tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69628330743979904162024-03-12T16:47:30.858-07:00cultivating domesticitycoming to terms with my domestic tendencieskashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-46695914831050839422012-07-21T11:34:00.000-07:002012-07-21T11:34:15.464-07:00turtle power!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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people are having babies right now.<br />
it must be that time of year or something. i had two good friends pop them out right in the same time period, so i had to get on my craft game.<br />
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luckily, my <a href="http://pinterest.com/kashaho/" target="_blank">pinterest obsession</a> provides me with plenty of project inspiration. i found this "<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/61655617/peekaboo-turtle-plush-pattern" target="_blank">peekaboo plush turtle</a>" pattern on etsy from <a href="http://wewilsons.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">wewilsons</a> and fell in love.<br />
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i made three turtles, the first in a more sophisticated denim, and the other two turtle bodies i made out of t-shirt jersey, so they are nice and plump and squishy.<br />
the patterns use so little fabric that i was able to use some of my favorite scraps from previous projects for the shells.<br />
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the pattern calls for stuffing the top and bottom shells with batting (like a quilt), but i found that the top shell wasn't firm enough to hold its shape that way. serendipitously, i was cleaning out my closet mid-sewing project and found some foam cups that i took out of a bathing suit top when i bought it once upon a time (good thing i save everything). and they happened to be the perfect size and shape to reinforce a turtle shell. so i popped those in there and the shells came out crisp.<br />
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i was tempted to add googly eyes to the turtles (everything is better with googly eyes), but since they are for babies i had to settle with embroidered eyeballs, which actually turned out quite nice as well. a few embroidery stitches across followed by a few french knots.<br />
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i love that these turtles come out of their shells.<br />
much love to some wonderful parents - i am so grateful you are nurturing new life in this world. <br />
congratulations maile + kaliko - your little hapuna is beautiful!<br />
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congratulations hannah + win - i can't wait to meet oona!kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-70229516761184806252012-07-08T17:42:00.001-07:002012-07-08T17:42:27.116-07:00congratulations sierra + tom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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my friends sierra and tom got hitched last month. </div>
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for their wedding present i made them some cloth napkins and beer steins based on the theme of their wedding invitation. </div>
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the cloth napkins started out as a quilt project, but it quickly became clear that i wasn't going to get a quilt done in time for the wedding (sorry sierra & tom!) so it morphed into napkins and beer steins. more practical, anyway. the napkins i did in shades of yellow, brown and white using <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUQ38B0AJMA&feature=relmfu" target="_blank">this method</a> of sewing curved lines in a quilt. </div>
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i used a pretty stitch to finish the edges, and each napkin has a hand embroidered S <3 T in the corner.</div>
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the beer steins were pretty fun to make as well. i had made etched wine glasses for my dad's wedding when i was in high school, so i tried that technique again.</div>
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using some of the left over black vinyl from the <a href="http://cultivatingdomesticity.blogspot.com/2012/05/diy-vinyl-stickers.html" target="_blank">wall decal project</a>, i cut out the image from their wedding invitation, centered it on the stein, and painted etching cream on the glass. it's a quick and easy process, one that i'm definitely going to do again - they came out so lovely!</div>
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congratulations, sierra and tom - sending you blessings for a lifetime of joy, good times, beer and happy messes. </div>
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<span id="goog_852277685"></span><span id="goog_852277686"></span>kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-9628504639343154712012-05-20T10:07:00.001-07:002012-05-20T20:34:50.252-07:00quick and easy frozen yogurt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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if you can open a container of yogurt you can make this recipe.<br />
also if you have an ice cream maker, or can borrow one.<br />
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i recently acquired an ice cream maker at a thrift store - great $8 investment - and once i started reading homemade ice cream recipes i realized i couldn't be eating that on a daily or even weekly basis without expecting to double my weight, so i went in search of some frozen yogurt recipes. this is my favorite, because it's the easiest. <br />
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now, you know i like making things myself, including <a href="http://cultivatingdomesticity.blogspot.com/2011/09/crockpot-yogurt.html" target="_blank">homemade yogurt</a>, but sometimes you just need a dessert fix and you don't want a long process. this is your go-to recipe for that. all you do is open a container of greek-style yogurt (the FAGE brand they sell at costco works well for this, and is inexpensive), add sugar and whatever other flavors or chunks you want, and turn on the machine.<br />
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thanks to <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/a-frozen-yogurt-recipe-to-rival-pinkberrys-recipe.html" target="_blank">101 cookbooks</a> for the recipe:<br />
3 cups greek style yogurt (or strained yogurt - see below)<br />
2/3 cup sugar (i like my yogurt tangy so i put in a little less)<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional) <br />
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i made the plain version of this yogurt and loved it. i also made a lilikoi (passion fruit) version, which was quite tasty and tangy. the only thing to keep in mind here is that you want to make only the amount you're going to eat at one sitting because it doesn't store well in the freezer - mine got rock solid.<br />
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now, if you don't have greek-style yogurt or want to make your own (greek style to me means it's just thicker than regular yogurt), you can strain regular yogurt. seeing how it halves in size makes me think this isn't a money saving option, but here's how:<br />
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<i>for one cup strained yogurt, nest a mesh strainer over a bowl, line it with a few layers of cheesecloth, pour 2 cups plain whole milk yogurt into the cheesecloth. fold the cheesecloth over your yogurt and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.</i><br />
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<br />kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-81953514476005958652012-05-17T16:00:00.000-07:002012-05-17T16:00:08.012-07:00make your own microwave popcorn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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did you know that you can make your own microwave popcorn by just putting popcorn kernels in a paper bag?! thanks to <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/109212359683465647/" target="_blank">pinterest </a>for pointing this out.<br />
making your own popcorn not only saves you $$, but you can control what goes into it - those flavorings and the film left on the microwave popcorn bags you buy in the store always gave me the creeps, and a little googling on the toxicity of microwave popcorn turned up issues with the chemical <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diacetyl" target="_blank">diacetyl</a>, which gives that "buttery taste and smell" in commercial microwave popcorn. it turns out that some factory workers in popcorn bagging plants suffer from "popcorn lung" - you've heard of "black lung" disease, yep this is the popcorn version, technically known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronchiolitis_obliterans" title="Bronchiolitis obliterans">bronchiolitis obliterans</a>, a severe scarring of the lung tissue resulting from inhalation of diacetyl. There's some concern for consumer safety as well, from heating and then inhaling the fumes associated with microwave popcorn, and it looks like several companies have stopped using it, though not all. which is all to say - i'm so glad i found out that you can just make your own. and stop relying on companies to make your food for you.<br />
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it's this easy:<br />
take 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels.<br />
put them in a lunch sack sized paper bag.<br />
fold the top of the bag over twice (no staples or glue or anything needed - plus you don't want those things in the microwave anyway)<br />
cook them on high for about 3 mins or until there are 2-3 seconds between pops (depending on the strength of your microwave).<br />
that's it.<br />
<a href="http://cultivatingdomesticity.blogspot.com/2008/08/on-popcorn.html" target="_blank">here are </a>some of my favorite popcorn topping recipes. <br />
plus lately i've been experimenting with a balsamic vinegar, rosemary, maple reduction stirred into melted butter - fabulous!kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-29670835297957480512012-05-15T12:16:00.000-07:002012-05-15T12:41:18.487-07:00diy vinyl decals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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i got it in my head the other day that i wanted whales in my shower.<br />
by that i mean i wanted to put whales on the wall of my bathroom. i rent, so painting them on isn't really an option - not to mention I can't really wield a paintbrush. i've been seeing these wall decals lately in decor and design blogs and i love the idea of being able to temporarily decorate my walls - they stick really well and look like they are painted on, but peel right off when you want a change.<br />
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so when i got my whale urge i stopped over at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/" target="_blank">etsy </a>to look for whale wall decals, but they were too pricey for me so i decided to make my own. i read somewhere that you can make your own vinyl stickers using regular vinyl you can buy at the grocery or hardware store (think shelf liner section). and it worked! i bought a roll of black vinyl for about $3 and made a bunch of stickers and still have a ton leftover. stoked on saving money. <br />
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here's how i did it.<br />
first i google image searched pictures of humpback whales. did i mention i don't draw? i saved the ones i liked in a folder on my computer. images that translate well to stickers are obviously fairly simple shapes that don't require shading to tell what they are. i recommend clicking the "black and white" filter on the left sidebar of google image search to narrow down your results.<br />
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once i had the images i liked i borrowed the projector from work, taped the vinyl onto the wall and projected the image onto it. you can adjust the size of the image on screen or by moving the projector up/back and then trace it with pencil. you can get creative with placement of the images close together on the vinyl canvas so you're utilizing the vinyl to the max and reducing waste.<br />
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after that i grabbed my trusty exacto knife and cut the shapes out. one thing to keep in mind is that the finer and skinnier your pieces the harder they are to apply to the wall without getting tangled. i had some complex shapes with one of the whales and it worked out, but good to keep in mind.<br />
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and that's it! make sure your wall surface is clean and dry, peel off the backing and stick! here's how they turned out: <br />
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i'm quite pleased. the whales make me happy every time i shower.<br />
my little sister, aliana, came for a sister sleepover party for spring break, and we made some more stickers together. <br />
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i went a little nuts with my stickers. i wanted cattails in my kitchen, and i found an image i really liked, but it took a looong time to trace and cut out. i had intended to make the cattails span my entire counter, but after doing this one i gave up.<br />
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<br />kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-75023817457617266782011-12-03T23:25:00.000-08:002011-12-03T23:25:10.715-08:00urban bee corridors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwPxr0zculikZk21cUvywBlscyqa3H3usghz0mVNlr4kDRGSlxb-gIsqGXO0XjD88vJ9foQvPpzYFi5UUsKcMXKAaDVPecqS2AGERsBRbJleIQBrY6bX0TmAkmKF8adnZEDfvkPbpj3A/s1600/P1150192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwPxr0zculikZk21cUvywBlscyqa3H3usghz0mVNlr4kDRGSlxb-gIsqGXO0XjD88vJ9foQvPpzYFi5UUsKcMXKAaDVPecqS2AGERsBRbJleIQBrY6bX0TmAkmKF8adnZEDfvkPbpj3A/s320/P1150192.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
i’m super stoked on bees.<br />
recently i went to a workshop called “how to grow a pollinator garden” put on by master beekeeper<a href="http://www.beelovehawaii.com/education/" target="_blank"> jennifer bach</a>. i learned all kinds of fascinating things about bees. there are 20-50 thousand bees in a hive, almost all of them female (3-10% are male "drones"). did you know that the male bees are born from <i>unfertilized </i>eggs? does that seem possible? they are literally genetic clones of the queen. they hang out in “drone congregations” high up in the atmosphere. when a queen is ready to mate (only once in her life) she flies way up there and zooms past the drones, and whomever’s fast enough to catch up with her she mates with (12-30 of them) and then she keeps the sperm in her body for the rest of her life, using it as needed to fertilize eggs for the next 5 years. she only mates with drones from other colonies, so essentially it’s the genetic coupling of two different queens’ dna that produces the next generation. fascinating.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdM_WSnPUBnttVubCoWb7lHIx2ugv0s8-VOr7G5tp_T-v3njIkvKra2t9mu_CHvxEoKGSP73hYCg3eN4Wu66d6H8MTMnTHIcjy2obRTMaq4JALZ5XTwvwdKXBpQ-VRteRSk_fa6IFwsY/s1600/P1150186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdM_WSnPUBnttVubCoWb7lHIx2ugv0s8-VOr7G5tp_T-v3njIkvKra2t9mu_CHvxEoKGSP73hYCg3eN4Wu66d6H8MTMnTHIcjy2obRTMaq4JALZ5XTwvwdKXBpQ-VRteRSk_fa6IFwsY/s320/P1150186.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>i also learned that bees in urban areas can often be healthier than bees in agricultural areas because they aren’t as likely to be exposed to pesticides and vast areas of monoculture crops – which are bad for their health. that’s pretty sad, but it renewed my sense of the importance of growing backyard and patio gardens, to provide a sort of <b>urban bee corridor</b>.<br />
