My Way, No. 23

May 26, 2015

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

With the pic links now included, these ‘My Way’ posts are becoming as long as a newsletter. I hope you can hang with me!

— I saw this on my food co-op’s social page, so I thought I would link to it: Who Is Behind Organic Brands. This came as no surprise to me, as I try to steer clear of certain products for this very reason. But, many people assume some of these brands are small (possibly family-owned, or even local) businesses, when they are really just some of the country’s largest food producers. This is also true of natural and organic hygiene/body products, etc. Some of the brands I’ve enjoyed in the past have been taken over by some of these large producers, so I then stop purchasing them. Some brands I have no issues with, though. If you’re one of those who wants to support certain businesses (and not support others), I encourage you to take a look at this list. Or, perhaps take a look for updated info, if this news is already familiar to you. I found several I didn’t know about.

— Did you enjoy the list of coping skills for anger, anxiety and depression? I think everyone can benefit from this list. I have some decent positive ones already in place, but I would like to add a few more. Setting boundaries and learning to say “no” could be improved upon, as well as enjoying more of nature. Also, keeping a positive quote with you seems easy enough. I like, “Ye shall be a blessing.” It’s one thing for others to bless you, but (IMO) empowering others to prosper provides rewards like nothing else (emotional and physical). As far as looking at the negatives went, I tried to not get too down on myself. We can’t change everything at once. I think I have improved in several areas, but still need some work in others. I have been better at not enabling others to take advantage of me. One of the things I despise most at this stage in my life is people attempting to use me for their own selfish ambition. So, I need to make sure I am not just sitting back, allowing those circumstances to occur. Several years ago, I was encouraged by a former football player who said a friend told him (something to the effect of), “Never allow people to use or exploit you for their own profit or gain.” I think as a former ball player, people just assumed they could take advantage of him for their own purposes. Anyway, I’ve carried that bit of advice in my heart since then.

— Speaking of football players, I was really touched by this article concerning Herschel Walker’s mental health advocacy: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/os-herschel-walker-mental-health-orlando-20150513-story.html. If you’ve lived in Texas for even a short period of time (as I have), you most likely know who Herschel Walker is — even if you don’t follow the NFL. A very encouraging story.

After posting the latest installment of my Mental Health Series, I found a few articles that made my heart sink. Many of the most disheartening stories come from major news outlets (not all the time, though, as you can see from a variety of pieces I’ve posted). They so often focus on the negative or sensational. Some of the most sensitive and thoughtful pieces I’ve come across are from student newspapers. I thought perhaps profit has something to do with that, or maybe it’s just that the younger generations are starting to leave behind the stigma and discrimination that has plagued our society for so long. I used to laugh at a news station in the Phoenix area that always broadcasted so much positive news. It was the oddest thing to me, haha. It was a nice change.

— Today’s Adventures in Food: Hot diggity dog ziggity, boom…I didn’t have a chance to pick up hard red winter berries yet, so I made my Memorial Day hot dog buns in the same manner as the previously posted burger buns. Really a joy! The wheat blend is such a great idea. I may try sprouting them, as well. The day old buns were great dippers for a low-cal (non-gratinee) onion soup I made. The adjustable slicing blade in our new food processor works like a dream! It easily sliced through mounds of onion. My last processor, while a decent (very old) model, sometimes had slicing issues.

Holiday chocolate chip cookies had to get packaged up and shipped off so I didn’t consume the whole lot, lol. As they keep nice and soft, I think they would be grand for ice cream sandwiches. I couldn’t wait for the Holiday to make the chickpea flour spätzele. So, I made it Sunday, then again on Monday. I subbed some quickly sautéed kale for the collards (it was less expensive at the store) and cooked it in beef broth. I really like the textures in this dish. I think I will be making it a couple more times before the week is up.

As I was already grinding chickpeas for the spätzele, I thought I would also whip up those Cashew-Mint Pakoda I posted. I left the flour with just a slight coarseness. I went for a bake-fry by Misto-ing a little oil in the pan, as well as on the dough. I flipped them over when they were browned on the bottom. They turned out so nice and crunchy! You would not have known they were baked instead of fried. I really would have liked a dipping sauce with them. Maybe a cashew crema or something? I was too busy munching to make one, though.

