gussy rose

Mango Pound Cake

2011-10-09T22:43:00.000-10:00

David's awesome co-worker always gives us fresh produce and orchids from her house. We had a few that were left out too long and were mush inside. Overripe and super sweet. I also had a day that left me needing to be recharged. Baking was my rescue remedy today.

I found a recipe from Parita's World Kitchen. I've never read her stuff before, but this recipe came out wonderfully, and her other dishes made me drool a little. I doubled the mango from the original recipe and added in corn meal for a little texture. Use finely ground meal, anything coarser will be gritty and unappealing, but the light texture makes for a light crumb and a lacy texture.

Mango Pound Cake

Serves 10 - 12

Recipe Adapted from Parita's World Kitchen

Ingredients-

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup finely ground corn meal

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup fresh mango puree

4 small eggs or 3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract/essence

Set oven to 350 º F. Butter and flour 2 9in loaf pans.

Puree mango by mashing up the pulp of 1-2 overripe mangos, depending on size. If they are not overripe, you may need to blend the mango so get anapple-sauce consistency.

Sieve the flour, corn meal, baking powder and baking soda and keep it aside. Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy , for about 3 to 5 mins in a medium bowl. Add in mango puree and vanilla to butter, incorporate, then eggs.

Gradually combine in flour, mixing until just barely incorporated. **Pour into loaf pans, leveling out the tops so that they are nice and even, and put into the middle rack in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes, rotating 1/2 way through. Let cool and enjoy.

**The trick for quick bread that rises is to minimize the amount of time from when the baking soda and powder gets "wet" to baking time as much as possible, so mix until just barely combined and then pour it into loaf pans as quickly as you can.

A peek.

2011-09-11T17:49:00.002-10:00

Here are all my text books.

Here is an average weeks worth of assignments:

Class 1: Read Ch 13-17, do workbook. Quiz on last week's chapters.

Lab 1a: Review skills from Ch 13-17 on a partner, write up findings.

Lab 1b. Perform any needed skills from the past 3 weeks on a real live person, write up findings.

Class 2: Read Ch 20-25, take pre-class quiz on reading materials.

Class 3: Read Ch 14-19, Skills for Ch 14-19, Videos for Ch 14-19.

Lab 3a: Practice the skills, as read about and viewed, on a partner.

Class 4: Read Ch 17-23. Take a pre-class quiz on the reading materials.
Class 5: Read a Chapter or two. Blog about it with other classmates (that's right folks, we're 2.0.)

This is my process right now. Some days it goes SUPER fast. Some days, I takes hours just to get through the first 2 steps and I think "damn, this is a really bad strategy." I'm sticking with it though.

1: Survey reading and lecture

2: Review objectives. Propose a question/intended outcome from my reading

3: Read lecture and materials, highlight shady areas and reread

4: Record notes

5: Review notes

6: Talk out key points

7: Attend lecture (listen)

8: Summarize (usually a mental summary)

Realistically, I am doing 1-4, 7, 5 in that order. It is still taking my entire life. And I'm not mad at it. It is pretty fun at the end of the day.

As a follow up:

Dear Friends,

If you think I am exaggerating in my lack of time, please note that I am taking a dose of crazy so I can learn all I can, and will get back to you in approximately 12 months.

Yours truly.

Goodbye Summer

2011-08-21T08:51:00.000-10:00

For the first time in 6 years, when I graduated college, I am returning back to school. Also, for the first time in about a decade, I took part of the summer off, and had a real, do nothing summer. It was fantastic.

But, tomorrow, school starts. And so this blog may be ignored much more than it was before. To celebrate, I tried going to the beach as much as possible this past week. Some with friends, some alone. It was a nice way to close the summer and get ready for this new beginning.

Pinacate, Elegante, Sara Colorado. Mama! Mama! Que feliz estoy yo!

2011-08-07T21:48:00.002-10:00

When I was about 6 years old, my mom took my brother and I camping in the Pinacate Desert for Thanksgiving, with some friends. This was back in the day when two women could take three kids to the middle of the desert in the Arizona/Sonora border region without a worry. I'd like to think those days haven't gone, but it is questionable to do so now, to say the least.

I just found out, by google-ing the area, that it is not Sara Colorado, but Cerro Colorado. This is about the same time that my dad was working at the Phoenix Botanical Garden and Wendy ran the plant library, a herbarium. I thought it was Wendy's Barium, you know: her barium. But no, it was a herbarium, and Wendy ran the shop. Wendy's Barium. Sara Colorado. A bit of feminist back then too, I guess I could say.

Anyway. This has nothing to do with the post at all except while writing the word "Elefante" the song my mom and her friend came up to entertain us kids with popped into my head: "Pinacate, Elegante, Cerro Colorado. Mama! Mama! Que feliz estoy yo!" That song, strangely, pops into my head quite a bit. Whenever it does, I flash back to that camping trip, grinding stones from the colorful rocks and rubbing it on my face to make "make up", and that it was very, very windy.

Again, that has nothing to do with anything. Except "Elegante" and "Elefante" sound similar.

And the reason I am typing the word "Elefante" is because I just knit up the little guy below. He has no name yet. He is squishy, cream and brown striped, and a be-lated gift to Manth. All throughout July he would yell at the top of his lungs while, placing his hands on his hips and whipping his elbows back and forth, "I'm a mother fucking elephant!" It was his birthday month. And everyone who knows Manth knows he loves his birthday more than anything, except maybe smoked pig of some sort.

So he got Elefante (late).

Pattern by Susan B. Anderson.

He also got a new apron for all his cooking. Custom made, by me. Blue and tan striped with blue binding.

Tutorial may come.

And some Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Carmel Frosting.

Recipes: Cupcakes. Frosting.

The later two came on time.

Pato Pato Pavo

2011-08-07T20:58:00.002-10:00

This is from early last month, but I still think its worth sharing.

In college, a friend of mine and I led a trip of fellow students town to Mexico to volunteer at a little truck-stop town. This town needed help; it was a hot spot for nasty truckers with a pension for underage girls, had a number of farms with armed guards and indentured slavery, and I am only sure, based on its location, was a perfect staging ground for all things smuggled from the U.S. border in to deeper parts of Mexico, and vice versa. On the flip side, the town was welcoming and kind. The social service agency we worked for took us in and put us to work cleaning up libraries, taking after kids who needed shelter, if only temporarily, and helping new clinics prepare for it's grand opening. The children were playful, bright, and the perfect hosts.

At one of the orphanages, we were playing Duck Duck Goose with the kids. Besides one of our volunteers unknowlingly shout "ASS" in Spanish to all the kids when she was trying to yell "circle" (Lesson: don't break up words by syllables if you don't have a tight grass on the language), I always come back the memory of trying to teach Duck Duck Goose and having to come up with a new name on the spot. Since "Pato Pato Ganso" sounded clumsy to us, we went with "Pato Pato Pavo!" or "Duck Duck Turkey!"

Making this meal, I though of that game, and both of those memories came to mind. Here is my first meal back in the kitchen! (It's simple and fast. Just what I needed.) These two dished also happen to be inspirations from two friends from college. Good times with simple but delicious meals. Can't beat that.

Pato Pato Pavo!

Fillings:

1 pre-roased turkey breast or whole chicken

1 white onion. 1/2 diced in half inch pieces; 1/2 slivered and quartered.

2 average sized zucchinis, cut into half inch pieces

1.5 cups low sodium chicken stock (or 1 can)

1 can El Pato jalapeno tomato sauce

1 handful cilantro, chopped

1 small tomato, chopped

lemon, cumin, and garlic salt, to taste

Corn tortillas

Pavo

Turkey filling

In a medium frying pan, saute slivered onion in a tiny bit of oil on medium-high heat, until they are just starting to turn translucent. Meanwhile, cut and shred the turkey or chicken so you have about 2 generous cups in total. Add the shredded meat to the onion and let the chicken mixture become heated through. Add 3/4 cup broth to the chicken and onion and continue cooking on medium high, bringing the broth to a boil.Turn the heat to medium and, stirring occasionally, cook, uncovered, until the broth has completely evaporated but the chicken is not dry, about 10 minutes. Add about 1/2-3/4 cup more and boil down again (this concentrates the flavors and makes super juicy and tender chicken.) Season with garlic salt, to taste.

Pato

Calabacitas filling

In another medium frying pan that has a cover, saute half inch pieces of onion and zucchini on medium-high heat until they are just starting to turn translucent. Stir in the can of El Pato sauce, and cumin and garlic salt to taste. Let simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes, or until the zucchinis are easy to pierce with a fork. Uncover and let the sauce thicken. I don't like my tacos super drippy so I let it cook down to a consistency a bit thicker than ketchup. Add a bit or water or broth if it gets too thick. Season with garlic salt and more cumin, to taste.

Tortillas

If you aren't an expert at using corn tortillas, these are my two go-to methods so I don't have broken tortillas and a lap full of taco filing. For both versions, your tortillas are ready to eat when the skin of the tortillas slightly blisters and is pliable. If it is undercooked, they will break. If it is overcooked, you have tostadas.

1. Lightly spray each of your corn tortillas with a mist of cooking oil. Heat for about a minute on each side in a fry pan or griddle. Serve immediately.

2. (My usual). Put your oven rack on the highest level and turn on your broiler. Once super hot, lay out each of your tortillas on the oven rack, making sure not to overlap. Keep the door slightly ajar so you can keep an eye on them. Flip once they have started to barely blister, about 30 seconds, to warm the other side.

To serve:

Fill tortillas with turkey, zucchini, or both. Sprinkle on chopped cilantro, tomato, squeeze a bit of lemon, fold over, and chow down.

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I am my mother's daughter

2011-07-24T10:00:00.001-10:00

I was talking to my mom last night. We are both Queens of the Castle this weekend. She told me
1. That I am her knitting mentor and
2. That I have the values she was hoping to instill in her daughter.

I think number 1 is fun and I'll keep on trying to share with her what I learn about knitting, but number 2. That makes me so happy.

measure measure

2011-07-08T07:39:00.001-10:00

When not using a pattern to make a dress, perhaps one should measure. Maybe twice, as the saying goes. Definitely more than not at all, which was my method of choice.

Those boob things. Not going to be covered by my pretty yellow dress...

When it's hot, buy yarn!

2011-07-02T16:49:00.001-10:00

Earlier this week there was an announcement that a Malabrigo shipment came in at YarnStory.

I can't say no to Malabrigo and I'm glad that I can finally purchase it from a local business. It is so soft and squishy and light. And hand dyed. I may be ordering some worsted for her soon. Like I said, I can't say no.

Two skeins of Malabrigo Sock are for my mama. 1 in Turner (the yellowish purple) and one in Solis (the blue). I got a sweater's worth of a canary yellow, Sauterne, to knit up the Featherweight Cardigan. It is pretty much the brightest yarn they had to offer. I realized after that I already have a canary yellow cardigan, but whatevs. Who can say no to canary yellow? Apparently not me. And to balance out my day-glo I also bought 4 skeins of Cotton Fleece in Copper Kettle to knit up a February Lady Sweater.

And, since we are talking about yarn and purchasing yarn, big shout out to Kimberly who owns the store. She's one of the nicer store owners I've ever met, particularly yarn stores. She opened this winter and has incredible stock, is always expanding, and takes customer requests. I particularly like that she has knowledge about each of her yarns, can suggest patterns and speak to how to alter patterns if need be, and each interaction with customers is filled with bits of knitting and yarn facts that prove her true interest into the craft.

