds!). Place pumpkin skin side own in a cookie sheet and roast for 45 minutes.

Once the pumpkin is roasted the skin peels away easily.

Allow to cool so try can be handled. Peel away the skin which comes away easily.

Chop the flesh into cubes and either purée in a food processor adding just a tiny bit of water if needed, OR chop and mince finely by hand which is what I did.

Roasted pumpkin seeds.

What to do with the seeds: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pull the seeds away from the goop and rinse them in a strainer. Pick out all strings and goopy bits. Drain and dry seeds with paper towels. Spread seeds on a baking sheet, sprinkle a bit of salt over them, and bake at 300 for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Neat thing about roasted pumpkin seeds: you can eat the shells.

What the hell do you do with it now?
I did two things: tamale pie and . . . pumpkin pie.

Tamale pie.

Tamale pie is a casserole made with chili and corn bread batter. Basically, you put the chili in the bottom of a casserole dish, top it with corn bread batter, and bake it until the batter is done. The corn bread cooks up moist and delicious and not unlike a tamale (a bit drier). I added 1/2 cup of pumpkin to my corn bread batter. Tamale pie goes excellently with salsa, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream, plain yogurt, or some peppery-spicy something.

What does that do? It adds moisture, density, and color to the bread. Also it adds additional nutrients. Also it makes use of the left over 1/2 cup of pumpkin I/you did/may have in preparation for the next recipe.

Pumpkin Pie

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients
2C pumpkin purée
3/4-1C sugar
2T brown sugar
8 oz (1 block) cream cheese, softened
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4C warm milk
2T butter, room temperature
1t vanilla extract
1.5t cinnamon
1/2t allspice
1/2t nutmeg
1 prepared pie shell

Add spices and extract to pumpkin and combine. Combine sugars, cream cheese, butter, egg, and milk. Fold pumpkin mixture into cream cheese mixture. Pour into pie shell and bake at 375F for 50 minutes. Allow to cool before serving (if served warm, it will have a fluffy texture). Refrigerate.

Pie Notes:
• You can warm up your milk with 3-4 whole cloves to add more flavor. Remove them before using the milk in the pie (°_o)
• I topped my pie with chopped walnuts before baking.

Let's Make a Moon Burger

2011-10-01T10:00:00.079-05:00

Currently, McDonald's Japan is offering a burger called Tsukimi Burger or Moon-Viewing Burger -- or Moon Burger if you ask Google Translate -- in honor of autumn moon-viewing. I know this because one thing I like to do is see what interesting things US food chains offer in other countries. McDonald's are tailored to the food norms of wherever it is located and McDonald's Japan probably has the best offerings. To this, I am often totally baffled at what Japan gets and the US does not. For example, McDonald's Japan has this potato and bacon hashbrown thing. I'm telling you right now that Americans will eat potatoes and bacon combined together and fried.

I digress.

McDonald's Japan

Moon Burger. A Moon Burger is a burger with an egg, bacon, and Aurora sauce (or "Aurora source," as translated from Japanese if you ask Google Translate) and frankly, that sounds awesome.

In truth, I wasn't sure what aurora sauce (with video) is, but it is just Béchamel sauce (with video) with cream and tomato paste. It's supposed to look like the pink dawn sky and is often served with eggs. I highly recommend watching these videos on making Béchamel sauce and aurora sauce if you are unfamiliar with making roux and creating sauces, and because the woman who creates the sauces calls herself The Sauceress and she explains the process very well.

Let's make a moon burger.

Ingredients
Makes 4 Moon Burgers
1 C Aurora sauce
1 lb ground meat (turkey, beef, whatever)
half onion, chopped (you can use the other half to make the Béchamel sauce)
about 8 slices cooked bacon
4 hamburger buns
4 eggs
Salt and pepper

First, make your Béchamel sauce. Following this make the aurora sauce. Set aside.

Béchamel sauce on the right, aurora sauce on the left.

Brown the onion. Allow to cool (now would be a good time to cook the bacon if you haven't) and add to ground meat and mix. Add a little salt and pepper. (You can add whatever you like to the meat to make the sort of burger you enjoy -- so if you hate onion, leave it out -- just make four burgers.) Form into 4 patties and cook to your liking.

While you're making the burgers, make your eggs. You can cook the eggs how ever you wish: fried, over easy, poached . . .

At McDonald's the eggs are fried in a ring to produce a perfectly round shape that easily fits onto a sandwich. It isn't necessary to make a round egg -- just make an egg egg.

If you want a round egg and you don't have egg rings, you can use a metal biscuit/cookie cutter about the size of your bun (any shape; doesn't have to round) or pancake rings. I've also seen forum discussions where people used metal cans (like tuna fish cans) with both ends removed and canning rings. If it's heat proof and food safe, you can probably use it.

Just grease the skillet (make sure it has as smooth bottom or the egg will seep out under the ring), let it heat up (also prevents the egg seeping out of the ring), slip the egg in the ring, and cook until set. If you add a tiny bit of water around the rings and cover the skillet with a lid, the eggs will cook more quickly and evenly (this is basically poaching).

You can also just microwave the eggs in a bowl about the size of your bun (don't use a bowl that is too deep, narrow or your egg won't cook all the way -- the depth of the egg should be under 2 inches). Grease the bowl, slip the egg in, prick the yolk a few times with a tooth pick, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for about 1-2 minutes. Leave the egg in the microwave and let the white set. You may have to experiment with this because the wattage of microwaves vary.

Now assemble your moon burger: bun bottom, burger, egg, bacon, aurora sauce, bun top. VOILA!

Aurora Sauce

Let's Read: Volume 1, Issue 1

2011-09-29T11:35:00.007-05:00

Tuesday I picked up two books: I Am Maru and Cake Pops. Apparently, this is the week I buy books from entities made famous by the Internet.

The many faces of Maru.

I Am Maru by mugumogu is the first Maru book (there is a second, Japanese-only, book). Maru is an adorable prick-eared Scottish Fold cat from Japan with a strong fondness for boxes who has his own You Tube channel. The book is just a few of the blog posts and You Tube videos discussed with some additional photographs, but it's still extremely cute and worth picking up if you like adorable things. For me the best part of the book is the floor plan of Maru's apartment because I've often been curious as to how that space is laid out.

Wipe your chin.

Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats by Bakerella is the Bakerella cake pop book. Bakerella is the pseudonym/nom de plume for blogger, Angie Dudley, who writes the baking blog Bakerella. I've mentioned Bakerella in the past when I made cheesecake balls.

The Bakerella book is similar to the Maru book in that is basically the blog/online presence condensed into book. While this is somewhat redundant with the Maru book, it really works with the Bakerella book as you don't have to be online to reference the site if you're making cake balls. The book is nicely laid out with the first half being about the basics of creating different types of cake balls, and the second half being instructions for creating different themed cake balls. The book is spiral bound so it lays flat making it easier to use in the kitchen.

Either of these books would make an excellent gift (Christmas is practically tomorrow). I sort of justified buying them because my birthday is coming up, but honestly, you never need to justify buying books.

Let's Make Toast Cups

2011-09-16T12:42:00.012-05:00

I found the idea for toast cups on Martha Stewart. They are really easy to make and the ingredients can be changed to fit whatever tastes or pantry permits.

What I Used
Yields 2

2 slices whole wheat bread
melted butter
2 eggs
2 T cheese
2 slices cooked turkey bacon
2 tiny yellow tomatoes, stem ends trimmed and sliced in half
1 stalk green onion, chopped
salt and pepper

For the most part I followed the original directions. Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter each cup of the muffin tin.

Trim the crust from the bread and flatted it, but don't bother with cutting it out with a round cookie cutter. Just brush a small amount of butter on each side and pressed each slice into a space on the tin.

For each cup use one slice of bacon. Break the pointed ends off the bacon and crumble the rest into the cup. Add 1 T cheese to each cup. Break one egg into each cup. Add sliced tomatoes and green onion. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until the eggs are just set.

Let's Press

2011-09-13T12:55:00.004-05:00

Do you know what a cast iron panini press is good for?

Pressing tofu!

If you have a cast iron panini press you can use it to press the moisture out of tofu. Just wrap the tofu in paper towels (or a lint-free dish towel -- here I have a non-lint-free towel on the bottom and the tofu wrapped in paper towels) and place the panini press on top. Ta da!

Let's Update: African Violets

2011-08-16T16:22:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about how to make African violets from cuttings. In that entry I said that it is easily possible for damaged leaves to make successful cuttings and I want to back that up with photographic evidence.

Some of the large outer leaves of this violet were damaged at the nursery, most likely from rough handling, but as you can see, they rooted just the same and now these cuttings are ready to be potted.

In other news, I've been saving these Greek yogurt containers as a first container for my violet cuttings. African violets prefer wide, shallow pots and these containers seem to be the perfect size and shape for young violets -- just drill a hole in the bottom. See the stack in the background? I anticipate being inundated with baby violets. What the hell am I gong to do with 25+ violet plants?

Let's Make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

2011-08-13T10:41:00.006-05:00

These little baked gems are extremely addictive so I've been making them a lot lately. They have the perfect ratio of soft, chewy cookie to cookie with some tooth thanks to the bits of peanut and oats. If you want to take some calories out, just reduce the sugar to 3/4 C. You can also substitute vanilla extract for almond, but the almond extract enhances the nutty taste.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

adapted from Joy of Baking

3/4 C extra crunchy peanut butter

3/4 C unsalted butter, room temperature

1 C packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 t almond extract

3/4 cup all-purpose whole wheat flour

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/2 t ground cinnamon

3.5 C old-fashioned rolled oats

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, sugar, egg, and almond extract. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and combine thoroughly. Add the oats a cup at a time and combine until even.

Chill the mixture for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use two spoons to drop dough on a cookie sheet; space 1.5". Bake 10-12 minutes (the edges should be done but the centers should be slightly shiny). Remove and allow to rest on the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely before storing.

Let's Make a Cushion

2011-07-05T16:36:00.005-05:00

Let's make this

I have a pretty crappy desk chair. It's really a dining chair. This is how I made a custom-fit cushion for it using materials I had on hand. I won't say it's the correct or best method but I did make a very decent looking cushion in 10 steps.

