Saturday I spent the whole day at our Project Linus Make a Blanket Day. I could not BELIEVE how many people were there! Nearly 200 ladies, with their sewing machines, irons, ironing boards, rotary cutters and mats, cutting, ironing and sewing away at quilts! We were set up in a very nice mall, we had a vacant store to set up our potluck lunch, which was HUGE and delish! There was an area for the quilt contest (called Boo-Boo Kids), an area for labeling of finished quilts, a quilt shop set up an area where you could win prizes for finishing a Lotsa Pops (PDF) block to be assembled with others' blocks into finished quilts, just so MUCH going on! There were knitters and crocheters working away and people cutting and tying fleece blankets too. I was very interested in the fleece blankets that had a crochet edge so I think that will be my next Linus Blanket goal. I got 20 blocks done for my string quilt. Now it's time to assemble!
My Project Linus in-progress quilts are:
Purple string quilt
Batman and Robin panel quilt
Puppies toddler-sized quilt
and now I need to find some fun fleece to add a crocheted edge to. :)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
How to Eat Soy and Like It!
First off, this isn't a comprehensive guide to soy foods. I am just relaying some experiences I've had with soy products in the hopes that it will help you if you'd like to try cooking them yourself.
If you've tried to cook with tofu and didn't like it, chances are it was you, not the tofu. (No offense and all, but it's easy to screw it up.) It was the way you prepared it, seasoned (or didn't season) it or bought the wrong type for the application you were trying it in. Tofu is not terrible. There was a time when I thought it was. But tofu, it wasn't you, it was me.
If you are a tofu newbie or have tried and failed to cook it properly, I suggest you first try dishes at restaurants. They know what they're doing (hopefully) so you'll know it wasn't your tofu skills if you don't like it. You will notice that their tofu is usually NOT bright white and is usually has much more texture than tofu straight from the box. From this we infer that they must work some magic on it to create the lovely chewy, brown skin, tender (but not dripping wet) innards and delicious flavors that can be found. How do we create that ourselves? We will soon find out!
If you've shopped for tofu, you know there are at least a couple of different types available. Each type is good for different types of dishes. The main categories available in most grocery stores are:
Silken tofu- great for blending into a smoothie to add protein or mixing half and half with sour cream and seasonings to make a low-fat dip!
Soft/Medium tofu-Excellent for crumbling into pasta dishes and casseroles.
Firm/Extra-Firm tofu-The best for keeping its shape in stir fry or when baked as slices.
Stir-Fry and other ideas for Firm and Extra Firm
Number one rule-you cannot just plop the tofu out of the package, cut it up and add it to your stir-fry, you will be grossed out and disappointed. Half of tofu cooking is actually tofu preparation.
If your tofu comes packed in water, you will need to drain that water off and press the tofu to remove even more water. Place the block of tofu between a couple of paper towels and put it into a colander. Put a small plate or saucer over the tofu and weight it down with a can or two of veggies or soup. Leave this set-up in the sink or over a bowl to drain for at least 15 minutes. Then you're ready to cut!
I like my tofu cut into small pieces because it gives more surface area to get crispy and delicious. Larger pieces will result in crispy outsides and tender, juicy insides so go with what you like.
Coat the pieces in cornstarch. Just toss them in a plastic baggie with a few tablespoons of the stuff to complete cover.
Then fry the pieces in a non-stick skillet with a tiny bit of olive or vegetable oil over medium high heat. Don't move it around too much, leave the pieces to cook on one side for a good long time, then flip them all to a new side to create a great crust.
When my tofu is just about done, I like to scoot it over to one side and cook some other veggies in the same skillet. This keeps the tofu warm. One of my favorite things to do with crispy tofu is make a wrap sandwich so I cooked up some onions here.
Then I plop it all onto a burrito and add whatever I have in the fridge, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, mushrooms, sour cream, salad dressings, and salsa are all ideas. Tofu prepared in this way can also be stir-fried with veggies and served over rice!
To add even more flavor to the tofu, you can marinate it before cooking. Tofu, like a sponge, soaks up whatever flavor you put with it. The easiest way it to used a bottled marinade made for meat! But you can also throw together some soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, etc and make your own. Marinated tofu can be fried like above, baked, grilled, so many options!