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four legs

2011-06-27T21:21:00.001-10:00

25 days ago I had hip surgery to fix me and make me all better again. For 23 days, I've been mostly laying on my back or hobbling along on crutches, hip recovering, me too. Two days ago, I started the next part, building my ability to walk with stride, again.

Down time gives you a lot of new things. A sore butt (who knew.) A different perspective of your patience and you loved ones' (Manth has proven his tolerance of me 24/7 a million times over) . More reading time than you've had since high school summer break. An interesting craving for anything frozen.

While in repose during one of my weekends, I read the first series of Emily Dickinson's poems. I've never read them before, at least in compilation form. They really are beautiful. I remember reading a few in my eighth grade English class and one seeing the words. A few years behind me, and I see them for what is beyond their words at face value.

One particularly struck a cord with me. This journey with my hip, starting with an injury and having curious and re-occuring pain for another half year, was a surprise. As was the suggestion of surgery. I thought I'd be dancing again after a month or two after the initial event, and in fact, it looks like I'll finally fully be able to dance a full year after this journey began. So here you go:

XIX.

THE MYSTERY OF PAIN.

Pain has an element of blank;

In cannot recollect

When it began, or if there were

A day when it was not.

It has no future but itself,

Its infinite realms contain

Its past, enlightened to receive

New periods of pain.

Emily Dickinson: Poems, Series 1, poem XIX, section Life.

Eat, sleep, repeat, plus a little bit more

2011-06-10T14:15:00.002-10:00

Things that happened this past week (amazing the things you do while at home all day long):

Our friends had their first semi-public tasting for their new pop-up restaurant, the Pig and the Lady. More to come on them and their fantastic efforts. For now, you can follow them on twitter at @PigandtheLady. My faves were the curry (it blew my mind), the pickled veggies, and the dessert. I've gotta give the pho another chance, as Manth said the chilipeppers were awesome so we all dumped a hep in our bowls, not knowing that the little suckers had some kick to them. What I do know is that the broth tastes super different than other broths, and that it just might become my new best friend. The meal tasted like love. All of it. I skipped the pork, so if you are in the neighborhood once they open later this month, you'll just have to check them out. They'll be at Hank's Haute Dogs by night. And if you haven't been there for lunch either, they've got some good eats as well.

Those never ending socks. Done! Finished them Monday. My mom tried to "put them away" in her suitcase. Haha. Silly mom, I have huge feet. These are way to big for your delicate toes-ies. Knit up on size 0's with 80 stitches in a round (I know that's a lot, but I was on a plane when I started and that was what I packed). The heels are an afterthought heel. First time doing so, I was a bit clumsy, but overall fun to do. Woo... Done!

Started and completed Bossypants by Tina Fey. She's funny and has a pretty good bottom line that she kept to throughout the book. Thanks, Miss J, for letting me borrow it.

Watched "The President's Photographer" a National Geographic documentary. It follows President Obama's photographer around and interviews former Presidents and official photographers from years past. I won't lie, the little boys' faces (15:50-17:20), all awe-inspired and innocent during the President's speech on Health Care Reform made me cry a little. Maybe it was seeing hope rather than haters while talking about health care reform, maybe it is being on pain meds, maybe it was Morgan Freeman's voice. Ah, whatever.

Started, ripped, and am starting Print O' the Wave Stole by Eunny Jang, again. Why can't I get past row 7? Third time's a charm. Right? What's crazy about knitting is that this thing, like my socks, is also 80 stitches on size 0 needles, but will be just under 2 feet in width. Knitting is such a crazy thing. Or maybe I have cankles....

Ballotine Chicken

2011-06-08T21:24:00.001-10:00

Manth brined, deboned, and stuffed a chicken with spinach, onion, garlic, and mushrooms today. I don't know where he finds these recipes but this tastes like.the best homemade soup you've ever had, in plateable form. Honest to goodness deliciousness.

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Bike Stolen

2011-06-01T23:04:00.003-10:00

Bike Stolen

between 630 and 730 pm June 1 near V Lounge, Ala Moana

Republic Bike, fixed gear, white frame, green seat, handles, and chain.

ThinkGeek sticker on frame under seat.

contact me (@gussyrose) if you see it. Muched loved bike, wants to come home.

Monday Monday Monday

2011-05-30T17:37:00.002-10:00

Today is Memorial Day. My family doesn't talk about wars much, or their participation in them. My two uncles served in the military. That much I know, but not much more.
On this day that we honor and recognize those who have passed away while serving our country during war, I recognize my uncle who gave himself to the country, and thankfully, came back. My uncle always took me to get donuts at the best place in Colorado (at least in my family's opinion). So today I made donuts. I've been planning on making them, but today was the perfect day. Decided on strawberry frosting, the flavor I would always get with my Aunt and Uncle, and chocolate with sprinkles. Because really, if you make donuts,why would you not make donuts with chocolate glaze and sprinkles?

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Donut Recipe: Joy the Baker
On Donuts:

Chocolate Glaze: Alton Brown, halved (addition of 1 Tbs dutch cocoa). Note to others - really do wait 30 minutes before glazing donuts. It's a bit drippy if you forget this step like I did.

Rainbow Sprinkles.

Strawberry Glaze: 1 CUP powdered sugar, 1 TBS strawberry preserves, 1 TBS whole milk. Stir till well combined, breaking up strawberry bits as well as you can. (while searching for glaze recipes, which was a little un-fruitful, I found this scone recipe. Yum! I think this is next)

On Donut Holes:

Sugar

Sugar with cinnamon and cocoa powder (un-measured quantities)

Blueberry Ginger Cooler

2011-05-29T19:01:00.001-10:00

I am so all about drinks these days. They are so yummy and refreshing. Mmmmm. And pretty.

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Here's a new one.

Blueberry Ginger Cooler.

Ingredients:

Blueberry Ginger Syrup:

2 IN Ginger, peeled and sliced into 0.25 IN pieces

0.75-1.0 CUP Blueberries

1 CUP Water

1 CUP Sugar

Lemon juice

Seltzer Water

Ice

Puree blueberries in water. Pour puree into sauce pan with sugar and ginger pieces. Heat mixture over medium high heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Let cool. Strain, if you want. I just removed the ginger pieces, but I like the blueberries. I think they are pretty.

To make the cooler:

In a glass, add about 2 OZ of syrup, 6 OZ seltzer water, a slash of lemon juice, and ice. Stir. Drink. Yum.

Homemade happy belly.

2011-05-25T21:05:00.000-10:00

Homemade gyoza (chicken and cabbage)
Homemade egg drop soup (with peas, carrot, and shallot)
Salad from Nalo farms.
Overall, about 80% local.

Overall, happy belly.

Yummy drinks for dessert

2011-05-24T20:23:00.001-10:00

I make the yummiest drinks.

Just sayin.

Here's another one: Berry Wine Cooler. Tonight, this is my dessert. (I know! No Nutella. I ran out.)

This is how you make it.

In a cup, fill with frozen, sugar free mixed berries. Pour Lemon-Lime soda over berries, about 6 oz total. Add 2-3 ounces red wine (I used a Cab-Shiraz blend.)

Amaze your self at how 1) pretty is looks and 2) yummy it tastes.

I swear I'm still alive and making things

2011-05-21T19:30:00.000-10:00

It's crazy busy but I've been up to some fun things.
It's been so busy, though, that nice things like writing musings and taking pictures and putting them in one convenient place has slipped away from my daily or even weekly routine. If I keep this up is to be determined. Not because I will stop making things. But because, quite honestly, the makings of a blog is a lot of work and sometimes I just want to make things tangible, that I can cut, chop, sew, eat, etc. Blogs aren't very tasty. And they don't serge well either.

That is to be decided.

Here is some of what has been going on in my world though.
To eat:
Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread. Kalamansi Swirl Bread. Garlic Toast. Monster Tacos. Green Goddess Salad. Passion Orange Radler.

To make:

My friend and co-worker organized an awesome crane folding project to support Japan. Triple latte skirt. My Thai Fisher Shorts. And today, a friend came over and we dyed costumes.Another friend saw these AWESOME books on sale and gifted them to me. Thanks L!

No pictures yet.
Envelope bags (un-pictured.) I finished my red skirt and love it. No pictures yet, though.
I'm still making the socks. These socks. Goodness. 1 inch to go before the toes, then I have to make the heels on both.

The legwarmers are done! And pictures to be taken. They are way to big, but hopefully snuggly.

Next projects:

Yeasted Donuts.

Cardamon Coffee Brisket.

Summer Stripy Skirt.

Beach/market bag.

Songbird shirt for D.

Currently reading:

Jane Eyre.

To read:

Bossy Pants.

This summer thing: I like it so much more than the fall, winter, and spring thing. Summer is MY season. By far.

correspondence

2011-04-06T16:30:00.001-10:00

One of my favorite things that happens nearly on a daily basis is corresponding back and forth with friends. It's nearly as good as being a pen-pal, but twice as nice when you are walking into a dreaded meeting and then you get a splash of sunshine from some dear person.

I got three (THREE) emails today that made me grin ear to ear.

It is a very special day.

Hand written notes from authors are great.

2011-04-02T14:34:00.003-10:00

I just drove up to my house from rehearsal, noticed a padded manilla envelope in our mailbox, and thought "Hmm, Manth must have gotten something fun."

Nope, it was for me.

Better yet, it was a trifecta of fun things: A tutorial for beginner baseball scorekeeping, a scorebook of my very own, and a note directly from the author to me.

Hand written notes from authors are great.

I've been lucky enough to get one or two notes and few other books signed. They usually become my favorites, having a true physical marker from their creator. My elementary school got all of us signed copies of The Island of the Blue Dolphins and The Castle in the Attic author came to my school in first grade and gave us all signed books. Let me tell you, that is one good way to make reading cool at a young age. Wow the kids with authors. It worked for me.

In college, my best friend and I became obsessed with For Fuck's Sake. We got copies from the first print, from a small and young publishing house. When I ordered another copy from the publisher, I got not only a signed copy, but a note, and a bumper sticker. I was in love.

I have signed books, but now, as a lover of literature and feeling pages turn, I really love these rare moments of getting notes from the author - either within the book or on the side.

What is going to happen to signed books with all these electronic options? While I am trying it out, I guess it is fair to say that if I love a book, or a author's work in general, I am going to have to buy the print version. I need the trophy sitting on my bookcase. It it will be even better if these small and large treasures have a secret message waiting to be discovered just inside.

But back to the scorebook. I am thrilled to get the note, and even happier to get instructions on how to keep track of this game I'm learning to enjoy.

And now I'm off to write a note of my own to the person to instigated this whole glee fest of authors and their notes.

National Food on a Stick Day

2011-03-28T23:34:00.000-10:00

Happy National Food On A Stick Day!

I heard today was National Food On A Stick Day while volunteering at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. Immediately we started planning to celebrate. I first did a little research. Validated by the blog 365 Foods which journeyed through a year of Food of the Days, March 28 is in fact dedicated to foods that are on sticks.

We celebrated by having a food party. Those are fun.
Fashioned as a pot luck, our meal included:

Appetizers:

Hummus with celery and carrot sticks

Fruit and cheese platter on a stick (so cute)

Main Dishes:

Veggie kebabs

Carne Asada kebabs

Sausage and old smokies kebabs

Lamb chop "pops"

Desserts:

Fire roasted marshmallows (and s'mores)

Oreo truffle balls/pops

Pretzels and frosting

Drinks:

Bloody Mary's (because the garnish/stirrer is a celery stick!)

Mondays, as we all know or are at least aware, can be the roughest day out of the week. Food on a Stick party was such a savior to this otherwise gruesome week day start.