Three Points of Interest:

• I used to have one of those terrible egg crate-style mattress pads that I nabbed from my late grandmother's old house a few years ago. I remember my grandparents being particularly impressed and devoted to egg crate stuff -- they also had pillows. The one I got was brand-new, never-been-opened. I'd been using it for about two years. (It was the most pathetic thing to put on top of a mattress.)

The other day I thought I'd wash it. I had done this in the past with great success but I forgot to use a low setting in the dryer and a hole burned out of the center. This is what I used for the foam in my chair cushion.

• My sewing machine is on the fritz so I'm going to sew the cover by hand.

• The cushion I'm going to make consists of a layered foam core and a zippered cover with ties.

• Wash and press your fabric before sewing.

Materials
Upholstery or other sturdy fabric
Upholstery thread
Upholstery or other heavy duty needle
Zipper (~18")
Scissors
Paper
Ruler
Markers
Straight pins

Step 1: First I created a pattern based on the shape of the seat of the chair. I did this by using a large sheet of paper and tracing the shape of the seat in two sections, cleaning up the edges, and piecing the two parts together. I took that base shape and added 0.5" allowance. This creates the pattern for the cover.

Step 2: I retraced the seat shape to create a pattern for the foam. I traced the pattern on to the foam with Sharpie and cut out 6 layers.

Step 3: Determine how thick you need the gusset to be. I want a 4" deep cushion so I made a 5" gusset pattern piece (the zippered portion will need to be 5.5"). I divided my gusset into two parts: the zippered section that goes around the back curve and the longer portion that will go around the front and sides of the cushion. Use a measuring tape to determine the length you need and add 1".

Step 4: I created the zippered portion first. Cut the strip in half and stitch in the zipper using upholstery thread (which is used throughout this project).

Step 5: Using the cover pattern, cut two pieces of fabric to create the top and bottom of the cover.

Step 6: Find the center of the cover pieces and longer gusset piece and pin together. Stitch the pieces together. Pin on the zippered portion.

Step 7: Unzip the zipper about 3" (this will make it easier to unzip from the reverse side). Sew the sides to the top and bottom. Unzip and turn it right-side-out. Insert cushion. If you use layers, it's easier to insert one layer at a time.

Step 8: Using a strip of fabric about 30" long and 2" wide, press the fabric to make the ties: Fold the fabric in half and press. hen unfold and refold each half in half and press. Fold the halves together and stitch closed. I used blanket stitch. (Confused? That's okay. You're basically making something like bias tape.)

Step 9: I want a contrasting finish so used straight stitch along the top and bottom seam. This will also also reinforce my inner stitching since I used straight stitch.

Step 10: Fold each tie in half and sew into the corner. Stitch the gap closed. I used a matching thread and hidden stitch.

Ta da!

Let's Stick

2011-06-17T11:58:00.009-05:00

I've been using this magnet I made using an big button to hold straight pins while I sew. I store it in the jar with the pins.

I got this orange fabric button in a big bag of thrifted old sewing notions. I removed the hook on the back, lined it with a scrap of blue fabric, glued on the magnet and put it on the fridge but it made a terrible refrigerator magnet.

Let's Make African Violets

2011-06-14T09:00:00.003-05:00

Making African violet cuttings is the easiest thing. You just need a healthy African violet plant and a few glass jars. The leaf cuttings sprout in water.

You Will Need

African violet plant

scissors

small glass jars

water

Cut the large outer leaves at the base at an angle.

You can even use damaged leaves with much success.

Stick the leaves in a small jar with just enough water to cover the end of the stem. Make sure that only the stem is touching the water -- African violets do not like to keep water on their leaves.

Keep the ends covered until they begin to root. (Once the roots are healthy you can transfer the cutting to small pot with soil. I suggest an Africa violet specific soil mixture and a shallower pot over a deeper one.)

Sometimes the cuttings also put on leaves near the roots.

I have to keep a bird cage over my violet and cuttings.

Because of these things (who were just to the side of me the entire time; watching, waiting.)

Let's Go Camping: Buffalo River

2011-06-12T12:00:00.005-05:00

The lower Buffalo River.

Last weekend I went camping and canoeing on the lower Buffalo River in Arkansas. It was extremely hot and humid during the day. It was so hot I felt for sure that it would never cool down enough to make sleeping worthwhile but, in fact, it got rather chilly after midnight.

Camp in the morning with fog.

Our camp was plagued with ticks and little stinging gnats. As abundant as they were, I'm not afraid to say that I used a lot of DEET. I was never completely bitten by any ticks but I did twice spot one beginning to burrow.

Very large moth.

During breakfast a raven watched over our camp looking for anything tasty. In the bathroom I spotted a spooky dusty purple and charcoal grey moth the size of my hand. At night I could hear a barn owl. The garbage was left out one night and raccoons tore into it. As we were leaving camp Sunday, we saw a deer cross the road, and stare at me until I finally got my camera out to take a picture -- then she ran away.

A very cold stream flowing into the main river which was much warmer. It felt pretty good after all the scorching heat from the sun.

Fishes underwater

Crawfish thing

View of the Buffalo river from atop a bluff.

Star-shaped moss growing at camp.

For more photos of this trip, visit this Flickr set. And to see photos from my trip last year, visit this one. More information the Buffalo National River can be found here [http://www.nps.gov/buff/index.htm]

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo."

Let's Make That: "Sorry, F21" Edition

2011-06-09T13:33:00.007-05:00

A few weeks ago I was browsing Forever 21 for summertime things and came across this neon, friendship bracelet-inspired, mixed media headband. It wasn't very expensive* but it was something I could easily make. The color scheme and summer camp vibe make it a great project for a lazy hot afternoon.

Materials
Embroidery thread, 3 colors (approx 25" each)
Chain (approx. 25")
Elastic
Satin cord
Thread
Needle
Tape (gift tape, masking tape, painter's tape)
Craft glue

Step 1: Knot the embroidery thread about ~1.5" from the end and begin braiding. When you reach about 2" from the other end, put a knot in it and leave another ~1.5" tail. For each color, I used 3 strands of the whole skein.

✿ Tip: If at any time you need to hold threads or strands together, I recommend using tape like gift tape or masking tape, but first remove some of the stickiness by touching the tape to your arm or shirt.

Step 2: Leaving a ~3" tail, knot the satin cord on the braid side of the knot on the thread braid, and hook a jump ring into the knot as shown above. Attach the end link of the chain to the jump ring.

Step 3: Begin braiding the three lengths together (thread braid, chain, satin cord). Keep the braided thread and chain flat while you braid so that that the final large braid is flat and fits against the head.

When you get to the end of of the thread braid, secure the lengths with tape.

Knot the satin cord on the braid side of the knot, insert the second jump ring, and secure the chain to the jump ring at the correct length. Leave a ~3" tail on the satin cord.

Step 4: Insert the end of the elastic into one jump ring and secure with a few X shaped stitches.

✿ Tip: Before you begin Step 4, secure the frayed end of elastic with a bit of craft glue.

Step 5: Put the unfinished band on your head and decide how much elastic you'll need. Mark the end with some tape. Trim the elastic, secure the frayed end with a bit of glue, and stitch it closed around the other jump ring. Make sure not to twist the elastic.

Step 6: Using a matching thread, wrap the satin cord around the embroidery thread and elastic end, and secure the cord with stitch. Wrap the cord about 4 times.

When you read the last coil, you can add a drop of glue to secure the end. Add a stitch to the last coil and trim any excess cord. Repeat Step 6 to the other end.

Step 7: Finishing: You can secure the end of the satin corn with a bit of glue. Or if you're feeling kung fu, you could use a lighter to carefully melt the end. Trim the ends of the embroidery thread close to the end of the last coil.

Swimsuit from J.Crew.

Finished!

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*At the time this post was published, the original Forever 21 headband was no longer available on their website.

Let's Go to the Farmers Market . . . Again!

2011-05-21T11:57:00.005-05:00

Arugula, purslane, ground pork, and turnip greens

This morning I spent a bit of the impending Apocalypse checking out what the nearby farmers market has to offer in terms of Last Supper ideas. I picked up some turnip greens, arugula, and ground pork. I'm pretty excited about the pork because firstly, I've never bought meat at the market before (though it's been in my mind for a while now), and secondly, now I can make a heapin' mess of awesome egg rolls!

Purslane: an edible, healthy succulent

As a bonus, when I got the arugula the seller kindly gifted me a potted plant, a salad green, I've never heard of called Purslane. It's a succulent that contains more omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable. Hopefully, I won't kill it :/ (I forgot to water my lemon balm and while it isn't dead -- yet -- I'll spare you a photo.)

Let's Squeeze

2011-05-08T12:15:00.004-05:00

Uses for binder clips: shown here keeping my acne gel and toothpaste rolls squished

A Quick Something: squeeze tubes can be held in place with binder clips as you roll up the bottoms. Ta da

Let's Make Kale and Strawberry Salad

2011-05-04T15:34:00.006-05:00

Ingredients
kale
strawberries
red onion
favorite vinaigrette
sesame seeds
salt
black pepper

For this recipe the amounts and proportions are up to you.

Wash and dry the kale. Remove the thick stems and slice the leaves into thin strips. Chop the onion. Wash and dry the strawberries. Remove the leaves and chop or slice. Combine kale, onion, strawberry, and vinaigrette. Toss gently to coat. Add salt, pepper, and sesame seeds to taste. You can garnish the salad with extra sesame seeds and/or an unsliced strawberry.

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Let's Go to the Farmers Market

2011-05-01T12:26:00.005-05:00

You can learn to make tee shirt bags here

Woke up early Saturday and took the recycling to the recycling drop (OVERFLOWING!) which is conveniently located in the same lot as my neighborhood farmers market, so we did that too.

Kale, red onion, honey, and strawberries

Kale, broccoli, red onion, strawberries, and honey. I was super impressed/excited about the prices on the broccoli and onion: two bunches of broccoli for $3 and two bunches of red onion for $2!

There was a cooking demonstration where kale was prepared raw with olive oil and garlic like a salad. I missed part of it so I'm not completely sure of all the ingredients, but I think I'll make a version using a vinaigrette and purple onion.