The roasted curried cauliflower I made for my garlic, herb, & tomato pita was the tail end of a cauliflower party. I enjoyed the Buffalo Cauliflower Bites posted here and Spiced Moroccan Cauliflower Couscous – Tabbouleh (both from the same site). I am not a huge fan of couscous, so I was excited to try a version with cauliflower. I used my homemade skim haloumi, and it was fab. Really easy & delightful. Of course, using the cauliflower slashes the calories considerably, so make sure to take a peek. When I was preparing the Buffalo Bites, I suddenly thought I could also make a few with sesame-honey sauce. So, I did half and half. Otherwise, I only altered them slightly by using whole wheat pastry flour and coating with a bit of panko. I love Buffalo sauce so much, so I put a little extra on the outside, lol.

I found another comfort food use for my pitas. Did you ever have spaghetti and meatball sandwiches when you were younger? I made spaghetti and Italian lentil meatballs (just like the ones here, but with “Italian” seasonings), and the next day had a craving for this sandwich, haha:

We used to slather butter on good Italian bread and stuff it with our leftovers. Good memories!

— How quaint is this?

White Garden Canopy | housetohome.co.uk.

Ahhh…I wish I were there right now. *Sigh*

25 DIY Headboard Ideas | Freshnist.com.

This is a cute idea. Music sheet decoupage on wood: Paper | Valerie Carr | Pinterest.

— In this AZ summer heat, I adore white clothing. Linen is especially lovely. What about your plain white tee? Check out this easy corseting technique that you could apply to a number of items: DIY Corseted White T-Shirt or What to Do with the BF’s Old T-Shirts #2 | Chic Steals.

And, you know I love RE:Fashion: 13 DIY Clothing Refashion Ideas with Picture Instructions | Clicky Pix.

— The FFFF for today (Fab French Food Finds ):

You know my affinity for all things French, so here are several selections from the same site:

‘Til next time!

A List of Coping Skills for Anger, Anxiety, and Depression

May 23, 2015

A List of Coping Skills for Anger, Anxiety, and Depression | blakeflannery.hubpages.com.

I wanted to post this yesterday, but found several other tasks that needed my attention. After reading this article, an acquaintance said they were surprised at some of the negative coping skills they had acquired. I thought I would take a look-see to assess if I also had a few habits I would like to change. This particular piece emphasizes positive skills first, though, which makes you feel better about yourself by the time you reach the negative, haha. That, in itself, is a positive “coping strategy,” IMO.

I must say these longer spring/summer days help me out a bit. I love the early sunrise and warmer mornings, as they enable me to get up, get out, and organize my environment more. Sometimes, cold & dreary days have me wanting to stay beneath the covers and shut everything out (literally and metaphorically).

Take a look at this informative list, if you will, and see if you find anything that helps you. Some items will surely be familiar to you, but I often find what we know to do and what we do do can be two very different things.

Take care!

Recipe: Memorial Day: Chickpea Spätzele with Shallots and Collard Greens + Blasts from the Past

May 23, 2015

Recipe: Chickpea Spätzele with Shallots and Collard Greens | mynameisyeh.com.

I think this recipe would be a great addition to your Holiday. I considered the standard macaroni salad, but then I saw this. If you don’t have a fancy pasta machine, but still want a good, homemade hearty dish…spätzele is a fab choice. It’s so simple and quick, and again, another dish children will have fun participating in. Holidays are the perfect opportunity to get kids into the kitchen (if they haven’t been coaxed already). As I’ve said before, my family loves greens of all types, and they’ve always been one of our household staples. So, this recipe leaped into my heart when I saw it. Utilizing a nutty, nutritious chickpea flour base, this recipe is also perfect for those requiring a wheat-free pasta.

I’m on to a busy rest of the weekend, but I thought I would post links from a gaggle of previously blogged about recipes. Many, many wonderful selections and blogs to choose from! Please search through their entire blog, though, for an even more comprehensive list.

One easy non-recipe recipe idea from me for the Holiday is frozen chocolate-covered bananas, or I made these Chocolate-Covered Coconut Ice Cream Pops:

Just homemade coconut ice cream dipped in melted dark chocolate (I used store-bought chocolate to save time, but you could certainly make your own): fresh coconut milk/cream, maple syrup, and organic coconut extract (my mom happened to have some, so I pinched a bit from her…not absolutely required. You could add any flavoring you like, or none at all). If you use an ice cream machine, I would just follow the manufacturer’s instructions. And, you could skip the chocolate altogether and just make coconut ice cream or ice milk pops.