Thanks, National Food on a Stick Day!

Tresses

2011-03-22T00:10:00.000-10:00

Back in December I decided not to wash my hair anymore the traditional way. That is, I stopped shampooing with my ultra-moisturizing shampoo and creamy conditioner. Thought I'd give a 3 month update... as a reminder, the main instigator was that I had dandruff and oily hair and the combination just isn't pleasant.

Left: March 2011 Right: October 2010

All in all, I've washed my hair three times with regular shampoo since I've switched. Each time, I notice my hair is more tangly than when I use the alternate method. Conversely, no poo means just a comb through and it's smooth and nicely wavy. Mmy hair seems to have grown quite a bit since I've gone no-poo, too. Several inches, at least. And, for the first time in my life, besides looking generally nicer, it holds a curl if I actually do my hair. Craziness!

When I use the baking soda and apple cider vinegar solutions my hair seems to get less oily and looks, feels, and smells clean for 3-4 days between washes. That's pretty dang good. The apple cider vinegar really tames my fly aways and my hair has started to look curled at the ends instead of competing for wave-space all on it's own. Definitely makes my at-work-hair a bit more professional and a lot less 5-year-old looking.

My dandruff is still there, but using a regular white vinegar rinse once a week seems to cut down on the flakes until Thursday or Friday and by that point, it is nearly Sunday again. It's no biggie to wait for Sunday and make a routine out of it.

As an aside, I noticed that my overall shower time has also dramatically decreased. Maybe because I'm not so dang tired from being so busy, but even when I am tired my showers are more efficient. I can douse my hair with baking soda solution, wash up, rinse the soda, soak my ends in apple cider vinegar and finish up in well less then 7 minutes. Randomly timed myself today at 3 minutes (I was baking cookies and needed to keep an eye on the time). I thought that was a long one!

It makes me feel happy inside knowing that not only am I not wasting heaps of water but I'm also not putting a ton of chemicals down the drain as well.

This is the routine I've set up for myself:

Sundays:

White Vinegar Rinse (1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup vinegar) - pre-wash rinse for dandruff

Get my hair as soaking wet as possible. Dump the mixture on my hair, trying to soak as much on the scalp as possible. Tie my hair in a knot and let sit for a bit. It gets a little tingly. Rinse thoroughly.

My shampoo and conditioner bottles

Sundays and Wednesdays

Baking Soda Rinse (1 T baking soda, 1 cup water is enough for 2-3 washes)

I put the mixture in an old school ketchup dispenser and use the nozzle to make sure my scalp is good and covered by mixture. I then work the solution into my scalp and about 1/3 the way down my hair. I tie it in a knot and let sit for a minute or two. When you rub the baking soda in, it seems to lift away excess oils without making my hair feel brassy. I'm not a fan of brassy feeling hair so this is a plus. Next, I rinse extra well to make sure I don't leave soda residue.

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse (1 T apple cider vinegar, 1 cup water is enough for 6-8 washes)

I put the mixture in a matching mustard bottle and stick a cinnamon stick in the bottle to spice up the scent and make it smell a bit different that vinegar. After I've rinsed my hair of the baking soda, I start applying the solution about 2/3 down my hair from my roots. I work this into my hair by holding my hair like it is in a pony an then squirting the solution from top to bottom, making sure to get the ends extra well. I rinse a few times to make sure the vinegar smell is out.

So there. That is kinda a lot but I really like this no poo stuff. Its just so easy. And cheap! And easy. And earth friendly. Except maybe for those plastic bottles I'm using...but glass in the shower is a little scary.

Happy Tuesday, friends.

Hi Hi - It's been a while

2011-03-17T11:51:00.001-10:00

Golden birthday: You and me are thick as thieves. At 27, in my book, you get to celebrate like you're 7.

When in Arizona, do as the Arizonans do. Eat, laugh, and eat some more. And be together. And go on mini-road trips (because if you want to get from one city or town to another, you may as well make it fun).

Home. Knit, bake, work, play. And these days, watch baseball. Lots and lots of baseball.

(Thanks, Ancita, for your pics)

Day 26 - Punch Party

2011-02-27T14:28:00.001-10:00

I didn't take any pictures because I was dancing around having fun and reveling in the great combination of beverages we made.

Sweet Tea Rum Punch

Pomegranate Blueberry Rum Punch

Jamaican Ginger Beer (non-alcoholic and a tasty mix in)

Old Fashioned Cocktails

It was great fun.

Day 25 - Game day knitting

2011-02-25T21:37:00.001-10:00

More knitting

Innings 1-7 I worked on the leg warmers

Innings 8 and 9 I gauged for some socks

Short game. Good time knitting, watching the game with friends, and winding down from a crazy busy week. I wish this was the start of a nice relaxing weekend but unfortunately it is a start to a busy work filled weekend. Not to worry, it will be filled with fun, too.

See the full gallery on posterous

Day 24 - More prepping

2011-02-25T00:14:00.001-10:00

I bought this yarn nearly a year ago. It was in a hank.

I bought the ball winder and swift nearly a month ago.

I have a goal to get this shawl knit by mid-summer.

Pattern: Print O' the Wave Stole by Eunny Jang

Yarn: Filatura Di Crosa Centolavaggi Extrafine Merino Wool

Wound up and ready to go.

Also had a punch pre-party tasting. Punch is a go, minus a little sugar, plus some pineapple rings. So fab. Need to finish my skirt in time for festivities.

See the full gallery on posterous

Day 23 - a little bit of work

2011-02-24T00:18:00.001-10:00

Day 23

More Knitting. A few rows. Not much but more than nothing. I think I'm about half way there now. Progress. Progress. Progress.

Also started cleaning some bottles for my punch party on Saturday. Golden Birthday. Woo hoo.

Day 22 - Shirts for a quilt

2011-02-22T21:59:00.002-10:00

Cut apart shirts for a t-shirt quilt. Perhaps a beach/picnic quilt but maybe also a house quilt. Cut out 20, have a few more that we found tucked in random places around the house. Avoiding button holes for my skirt.

Made an awesome salad, which I didn't take pictures of, but should have because it was pretty, too.

Researched punch recipes for an upcoming Punch Party. Woo. There are just too many to choose from. Perhaps I'll post my top picks.

Day 21 - Pieced and Hemmed

2011-02-21T15:21:00.001-10:00

More skirt work. This skirt is going more slowly that I'd like, but it is because I am taking time to really finish things properly and make it right.

Today I fixed the pleats, sewed the waistband on, overlocked and hemmed the bottom edge, and figured the placing for the buttons. Brown or light pink - still haven't decided....

New techniques I learned today: overlock and stitch in the ditch. Blind stitched the hem (I love the look of a nice hem.)

I'm really loving this skirt. And having a sewing project to do a bit of work here and there is very relaxing.

Day 20 - Ginger Yogurt Fruit Salad

2011-02-20T14:37:00.005-10:00

Mmm.

We had the best Sunday breakfast this morning. Pancakes, maple syrup, scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit salad, hash browns. This is about a once a year type of thing. Breakfast of champions. So tasty. I made a ginger yogurt sauce for the fruit salad that was fantastic and would make a great filling for crepes. Manth and I both love ginger and because it has been voggy lately, I've been trying to add in as many good-for-me types of foods to my diet so I don't fall victim to the haze. Vog is serious business. Besides being good for you, adding a little bit of bite to a sweet sauce can take the sugary edge off, and make you need less of the sweetener. Double win.

Fruit Salad

1 apple

0.5 fresh pineapple, pared and cored.

1 large orange

1 CUP ginger yogurt sauce.

Slice the apple and pineapple into inch sized pieces and place in bowl. Cut off orange peel and cut out sections. Cut sections into inch sized pieces and place in bowl. Save the juice from the left over orange for the sauce. Mix in 1 cup of of sauce. Let sit at room temperature or in a refrigerator for 15-30 before serving to let the flavors mingle.

Ginger Yogurt Sauce

Makes about 1 cup

0.5 CUP plain yogurt

0.25 CUP ginger syrup

0.25 CUP orange juice (from cut oranges)

Mix together. Yep, that simple.

Ginger Simple Syrup

Makes about 1 cup

0.75 CUP granulated sugar

0.5 CUP water

2 IN ginger, peeled and chopped

0.25 TSP vanilla extract

In a saucepan, combine first three ingredients. Stir until well mixed. Heat on medium until sugar is dissolved and liquid is slightly boiling. Add vanilla, turn to low, just below a simmer, for another 10 minutes. Stir every so often for good measure. Take off heat and let cool.

The syrup is also good for things like:

homemade ginger ale (try design*sponge's recipe or just add syrup to soda water)

in iced tea

drenching cake (like the lemongrass cake I made recently)

over ice cream

in granitas

for frosting (like Sazi commented about a while ago)

Day 19 - Baseball and knitting

2011-02-19T22:41:00.001-10:00

More knitting and my first attempts at scorekeeping.

See the full gallery on posterous

Day 18 - warmer legs on their way

2011-02-18T22:53:00.001-10:00

More legwarmer knitting. No picture - but it really happened.

Day 17 - Organizing the work

2011-02-17T23:59:00.001-10:00

Day 17

Organized the yarn. Got approval from the recipient (she's the best!). Got a bit of work down on it.

Day 16 - keeping steam

2011-02-16T20:53:00.001-10:00

I stayed at work till late and then had to take home work too, so I'm just going to work on my existing knitting project and call it an early night. At least it is something. Not giving up! Although I have resorted to older projects and not brand new ones for this week.

Day 15 - More skirt

2011-02-15T23:39:00.001-10:00

Day 15 - Skirts from month 1

Today's work is continued from my January skirt that has trudged it's way along into February. I french seamed the skirt together, interfaced and sewed the waistband, and set the pleats. Need to fix the placement of 2 pleats (one on each side), sew the waistband on, and go button hole crazy. I bought really small buttons for this project because the selection was limited. I have brown or light pink to choose from....still haven't decided which I'll use. I'd like to get it done by Friday so I can move on to February clothing project this month. Ah life. Where do you put all this time that seems to disappear?

Thank you coffee.

2011-02-15T17:50:00.000-10:00

For getting me through my day.

Espresso beans; Italian Coffee Maker.
I love this stuff.

Happy Monday

2011-02-14T20:39:00.000-10:00

I spy something and the color's pink.

Day 14 - Baked trout with kale and meatballs with peas

2011-02-14T20:36:00.002-10:00

Day 14

Well, some days are dedicated to others - like the guy who makes me smile (awww). So I made dinner. Meatballs meatblls peas and baked rainbow trout stuffed with kale. I'm more of a breakfast and lunch kind of lady. I almost never cook dinner so this is kinda a big deal.

Here's dinner.

Day 13 - Ginger Berry Smoothies

2011-02-13T20:31:00.001-10:00

Day 13

Ginger Berry Smoothies.

A little bit of a cold remedy for breakfast.

Don't have a picture...oops. But here's an approximation of the smoothie, which was a gamble, and ended up pretty darn tasty.

0.5 CUP plain yogurt

1 IN ginger, peeled and sliced

1.5 CUP frozen berries

2 bananas, frozen; peels removed and sliced

0.5 CUP orange juice

2 TBS flax meal

1 TBS lemon juice

Blend till smooth. It has a nice mild (but noticeable) ginger taste and the lemon amps up the overall flavor.

