My Way, No. 22

*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.

Blue is not my fave color, but I found this room so soothing and peaceful to look at:
eudecoro.com.br.

— Amazing World of Penguins. Awesome pics, must see!

— Good goodies:

Spinach and White Bean Tacos | theskinnyfork.com.

Found another way to use teff: 5-Ingredients Banana Pancakes with Teff Grains (Gluten Free) | fussfreecooking.com.

Hip Girl’s Buttermilk Cake | ohsweetday.com.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites | lavenderandlovage.com.

Spinach-Stuffed Baked Salmon | Go Red for Women.

Baked Alaska | Great British Chefs. It has a panettone base!

For your retro party: Pineapple Cheese Ball with Pecans | sippitysup.com.

Detox Smoothie | blog.freepeople.com.

Rainbow Sangria | Gimme Some Oven.

Until next time! Have a great day!

My Way, No. 19

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

— Hope you had a lovely St. Patrick’s Day! This past week, I made the celery juice from this blog post, another batch of the Chunky Corn & Black Bean Falafel, as well as the Crab & Goat Cheese Guacamole posted some time back. All were delish! The falafel will frequently be in my rotation, for sure. After posting the Fruit & Herb Honey Syrups, I made one with fruits and herbs I had in the freezer: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pom, lime, and purple basil. So far, I’ve just used it to top off a little sparkling water, and it’s very nice.

And, I made the cherry-vanilla. A cherry-vanilla float with my Holiday bourbon sounds good. These syrups are super versatile, easy to make, and do not require any cooking. I am thinking I might do pineapple-mint next. If you haven’t done so already, check out the honey syrups here.

OMGoodness, the Spicy Carrot & Hummus Sandwich from my Healthy Work Lunches post really hit the spot!

I made an open-faced sandwich on whole wheat sourdough toast. I used the No-Knead Whole Grain Sourdough (no herbs or garlic this time). The recipe actually calls for einkorn, but I still need to pick some up. One of the reasons I wanted to make this sandwich was that I had leftover garbanzo bean dip. It wasn’t actually a traditional hummus, but it worked. From the picture posted, I initially thought the carrots were raw, but they are sautéed until just wilted. I opted for the alternative suggested cumin vs. caraway seeds to flavor the carrots (as caraway seeds are not my favorite). I can tolerate caraway, but I have never really loved them. I added toasted sesame seeds on top, and it was quite a lovely sandwich!

Just an update, I made a few more ‘energy bites,’ this time chocolate-peanut butter. I made them in the style of the chocolate-orange, but baked them. So, I guess they were more like ‘granola bites.’ I didn’t have peanut butter, so I blended whole roasted peanuts with the rest of my wet ingredients: cooked sweet potato, egg (I had a bit already beaten I needed to use up), powdered chocolate, raisins, maple, vanilla. The dry ingredients were (I think): Oats, ground oats, ground chia & flax seeds, wheat germ, chopped peanuts, toasted coconut, and salt.

I can see using the sweet potato puree as perhaps a pie filling, maybe a base for a mousse, or just a pudding. The chocolate (and peanut butter) makes the sweet potato pretty much undetectable. Sweet potato puree is a great vehicle if you cannot have dairy, in that respect. You can use dates in place of raisins, but that’s just what I felt like using at the time.

And, the last bit about my eats for this post…I baked a few individual soda breads for St. Pat’s in ramekins on the weekend. I haven’t made another batch of the ‘green muffins‘ yet as I still have a few in the freezer. I think Irish soda bread was my first (non-yeast) bread-making venture. I’ve never made separate portions, though.

I still use the same recipe from way back in the day, but I replaced the AP flour with whole wheat pastry flour and butter with coconut oil. The recipe calls for caraway seeds, but I’ve never included them (as I’ve said, they’re not my fave). I love soda bread for toast. SO good! I wanted a hot cup of Irish coffee to go alongside (I didn’t add too much liquor), but ended up with an Irish coffee frappe/smoothie-type drink. I had a few sips hot, then blended in frozen banana, non-fat homemade yogurt, oats, flax, chia, wheat germ, and almonds. I topped it off with a coconut cream-yogurt whip and blackstrap molasses (I am not really fond of chocolate sauce, so I decided molasses would be nice). I forget how nice Irish coffee is until I’ve had it again!