Past posts:

I know I just posted this, but to consolidate:

Homemade Hamburger and Hotdog Buns & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Rhubarb-Wrapped Pineapple Mousse Cake

Homemade Ketchup

8 Fruit & Herb Honey Syrups

Labor Day Recipes

Homemade Cream Cheese

Crab and Goat Cheese Guacamole

What’s Cookin’? Food for the Fourth

Raspberry Lemon Curd Madeleines

Pan Bagnat

Maple-Shallot Brussels Salad

Tiramisu Cupcakes

If you want to whip up your own mascarpone for those cupcakes (it’s SO simple), or if you want recipes for other quick cheeses, check out this post:

Homemade Cheese

Patriotic Pops

All of these links can be found under the category of Recipes, Food, and Drink on my blog menu. Also, do please check ‘featured’ My Way recipes for more inspiration.

Hope your Holiday is grand! I’ll be back sometime next week.

Recipes: Memorial Day: Hamburger & Hot Dog Buns, & Chocolate Chip Cookies

May 21, 2015

Homemade Whole Wheat Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns | My Humble Kitchen.

Memorial Day is on the way here in the States. I would like to post a ton of recipe ideas for you to consider, but I have a rather busy week planned. I may find time to post a few last-minute ones, but we’ll see. For now, I wanted to share links for homemade hamburger and/or hotdog buns, as well as some ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies.

My plan was to just post the buns recipe in anticipation of the Holiday, but I couldn’t quite wait that long to make them. Home-milled flour attracted me to this recipe: a blend of hard red winter wheat berries (whole wheat flour) and soft white wheat berries (whole wheat pastry flour). Alternatively, you can just use store-bought white flour. I had soft white wheat berries, but I had consumed all my hard red (I love using them for cold salads). The recipe cautions against using store-bought whole wheat flour vs. home-milled, as your buns will be too dense (and not at all pleasant). What to do? Burgers were calling out to me, & I didn’t want to wait to run to the market. *Sidenote: for my Tucson friends, Food Conspiracy Co-op has both the hard & soft berries in the bulk section.* I decided to mill my soft berries and use store-bought whole wheat flour with some vital wheat gluten added (ratio for vital wheat gluten to flour is 1 TBSP:1 Cup). The full recipe yields 16 hamburger or hotdog buns (or a mixture of both). I only made a quarter of the recipe and formed 8 ‘slider’ burger buns. They were fabulous! I did sub oil for the butter in the recipe, as I can only have so much dairy with fat (and I wanted at least one burger with my homemade cheese…so, I was pushing it).

I made this recipe with a food processor, using the method I just posted. Easy peasy! I did not have to adjust the water or flour at all. I will be making the recipe with the home-milled hard wheat berries soon. Great project to get kids interested in cooking (especially, if you grind the wheat yourself). Please check it out! Slider bun pic (homemade pickled jalapeños = yum!):

On to the sweet treats!

The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies | Pinch of Yum.

I had to force myself to not whip up a batch of these as soon as I saw them. I knew I would eat them all. No, be rational, I thought…wait until the Holiday so you can give some to others. I love all types of cookies, but especially soft chocolate chip and Girl Scout Cookies. They are really dangerous for me to be around. All knowledge of portion control goes out the window, so I have to take safety precautions, lol. Anyway, these will surely be a crowd-pleaser for your Holiday, but they would also be fab for potlucks, gifts for friends, family, etc., or taking to the office as a treat for your co-workers.

Happy cooking, & I’ll be back soon!

Making Yeast Bread Doughs w/ a Food Processor

May 19, 2015

I’m still playing around with our new processor. Over the weekend, I whipped up several things, including fresh butter and raw almond butter. I also planned to make bread, as I do most weekends. I tossed around the idea of posting pics to accompany my previous instructions for making yeast doughs with a food processor. I debated the idea for a few reasons: 1) I do not post ultra-professional pics on this blog, just mobile snapshots, 2) This is not a “food blog,” but a personal outlet journal that just so happens to contain a heck of a lot of food (you know food is one of my fave things!). So, I thought it might be slightly lame compared to some of the fab food blogs I enjoy. And, 3) Step-by-step pics/instructions are an involved process, and this blog is supposed to help me relax…not stress me out. A while back, I had a job that saw me writing numerous sets of instructions (for various tasks). “How to…” is ingrained in my brain. Hence, when it comes to instructions for this blog (my hobby), I will usually link to another’s know-how, haha. The previous yeast bread instructions were a rarity.