The standing water right outside the door to my building (l) and my feet in the process of stomping in the water (r)

In other news, it is quite rainy these days; stormy. I like rainy days and spring storms, save for the destruction they can cause which is a bummer. Destructiveness aside, I recommend taking advantage of all the rain and going outside to stomp barefoot in puddles.

Let's Make Iced Tea: Rose and Herbs

2011-04-28T14:56:00.010-05:00

These are leaves from my mint and lemon balm plants. It's an uneven mixture of some of the best leaves from each plant. These herbs give iced tea a crisp taste.

I've never kept mint or lemon balm. My grandmother used to grow heaps of it all over her yard; mint, cat mint, and cat nip (all of which are related). So far they seem very easy to maintain and use. The mint especially grows very tall and leafy. The lemon balm is so far much shorter and bushier.

I got this rose syrup (Dabur Rose Syrup) from an Indian grocery in Charlotte, NC on a trip I took a week ago to visit some friends. It smells like roses and tastes like roses smell. It's vaguely sweet.

Iced Tea with Rose and Herbs
4-3 T rose syrup
20 leaves of mint and/or lemon balm in any combination
2 large tea bags
gallon water, divided

The syrup is very viscous and sticky. A small amount seems to go a long way. For this iced tea simply make half a gallon of tea using two large tea bags. Bring to just boiling and allow to cool down for 15 minutes. It should still be very warm.

To a gallon pitcher add 3-4 tablespoons of rose syrup. Use a whisk to blend.

Slowly add tap cool water to the top of the pitcher and top off with the mint and lemon balm leaves. Stir gently one time. Store in the refrigerator to cool. Once cool, spoon out the leaves and discard. Serve cold over ice.

The tea is a beautiful ruby red color.

Let's Make a Shopping Bag

2011-04-22T16:11:00.001-05:00

In honor of Earth Day, let's make some reusable shopping bags out of old tee shirts.

I started making tee shirt bags for myself about two years ago and they work really well. Tee shirt knit is amazingly strong and the amount of stuff I manage to get in a single bag always impresses me.

Tee shirts lend themselves to being transformed into bags very easily. A few snips of the shirt and you have the bag shape instantly (plus the type of plastic bag you get in stores is often called a tee shirt bag; it looks like a tank top). This bag uses double stitching on the bottom to make a super durable bag, and stitching on the upper edges to reinforce the knit.

Things You Will Need
Tee shirts
Sewing machine*
Thread
Needle
Scissors

Cut along the dotted lines.

First, cut off the sleeves and remove the neck. The sleeves can be cut just outside the seam but for the neck you'll want to make your cut so that you have enough room to put items in the bag, so you have have to make a much deeper cut than the curve of the actual neck.

Fold the bottom hem up 0.5" and fold it over again. Stitch two rows about 0.25" apart.

Optional: Stitch along the free edge of the arms and neck. This reinforces the handles and provides more support to the bag.

VOILA!

The great thing about this project is that it lends itself to making mistakes without much love lost. If you don't cut the neck deeply enough, just cut more away. If your stitching isn't perfect, who cares? Embrace the wabi sabi.

*You can sew this bag by hand, of course.

Let's Tone Up

2011-04-20T10:00:00.003-05:00

Rose tea

Previously, I wrote about using regular ol' witch hazel instead of toner and half-seriously, half-jokingly stated if you wanted toner with salicylic acid in it to just add acne medicine to your witch hazel. You could do that (I usually don't because I don't usually need salicylic acid all over my skin -- I just use it as a spot treatment -- because it's too drying, but that's just me). However, I do sometimes like to infuse my witch hazel with something soothing like rose or lavender. A really easy way to make an infused toner is simply use a bit of very nice loose tea. Tea contains natural polyphenols and tannins which have antibacterial properties.

DIY Fancy Toner

1 C witch hazel
1 T loose tea*
Fine mesh strainer or coffee filter
glass jar
storage container

Put witch hazel in a glass container with a lid. To the liquid, add 1 heaping T of loose tea. Place lid and give a gentle shake. Allow tea to soak in witch hazel for 30 minutes. Strain twice using coffee filter or fine mesh strainer. Store in a clean container.

Strain well -- you may need to strain it twice.

*Suggested types of tea: green, chamomile, peppermint, rose tea, white tea. Or you can use dried rose petals or lavender.

Voila!

Let's Split

2011-04-11T13:15:00.003-05:00

I picked up a weird, reptile-like succulent on Friday. Pleiospilos nelii. It's beginning to split open.

Let's Plant (More)

2011-04-10T15:00:00.009-05:00

It's spring and the weather is nice so more plants.

I got some herbs and things on Friday.

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Immediate inspection by Bacon.

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Pleiospilos nelii. "Split Rock"

Succulent

The rocks split open and brightly colored flower blooms.

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Hypoestes

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Rosemary

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Melissa officinalis. Lemon Balm.

A lemony herb that I've been putting in iced tea.

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Cilantro

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The herbs were packaged in pots made of natural materials.

You can plant the whole pot.

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I found an African violet for 50 cents. I don't know anything about African violets.

The flowers looked sad but the leaves looked strong.

I'm going to try to make some cuttings.

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Repotted: aloe, lemon balm, cilantro, rosemary.

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Stone face and hypoestes, caged.

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African violet, caged.

The cages keep rascally cats from chewing on things they shouldn't.

Sunday I bought some mint.
This will go well with the lemon balm
in tea or alcohol.

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Let's Check the Mail

2011-04-08T21:25:00.004-05:00

Neat things from this week's mail.

{Mail One} Beautiful bird stamps from Singapore.

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{Mail Two} Handmade incense from Huey

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{Mail Three} Peach colored tissue paper

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{Mail Four} Jazz stamp (USA)

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{Mail Five} Wedding invitation made from seeded paper.

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{Mail Six} Screen printed invitation

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{Mail Seven} Bird stamps (Hong Kong)

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Let's Plant

2011-04-03T18:12:00.009-05:00

Ranunculus tubers look like claws or octopi

I spent a lot of time plant-doting this weekend: buying, repotting, attending to, and researching. Saturday morning I went to a dollar store and found some ranunculus tuber bits and some pink gladiolus bulbs. I think I may have missed my planting window with the ranunculus as apparently they like cooler weather to start growing and it is getting increasingly warmer around here. And once I got home I began to think maybe gladiolus wouldn't fare well in containers but I've learned they can provided they are planted at least 5" deep.

Around noon I picked up an aloe vera plant with lots of babies at a drug store for $5. I repotted it once I got home because it's very heavy and flopping all over the place even with the cage thing that was attached to its pot at the store.

Cat scan

The aloe plant immediately underwent a through inspection by the cats. Sometime last week I learned that only the inner gooey part of aloe is safe for consumption but the yellow sap (aloe latex) under the skin is mildly toxic and can cause skin rash or vomiting, so I've tried in vain to keep the cats from nibbling on the aloe but they are very hard headed. Eventually, I'm going to have to sequester it in the spare bedroom to protect it from repeated cat scans.

Crassula argenta "Gollum"

I got very involved in reading about succulents and learned that Jade likes to be root bound and should only be repotted every 2-3 years. I have a bit of Crassula argenta and transferred it to a cuter pot. Then I wrote the name on a popsicle stick along with the date I repotted it.

I came across a very fascinating succulent in my research called "Climbing Onion" (Bowiea volubilis). It looks like a green tomato with a skinny vine growing from it. Over time the skinny vine makes a convoluted mass of skinny vine and produces star-shaped flowers. I sort of need one.

We're going to take a year long nap now

I finally got around to pulling some bulbs out of a pot of rocks that was sent to my office at Christmas. I can't remember for sure but I believe they are Paperwhite narcissus bulbs. After they bloomed in Decenber, I left the pot outside to let the plant go dormant and over the weekend I removed the bulbs from the pot and pulled the remaining leaves off so that I can store them for next year. Narcissus bulbs are spring-growing perennials that can be forced to bloom any time of year (which is why they are often given at Christmastime as gifts) but you have to allow the bulbs to rest for a year in a cool, dry place between plantings (if you plant them outside in the earth, you can just leave them and nature will know what to do).

Planted at the same time; growing at their own speed

The last time I visited my parents, my mother gave me some bulbs. I can't remember what they are exactly; possibly daffodils. I planted three bulbs back in February in some old drinking cups I never use. I put an inch deep layer of rocks in the bottom for drainage and about 2" of soil (however, you can plant narcissus in just rocks -- it makes a very striking presentation for forced growing). I planted the bulbs at the same time but in a visual metaphor for everything in life they are developing at their own speed.

Let's Be Natural Beauties

2011-04-01T12:00:00.054-05:00

Obligatory April 1st intro: No foolin' these are my favorite natural beauty products! :| And moving right along . . .

✿ Queen Helene 100% Cocoa Butter Stick [link]

It's cruel how great this cocoa butter stick smells because you cannot eat it. It smells like really delicious creamy chocolate. I like to use it on my lips and my cuticles. You can use it to make your own tinted lip balms by adding it to a bit of lipstick and petroleum jelly. A stick of cocoa butter will last you forever and costs about $2.

✿ Physician's Formula Bamboo Wear pressed powder and Organic Wear mascara [link, link]

Admittedly, what initially drew me to the powder was the bamboo case. The case and powder insert are purchased separately so that the case is refillable! And finished pans can be recycled. The powder is "90% natural", contains bamboo extract, and is paraben free. The one negative to this compact is that I find the brush to be rather useless but this is often the case with applicators included with cosmetics. (There is also a bronzer in this collection.)

The Organic Wear mascara smells amazing, like beeswax, and is 100% natural. It is formulated with orange, beeswax, rice, tapioca, olive, soy, and cucumber; many of the ingredients are derived from organic farming. The wand is recyclable.

✿ Witch Hazel

Witch hazel comes from the witch hazel plant and is one of the main ingredients to most toners and astringents (along with alcohol and water, both of which also come in a bottle of witch hazel in smaller proportions). It shrinks blood vessels, treats acne, psoriasis, and eczema; can be used on insect bites and poison ivy rashes, and can be used to soothe sunburn.

For a long time I bought toners and then one day I realized how stupid this is because you are basically buying witch hazel (with salicylic acid added to it) at 5x or more the price. Witch hazel is super inexpensive and does the job perfectly. If you want toner with salicylic acid in it, just add salicylic acid acne treatment to your witch hazel, or drop an aspirin in it.