— I made my folding side table! I wanted this to be a table I could quickly set up when needed, then quietly tuck it away. As it wasn’t meant to be a stable piece of furniture, I just wanted it to be presentable without much expense. To achieve this, I decided to re & up cycle as many items as I could. Pic:

Several years back, I cut down and stowed away a large piece of bamboo. It was meant to be a curtain rod, but I ended up using another (thinner) piece (of bamboo). I decided to pull it out of storage and use it for the table base. I cut it into 4 pieces, and put holes (to join the pieces, with glue) in 2 of them. When I was cutting the holes, I thought, Oh, I should make a flute (even though I don’t play the flute, lol!). I made the holes a little smaller than I wanted, then carved away a little at a time for a snug fit. I drilled a hole to adjoin both legs, put a screw through it, then secured it with a washer and nut. I wish the screw was a little shorter, but I used what I had. I purchased 4 rubber leg tips to keep the base from moving around. I then glued two sides of a pic frame to the top of the legs. The spray paint I used did not have primer, so I primed it first, gave it a coat of (leftover) black then a light coat of (purchased) gold. I tried to allow some of the black to show through. Then, I sprayed alternate wisps of black and gold until it looked the way I wanted it to. I do not care for the finish of a lot of metallic spray paints, so I dulled the shine with leftover frosted glass spray. I’ve used it before for other glossy spray paints as well.
The top: I used a picture covered with one of my many fabric remnants. I was going to use wallpaper (as was suggested in my Using Wallpaper Remnants post), but this fabric seemed to fit the space better. I made it waterproof by brushing on melted oil & wax (method found here). You can use beeswax, paraffin, perhaps soy wax, and any fixed drying oil. Some of these are healthier options than others. More on that in an upcoming post. I staple gunned the fabric to the frame and added decorative nails (originally intended to re-upholster a chair. I did it freehand, so some are a bit wonky. I will go back & fix them later. I just wanted to take the pic while I still had a little sunlight). The top is not attached to the legs, so I added “stoppers” (synthetic corks) on the back of the picture to hold the top of the legs (the frame sides) in place. All in all, I think I made out pretty well with just the purchases of the rubber leg tips and gold spray paint!

— I love macrame! There are tons of vids out there if you want to learn how to craft something for yourself. I think you could totally DIY something like this: Glass & Twine Lantern Set | shopterrain.com.

Here’s a sweet macrame bracelet tutorial: DIY Shamballa Style Macrame Bracelet Tutorial | rings-things.com.

— I have tons of plaid. It’s one of my fave things. This is a cute idea: DIY Clothes DIY Refashion: DIY: Ombre Dip Dyed Plaid Shirt | Pinterest | Lacy Hall.
This dress sort of encompasses several styles. A versatile piece, I think: Streetcar Dress in Black Plaid (with pockets) | trendvee.com.

— After looking at the ‘supoon’ and ‘clongs’ from the last ‘My Way‘ post, I checked out some of the other kitchen products they have available. Some really neat items like jots, onpots, teafus, levoons. I love this Scizza | Dreamfarm Products. 

— I saw that Bibi won the election in Israel. Yay! I am not that political of a person, but I like him because he’s dashing, charming, handsome, suave, and did I mention dashing? 😉

— I read an article that mentioned “fashionable food,” meaning certain food, dishes, etc., should (not just do) go in and out of style. This wasn’t referring to dining out. I thought this an odd concept. I mean, it’s one thing if you want to be “trendy” to sell things….but, common folk usually eat (or prepare for others) what is readily available to them, what is at the market during the time of their visit, and what they can afford (if they can afford to eat at all). The average person doesn’t live in a restaurant or test kitchen. They are not usually concerned if their meat and potatoes, beans on toast, Grandma’s prize dessert, or whatever, is “in style,” haha! Most people do not care that much about their clothing being in style, let alone their everyday (or even special occasion) food. It seemed like the article was targeted at your average person, but perhaps not. Perhaps it was more like people who struggle with dilemmas such as, “Should I take the Bentley or the Benz”? Or, more importantly, “Should I ask Jeeves or Parky to pull the car around when I make my decision between the Bentley and the Benz? lol 😀 Anyway…Here are Today’s Featured Recipes (fashionable or not, I couldn’t say…they just looked darn good to me!):

Breakfast Stuffed Peppers | eatwell101.com.