Day 12 - Math for a pattern

2011-02-12T23:14:00.002-10:00

Day 12

I feel like this is a cop out post because I didn't do much making...I did cook and take a dance class and go to a rehearsal. Also went to a hula halau fundraiser and supported others in their craft (amazing performers! beautiful beautiful dancers.) But now it is the end of the day and I haven't really done anything on my own. So I started the math for a cover to my water cup at work. My department got sold to our vendor and we all have the new company's cups we are drinking from. (Perhaps filled with grape drink.) Anyhow, they are all identical and I'm trying to distinguish mine a bit. I also figure it is a small enough project to tinker with short rows.

Day 11 - Calamansi Margaritas

2011-02-11T21:24:00.002-10:00

Day 11 for Thing A Day

Drinks are just so easy....

Calamansi Margaritas...made with Squirt.

I know. I know. But it's soo good. The calamansi limes so tart. Teguila so biting. Squirt so grapefruit-y. And it is a Friday night. Laying low.

See the full gallery on posterous

Day 10 - Calamansi Avocado Peach Smoothie

2011-02-10T21:57:00.002-10:00

Day 10 of Thing A Day

Surprisingly good.

So every once in a while you get to a point where you need to eat something and there is only so much in the house.

Also, every once in a while you see something on a menu somewhere and you think "Hmm, that's sounds weird and good and different and fun...maybe I'll get that next time."

Sometimes, you have food that needs to be eaten today.

Occasionally you make the most of all three.

Like today.

Meet the Calamansi Avocado Peach Smoothie..I just asked Manth how to describe it. Before he tried it he was calling it "Guacamole Smoothie." That sounds horrible. His post-taste description: "surprisingly good." It is. It is like a soft hint of spring.

Haha. Maybe not that. But it is nice and light and healthy feeling but still sweet so not so healthy feeling.

Avocado smoothie kind of seems crazy if you are thinking Haas avocados and dip for salty chips. But it's pretty normal in other places. I've had many a friend tell me about their aunties or grandmas drinking avocado milk, which is essentially avos, milk, and sugar blended. I've had it in paleta form. I've heard of and seen this mostly in the places where the sweeter avocados are grown. The giant coconut sized ones with smooth, bright green skin, like in the Yucatan and Puerto Rico. I totally get that. Dessert is a golden way to eat sweeter avocados. Just doesn't taste right with cilantro, chiles, tomatoes, and lime.

Calamansi Avocado Peach Smoothie

makes 1-2 servings

0.33 CUP milk

0.33 CUP yogurt

1 small avocado, very ripe

1 small peach, very ripe

3 calamansi limes, juiced

3 TBS honey

ice (if you have it, we didn't)

Stick it all in a blender until smooth. Pour. Yum.

Day 09 - Parts to a skirt

2011-02-09T23:14:00.001-10:00

Day 09 of Thing a Day

A little bit of a bigger project today. Sewing up the parts to my little pleated skirt. And by little I do not mean short. I'm using the Helena skirt pattern on BurdaStyle. This was actually supposed to be my January skirt (goal for one new clothing item a month) but January flew by and it already a third into February. Hoping for some bigger projects over the weekend to keep up these goals.

Day 8 - Cupid's Arrow and Love's Struck Heart

2011-02-09T00:36:00.002-10:00

Over the holidays I made little pillows for my nephews because they are little (4, 2, and 1 at this point, I believe) and I figured they probably already had plenty of toys, but soft weird shaped monster plushies that you can toss around is probably a good toy for a household of three boys under 5.

Last month I saw the cutest plush arrows on Whip Up and queued a Valentine's Day project in my mind. Since it is nearing that beloved (or not so beloved) holiday, I thought I'd pull out the awesome vintage fabric my friend gave a a few years back, draft some heart and arrow shapes, and stitch up these bad boys. I also practiced the zig zag seam finish, which I didn't take pictures of, but I figure I might as well practice sewing techniques on the various small projects I am doing this month. When else am I going to get so many opportunities to hone in on my craft?

I made two sets, one for my niece and one for my friend's new baby.

Cupid's Arrow and Love's Struck Heart

See the full gallery on posterous

Day 7 - Knitting with Aloha Knitters

2011-02-07T23:16:00.001-10:00

Day 7 for Thing a Day

I am starting to think that February 2011 is the month of meeting people. Last night we met some wonderful people. Friday night was filled with new and wonderful people. Tonight was no different.

I have been on the Aloha Knitters mailing list for a few years but have only gotten a chance to meet up once or twice. I went today and had a blast! The women and men were very friendly, filled with interesting conversations, fun projects, and even some community-supported-agriculture box sharing. I worked on a project that I started a few weeks ago - got a full pattern repeat done although you can't tell much what it is at this point. I am making up the construct and it is and isn't what I intended, but I am liking the outcome so am not ripping back. Although, one person said "vertical ribbing and horizontal stripes...interesting." Am I mistaken with this creative venture? I sure hope not, because I'd really like what I am seeing so far.

As a follow up to yesterday's project: both the dog and my boyfriend liked the bag (the dog mostly because that means he gets treats on his walks). I think it's a pretty dandy little device, myself.

For dinner tonight we had elk steak, sliced tomatoes, and garlic lemon cabbage salad. I made the sides, but the elk was so good I just had to share.

See the full gallery on posterous

Day 6 - Doggy Bag

2011-02-07T00:55:00.002-10:00

Day 6 of Thing A Day

I think I am on a small bag and baking kick. Earlier today I made Brandied Cherry Coke while thinking of what to make today. I ended up thinking a long time, running late for dinner (which was wonderful), and then pulling this together last minute. And by last minute I mean that for the past week I have been designing this in my head but only got around to making it today. It isn't perfect, but it will do the job well and I think is pretty (and prettier than actual dog "accessories" which can be atrocious. We are still training our puppy to do good things like not yank our arms off while walking him and sit patiently at crosswalks. We also recently lost our previous doggy bag carrier for his walks, so had a need for that as well.

This creation will accommodate both training needs and sanitary/nice neighbor needs. On one side oft he satchel is a little bag for doggy treats. On the other is a little pull bag for the trash bags. It is currently on a little jump ring attached to a D-ring that is on the leash. I'll scrounge for a carabiner tomorrow to replace the jump ring.

I'll try it out in the morning. Hope it works well.

See the full gallery on posterous

Brandied Cherry Coke

2011-02-06T15:27:00.001-10:00

It's Superbowl Sunday today. I'm not watching the game. I tend to not have much of an attention span for football. That's ok. We've done plenty today: We bought a car!

No pictures right now. Manth is watching football at a good friend's house. We'll do a photo shoot, in full proud new car owner fashion, later. To be honest, I am a little stressed out by the sticker price, but we did a lot of investigating on car options, loan options, etc. and we have no regrets. It's just, you know, a brand spanking new car.

I'm doing a bit of a wind down right now. Planning what I am going to do for my Thing a Day today, planning my week to come, calling family, and trying to adjust to the idea that our car is safe, has A/C, working brakes, and a functioning audio system. Craziness. I thought, since it is Superbowl Sunday, that I'd share with you my wind down drink. I'm not usually a mixed drink consumer - or much of an alcohol drinker - but it is time to celebrate.

Brandied Cherry Coke

8 OZ coca cola (or whatever cola you choose)

1 OZ. brandy

2 brandied cherries

Pour coke and brandy over ice in a tall glass. Give it a stir, top off with cherries, enjoy.

Brandied Cherries

adapted from NPR

1# fresh cherries - stems, seeds and all.

brandy

mason jars with well fitting lids

Wash cherries. Stuff as many whole cherries (stems and all) as you can in a clean mason jar. I used one pint jar and one half pint jar for a pound of cherries. Pour brandy over cherries to cover. Cover with lid and refrigerate for at least two weeks. The alcohol will macerate the stems and seed to make that distinct nutty fruit flavor that tastes so good.

If you are interested in a non-alcoholic version, NPR includes a sugar syrup version as well. Since Maraschino Cherries are so indulgent but the neon ones are so scary, I feel that homemade Maraschino Cherries would be worth it. Give it a try and let me know how it tastes.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Day 5 - Chocolate Bar

2011-02-05T18:33:00.001-10:00

Day 5 of Thing A Day

I took a Chocolate Class today at the Outreach College taught by the makers of Madre Chocolate. We learned the history of chocolate, had a chocolate tasting, and got to flavor our own bars. Here are some things I learned, specifically about eating it:

You can have a tasting in a number of different formats, but a few options are: different percentages of chocolate (try from all one company), different single origins (like Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Ecuador, etc), and different flavors (cinnamon, bacon, hibiscus).

Apparently, beer is a good alcohol to do pairings with. We didn't have beer during class, though.

The recommended tasting style is to use your other four senses first (rub the chocolate, look at it, smell it, listen to the sound when you break it) and then put it in your mouth and let it melt. The fat melting from the cacao nibs is supposed to give different flavor sensations. (Wow, so fancy)

We got the chocolate recipe at the end of the day, and also a bar to take home. Mine is spiced with salt and black pepper on one side and pink pepper and cinnamon on the other.

See the full gallery on posterous

Day 4 - (Kaffir Lime) Lemon Grass Tea

2011-02-04T07:32:00.002-10:00

Happy Five Dollar Friday! Happy Day 4!

Here's a dual entry - for my blog's Five Dollar Friday fun and Post a Day.

So I made this without the Kaffir Lime because we couldn't find any - but this should really be made with it because it tastes so awesome! I make really strong batches and then pour it over ice. I first had this awesome combo at Viv's house during Eat Locally week.

I make it, more or less, like this:

Add to 1 quart of water and simmer for 30 minutes:

3 stalks of lemongrass cut into 3 inch pieces and bruised with a mallet

8 or so kaffir lime leaves

While still simmering, add 1/4 cup sugar or preferred sweetener

Add ice, share, enjoy! And seriously - this one is a crowd pleaser.

See the full gallery on posterous

Day 3 - Lemongrass Cake

2011-02-03T22:38:00.001-10:00

Day Three of Thing a Day

I have been experimenting, with a friend, on how to add local (Hawaii) flavors to baked goods. So far I've tried kabocha chai bread, li hing mui mango bread, coconut scones, and today I tried lemongrass cake. I wanted it to be lemongrass kaffir lime cake but they were all out of kaffir lime at the market. Adapted from Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess Lemon Syrup Loaf Cake; I substituted lemongrass tea for the lemon juice. It is not quite the strong flavor I was hoping for, but is a good start. Lime leaves, I think, are a must!

See the full gallery on posterous

Day 2 - Little Holder

2011-02-02T22:30:00.002-10:00

Day Two of Thing A Day.

My friend gave me a whole bunch of scraps during one of our sewing parties a while back, which included some super fun gold and navy print fabric. I love shiny. I've been wanting to make a small organizer for inside my purse to hold things like my ipod, earphones, lip gloss/chap stick, pens and bus pass. They seem to be necessities in this kind of world we live in, but sure do clutter.

I used some sunny gold fabric with a navy and 7 inch gold zipper for the bag and added the outside pockets with the reverse side of the gold fabric. The pockets are off-center, so one side is higher and holds skinny things like pens, while the other side is shorter and holds things like my bus pass and ipod. Inside was just big enough to hold my agenda and all the other goodies that I want to keep close at hand.

The one addition to my sewing habits that is a big difference is that I finished the insides as well as the out. I'm learning the wisdom in having things look as nice on the outside as it does on the inside and wanted to give this small bag a try. I had some left over double fold bias tape from something a while back and used it to seal off open edged. A little bulky - something I can use to read up on a practice often.

See the full gallery on posterous

Day 1 - Grump Band

2011-02-01T22:08:00.002-10:00

Day 1: Grump Band

Manth and I have an agreement - If we are super grumpy and prefer to be left alone, we tell the respective person. Better be told right off the bat then finding out the grump-tastic way.