✿ EOS Lip Balm [link]
These things are damn adorable. They look like colored eggs, and much like hunting for Easter eggs, I've become obsessed with finding each of the flavors. I've found all of them but sweet mint. It's been pointed out to me that I could just buy sweet mint from the EOS website, but that ruins the fun of looking for it and the satisfaction of finally finding it.

The flavors are (from left to right): summer fruit, medicated tangerine (tastes like what I imagine orange Carmex would taste like), lemon drop SPF 15, and honeysuckle dew. The balm is 95% organic and 100% natural. And if you have a gluten allergy, it's also gluten free.

✿ Organix [link]

Organix's whole deal is using organic ingredients, and formulas that are sulfate and paraben free. The bottles are made with post-consumer recycled plastics, the labels are printed with natural inks, and the label film is made from corn. They make a wide range of hair products (and I believe they are coming out with a skin care line) but despite how much I love these three styling products I've never used the shampoos or conditioners. One day.

Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Penetrating Oil [link]

This stuff is great! I don't think I've ever been so completely satisfied with a hair product as I am with this argan oil. I It smells great. It does great things for my hair which is curly and can be frizzy if left to it's own devices. It makes hair soft and smooth without weighing down or making your hair/ scalp feel greasy. It also protects hair from styling heat and UV rays. A little dab'll do ya so the minimal investment of around $7 is an even better deal, especially since pure argan oil isn't cheap (around $10/oz).

✿ A little something interesting about Moroccan argan oil: all of the argan oil produced today is done so by a fair trade cooperative group of Berber women who have established a reforestation project to preserve the argan forests. [link] ✿

Hydrating Teatree Mint Hydrating Treatment [link]

I like to use this product when I've just washed my hair and I want to do some kind of updo because updos tend to work better with "dirty" hair (day old), otherwise it can be too slippery. It contains teatree oil but the scent of it doesn't make me think of teatree oil at all. The mint part is clearly in there but the other scent is more like sugar or caramel. It smells very tasty.

Before: my naturally curly hair, After: my post-exposure-to-rain Brazilian Kertain Therapy spray hair (or my best impersonation of Jessica Rabbit)

Ever Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy Flat Iron Spray [link]

A mind blowing product if you have curly hair and sometimes want straight hair. I used this stuff for the first time on a day when it was raining. I woke up that morning ready to try this before work but was momentarily discouraged due to 100% humidity. I decided that a rainy day was probably the perfect environment to try a straightening product. Outcome: IT WORKED IN THE RAIN! Whatever the ingredients do to seal and smooth the cuticle holds up to high humidity situations. I am extremely impressed.

The type Brazilian keratin straightening that you can get at a salon has been in the news lately because apparently it contains dangerously high levels of formaldehyde as a main ingredient which can cause nasty allergic rashes and hair loss. [link, link] This is another reason why the Organix version is even better: it does not contain formaldehyde.

Let's Make Miso Soup

2011-03-29T10:00:00.003-05:00

Shiromiso

Sunday I went to the grocery store with a list that included both green onions and tofu so that I could make some miso soup with tofu. I came home with only one of those two things and it wasn't tofu. So it goes.

No matter. We can make miso soup without it.

Ingredients
2 t dashi stock granules
3 T miso paste
3 cabbage leaves, cut chiffonade style
6-8 white mushrooms, sliced
2-4 stalks of green onion, chopped
5 C water

First prepare your vegetables. Rinse the mushrooms and use a paper towel to remove the outer skin from the tops; dry them well. Slice the mushrooms. Rinse the cabbage leaves and dry them. Roll them into a bundle and slice them into thin strips. (This is called chiffonade.) Rinse, dry, and trim the ends of the onions and slice into 1/2" pieces.

Dashi granules

Add the 5 cups of water to a pot along with the dashi stock granules. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the miso paste and use a whisk to dissolve. (In truth, miso doesn't "dissolve," it just breaks up. This is why if miso soup is allowed to sit for longer than 30 seconds it settles into little clouds.)

Clouds

Next add the cabbage strips and let them simmer for about 2 minutes. Use a mesh pot skimmer to skim any foam (Not totally necessary but it does make a "cleaner" soup, plus a pot skimmer is a fun tool to use). Add the mushrooms and simmer for one minute. Right before you turn off the stove, add the green onions. TA DA! You are finished! Makes 4-6 servings.

Notes: You could also use bok choy instead of green cabbage. If you want to add a bit of spiciness to your soup, I recommend using Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce. If you aren't familiar with miso and the different types, I recommend this blog post from JustHungry.

Let's Organize with Cans: Part II

2011-03-28T15:20:00.005-05:00

The black thing is an ice bucket.

I cleaned out the freezer today and needed a way to store some of those crazy popsicles that come in a tube. TA DA! Cafe du Monde coffee can.

Let's Organize with Cans

2011-03-26T20:58:00.004-05:00

I won't pretend this is a super-genius or original idea but I want to share it anyway because I think it looks really great and encourages you to try new foods.

I've noticed that, for whatever reason, canned goods of Asian origin often have the label art printed directly on the can. They look awesome. And they are a great way to store pens, pencils and markers. Just open the can, eat the stuff inside, wash and dry, and put your writing things inside. TA DA! (Cafe du Monde coffee also comes in a printed can.)

Wind-up lobster says, "Try new foods and store your stuff too!"

Let's View Cherry Blossoms

2011-03-20T12:00:00.029-05:00

Saturday I went to Memphis Botanic Garden to look at the Yoshino cherry trees which are in bloom right now. The Botanic Garden has a very nice Japanese style garden, the Japanese Garden of Tranquility.

I took my "real" camera and before I left the house I had this feeling that maybe the battery needed to be charged. Before I even made it to the Japanese garden and after about 10 photos of daffodils and tulips, my camera died. Anyway, I was very pleased with how well the photos I took with my phone turned out. If you have ample natural light, the iPhone 4 can take really decent photos.

On one of the bridges over the koi pond a kid dropped some Chex mix and the rule breaker in me felt the need to crush up a piece and feed it to the fish; chaos ensued. (Normally, you can buy pellets to feed the koi but on this day they were on some sort of diet.)

Let's Make Stuff from Old Magazines

2010-11-30T11:58:00.005-06:00

About two weeks ago I was poking around on marthastewart.com and came across directions for making glittery Christmas trees from old magazines. I have a heap of old issues of Wired so I thought I'd make one. In the video, Martha and crew use a single magazine to make a tree. To be clear, they were using issues of Martha Stewart Living which can be a pretty thick magazine, but when I used a single issue of Wired my tree wasn't full enough so I made a mega-magazine table tree using four issues of Wired. Today I'm going to show you what I did to make a mega-magazine tree and also show you how to make a magazine tree door decoration using one issue of a thinner magazine.

Supplies
magazines
high-tack craft glue like Aleene's
binder clips
stapler and staples
electrical tape
spray adhesive
glitter
clear acrylic sealer spray
card stock or poster board
paper clip, or 3 in length of scrap wire like Ty wire
scissors
hole punch
ribbon and any other bits you want to use to decorate your trees

To Begin (for both projects)
Firstly, go to the Martha Stewart site and watch the video about how to fold the pages. It's very easy. It took me longer to fold the first magazine but the next three went by very quickly. Actually, once I developed a rhythm I didn't want to stop folding. It's meditative.

For the Table Tree

Apply glue, press covers together to distribute, allow to set for a few seconds, then press covers together to glue. Use staples to reinforce and binder clips to hold the covers together while the glue dries.

When you have enough magazines folded to give you the sort of tree you want, you can glue the covers together. I suggest using a high-tack craft glue like Aleene's. Apply some glue around the outer edge and a zig-zaggy bit in the center. Press the two covers together to distribute the glue and then pull them apart. Let the glue sit about 15-20 seconds. This give the glue time to set up and become more tacky which will help it adhere better.

Press the covers back together and use binder clips to hold in place. Put a clip as close to the top of the cone as you can. Leave the clips on and allow the glue to dry. For added security, I also put a few staples in mine (a few near the edge and a few as far towards the center as I could).

Use a bamboo skewer to apply glue to the top of the cone and electrical tape to hold the top while it dries.

To fine tune the top of the cone, use a bamboo skewer to put some glue between the covers and give it a few seconds to set up. Then use electrical take to wrap around the top of the cone and hold the the magazines together while the top dries. Electrical tape is very flexible, has a lot of stretch, but does not have so much tack that it will destroy the paper. Use the skewer to clean up the hole at the top. Once the cone top has dried, carefully remove the tape. VOILA! You now have a cone made of magazines!

3M Super 77 works well. Make sure you lay down some old newspaper first.

The glitter part is optional. Spray the tree with adhesive and then sprinkle some glitter all over. Let the glue dry and then shake the tree to remove any excess glitter. Repeat until you get the glitter coverage you want.

For the Door Tree
For the door tree, fold the magazine the same way but do not glue the covers together. (You're making a half cone shape.)

I suggest that you glue the insides of the covers together as shown above. Later we are going to glue this half cone to some card stock and if the covers aren't glued this way it will sort of hang off the stock in a sad, sad way.

Once the covers are dry, trace the tree onto some card stock. (I used a scrap piece that came in a Hello Kitty sandwich maker.) After you trace the tree, make a little tab at the top of the cone. You will use this as a hanger. You want this backer to fit just inside the outline of the tree, so when you cut it out, cut about 1/4" along the inside of the line you traced (except the tab portion).

Glue the backer to the tree and use staples to secure. Use a hole puncher to put a hole in the center of the tab. Once the backer glue is dry, spray the front side of the tree with adhesive and apply some glitter.

IMPORTANT
If you plan to hang this door tree on an exterior door, I HIGHLY suggest that you spray it with with a few light coats of clear acrylic sealer in order to keep as much moisture out as possible. Make sure you spray the bottom of the tree and the back side. Be generous with your coats and the number of coats but don't goop it up. Many lighter coats beats a few thick coats.

Once the sealant is dry, you can decorate your tree. I used a wooden chopstick as a base to affix a bow. You could also make some glittery ornament shapes or some kind of garland to decorate your tree(s). Using a paper clip or short length of Ty wire bent into a narrow "S" shape, make a hook to hang your door tree.