Fugazetta (Argentine Pizza) | Bourbon and Brown Sugar.

Lemon Meringue Pie with Poached Oranges and Basil | Great British Chefs.com.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Grilled Cheese | wellplated.com. Saw this last year and still thinking about it! Great St. Patrick’s Day leftovers idea.

Great tutorial: How to Ice a Cake | stylesweetca.com.

2-Minute Green Spaghetti Sauce

Shellfish Risotto | ciaoflorentina.com.

Have a fabulous day!

My Way, No. 11

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

— Has one of your New Year’s Resolutions been to get more organized? I am going to make this ‘minimalist-chic’ entryway organizer. Crafted from a simple wood frame & bungee cords, it’s one of the easiest and most practical projects I’ve seen. As I have a few days to myself, I’m doing a lot of clearing out and re-organizing of things right now. How do you collect so much stuff? I err on the side of ‘pitch it, donate it, or give it to an unsuspecting friend or relative ;)’ if I think an item has fulfilled its purpose in my life. This comes from previously living with a roommate and relatives with “stuff” in every nook they can find — they cannot have an inch of unused space anywhere. I do have a tendency to collect way too many kitchen pieces, though…gadgets, glasses, dishes, etc. Sometimes, I have to force myself to not purchase them. And, speaking of the kitchen, take a look at this link with 50 Clever Ways to Organize Your Pots and Pans.

— The Detox Drinks have been a hit! Since the last ‘My Way‘ post, I’ve also prepared the Natural Daily Detox Remedy, Beet Juice Smoothie, Mango Ginger Lemonade, Detox Smoothie w/ Pineapple, Spinach, & Ginger, Citrus & Green Tea Smoothie (very grapefruit-y, so you’ll have to love grapefruit), Grapefruit-Cado Sunrise Smoothie, and the Detox Beet and Carrot Smoothie. I left the beets and carrots raw in the beet/carrot smoothie instead of steaming them. I added a good handful of cranberries, a 1/4 of a lime, and a tsp. of sweetener, as well. Delish! I realized the Cranberry Pomegranate Detox Juice I linked to from another site is the same as the Red and Green Festive Cocktail on my original post. So far my faves have been the pineapple-spinach-ginger (just needs a little rum — teasing 😉 ), and the Grapefruit-Cado (I added just a little extra banana).

— EATS & DRINKS: Homemade Chili-Garlic Paste, Lentil Meatballs with Lemony Pesto, Cinnamon Whole Grain Power Pancakes, Philly Cheesesteak Stew, Grilled Lobster Tails with Sriracha Butter, Cinnamon-Orange Animal Crackers, Harvest Apple Sangria with Bourbon and Thyme, Nutty Florentine Bars. Also, I want to make a batch of granola bars soon, so I found these low cal treats: Low Cal Almond-Raisin Granola Bars & Low-Fat Banana Pecan Cranberry Granola Bars. I usually do not use a recipe for granola bars, but I wanted to try to control the portions and cal count. There’s not a lot of sense in eating something supposedly healthy if it’s going to have 500 calories per serving, lol.

— I updated my blogroll and photo gallery.

— As you know, I have a series of posts on mental health. I will try to post another installment soon, but I like to take the opportunity to share a few related articles here. I found this quite heart-breaking: http://atlantablackstar.com/2015/01/11/racial-discrimination-behind-high-suicide-rates-young-black-men-proving-dire-need-combat-stigma-depression/

— I would like to do another WhirlwinDISH post soon, too, but my meals have pretty much been the detox smoothies, salads, bagel sandwiches, and the salmon-Thai coconut soup recipe collision. I saw a recipe for a Salade Niçoise Wrap, so I started craving Niçoise. I put together a simple one with cold roasted veggies and a light vinaigrette. Besides just lettuce and tomato, Niçoise was the first type of salad I ever prepared. It is the reason for my love of cold, salty potatoes.