they recommended letting 10% of your plants like basil and lettuce go to seed so the bees can enjoy it too, plus then you can collect seeds for replanting. another good tip was to try to plant a diversity of flowering plants that bloom at different times, so the bees have a consistent source of nectar throughout the year. they also appreciate having a source of water nearby when they are feeding, so if you set up a water dish or feature try putting small stones in it so the bees can access the water without getting wet. i’m definitely inspired to plant more flowering things and hope to lend a hand to our pollinator friends.<br />
i also learned that bees leave pheromones on a flower when they sucked out the nectar, and those pheromones evaporate at the same rate that the plant takes to replenish the nectar - so it's a kind of marking signal that says to other bees "don't bother with this one." awesome.<br />
one more interesting tidbit- when the queen hatches a new queen, the old queen takes half the hive and leaves the house to her new protege - this is when hives "swarm" - the hive lands somewhere, usually a tree - and waits while the scouts go out and find possible new hive locations. when the scouts come back to the hive they report what they've each found, and each bee in the hive communicates with the bees immediately around her, and they come to agreement about which is the best new location by essentially "voting." i'd like to learn more about this process. some people are referring to bee hives as a "super organism" - meaning the hive has an intelligence and ability that is beyond the sum of its parts.<br />
at the workshop they had honey tastings provided by local beekeepers - and the jars were labeled by which month/season they were harvested - i was amazed at how completely different honey from spring, summer, fall, and winter seasons taste - even here in hawaii where seasonal changes are relatively subtle.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QPdA47wEH6BcvfCwf_1bU5SiXR4ntNnn5McxmYEVh0M0rn3I4nFIYDs1NU4DFc8qdyUGKU4_cm4aMh7RoY-ezrHbVtFDsbjLhRo3V85nzSRmThETHkbcwUy8PLvIiD96BKQduHRs8A0/s1600/P1150183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QPdA47wEH6BcvfCwf_1bU5SiXR4ntNnn5McxmYEVh0M0rn3I4nFIYDs1NU4DFc8qdyUGKU4_cm4aMh7RoY-ezrHbVtFDsbjLhRo3V85nzSRmThETHkbcwUy8PLvIiD96BKQduHRs8A0/s320/P1150183.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>i was catching up on overdue presents and other personal projects that had been on hold for the past month while i focused on our <a href="http://www.kanuhawaii.org/eatlocal">eat local campaign</a>. The bees inspired me, and i went home buzzing with enthusiasm that came out in the form of these potholders for my friend -and fellow birthday buddy - cathy. <br />
it’s been a while since i’ve done <a href="http://piecebynumber.com/honeybee.htm" target="_blank">paper piecing</a> – since the <a href="http://www.cultivatingdomesticity.com/2008/12/dragonfly-quilt-complete.html">dragonfly quilt-</a> but it came back to me and gave me an excuse to dig into my box of scrap fabrics, which was one of the few things i shipped from oakland to hawai'i when i moved. i whipped these out late one night and am quite pleased with how they turned out. cathy’s an amazing cook (among many other things), and i hope these bees will bring her inspiration as well.kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-16714773525018545712011-10-11T01:56:00.000-07:002011-10-11T01:56:18.200-07:00crayon roll-up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCR5ricwYXAnWRlAmzJC7rQC2XIMfcLSkVcswGl_eD3lR276m2J1BhtBXJvGteehkkWBPZZ8wv_8Av1zYkBDKITdO7LwHMIYMQ07ODHXWpy0vzBPen3Zj3Ev-bZRzn9c11tGC8Wt-sQE/s1600/P1150176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCR5ricwYXAnWRlAmzJC7rQC2XIMfcLSkVcswGl_eD3lR276m2J1BhtBXJvGteehkkWBPZZ8wv_8Av1zYkBDKITdO7LwHMIYMQ07ODHXWpy0vzBPen3Zj3Ev-bZRzn9c11tGC8Wt-sQE/s320/P1150176.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>i’m pretty pleased with this super quick and easy baby present pattern i found at <a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2008/09/09/keep-on-rollin/">skip to my lou</a>. i had a friend’s first baby luau to go to last weekend, and since i’d been so busy with work i hadn’t gotten around to a present until the day of, which also happened to be my first day of moving into our new place, so time was short. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_UibPgJAnpVD5m2nhJNZaOUYghqAOZHvDXTgBNbR2iyyuXE0yKWIRQQyknoCWD9taSEkV-uwB8ViSDsr1eMuTwYLmCclXRjA41EfGzFmDaPAAu3_mbfQlVIae98BBodFLocMPlSJId8/s1600/P1150177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_UibPgJAnpVD5m2nhJNZaOUYghqAOZHvDXTgBNbR2iyyuXE0yKWIRQQyknoCWD9taSEkV-uwB8ViSDsr1eMuTwYLmCclXRjA41EfGzFmDaPAAu3_mbfQlVIae98BBodFLocMPlSJId8/s320/P1150177.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>thankfully googling “easy baby present sewing” turned up this gem – a crayon kit to go that’s vinyl on the inside so it doesn’t get all market up, and is small enough to wrap up and stick in your purse for instant entertainment on the road. <br />
i didn’t have rickrack, which i think would have made it better, but i’m pretty pleased with how it came out, using some scrap camo print vinyl leftover from our grill cozy. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dvmvTpUnGztbPb8DXQwDEBqA5Ut5LCH8bgBHc6GsjDQLmHdBX9uhuZpG1lPRpUWUnWF_VqRa1211DjWpTLSEhI2VloIoveHE50xQobJwmhnKO2imEZgwapzY_y5e3dDySAozD71zSGg/s1600/P1150181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dvmvTpUnGztbPb8DXQwDEBqA5Ut5LCH8bgBHc6GsjDQLmHdBX9uhuZpG1lPRpUWUnWF_VqRa1211DjWpTLSEhI2VloIoveHE50xQobJwmhnKO2imEZgwapzY_y5e3dDySAozD71zSGg/s320/P1150181.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
i also ended the project at exactly the right time – check out my spool of yellow thread at the very end of the project. a good sign!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-v-_19Pj6yNWBkVgLj5bY6x4uKpFMxpodud-wMOrMG4Vqtg7jq_V098VV1SpoqKhlxYlj6b8_j3eFxIp27GQCt51x82MnJA5dxAoYmzezG_mt6Co23ygSWdC2ZtLFXndNecprcaLGHY/s1600/P1150171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-v-_19Pj6yNWBkVgLj5bY6x4uKpFMxpodud-wMOrMG4Vqtg7jq_V098VV1SpoqKhlxYlj6b8_j3eFxIp27GQCt51x82MnJA5dxAoYmzezG_mt6Co23ygSWdC2ZtLFXndNecprcaLGHY/s320/P1150171.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>hau’oli la hanau e kahiwa!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-83496719979816091962011-09-11T00:21:00.000-07:002011-09-11T01:47:39.305-07:00crockpot yogurt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QH4OGPscYr4/TmxdDqdHuWI/AAAAAAAAGzA/0jM8_3uYUhY/s1600/P1150121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QH4OGPscYr4/TmxdDqdHuWI/AAAAAAAAGzA/0jM8_3uYUhY/s320/P1150121.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
did you know you can make yogurt at home in a crockpot? i tried it for the first time this week, and was truly amazed - it's super easy, tastes great, and saves money. what's not to love?<br />
<br />
my friend Momi sent me this recipe a while ago, and I finally had reason to try it out for the<a href="http://www.kanuhawaii.org/challenge/details/?id=16"> eat local challenge</a>. i had bought a half gallon of local milk the other day on a whim because it was on sale, but i don't really drink milk, and i've been missing having yogurt in my (100% locally grown) smoothies in the morning, so figured this was the perfect time to try out the yogurt recipe. to be honest, i was highly skeptical that it would actually work. I've always been intimidated by yogurt-making, similar to my fear of proofing yeast when baking bread - it's so much pressure to get the temperature right so those little buggers will grow. anyway, despite my skepticism and nervousness, the process was incredibly simple - you just need to start it at a time when you expect to be home periodically to switch the crockpot off and mix in the yogurt. I made a 1/2 recipe because my crockpot is little and that worked just fine.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9vByTB5rcxQ/TmxdELT1vmI/AAAAAAAAGzE/Sa560X4VLuo/s1600/P1150111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9vByTB5rcxQ/TmxdELT1vmI/AAAAAAAAGzE/Sa560X4VLuo/s320/P1150111.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><b>the ingredients.</b><br />
<br />
--12 cups (3/4 gallon) of whole milk--pasteurized and homogenized is fine, but do NOT use ultra-pasteurized.<br />
<br />
--1 6oz store-bought natural, live/active culture plain yogurt<br />
<br />
<b>the directions.</b><br />
<br />
plug in your crockpot and turn to low. add milk. cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.<br />
<br />
unplug your crockpot. leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.<br />
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scoop out 2 cups of the milk and put it in a bowl. whisk in live/active culture yogurt. then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. stir to combine.<br />
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put the lid back on your crockpot. keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation.<br />
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go to bed, or let it sit for 8 hours.<br />
<br />
in the morning, the yogurt will have thickened---it's not as thick as store-bought yogurt, but has the consistency of low-fat plain yogurt. <i>(i actually found it to be quite thick - see note below)</i><br />
<br />
chill in a plastic container(s) in the refrigerator. your fresh yogurt will last 7-10 days. save 1/2 cup as a starter to make a new batch.<br />
<br />
*for thicker yogurt, line colander with cheesecloth/paper towels and set in big bowl. pour yogurt and cover. place in fridge.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QSSHluq_jj4/Tmx1ZyKuMMI/AAAAAAAAGzI/10toQ5MXVKk/s1600/P1150116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QSSHluq_jj4/Tmx1ZyKuMMI/AAAAAAAAGzI/10toQ5MXVKk/s320/P1150116.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
now, fellow thick yogurt-lovers, don't be dissuaded (i was, and i think that's part of why it took me so long to try the recipe). i am not the kind of person who loves just eating yogurt, because i don't think it's rich enough - the one type of yogurt i fell in love with is a brand called <a href="http://liberteyogourt.com/">Liberte </a>from vermont that's something like 8% milkfat (yum!). now that i can't get that i settle for greek-style yogurt. and yet i LOVE this homemade yogurt - it's creamy and fairly thick and very flavorfull. in fact, i ate an entire 35oz container in the first 24 hours (is that gross?) and none of it has made it into the smoothies yet.<br />
enjoy!kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-91379464594314289712011-09-05T03:24:00.000-07:002011-09-05T03:24:50.486-07:00baby hats on a plane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvo9LkKzbpumT8G3pttHxaJsEVb_rSGuaOZFcrX8UyDLPOlVCVO5DRxxhoHZ_koUbn_XiYNVqUGYKfxQ4hALX0gD8oBGDdU2uEfr6CJ-Jq43Zs5v7hCKxzdJflMiJfWMPSgBu5G6meALQ/s1600/P1150092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvo9LkKzbpumT8G3pttHxaJsEVb_rSGuaOZFcrX8UyDLPOlVCVO5DRxxhoHZ_koUbn_XiYNVqUGYKfxQ4hALX0gD8oBGDdU2uEfr6CJ-Jq43Zs5v7hCKxzdJflMiJfWMPSgBu5G6meALQ/s320/P1150092.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>this labor day weekend i'm working on a long-anticipated baby project. yep the baby's already been born, but i don't want to give away the surprise gift, so i will *not* be blogging about that one just yet.<br />
for now let me show you the baby hats i made on the plane ride back from oklahoma last month. these don't have a particular baby in mind, i just figure it's always good to be prepared with baby gifts - plus they're so fast to make = good plane project.<br />
i actually only made 1 1/2 of these hats, since one of them was started during an impromptu crochet lesson involving marty's niece nia, his aunty linda, and... well, guess who knows how to crochet now?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Z0R4g2XjiFcCP3I2U5hNcO9X65AjS75d7-XHtG9I6vLDxmFkdkdAyNveO7MQjc0D85TSzCRDh5GD2vuO-RxOaCLXXu7OKwf73JoZYcdjz4N1pOg7wSgLl4VXiGuX2_fMCDHKaeS78u8/s1600/IMAG0595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Z0R4g2XjiFcCP3I2U5hNcO9X65AjS75d7-XHtG9I6vLDxmFkdkdAyNveO7MQjc0D85TSzCRDh5GD2vuO-RxOaCLXXu7OKwf73JoZYcdjz4N1pOg7wSgLl4VXiGuX2_fMCDHKaeS78u8/s320/IMAG0595.JPG" width="179" /></a></div>mmhmm, that's right.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNR9FkPp_hTO2uK5uqZDHeJ7MTzXfNLIcBxOUEeRi1rSkRaWeHbF833FzKZqyC7DYAYdEtevxcfHIRFM73eRKuCGoLoxdmAOZxVePoSFfeelTeIBaS0ahhI6IoIfSoBbUWYgCiMfWugo/s1600/IMAG0598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNR9FkPp_hTO2uK5uqZDHeJ7MTzXfNLIcBxOUEeRi1rSkRaWeHbF833FzKZqyC7DYAYdEtevxcfHIRFM73eRKuCGoLoxdmAOZxVePoSFfeelTeIBaS0ahhI6IoIfSoBbUWYgCiMfWugo/s320/IMAG0598.JPG" width="179" /></a></div>kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-91677755592659011212011-08-29T01:17:00.000-07:002011-08-29T01:17:10.509-07:00composting with bokashi<iframe frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/28284962?byline=0&portrait=0" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/28284962"></a><br />
here's a little video i made about my newest composting system: the bokashi bucket.<br />
bokashi is an anaerobic (lacking oxygen) composting method that essentially pickles your food waste with the help of some special microbes. you can even compost meat and dairy - which I'm stoked about.<br />
i never know how to dispose of old meat scraps, and so i've been saving used ziplocks and sealing them up in there and throwing them out - but that feels so gross. i just know somebody down the line (either picking up my garbage bin or at the dump) is doing to have to deal with the nastiness that is some rotting meat in a plastic bag. eew. so i'm stoked beyond words to have a legitimate way of returning that stuff back into the ecosystem. <br />
the process is pretty simple, you sprinkle the microbe mixture on top of any food scraps you put in the bucket, and then when the bucket is full you dump it into a hole and bury it in the ground for 2-4 weeks, and then it's decomposed! magic. you can even <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96fSXccQx9Q">make your own</a> bokashi powder, which i'd like to try when i run out. <br />
i've been hearing about bokashi and wanting to try it, but i was hung up on making my own bucket system (which of course never happened), and then i saw a deal come up on <a href="http://www.kanuvalues.com/">Kanu Values</a> - full disclosure, this is where i work- but i've really been chomping at the bit to get a bokashi kit, and the deal sold out in about 30 minutes. the kit comes from <a href="http://eachoneteachonefarms.com/bokashi/">each one teach one farms</a>, here on o'ahu, and then have some pretty great resources on their website. <br />
let me know what you think of the video - i'm pretty proud of my nascent video editing skills - next time i'll use my phone to film in HD, and probably repaint my fingernails.<br />
<br />
btw, i'm over apologizing for not posting in forever, i fell of the "project a week" wagon. hard. and now i'm doing my best to get back on the horse. kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-55900755919105103822011-04-26T18:58:00.000-07:002011-04-26T18:58:46.503-07:00week nine: planting in dresser drawers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUel9wIphcB6UPw2UGjzyc53YsqVRiYnC8Zhdopqwe9a72B7jFr-EQpTjTaU0HA5vYfZKRRni8yy4FiSMkiMXW5HN5qj2OjJBEA8Q0opuuOqxWvjOWIaBL5w2e_QTbmKFPZPT-V8Ukv4/s1600/P1140090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUel9wIphcB6UPw2UGjzyc53YsqVRiYnC8Zhdopqwe9a72B7jFr-EQpTjTaU0HA5vYfZKRRni8yy4FiSMkiMXW5HN5qj2OjJBEA8Q0opuuOqxWvjOWIaBL5w2e_QTbmKFPZPT-V8Ukv4/s320/P1140090.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>ok, so it's not really "week nine." i'm a whole month behind on my weekly blogging project, so i'm playing catch up here with some projects i did a while ago but that never made an appearance on the blog.<br />