About Glitter

By complete coincidence, I made this Martha Stewart craft with Martha Stewart brand glitter.
To be sure, it is very nice, very fine glitter, but it is also rather expensive.

For the most part, I really hate glitter. It often looks cheap but furthermore IT GETS EVERYWHERE! If you put even the smallest amount of glitter on something, you will find bits of glitter stuck to your skin for years.

For this reason, once the glitter glue has dried, I like to spray the whole thing with a light coat of clear acrylic sealer. Not only will this protect your paper from moisture, but will also help secure the glitter to the tree and prevent some glitter attacks.

Also, when applying the glitter, do so with the trees standing upright. This way excess glitter won't get stuck between the pages as much and you will have less fallout glitter to deal with later.

And you're done! I made a glittery star for my table tree. I tried to get some lights for it but the strand I wanted wasn't long enough. You need to seek out a strand of tiny LED lights set on a clear strand that is at least 24" long. Good luck finding some.

The multicolored effect from the design of the pages makes these little trees look very festive. When the Holidays are over you can recycle the trees. Or pitch them in a bonfire (magazine paper makes a pretty flame). Happy Holidays!

Let's Lube Up

2010-11-11T10:00:00.003-06:00

Lubrication is very important for . . . your sewing machine! It's very easy to do, you only need do it once a year, and a bottle of machine oil will last you forever.

NOTE: These tips are general. You should refer to your machines manual for specifics on how to clean and lubricate your machine. Every machine will be a bit different. Also, unplug the machine first.

While you only need to lube the machine about once a year, you should dust the machine fairly often. To do this, open the machine where the needle mechanisms are located and use a brush to sweep away any debris. My sewing machine came with a special little brush specifically for cleaning the machine but it's long gone. Any clean brush will do but make sure it isn't one that sheds bristles. You'll also want to remove the needle plate and slide plate to clean the bobbin mechanisms and feed dogs. This part of the machine can get very dusty because of fiber particles from thread and fabric. I also remove the bulb and give it a good wiping off.

If you need to, use a cotton swab dipped in a mild vinegar and water solution to scrub away any dirt and grime caught in tiny crevices of the plastic molding.

After cleaning, you can lubricate. You should only use lubricant specifically formulated for sewing machines. One really good reason for this is that sewing machine oil is clear. If you were to use something like household oil, it could potentially get on your fabric and ruin your sewing project.

Some machines will come with a small bottle of machine oil. This is nice and all, but I find that the packaging on these little bottles is worthless in terms of making it easy to get to all the tucked away parts of the machine that need oil.

What I prefer is a bottle like the one above. It has a telescoping nozzle with a tiny tip. It also contains a tube within the bottle so that you don't have to fight with gravity to get the oil out. The tube creates capillary action. For this reason, when you first remove the cap you might get a drop or two of oil that suddenly oozes out so wipe off the bottle before you oil the machine.

This 15 sec clip shows the moving parts inside of my machine.

You should refer to your manual, as I've said, to know exactly which parts need to be lubricated. But let's say that you've lost your manual. Basically, you want to put a single drop of oil on any moving joint or a shaft moving in a coupling (watch the short video clip above to see the moving parts inside my Singer 5050). If you're not sure which parts move, just turn your hand wheel a few times before you begin. Once you've put the oil on, give the hand wheel a few turns to distribute the oil evenly.

Finally, replace the case cover and you're done!

Let's Radiate and Try to Sleep

2010-11-08T15:38:00.022-06:00

I live in an apartment building that I estimate was probably built shortly after WWI. My sources tell me that many of the old apartment buildings in my neighborhood were built after the war to accommodate the influx of returning soldiers. I've yet to confirm with this facts but it makes sense.

I really love these old apartments. They have a lot of charming features that set them apart from new buildings: glass door knobs*, hardwood floors, high ceilings, telephone nooks, and, what is both one of my most favorite and most loathed feature, cast iron radiators.

To me, the design of all vintage radiators is really lovely even if they just have a very simple, completely utilitarian design. But there are radiators that were obviously designed to be beautiful looking, particularly those of the late Victorian era. Radiators of this era often feature intricate scroll work and floral patterns.

Radiator heat works amazingly well. Cast iron is extremely durable, holds heat extremely well, continues to radiate heat even once the boiler has cut off, and the heat produced can be used for more that just heating the air.

You can dry wet clothes on a radiator. Just this weekend, I used the radiator in my bathroom to dry the bathroom rug after I washed it out in the tub. I draped the rug across the radiator before bed and when I got up, it was completely dry. I also used the rising heat to dry a trench coat. Sure a dryer would have taken less time, but I didn’t need the rug right away so why not make double use of the heat I already had? Plus, some things, like the coat, cannot be put in a clothes dryer but can safely be dried by hanging over a radiator.

Radiator Tip: Going out on a stupidly cold day? Put your outerwear over a radiator to warm it up before heading out. This is especially nice for gloves, hats, and scarves**.

Radiator plate by Byung-seok You

A radiator can be used as a surface for cooking or keeping food warm. I use mine to heat water for tea. Above you can see an ingenious radiator accessory I’ve been coveting for years. It’s a porcelain plate designed to fit over the radiator to create an even heating surface for keeping food warm.

Radiator Tip: Air in winter months is typically drier than in summer and adding hot air to your home to keep warm only increases the dryness. If the dryness is bothersome, just place a pot of water on top of your radiator. VOILA! Instant humidifier***.

Toasty warm.

My cats are particularly in love with the heat radiators give off and can often be found camped out right beside it (and nearly underneath). I like to lay a quilt or blanket over the radiators so that the cats can sleep on top. Instant heated cat bed!

But let’s get to the real point of this post. Radiators sometimes make a ridiculous amount of noise in the form of banging, knocking, clanging, clicking, hissing, and blurping. I don’t know if I can properly describe the directly-from-the-pits-of-Hell level of noise radiators can make, or if I can relate the evil-in-timing of this noise as it almost always occurs at night when sleeping should be taking place.

I'm not talking about the gentle, tell-tale hissing and clicking that occurs just as the boiler cuts on and steam is beginning to rush into the radiator. That sound is fine, even comforting. I'm talking about sounds that I'm not unconvinced are coming from demons or elves beating the pipes under my floor with sledgehammers.

In my last apartment, I never heard a peep from my radiators. They were like monks dedicated to a vow of silence. In my current apartment the radiators have a lot to say late at night. BANG CLANG CLICK BANG BANG CLANG! And then the sound will stop. About 30 minutes later, BANG CLANG CLICK BANG BANG CLANG!

The noise radiators make is caused by the pressurized steam pushing through the cooled water trapped inside. Since a lot of force is moving hot steam into cold water, a very violent reaction occurs and the system is physically shaken, thus knocking. That, or demons. This is a simple explanation for a problem that can absolutely make you homicidal from sleep deprivation.

How Radiators Work: There are several types of radiator systems, but they all work in the same way: hot water or steam, one- or two pipe, gas or electric powered. A boiler heats up water and sends hot water or hot steam through a delivery pipe into the radiator. The radiator releases the heat and the hot water or steam turns into cooled water. Depending on whether you have a one or two pipe system, the cooled water either returns the same way it got there (one pipe) or exits through a return pipe (two pipe). The water is then reheated and the process cycles around again.

While researching if there was anything I could do or could pass along to my leasing office as a way to STOP SATAN FROM SENDING MORSE CODE MESSAGES TO MY BEDROOM (ceremonial dance? gris-gris? blood sacrifice?), I came across this great article at Apartment Therapy that includes a short recording of the radiators from another sleepless soul. Listen to that clip, and multiply the noise times 100, add more banging, subtract the blurping, and you’ll get a pretty good idea what I’m dealing with at night.

As for a solution to the noise, it turns out there isn’t really a good, definitive solution for stopping “steam hammer.” I dealt with this last winter and pestered the leasing office enough that the valves were replaced to no avail. This winter maybe I'll get them to shim the ends. :/

For Further Reading:
This Old House "Take a Good Look at Vintage Radiators" [link]

*Speaking of awesome old apartment features that can also be annoying, glass door knobs can be difficult to use because the glass knob part will slip around inside the metal coupling so that instead of turning the knob and engaging the latch, you are just turning the glass around and around. And really this doesn’t just affect glass knobs. There is a metal knob in my bathroom that often gives my guests fits as they find themselves trapped in the bathroom. Depending on the guest, I sometimes find it really amusing. The trick is to get your grip on the knob just right.

** Don't worry. The radiator will not get hot enough to burn fabric. IF the radiator is getting hot enough to burn fabric/start a fire, there is an entirely more serious problem going on than burnt gloves, like how are the people inside not dead from being roasted alive.

***My cats will drink this hot water. Cats, go figure.

Let's Play with Acorns

2010-10-16T19:47:00.003-05:00

I collected some acorns from outside my apartment and painted faces on them. The ones with their caps still attached are very cute. The ones without caps are cute and sort of look like tiny chestnuts. I'm going to use the painted acorns to make some kind of Christmas ornament later.

Before I painted the acorns, I brushed them off with a paper towel and misted them with some vinegar and water solution. Then I baked them in the oven on low for 20 minutes.

Before painting on the faces, check to see if the caps are on securely. Some will pop right off. If the cap refuses to come off, just leave it on. For the ones that do come off, put a bit of glue like Aleen's Tacky Glue to glue the caps back to the acorns. For the others, put a thin line of glue around the edge of the cap.

I just used black tempera paint and put on a couple of different faces. I'm not sure what's up with the little capless guy in the lower left. He looks so dubious.

Let's Look at Creepy Crawlies

2010-10-09T10:00:00.006-05:00

Since it is October, the month of spookiness and gross, I thought I would share with you my tales of recent insect plagues.

"Help me!" No.

I'm not overly grossed out by crawly things. But some crawly things are more abhorrent that others for whatever reason: texture, annoying personality traits, showing up when and where you least expect them. Since the end of summer I have been infested to what feels like Biblical-plague-like levels with a variety creepy crawlies. It started with flies.

Flies are really annoying. The buzzing sound they make and they way they want to be right up in your face. For several weeks I was inundated with flies. Giant flies. Really, really giant flies. Mutants. So much so, that I entertained the idea that the neighbors had a dead body. During this plague of flies my cat, Bacon, stepped up and proved his worth to the household by viciously stalking, killed, and eating several dozen flies.