Some days are so grump-erific that words shouldn't even be used. These, thankfully are rare. And now there is a band to help the get the message across.

Meet the Grump Band.

See the full gallery on posterous

Have a happy half smile day

2011-02-01T21:55:00.001-10:00

Just thought I'd share my lesson learned.

Listen to your dentist.

Floss your teeth.

$5Friday: Knitted Bookmarks

2011-01-28T21:25:00.003-10:00

Hi all,
For the first Five Dollar Friday I thought I'd share with you some reading accessories by way of random yarn scraps. Double win - use up some left over yarn and save your place in your current book.

I made these late one night during last minute Christmas knitting for box fillers/stocking stuffers. I had a bunch of scrappy bits of yarn laying around from present wrapping and was in a mood to knit. About 30 minutes later I had these (and a third one that was a bit of a fail.) I have to admit I thought the yarn might be a bit thick for a bookmark (I say this because I assume the thought will run through your head too...) but they do their job and I never have to flip through my book for my lost bookmark like I do with minis.

The other nice thing is that they let me tinker with pattern ideas without having to commit to much more than a few minutes time. You could really do this with any 8-15 stitch pattern and just repeat the pattern till you get a length you like.

Bookmarks 2 Ways

Bookmark 1

Bookmark 2

I hope you enjoy.

Bookmarks 2 Ways available, free, in two places.

DOWNLOAD HERE
or get it
ON RAVELRY

Friday morning scones

2011-01-28T10:29:00.000-10:00

I'm searching for good quality recipes for some work/life opportunities in the near future. Research in this case means experimenting with my own creations and recipes and testing them on people. Like my coworkers.

Making Friday friendlier

Coconut Scones

And, having fresh baked scones welcoming you to a work day makes work a lot more fun. At least the first 15 minutes of it.

So happy Friday! Yay scones.

Making way for doing more

2011-01-28T10:18:00.000-10:00

I've been hoarding yarn all last year mostly because I don't particularly enjoy winding hundreds of yards of yarn myself. Don't get me wrong, I do love the feel of (most) yarn, which is a big reason why I knit. But I would rather feel this yarn as I make it into something other than a ball of yarn. Like a shawl or a sweater or a dishcloth.

The reason I've delayed not getting a ball winder is one simple reason. We live in a 500 square foot house with two closets, smaller than most small coat closets, with no doors. We have nearly no storage. So buying something that will take up space is something I have been trying to avoid.

Then I though: 1)If I've made a commitment to sewing more this year and use up some of my fabric lying around and 2)If I wind some of the hanks of yarns in to balls of yarn and knit with them then 3) I will open up space that was being used to store things I am intending to make Open space = more storage = a place to put something that will help me use up my waiting yarn.

Good enough logic for me.

first skein. love.

I ordered this beauty from ebay for a whopping $25.00, about half the price I would have paid regular retail. Manth helped me wind my first cake, and even admitted it was fun. Maybe he'll help me wind more of the balls I have in my knitting storage box.:)

I have a swift on it's way.

And on a side note, we were gifted the table in the picture about 2 years ago from a friend. David spent hours sanding, painting, and staining it. Every time I see it in pictures or make a nice family style meal, I think about how much I love this table. I just think it is pretty.

The (un)official Honolulu National Pie Day Festivities

2011-01-24T19:32:00.001-10:00

January 23, according to CakeSpy (which is a good enough source for me), is National Pie Day.

A celebration was in order.

Some good fellows (Shawn, Megan, and Dawn sorry I didn't get pictures of your Pie Support) came out on Sunday to celebrate National Pie Day with Manth and I. It was a beautiful day. Absolutely beautiful. There were threats from nature of rain and windiness, but Mother Earth let us celebrate as we had hoped: at the beach, with plenty of food, plenty of sunshine, and plenty of good people to share the good times.

And the food turnout was awesome as well. We got two types of pizza pie - man and woman pizza (or three meat and tomato basil). We ate S'more Pie, Bubba's Aunties Famous Tequila Pie, Strawberry Icebox Pie, Raw Coconut Creme Pie and Pie Bites (apple and nutella). We had homemade horchata. We had iced lemongrass tea. There was salsa, cookies, hummus, chicken pasta salad, fruits and veggies, pork rinds, and more.

We went for a swim. We ate a lot of pies. I got a sugar high and started running in circles (literally). We laughed. We talked. We had a really good time.

I was thrilled about the whole event - as you can tell.

Fatayers my Grammies way

2011-01-23T22:01:00.001-10:00

The other night we were at a friend's house, whose brother and Manth's former roommate, Capski, was back in town for a visit. Capski let it slip that when Manth and I were long distance and he was missing me (ahhh) he'd make fatayers (ahhh).

Thanks Lianne for sharing your pretty picture!

And so, it got around that we should have a Lebanese night. I made lots of stuff - some of which I know the real names to, but most of which I do not. It included: hummus, pita, vegetarian stuffed grape leaves, mjadarra, Lebanese green beans, tabouli, cabbage salad, fatayers, and kibbeh. Miss J brought killer cookie dough balls that closed the night with smiles around. The rest brought wine, which also helped with the smiles.

I have wanted to share with you, for a while, the way my Grammie taught me how to make fatayers - or meat pies. She's an awesome cook, and is an Irish-English American woman who married my Lebanese grandfather in the 40's when it wasn't the most popular thing to do in Indiana. My Grandfather's sisters taught her how to make Lebanese food as her rite of passage into their family and my Grandmother taught them how to make Americanized short cuts to their back-home-from-scratch techniques. Sometimes I wish I knew the real names of things or the old world way to cook them. That said, I wouldn't give up the time in the kitchen with my Grammie for anything - or the shortcuts she figured out as a working mother of three, Councilman's wife, volunteer, and all around good person.

This is my Grandfather, Grammie, and dad - apparently when my dad was pretty fresh to this world.

Fatayers are the dough wrapped meat pie of Lebanon. South and Central America have empanadas, there are pasties in Michigan (and elsewhere), samosas in India, gyoza in Japan. There are lots of variety in lots of places. Check out Wikipedia. Lots. And, of course, there are different stuffings to put in fatayers, but my Grammie always made the meat ones. So here we have it.

I should also say, this is actually a really easy recipe once you've done it. It just seems like a lot. I recommend making them this way: prepare all the ingredients and set up a station at your dinner table with some nice music on, a good podcast, or tv show on your computer/tv and go to work. Alternately, have a few friends/loved ones with you, make them together, and eat them right fresh out of the oven. I am sure option number two is how my relatives would have done it, but I am usually preparing these after work so sitting down and listening to something that lets my mind at ease is now part of my routine.

Fatayers
Makes about 20

2 PACKAGES of the cheapest pre-made biscuits you can find (like Pilsbury, but generic. I usually get the $0.40 packages of buttermilk biscuits. Butter biscuits are too hard to roll out and the butter chucks make holes in the dough.)

Filling:
1 POUND ground beef, lean
1 small-medium yellow onion

8 OZ large curd cottage cheese

2 OZ feta cheese
2 TSP seven spices or an even combo of (some or all of) the following cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, clove, allspice, ginger, fenugreek
1 TSP salt, or to taste

Flour for rolling out dough

Set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Meat Filling:
Drain your cottage cheese of excess liquid and put in a medium sized bowl. Ways to do this are: putting a wetted paper towel in a sieve and letting it drain, or using a slotted spoon and squishing out as much liquid as you can before you throw it in your bowl. I go for option 2 100% of the time (I'm lazy.)

Chop onion to lentil sized pieces. Add to bowl. Put the rest of your filling items in the bowl. Using a spoon or your hands (preferred), mix ingredients until fully incorporated and mashed together.

Filling station:
Set up a station with a clean flat surface, rolling pin, about 0.25 CUP flour for rolling, a spoon, the dough, your meat filling, and baking pans.

Prepare each biscuit, one by one, and fill, using the following steps.

Cover your area, sparingly, with flour. Roll out dough so it is about 0.25 inch thick and 3 inches in diameter (or the size of a silver dollar pancake). Make sure that the top side isn't overly floured.

Place one heaping spoonful of mixture in the middle of your dough.

Press together two of the sides, making sure not to tear the dough or leave holes in your seam.

Do the same to the last side. You should have a bit of a triangle with a nice seam on top.

Place on your ungreased baking sheet. Do the same for the remaining dough and mixture. Fatayers should be about 1-2 inches apart, a dozen to a sheet. I usually can use up all my meat with 20 biscuits.

Bake for 15 minutes on the middle rack. Rotate half way through if you have multiple cookie sheets in at once.

Wait about 10 minutes before eating. I'm serious. They smell delicious but if you hurry the juices will burn your mouth and then you can't taste the rest.

Enjoy.

A few things . . .

2011-01-17T23:53:00.001-10:00

Starting this week (woops, next week!), each Friday is $5 Friday. Let's see how many things we can make that are five dollars or less. Awesomeness is a must. Extravagance is not. If you want to be featured, let me know. Let's make this a free for all (or a five fore all? cheesy, I know)

Starting at 12 a.m. and ending at 11:59 p.m. on January 23, it is National Pie Day. Not Pi Day, as M clarified is March 14th. I encourage all of you to make pies. And if you are in Honolulu, come partake in a Pie Picnic with me. Email me for details should you want to partake.

Thing A Day starts Feb 1st. Sign-ups are Jan 21st-Jan 31st. Do IT! I am. :)

Thing-a-day is a yearly creative sprint where, every year in February, participants commit to creating one new thing a day and post it on a collective blog.

And for a bit of random . . .
I did aerial for the first time this weekend. That involved me hanging upside down for dear life on a trapeze while the fellow participants and teachers willed me on to do fun things like it (surprisingly satisfying), hand upside down in a star shape (oddly painful), and skim (not as easy as it sounds). Elizabeth Rose, the guest artists from Seattle, who oddly knows many of the people I knew and danced with in Tucson that are now Seattle dwellers, was teaching. She's crazy strong! And a beautiful and articulate teacher. If you happen to be in Seattle, check her, and her art, out. Funny thing, one of the fine ladies in her company is someone I danced with, only briefly, when I started performing in Tucson. Hi Bridget! Here's some footage of the company, Tick Tock Dance. And if you are a curious Honolulu-an, I was provided the fine opportunity by Samahdi, located at Boca Hawaii.

I resolve.

2011-01-14T10:10:00.002-10:00

For a long time I’ve kept my new year’s resolutions simple. Pick a food I don’t like and learn to like it over the year. I’ve mastered mustard, eggplant and peas. For some reason, those are the only three I can remember. Maybe some of the foods I only sorta disliked so learning to like them weren’t pivotal events in my food consumption world.

Last year I said I’d be able to do 10 pull ups. That didn’t happen, mostly because it is really hard to do a pull up when it hurts to hold your head on top of your shoulders. My perpetual aches turned into perpetual pain this past year, making movement a fully conscious effort. In not so distant retrospect, I made a lot of leaps in learning about my body and my tolerance for things. For instance – 3 days a week of upper body strength training makes aches go away. Pushups are always my friend, and the more often I do them the better I am at other things (work, dance, and knitting – no joke!). Drinking lots of water: mystically awesome at relieving stress. Stretching in the morning before dog walks does wonders. Eat dinner before 9 p.m. and don’t skip dinner just because it is 9 p.m., at least eat an apple. Maybe these things are obvious and you can find them in every single living healthy guide around, but doing them is different than knowing about them. And learning to actually do things is huge.

Maybe that’s more about me than you need to know – not like the last post wasn’t.