when we first moved into our little studio we weren't entirely sure how long we'd be staying in the place. we have a nice little backyard space, and i was itching to grow things, but i didn't want to plant a bunch of stuff only to move out before we could harvest. so we came up with a compromise: planting in recycled dresser drawers. they provide us a sort of grab-and-go garden, able to pick up and take them with us if needed.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSo0jUs5BWsr-Hi_a0LclZJN4Mcy0pILo2VSWRvFPxIi0-8ucLLspaKtYf28OEXJvaiupvuA0O0yMb1ALHfwHXb6Ko2-XSxxIy5tlTyoK18UKlWOKaa-87cq5JyTK8WZYE-W7DKgr284o/s1600/P1140067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSo0jUs5BWsr-Hi_a0LclZJN4Mcy0pILo2VSWRvFPxIi0-8ucLLspaKtYf28OEXJvaiupvuA0O0yMb1ALHfwHXb6Ko2-XSxxIy5tlTyoK18UKlWOKaa-87cq5JyTK8WZYE-W7DKgr284o/s320/P1140067.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>the neighborhood we live near, moiliili, always has a reliable supply of unwanted furniture on the roadside, so we drove around and collected old dresser drawers - ones with solid wood or metal bottoms. we turned these old drawers into planter boxes by drilling holes in the bottom - thanks to popsie's tools.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79nk1aJl6TBG8Xs5EeIWDx0MFBuo_JfwWJYh-mtmEixb-j4SWYwAy3DaTrpAwlkE-ScFUblb70cTQ-iFGx_uR5svZ2pyaYJ2UZ53tmuYs4dDiia9adzmraEsVVRTggEikMSPK3Y4AFuc/s1600/2010-07-16+11.04.00_Honolulu_Hawaii_US.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79nk1aJl6TBG8Xs5EeIWDx0MFBuo_JfwWJYh-mtmEixb-j4SWYwAy3DaTrpAwlkE-ScFUblb70cTQ-iFGx_uR5svZ2pyaYJ2UZ53tmuYs4dDiia9adzmraEsVVRTggEikMSPK3Y4AFuc/s320/2010-07-16+11.04.00_Honolulu_Hawaii_US.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljMT43nb5Gtv2sa51tdZCk5_yYtOHeCsxtj-a-P0bzrmF9XYyKDP9RPIUZzgpteho-pI5tD5agiipMq9U-RTMz1puZQRxLdFUQWHXfhxHWw_5nGNKPZtWezUkyGeZQL__N1MkQPp7r0Y/s1600/2010-07-16+11.02.56_Honolulu_Hawaii_US.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljMT43nb5Gtv2sa51tdZCk5_yYtOHeCsxtj-a-P0bzrmF9XYyKDP9RPIUZzgpteho-pI5tD5agiipMq9U-RTMz1puZQRxLdFUQWHXfhxHWw_5nGNKPZtWezUkyGeZQL__N1MkQPp7r0Y/s320/2010-07-16+11.02.56_Honolulu_Hawaii_US.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnas1j0xSMWjKWp7WEMHbowoQs55ddfbsdH1pUEY-4D7FOS8_NnwWLmnl7gE6M6yf8dqjyZX2gzcNKsOWXIgTcffL60dcMfau7zQFpekFb7pRtblLZthtLKHz9wnLYs4Xv0xJUbvpNILk/s1600/2010-07-16+11.03.36_Honolulu_Hawaii_US.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnas1j0xSMWjKWp7WEMHbowoQs55ddfbsdH1pUEY-4D7FOS8_NnwWLmnl7gE6M6yf8dqjyZX2gzcNKsOWXIgTcffL60dcMfau7zQFpekFb7pRtblLZthtLKHz9wnLYs4Xv0xJUbvpNILk/s320/2010-07-16+11.03.36_Honolulu_Hawaii_US.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> we bought some potting soil - which i discovered is not, in fact, soil - but a mixture of peat moss, perlite, and composted material that drains better than regular soil and is good for container gardening. that being said, it's expensive to buy soil - potting or otherwise - so on popsie's recommendation i mixed the potting soil with regular soil we dug from our backyard.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaenMS7VNBmRo2qSZyUMhyQTQaXsDisqbCHi8i7H16J8bUWQ-7HzKbOI2RXK_wrNy7uvjPcqd1wZ6SuAufwWplKNyTfdlqA9hw0OStZZx7xiLaML66gPiDxV3wAzkLePFamy73EN3Qd8/s1600/P1140076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaenMS7VNBmRo2qSZyUMhyQTQaXsDisqbCHi8i7H16J8bUWQ-7HzKbOI2RXK_wrNy7uvjPcqd1wZ6SuAufwWplKNyTfdlqA9hw0OStZZx7xiLaML66gPiDxV3wAzkLePFamy73EN3Qd8/s320/P1140076.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87AoZZdXiit3DI0iF7l1AjpIvyZaktCFqyquJ77GmgqcNUiXEV1SFbmwDGG6R6c5QFXEJTo7MPlhZLeDwcYX-v4JzPZkA5PfNuR_Ih1p3axyVTg2okjd71CIoKXJeb_firYQbjkvreyE/s1600/P1140134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87AoZZdXiit3DI0iF7l1AjpIvyZaktCFqyquJ77GmgqcNUiXEV1SFbmwDGG6R6c5QFXEJTo7MPlhZLeDwcYX-v4JzPZkA5PfNuR_Ih1p3axyVTg2okjd71CIoKXJeb_firYQbjkvreyE/s320/P1140134.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>we planted all kinds of stuff in the drawers: taro, kale, collards, chili peppers, yerba buena, okra, mustard cabbage, green onions, thyme, tomatoes, basil, sweet potatoes, and some other things that didn't make it like lettuce, cucumbers, and cilantro.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBg5LxArxWZZ1CPFMvhaxKJg9CXUHHYv8qIH-RNhtGEaqmFleC9TmV9w5vxW-Hdi9msVlgnmMEDT9UAiIBhbPGF3IJAEeCbrbl8dLnk5G8o5bVARWM5flobaSacFwddXPfKRCZGesPmY/s1600/P1140080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBg5LxArxWZZ1CPFMvhaxKJg9CXUHHYv8qIH-RNhtGEaqmFleC9TmV9w5vxW-Hdi9msVlgnmMEDT9UAiIBhbPGF3IJAEeCbrbl8dLnk5G8o5bVARWM5flobaSacFwddXPfKRCZGesPmY/s320/P1140080.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>it was a while ago that we made the planter drawers, so things are growing nicely now. we even harvested our first taro this weekend - more on that in a future post. we also decided to stay a while in our little studio, so we've started planting in the ground, too.kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-41298184882744431412011-03-08T12:00:00.000-08:002011-03-08T12:00:04.773-08:00week eight: garden harvest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYnL6_EtxQAdQiXxYauMa5fehUcZj3KNRfto4S_yGdmvLooD3oIUJtw3fZJKVKhK2gZ4chIMCzNAgXs8oGbOod1JRIkYsK9SJTQEfIJ5LAzbmksel3DzuItR37-TPccRgDItxVCUCfkI/s1600/IMAG0088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYnL6_EtxQAdQiXxYauMa5fehUcZj3KNRfto4S_yGdmvLooD3oIUJtw3fZJKVKhK2gZ4chIMCzNAgXs8oGbOod1JRIkYsK9SJTQEfIJ5LAzbmksel3DzuItR37-TPccRgDItxVCUCfkI/s320/IMAG0088.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>i'm going to use the excuse of unexpected travel and sickness over the past two weeks to account for slacking on my blog projects. this post is less a project than a collection of bite-sized morsels that emerged from our garden recently.<br />
first, there's the tomatoes. while the tomatoes we originally planted have not fared too well - the only tomatoes that grew to full size were enjoyed by the birds while we were away in oakland last week - we have numerous "volunteer" tomatoes that have sprung up around the garden in places they weren't planted.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>i hate you, birds.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>i assume this, too, is the work of the birds. these little yellow cherry tomatoes somehow are much healthier than their original counterparts, and have managed to produce several handfuls of wee tomatoes that i've actually been able to harvest before our beaked friends get at them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>also in abundance right now are our perpetually-baby kale and collard greens. i'm not sure why the leaves stay small, maybe i planted them too close together in the container, but they are quite tender and hardly need to be cooked.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg621JwQZWX3OUF9DDy-IRykXmmFdmms5F0Rx7KnYE_5I6oZOrplkYdrZPbzOkWUQDG-Su6A8Ql3EtyDjvYVtwn6HTkKjskIV1G6vOam1zm5jiZiXQ24pSg-jQHqOsA2f2hBp27vo3YoUQ/s1600/IMAG0082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg621JwQZWX3OUF9DDy-IRykXmmFdmms5F0Rx7KnYE_5I6oZOrplkYdrZPbzOkWUQDG-Su6A8Ql3EtyDjvYVtwn6HTkKjskIV1G6vOam1zm5jiZiXQ24pSg-jQHqOsA2f2hBp27vo3YoUQ/s320/IMAG0082.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br />
they go great raw into smoothies. this one includes frozen berries and some poi - yum! as well as garden greens.<br />
i'm a big fan of sauteed garden greens and eggs in the morning. this is a variation on that. i've always been curious about the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_in_the_basket">egg-in-a-basket</a>" concept, and this was my first attempt at making it myself.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdps-sVJymBcd5UeCfuJcIux4PvQC6Gy01ehNMwpXEvA2OLVZnXQ0u6lI1LVDha_0vwTuTDj3t5_ySr22dW3_3TzgRfRFobGI9MlgMVRBcxzJdilLIkVTEbxcmJUYzeUCnBMHpmBd90o/s1600/IMAG0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdps-sVJymBcd5UeCfuJcIux4PvQC6Gy01ehNMwpXEvA2OLVZnXQ0u6lI1LVDha_0vwTuTDj3t5_ySr22dW3_3TzgRfRFobGI9MlgMVRBcxzJdilLIkVTEbxcmJUYzeUCnBMHpmBd90o/s320/IMAG0036.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br />
surrounding the egg in a basket are chopped fresh garden greens - collards and kale - as well as lightly sauteed green pea shoots - the harvest from my <a href="http://www.cultivatingdomesticity.com/2011/01/week-two-egg-carton-sprouts.html">project of several weeks ago</a>. i've also planted some of the peas along the fenceline to see if they'll mature enough to give actual pea pods. i'll keep you posted. <br />
other things i'm looking forward to harvesting in the coming months: taro and sweet potatoes!kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-12146446705151996872011-03-06T17:44:00.000-08:002011-03-06T17:44:38.617-08:00week seven: carrot top crisps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilMZszyk_cHav8SYvF4RNUO4IXOEdqpFSmEt51d4fcB9N9pi4GFeRLax7lfwxWMKY0sfVWnTEcbhmGkm_67ppZ9LeBXU6mksq3ZWRDfUpsiQamLmn1Ez6rta-AOGSDVdC4qzQoffkvVk/s1600/P1130851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilMZszyk_cHav8SYvF4RNUO4IXOEdqpFSmEt51d4fcB9N9pi4GFeRLax7lfwxWMKY0sfVWnTEcbhmGkm_67ppZ9LeBXU6mksq3ZWRDfUpsiQamLmn1Ez6rta-AOGSDVdC4qzQoffkvVk/s320/P1130851.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
oops, i've fallen out of the routine here in the past couple weeks so it's time to play catch up. first on the menu is a new way of preparing carrots - using the greens.<br />
i've always wondered if the tops were left on carrots just as a sort of back-to-the-landish aesthetic, but i overheard the <a href="http://www.maoorganicfarms.org/">interns at ma'o </a>say in the packing shed one day while we were packing up csa boxes, that some people eat them. i tried it once, and found them a bit bitter, so i served them sauteed with garlic and jalapeno (because that will make anything taste good). <br />
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on a recent trip to the farmers market i met up with the lovely ladies of <a href="http://www.maoorganicfarms.org/">ma'o</a> - interns cheryse, maisha, and anuhea - and because of the<a href="http://maoorganicfarms.org/?/blog/everything_in_moderation"> excessive rains</a> of late they mostly had a whole lotta carrots to sell at the stand. i wanted to support, so i ended up coming home with six big bunches of carrots, greens and all, so this was inspiration to have another go at the whole carrot top thing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzWwcXumwAfJphL2hhUHqAzwvq4GuLcgXm18-bvQ3ny7bHbKLrl96S8iUPNlCojfuVtVvJ_m0Mw3_1vddgVMyOwDNHK_tu0SW4E8dOYjiiZ0qc6BmcyI6eNBL0eBPu9bW1robsVVs_O8/s1600/P1130862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzWwcXumwAfJphL2hhUHqAzwvq4GuLcgXm18-bvQ3ny7bHbKLrl96S8iUPNlCojfuVtVvJ_m0Mw3_1vddgVMyOwDNHK_tu0SW4E8dOYjiiZ0qc6BmcyI6eNBL0eBPu9bW1robsVVs_O8/s320/P1130862.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
cheryse - brilliant salesperson that she is - recommended making a carrot top pesto out of them, and i ran this idea past ed kenney, owner and chef of <a href="http://www.townkaimuki.com/">town restaurant</a>, who i saw on my way out of the ma'o stand. ed wholeheartedly supported the carrot top pesto - saying he serves ma'o carrots with a pesto sauce made of their greens, to the mantra "what grows together goes together."<br />
i have yet to try carrot top pesto, but my friend maile (who also bought six bunches of carrots from ma'o that day) made it to rave reviews from the family.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VfXgq3cJ-vlT3DCdOtEkYqhJAYzX435FB9zIdFaXxXtI-OTjbQo5NJawiowrK1OK1jTv03HmW9YHpllfQcZf_d9aMxUNJQDJVuKh5Evccl7raQHTvJyRMurrHhi6S9Fx9HFtF8v1N9g/s1600/P1130835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VfXgq3cJ-vlT3DCdOtEkYqhJAYzX435FB9zIdFaXxXtI-OTjbQo5NJawiowrK1OK1jTv03HmW9YHpllfQcZf_d9aMxUNJQDJVuKh5Evccl7raQHTvJyRMurrHhi6S9Fx9HFtF8v1N9g/s320/P1130835.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
what i chose to do with my carrot top greens was take the concept of kale chips - one of my favorite not-so-guilty pleasures, and apply it to carrot tops. kale chips are the best (and probably best for you) alternative to potato chips i've ever had - and i <i>love </i>potato chips. crispy is hands-down my favorite texture for food, so anything that manages to be crispy i'm willing to consume. check out my friends' hannah and phoebe's <a href="http://iheartkale.blogspot.com/2008/08/kale-recipe-shoutout.html">i heart kale</a> blog for my recipe for kale chips.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKy8sgOn3gdfragcVOtkEhG5hIxYg6eFIa61e88TIm4_WgUw0duQWIF5uuH_6g3mq6NAhymRg9-Kn_GMIk_2iTVYcMgTvwDTba6RkgzX3aa00UREg6EOV197mQNTfZOMLWqXxToWWtJ4U/s1600/P1130848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKy8sgOn3gdfragcVOtkEhG5hIxYg6eFIa61e88TIm4_WgUw0duQWIF5uuH_6g3mq6NAhymRg9-Kn_GMIk_2iTVYcMgTvwDTba6RkgzX3aa00UREg6EOV197mQNTfZOMLWqXxToWWtJ4U/s320/P1130848.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>my first attempt at carrot top chips was a mixture of kale and carrot tops. again, i was concerned about the bitter flavor being overbearing and figured if it was a mixture it might be better. but something about the roasting process takes out the bitterness, so the carrot tops came out as crispy, crunchy, delicate melt-in-your-mouth greens without a hint of bitterness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkctAMBhFsnvgUDAvrbRiqr-Rvtv-JnBBEDlLJ9iIaEnCluDDVkRLCXvSiKWIMJOsFaHxVJk6HvojMSO_eiacuO_jieGspY8IZI8iTap1o6zVNhJRWEKh2hk0V7Kc09B-rnITlx5QXKE/s1600/P1130876-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkctAMBhFsnvgUDAvrbRiqr-Rvtv-JnBBEDlLJ9iIaEnCluDDVkRLCXvSiKWIMJOsFaHxVJk6HvojMSO_eiacuO_jieGspY8IZI8iTap1o6zVNhJRWEKh2hk0V7Kc09B-rnITlx5QXKE/s320/P1130876-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>this is in b/w because i'm embarrassed about the state of my pan </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>the kale and carrot tops "crisped" up at different rates, since they are different shapes and sizes, so the next time i made carrot top crisps i let them ride solo. plus when the carrot greens are laid out on the pan and allowed to crispify they turn into a lovely delicate lace - something i imagine could be put to good decorative use at a restaurant - ed are you listening? :)<br />
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i used this batch of carrot top crisps to top a 3 layer roasted vegetable platter i was bringing to a potluck. it included beets, carrots, red turnips (who knew those existed?) as well as the greens from those root veggies - with the crispy carrot greens on top. unfortunately, by the time i arrived at the potluck the crisps had lost some of their crispiness, so i recommend eating them right out of the oven, especially if you live somewhere with high humidity like hawai'i. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeaeMPAlhzn74qa6r5uh5Bzs-C1jgVCDV4Bl1BSBHMcCF2llOYhT2-1Ij2YvruusbYcUIsiQrgO6TD99O-8AucgHJeBFUhgeYHHwdnSUlbZviIslgiiJbHdDraNszJrK04cpTNx683BE/s1600/P1130882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeaeMPAlhzn74qa6r5uh5Bzs-C1jgVCDV4Bl1BSBHMcCF2llOYhT2-1Ij2YvruusbYcUIsiQrgO6TD99O-8AucgHJeBFUhgeYHHwdnSUlbZviIslgiiJbHdDraNszJrK04cpTNx683BE/s320/P1130882.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-35229597775011381762011-02-14T17:05:00.000-08:002011-02-14T18:04:54.941-08:00week six: valentines fortune cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijs5MGhvSSRZfY72ALzsibKn-80gXt8XRtEBXhFtDmUYANQipCGuBngq2z85SxjC3Ouh_K5ZhIOOTaKT_Ls-SmCYbURVnIOrtShBCabsiqXcGgo-AuIvkPnPcsQ5F_2nY_vpCOTXZ1eIs/s1600/P1130762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijs5MGhvSSRZfY72ALzsibKn-80gXt8XRtEBXhFtDmUYANQipCGuBngq2z85SxjC3Ouh_K5ZhIOOTaKT_Ls-SmCYbURVnIOrtShBCabsiqXcGgo-AuIvkPnPcsQ5F_2nY_vpCOTXZ1eIs/s320/P1130762.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>marty and i are apart this valentines day, and i wanted to send him with something to open and celebrate our love while he's away. this was a great suggestion by my coworker friend julie: fortune cookies with favorite memories from the past year. she recommended getting nice valentines card stock and a chinese food container from ben franklin (they'll even cut the paper in circles for you there!) but i ended up doing this project late at night while marty was dj-ing, so i had to use magazine pictures (recycled!). <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLlGznwaPgg12BzfAxkBKlikwDLYHqLYXbaXLD-ntpv2aeq1mZNPE5u1t35fovRg3aifZPMMl-g8MohDutPI0UWIiszU1LzxJloeCwOlOI_fhBWk9asi1noqXdM6Xc3uf6olCT3NtqL0/s1600/P1130733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLlGznwaPgg12BzfAxkBKlikwDLYHqLYXbaXLD-ntpv2aeq1mZNPE5u1t35fovRg3aifZPMMl-g8MohDutPI0UWIiszU1LzxJloeCwOlOI_fhBWk9asi1noqXdM6Xc3uf6olCT3NtqL0/s320/P1130733.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>i sort of wanted to make real fortune cookies to house our memories, but it looks like those are really hard to make, and i wrote out 26 fortunes, so i figured that was kind of an exorbitant amount of cookies to eat by yourself, and awkward to share them with someone if they have personal anecdotes hidden inside. <br />