What made my decision for me is that I really, really hoped at least one person reading would find out how easy homemade bread is. Even if you don’t use a food processor. Baking isn’t my expertise (I’m more of a simple veggies cook), but homemade bread has its advantages: it’s inexpensive and, of course, you can better control the quality of ingredients. Aside from a using a tried-and-true recipe (until you get the hang of it), I suggest researching a little about the science of bread making (if you haven’t already). Understanding why you are doing what you are doing always helps when cooking, IMO. Recipes that were created specifically for food processors are fab, but I’ve always also had luck with stand/hand-mixer and hand-mixed recipes.

I am just going to re-post the previous instructions (yay for copy & paste!), including a few pics along the way. Don’t judge me by award-winning food blogs, OK 😉 . You may want to read the text instructions first, then go back and read it with the photo captions/explanations. I will post the general ingredients for the recipe I used at the end, but just know this is really about method (not a particular recipe). This past weekend, I had sandwiches in mind. I decided to use an old recipe my mom had for pitas. I divided the dough for a half batch of “plain” dough and a half batch of garlic, herb, and dried tomato.

Taken from My Way, No. 20:

Most of the time, I use my food processor when making bread doughs. I find it to be fairly quick and easy. You just need to make sure your processor is big enough to handle the volume of dough you are making (and that you have a strong motor). Many of the recipes I come across are for stand mixers (or hand mixing/kneading), so I usually use this simple food processor method (for non-sourdough breads) instead.

Olive oil, salt & pepper, vital wheat gluten, garlic cloves & home-dried tomatoes, and dried herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, & sage).
1) In a warm area (usually the top of my stove while it’s warming up) add sweetener (honey, molasses, etc.) and warm water (whatever temp range is indicated on yeast packaging) to a bowl, stir until sweetener is dissolved.

A thermometer is a good idea for water temp. Sometimes, I think I know what the temp is by touch, but the thermometer proves me wrong. It’s a safeguard to avoid killing your yeast.

Honey was called for in this pita recipe.

Stir in yeast until dissolved and let the yeast activate. Mixture should be bubbly and foaming after several minutes (sometimes, recipes will indicate an allotted activation time). *You can stir all 3 at once, I just find it’s easier for me to get the sticky honey, etc. from the bottom of the bowl when I can see it a bit better (without the yeast).*

Bubbly & foamy

2) While the yeast is activating, in the food processor bowl fitted with the metal ‘S’ blade (or dough blade, if you have one) add flour, vital wheat gluten or xanthan gum (if using), salt, and any other dry ingredients that are OK to be broken up into smaller pieces. (If I have ingredients I want to remain whole — perhaps raisins, nuts, candied peel, etc. — I will incorporate them after the wet ingredients have been added.) Pulse the dry ingredients for a bit (maybe a minute or less) until they are well combined.

I made a sprouted flour (kasha, teff, French lentils, and a few types of wheat) for this batch of pitas. Links for sprouted flour instructions can be found in this post: How to (& Why) Soak Seeds, Nuts, Grains, & Beans, & Homemade Sprouted Flour.

Flour, sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, vital wheat gluten.

3) When the yeast has activated, stir in any other liquid ingredients (eggs, oil, etc.).

Adding the olive oil. Many of the recipes I use do not require the addition of anything else at this stage. Just yeast, sweetener, and water.

4) Add the liquid ingredients to the food processor bowl, and pulse until the dough starts to come together. Some directions might tell you to slowly add the liquid through the chute, but I’ve never had a problem just putting it all in at the beginning. I want to see a recipe one day that says, “Do this fast, as fast as you possibly can!” lol. 😀

*If you are at all concerned with killing your yeast (or, if it’s just your preference), you can start the processor, then pour your liquid contents in a bit at a time.*
The dough will pull away from the sides, and I usually let it go for a bit longer (just to make sure the gluten is well developed). If the dough is too sticky, I add a little flour. Too dry, a little water.

I had to adjust the flour & water a bit, adding a little at a time. It should yield a smooth dough with good elasticity. The bread recipes in my Cuisinart cookbook indicate a 45 second kneading time once the dough has cleaned the sides of the bowl and forms a ball.

5) If I’m adding any of those dry ingredients I mentioned in step 2, I add them at this stage. I may coat them with a little flour first, to keep them from sticking and/or bleeding. I tip the dough into a bowl, then incorporate them by hand.