Since 2010 left a lot to be desired, I started dreaming for 2011 early. These are some things I want to accomplish – that I’ve been compiling in my head and on notes for the past few months. I may not call them resolutions for the year. Really, I resolve to continue my fun things a day. I’m not going to post daily what I do, that’s a lot of posting, but I want to share with you where my world is taking me.

Life:

Do one thing new a month

Travel – mainland, Hawaii, and hopefully at least one place outside of our dear nation

Donate – time, resources,

Adventure

Be more spontaneous

Express my appreciation more often and in more ways

Wear more colors. Colors!

Online less

Share more of my time with great friends

Go outside

Nature

Food:

Explore Lebanese cooking – here are some cookbooks that make me smile

Eat awesome meals that won’t make me triple (I really like butter. So do my hips) Maybe start here?

Expand my plant culinary vocabulary – how do you eat rutabaga anyway? And sea asparagus?

Bake pies – let’s say 4

Mind:

Laugh often

Learn more

Read more – I’m shooting for 12 books, which seems slim, but I really do a lot of things that take up reading time (like cooking and knitting)

Do more things that make me uncomfortable (i.e. stretch my boundaries)

Reduce the worry

Learn to like February

Create:

Resist the brain – this seems to contradict the mind section, but what I mean is don’t overthink, just go for it. Or, a la the Architects/MICI, brush off that judgment dandruff.

Make 12 clothing items. One for each month of the year. Here is inspiration.

Write up my three patterns I have sitting around waiting to be shared.

Make more clothes

Practice 5 dollar making

Move:

Work out three days a week

Keep up the fun

Resist the brain – this seems to contradict the mind section, but what I mean is don’t overthink, just go for it. Or, a la the Architects/MICI, brush off that judgment dandruff.

Expand the techniques I study

Continue with my improvisation practice

Embrace the rigor of movement research

And, the best part of 2011 that I'm looking forward to is spending more time with these guys:

Day 01 - clearing space for the new year

2010-12-31T19:12:00.000-10:00

Ridded my childhood home of 6 boxes of my childhood memories. Like the dress I wore to my dad's wedding when I was eight, the American Girl dolls I haven't played with in nearly two decades(goodness, that makes me feel old), my books from Scholastic Book-club of the month. The favorite thing I found were pictures of our chocolate lab puppies from in 1995. My least favorite was a picture of my sixteenth birthday party...a period in my overly dramatic teenage years that are still painful.

I found poems my best friend and I wrote, letters from my mom when I traveled, mementos from great-grandparents, god-parents, aunts and uncles. I unfortunately found enough pictures from 11 to 20 that could keep me from leaving my room forever. Chubby cheeks, awkward smiles, awkward child memories that just get more awkward as I enter further into my adult life (the picture of honor roll kids throwing "gang signs", the pictures of overly made-up girls pretending to be models in childhood bedrooms filled with stuffed animals, the pictures of proms and after parties.) I was happy to have forgotten them. And surprised at how much I remembered.

I'm surprised at how little I feel like that kid. Strangely, that kid's college entry personal statement reflects a person that is very close to how I still define myself.

I think, though, that I apologize less now, which makes me have to live with more integrity (at least I'd like to think so). Reading through all those papers and seeing me over time makes me want to apologize even less often, or more like make decisions for the right reason instead of apologizing to myself and my loved ones for making decisions I think others want me to make.

This year has been tough. I started the 94 days of fun during a particularly unfunny patch of time. Funny that I end the final day going through items of perhaps the most un-fun time and feeling good about myself at that time and now.

It sure is a journey, this life thing.

Fun thing : day 01

Day 02- Home. Home brew.

2010-12-30T22:50:00.000-10:00

I flew home today. 12 hours or something around there. First stop: Chili Pepper. Next: a huge nap.

We made some mulled wine, Grandma Carol's potato soup and watched Jim's favorite Christmas movie, A White Christmas. Those waists....so tiny! And their legs....so bare. Old movies always alter my perception of things. Usually in a way I am thankful for. My mommy let me try her home brew too. a pilsner. Fancy, that mom of mine. Cute, too.

Finished my Charlie Brown hat today too. Good thing because it only gets into the 50s a few times during the winter and this is one of those tomes. BRRRR.

For the record, my niece, whose eighth birthday is this weekend, is taller than my shoulder. She's got legs on her for days and puts them to good use. She just started Irish step dancing and is crazy good. Like ribbons on her wall good. And, as a novice audience member and a guaranteed fan, I thought she was beautiful, dancing barefoot in her sweats and t-shirt.

Fun thing: day 02

Day 03 - cozy home

2010-12-29T11:12:00.000-10:00

I made this last night but finished all too early in the A.M. So this is a counting as today's post....I'm flying out to AZ tonight so I guess I'm counting the late night/early morning as a fun blessing. Otherwise my fun thing would be me doing my squat and sit up routine in the airport (calisthenics pre-flying makes the body and soul happy, especially on long flights across the Pacific.)

iPad cover with pockets on front and back. Zipper on top. I had cut out all the pieces and was ready to go, and then found this tutorial from Becky Blue Jay and stopped over to get some fusible fleece. Oh thank goodness for fusible fleece. It is such a better cover with that stuff. Thank goodness for internet searches and go getter bloggers!

Fun thing: Day 03

Day 4 - A walk in my world

2010-12-29T11:03:00.001-10:00

Here are some views from my walk today. There were some more - I'll post them soon. I thought they were fun and random. It was a nice experiment walking around trying to see things I usually look over.

Grocery cart on street

Sweater

Gate

Door by house

I also got to see one of my favorites who no longer lives on the island (or in the state, for that matter.) It's been about a year, and his contribution to my home here has been missed. It was great to finally see him and his lady again and to be with friends and laugh. And laugh. And laugh.

Day 05 - The life checklist; getting smaller

2010-12-29T07:27:00.001-10:00

That checklist that I keep of things to do in life - it just got a bit smaller.

Specifically, I'm working on "going somewhere to get somewhere" as a friend always says. I know this seems really vague. And it is. But sometimes your personal accomplishments are personal. And sometimes your fun is guised as work. Apparently guised is not a word.

Let's just put simply: Big things.

Fun thing: Day 05

Day 06 - Sewing, Movies, Fudge

2010-12-29T07:26:00.000-10:00

I’ve been waiting to try out this serger, sitting in my living room for almost a month. Miss A was helping out an Auntie transport items from her house to an art rummage sale and spotted the serger; and then was gifted the serger. She gave it to me at the sewing party earlier this month with the stipulation that she didn’t know if it worked or not.

Here was my little try.

It is a bit rusted, as metal tends to go that way here, but a little bit of fiddling and restringing the threads whirled up some magic seam finishing like it was brand new. I can’t wait to explore this guy more.

Finished up two hats for the L’s – I think I may need them to send pictures of them for me. I am planning on making more of these fun hats and have modified the pattern a bit so will provide my tutorial once I get time. Time is limited these days.

The Ls and I also went to the movies - The Tourist - and I ate lots of their peanut butter fudge that one of them made. It was really really good and a great movie munchy. Mental note. Fudge + movies = yay.

Fun thing: Day 06

Day 07 - Elf's first day off!

2010-12-26T23:24:00.001-10:00

One of Santa's elves visited on Christmas Day, which, if you happen to not be in the know, is the first day off in quite a while.

She thought she'd share some of her adventures will you all.

First off, Elf slips on some friendly elf stockings and shoes. Can't go anywhere without them. Elf code.

She goes for a bike ride. After being cooped up at the North Pole for so long, it is sure nice getting to be in warmer weather and stretch those legs!

She enjoys a latte and waffles. A bit of a Elf tradition, if you weren't aware. Good breakfasts help long hours go by swiftly! And making toys for the children of the world is a busy job. Do you know how many kids there are? A lot. That's how many.

Eats shit on the bike. Elves aren't flawless and sometimes make bad judgements like riding a bike through sand. Wheels don't turn too well. Who knew? Not this elf! (Although she does now.)

Enjoys the beach.

Really enjoys the beach.

Goes to the movies. Not much time to go to the show when Santa is your boss. He keeps one tight ship.

Borrows Mrs. Claus' apron for some yule tide baking. And throws on some festive socks to keep out the cold. Brrr.

Catches up with other elf-y creatures and their whereabouts these days.

Eats some yummy potato soup. May or may not have had three bowls. No telling; it is the first day of vacation!

Made stollen. That's what the apron was for. Pretty, eh?

Works on a Charlie Brown hat. It's stripy. As are her stockings.

Phew! After working so hard all year, this lone elf sure did have a heck of a day! Good thing espresso is so handy these days.

Merry Christmas! I hope your Christmas day (or Saturday if you happen to celebrate other days) was wonderful and filled with fun and laughter and hope and joy. Everyone should get those daily, no matter what day.

Fun thing: Day 07

Day 08 - Tamale adventures and Eve festivities.

2010-12-24T21:25:00.001-10:00

Waiting patiently for a walk.

Christmas Eve gift to myself: stovetop espresso maker (had 2 cups today. mmmm). Helped to fuel for the day. About this time I was talking to Jane on the phone. That conversation made me remember why I love her so much and we've been friends for so long. She is a genuine person. That is rare and wonderful.

Attempt number one to get fresh tamales. They opened at 10:00. I got there at 10:15. They sold out right before I got there. Dang it.

Ride number two to go get tamales. Determined, I got there early for these beauties.

A little too early.

Just enough time to get lunch from Honolulu Burger Company. Lunch happened to include a root beer float. Not gonna lie. Actually gonna gloat. It was awesome.

Did some overly late card writing.

While savoring a local feta burger. Feta is a winner burger topping, by the way.

And finally (FINALLY) made it in time to get some tamales. Green and red (beef).

Made homemade enchilada sauce, rice, beans, tamales, quesadillas, and tomato salad for dinner. I have a bit of a rock in the belly right now. Drinking water. Hoping to dilute the goodness just a tad. And for the record, I was planning a much smaller meal but put me in line right next to the crema and cheese and fresh tortillas for an hour and I'm coming out of the store with them. It is just a fact of my life. A fact that I find incredibly enjoyable (although occasionally painful when me "stop eating" o-meter acts faulty.

Dear Christmas Eve 2010. We sure did make a day of it! Thanks.

Fun thing: Day 08

Day 09 - Single Digits!

2010-12-24T21:10:00.001-10:00

Single digits. Oh Goodness. This is serious.

Today was filled with surprise euphoria. Had a great evening with my favorite Miss J. She makes this place homey and makes my life a bit fuller with laughter.

Also been making headway on my piece for Safos. Here's some of my work process. I am dissecting the sections or the writing I am going to respond to and recording my reactions (body, emotion, vision, feeling). I am also Pandora-ing the heck out of my inspirations for music. They include John Zorn, Masadi String Trio, Osvaldo Golijov, Dawn Upshaw and Anour Brahem. I'm also feeling some songs from the Babel soundtrack and Savina Yannatou.

Fun thing: Day 09

On the menu: Christmas Eve and Day

2010-12-23T14:40:00.000-10:00

Eve:
Stollen - the family way. Perhaps using the candied citron recipe I came up with a few years back.
Jamaican Fruit Salad - the family way. It's plenty colorful and mighty tasty.
Potato Soup - again, the family way. With green beans, and maybe a turkey leg if I can find it. It is usually made with ham, but I'm not too particular on ham.
Hot cocoa with an awesomely huge marshmallow

Day:
Waffles - Still on the search for a waffle place. And by "still on", I mean I need to start looking....
Honolulu Coffee Company latte - and ooh, their Moana Surfrider location has waffles!)
Tamales and pinto beans - because tamales are good and a holiday staple. Need to find tamales. Maybe stop by Mercado de la Raza and see if they have any frozen. I should probably learn how to cook them.
Left over soup - Nothing is better than next-day-soup.