so i went for the paper ones. check out this <a href="http://kimberly-crawford.blogspot.com/2008/04/pti-blog-hop.html">great tutorial </a>on how to do it. it took me a bit to get the right size for the magazine pages to be transformed into cookie shapes rather than just crumpling or folding in half.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DF9znMvNF9TuN0giPVjwB-EcG3KvUTAlqFt-PLHt-RM_j1N2yvoEnDLXayxhQEPunAN5OJce7TFxXQkqLoGoJTVsI3_iOChooacj5BZY2b4a5tGGKrsBvKj78290JVTnX6UASFUapgY/s1600/P1130745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DF9znMvNF9TuN0giPVjwB-EcG3KvUTAlqFt-PLHt-RM_j1N2yvoEnDLXayxhQEPunAN5OJce7TFxXQkqLoGoJTVsI3_iOChooacj5BZY2b4a5tGGKrsBvKj78290JVTnX6UASFUapgY/s320/P1130745.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> i took a page from the book (so to speak) of <a href="http://chinesefood.about.com/od/diningout/r/fortunecookie.htm">real fortune cookie-making</a> when my rolled up tape trick wasn't really doing it, and i glued the inner crease and then put the "cookies" in an egg carton to set. <i><a href="http://www.cultivatingdomesticity.com/2011/01/week-two-egg-carton-sprouts.html">egg cartons are so handy!</a> </i>the real fortune cookie recipes i read said that if you were actually able to deftly fold the fortune cookies while still hot enough to not crack and crumble (and perhaps not burn your fingers) you should let them cool in a muffin tin so they keep their shape.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiep54hpa4gJ-ryfzMhW0mHYF1cqfMKIj3cRxxK7ef48hWSwKvryp8WlLEF-OWbssTAXWT4sueJ3Fas4Br7226Nvd-u-bvTJl4Sxb9iMAkau3dpa5VENiRs77tgvSslSQDak8Brl9yYTQ4/s1600/P1130743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiep54hpa4gJ-ryfzMhW0mHYF1cqfMKIj3cRxxK7ef48hWSwKvryp8WlLEF-OWbssTAXWT4sueJ3Fas4Br7226Nvd-u-bvTJl4Sxb9iMAkau3dpa5VENiRs77tgvSslSQDak8Brl9yYTQ4/s320/P1130743.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>that seemed to work well, and i did make it to ben franklin's the next morning before his flight to pick up a chinese food box (though all they had were shades of pastel). it turns out 26 fortune cookies is too many to fit in a box, even if they are paper and small. so the box was a little overflowing and i hope it made it safely to oakland. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74l152BZRUyc5IpIYT57Cs9-riT-Ae4WFsS94bsDenlDUhXjwvkn0Fgpw4cDB4GAO-EBQQooGrpe8wkQELrwqb9zB8gK7T71oKU2lP7-Lwb4t-SOxoxJqRDLq3imTvIFPb8R36ic7czA/s1600/P1130757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74l152BZRUyc5IpIYT57Cs9-riT-Ae4WFsS94bsDenlDUhXjwvkn0Fgpw4cDB4GAO-EBQQooGrpe8wkQELrwqb9zB8gK7T71oKU2lP7-Lwb4t-SOxoxJqRDLq3imTvIFPb8R36ic7czA/s320/P1130757.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> happy valentines day.kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-10352759778124617612011-02-09T12:44:00.000-08:002011-03-06T21:47:29.413-08:00week five: compost death star!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirl2OSc7G_loffRjOvvqeMXEWz2go-9yYpzZVte6SOpUuQtQlJT7wPdkeFRT1ZCxTc5e_nZNF1mBnSmXu_Z2uKlyIxasvgIZPjrOdwTbcV2ify2O2w3Izi9DUrw6Azwxd18AFVQJ-P_54/s1600/P1130716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirl2OSc7G_loffRjOvvqeMXEWz2go-9yYpzZVte6SOpUuQtQlJT7wPdkeFRT1ZCxTc5e_nZNF1mBnSmXu_Z2uKlyIxasvgIZPjrOdwTbcV2ify2O2w3Izi9DUrw6Azwxd18AFVQJ-P_54/s320/P1130716.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>i have been doing a lot of thinking about compost. it's not that i don't love my worms - i <i>really </i>love my <a href="http://www.cultivatingdomesticity.com/2010/08/worm-composting.html">vermicomposting worms</a>. they just can't keep up with all the kitchen scrap waste we produce in our house. they are voracious little eaters, but we've come to find out that if we feed them too much at once it attracts black soldier flies to the worm bin. and while <a href="http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/verm/msg09092026510.html">everyone says</a> black soldier flies and worms get along fine and can be friends in that bin, that is <i>not </i>our experience. our experience with black soldier flies led to the untimely demise of our first beloved batch of worms (rest in peace), which you haven't heard about on this blog because it was too traumatic for me to discuss. and i still don't really want to talk about it, so suffice to say we replenished our worm colony and we stopped feeding them so much.<br />
so we have been having a backlog of compost build up in our freezer (we keep a ziplock baggie in the freezer until we can put food scraps in the worm bin), and it became apparent we needed to start another composting system. if i had a little more space and wasn't renting a place where we live quite close to our neighbors, i think i would start a regular old compost pile in the yard. but i'm not sure how long we're going to be renting this spot and i'd hate to leave the landlord a pile of decomposing matter in the backyard if we move out. so i wanted to keep our compost bin contained.<br />
i did a lot of internet research and read some <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rodale-Book-Composting-Methods-Gardener/dp/0878579915">excellent books </a>from the library on different methods of composting, and i got excited about the compost tumbler as a system that was well suited (and fun!) for us. it's a self contained barrel that spins on an axis, thus providing ample aeration that is crucial to expediting the composting process. it keeps pests out, and looks a little more managed than a pile. plus you don't have to dig into it and turn it, which i think is one of those things i would avoid doing.<br />
i wanted to build a compost tumbler myself, and there are <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Tumbling-Composter">great tutorials </a>out there for how to do it, but i realized that it would take me a long while to scrounge up recycled materials to build with and borrow the tools necessary, and our freezer is filling up all the while, so i made the decision to buy one premade. i chose a <a href="http://www.compostbins.com/compost-bins/compost-tumblers/rotocomposterjr7cubicfeetcomposttumbler.cfm?alt=results">compost tumbler</a> i wanted, the cheapest model i could find, and went to purchase it online - because there doesn't seem to be anyone (besides costco - and they don't have the model i wanted) who sells compost tumblers here on o'ahu. however, as i found out through numerous online sellers and amazon, shipping to hawai'i would cost me more than the tumbler itself! so i had to scrap that idea.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJJw2sK7UBeTzp5ZXXptoVsOW_F-Bn5HuUYMmgYFL_Y2x1Rg6kWmKqZKGdVbNGHzMVlXeKE7GezXZ_TzxPSBsHQPJOEEKCfFYKTIR7G5xyb4rPIp2T1EgIAUVo6DYNSkXpQ2KRzBjqQs/s1600/P1130724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJJw2sK7UBeTzp5ZXXptoVsOW_F-Bn5HuUYMmgYFL_Y2x1Rg6kWmKqZKGdVbNGHzMVlXeKE7GezXZ_TzxPSBsHQPJOEEKCfFYKTIR7G5xyb4rPIp2T1EgIAUVo6DYNSkXpQ2KRzBjqQs/s320/P1130724.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>purely by chance, (and maybe because i was a little bit obsessed) i found the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/CompoSpin-Recycled-Plastic-Composter-Tumbler/dp/B003LL5AKA/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top">CompoSpin</a> compost tumbler, which is actually a spherical compost bin ball that rotates on a base. they carry it at costco online, but not in the stores here, so i found a seller on amazon that was willing to ship to hawaii for not too much money - this composter ships in pieces that you assemble, unlike the other models - and i bought it. i was super excited to start composting in my new ball (and i was eager to make some room in the freezer) so i anxiously awaited the estimated shipment arrival date, and i waited, and i waited. and finally i contacted the company who told me the only way they could ship to hawaii was by parcel post and it might take up to 6 weeks. which burst my composting bubble, but thankfully, and surprisingly, it arrived this weekend on our doorstep.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/19653571?byline=0&portrait=0&color=b3b3b3" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/19653571">Death Star Composter</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user992460">Willie Maze</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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marty and i breathlessly assembled it (a really fun process of snapping pieces together) and brought out our squirreled away bits of food scraps we've been hoarding to fill it up. it turns out to quite resemble<a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Death_Star"> the death star.</a> here's the video of that process, watch for the impromptu cameo appearance of our friend, brutus.kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-23220999086969700862011-02-06T22:36:00.000-08:002011-02-06T22:36:51.080-08:00week four: posture wrist rest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQx8TBTOmV8lW_-fG9dEbt1hlYYbNP7QEwIBYVmymWVxOI2pL2WOFIgoG6AlIYVXwPKlYXpgfRSge8Yo4XbF-g9yHDLfBMQLSJJj2UtsSBfsTBCfmthSdoduT6bFkqbNHjeXErUHmV9KE/s1600/P1130657-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQx8TBTOmV8lW_-fG9dEbt1hlYYbNP7QEwIBYVmymWVxOI2pL2WOFIgoG6AlIYVXwPKlYXpgfRSge8Yo4XbF-g9yHDLfBMQLSJJj2UtsSBfsTBCfmthSdoduT6bFkqbNHjeXErUHmV9KE/s320/P1130657-1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUdlyLR0t4zQIn8iOf3qb4N4NADPJi8IGX36S5qUmXBje1nQKPl3UEkDB3lsxTPKJNKL7ppv29qQzxioMmGHEoXWGBYwV-2jQ5A-yiNAgWDYO6hHmljbTandck9K1aax63WrZhT2vzLU/s1600/P1130618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>now that i have a job where i spend most of my days in front of the computer, i'm noticing the repetitive strain on my body: namely my wrists, neck and shoulders. i remember years ago i had a nice squishy mini-beanbag pillow-type thing that i rested my wrist on while handling the mouse, and that seemed to help. if i can, i'd rather make something myself than buy it, so i got an idea when my new laptop battery came in the mail padded with some squishy foam inserts. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUdlyLR0t4zQIn8iOf3qb4N4NADPJi8IGX36S5qUmXBje1nQKPl3UEkDB3lsxTPKJNKL7ppv29qQzxioMmGHEoXWGBYwV-2jQ5A-yiNAgWDYO6hHmljbTandck9K1aax63WrZhT2vzLU/s1600/P1130618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUdlyLR0t4zQIn8iOf3qb4N4NADPJi8IGX36S5qUmXBje1nQKPl3UEkDB3lsxTPKJNKL7ppv29qQzxioMmGHEoXWGBYwV-2jQ5A-yiNAgWDYO6hHmljbTandck9K1aax63WrZhT2vzLU/s320/P1130618.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>since i already had the sewing machine set up from finishing the <a href="http://www.cultivatingdomesticity.com/2011/01/week-three-ulu-quilt.html">'ulu quilt,</a> i decided to whip up a quick wrist rest.<br />
i took one of the foam inserts, folded it in half, and stitched up a mini pillowcase out of scrap fabric. i stuffed the folded foam into the pillowcase and finished the last edge by hand. it was a quick and dirty process, but i'm pretty pleased with the results. while the texture of the foam is not quite as appealing as whatever those little beads were in the manufactured wrist pillow, it is significantly lighter - it hardly weighs anything - which is a definite advantage considering my shoulder bag weighs nearly a ton with my laptop and all the other junk i carry around in it (another possible factor in my shoulder tension).<br />
i finished the wrist rest off with a reminder to myself, figuring i'm going to be seeing it periodically throughout the day. my friend megan and i have started a practice this year of checking in for 5 minutes once a day to ask each other 5 questions that we want to be held accountable for. one of my questions is "how is your posture?"<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94vYBOyeAlDqxfGOqPuyx8uSJshLOrff4pdSV5p34QtTGdfLPrlfbfHmE-WEcUUQPVVGZO6EdcPQHmiTIqpfEGrrG91-0iVN07Cj4VUDDES1emnPrI8Hb3E1Ga269q_asDcLhQEuwhcU/s1600/P1130649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94vYBOyeAlDqxfGOqPuyx8uSJshLOrff4pdSV5p34QtTGdfLPrlfbfHmE-WEcUUQPVVGZO6EdcPQHmiTIqpfEGrrG91-0iVN07Cj4VUDDES1emnPrI8Hb3E1Ga269q_asDcLhQEuwhcU/s320/P1130649.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
i'm hoping this little reminder will help me stick with that commitment.kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-1885759423953242182011-01-24T00:16:00.000-08:002012-05-13T17:49:32.636-07:00week three: 'ulu quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivfpTD4eEAE4nSBl0jpCOsnfSHPbrJvUQwANa2i3bbGEZj9q_Y7-FjRvSeZPf-HfBRkPhqUilvHvCBOZh1rSFcNUy1a8fOjQLX1IgXnInyUglbatQHhrfPG7JtsucfVKy39j6DTlegCRI/s1600/P1130677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivfpTD4eEAE4nSBl0jpCOsnfSHPbrJvUQwANa2i3bbGEZj9q_Y7-FjRvSeZPf-HfBRkPhqUilvHvCBOZh1rSFcNUy1a8fOjQLX1IgXnInyUglbatQHhrfPG7JtsucfVKy39j6DTlegCRI/s320/P1130677.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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they say you have a year to give a newly married couple a gift. i've taken that advice a bit liberally and this gift is maybe a year and a half after the actual wedding. but hey, it's handmade! and what a great opportunity to continue celebrating your marriage.<br />
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so i read somewhere that the 'ulu (breadfruit) tree symbolizes marital bliss. i have never been able to find that reference again, so the specifics of why that is are lost to me, but i have a lot of respect for the 'ulu; its abundance and versatility made it a great companion for polynesian voyagers to bring on the long canoe journeys across the pacific. if you've never had the opportunity to eat 'ulu it can range from potato-like (and makes great chips, mashed, steamed, baked), to sweet-fruity dessert-like, depending on the variety and ripeness.<br />
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anyway, the seed was planted (so to speak) in my mind >2 years ago to make an ulu quilt for my friends jake and nicole's wedding. what better wish could you give someone for their wedding than marital bliss?<br />
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i chose the fabrics at <a href="http://www.fmart.com/">fabric mart,</a> a store in our neighborhood with a dizzying array of aloha prints. this is also the store i got my lovely curtain fabric and the camouflage water-repellent fabric i used to sew a cozy for our little bbq grill (these projects apparently happened when i was in blogging hiatus-mode). they've got pretty great prices, and i have to say i respect them for having a website called <a href="http://www.fmart.com/">fmart</a>. <br />