Earlier, I processed the garlic, then the tomatoes in the small work bowl. I didn’t want an overly red dough, so I coated the tomatoes with flour first. I cut the dough in half and added the garlic, herbs, and tomatoes to one half.

Otherwise, I just proceed to tip the dough into an oiled bowl, form it into a ball, Misto a little oil on top, and cover the bowl. I then follow the recipe instructions concerning rest periods, rise time(s), and shaping the dough.

After covering the bowl, I let the dough rise until it doubled in a warm place (it took a little over an hour), then “punched it down,” and cut it into portions.

This is the method I’ve used for years and years, and I’ve always been pleased with the results. Online, I found you can sub xanthan gum if you run out of vital wheat gluten (useful for doughs made without white flour). From what I’ve been reading, you should use 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum per 1 cup of flour (vs. 1 tablespoon of vital wheat gluten).

I made one large GHT pita, and the rest were mediumish-sized. I rolled them out about 1/8-1/4 inch thick (after making them a few times, you kind of get the feel for how thick you like them to be), placed them on a pan to rest/rise until doubled (about 40 minutes – 1 hour, per the recipe). Then, they go into a 475 degree Fahrenheit/246 Celsius oven for 7-10 minutes. After they cool on a baking rack for a bit, I store them in an air-tight container to keep them soft.

Plain pita

Garlic, herb, dried tomato

Straight away, I wanted a pb&j sandwich. It’s such a comfort, isn’t it? Even my grandmother still loves them (she’s my step-gram, but I love her like my own), and we have to persuade her to also include other foods in her diet, lol. I did make peanut butter with the processor, but went for raw almond butter w/ homemade cherry jam this go round.

The large GHT bread was treated to homemade yogurt cheese, roasted curried cauliflower, blistered tomatoes, and arugula.

I hope this was easy enough for you to follow. Pitas are wonderful, but there are all sorts of yeast breads waiting to be made & devoured! I’m partial to wheat-based breads, but there are many alternatives (if that is not an option for you). I’ve really enjoyed these previously posted recipes:

New York-Style Bagels

5-Minute Artisan Bread

Fugazetta (Argentine Pizza)

The ingredients for this basic pita were: 3 1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour, 3 1/2 TBSP Vital Wheat Gluten, 2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast (not instant/rapid), 1 tsp salt, 12 fl. oz. warm water (using temp directed on yeast packaging), 1 TBSP olive oil (not extra-virgin), 1/2 tsp. honey. *When measuring honey, I usually oil the spoon/cup, so the honey pours out easily.* I altered it by adding 1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper, and garlic, herb, and dried-tomatoes to half (no real measurements, just eyeballing the amounts).

Have a fabulous day, and happy bread making!

My Way, No. 22

May 14, 2015

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— Honey gave way to maple this go round for the cherry-vanilla syrup from this previous post: 8 Fruit & Herb Honey Syrups. I still had my gift of bourbon from the December Holidays left, so I finally decided to make that float I was keen on. The syrup + club soda + bourbon + homemade vanilla froyo. Yums!

A beer fairy left a bit of brew for the masses, so I thought a beer bread was in order. I sprouted rye berries for a sourdough and used the beer in place of water. Beer made me think of pretzels, so that was the next step. Stuffed with brown mustard, they were a tasty treat! If I had thought about it, I might have made a homemade beer mustard:

I will admit I usually flake off the salt from most of them, haha. I will have one or two with the coarse salt, but then it becomes too much.

I finally made the Sesame Seed Salmon with my homemade mirin (with actual salmon this time vs. tofu). Delish! Make sure to check it out. Quick & easy.

Cheese, cheese, and more cheese! If you love the cheeses, please, please check out my post on Thrifty Ideas for Home Cheese Making & Homemade Cream Cheese. My mom is the one who requested I delve into the homemade cheese world, and I am so glad she did. When Mother’s Day rolls around, I try to find things I can do to please my mom (I know it should be all the time — I try 😉 ). So, many of those things have kept me from blogging this past couple of weeks. As I said in the cream cheese post, my mom adores fruit crepes (filled with a sweet cream cheese mixture). I have made several batches of cream cheese now, and it couldn’t be easier. I initially started with a buttermilk culture vs. purchasing a freeze-dried. The instructions for making your own cultures can be found in the links from the Thrifty post. I’ve now moved on to using meso & thermophilic cultures, as well as vegetarian rennet from the Cultures for Health site (also linked to in that post.). The Curd-Nerd site is SO informative, and I tried to study as much as possible before attempting too much. I recommend anyone just starting out do the same. There are quite a few things to learn, & you don’t want to waste your time or money. So far, I’ve used the recipes for queso fresco, haloumi, traditional ricotta, farmhouse cheddar (needs to age), and I just made this mozzarella:

Queso fresco and cream cheese (or yogurt cheese) are the easiest to make, IMO, and you can always use a buttermilk meso culture (especially if you are just starting and want to keep your costs low). I’ve made the queso and haloumi with skim milk, and they turned out fine (though not as rich). For small amounts of cheese, I started using thin, thin linen napkins (from my grandmother 🙂 ) to drain the whey from the curds. I just wash them, and they are ready to re-use. For larger batches, I started using a large piece of muslin. I will use cheesecloth to line the molds.

— I am enjoying my stainless lunch tiffin, which I must say was a SQUEAL DEAL at my food co-op, Food Conspiracy. *Sidenote: if you’re in Tucson, the co-op has unbleached cheesecloth for cheesemaking.* I hand-stitched a little insulated bag for it with material leftover from another project. I recycled the drawstring from another bag.

The fabric store I purchased the material at was my fave on my side of town, and I am bummed they have closed down. I keep running into others saying they are also upset. Perhaps the location was an issue. It would be nice if a locally-owned shop opened up. After doing this by hand, I thought, I really need to learn how to sew on a machine. It took far too much time, lol. Often fabric stores hold classes, so I may try to tackle my fear of it being an impossible task for me — just take the plunge.

— Other inexpensive projects I managed this week involved concrete. At less than $3 for a 60 lbs. bag, I feel I made out quite well. First off, I partially filled these small tin buckets:

What did I do with them, you ask? OK, don’t think I’m silly (OK, maybe I am), but I made a set of bed risers. A while back, I saw a set of 4 bed risers (upwards of $20) that were essentially a cup with a lift in them. I thought cement/concrete in my own cups would produce the same effect. I just wanted a few extra inches for under bed storage. You just mix the concrete with water, let dry, and voila! I used more leftover fabric around the frame legs so they wouldn’t shift around. This proved fabulous and provided me with the storage space I desired…with very little cost.

And, until I decide to invest in a full-on cheese press, I filled recycled containers with the concrete to weigh down my cheese molds. So far, so good, and I am sure I can come up with a few other ways to make use of the rest of the bag.

— We did decide to invest in the Cuisinart Elite 12-Cup Processor. 10-year motor warranty, with a limited 3-year warranty, 1000-Watt motor. So sorry, Cuisinart was misspelled in the last post. Sometimes, if a word is incorrect once, it will not change it afterwards (I guess it thinks it’s correct). As I previously stated, it has large and small work bowls, so you get 2 for 1. I’ve whipped up pizza dough for my mom, smooth as silk nut butter, falafel, guacamole, banana “ice cream” (using the recipe from the included cookbook with a bit of honey, vanilla, and fresh coconut milk), and shredded coconut (for chocolate-coconut bon bons for my mom). With my previous processor, I used the metal ‘S’ blade for bread doughs, but this model has a specific yeast dough blade. The metal blade works well for pastry doughs. It also includes an adjustable slicing disk.

Right now, I couldn’t be more pleased! Slow cookers and processors are 2 of my most beloved pieces of kitchen equipment. I also found you can purchase an egg white whipping disc separately. If you are in the market for a new processor, I encourage you to watch the demo video on the Cuisinart site. It would also make a great gift!

— One more thing that might sound silly…Last year, I pulled out some vinyl that didn’t work for a project I had in mind. I happened to be cleaning the fridge around the same time and suddenly thought it would be great to line the fridge shelves/drawers. The backing is kind of a thin, breathable fabric. Well, a year later, this one little thing has saved me tons of clean-up time. It may seem odd at first, but spills, etc. wipe off so easily. Or, you can pull them out and wash them.

— Would love to DIY leather (probably with pleather, though) bracelets such as these:

Newset Fashion DIY Jewelry Copper Leather Bracelet | ebay.es.

Hot Fashion Infinity Leather Music Bracelet | ebay.com.

Racer back DIY just in time for summer:
Tank to Racer Back Tutorial | trashtocouture.com.

— The heat has come, so I started to search for DIY patio blinds/shades. I’ve finally made up my mind about which route to take, but I wanted to share this budget-fab project I came across: No Sew Drop Cloth Patio Curtains | scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com.