Other fun things:
Movies: Perhaps I'll see one.
Ocean: Perhaps I'll play in one.
Books: Perhaps I'll read one.
Sewing Machine: Perhaps I'll use one.
Dogs: Perhaps I'll frolick with one.

Words of fun

2010-12-23T09:07:00.000-10:00

A little fun thing I saw on Joy the Baker. Thought I'd give it a try. See how the fun things experiment is going by letting a random generator pull words from the blog and make it pretty. Nifty. Wordle.net

Day 10 - beaded and brassy

2010-12-23T09:01:00.000-10:00

Opened my Christmas package from my mom a bit early. I love my mom's presents. Usually nothing I would buy but wish I would...she's just fun and knows the style I should be wearing.

Had to wear this one right away. No way to say no to a beaded double ring. It sits perfectly on my two middle fingers, the same ones I sucked on for years. A little comfort; full circle.

Fun thing: Day 10

Day 11 - after work fun

2010-12-23T09:00:00.000-10:00

Headed over to Fabric Mart to get some fun Christmas fabric (fabric for presents, not Santa-y fabric) and a little for myself. More to come on that.

Snuck out afterward to see "How Do You Know" with my friend from work. Funnier than I thought, but it could have been my frame of mind...

Also tried Ignacio's Tacos for lunch. Good salsas to choose from: sweet all the way through XT. Ate XXX, the one just below XT. Wished I ate XXX for moisture and added some added XT for heat. According to their site, the owners are Lebanese, had a restaurant in Dubai, and moved to Hawaii a few years back, fell in love with tacos on a Mexican vacation, and rest is history. I a little wish I could trade cooking tips/recipes with them. Mexican for Lebanese. Doubly fun.

Fun thing: Day 11

my "go to" sickness remedy

2010-12-21T07:38:00.000-10:00

Manth is feeling a little like he's getting sick. It has been rainier than good grief. Traveling starts today. Sounds like it is time for a sickness remedy.

Ginger - about 8 inches of it, pared and sliced
Orange - one slice of a navel orange
Lemon - one good squeeze
Honey - about a 1/4 cup.
Rooibos tea - good for the sinuses
Rose Hip Tea = lots of vitamin C

Boil everything from Honey up till good and gingery. Turn off heat and add the teas. Steep for about 5 minutes.

Drink up. Feel better.

Day 12 - Last day together

2010-12-21T07:17:00.000-10:00

Extra Large coffee waiting for me when I woke up. Ate dinner together. Watched one of our favorite TV shows together. I tried singing to him while doing the laundry. He said no. I would have too if it was me I was singing too. Worth the try, if only for the laughs.

Fun thing: Day 12

Moved to Hawaii, afraid of water

2010-12-20T20:51:00.001-10:00

Was recently inspired, while searching through and reading old emails, by this book, "Not Quite What I Was Planning: 6 word memoirs" edited by Smith Magazine. I had forwarded an article about the book to some friends about 2 years ago. What I love about it is the eloquence without wordiness.

Here are some, posted on NPR

Found on Craigslist: table, apartment, fiance.
Becki Lee
Alzheimer's: meeting new people every day.
Phil Skversky
Met wife at her bachelorette party.
Eddie Matz
Family portrait: everyone smiles but me.
Ian Baaske
Hotel sex still rocks over fifty.
Marcella Oleksiuk

And an interview of the folks from Smith.

Here are some of the ones that have been playing through my head:

Moved to Hawaii, afraid of water.
I like coffee in the afternoon.
Working out, better than had suspected.
Dancing for sanity, making me crazy.
Living together, much better than apart.

I'm working on a piece for Safos Dance Theatre right now. It is a reaction to "Letter from Naomi Shihab Nye, Arab-American Poet: To Any Would-Be Terrorists". As an adult, being Arab after 9/11 has had the biggest impact in my view of the world. I suddenly was asked to justify who I was: to friends, professors, teachers. My American-ness was out-weighted by something outside the ordinary that I didn't see in myself, and that I didn't have any explanation for.

While I've been reading Shihab Nye's writing and thinking about by family, my experiences, and my reactions to the events that have taken place over the past nine years, and prior, I've been taking the time to introspect and search for the answers to some open questions that have been lingering. Finding this collection of 6 word memoirs, 6 word reactions to life, makes me think about how I really want react to this open letter. And how to move to it in a literal, physical sense.

Initially, this comes to mind:

Suddenly Arab; thought I was American.

Day 13 - Friends

2010-12-20T19:53:00.001-10:00

Had lunch with Miss J and Miss A. It's been a month since Baby J (really Baby T) has come into our world, so a month without J. Been missing her and it was good to catch up. I gave her a little sweater and a little birthday gift for herself.

Had some good dinner dinner with good friends (and their babies) with some good, freshly caught fish. Can't beat that!

Fun thing: Day 13

Day 14 - Getting things done

2010-12-19T11:06:00.001-10:00

Volunteered at G.I.F.T. Ate some awesome spicy ahi on tempura kale and eggplant. That one is a winner. Seamed up a final present while volunteering. Check out the awesome chard someone donated. It was beautiful, as were all the other donations.

Also put up a shelf in the kitchen. I think it is pretty. I'm proud of it.

And I bought a pair of jeans that fit! First pair I tried on. I know this seems like a small thing, but ask those who have seen me recently. My jeans have been sagging in the really not cute way. Now they won't. Yay jeans that fit.

Fun thing: Day 14

5 years, buddy, 5 years

2010-12-19T11:00:00.002-10:00

Day 15 - Clean Slate

2010-12-19T10:54:00.001-10:00

Today is Sunday. Day 15 was Friday. I don't really remember much of Friday because I was so tired from finishing and packing presents.

Here is what I can say:

The dance performance is done and there aren't any rehearsals going on.
I'm taking a break from dance to let my body get back to a happy state again.
I finished the bulk of my christmas presents - at least the ones that needed finishing by Friday.
I sent the presents to my family on the mainland.
I don't have any knitting projects (well, one, but it is nearly complete).
I don't have any projects at all.
I am a clean slate.

So, seeing as I completed quite a bit, I'm calling it even. It's pretty damn awesome to have that kind of space in my life.

Fun thing: Day 15

Day 16 - Wrapped and ready to go

2010-12-17T02:59:00.001-10:00

Wrapping paper and labels from some plain butcher paper and grocery bags lying around. Labels, ribbons: Stash cloth and yarn.

Mostly done.

Nearly.

And getting mailed tomorrow.

Fun thing: Day 16

Day 17 - projects projects

2010-12-16T00:26:00.001-10:00

Went searching for holiday socks. Ala Moana, your sock selection is dismal.

Finished a knit a hat. Knit a bookmark, and a bookmark, and a bookmark. Wrote up the bookmark patterns. Blocked them all.

Ate some Lebanese green beans with goat meat. Tasty. Warm. Homey.

Going to bed.

Fun thing: Day 17

Day 18 - Find what you like and do it

2010-12-14T21:02:00.001-10:00

Someone told me yesterday to have full expectations. Today, another person, in a completely different setting, advised to find what I like and do it.

Easy words. Words to live by.

Far to many veggie free meals in my belly these days. We're having salad tonight for dinner.
It is a bit of a salad bar of random tastiness:
Seared Ahi, Local Romaine, Winesap Apples, Local Japanese Cukes, Marinated Artichokes, Nicoise Olives, Roasted Beets, Lemon Soaked Red Onion, Pink Grapefruit, Lemon, Olive Oil.

I like sweet and savory, crunchy and soft, salty and spicy. All on one plate. Full.

Fun thing: Day 18

Women for Women, International

2010-12-14T07:30:00.001-10:00

I'm doing a tad bit of research on Arab women. As one (although sometimes I feel very much Arab and sometimes I feel not at all Arab), hearing the words and stories from other Arab women resonates in a way other words and storied don't.

I had to watch this twice.

Ted Talks - they's just something to them. I just had to share.
Sainab Salbi founded Women for Women, International.

Day 19 - Have full expectations

2010-12-13T20:34:00.004-10:00

I had a Feldenkrais appointment today for my lingering hip achiness. This is what I came out with:

Go swimming (she asked what I wanted to do, that was the first thing that came to mind.) She suggested playing in the water.

Have full expectations for continuous improvement.

Rock in my hips

Wiggle my shoulders.

Do something fun.

See a comedy.

Breathe.

Rock before standing.

Push through my heels, stand over my arches.

Also, I watched this video (not sure about the background music . . . .) but I love how the duckies look like blowing leaves and then they pop back up to ducks again.

Watching this makes me think of when I was little, my grandparents and I would write back and forth to each other. One of the letters I particularly remember was when the geese were flying away from Colorado and my Grandma drew pictures of the geese in their V flying away in her letter. Because she did that, I knew she loved me. I'm not sure why I made that connection, that her picture in her letter meant that she loved me, but, at 6 or 7, it was a certain sign of her love.

I also think of her every time I eat citrus, particularly home grown citrus, because we lived in a citrus grove and would go picking fruit during the winter.

And perhaps I am thinking of her now because the Feldenkrais practitioner is German. Although my Grandma didn't have a German accent, or ever live in Germany, her wintery baked goods were filled with her German heritage, and some connections, no matter how distant, are still worth making.

Fun thing: Day 19

Day 20 - Warm and cozy

2010-12-13T20:22:00.000-10:00

Warm and cozy finished. To be mailed soon. Mochi plus yarn is like squooshy marshmallow on a string. And it kind of looks like hot cocoa with marshmallows. I am all about hot cocoa with melted marshmallows.

Fun thing: Day 20

Day 21 - Sew fun!

2010-12-12T17:20:00.001-10:00

Went over to Miss A's house for a sew party with the pups. Moquers tried humping Hoku all day. Relentlessly. To the point that I couldn't let him loose.

I started making some monsters for gift giving, but will have to work on them. The are a bit undone. Miss A made some super cute blankets. And Miss N (the pair to Hoku) made the cutest stockings for her family that is coming to visit for Christmas. She's even cutting out stencils of their name to put on the stockings. I'm just curious how you can get that much attention to detail. Incredible. C came by and scrap booked and ran.

I did a lot of eating and keeping the monster away from the poor cute dog who took to hiding under chairs. But the stuffed monster I worked on have a promising start, too.

I only have a few more things to make - just got to make the time to get them done. I got a good thing going yesterday and if I can finish that and the few other projects up by this wednesday for the folks that need to be mailed presents and then finish up the stuff for my local friends by the weekend, I'm golden. Golden, I tell ya!

Then I came home for a little early Christmas gift exchange. We don't celebrate Christmas together, so we can pick whatever day we want to give to each other. Manth whoa'd me with this doozy. It's shiny and new and pretty and nearly weightless. I just stared at it for a good while, shocked and in awe.

Fun thing: Day 21

Day 22 - New adventure No 'poo

2010-12-10T22:27:00.001-10:00

We ran out of shampoo this week. And I've been dissatisfied with the shampoo choices that I've been making (it's a hard life.) I saw a baking soda, vinegar wash a while back that looked interesting and the reviewer had done a one year follow up. She was satisfied and was still encouraging others to try. I did a bit of research by googling "no poo shampoo." Scientific, I know. One of the sites I looked at (can't remember which right now) did a cost analysis; pretty dang cheap, too.