i misjudged the amount of fabric i'd need for the wall hanging quilt i was making. well, no. what actually happened is that i was bullied by the filipino aunty in the store into buying less than i knew i needed for the project because it was the end of the roll and she was giving me a deal on it. and i guess because i'm chinese i totally played into that. my thought process went something like "well, it's about 3 inches less than i really want for this quilt, but it's a <i>deal</i>..." so i made do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRrkwvGAxUzRwgPsTUpATJv5GfNahl9aWKK1lxxqJ7kiA89usDJ-6BGkMMznI-LVGzOWWjBYkTV7N0awluRc_kdc5VWATRm6jFiKL8KYJwdAEkvK89X01KAlamkCa4JRdwG4N9WSPZOY/s1600/P1110081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRrkwvGAxUzRwgPsTUpATJv5GfNahl9aWKK1lxxqJ7kiA89usDJ-6BGkMMznI-LVGzOWWjBYkTV7N0awluRc_kdc5VWATRm6jFiKL8KYJwdAEkvK89X01KAlamkCa4JRdwG4N9WSPZOY/s320/P1110081.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73qvXhOsJ69nPxnjpFFj9_S9UVtvJfl1i8eQoScrlAEgwDwxgVYTl7vusosz6aHfJQ_Ep4raIloHqQojah1oPdYLnowyFEFFxNXIifR4Bck-JFZ0jtsOVY9KKgmMw25Lcgl6_NAI13Gw/s1600/P1110088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73qvXhOsJ69nPxnjpFFj9_S9UVtvJfl1i8eQoScrlAEgwDwxgVYTl7vusosz6aHfJQ_Ep4raIloHqQojah1oPdYLnowyFEFFxNXIifR4Bck-JFZ0jtsOVY9KKgmMw25Lcgl6_NAI13Gw/s320/P1110088.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7Bf1T_4Lu-79YZsMSpdwqaLFaEEtGgqmStasUzU7fVX_jf0IA6rN4j6dfrXqVMq3L_6KgU0ILCSmhfu_NKexgql58jq1j230UUi1MCHDBeG-DIZQsR9-TR0R8X7S4n1oJEMjucoeJzs/s1600/P1110076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
the process of cutting out a pattern for hawaiian quilting is really fun - like cutting a fabric snowflake. i decided to do the breadfruits in a lighter green to accent, and made up a hexagonal quilting pattern that i think makes them look real. other than that the process is pretty tedious, pinning and then hand-appliqueing and hand quilting inside and out of your design. this is the second hawaiian quilt square i've done, the first was a <a href="http://www.cultivatingdomesticity.com/2009/02/hawaiian-quilting.html">lehua blossom for my mom. </a><br />
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while i'm counting this as one of my 52 projects in 52 weeks, it obviously did not take me a week to make. it took me quite a while to complete, and i'll dispense with excuses about that and suffice to say i'm excited to send it to them. so if you're a friend who has gotten hitched in the past, um, several years and you haven't gotten a gift from me yet - don't lose hope. <br />
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</div>kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-5078143428766460892011-01-17T13:50:00.000-08:002011-01-17T13:50:12.541-08:00week two: egg carton sprouts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Xvr-tffSb5I_QI7Dvgx07UHuA1OArYchlwxDVbLZVbixdplDq8IFx6BakEee3aJX_97nyhJJz32IhIpk5s0JvM5nkss3ljbK9sfor98iK6MYAsEtBOUK9YjqC9FASZP9OOn2frTZtuA/s1600/P1130582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Xvr-tffSb5I_QI7Dvgx07UHuA1OArYchlwxDVbLZVbixdplDq8IFx6BakEee3aJX_97nyhJJz32IhIpk5s0JvM5nkss3ljbK9sfor98iK6MYAsEtBOUK9YjqC9FASZP9OOn2frTZtuA/s320/P1130582.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><i>i know it hasn't been a week yet, but i'm making up for getting a late start, so here's week two of the 52 weeks project.</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq80IqLnn0W9sFD7sAB1zX62CD6qYlwtIucjSCH2Wh9-WrX25ctgQVxMQfqbSqIKE0CQhv4_czyGZbTc86NhZmBr3l7VIK7TpQbGQBF3-aRBeiq-1gcK9oFVzfMI2IZZ77SaKaj8zSBy0/s1600/P1130573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq80IqLnn0W9sFD7sAB1zX62CD6qYlwtIucjSCH2Wh9-WrX25ctgQVxMQfqbSqIKE0CQhv4_czyGZbTc86NhZmBr3l7VIK7TpQbGQBF3-aRBeiq-1gcK9oFVzfMI2IZZ77SaKaj8zSBy0/s320/P1130573.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>we had a backup of recycling during our holiday travel time, so i guess i had inspiration to reuse materials that were stacked up in the recycle bin. i was looking at our egg cartons, thinking about possible uses other than returning them to local egg farms, which is also awesome. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEG7p9T5iG6z3F3aplV7PBT7XjQA7b68cruYzPCHUQ2WcLlhC_AaTrrMSYPiqJu8rmV-DyAw6Pe7xyRw4WGdJdXWTg9f8Dd47PMg048VL1O8PjobapFVzXfpWwtFWV7iONFkXFJd56VoA/s1600/P1130578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEG7p9T5iG6z3F3aplV7PBT7XjQA7b68cruYzPCHUQ2WcLlhC_AaTrrMSYPiqJu8rmV-DyAw6Pe7xyRw4WGdJdXWTg9f8Dd47PMg048VL1O8PjobapFVzXfpWwtFWV7iONFkXFJd56VoA/s320/P1130578.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>the other day at kokua market i impulse-bought some dried green peas, because i was thinking about how much i love fresh pea shoots - remember <a href="http://www.cultivatingdomesticity.com/2009/06/raising-pea-shoots.html">that post</a>? they go great on salad, in spring rolls, just grazing...<br />
so i got the idea of using the egg carton as a tray for sprouting peas. i figure it's biodegradable paper, and it should hold up for the week or two it'll take for the sprouts to grow. i used some potting soil i had leftover from various other planting projects and was pleased to note that the little closure flap on the egg carton fit like a puzzle piece into the little open area on the top of the carton, so i could use both sides for planting. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjO_DJ3o6z4IIrhZYTJvBbcg4fb6KiONLdPyuBStJKBMB9mr7Ik8sYc04tdcua-Ewcw7h0Gzu-1c1LpKyAqXvN4VPiYXkIOhtydqzTGvOdGomny5-UE3AOY-JKJzq2qdrDE8g32SQbSM/s1600/P1130580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjO_DJ3o6z4IIrhZYTJvBbcg4fb6KiONLdPyuBStJKBMB9mr7Ik8sYc04tdcua-Ewcw7h0Gzu-1c1LpKyAqXvN4VPiYXkIOhtydqzTGvOdGomny5-UE3AOY-JKJzq2qdrDE8g32SQbSM/s320/P1130580.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>after planting the tray of pea sprouts i decided to use the egg end for starting some sunflowers i've been meaning to plant near our laundry line along the backyard fence <i>(sorry temperate-climate friends, it's totally still planting season here)</i>. but for those of you who have frost outside right now you can do this project in the window sill.kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-81551652652818476982011-01-11T18:48:00.000-08:002011-01-11T18:48:35.880-08:00one year, 52 projects<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Y9LrQ9X9yxa-773gfexTZo3DaxQi7vkKqZ-0TMWK933BBklQLNKYIldRQ4ihNLEVM014KaSKcsDZiIzQdrA0iRKlYjMwmYDluidvxFlxeUv6Gb6t3aR1sZlP-YzrsN_DJNeH1T7XKnw/s1600/P1130530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Y9LrQ9X9yxa-773gfexTZo3DaxQi7vkKqZ-0TMWK933BBklQLNKYIldRQ4ihNLEVM014KaSKcsDZiIzQdrA0iRKlYjMwmYDluidvxFlxeUv6Gb6t3aR1sZlP-YzrsN_DJNeH1T7XKnw/s320/P1130530.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>i am inspired by marty's new year project - posting <a href="http://vimeo.com/18383863">one minute of video</a> every week for 52 weeks - so i think i'm gonna start a project of my own, or rather 52 projects of my own, in the spirit of cultivating domesticity. plus it's a great way to get back on the blogging bandwagon after falling off during my stint of working on <a href="http://www.maoorganicfarms.org/">an organic farm </a>on the other side of the island.<br />
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ever since we got home from our whirlwind tour of the continent over the holidays, i've been obsessing over little diy home improvement-type projects, trying to utilize stuff we have around the cottage for new purposes. to start the year off right, since we are already in the second week of january, i'll be posting two this week.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">week one: herb-infused olive oils</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5lSMwPbmVAm8yb2OyqL3Ofqcs8cTE8NGSOvaU4hyphenhyphenjyvrT2Aa8sKz31pjtMciXf-bqGHDKn0Odxu7p5fxyGbWlAxanYD_Lg0ITIe6lvqNA5I_0b7wY0xpSoIzEYQflOgkzw8gosqUYgY/s1600/P1130521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5lSMwPbmVAm8yb2OyqL3Ofqcs8cTE8NGSOvaU4hyphenhyphenjyvrT2Aa8sKz31pjtMciXf-bqGHDKn0Odxu7p5fxyGbWlAxanYD_Lg0ITIe6lvqNA5I_0b7wY0xpSoIzEYQflOgkzw8gosqUYgY/s320/P1130521.JPG" width="233" /></a></div>we had a big bottle of olive oil from costco kicking around in our tiny kitchen, and infusing olive oil was a project i sort of intended to do before the holidays to give as gifts, but you know - better now than never.<br />
our backyard garden was quite bountiful after all the winter rains, so we harvested some rosemary, basil (which was going to seed and needed to be trimmed back anyway), and chili peppers. well, no that's a lie - the chili peppers came from <a href="http://www.cultivatingdomesticity.com/2010/06/hoio-foraging-for-fiddleheads.html">maile's farm</a> because those red-butt birds ate all our chili peppers while we were away. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyW0zH8iJFO42sjbkwdCal6BpdVoqfcdgDc0avVJW6bsbfHfn8xC0KEGkiQhXuAm9nQi1roJrpn6T4MR2Ku74KcO1XqBdo0clb-dse487AkBtWIswhZagIME8_5X49z3ZQGF0qmBRRnlE/s1600/P1130569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyW0zH8iJFO42sjbkwdCal6BpdVoqfcdgDc0avVJW6bsbfHfn8xC0KEGkiQhXuAm9nQi1roJrpn6T4MR2Ku74KcO1XqBdo0clb-dse487AkBtWIswhZagIME8_5X49z3ZQGF0qmBRRnlE/s320/P1130569.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>and now they are sitting for a bit to get nice and yummy. i don't know much about how long they need to infuse for, but i figure we can start taste-testing in a week or so. <br />
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i think these infusions may make a cameo in our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Misto-Sprayer/dp/B0002MQZ2I">misto </a>- one of my favorite new kitchen utensils. it's great for lightly greasing the grill, breads, pans, etc. and i can't wait to make grilled pizza with our herb-infused oil. i also scored a big bag of plastic pouring spouts from ross recently, so i'm in the process of re-purposing every alcohol bottle into something new and pourable.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-72724293557223679992010-08-08T14:05:00.000-07:002010-08-08T14:05:38.962-07:00worm composting!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTTvHrON6BfSjOMhIYwpW9qhcDOaPAw2dQdNuqlrL_HueWSIi-qaR9lpB82gZg9JH28it31p_Ek3nGIwc0aFf4kirusy6o_Um5rYrKn4ECRVY_cnKBK8I3SRPyMiiVV9mhb-tv4fqlXs/s1600/P1120516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTTvHrON6BfSjOMhIYwpW9qhcDOaPAw2dQdNuqlrL_HueWSIi-qaR9lpB82gZg9JH28it31p_Ek3nGIwc0aFf4kirusy6o_Um5rYrKn4ECRVY_cnKBK8I3SRPyMiiVV9mhb-tv4fqlXs/s320/P1120516.JPG" /></a></div><br />
i am so excited about worms right now. i’ve been hearing about worm composting for a while, and now that we’re living in a space with a garden (and no curbside composting) we decided to go for it.<br />
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so the first question is: <i>where do you get worms? </i><br />
i did some research on this, and it turns out that while earthworms are great for your garden, they are not the ones you want in your compost bin. as it was explained to me, earthworms are kind of solitary, slow-eating fellows, who generally like to stay buried in the dirt. the worms you want for composting are the kind that like to live in a colony, come to the surface to eat (the term is “<span id="goog_185283324"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_185283323">e</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/">pigeic<span id="goog_185283325"></span></a>”), and eat their body weight in food every day. there are two types of ideal composting worms: red wrigglers and blueworms. now, i read somewhere that you could pick up bait worms from a fishing shop and those would work – but i don’t do enough fishing to know if that’s true, and i suppose it depends on your bait shop. it’s worth a shot if you can distinguish red/blue worms from earthworms.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.waikikiworm.com/images/3wiggly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="80" src="http://www.waikikiworm.com/images/3wiggly.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is the blueworm, <a href="http://www.waikikiworm.com/3wwaboutwms.html"><span class="sub2"><i>Perionyx excavatus</i></span></a><span class="text"><br />
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>as it turns out, there is a <a href="http://www.waikikiworm.com/">worm store</a> – yes, a store devoted to worm composting –two blocks from our new house. what are the chances of that? so even though i balked at paying $40 for ¼ lb of worms (!) we went there to get our worm colony set up. i figure, as long as this works out i’ll only have to buy them once and then they’ll make worm babies and i can give them away to friends (or start selling them for $120/lb!).<br />
so we went to the worm store and they were super helpful answering all our worm questions. the worms eat any kind of food scraps, paper, cardboard, leaves – they don’t recommend putting in meat or dairy because it spoils and smells bad and can attract other kinds of critters to your worm bin. i’ve also heard not to put garlic or onions in there, but the guy at the worm store said that’s just for the sake of smell, the worms will eat it. what I found out recently from my friend noelle recently is they don’t like rice, so i’ve been avoiding putting rice in the bin.<br />
we left the worm store with a ziplock baggie full of worms and dirt – and because we had a few more errands to run and I didn’t want to leave them in the hot car – i carried around a purse full of worms for the afternoon.<br />
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we made the worm bin ourselves, it’s really easy so i don’t recommend buying a worm bin unless you’ve got money to burn. i got a tupperware bin from walmart for $5 - i think i bought a bigger size than I needed for starting out (18 gallons), but i figure the worms can grow into it. i would actually recommend starting out with a smaller bin (like 10 gallons), since the worm guy said if they're in a large bin they spend more time looking for food and for each other to mate, so they eat/reproduce more slowly. we drilled ¼” holes on the bottom, sides, and lid for ventilation, and then put it up on cement blocks with a tray underneath to catch the worm juice. yep, worm juice. they call it “worm tea” and it supposedly makes a really good fertilizer for your plants – you can dilute it 20:1 and spritz the leaves, or water the soil with it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OtQsSnlCvTgT3QGN06pfuc9gvC40WoCBwH41RBIWWDMTNMaOoTlF0ACgl4IjHWpc_YaEeotOttiI1Oy11HMOjfBrIKIAteqydYyESaIjQfWOCLqqOrZp9YVLBO3PokTz1Ws0OKqkL-A/s1600/P1120714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OtQsSnlCvTgT3QGN06pfuc9gvC40WoCBwH41RBIWWDMTNMaOoTlF0ACgl4IjHWpc_YaEeotOttiI1Oy11HMOjfBrIKIAteqydYyESaIjQfWOCLqqOrZp9YVLBO3PokTz1Ws0OKqkL-A/s320/P1120714.JPG" /></a></div>when we got the worms home we had to make up their bedding. so we layered a burlap bag on the bottom of the bin – to encourage them to stay in there and not slip out the holes in the bottom. then we ripped up strips of newspaper and crumpled it and moistened it to make a bed. i guess they really like to bed in newspaper (or regular shredded paper) and they’ll eventually break it down too.<br />
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then it was time to put the worms in their new home. we poured out the worms and dirt from the ziplock, and they say you should mix in some of the dirt they’re used to into your new bedding, this involves slowly carving away at the outsides of the dirt pile. these worms really don’t like light, so they’ll dive inward away from the outside of the pile as you carve the dirt away, leaving a wriggling ball of worms in the middle – which is pretty fun.<br />
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once you’ve got the dirt mixed in with the bedding you can put your worm ball in there – don’t break them up, they’ll do that on their own. and then feed them and put more newspaper on top and tuck them in with another layer of burlap. you can leave your worm bin uncovered – which helps with ventilation, but it also invites other critters in there and since our backyard is a lizard haven I didn’t want to encourage the lizards to predate our worms – <i>those little buggers are expensive! </i>so we keep a lid on ours.<br />