Another trick to try with tofu is to freeze it! Freezing tofu changes the texture and makes it more crumbly. This "ground meat" texture makes it great for adding to casseroles and such where you don't want identifiable triangle or square shapes in your food. Ok, it's great for when you're trying to "hide" it in things. :)
Soft Tofu Ideas
Soft tofu fits in excellent with Italian food! It's a great substitute for Ricotta cheese but you can't substitute it for ALL the cheese because you still need something with flavor. I love making stuffed shells (when I have spare time on my hands), ha ha) and half cheese (ricotta, parmesan and mozzerella mix), half mashed soft tofu works out great.
Silken tofu is great for using in smoothies! (Soft tofu works too but you might have to blend it a bit more to work the lumps out.) You can either make non-dairy smoothies with just tofu, fruit and flavorings or slip some tofu into your yogurt smoothie to get the soy benefits without too much difference in taste.
Other Soy Products
There are a lot of "fake meat" type products out there, some soy based and some not. These are great substitutes with lower fat! I love crumble-type products for adding to casseroles, spaghetti sauces and tacos. Soy flour can be a great addition to baked goods that adds protein and soy isoflavones. But you can't make baked goods with only soy flour because it contained no gluten. I can usually substitute soy flour for about 10-20% of the white flour in recipes. But here's a tip, when using soy flour in cookie dough, do not eat the dough raw, it tastes terrible! Soy flour is used in a TON of manufactured foods so why not try it in your own kitchen! It's great for thickening sauces and gravy, and I've read that in fried foods, like doughnuts, soy flour reduces the amount of fat that is absorbed by the dough.
I'm no soy expert but being vegetarian I am always trying to sneak more protein into my diet. (I should really try to sneak more iron in too, maybe I'll do some research and write about that too!) I hope this has helped those of you who have limited experience with Tofu and other products like it. And while I'm in the kitchen, I'll show you my new cabinet hardware!
My dear, sweet husband spend most of one afternoon removing the handle and two hinges from each door and replacing them with these fun nickel ones we both like! Here's the before picture:
If you've tried to cook with tofu and didn't like it, chances are it was you, not the tofu. (No offense and all, but it's easy to screw it up.) It was the way you prepared it, seasoned (or didn't season) it or bought the wrong type for the application you were trying it in. Tofu is not terrible. There was a time when I thought it was. But tofu, it wasn't you, it was me.
If you are a tofu newbie or have tried and failed to cook it properly, I suggest you first try dishes at restaurants. They know what they're doing (hopefully) so you'll know it wasn't your tofu skills if you don't like it. You will notice that their tofu is usually NOT bright white and is usually has much more texture than tofu straight from the box. From this we infer that they must work some magic on it to create the lovely chewy, brown skin, tender (but not dripping wet) innards and delicious flavors that can be found. How do we create that ourselves? We will soon find out!
If you've shopped for tofu, you know there are at least a couple of different types available. Each type is good for different types of dishes. The main categories available in most grocery stores are:
Silken tofu- great for blending into a smoothie to add protein or mixing half and half with sour cream and seasonings to make a low-fat dip!
Soft/Medium tofu-Excellent for crumbling into pasta dishes and casseroles.
Firm/Extra-Firm tofu-The best for keeping its shape in stir fry or when baked as slices.
Stir-Fry and other ideas for Firm and Extra Firm
Number one rule-you cannot just plop the tofu out of the package, cut it up and add it to your stir-fry, you will be grossed out and disappointed. Half of tofu cooking is actually tofu preparation.
If your tofu comes packed in water, you will need to drain that water off and press the tofu to remove even more water. Place the block of tofu between a couple of paper towels and put it into a colander. Put a small plate or saucer over the tofu and weight it down with a can or two of veggies or soup. Leave this set-up in the sink or over a bowl to drain for at least 15 minutes. Then you're ready to cut!
I like my tofu cut into small pieces because it gives more surface area to get crispy and delicious. Larger pieces will result in crispy outsides and tender, juicy insides so go with what you like.
Coat the pieces in cornstarch. Just toss them in a plastic baggie with a few tablespoons of the stuff to complete cover.
Then fry the pieces in a non-stick skillet with a tiny bit of olive or vegetable oil over medium high heat. Don't move it around too much, leave the pieces to cook on one side for a good long time, then flip them all to a new side to create a great crust.