Sluggy Slug

At the same time I was dealing with flies I was also dealing with nightly invasions by slugs. Giant slugs. Slugs that were 4 inches long. Slugs enter into my apartment through a space at the back door and they have one thing, and one thing only, on their agenda: eat cat food.

Slugs love cat food. I'd go to the kitchen before bed, turn on the light, and there would be four or five slugs leaving slime trails all over my kitchen looking for cat food manna. Even the cats were grossed out by the slugs.

As slugs are not insects but mollusks, if I think about slugs too long I am put off the idea of ever eating clams or scallops again, and I really love scallops. During the slug invasion of 2010 I took some time to research slugs. Turns out people will eat slugs . . . raw. And it also turns out that in rare cases eating a raw slug can cause a person to contract parasite-induced meningitis. I passed this little tidbit on to the exterminator who made some joke about the French. -_- (Note: That stuff the exterminator sprays for killing things with exoskeletons does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for slugs. Eventually a salt barrier was placed outside the back door and I haven't seen a slug since.)

Cicada shell.

At some point between fighting off flies and slugs, I spotted a cicada shell stuck in a spiderweb outside my living room window. When cicadas go from being a nymph to being an adult cicada, they molt and leave behind their baby clothes. You can see them stuck to trees during the summer.

Cicadas I like. You only have to deal with them in summer and I like that buzzing-croaking sound they make at night. Cicadas are active at night. During the intensifying heat of a summer morning, I saw a cicada in the parking lot of my apartment. I'm not sure what happened to this cicada that caused him to be flopping around on the hot pavement but if I touched him he started that buzzing mess and generally appeared to be really pissed off. I eventually put him under a tree but I'm pretty sure he died.

Speaking of dead cicadas, did you know that squirrels eat insects? I did, but it's not something I'd ever witnessed until this summer. One day I was watching the squirrels with the cats and a young squirrel scurried down to the ground and snatched up a dead cicada. He got in a tree and eat the head and thorax but pitched the wings, legs, and abdomen.

Roaches are gross.

Cockroaches are gross. There is nothing redeeming about roaches. They are impossible to kill and ridiculously prolific. I found this roach in an unused desk drawer. Since Adoy is the resident roach catching cat, I decided to shove the roach in her face. But even repelled and ran away. No one likes you, cockroach.

Bacon tries to catch a moth.

And then there were the hoards of moths. I failed at putting forth the right effort to research moths but I'm pretty sure they must mate during summer because there were just hundreds of them ever evening in late July through September. They would bang into the living room windows with the sound of a dozen clicks as they tried to get to the glorious light inside like, uh, moths to light. They drove the cats crazy. The cats wanted a moth so bad. They would station themselves at the window and try to grab the moths through the glass. It was sad. And hilarious.

Breakfast

Finally, there was the shower I took with the spider and the moth. One morning I'm showering before work and I look into the window that is kept open for ventilation and I see that a very tiny spider has caught a moth in his web. For a long time he ignored the moth and spent a lot of time tidying up the web. But finally, he crawled over to the struggling moth, injected him with death, and began the process of putting the leftovers away.

Let's Last Forever-er-er

2010-10-07T13:41:00.004-05:00

Hello!

And the saga continues . . .

The white pumpkin I got for my birthday last year is going to make it to my birthday this year, and likely beyond.

I was at the grocery yesterday and spied a bag of tiny white pumpkins on sale for $2 (!) and decided to treat Mr. White Pumpkin to a brood of munchkin pumpkins. After many years of coveting a white pumpkin, I am now replete with them. These new pumpkins were immediately subjected to a thorough sniff down by the cats.

Pumpkin Sniffing Cat

Let's Make Pico de Gallo

2010-06-27T15:57:00.015-05:00

I am delicious.

Pico de Gallo

6-8 roma tomatoes, seeded, cored, and diced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/3-1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and fold to mix. You can eat this right away, but is best when allowed to rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Ingredients can be mix in any ratio to your tastes. Any infinite substitutions can be used. Fruits like watermelon, mango, strawberry, peach, or green apple, or vegetables such as finely chopped cabbage, green onion, bell pepper, cucumber or carrot. Substitute lemon juice for any citrus or vinegar. Mint, oregano, ginger, or parsley for cilantro.

Let's Make a Watering Can

2010-06-18T08:00:00.007-05:00

Last weekend the heat index was something like 103F. Hot. For some inexplicable reason I decided this was an excellent opportunity to go outside and plant some lavender and catnip seeds. About 5 minutes into it, I was over the idea. Too hot. Too humid. Too 103F. But I finished anyway. When I was finished I couldn't remember which pot had catnip and which had lavender. I blame the heat.

No idea which is which. Tip: Make plant markers and mark immediately.

I did have a moment of clarity while my brain was boiling and decided to recycle a juice bottle into a watering can (watering bottle?). It makes so much sense. Buying a plastic watering can is pointless. Every plastic can I've ever had eventually got smashed or crumbled under use. Plus, why buy plastic when I have plastic (and a drill)?

Whee!

To make one for yourself you will need a plastic bottle like a juice bottle. Rinse it out. Using a drill and a small drill bit, drill some holes into the lid. Put some water in the bottle, recap with the hole-y lid and VOILA! Watering can.

I recommend a circular pattern.

Aside from not spending money on additional plastic and reusing "trash," making use of empty bottles with lids will allow you to mix up different liquid fertilizer solutions and have them on hand -- make sure you label them.

"Hey! How'd you get over there?!"

While taking these photos to show you my watering bottle, my cat, Bacon came to the window, saw me, and was really confused. Cats have little concept of physics.

Let's Make Brown Sugar Body Scrub

2010-06-13T16:33:00.022-05:00

Something you may not know about me is that I'm a bit of a makeup/beauty product junkie. It borders on being a real serious addiction; mascaras most of all. You can have my makeup and beauty products when you pry them from my cold, dead, exfoliated and moisturized hands!

Once I got this really great product from what was probably T.J. Maxx or Big Lots. The product was Kiss My Face's Sugar Reef Body Scrub. It. Was. Awesome. It smelled great. It was extremely moisturizing. It exfoliated well. I probably didn't pay more than $6 for the 10 ounce tub. I loved it. I loved it so much I decided I would buy more of it.

When I looked it up online, I discovered it retailed for $15! Here's what's in the scrub: organic sugar, a combination of plant oils, fragrance, various chemicals to keep it from "turning." Somehow sugar, oil, and perfume in a plastic tub is $15. For a 10 ounce tub that comes to $1.50 per ounce.

There are beauty products I am willing to spend a lot of money on -- Amazing Concealer, for example. The difference between sugar scrub and concealer is that I cannot make concealer in my kitchen. But I can mix sugar and oil in a bowl and transfer it to a jar.

And that is what we will do today: make Brown Sugar Body Scrub.

Ingredients & Supplies

1 C organic light brown sugar, packed
1/4 C plus 3 T oil
1 T honey

mixing bowl
measuring cups
spoon
empty container with lid for storage

Measure the brown sugar and dump into mixing bowl. Fluff it up. Add the oil and honey (start with 1/4 cup oil, then add each additional tablespoon as you feel is needed for your skin type, in general: 1T for oily/combination, 2T for normal, and 3T for dry skin).

Combine the ingredients by stirring and using the spoon in a slicing motion (as if making sushi rice) to break up and thoroughly mix. Transfer the concoction to a clean container that has a lid (this would be an excellent time to reuse a food container of some type). VOILA! You now have brown sugar body scrub that will cost you around $4.

About Oil

The type of oil you use is up to you. You want to use an oil that is acceptable for body use (very important -- using oils not intended for the skin can cause a severe allergic reaction that might involve a lot of painful burning and probably cursing) such as nut oils, apricot, grapeseed, or olive. If in doubt, use only an oil you find in the cosmetics section such as a massage oil.

I used a lavender body oil which contained a mixture of nut, apricot and grapeseed oils. Extra virgin olive oil as used for cooking also works well. If you have body-safe fragrance oil, you can add a few drops to scent the scrub.

How to Use Sugar Scrubs

It isn't necessary to use a lot of pressure when using a scrub -- let the texture of the scrub do the work. If you apply too much pressure you can damage the skin (burning and cursing). Get some of the scrub in your hands and work it in a circular motion all over the body concentrating on the elbows, knees, heels and ankles.

If you have dry skin, you can just rinse and be done, but if you have oily skin, soap off with a mild soap. Avoid your face because the skin is more delicate, and getting sugar and oil in your eyes will not be fun (more burning and cursing).

You can also use the scrub only on the feet during a pedicure.

Safety!

When using an oily product in the shower or bath, be careful with your footing. Don't come crying to me if you decide to tap dance while exfoliating, slip, fall, and split your skull open.

Let's Laugh at Bacon

2010-06-10T20:24:00.011-05:00

This is a quick update to share with you a short video of a game Bacon likes to play. Bacon has no concept of safety. His only thought is getting the thing in the cube. Let's laugh at him.

Let's Make Okonomiyaki

2010-01-30T13:30:00.038-06:00

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese dish most accurately described as a savory pancake. A lot of times you may see it described as a Japanese pizza, but I don't think this does it justice. For one thing, it isn't baked like a pizza; it's pan fried like a pancake. And secondly, it isn't a crust with toppings. While it does have toppings, most of the "stuff" is in the batter.

Okonomiyaki has several regional variations in Japan but generally, as the name translates to "whatever you like, grilled," you can pretty much add to the basic batter* whatever you like and leave out whatever you don't like.

This recipe is a basic batter as I've researched it and the ingredients I like to include. I'll tell you, YouTube is where I learned the most about making okonomiyaki.

There are several great videos, out of Japan, on making okonomiyaki. I think two of the best are by cookingwithdog and runnyrunny999. I like these because cookingwithdog appears to present a very professional, "traditional" (I use the term loosely since region will affect the method/ingredients) approach, and runnyrunny999, to me, presents a personal approach (he uses potato chips and an egg on top).

Another great resource from is the Japanese cooking blog, Just Hungry, which uses an Osaka-style method and explains some of the ingredients and why they are used (for example mountain yam).