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if you figure they eat their body weight in food a day, you can start out feeding them ¼ lb of food scraps daily – or what we’ve been doing is keeping a bag of scraps in the freezer and then feeding them the whole bag at the end of the week. i’ve also heard that the freezing process helps break down the food so they can eat it faster. keep in mind you have to thaw it before putting it in the bin – you don’t want frozen worms. as they start to break down the newspaper you can add more, and always bury your food scraps underneath the newspaper layer, and keep everything moist – they like moist, dark conditions. you can even keep your worm bin inside your house – but since we have very limited indoor space we’re keeping them in the shade outside. you can expect other kinds of bugs and stuff to live in there with the worms and help break down the food. as long as you keep nice conditions for the worms they should leave peacefully together. They worm guy said that if your colony is unhealthy that’s when other organisms can come in and take over.<br />
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and that’s it! they’re super low maintenance and so gratifying. marty and i never thought we’d be so excited about worms. they look really happy themselves; they’ve been getting fatter and reproducing. and though they were kind of shy for the first week and hanging out at the bottom of the bin, now they’re eager to come up and eat stuff. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVREmPYgf0O0AA1rg3uG3HGDnCaBaJt_zenTrRtQaRaWQ3EVXGy-RKWBI0RlDd2ZXmSIjem-kmfZBHFlO9rGYWpWVFH2E88cFQtQsKSE_LI1qPiWPUc1r0V1fRbKP0CNoHuVn4jb1jMHg/s1600/P1120474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVREmPYgf0O0AA1rg3uG3HGDnCaBaJt_zenTrRtQaRaWQ3EVXGy-RKWBI0RlDd2ZXmSIjem-kmfZBHFlO9rGYWpWVFH2E88cFQtQsKSE_LI1qPiWPUc1r0V1fRbKP0CNoHuVn4jb1jMHg/s320/P1120474.JPG" /></a></div><br />
our first few feedings were really coffee grounds- heavy, because that was pretty much all we were producing in waste when we first moved in. i’m not sure how the worms deal with coffee, but i figured we might be cracking them out on caffeine, so i stopped putting coffee grounds in, and started sprinkling them around the outsides of our planter boxes so discourage slugs from munching our vegetables. i also try to chop tougher things – like rinds and peels – up before feeding it to them, just to encourage the breakdown process.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>the worm poops are called “<a href="http://www.waikikiworm.com/vermicast.pdf">vermicast</a>,” also known as “gardeners gold” because it’s great for planting and adding extra nutrients to your garden. once your worms have eaten their way through about 6 months worth of food, you can harvest the vermicast – and separate out some worms to give away if you like. i’ll give a full report when we’re ready to harvest.kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-90723735817876533652010-06-13T15:38:00.000-07:002010-06-13T15:41:10.800-07:00ho'i'o: foraging for fiddleheads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgea9MjtQr_O1g8wBMCzpWf7d4ZsbVM7jEnShM85cIic81BMpTYkNycQ4ZkxQopaFKmr0aDoO8sAC8iApAFc1KCYvDRviiYNJ0-T6P0aG_0a-KvZQspjzjhE7j4rIo3JXeGaaUlQF4YgHI/s1600/P1110950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgea9MjtQr_O1g8wBMCzpWf7d4ZsbVM7jEnShM85cIic81BMpTYkNycQ4ZkxQopaFKmr0aDoO8sAC8iApAFc1KCYvDRviiYNJ0-T6P0aG_0a-KvZQspjzjhE7j4rIo3JXeGaaUlQF4YgHI/s320/P1110950.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>on the continent they're called <i>fiddleheads</i>. here in hawai'i they're known as <i>ho'i'o</i>. unless you're from maui - then they are <i>pohole</i>. or if you're japanese, in which case: <i>warabi</i>. these are my current vegetable obsession. closely followed by watercress - but more on that later.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3Vwmn52Ob4xD_-7B7_70uWVhpwc2P5Xl3SLx8Ii1ruj3EDQMVZp8BjCngbpI_ZEA_fSDIrAum9tbLM0ljctsyN_3W6qP7n6YTLEY0YXhCcS_z0thPGy90Vd3EiPGEKqndKEOSyTdsKo/s1600/foraging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3Vwmn52Ob4xD_-7B7_70uWVhpwc2P5Xl3SLx8Ii1ruj3EDQMVZp8BjCngbpI_ZEA_fSDIrAum9tbLM0ljctsyN_3W6qP7n6YTLEY0YXhCcS_z0thPGy90Vd3EiPGEKqndKEOSyTdsKo/s320/foraging.jpg" /></a></div><br />
i have had the incredible good fortune of spending a lot of time lately in waiahole, where my friend maile lives with a waterfall, taro patches, gardens, and a very sweet dog. maile invited us out a few weeks ago for a "true food sovereignty experience" - foraging in near her stream for young fern shoots. i <i>love</i> foraging. it's so satisfying. i think i could spend all day rummaging around in ferns taller than myself, hunting for those tightly curled little fronds, bursting with life. the first time we picked we were advised not to be careful with the rest of the fern leaves - the mature ones. the more you knock those down the more the plant send out new shoots, and i have been reaping the bounty on that advice as new shoots come up weekly.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34EVDheji7Q6ON6LxIx2jdQ_wyTIW9lb-qh4sjsBRnIjsut7XIuaVz8SBS8Pe49D6UKwmXI5jHWHpdrqt6OrHHWyGV6n6CMzPncSjWT5vKUTZt5lW32uQ8mYrTPb_5btFUq38Voh-MLs/s1600/river+foraging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34EVDheji7Q6ON6LxIx2jdQ_wyTIW9lb-qh4sjsBRnIjsut7XIuaVz8SBS8Pe49D6UKwmXI5jHWHpdrqt6OrHHWyGV6n6CMzPncSjWT5vKUTZt5lW32uQ8mYrTPb_5btFUq38Voh-MLs/s320/river+foraging.jpg" /></a></div><br />
you can eat them right there while you're picking; raw they have a kind of what my aunty wanda calls "gneah-gneah" quality to them. meaning, i think, that they leave a bit of a texture on the roof of your mouth. i would describe ho'i'o as the cross between asparagus and okra. but much prettier. it's got that firm, watery, tasty quality of asparagus with a bit of the slimy this-must-be-good-for-me quality of okra.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lyUwcuASRFQURzaZou60mugdSA-gUfF4OVpgrfBnbZLgexG0yF6SaOaXGUIM-dPejffN8gaLeOtEEXze36D5zbz5IkELhTM42_WOflUMiVDnGJ33L8wArDSmh3VBNOclW2_dKdw4gVg/s1600/i+cant+help+myself.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lyUwcuASRFQURzaZou60mugdSA-gUfF4OVpgrfBnbZLgexG0yF6SaOaXGUIM-dPejffN8gaLeOtEEXze36D5zbz5IkELhTM42_WOflUMiVDnGJ33L8wArDSmh3VBNOclW2_dKdw4gVg/s320/i+cant+help+myself.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> the most popular way to eat ho'i'o is in a salad, where you blanch the ferns and combine them with opae (shrimps), tomato and onion. i tried a number of different dishes using ho'i'o, like stir fried with leftover ahi poke and chili peppers. or sauteed with carmelized onions. i also made my own version of ho'i'o salad, adapting grandma ho's recipe for watercress salad. this went over pretty well at a couple of potlucks, so i'll share that recipe with you here.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2jp0AszL5FgOvzeM8P2EkI8TQpU24wD6tGL1VKRahMvEusZ7OJsB_rSB-K5KXvlG9DD-adnSpJtbJiOMDDp26_YcisA-QAMfXd44vHB3d4dEoHjz_F9aXlFNb2mLmnMEv1ni7nHu2Tc/s1600/P1110953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2jp0AszL5FgOvzeM8P2EkI8TQpU24wD6tGL1VKRahMvEusZ7OJsB_rSB-K5KXvlG9DD-adnSpJtbJiOMDDp26_YcisA-QAMfXd44vHB3d4dEoHjz_F9aXlFNb2mLmnMEv1ni7nHu2Tc/s320/P1110953.JPG" /></a></div><br />
ho'i'o salmon salad<br />
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1 block tofu, drained and cubed<br />
2 tomatoes, diced<br />
3 green onions, finely chopped<br />
1 package bean sprouts (1/2 lb?), blanched<br />
1 can salmon<br />
1 can bamboo shoots, sliced thin <br />
1 can baby corn<br />
as much ho'i'o as you like, blanched<br />
<br />
sauce<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
1 Tbs sesame oil<br />
3/4 cup soy sauce<br />
juice of 1/2 lemon<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjp61kMa8sat3_bnvcCZ2OxKyTq354FEoTzjiFqQkg0qpBttuQu48ghv7vbZv8qSydB9Puh62tANADybRptjKB2ElhQCDTOs9DXMAadne9ViuCry95CSfbkZ4dz_5iufUqX0E3ql9yf4/s1600/P1110957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjp61kMa8sat3_bnvcCZ2OxKyTq354FEoTzjiFqQkg0qpBttuQu48ghv7vbZv8qSydB9Puh62tANADybRptjKB2ElhQCDTOs9DXMAadne9ViuCry95CSfbkZ4dz_5iufUqX0E3ql9yf4/s320/P1110957.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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just layer the ingredients in an order that's visually appealing - with the ho'i'o on top to showcase it, and then pour the sauce on top. obviously all of those ingredients are optional - i added the bamboo shoots and baby corn, that does <i>not </i>feature in grandma's watercress salad - which she was sure to let me know.<br />
there aren't any photos of this salad because, well, when i'm cooking for a potluck i'm usually running late. so here's a photo of one of what they look like in a pan. i'd love to hear about any other dishes you've tried with fern shoots - leave a comment!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik684XWoUnqlJXalLILQHA6oqx60UuDiS__x4ckkC3NTUO_SSWuYZEoTkZTSBY1aMqGhb17t0keV7sxWguHwIMlC-EXpbEZo1EXQDgkrNT3qHF929rJhKTUe7i0NxGv9YG8Yc21f8eYbY/s1600/P1120086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik684XWoUnqlJXalLILQHA6oqx60UuDiS__x4ckkC3NTUO_SSWuYZEoTkZTSBY1aMqGhb17t0keV7sxWguHwIMlC-EXpbEZo1EXQDgkrNT3qHF929rJhKTUe7i0NxGv9YG8Yc21f8eYbY/s320/P1120086.JPG" /></a></div><i>thanks to maile for the photos and for the experience!</i>kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-66083206320609781972010-05-25T01:36:00.000-07:002010-05-25T01:39:32.844-07:00if emeril lagasse were korean, this is how he would make sangria.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdizwQbwETKPL81V2OgBDQOmRdyG85rLxpbBYa3ecqb4WKeltQ3QiY5hWGzsWtqKuy6Z2ys0bsUTb-dQ5MZhaXsWf0nOIjgXUgdLa21SViiQcZYGJDU1czoi4waPmsq7rmCCM22e-qUhg/s1600/P1110266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdizwQbwETKPL81V2OgBDQOmRdyG85rLxpbBYa3ecqb4WKeltQ3QiY5hWGzsWtqKuy6Z2ys0bsUTb-dQ5MZhaXsWf0nOIjgXUgdLa21SViiQcZYGJDU1czoi4waPmsq7rmCCM22e-qUhg/s320/P1110266.JPG" /></a></div><br />
definitely one of my favorite things about living in oakland was our frequent trips to "the beach." i know that i now live in hawai'i where there are *real* beaches, and i do appreciate those too, but there is a special place in my heart for that grassy spot on lake merritt where we would pop a bottle of bubbles on a sunny afternoon and watch the people in the town pass by.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WIa2OrW9c9TE0zpOAXbndvrWxf5mI3hAFba4lRFj_aKXhetEC_4xEEaKJMbbehDDCCGDJGE7PmVvmOtA_ig8rdJ9eRyRylYqL5jQdtax2knZcX6Dk7L7RsRiBAxZdKS7lbvMbN3IBm8/s1600/P1110269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WIa2OrW9c9TE0zpOAXbndvrWxf5mI3hAFba4lRFj_aKXhetEC_4xEEaKJMbbehDDCCGDJGE7PmVvmOtA_ig8rdJ9eRyRylYqL5jQdtax2knZcX6Dk7L7RsRiBAxZdKS7lbvMbN3IBm8/s320/P1110269.JPG" /></a></div><br />
on one such beautiful recent sunday afternoon we were joined by our good friend sierra, and decided to stray from our usual champagne fare to make our own sangria. i'm a big fan of sangria, and not a big fan of spending a lot of money (boy am i sad to be living in the land of ridiculously expensive produce). so i took <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/sangria-recipe4/index.html">this recipe</a> from emeril lagasse's "essence of emeril" food network and adapted it to fit whatever was available cheaply at the korean market up the street. here's the original recipe:<br />
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<blockquote style="color: #ea9999;">Ingredients<br />
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* 1 (750-ml) bottle red wine<br />
* 1/4 cup brandy<br />
* 1/4 cup orange flavored liqueur (recommended: triple sec or Grand Marnier)<br />
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice<br />
* 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice<br />
* 1/4 cup sugar<br />
* 1/2 orange, thinly sliced<br />
* 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced<br />
* 1 unwaxed apple, cored, and cut into thin wedges<br />
* 1 (750-ml) bottle sparkling water, chilled<br />
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Combine everything but the sparkling water in a large plastic container or glass pitchers. Cover and chill completely, 1 to 2 hours. When ready to serve, add the sparkling water.</blockquote>i found our favorite cheap wine, crane lake, which tastes pretty terrible on its own, but mixed with all this other delicious stuff it's perfect. and it only costs $3/bottle. so we doubled the recipe. we were blessed with a continuing overflow of VSOP from our winter brandy drink days (thanks, megan) - including spiced cider and eggnog, and courtesy of sierra's grandma's liquor cabinet we also had triple sec. i picked up limes, lemons, and a ton of mandarins from the koreans, plus some fantastic meyer lemons we had from marty's uncle bobby's place (i sure miss those). rather than apple i went for the nectarines that were on sale at the korean market, which ended up being mostly overripe, but some of it was salvageable and along with the mandarins gave a nice sweetness to the sangria.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzhM0XnXP75R10LXUmBpbVos1geqgX6JP4CexWleIf8clONK5v3q0HNLIkosoicuPlogRya5VB0MhOJRwVr-h5cHwxzR9txhMuIgzRtuCWmJEO1BGvdPLHyHB8PTcrmaQHX9CO-HM9eU/s1600/2010-03-28+14.23.23_Oakland_California_US.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzhM0XnXP75R10LXUmBpbVos1geqgX6JP4CexWleIf8clONK5v3q0HNLIkosoicuPlogRya5VB0MhOJRwVr-h5cHwxzR9txhMuIgzRtuCWmJEO1BGvdPLHyHB8PTcrmaQHX9CO-HM9eU/s320/2010-03-28+14.23.23_Oakland_California_US.JPG" /></a></div><br />
that's pretty much all i have to say about that - it was the best sunday afternoon ever. thumbs up for sangria. thanks to sierra and marty for sharing it with me. definitely fond memories for the town.kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-13353723128568538422010-05-21T13:58:00.000-07:002010-05-21T14:08:54.355-07:00irish car bomb cupcakesthis week's mission was to make some kind of incredible thank-you gift to show my appreciation to our friends brutus and kyle, who let marty and i stay at their apartment all week preceding my cousin's wedding. cupcakes have been on my mind lately, and thanks to rachel's suggestion i headed over to <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">smitten kitchen</a> for this incredible recipe.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65PivHgWs4bfftOPM-H7OjrQ7qAFyYB_OJgZJ90CzycsWrdUre080epxsQInVmlrKZrf_V-HKX_kDNKke0DW8lyXTuLmCPYj-1de9ah7Kb7LGWzPdg6nCYsgEkl9h8_b-beEo4aL6slU/s1600/P1120012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65PivHgWs4bfftOPM-H7OjrQ7qAFyYB_OJgZJ90CzycsWrdUre080epxsQInVmlrKZrf_V-HKX_kDNKke0DW8lyXTuLmCPYj-1de9ah7Kb7LGWzPdg6nCYsgEkl9h8_b-beEo4aL6slU/s320/P1120012.JPG" /></a></div><br />
if you're unfamiliar with the drink sensation that is the "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JymxjLDKC8s">irish car bomb</a>" it goes something like this: you take a shot glass and fill it half full of bailey's irish cream; float jameson irish whiskey on top to fill the shot glass, which you then drop (glass and all) into 3/4 pint of guinness and chug. i don't say "chug" lightly here. this is what they call a "volatile drink" - meaning it not only froths and foams when you drop the shot into the beer, but it will also start to curdle almost immediately if you let it, so you really don't want to waste time.<br />
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perhaps it's in bad taste to name a drink after an act of violence, and perhaps i'm perpetuating that by claiming the name for these cupcakes, but i admire a nation that refers to its period of ethno-political conflict as "The Troubles," and <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/car-bomb-cupcakes/"><i>chocolate whiskey and beer cupcakes</i> </a>just doesn't have the same ring to it.<br />
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i've said it before, but <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">smitten kitchen</a> is brilliant. who would think to turn that into cupcake form? feel free to submit a comment here with suggestions of what else you'd like to see turned into cupcake form. i'll see what i can make happen.<br />