When my tofu is just about done, I like to scoot it over to one side and cook some other veggies in the same skillet. This keeps the tofu warm. One of my favorite things to do with crispy tofu is make a wrap sandwich so I cooked up some onions here.
Then I plop it all onto a burrito and add whatever I have in the fridge, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, mushrooms, sour cream, salad dressings, and salsa are all ideas. Tofu prepared in this way can also be stir-fried with veggies and served over rice!
To add even more flavor to the tofu, you can marinate it before cooking. Tofu, like a sponge, soaks up whatever flavor you put with it. The easiest way it to used a bottled marinade made for meat! But you can also throw together some soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, etc and make your own. Marinated tofu can be fried like above, baked, grilled, so many options!
Another trick to try with tofu is to freeze it! Freezing tofu changes the texture and makes it more crumbly. This "ground meat" texture makes it great for adding to casseroles and such where you don't want identifiable triangle or square shapes in your food. Ok, it's great for when you're trying to "hide" it in things. :)
Soft Tofu Ideas
Soft tofu fits in excellent with Italian food! It's a great substitute for Ricotta cheese but you can't substitute it for ALL the cheese because you still need something with flavor. I love making stuffed shells (when I have spare time on my hands), ha ha) and half cheese (ricotta, parmesan and mozzerella mix), half mashed soft tofu works out great.
Silken tofu is great for using in smoothies! (Soft tofu works too but you might have to blend it a bit more to work the lumps out.) You can either make non-dairy smoothies with just tofu, fruit and flavorings or slip some tofu into your yogurt smoothie to get the soy benefits without too much difference in taste.
Other Soy Products
There are a lot of "fake meat" type products out there, some soy based and some not. These are great substitutes with lower fat! I love crumble-type products for adding to casseroles, spaghetti sauces and tacos. Soy flour can be a great addition to baked goods that adds protein and soy isoflavones. But you can't make baked goods with only soy flour because it contained no gluten. I can usually substitute soy flour for about 10-20% of the white flour in recipes. But here's a tip, when using soy flour in cookie dough, do not eat the dough raw, it tastes terrible! Soy flour is used in a TON of manufactured foods so why not try it in your own kitchen! It's great for thickening sauces and gravy, and I've read that in fried foods, like doughnuts, soy flour reduces the amount of fat that is absorbed by the dough.
I'm no soy expert but being vegetarian I am always trying to sneak more protein into my diet. (I should really try to sneak more iron in too, maybe I'll do some research and write about that too!) I hope this has helped those of you who have limited experience with Tofu and other products like it. And while I'm in the kitchen, I'll show you my new cabinet hardware!
My dear, sweet husband spend most of one afternoon removing the handle and two hinges from each door and replacing them with these fun nickel ones we both like! Here's the before picture:
Friday, February 13, 2009
Happy Friday the 13th!
Happy Friday the 13th! Whenever this day happens, no matter what month, I consider it my lucky day because I was born on Friday the 13th! (In March, but I'm not particular when it comes to lucky days!) Also, Happy Valentine's Day weekend! Our 9th anniversary is on Tuesday so we like to make tstretch the celebration out all the way from the 14th to the 17th. We call it Valentersary, of course!
I've just updated my Tutorials list (see the button to the left) to include the most recent posts with fun projects but if you haven't visited in a while, you might want to check it out and see if there are any you've missed.
Did you know I'm on Facebook? I know, it took me forever! Just let me know if you want to be Facebook buddies.
And last but not least, this is a random picture of Sully at Christmas, opening his stocking presents, because I didn't want this post to be pictureless.
I've just updated my Tutorials list (see the button to the left) to include the most recent posts with fun projects but if you haven't visited in a while, you might want to check it out and see if there are any you've missed.
Did you know I'm on Facebook? I know, it took me forever! Just let me know if you want to be Facebook buddies.
And last but not least, this is a random picture of Sully at Christmas, opening his stocking presents, because I didn't want this post to be pictureless.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Soup Swap, the swapping
The soup swap at work went off without a hitch! Everyone took turns choosing a soup to add to their pile until they were all gone. I got 5 great soups including pumpkin black bean, lentil, leak and potato, a Mexican posale, and sweet potato curry. Yum!! I gave out awards to the first soup picked and the last soup picked, a wooden spoon with a bag of candy attached.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Fabric Binge
A few months ago (well, when the after Christmas sale emails started flooding in) I went on a bit of a fabric binge. I just couldn't resist the great prices!! I bought quite a bit at eQuilter and some oilcloth from Mendels. My apologies that some of them are wrinkly, I didn't feel like ironing until later. Yes, I pre-wash and iron all my fabric. I know that's kind of a sticky subject for some people (especially quilters) but it's years of home ec lessons I can't shake.
