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. 15

*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 terrific Valentine’s and President’s Day! My Valentine’s treats to myself were spaghetti with red sauce, wine, and macarons. As you know, I do not bake a lot of confections. I’m good with breads, quick breads, or simple “one bowl” type of desserts. I’m not sure when I first had macarons, but they quickly became a favorite. I know we did not prepare them in the pastry portion of my culinary training. I thought I would attempt them for Valentine’s Day weekend for a couple of reasons: 1) the price of bakery-bought macarons and 2) the price of bakery-bought macarons. It’s a shame that pastries are not my forte. What you can charge for a little flour, sugar, and butter, haha! Anyway, even though I absolutely love macarons, I have put off making them. I read so many blogs that said making them is akin to rocket science…painful, grueling rocket science, wherein your rocket will never get off the ground…so don’t even try! Then, I found these links last year, and finally got around to it:

The Macaron 10 Commandments

Macaron Myths

If blogs have scared you beyond belief about making macarons in your own kitchen, I suggest you read these, lol! Many of the recipes I’ve seen over the past year make a relatively large quantity, so I found this recipe that made “just enough” for me: “Jelly Donut” Macarons http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z4htgSdd8I. It’s a vid, so that’s helpful. I made a few heart-shaped for Valentines & some rounds. The ‘feet’ on a couple of the round ones turned out wonky (perhaps from over mixing the batter, or maybe because my oven temp varies in different parts???). Right after they were done, I took a pic of one with a real poofy foot. It got less poofy after sitting with the filling for a bit:

So, after you let them sit, they may change shape a bit. Even if a few looked wonky, they tasted fab! I decided on pina colada macarons, so I made a pineapple-rum curd, and added a little toasted coconut on top. I used the icing from the “jelly donuts” recipe with beet powder for coloring. I found that macarons are so yummy fresh out of the oven, so I might forego the filling next time! I had to force myself to not eat them all (pre-filling) right then! I’ll keep practicing my macaron technique, and hopefully I’ll improve over time. You can also make nut-free macarons, so I would like to try that eventually.

— I made a few chocolate-covered strawberries (as I posted about here) in a mug for my mom:

I took the pic before I let them chill in the fridge. I chose a very simple mug that matched some other items (the heart is a graphic! Cute!), as I know she has too many vases already. I went the easy route and coated a few with ground almonds and shaved chocolate. So sorry, but I totally forgot: when I saw fruit bouquets prepared professionally, they used iceberg lettuce to secure the skewers (vs. the floral foam I mentioned). I decided to use cabbage as a 2 for 1. My mom LOVES cabbage, so that was just an added bonus (I gave her the rest of the head). Of course, she made the cabbage right after eating a few berries, haha! I think a big bouquet would make a fab party centerpiece. It doesn’t take much to make one yourself, and the savings from purchasing shop-bought are quite considerable.

— I recently caught a couple minutes of a wonderful piece my mom was watching. It featured a woman who raps about Parkinson’s disease. What an awesome way to raise awareness! You can check out some of her story here: Sharon Kha’s Parkinson’s Disease Rap.

— Roll with it, baby…Rolling storage from crates, to wire baskets, to magazine trolleys. Check it out here: Easy Rolling Wire Baskets for Storage | Remodelaholic.com.

— Cute typographic serving trays: DIY Serving Tray Ideas | The Graphics Fairy.

— Typography with a fashion twist: Bleached and Stenciled Typography Shorts | Audrey Moyer | Pinterest.

— I read on a few British sites that we’re supposed to eat pancakes (or crepes) today as it’s Shrove Tuesday. I didn’t know what Shrove Tuesday was, so I had to look it up. I figure any reason to eat pancakes is fab. I made a couple small Tea & Honey Pancakes for myself this morning. I have been craving and drinking mucho Earl Grey for a couple of months, so I decided to use it in my pancake batter. I made these with a combo of oat flour and the coconut flour I recently made. I steeped the tea in skim milk and added a bit of lemon zest. I went with a dusting of powdered sugar vs. syrup. Yums! Of course, I had a little hot Earl Grey to go along with it. Even though it was a small portion, the oats were very filling. Another tasty Earl Grey concoction is to serve it hot with a little honey and bourbon. I had that a couple of weeks ago and am still thinking about it. Will have to make it again soon! Maybe I’ll have crepes for dinner.

— I’ll leave you with a few recipes for your consideration. Don’t forget you can always adjust the recipes with what you have on hand, or make substitutions for items that you cannot eat (or do not eat). Vegetable Pakoras with Coconut Dahl, Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie (with a polenta crust..mmm), Pad Thai Popcorn, Slow Cooker Honey-Ginger Chicken, Artisan Ciabatta Rolls, Sweet Orange and Almond Buns, Red Lentil and Cardamom Soup, New York Strip Steak with Whiskey-Mushroom Sauce, The Monkey Gland Cocktail (great cocktail stories on this blog!).

‘Til we meet again!

DIY Shelves

DIY Bathroom Shelves with L brackets! | DYI | Pinterest.

 

OK, once I had my shelf wood stained & oiled, I needed to decide how to support it. I found these cute bathroom shelves, so I thought I would share the link. If you didn’t read the last ‘My Way‘ post, I power sanded and stained a cedar board with a mixture of coffee and tea, producing a rich caramel color. I finished it with soybean oil, but mentioned you could use any fixed oil that dries (like hemp, linseed, walnut, or sunflower).

The lighting isn’t great in any of these pics, but I did the best I could. Again, here’s that before and after pic of the wood:

The shelf with the brass corner braces (3.5 ft. x 5.5 in.):

A little bit closer:

A pretty simple project, and more importantly…pretty inexpensive. Now, you might think that a pre-made shelf doesn’t cost that much, but I just like working with wood.

Take a look at the link and see what you think.