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i should also mention that these may top the list of most expensive homemade cupcakes ever.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_u7hPRvegEzmlXTsZy6oZijodLKTo2wzVlQSXbvj92Tev81S1ouus0gDccIvZSvVhtz3szkHaqMky0TXfQ2CevWuZU_ADCOIDEtDhU2XC1BC6BYeXaGERYiTlemRfwPEIHxXSCnDZRA/s1600/P1110974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_u7hPRvegEzmlXTsZy6oZijodLKTo2wzVlQSXbvj92Tev81S1ouus0gDccIvZSvVhtz3szkHaqMky0TXfQ2CevWuZU_ADCOIDEtDhU2XC1BC6BYeXaGERYiTlemRfwPEIHxXSCnDZRA/s320/P1110974.JPG" /></a></div><br />
could these few ingredients actually cost over $45? in hawai'i they sure can. <br />
don't let this dissuade you from trying - i'm sure if you live someplace where food is reasonably priced you won't have the sticker shock. it's just that here in the most oil-dependent state in the nation we import 90% of our food from overseas, and that's a problem.<br />
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i drew the line at the $4 whole <strike>paycheck</strike> foods wanted to charge me for paper cupcake liners, and i'm going to go ahead and encourage a cultural shift here - do we really need to have our cupcakes half-wrapped in paper? my cupcake tin is nonstick, so it's not an issue on my end, and i am hopeful that the recipients of my baked goods will embrace the <span style="color: #93c47d;">going green</span><i> </i>aspect of their gift.<br />
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i should also say these are not cupcakes for the fainthearted - neither for the baking nor the eating. it took me a solid 3 hours of baking/assembly, and well - you can see the ingredients.<br />
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so here's the recipe - from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">smitten kitchen:</a> <i style="color: #b4a7d6;">(with my comments in italics)</i><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes</b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Makes 20 to 24 cupcakes</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes</b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 cup stout (such as Guinness)</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 cups all purpose flour</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 cups sugar</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3/4 teaspoon salt</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 large eggs</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2/3 cup sour cream</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Ganache Filling</b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> (Updated to double it, based on many commenters suggestions — thanks!)</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">8 ounces bittersweet chocolate</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2/3 cup heavy cream</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 tablespoons butter, room temperature</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey <i style="color: #b4a7d6; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">(I recommend Jameson, though I had to substitute Jack Daniels because that's all I could find in the tiny airplane-sized bottle, and since i'm living in the house of jehovah right now with grandma ho i don't have the usual bottle of jameson in the cupboard)</i></span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Baileys Frosting</b><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 to 4 cups confections sugar</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination thereof)</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Special equipment: 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer and a piping bag (though a plastic bag with the corner snipped off will also work -<i> <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">unless you let your ganache chill too long and then you bust multiple holes in the ziplock bag that result in many spouts for frosting, ahem)</span></i></span></span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkAKa6wn4IHGhSMPGjdrqEsxEY1x0C8BFN1dEZTDj6hXsnu2ro01VL9jBYX-6zrZNroGN43SJxROxPIvicyDye3WS47yHejqVpX9yrILW4JmZHqFTvKGvW-pbrL7jpNsw4SfQRwNczD8/s1600/P1110977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkAKa6wn4IHGhSMPGjdrqEsxEY1x0C8BFN1dEZTDj6hXsnu2ro01VL9jBYX-6zrZNroGN43SJxROxPIvicyDye3WS47yHejqVpX9yrILW4JmZHqFTvKGvW-pbrL7jpNsw4SfQRwNczD8/s320/P1110977.JPG" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners<i style="color: #b4a7d6;"> (or not - save the earth!)</i>. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. <i><span style="color: #b4a7d6;">notice that says one cup of guinness - that means you'll have to drink the rest of the beer while baking, bonus!</span> </i>Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.</span></span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcioXvzvU2dNOYsquqisfxf3EM5xRGlFRVVYgOzHsbyC3j5qYlhyNG36M0WLM1uleoSHJ-uxbjqpNyBU-KRjCjXkgD61zTUYbmeXAejjNe7ytfWTNs0fafqSuHh1UsYrK2naAukB3Sb4g/s1600/P1110989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcioXvzvU2dNOYsquqisfxf3EM5xRGlFRVVYgOzHsbyC3j5qYlhyNG36M0WLM1uleoSHJ-uxbjqpNyBU-KRjCjXkgD61zTUYbmeXAejjNe7ytfWTNs0fafqSuHh1UsYrK2naAukB3Sb4g/s320/P1110989.JPG" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely. <i><span style="color: #b4a7d6;">my cupcakes took 16-17 mins and were very fluffy/springy. i couldn't tell if they really tasted like guinness, or if i just had that taste in my mouth from finishing off the beer.</span> </i></span></span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8t_r7XzGQYWjedV6hVP3G8BwAEJBZ7bNmKVuGhwCyeGoB9h2KYwy_aXEkmsXiVm0rtTwmaGbruokgBe7nW-kNjpnEYEye6W9dbvIi-l8EPlFSGwO03keoZYbjCAJmJjN6E9-4D4feFA/s1600/P1110996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8t_r7XzGQYWjedV6hVP3G8BwAEJBZ7bNmKVuGhwCyeGoB9h2KYwy_aXEkmsXiVm0rtTwmaGbruokgBe7nW-kNjpnEYEye6W9dbvIi-l8EPlFSGwO03keoZYbjCAJmJjN6E9-4D4feFA/s320/P1110996.JPG" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.</span> <i style="color: #b4a7d6;">i used the microwave method - since i have use of a microwave at grandma's house and the chocolate melting process can be a little nerve-wracking when you're worried about ruining that hella expensive chocolate you just bought - it took maybe 2 rounds of 30 seconds each with a lot of stirring in between rounds to get there - don't overdo it. i have to say here, the chocolate ganache went from "mmm, that's tasty" with the ghiradelli and cream to "i may just have to pipe that directly into my mouth and forgo the whole cupcake thing" when i added the whiskey. turns out whiskey and chocolate is a knockout combination. i would even go ahead and add another couple teaspoons of whiskey next time to bump up the flavor. i was worried about it preventing the ganache from setting, but it set just fine.</i><i><br />
</i></span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CxEZNOYoCM9xWh9ewJUjB3jKn4uEynAzowMua11KxxMyad8upr137zsfdLW8qcNS0AS48kp2Wlxnr4ZIiAsDzOKxmtWSO0Y8JRPvoy3VQKZHsQ_FDe561WXFEw24ekW-6RkVSl-gIJI/s1600/P1110980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CxEZNOYoCM9xWh9ewJUjB3jKn4uEynAzowMua11KxxMyad8upr137zsfdLW8qcNS0AS48kp2Wlxnr4ZIiAsDzOKxmtWSO0Y8JRPvoy3VQKZHsQ_FDe561WXFEw24ekW-6RkVSl-gIJI/s320/P1110980.JPG" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. Those are your “tasters”. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><i style="color: #b4a7d6;">she says "tasters" here like there are going to be cute little plugs of cake to pop in your mouth, but what i ended up with was a big pile of crumbs. not that that stopped me from shoving a handful in my mouth.</i></span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRpE1uKe7H3td1xCJZFupDFcvfiNIM6GA93VWsAD3EIKW2PciAtGEpiVQSHrvdgHzDANO79Dxqup7SOJLmWxcbhTafB8vO5doYG5t72CKqOmIPNG7Nr4HYmSJAze2zzyaNl5uK37OKy8/s1600/P1120002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRpE1uKe7H3td1xCJZFupDFcvfiNIM6GA93VWsAD3EIKW2PciAtGEpiVQSHrvdgHzDANO79Dxqup7SOJLmWxcbhTafB8vO5doYG5t72CKqOmIPNG7Nr4HYmSJAze2zzyaNl5uK37OKy8/s320/P1120002.JPG" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<blockquote style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>i'm including a picture of what an apple corer looks like here - because i had to ask somebody myself. it worked great, and i probably didn't even need the grapefruit knife, though i was super excited to have an excuse to use what is probably my favorite utensil of all time - grandma ho has this special grapefruit knife that has one end with two blades so that you can cut up both sides of the grapefruit section at the same time - i love this knife and i think about it every time i eat grapefruit. that's not the end i used for the cupcakes, i'm just excited about it.</i></span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cNpM_DuhsmXVifjqbXfgbOQoCgRLBCinl7pmSunBIfJR6rzJ3QaKYrtmmjOkttV8b51DZGEdyXGVq8vPYm0Z5VEihsw3ts4hGhwQn2mINDhGv6wFXZha2dIJ-1jU7KePikCgYn1RjBM/s1600/P1120007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cNpM_DuhsmXVifjqbXfgbOQoCgRLBCinl7pmSunBIfJR6rzJ3QaKYrtmmjOkttV8b51DZGEdyXGVq8vPYm0Z5VEihsw3ts4hGhwQn2mINDhGv6wFXZha2dIJ-1jU7KePikCgYn1RjBM/s320/P1120007.JPG" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. <i style="color: #b4a7d6;">if i could have located my sifter after the move i would have used it here to sift in the powdered sugar so i wouldn't have to content with the lumps.</i></span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">[This is a fantastic trick I picked up while working on the cupcakes article for Martha Stewart Living; the test kitchen chefs had found that when they added the sugar slowly, quick buttercream frostings got less grainy, and tended to require less sugar to thicken them up.]</span><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk) and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ice and decorate the cupcakes.</span> </blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CjbVfMK69LX2dfWzViLOHSf2UgwRqSaQB5ZZecQKMekN6GdwQX0NiuVryhLBTRDbht5w98-LOpwBr_CFw433EN92xHcpM8YoSxSCz1mGfIvOtua019xX3xX0jaezfeXAf6pHpmhEil0/s1600/P1120010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CjbVfMK69LX2dfWzViLOHSf2UgwRqSaQB5ZZecQKMekN6GdwQX0NiuVryhLBTRDbht5w98-LOpwBr_CFw433EN92xHcpM8YoSxSCz1mGfIvOtua019xX3xX0jaezfeXAf6pHpmhEil0/s320/P1120010.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<blockquote style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>i was being stingy with the ganache at first, but i ended up with extra at the end - so don't be shy to fill them full. i also chilled the ganache a little too long in the fridge - and didn't let it come back to room temp before putting it into my makeshift pastry bag, so i busted some extra holes in the sides which ended up decorating the area around my cupcakes and hands as well.</i></span></span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eSk6n4F1xVKjZ2nh5xkqaoLm-9_s4xO8lC1Jgz7pmXFFjwZkwVIalJ6S13a1GuTxpIvY5LC-0C0toGvrsioUCybQdhqB7mAUDuSDYwlHAxnYE8vjk8o1-9XwWhQ5O-28BTS1aKD2wkc/s1600/P1120015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eSk6n4F1xVKjZ2nh5xkqaoLm-9_s4xO8lC1Jgz7pmXFFjwZkwVIalJ6S13a1GuTxpIvY5LC-0C0toGvrsioUCybQdhqB7mAUDuSDYwlHAxnYE8vjk8o1-9XwWhQ5O-28BTS1aKD2wkc/s320/P1120015.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<blockquote style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>i experimented with a few different designs. here's what the combination of whiskey ganache and baileys frosting looks like:</i></span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxDaImPoToIy_4s_KDRBUhTYSQ-_sgph21SbO31mDc6Q_WAlwSkFeq9UKWzQFSobAqaHffrtzNIBXV22rsi4O8Z5uyvvBilvAhgdumd3fE0HcXOsC00_t4NR-WNxilj6OCVhnKoRHccU/s1600/P1120016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxDaImPoToIy_4s_KDRBUhTYSQ-_sgph21SbO31mDc6Q_WAlwSkFeq9UKWzQFSobAqaHffrtzNIBXV22rsi4O8Z5uyvvBilvAhgdumd3fE0HcXOsC00_t4NR-WNxilj6OCVhnKoRHccU/s320/P1120016.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">Do ahead: You can bake the cupcakes a week or two in advance and store them, well wrapped, in the freezer. You can also fill them before you freeze them. They also keep filled — or filled and frosted — in the fridge for a day. (Longer, they will start to get stale.)</span></span> </blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XdbYKaY_L9TSGiZNYlk1R4OLSfrsaG8kg0uLJzw8vnHbiAmeUTEcfFlRheQFjpcRKJcGbB8tqDjTYZsaxqNJV75Hn5R7_Kx4ymw0J8K_AVXgTLyi9LDuPwvEAS1LKmufBqdeKblpKBs/s1600/P1120019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XdbYKaY_L9TSGiZNYlk1R4OLSfrsaG8kg0uLJzw8vnHbiAmeUTEcfFlRheQFjpcRKJcGbB8tqDjTYZsaxqNJV75Hn5R7_Kx4ymw0J8K_AVXgTLyi9LDuPwvEAS1LKmufBqdeKblpKBs/s320/P1120019.JPG" /></a></div><br />
i'll let you know how they are received.kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-27085619250425809332010-04-27T14:55:00.000-07:002010-04-27T14:57:16.094-07:00falafel wafflesok, so i can't take credit for it, but this is a brilliant idea: waffles made of falafel.<br />
falafel waffles, if you will.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2v_ufY5xUlqcwNmn2s1eWgfdyRsWDklthsXgTyFiBXxYdtBPITVcraUltA_9s_vpuXSAiX4BGDGChUDkRGIjAX_xrxAS8QPObfbHBB7qGns5jngzjcuErahVbKq6ZVSTfS0CIwkbzyc/s1600/P1110322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2v_ufY5xUlqcwNmn2s1eWgfdyRsWDklthsXgTyFiBXxYdtBPITVcraUltA_9s_vpuXSAiX4BGDGChUDkRGIjAX_xrxAS8QPObfbHBB7qGns5jngzjcuErahVbKq6ZVSTfS0CIwkbzyc/s320/P1110322.JPG" /></a></div><br />
i love falafel, but mostly the crispy outsides, when it comes to the crumbly middle part of the falafel balls i'm less than interested. so when i found <a href="http://www.waffleizer.com/waffleizer/2010/03/waffled-falafel-and-secret-to-perfect-hummus.html">this suggestion</a> to make falafel in the waffle iron i couldn't wait to try. plus you have the benefit of not having to deep fry the falafel balls. don't get me wrong, i have NO problem with frying stuff (and especially eating fried stuff), but it's probably healthy to try out other methods of cooking once in a while. the post i found uses falafel from a mix and reports success, but that's not what we do around here, so here's the <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/My-Favorite-Falafel-231755">falafel recipe</a> i used to make it from scratch, from joan nathan's <i><i><a href="http://www.ecookbooks.com/p-1301-foods-of-israel-today.aspx?affiliateID=10053" target="_new"><i><i>The Foods of Israel Today</i></i></a>:</i></i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8HHdmLRPVREk37FLJsUQP-2xwdeNk0_KxJiy1MZ5QX-6xjqGDKo7uq6tlORmzg6k9Qnx_bUULaOVIClnQbQsDuuz3jcQZcSh2H3E8Emg99zhaSk-KnOwbXgiqTVuSiru4d1yxjSzyF4/s1600/P1110299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8HHdmLRPVREk37FLJsUQP-2xwdeNk0_KxJiy1MZ5QX-6xjqGDKo7uq6tlORmzg6k9Qnx_bUULaOVIClnQbQsDuuz3jcQZcSh2H3E8Emg99zhaSk-KnOwbXgiqTVuSiru4d1yxjSzyF4/s320/P1110299.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<i><i> * 1 cup dried chickpeas<br />
* 1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)<br />
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley<br />
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro<br />
* 1 teaspoon salt<br />
* 1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper<br />
* 4 cloves of garlic<br />
* 1 teaspoon cumin<br />
* 1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
* 4-6 tablespoons flour</i></i><br />
<br />
<i><i>1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.<br />
<br />
2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed. </i>(i followed the recipe here - but i would actually say go ahead and puree for the purposes of waffle falafel-making)<i><br />
<br />
3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.</i></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUdIB3a6CFDWvt3AUc8TQxo7z7kf2etR1Xylgn9oAxN74qQqTIvCpNFNtoqSyzfEDExX15ofx1o2wqHM64EzCH9LZnGSDjcJfTmojZNsmHh-hbqFTQA2-4AxnNdCP6nkSNbSZxuhBOH0/s1600/P1110304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUdIB3a6CFDWvt3AUc8TQxo7z7kf2etR1Xylgn9oAxN74qQqTIvCpNFNtoqSyzfEDExX15ofx1o2wqHM64EzCH9LZnGSDjcJfTmojZNsmHh-hbqFTQA2-4AxnNdCP6nkSNbSZxuhBOH0/s320/P1110304.JPG" /></a></div><br />