These two are destined to become skirts for next fall. I just LOVE the veggie print, won't it make a fun skirt?!
Next we have some halloween fabric (Halloween apron, I'm thinking), some Katy Jump Rope prints I will work into my scrappy log cabin quilt and really cute Schol Day Fun which I think will make an adorable centers for quilt blocks, such lovely muted colors.
These are Christmas fabrics I bought to restore my holiday stash. I made a lot of reusable gift bags this year and nearly ran out of red and green! The ornament print is also going to be the back of my wall hanging made with the blocks from a swap I was in for ornament pieced blocks.
And here is my bargain of all bargains. I got this Pampered Pooch quilt kit on ebay for a song! It has everything you need to make the 64" x 64" quilt top, including two jelly rolls, fabric for all the borders and extra for placemats. I have always loved this fabric line, it combines two things I love: dogs and retro prints! And here is what I have completed so far. I know, not much but I'm working on it at my leisure!
And while I was taking pictures around the craft room, I thought I'd take a picture of the bulletin board with all of Sully's ribbons. Now that we are in more advanced classes in our shows, we don't get quite as many blue ribbons as we used to in the easier classes that we aced frequently, but Sully still manages once in a while to win himself a ribbon and a toy
These two are destined to become skirts for next fall. I just LOVE the veggie print, won't it make a fun skirt?!
Next we have some halloween fabric (Halloween apron, I'm thinking), some Katy Jump Rope prints I will work into my scrappy log cabin quilt and really cute Schol Day Fun which I think will make an adorable centers for quilt blocks, such lovely muted colors.
These are Christmas fabrics I bought to restore my holiday stash. I made a lot of reusable gift bags this year and nearly ran out of red and green! The ornament print is also going to be the back of my wall hanging made with the blocks from a swap I was in for ornament pieced blocks.
And here is my bargain of all bargains. I got this Pampered Pooch quilt kit on ebay for a song! It has everything you need to make the 64" x 64" quilt top, including two jelly rolls, fabric for all the borders and extra for placemats. I have always loved this fabric line, it combines two things I love: dogs and retro prints! And here is what I have completed so far. I know, not much but I'm working on it at my leisure! 
And while I was taking pictures around the craft room, I thought I'd take a picture of the bulletin board with all of Sully's ribbons. Now that we are in more advanced classes in our shows, we don't get quite as many blue ribbons as we used to in the easier classes that we aced frequently, but Sully still manages once in a while to win himself a ribbon and a toy
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Lovely knitting paraphernalia
This post is LONG overdue. Quite a while ago, I won an online giveaway at Darcy's Knotty Knitter. I won the most gorgeous Leslie Wind shawl pin which I use on my shawl at work when it gets unbearably cold in the library and the most amazing thing, a cable needle necklace! During our trip to Ohio, I was working on a cable item for the county fair. I was using whatever I had handy (the handle of a crochet hook) as a cable needle and as we were driving, it kept falling under my car seat! This was SO frustrating! I cannot tell you how many times I sighed and flailed my hand around searching for it under there. Even a regular cable needle could get lost easily but the cable needle necklace is amazing! If only I had known about them before our trip!
This is a picture of a recent project, a cable hat. I love that the with the cable needle around my neck, it's is always right where I need it. I don't have to carry around a bag of knitting accessories or sit in one place where my tools are. And when you work the stitches off of it, you can just let it fall where it wants, it will be ready and waiting the next time you need it! It is awesome! This would make a very sophisticated and useful gift for a knitter. She will even engrave a message on the back for you.
This is a picture of a recent project, a cable hat. I love that the with the cable needle around my neck, it's is always right where I need it. I don't have to carry around a bag of knitting accessories or sit in one place where my tools are. And when you work the stitches off of it, you can just let it fall where it wants, it will be ready and waiting the next time you need it! It is awesome! This would make a very sophisticated and useful gift for a knitter. She will even engrave a message on the back for you.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Bartering!