The first time I attempted okonomiyaki I made a large pancake like you will see in the cookingwithdog video. Trying to eat alone, or share, the large pancake is difficult to me because I find okonomiyaki very filling, so I like to make smaller ones. Mini okonomiyaki.

All of this plus water and Club crackers.

Ingredients

3/4 C flour
pinch salt
1/2-3/4 C water
1/2 t baking powder
1 T mountain yam, grated
1/2 t grated ginger
few dashes black pepper
1 egg
2-2.5 C cabbage (about 5-6 leaves), chopped
1/2 sheet nori, crushed
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 T dried baby shrimp, crushed
4 Club crackers, crushed
4-6 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
sesame oil
okonomiyaki sauce
mayonnaise

First prep your onion and cabbage. Chop the onion and saute it with a little sesame oil until brown. While the onion is cooking, remove the hard stem portion of 5-6 cabbage leaves and chop. Once the onion is finished, set the skillet aside. You will use this skillet again in a bit.

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper; whisk gently to combine. Grate the mountain yam until you get about 1 tablespoon then add to the dry mixture. Grate ginger (I used pre-prepped grated ginger from a tube) and add to the bowl. Add the water little by little as you may need more or less to create a batter with the consistency of pancake batter. Whisk to remove all lumps.

Add your chopped cabbage and sauteed onions to the batter. Wipe the skillet out with a paper towel to remove the oil and put the dried shrimps in the skillet. Heat them over low heat for a few minutes until heated through. Allow them to cool and then crush them into powder. Crush the nori and Club crackers. Add all the crushed ingredients to the batter. Crack the egg, add to the batter, and piece the yolk. Gently fold the mixture to combine.

I highly recommend using an electric skillet for reasons: it will allow you to cook more than one small pancake at a time, and it provides even heat which will make cooking easier. Use a paper towel to coat the bottom of the skillet with a little sesame oil and heat to 225-250F.

Spoon the batter into the skillet and shape into little circular patties about the size of a generous hamburger. Top them with the bacon pieces. Cover the skillet and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Covering the skillet keeps the heat and steam inside and requires less cooking time. The trapped steam will cook the cabbage, although the cabbage will have a sort of al dente texture when the okonomiyaki are finished.

Flip the okonomiyaki, increase the heat to about 300F, and cook an additional 5-7 minutes, covered. After you flip okonomiyaki and before you cover the skillet, you can coat the cooked side with a little okonomiyaki sauce while the bacon side is cooking. This way the sauce will cook into them.

Squeeze the okonomiyaki sauce on and use your spatula to spread.

Once they are finished cooking, plate and top with mayonnaise and more okonomiyaki sauce. They are best eaten while still hot. This recipe will make about 6 small okonomiyaki.

Yum!

About the Mountain Yam

Mountain yam can be difficult to find if you don't have access to an Asian grocery. It doesn't impart any sort of taste to the okonomiyaki, but acts as a binder. I have made okonomiyaki with and without the mountain yam, and I can tell the difference. Without it, the okonomiyaki are sort of loose. And with the yam, they hold together better and are easier to flip. However, if you can't find mountain yam, skip it. It's not a big deal. Plus, making smaller okonomiyaki will make them easier to flip anyway.

*Basic Batter: The basic batter is flour, baking powder, salt, mountain yam, water, egg, and chopped cabbage. From this add, or not add, whatever you want to create okonomiyaki.

Let's Mourn and Make New Friends

2009-11-26T17:06:00.012-06:00

Bacon's First Pumpkin, Mr. Pumpkin

In April I wrote about my 2008 Halloween pumpkin that had managed to remain intact for over 7 months. At the time I prophesied that Mr. Pumpkin would probably "simply dry up."

On August 1, 2009 I moved into a new apartment and while packing I discovered that Mr. Pumpkin was beginning to become mushy and I was forced to send him off to that great Halloween pumpkin patch in the sky.

RIP
Mr. Pumpkin
October 2008 - August 2009

Hello!

This Halloween I got a fancy white pumpkin! I've always wanted one, and I found this one for free on my birthday! I wonder how long he'll last?

Let's Last Forever

2009-04-20T17:26:00.013-05:00

I still have my Halloween pumpkin from last year.

I bought him in mid-October 2008, never carved him, rested him by my (non-working) fireplace on the cool tile floors, and he's still as fresh and firm as if I'd brought him home yesterday.

He continually reminds me of Patchy Pumpkin, but I just refer to him as Mr. Pumpkin. I'm going to keep him around indefinitely, and only throw him out should he start to rot. However, I expect he'll simply dry up in which case he'll be around forever as I'm an extremely, oddly sentimental person. Decades from now he'll probably be rested on my old lady desk.

Update: Did Mr. Pumpkin "simply dry up?" No.
On August 1, 2009 I moved into a new apartment and while packing I discovered that Mr. Pumpkin was beginning to become mushy on the bottom and I was forced to send him off to that great Halloween pumpkin patch in the sky. RIP Mr. Pumpkin: October 2008 - August 2009

Let's Transform Old License Plates

2009-04-19T20:32:00.014-05:00

Due to an unfortunate incident causing me to feel the full brunt of the Brazil-like world we live in, I have several license plates. At least one of the plates was still current and I felt really frustrated that it would become invalid following its replacement with a plate from another state.

At some point I had this idea to use my plates as desktop mail/paper files. This is a simple project that takes less than 15 minutes, makes clever use of old/irrelevant license plate(s), and will help organize your desk.

For this project you will need: a license plate, a ruler, and a permanent marker.

In general a license plate is about 12 inches wide. Using your ruler, measure across the width of the license plate at 5" and 7". This 2" space will be the base of the file. I put small marks at the top, center and bottom of my plate so that I get a nice straight edge.

Place your ruler or other sturdy edge along the inside (what will be the base of the file) of one set of marks and make sure your ruler is lined up with the marks.

A license plate is easily bended. Using your ruler as a guide, bend one side of the plate about 45 degrees. We're only going to bend halfway so that there will be room to position your hand to bend the other side.

Next place your ruler along the inside of the second set of marks and use your fingers as shown above to hold the ruler and bend the other side about 45 degrees.

Now you have a "U" shape. To finish the file work the sides to a vertical position so that you create a little file. The bottom corners will have a nice rounded shape.

To get the right shape I press down on the top of one side of the file against a hard surface and then rapidly bend the other side back and forth about 1" in both directions. This helps to work the metal into the right shape. You could also use clamps to clamp the base of the file to a desk and then work the sides into the right form.

Ta da! This little file also works well to hold CDs. Here is one of the files in use on my desk.
(Alternately, you could bend the plates in half and use them as book ends.)

Let's Make Potato Salad

2009-01-08T14:52:00.021-06:00

Ranch Potato Salad with Sour Cream Dressing

A type of potato salads are ranch potato salads. These are made with dry ranch dressing mix. Other potato salad types include: Mustard, German (warm), Southern, mayonnaise-free/oil-dressed (some people do not like mayonnaise). I like mayonnaise but I hate when things are swimming in it. A mayonnaise-based dip (spinach dips), yes. A burger with a cup of mayonnaise, no.

The dressing for my ranch potato salad uses half mayonnaise and half fat-free sour cream to make a full portion of dressing. The dressing is lighter in texture and lighter in fat/calories this way without losing any taste. Fat-free sour cream is for me one of those rare fat-free foods that actually taste good. But I also like skim milk ("White water").

Ranch Potato Salad with Sour Cream Dressing

2 lbs red potatoes, scrubbed and chopped
1 T garlic, diced
1/4 C fat-free or low-fat sour cream
1/4 C mayonnaise
1 T dry ranch dressing mix
2 stalks green onion, chopped
1/8 C bacon pieces (I recently acquired a bag of Hormel Bacon Pieces with Picnic Bacon, and this is what I used)
salt and pepper

Boil potato chunks with garlic until just done. Transfer to a strainer and drain. Rinse with cool water to stop cooking. Overcooked potatoes will break up while mixing the salad and create mush. Place strainer in cooking pot and chill in refrigerator until cool.

Ranch Potato Salad with Sour Cream Dressing ingredients.

While cooking potatoes, mix the mayonnaise and sour cream together and add the dry ranch dressing mix.

When the potatoes are cool transfer to a mixing bowl and coat with dressing mixture one or two tablespoons at a time until potatoes are just coated. (You should have some dressing leftover that you will use later.) Next fold in bacon. Feel free to add as much bacon as you want. Next fold in green onions. Salt and pepper, and fold a few times to mix.

Green onion and Hormel bacon

If prepared ahead, cover and refrigerate. Before serving add remaining dressing if necessary. Potatoes are very absorbent so you may find they have absorbed some of the dressing moisture. You can refresh the salad before serving by adding some of this remaining dressing. Garish with more bacon. This is a great potato salad to go with BBQ.

Let's Make Chicken Noodle Soup with Sweet Potato

2008-12-17T14:33:00.015-06:00

Chicken Noodle Soup with Sweet Potato

I was inspired to make chicken noodle soup with sweet potato after seeing a recipe for sweet potato and chicken stew; the combination of sweet potato and rosemary sounded really good. This soup is full of fresh vegetables and the sweet potatoes delicate sweet taste goes very well with rosemary.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Sweet Potato

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut in chunks
2 ribs celery, diced
2 carrots, scrubbed, peels on and diced
13 oz cooked chicken breast
1 C water
32 oz chicken stock
1 T bacon/ham pieces (I used Hormel Real Bacon with Picnic Bacon pieces)
1 C rotini pasta
2 T olive oil
Diced garlic, to taste
1/2 t minced fresh rosemary
1 T vinegar
Onion powder, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Put olive oil, garlic, celery, carrot, and sweet potato in a soup pot over medium heat. Combine to coat vegetables. Cook until celery is tender, and the carrot and potato are beginning to soften. Then add bacon pieces and water; simmer.

Meanwhile add chicken with water to pot and break up large chunks of chicken. Next add rosemary, onion powder, salt and pepper. Combine ingredients, add pasta and combine again. Add broth and cook soup covered until vegetables and pasta are done then add vinegar and stir.