after refrigerating the mixture you can heat up your waffle iron and oil both sides generously. i found it a little awkward to pat the falafel into the waffle iron, since i'm used to pouring a liquid into the iron that then puffs up. this is not like that, what you put into the iron is what you get out - no expanding or shrinking, so go ahead and pat it in all the way to the edges. bake until golden brown.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPo646nk-GTb_rHm2vC1Nfh8WfICQUerMfFCcIAubFlIhTa40zQzgZkYVxw3Mv0TsCRirgCNxma3PFxuNXJ1C6ov1MK9zLdIhoI-gTUa2q8wkVVNqPehPd6ojy0wsxQIAxtwdFGtgHow/s1600/P1110315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPo646nk-GTb_rHm2vC1Nfh8WfICQUerMfFCcIAubFlIhTa40zQzgZkYVxw3Mv0TsCRirgCNxma3PFxuNXJ1C6ov1MK9zLdIhoI-gTUa2q8wkVVNqPehPd6ojy0wsxQIAxtwdFGtgHow/s320/P1110315.JPG" /></a></div><br />
i decided to use the waffles to dip into sauces, tahini sauce and raita - rather than putting them into pitas with lettuce and tomatoes as a sandwich, though that would also be good. the tahini sauce was a big hit, and the raita was a delicious pairing - deceptively hot and cool at the same time (marty's concept of a "pinch" of cayenne is a little more like one of my handfuls).<br />
<br />
here are the recipes for those sauces:<br />
<br />
Tahini Sauce <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20%20Tahini%20Sauce%20%20%20Gourmet%20%7C%20January%202004%20%20This%20creamy,%20garlicky%20tahini%20sauce%20also%20pairs%20wonderfully%20with%20lamb.%20Serve%20it%20as%20a%20dipping%20sauce,%20or%20as%20a%20spread%20on%20cold%20lamb%20sandwiches.%20Yield:%20Makes%20about%201%201/4%20cups%20Active%20Time:%2020%20min%20Total%20Time:%2020%20min%20ingredients%202%20garlic%20cloves%201/2%20teaspoon%20fine%20sea%20salt,%20or%20to%20taste%201/2%20cup%20well-stirred%20tahini%20%28Middle%20Eastern%20sesame%20paste%29%201/3%20cup%20fresh%20lemon%20juice%201/4%20cup%20water%201/4%20cup%20olive%20oil%201%20tablespoon%20finely%20chopped%20fresh%20cilantro%201%20tablespoon%20finely%20chopped%20fresh%20flat-leaf%20parsley%201/4%20teaspoon%20ground%20cumin%20preparation%20%20Mince%20garlic,%20then%20mash%20to%20a%20paste%20with%20sea%20salt.%20Whisk%20together%20garlic%20paste%20and%20remaining%20ingredients%20until%20combined%20well.%20%20Cooks%27%20note:%20%C2%B7%20Tahini%20sauce%20can%20be%20made%201%20day%20ahead%20and%20chilled,%20covered.%20Bring%20to%20room%20temperature%20before%20serving.%20%20Read%20More%20http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Tahini-Sauce-109039#ixzz0mL7h80Hk">(via Epicurious)</a><i><br />
</i><br />
Gourmet | January 2004<i> </i><br />
Yield: Makes about 1 1/4 cups<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>ingredients<br />
2 garlic cloves<br />
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste<br />
1/2 cup well-stirred tahini (Middle Eastern sesame paste)<br />
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro<br />
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin<br />
<br />
Mince garlic, then mash to a paste with sea salt. Whisk together garlic paste and remaining ingredients until combined well. Cooks' note: Tahini sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-iek3eKPK1QlUmqj6gJb48M_D8iHHGbQLAC3-Srkb9noxbWsYy68F7wL02odJFQqPBRgl1f0ZjYbgJOXFNI4rOyK-yP-Z7p_AdFYRfzqrnTY3ICnJKNAH9iGqMcQZ-36JutXPvCYXhQ/s1600/P1110332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-iek3eKPK1QlUmqj6gJb48M_D8iHHGbQLAC3-Srkb9noxbWsYy68F7wL02odJFQqPBRgl1f0ZjYbgJOXFNI4rOyK-yP-Z7p_AdFYRfzqrnTY3ICnJKNAH9iGqMcQZ-36JutXPvCYXhQ/s320/P1110332.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Cucumber-Mint Raita <i>(<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cucumber-Mint-Raita-109803">via Epicurious</a>)</i><br />
Bon Appétit | August 2004<br />
Yield: Makes 8 servings<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><i>ingredients<br />
1 large unpeeled English hothouse cucumber, halved, seeded, coarsely grated<br />
2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt<br />
1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh mint<br />
1 teaspoon ground cumin<br />
1/4 teaspoon plus pinch of cayenne pepper<br />
preparation<br />
<br />
Wrap grated cucumber in kitchen towel and squeeze dry. Whisk yogurt, mint, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in medium bowl to blend. Add cucumbers and toss to coat. Season raita to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Sprinkle raita with pinch of cayenne pepper and serve.</i><br />
Enjoy - and leave a comment to let me know how it goes if you try it!kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6962833074397990416.post-29109705026191728922010-03-26T14:26:00.000-07:002010-03-26T14:26:23.851-07:00benedictorious eggs and english muffins from scratch<div class="body"><div class="pbk"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTK2ZaKTlzkcIl3TZqskw3sjabDWiiz66lNkQMvmTQqDKb8S2MpiMpTvF4zZpfQjfbgMgiMl3OE9i3k0db6OV1VaCypN-JQkE0TAFGO2Fusssm-vuxsaOs3h8VSlVtu5FodL_GbovA2gQ/s1600/P1110248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTK2ZaKTlzkcIl3TZqskw3sjabDWiiz66lNkQMvmTQqDKb8S2MpiMpTvF4zZpfQjfbgMgiMl3OE9i3k0db6OV1VaCypN-JQkE0TAFGO2Fusssm-vuxsaOs3h8VSlVtu5FodL_GbovA2gQ/s320/P1110248.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>ben·e·dict</b><span class="pg"><b>: </b><i>(noun)</i></span> a newly married man, esp. one who has been long a bachelor.<br />
<div class="luna-Ent"></div><div class="luna-Ent"><b>ben·e·dic·tion</b><span class="pg"><b>:</b> <i>(noun)</i></span><span class="dnindex"> </span>an utterance of good wishes. </div><div class="luna-Ent">food for thought.<br />
</div><div class="luna-Ent"></div><div class="luna-Ent">we ate a lot of good food in hawai'i, and one of the best meals we ate was home-cooked "breakfast for dinner" <b>eggs benedict</b> made my by stepmom, kat. it was incredible. which is hard to say for someone who has hated poached eggs my entire life. i, in fact, am <i>that jerk</i> at the restaurant who asks to have the eggs benedict, "but could you make the eggs over hard instead of poached?" yeah. that's me.</div><div class="luna-Ent">but these eggs were awesome. and the hollandaise was divine. so it inspired me to embark on my own eggs benedict adventure. </div><div class="luna-Ent">as usual, i'm always wondering: do i need to buy that? could i make it myself? plus i'm in the process of trying to clear out my cupboards before i move, so i decided to make english muffins. from scratch.<br />
<i>did you know that english muffins are baked on a griddle? </i></div><div class="luna-Ent">a word to the wiser-than-i here, if you're gonna make english muffins from scratch (or any kind of bread, for that matter) you need a little foresight in meal prepping. unless you want to eat dinner at 10pm, which is how it turned out for us. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="luna-Ent">i found <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/English-Muffins/Detail.aspx">this recipe</a> for english muffins, and used it as a rough guide. my tweaked version went something like this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UTkNadG0RhpAd4ONTcEuzKcHl-CRyBqF4qpPAx4ulvubhKuq3SNmynvyZMTo5LRRZHCTrQMwjGUJ3FeLvDPQ-Z1L6U0x9B07GSKfq1JnaLFlusjwpbzgDxLuW-Z8y4yNfTL_qRe7_SM/s1600/P1110236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UTkNadG0RhpAd4ONTcEuzKcHl-CRyBqF4qpPAx4ulvubhKuq3SNmynvyZMTo5LRRZHCTrQMwjGUJ3FeLvDPQ-Z1L6U0x9B07GSKfq1JnaLFlusjwpbzgDxLuW-Z8y4yNfTL_qRe7_SM/s320/P1110236.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="luna-Ent"><b>english muffins</b></div><div class="luna-Ent"> * 1 cup milk<br />
* 2 tablespoons white sugar<br />
* 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast<br />
* 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)<br />
* 1/4 cup melted butter<br />
* 4-6 cups flour (i used a combination of white and pastry wheat, and i didn't need the whole 6 cups)<br />
* 1 teaspoon salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFAvTld9DFHLkXpz4GxkMvl60Ra4gd5MGLRQPg4k9hNWkDdbTOkhxRP-GCJKa13Pi3wYg1AUZNus9eHxct8s1hYu9WqcBOgTUqiAuRbpIv9iSW9gcc1nWxmOEnPCISFHWiuMLXTCySb4/s1600/P1110239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFAvTld9DFHLkXpz4GxkMvl60Ra4gd5MGLRQPg4k9hNWkDdbTOkhxRP-GCJKa13Pi3wYg1AUZNus9eHxct8s1hYu9WqcBOgTUqiAuRbpIv9iSW9gcc1nWxmOEnPCISFHWiuMLXTCySb4/s320/P1110239.JPG" /></a></div><ol><li>warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. mix in the sugar, stirring until dissolved. let cool until lukewarm. in a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. </li>
<li> in a large bowl, combine the milk, yeast mixture, butter, and 3 cups flour. beat until smooth. add salt and rest of flour, or enough to make a soft dough. knead until springy. place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. </li>
<li> punch down. resist the urge to knead - i read somewhere else that the "nooks and crannies" that we all love about english muffins (aka their ability to soak in butter) are formed by <i>the less you handle them</i>. roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut rounds with biscuit cutter, drinking glass, or empty can. Sprinkle a surface with cornmeal and set the rounds on this to rise. dust tops of muffins with cornmeal also. cover and let rise 1/2 hour. </li>
<li> heat greased griddle. cook muffins on griddle on medium heat until they start to puff and brown - the recipe says about 10 minutes on each side, but i thought that was too much. keep baked muffins in a warm oven until all have been cooked (i'm not sure why that is unless you're going to serve them all immediately, so i didn't do that). allow to cool and place in plastic bags for storage. </li>
</ol>make some new friends, because you've just made more english muffins that you can possibly eat by yourself, three meals a day, until you're sick of english muffins.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9KSot3Igx1AQt3eo4LeFHAGdEqvW91ZT_G08VTBbjW9vpdYMIkiw8-LSK63KjOHGqvnQXPYFg0Y-q7FBfKipCHk__aKKfzGZwSHxCq93WPu6JcfjQj1YVadc4SvEfxWAlFqYKsF4OZY/s1600/P1110250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9KSot3Igx1AQt3eo4LeFHAGdEqvW91ZT_G08VTBbjW9vpdYMIkiw8-LSK63KjOHGqvnQXPYFg0Y-q7FBfKipCHk__aKKfzGZwSHxCq93WPu6JcfjQj1YVadc4SvEfxWAlFqYKsF4OZY/s320/P1110250.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b>the results:</b> mine turned out a little closer to the bagel end of the bread spectrum than the english muffin end, but i'm pretty sure that's because i didn't have the patience to let them rise fully twice (remember i hadn't accounted for that in my meal prep time). other than that they're pretty tasty, and next time i might forgo the wheat flour and do straight white flour; i mean english muffins are a decadence anyway, so why bother trying to make it healthy?<br />
did i mention that this was a meal of firsts for me? i haven't made english muffins before, and i've also never poached an egg. or made good hollandaise sauce. and both of those things have a reputation for being tricky.<br />
the hollandaise was actually the inspiration for this meal because i made meringues a few nights before and had leftover egg yolks.<br />
i relied on epicurious' <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Basic-Hollandaise-Sauce-101868">basic hollandaise sauce recipe</a> for guidance. here's the recipe with my thoughts added:<br />
<br />
<b>hollandaise sauce:</b><br />
* 3 egg yolks<br />
* 1 tablespoon cream<br />
* 2/3 cup melted butter, cooled to room temperature (the original recipe says 1 cup, but that's a ton of <br />
butter, and the reviews of the recipe recommended cutting it down)<br />
* 1+ tablespoon lemon juice,to taste (you <i>can </i>also use white wine vinegar, but i think vinegar's disgusting)<br />
* 1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
* Dash of cayenne pepper</div><div class="pbk"></div><div class="pbk"><br />
<blockquote>Use a small, thick ceramic bowl set in a heavy-bottomed pan, or a heavyweight double boiler. Off the heat, put the egg yolks and cream in the bowl or upper section of the double boiler and stir with a wire whisk until well-blended — the mixture should never be beaten but stirred, evenly, vigorously and continually. Place the container over hot water (if you are setting the bowl in water, there should be about 1 1/2 inches of water in the pan; in a double boiler, the water should not touch the top section). Stirring eggs continuously, bring the water slowly to a simmer. Do not let it boil. Stir, incorporating the entire mixture so there is no film at the bottom. When the eggs have thickened to consistency of very heavy cream, begin to add the cooled melted butter with one hand, stirring vigorously with the other. Pour extremely slowly so that each addition is blended into the egg mixture before more is added. When all the butter has been added, add the lemon juice or vinegar a drop at a time and immediately remove from heat. Add salt and a mere dash of cayenne.<br />
<br />
Note: If you proceed with care your Hollandaise should not curdle. If it does, however, don't despair. Finish adding the butter as best you can. Remove sauce to a small bowl, clean the pot and put a fresh egg yolk in it. Start over again, using the curdled sauce as if it were the butter.</blockquote>that recipe's verbatim because it turned out quite well. i cut down the butter (as mentioned) and bumped up the lemon juice because i like a tangy hollandaise, but other than that i think the instructions were spot on.</div><div class="pbk"></div><div class="pbk"></div><div class="pbk">while all of this english-muffin-cooking and hollandaise-sauce-stirring was going on on the stove, i decided to do the asparagus and the bacon in the oven, separately, so they wouldn't take up my stovetop space. the asparagus turned out a little dry, but <a href="http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/breakfastcookery/ht/bacon.htm">bacon in the oven</a> is great - and requires do much less attention. </div><div class="pbk"></div><div class="pbk"></div><div class="pbk"></div><div class="pbk"></div><div class="pbk"><br />
finally, the <b>poached eggs.</b><br />
i've been intimidated by the notoriety surrounding poached eggs and how difficult they are to make. thankfully, i have the internet. so i didn't have to figure out how to make them myself. i recommend <a href="http://www.sallybernstein.com/food/columns/corn/poached_eggs.htm">these guidelines</a>, which tell me that those little cups that hang on the side of your pot are actually <u>not only cheating</u> but making your eggs <i>steamed </i>rather than poached. good thing, i didn't have those anyway.<br />
here are the main tips: bring your water to just under simmering, add a tablespoon of vinegar and a little salt: the vinegar will help your whites stay put and not feather out all over the water. once you gently slide your eggs into the water - turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 3 mins.<br />
admittedly, i let mine sit for a bit longer than 3 mins because i'm grossed out by runny yolks, but that's what poached eggs are all about, i suppose, so go ahead and do that for yours. now, i also went through the extra step of dipping my poached eggs in warm water after removing them from the pan because i really dislike the taste of vinegar, but this adds several extra degrees of hazard with the potential to have those whites you worked to keep together fall all apart (which definitely happened to me), so proceed with that at your own risk.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFQeS4RDP3PYgnIgZYF7dIlqw0Hiq061ILjjoNiC23uTbozxJGFFJJfBulDXT7thyphenhyphen9eltXgUof4Z-maCRDLu2V9HApTnV8r1B85cmbCpm9vQ0vTZ2DLIY87OC7j67aufbBrTOKVjjzRI/s1600/P1110252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFQeS4RDP3PYgnIgZYF7dIlqw0Hiq061ILjjoNiC23uTbozxJGFFJJfBulDXT7thyphenhyphen9eltXgUof4Z-maCRDLu2V9HApTnV8r1B85cmbCpm9vQ0vTZ2DLIY87OC7j67aufbBrTOKVjjzRI/s320/P1110252.JPG" /></a></div><br />
and voila - breakfast for dinner has never tasted better. i mean, butter + eggs + bacon + asparagus, what could be bad?</div></div>kashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016419117640355510noreply@blogger.com0