I did a private swap with Jessica of Patisserie Jolie Bath Products. I sent her a pillowcase pinnie in this super-fun colore scheme chosen by her.
And she sent me four of the most lovely soaps! I love handmade soap, I just can't get enough! She was so kind, I had only chosen 3 "flavors" but she was extra generous and sent me not only a fourth soap but also a pressed penny for my collection!
Thank you so much to Jessica for the lovely trade!
And she sent me four of the most lovely soaps! I love handmade soap, I just can't get enough! She was so kind, I had only chosen 3 "flavors" but she was extra generous and sent me not only a fourth soap but also a pressed penny for my collection!
Thank you so much to Jessica for the lovely trade!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Soup Swap, the cooking
In preparation for the soup swap at work, I spent this afternoon cooking a HUGE pot of soup! I had never made this recipe before so I wanted to make it today so that I could try again if it was bad. Great news: it is terrific! I picked this recipe for My Favorite Carrot Soup particularly because it says it freezes well. I tripled the recipe and it went all the way to the top of my biggest stock pot so I transferred some of it to another pot for the initial cooking. After pureeing it, I mixed it all together and added the last ingredient, orange juice! This recipe also has peanut butter and ginger in it, a really unique taste but still savory from the onion, garlic and spices. (See what soups I got in return at my post Soup Swap, The Swapping.)
All pureed and lovely! Another great thing about making it today is that I can participate in Joyously Living Life's Blogger Soup Swap! 
Here they are on my freezer, there are two more behind these.
And for dessert! Actually, this is a cake we made last weekend so....there's none left but it was darn tasty! It's a chocolate blackout cake, the recipe is from Cook's Country. It is a homemade chocolate layer cake with scratch pudding filling and frosting and cake crumbles on the outside.
Carrot Soup
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
* 2 garlic cloves, pressed
* 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 lbs carrots, peeled and chunked
* 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chunked
* 5 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
* 1/2 cup orange juice
* 3 tablespoons peanut butter
* toasted pumpkin seeds (optional) or chopped cilantro, garnish (optional)
1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
2. Saute onions with ginger, cumin, and cayenne until onions are soft, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic when you think there is about 45 secs to 1 minute left to achieve the soft onions [Do not let the garlic burn].
3. Add salt, carrots, potatoes, and broth and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
5. Add the peanut butter.
6. Puree the soup. This is most easily done with a hand-blender right in the pot.
7. Stir in orange juice.
8. Ladle in bowls and garnish if desired.
9. This soup freezes very well in tupperware. I'm sure it will freeze well for many months, however I don't know for sure because mine has never stayed frozen for longer than a month due to being eaten!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Book Cover Postcards
Old Reader's Digest Compilations have some wonderful, subdued colors and lovely wallpaper-looking patterns. I used some to create some postcards and thought I'd share it since it's so simple.
Remove the book's cover at the spine with an exact-o knife.
I created a simple document with corner decorations and a line down the center. Use images of old postcard backs for inspiration. Print these out and cut them to fit the book covers.
*UPDATE*
Here it is, the .png fle of the back for your use in creating postcards. It's pretty simple but I hope you enjoy! (Don't forget to click on the image for a larger version.)
A great place to find some lovely, vintage-looking goodies to add to your back is Briar Press, which I found via Design Freebies.
Adhere your printed backs to the inside surface of the cover with gluestick or scrapbook adhesive.
I didn't mind the raw edge (it gives it a bit of a vintage book shop/estate sale feel) but if you'd rather have a finished look, glue a length of coordinating ribbon along the edge.
Grab a cup of tea and you're ready for a little sit and sip. Write a little note to a friend, the perfect evening activity this winter!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Winner, winner, tofu dinner!
I got a record amount of comments, 90 in all! Thanks so much everyone for commenting and entering the contest! Drawn the old-fashioned way, using real paper ballots, the winner is:
5acre Designs
Here is her comment:
"I would love the Pillowcase Pinnie pattern. I like the retro apron look and would love to make one for myself. Very cute! Have a Blessed and Happy New Year!"
A lot of commenters mentioned that the Pillowcase Pinnie has a retro vibe or that it reminds them of their mom/grandma. Which is wonderful and definitely an inspiration I drew from as I remember my mom wearing lovely cobbler style aprons during noodle-making season! See her noodle recipe here.
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