Let's Dress Up as Wednesday Addams

2008-10-30T12:00:00.007-05:00

At the end of summer I found an awesome vintage dress for $7. When I first saw it I immediately thought of Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby. But as weeks went by it started to remind me more of Wednesday Addams. Either way, it's a great dress, but ultimately I thought I'd have an easier time finding a Wednesday wig rather than a Rosemary wig.

Mia Farrow as Rosemary Woodhouse (L), Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams (R)

$7 vintage dress

+

Shoes from Target: Issac Mizrahi for Target.

+

Awful cheap wig, but it will work for the one night I'm going to wear it.

=

My wig was falling off :D

Let's Make Black and Orange Cupcakes

2008-10-17T06:00:00.012-05:00

These black cupcakes are made from Jiffy mix with 1/2 teaspoon of apple pie spice added. Jiffy mix costs about 60 cents and it is actually quite tasty. A mix makes about 8 cupcakes. The mix is recession proof and I like that it only makes a few cupcakes. It's hard to eat a dozen cupcakes, but eight I can manage. And if you've never had Jiffy cornbread, you're missing out. It's pretty damn tasty. (It does contain animal lard. Sorry, vegetarians.)

I wanted to make black cake. I used black gel dye to color the batter. It takes a lot of dye to make cake black. I added 1/2 teaspoon of apple pie spice to give the cupcake at little something extra. Apple pie spice give the cake an "autumn" taste.

Orange dyed prepared cream cheese frosting, the best frosting ever.

Spooky black cake!

Silver foil papers. The frosting was piped on using a Ziplock bag.

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Let's Talk Halloween Costumes

2008-10-07T09:00:00.011-05:00

I can't decide what to dress up as for Halloween.

I really want to buy a wig.

But I've also thought I'd like to wear this old tiger costume my mom made for herself a long time ago.

I remember her wearing that costume (a body suit with ear hat and tiger paw shoe covers) with me dressed as a black cat (see below) and going Trick-or-Treating at the mall when I was about five. I also remember that being the same Halloween that since we were going to the mall to Trick-or-Treat and were not going to give out candy at home, mom made a sign for the front door that said "Gone to Transylvania. Be back next year!"

Let's look at my costume past at little bit:

Here I am at about age 3 dressed as a witch in a dress my mother made for me. The fabric is adorable -- I wish I had some yards of it.

Halloween 1987: age 5. I was a black cat. This photo was taken to send to my dad who was in the Army and stationed in Germany at the time. My mother and I were still living Stateside, but the next year we moved to Germany. This costume was made using my regular black dance clothes (I took ballet and tap), costume black cat ears and Halloween make up.

This is not me. This is my little brother when he was about 4 dressed as Batman: Batman pajamas, costume cape and mask and black cowboy boots. He wore this costume everywhere and beyond Halloween.

Halloween Costume Links:
The Cosutmer's Manifesto: Halloween and Party Costumes
MAKE blog: DIY Halloween Costume Ideas
Threadbangers Halloweeny Wednesdays Slacker Edition

Let's Get Forcibly Evacuated from Key West

2008-09-09T17:45:00.010-05:00

Sunset from the water off Key West.

I left for Key West on Wednesday, September 3 and by Friday I found myself being forcibly evacuated. Hurricane Ike was supposed to plow across the Keys but instead has gone completely around them, of course.

Not that my trip was a total loss. I did visit three islands: Islamorada, Key Largo and Key West. And I did get to experience Miami International Airport (I love airports. )

Bird of Paradise on Key West

I stayed on Islamorada island in a condo whose decor was straight out of The Golden Girls.

On the first day I traveled to Key West and went to Sloppy Joe's and had an extremely tasty Sloppy Joe.

Best. Sloppy. Joe. Ever.

One day two, I went to Key Largo to the John Pennekamp state park where I encountered wildlife. Well, it was life but it wasn't so wild. In fact, it was probably too tame. I met a squirrel outside the ladies room who was so tame he let me a) get right up on him to take a photo and b) PET HIM!

I was this close to the squirrel.

I also met some herons who pretty much felt they owned the place. For lunch I got some nachos which really got the attention of all the critters in the area. The herons were very bold and one actually jumped on the picnic table. At one point I turned my head for a split second to look at some herons behind me and when I did the heron on the table took the opportunity to TAKE NACHOS OFF MY PLATE. Teamwork. Planning. Trickery. Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds: The Herons.

All your nachos are belong to me.

It was while I was at Pennekamp park that I learned of the "mandatory non-resident evacuation by 9AM Saturday." Boo.

To finish up what was left of my time in the Keys, I went to Lorelei Restaurant on Islamorada. You can easily find Lorelei because it has a GIGANTIC mermaid at its entrance.

Strategically placed hair.

So before I left for my trip many, many people I spoke to about Key West told me that there were just herds of stray cats roaming around Key West island. I did not see a single cat. I think this is due largely to spay and neuter programs on the island. Oh well. BUT I did find this very sweet cat who I named Salty. Salty was very nice and seemed very at ease in his life on the beach at a fish restaurant.

Salty!

Let's Say 'Happy Birthday' to My Mom

2008-09-01T16:15:00.008-05:00

Mom as a teenager.

Happy Birthday to my mama!

Today she is spending her birthday sitting on her deck waiting for the outer rim of Hurricane Gustav to hit her town. I called her and she was rehanging the humming bird feeders which were taken down in storm preparation. "I took them down but now there are humming birds looking for them."

My mom taught me to sew and make stuff. I remember one of the first projects we made together were stuffed felt Jack-O-Lantern's for Halloween. My mom once crocheted my Jem doll a sweater.

Let's Discuss My Trip to Fort Walton Beach

2008-08-20T16:42:00.006-05:00

This past weekend I went on a trip to Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Hurricane Fay was beginning to stir when I got there but this actually made it a bit cooler. It was sunny for most of the day.

The water was a bit choppy and bringing in a lot of chopped up seaweed and sea things. Jellyfish, sea slugs. I wanted to catch a sea slug but I was a little squeamish. Eventually, I got some little kids to do it for me. They really wanted to catch one too and I cheered them on. Then I touched it. On the last day of my trip a little girl ran up to me and shoved a sea slug in my face and made me take a picture of it.

I saw a wedding and an injured bird -- some type of crane or pelican. During the day we would watch children build sand castles and then at night we would walk along the beach and demolish the castles.

I took a lot of pictures because I recently got a new camera, a Canon PowerShot A590. I like it a lot. Some old people were really into what I was doing and asked a bunch of questions about what I was doing; they seemed really excited about it.

Next month . . . Key West.

Let's Make Cheesecake Balls

2008-05-20T16:00:00.011-05:00

I'm pretty sure Bakerella was the first to do cake balls, as far as making them popular on the internet. But they were all the rage for a while. I read bake!bake!bake! and there were a lot of cake balls for a while. I have no idea where they came from originally.

The original recipe calls for adding a can of cream cheese frosting to a prepared cake from a mix to create a dough. Roll the dough in balls, chill and then coat with chocolate. There are some variations on the shape and presentation at Flickr.

I really like the idea of cake balls but sometimes canned frosting makes my teeth hurt, plus I wanted to attempt to make this idea my own. So I made my cake balls with Jello cheesecake filling (not to mention that my favorite frosting, canned or otherwise, is cream cheese frosting). Same process but filling rather than frosting. They are really good.

I made these with a Butter Yellow cake mix.

To make the balls you need: cake mix, chocolate, filling, bowls.

Bake a cake of any flavor from a mix. I used a Duncan Hines Butter Yellow mix here. Let the cake cool completely.

Crumble the cake into a fine crumble. More than pictured here. Like cake powder.

Instead of frosting I used about a 1/3 to 1/2 of this cheesecake filling.

Mix to the consistency of a stiff dough. For some reason my dough happens to look like a fetus.

Shape into balls and chill until firm. Freezing would probably work.

Dip in chocolate or any dipping/hardening stuff. I sprinkled mine with chopped nuts (pecans) and put them on cocktail swords (Sword in the Stone Cheesecake Balls). These cake balls taste like cheesecake.

Let's Goop with Gocco

2008-03-17T12:10:00.008-05:00

I remember my grandmother using Goop on laundry to get the grease stains out of my grandfather's work clothes. She had a big metal tub of Goop. As a kid I was really impressed by the Goop logo because the letter G was formed by a hand.

When I got my Gocco and first opened the tube of screen cleaner, the smell and consistency immediately reminded me of Goop. I got my Goop for $1 (9 ounces) at Dollar Tree.

The screens I cleaned had some really dried up ink on them but I smeared the Goop on and let it set for 24 hours. The next day I got to work wiping it off and working more Goop into some really stubborn spots. It works really well.

Goop is non-toxic and biodegradable.

Let's Discuss the Snow

2008-03-10T10:15:00.011-05:00

Friday afternoon it started snowing in Memphis. The snow started at about 1PM. My office closed early and on my way home I stopped by Overton Park to look and play in snow as it began to cover the ground.

This little robin followed me around the park.

Bronze font at Brooks Museum.

I hadn't worn shoes for snow and eventually my feet were wet and freezing so I had to go home. But as soon as I got home I redressed for snow, my boyfriend came over and we played in the snow.

First we attempted to introduce the cats, Adoy and Eveready, to snow. Adoy was terrified of snow and tried desperately not to be put on it. She sunk her claws in coats and cried. Eventually we got her down on the snow but she practically flew she ran so fast back to the stoop.

"No!"

"We are not amused."

This is the acceptable cat way to partake in snow.

I suppose really I can't blame them because it was snowing pretty hard and it was really cold.

Saturday I went thrifting were I picked up the best possible thing: a mint condition "6 Way Party Mustache" that apparently will make me look more distinguished:

"Completely changes your appearance."

(Oh, also, my family came to visit. The drove up in the blinding snow in 25MPH interstate traffic) Do we look more distinguished?

This is my distinguished face.

My brother, clearly looking more distinguished.

At one thrift store my mother spotted a naked Elvis doll perched on a shelf. He seems pretty cool with wearing only a pair of shoes.

My mom actually bought him so she could make him some clothes. She felt it was somehow unAmerican that Elvis had been reduced to shoes-only.

Sunday I went to back to Brooks Museum to actually look at art and not just to stomp around in their snow. There is a really interesting exhibit right now called Snap Judgments and it features contemporary photography and video art from Africa. So if you're in the area you should check it out.