I curious about how it will change my hair/scalp situation. I have thin hair and a bit of a flaky scalp. Not the most becoming characteristics in a head of hair. Crummy shampoo. Less than favorable hair. So, no 'poo method it is. I'm trying the "recipe" found here. I think these two sites will be my back up.

Wash 1: Baking soda is surprisingly "tingly" in a nice way and it feels like it is removing excess oils. Apple cider vinegar mix felt a little weird and brassy in the shower but my hair feels stronger right out of the shower.

We'll see.

Fun thing: Day 22

Day 23 - Long lost friend at sea

2010-12-10T08:32:00.003-10:00

I got to see a long lost friend who had been adrift at sea. It was great. Good food. Good conversation. Good-ish weather. A storm was blowing in so it was windy, but the city air was clearing out and the ocean air smelled fresh and new and clean. I love seeing old friends.

While I was waiting at the restaurant, I knit for a bit and drank a beer. Some men thought that was really weird. I assured them that it is way more common than they think for a female to sit alone, at a bar, with her knitting in hand. They are just going to the wrong bars.

Please excuse the blurry picture. I was in a bar, it was dark outside, and someone was quizzing me on why I felt knitting in public was not a curious thing to see.

Fun thing: Day 23

Happy Happy

2010-12-09T00:38:00.000-10:00

A few months ago I was reading Zakka Life, a craft blog that has become one of my favorite idea sources, and I got inspired for the holidays.

It was a pretty simple idea. And I loved it.

Washi tape. Cellophane bags. Treats.

Individual packets.

For your eating pleasure.

Spiced pumpkin seeds from Joy the Baker
Almond biscotti adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Baklava from my family (but the linked recipe from Chicho's Kitchen is close to it)

Day 24 - Holiday treats

2010-12-08T22:54:00.000-10:00

Holidays of giving are when crafters can unabashedly assume everyone wants something that they have made or refuse to make anyone, anything.

I'm falling into the first category this winter. I've nearly completed my holiday gift baking.

At least, for sure, baklava isn't on everyone's holiday baking queue.

And I'm trying to sneak in some holiday knitting (on the bus), too.

Still need to sew. Friday?

Fun thing: Day 24

Day 25 - La Bala De Plata

2010-12-07T20:19:00.000-10:00

My Man. Brought home beer.

And this is what I think of it.

Fun thing: Day 25

Day 26 - Pumpkin Chai Bread

2010-12-07T07:14:00.003-10:00

My coworker is taking a few months off starting next week, and my Tuesday meeting with her is the last day I'll see her for a while. If you ever have the pleasure of knowing this fine lady, you know that gracious is an understatement and filled with laughter is the norm. She is like everyone's aunty and she rocks at everything that she does. I wanted to make something nice for her as a token of appreciation.

This is M's bread, and I hope she likes it.

I have been reading Bittman's How to Cook Everything book a lot, again. Maybe it is alway open in our house. That wouldn't be an exaggeration. He has an interesting recipe in there to grate pumpkin instead of using puree. I got home and got started a little late and happened to have a kabocha pumpkin at home. Perfect. With a few alterations and some chai spices, the bread was ready to go. It smelled AWESOME while baking. Tasted homey too. MMMM

Pumpkin Chai Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Adapted from "Fruit and Nut or Vegetable and Nut Bread" Mark Bittman

1.5 CUP all purpose flour
0.5 CUP whole wheat flour
1.25 CUPS sugar
1.5 TSP baking powder
.5 TSP baking soda
1 TSP salt
1 TSP cinnamon
0.25 TSP clove
0.5 TSP nutmeg
0.5 TSP allspice
0.125 TSP cardamon, freshly ground (about 8 pods in total)
0.125 TSP freshly ground pepper
4 TBS butter, chilled and cubed, plus some for greasing the pan

.75 CUP milk
1.25 CUPS grated raw pumpkin
1 egg
1 TBS grated ginger with juice (about 2 inches)
1 TSP vanilla extract

Set oven to 350. Butter generously and flour 9x5 inch loaf tin.

Peel and grate ginger and pumpkin. Mix in a small bowl with milk, egg, and vanilla. Set aside.
Mix all the dry ingredients. Add butter, pressing cubes into flour and then flattening with your fingers. Mix butter into flour mixture until well combined and looks a bit flakey.

Add wet ingredients. Mix just until incorporated. Pour into baking tin and even out batter.

Bake for 60 minutes. Cool for about 15 more minutes before you excavate the bread from the pan.
Yum

Day 27 - Hot Yoga

2010-12-06T10:27:00.002-10:00

Yesterday was my first official day exercising since Nov 21. I've held off because my hip has not quite recovered and I am babying it. I chose not to baby some other injuries that have made my 2010 a painful and unpleasant year. The earlier choice not to baby is one of the main reasons I am doing these 94 days of fun though. And, as an update to the experiment, it has really started to change my outlook on life. I am getting less reactive to the negative and having fewer pity parties. And I am making choices that are better for me and my family.

I don't have any pictures of trying to lock my knees and wondering why it seems that, despite being a seemingly professional knee locker at other times, my knees wouldn't lock at all once commanded to do so.

Some thoughts: Perhaps it is that there was so much sweat involved that my knees were sweaty on the inside too, making my joints slippery.

Maybe it is reverse psychology and I was really actually supposed to have super wobbly knees and I did great.

I am not a big fan of releasing my neck. I don't like my throat being that exposed. Finally did it. My throat is sore. But it felt nice.

I like the concept of how they stretch (in some poses). It is like you make a ball as tight as you can get. Completely different feel than lengthening. And a nice change of pace for my wound up hips and back.

Welcome back body. Thanks for playing with me. I promise I will be gentle and kind and not force you to do things you are screaming at me not to do. In fact, I promise I won't make you scream at me at all. Let's be friends again. How about some hot cocoa?

Fun thing: Day 27

Day 28 - Let's share

2010-12-04T21:14:00.000-10:00

Hi.

Today has been a good day.

Taught some little kids dance. So to speak. Went all right except for the round robin part. Why does round robin always seems to fall apart. But, during freeze dance, one kid started doing the robot. Another did a run run rockstar knee slide. And another did a zombie walk. So worth it, just for that. The one boy kindly declined my offer of a sticker after class. He's a big boy. And he declined in a big boy way.

Did a little weekend work at a coffee shop with my favorite J. It has maybe been a millennia since I saw her 10 days ago. The world was falling apart. Now it is mended and we got some work done.

Christmas baking, about 1/3 way done. Packaged and all. Hoping for the other 2/3 tomorrow. To include baklava. Yep. That's right. Baklava.

I'm making chicken nuggets and faux fried zucchini. The faux is that it is really baked, not that it is really not zucchini. That would be weird.

I described my brother as fancy-pants today. If you know my brother, which perhaps you do, maybe you can attest to his fancy-pants-ness.

Right now I am wearing 3 shirts. Because it is cold, you ask? Nope. Not at all. It's 75 degrees outside right now at nearly 9 p.m. I think it is because I have a odd love for bunchy outfits. The bunchier I look, the better.

Fun thing: Day 28

Day 29 - Don't hit me with your car

2010-12-03T20:56:00.000-10:00

Nearly got hit while crossing a crosswalk by my house. It is a busy street with lots of mindless drivers. I started walking with no one, I mean NO ONE, on the roads in either direction. Took my time because I don't feel like running like Phoebe every time I have to cross the street, but I wasn't dawdling. Anyhow, still nearly got hit. Again. The car was driving a rental with a huge logo and phone number on the side. I felt the need to call the company and formally complain. Thankfully the owner picked up and was very concerned and is going to follow up with the other owner and the driver tomorrow. Here are the winners (according to Manth) from my conversation.
.....
Rental Company: "Oh, I know who you were talking about, he's a Canadian man."
Me: "They have traffic laws in Canada."

RC: "We're a new company, and safety is our number one concern."
Me: "Well be sure to let them know that even though they're on vacation, their driving skills aren't."

RC: "My main priority is to ensure that he wasn't drinking."
Me: "Well, he did look calm, he may have been on Quaaludes."
.....

A few things about my street:
There are two universities and 5 schools (ranging from k-12) within a mile of my street. A high school and a university are within 200 yards.

If you live on the side of the street that I do, and take the bus into town, you have to cross there. If you are coming from Hawaii Kai side on the bus, and get off at that stop, you're probably going to cross that intersection, too. That's where the bus stop is. People cross there all day long.

There is someone hit at that same corner I'd say about every 6 weeks.
Some of them are ok, thankfully. Some of them leave in very very bad conditions. It's not ok.

If someone nearly hits me again, I'm really going to flip some serious sh*t. If I ever see a car not stopping when kids are in the intersection, flipping sh*t doesn't even describe what is going to happen.

And those are some fun facts about my evening. Enjoy.

Fun thing: Day 29

Day 30 - Love yourself first

2010-12-02T21:07:00.000-10:00

I got home from work a bit early today, which was a very nice change from the beginning of the week which included late nights and earlier than usual mornings. I got a chance to watch Mary and Max on Netflix. I adored it. The story line. The soundtrack. The unloved characters. The awkwardness of their interactions. Their love for chocolate that surpasses my own.

Here's the trailer. If you have 90 or so minutes, I think you'd adore it too.

Fun thing: Day 30

Day 31 - Home

2010-12-02T20:40:00.000-10:00

Crate & Barrel

We like having people over for dinner. And we like being comfortable. Unfortunately, we've been doing this using kitchen towels as dinner napkins, and without pillows for cushioning.

We just got in a few new creature comforts. All from Crate & Barrel (who's shipping to Hawaii is nothing fun.) I am really excited about this, particularly the pillows. I've been eyeing them since I saw them in Colorado 2 months ago.

Crate & Barrel

Fun thing: Day 31

Crate & Barrel

Day 32 - listening time

2010-12-01T20:54:00.000-10:00

Started the holiday giving a little early, although I think I am more excited than Manth is.

Let's just listen for a moment...

And while we're at it, here's one of my favorite songs of all time (the Roots ft Erykah Badu, song co-written by Jill Scott)

Day 33 - Rainbow-tastic

2010-11-30T19:42:00.000-10:00

Turkey, sausage, sweet potato, chard, wild rice soup. With homemade stock. And just a bit of excitement over how colorful this pot of goodness is.

Fun thing: Day 34

Day 34 - 4 things

2010-11-28T19:15:00.000-10:00

Blanching Almonds:
This is how you do it:
Boil some water. Throw (gently) some whole raw almonds into the boiling water. Remove from heat. Wait a few minutes. Drain water. Rub the skins off.

Thought it was hard, huh? I did too. Now we both know: easy!

Finding A Lost Dog:
This one is pretty obvious. See a dog running willy nilly towards the busy street. Lure the dog. Well, say "Come!" in that really nice I'm a stranger with candy kind of way. Hope it works.

In my case, the cute little pup came to me and I spent the next 30 minutes awkwardly asking people on the street if she was theirs. She was not.

Turning A Dog Over To The Humane Society:
Wow. Really easy. Talk in to shelter. Say: "Hi, I found this dog on my street." Fill out a paper. Say goodbye.
*The worse part was the check box that asked if you wanted to be contacted if the dog was not identified or adopted. I love dogs. A lot. A lot a lot. So the thought of this dog not getting picked up by its owner or not getting adopted is a horrible one. But the good thing is that she was well groomed, responded to commands, and adorable. All reasons why I think she'll be missed by her owner. Or be loved by a new home.

Making Cake:
From scratch. Using my own recipe. With Guinness. Oh goodness! How awesome is that? Wait, it gets better! With chocolate Guinness espresso buttercream frosting. I know that sounds like too much, but really, it isn't.