Pic’d: boiled eggs, roasted turnips, boiled Peruvian potatoes, roasted white asparagus, roasted red bells, roasted golden beets, radishes, roasted rutabagas, grilled marinated artichokes, tuna, toasted walnuts, capers, and black olives. I have never been able to get used to the color of purple potatoes. They came in a mixed bag, and it was the sole boiled potato in the fridge. I subbed asparagus for my normal haricots verts. I need to pick up anchovies, so I had to make-do without them. I added the walnuts because I read they are terrific in upping your serotonin levels.
After posting about How to Eat in Europe on a Budget, I saw a perfect picnic opportunity. What do you do when you have a few days to yourself? Have a “girly” day: an indoor picnic for one, pretend you are in Europe & put on your Maurice Chevalier records, soak in a bubble bath (Homemade Bubble Baths), give yourself a facial (10 Homemade Facial Scrubs), bubbling water spa pedicure, warm hand wax and manicure, deep condition your hair (Homemade Deep Conditioner and Hot Oil Treatment), don your best fluffy ‘hotel-style’ robe and slippers, and turn on your heated back and neck massagers. My picnic included a sandwich inspired by the Pan Bagnat I posted several months back. I stuffed a round mini-loaf with all the same Niçoise toppings except the turnips, rutabagas, and walnuts. I also added a little avocado and raw green bell pepper. Guess what I used for the bread? The bagel recipe, of course! I know you probably think I’m going a little too far with the reshaping the bagels, haha. That super-quick bagel recipe, though, is the next best thing for me since (well, it is sliced bread, so that analogy won’t work)…since Noosa Honey Yogurt, I guess.

And, as I am keeping it alcohol-free for a couple of weeks, I made myself a little kicked up green tea in a flask (it helps with the illusion 😉 ): Green tea, honey, ginger, lemon juice, lemon zest, & red chiles. Who needs bourbon when it’s this good? A set of 2 of these flasks in a nice leather bag came by way of a very good family friend. We lost touch with him for years, and through very miraculous and random circumstances found him again. Anyway, I have him to thank for this lovely picnic memory. I cherished a few pear slices and some sugar & spice frozen cranberries (raw sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves). After the Holidays, I always keep craving cranberry sauce, so this satisfied my need. I think I could eat a whole cup or two in one sitting, I love it so much. A lot less damage this way, with probably less than a 1/4 tsp. of sugar.

— Scroll down to see this wicked decent DIY Zipper Cuff Bracelet and also check out this DIY Gold Hinge and Chain Bracelet.

— Article: Why Are So Many Drinks Flavored with Honey? Because it’s yummy??? I received honeyed bourbon as a Holiday gift. Yums. This article also includes comparisons between honey, agave, xylitol, and stevia. What about maple? Maple bourbon is good, too. Scratch my earlier statement about the green tea…maple bourbon might be all the world ever needed.

‘Til we meet again!

Ruby Jane Jewels & Apparel

Ruby Jane Jewels & Apparel

I met this wonderful jewelry and clothing designer at my friend’s fashion conference in June. She hails from South Africa, but currently resides outside of Tucson, Arizona. I picked up a few fab pieces from her. One of her bracelets came in handy for me recently…My hair was feeling heavy, so I used the bracelet to pull it up into a ponytail. Everyone commented about it being a beautiful hair accessory! I told them, “I was desperate and used my bracelet!”

I feel Ruby Jane’s apparel is perfect for Arizona. Her fabrics are breathable and cool, with the ‘resort-casual’ style that is so popular here (due to our warmer climate). She sources all of her fabrics locally in Arizona as well.

Recycled Fashion from Susanjewelry.com

I love these snake-like bracelets from Susanjewelry.com made from recycled materials. I always get compliments when I wear them. They twist and bend, so you can also wear them as a necklace. She has some fab pieces!