Isn’t it funny it’s called a PIE chart?!
And it is so skewed it’s not even funny… Really, it isn’t. I need to donate to something else ASAP!
Stirring Things Up
Love people. Cook them good food.
Last Minute Gifts and Kiddo Food
Merry Christmas, y’all! I’m here at home on Christmas Eve while my boyfriend is working. I’ve been playing with tons of projects like jewelry making (future posts coming), baking dog treats, baking mini cakes and making soaps and other crafts. My favorite is something I came up with while browsing the aisles at Ben Franklin. It just came to me and I love the way it turned out!
I made some supersized glitter monogram magnets, one for our fridge at home and one for my brother and his wife. My boyfriend’s last initial is “W” and my brother’s is “P”. I started off with 2 wooden letters, about 4″ tall or so.
I put foil underneath to protect the surface of my desk and then coated the letter with Modge Podge and sprinkled all sides and top with glitter.
I decided to try a slightly different technique with the “W” to alter the color so I used that cheap acrylic craft paint in a mix of yellow and gold and painted directly onto the wood.
I then sprinkled glitter on the top and sides of the “W” and let both sit for an hour to dry. Once they were both dry, I sprayed with a clear spray adhesive (clear spray paint or sealant would work fine as well) and then covered in glitter again. I let them sit to dry for another hour. You can see that the “W” has a gold tone to it while the “P” retains a more clear/white glitter tone. I imagine this technique would work well with most paint/glitter color combinations so play with it until you get what you’re looking for.
For dinner, I just grabbed something quick and easy and it wasn’t until I sat down to eat that I realized how much this dinner was a mash-up of my childhood. I have always loved a good peanut butter and jelly and I used to hate brussels sprouts, but now I’m obsessed with them. They are easily becoming my favorite food.
I got my peanut butter from the little mill at the local grocery store. I love fresh peanut butter and switched so long ago that I just can’t even eat the other stuff anymore. No JIF for me, thanks. And this jam (OMG this JAAAAM!) is so absolutely delicious. We got the jams through our delivery from Dominion Harvest and I’ve been working my way slowly through the strawberry jam. It’s one of the best jams I’ve ever had.
Holiday Wish Lists
It’s long been a tradition in my family, and many families over America, to create wish lists for Christmas. Obviously, there are many practical benefits to this. It can spark ideas and inspiration or just give you a sure fit if you’re not feeling creative. I mean, if you’re spending money, you want the recipient to like what you got them, right? Of course, many people see down sides to registries and the like as well, and I understand that, too. I struggle with the “Is my gift unique and special enough?” question every time I purchase something of a wedding registry. But then again, they want it, I can get it, shouldn’t we both be happy? Anyway, I guess I’ve never really figured out what the right balance is with wish lists and registries for Christmas or weddings or birthdays or showers, but I still use them. And at the request of the family, I still make them for myself.
So, here are some of my favorites from my wish list this year:
- Baking and Kitchen Tools: I have started baking things way more than I used to. Mostly hearty and savory items like breads and biscuits, but also some other things like pies and streudels! This is all very new to me and I will be the first to admit that I am the worst at measuring things and being precise. When I cook, I throw things together and I use my eyes and hands to measure cups and tablespoons.
Biscuit Cutters - Williams Sonoma ($16.95)
EatSmart Precision Pro Multifunction Digital Kitchen Scale - Amazon.com ($25.00)
Emile Henry Couleurs Pie Dish - Amazon.com ($43.94)
- Cookbooks: These really stood out to me.
Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi - Barnes & Noble ($21.21 online)
Ancient Grains for Modern Meals - Barnes & Noble ($18.94 online)
- Fitness: I’ve been getting more and more into a healthy, fit lifestyle and I’ve had my eye on a few of these things for a while.
Polar FT7 Heart Rate Monitor - HeartMonitors.com ($119.99)
C9 by Champion Running Capris - Target ($22.99)
- From fashion to photography, here’s a few extras:
My Kind of Folk Dress - Modcloth.com (Sold Out, naturally)
…and many more… but it’s time for me to run off to a surgery. (Yep, you heard that right… another one.) But I’ll be back to you soon. Hope you have great luck finding things for everyone on your lists! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
DO YOU USE WISH LISTS?
Wisdom No More
I’ve been MIA because my life has been temporarily ruined by a horrible cold followed by wisdom tooth extractions (all 4) and recovery. And I don’t think you need to see photos of the same mashed potatoes a hundred times in a row. 
Be back soon!
Good Guide Transparency Toolbar
I was reading my latest issue of Vegetarian Times this morning and happened across a blurb about a website called Good Guide. They make a free extension for your Chrome or Firefox browser called Transparency Toolbar that will show you a product’s animal welfare, fair trade, energy efficiency and human rights ratings instantly. It’s very helpful when you are creating your holiday wish list on Amazon.com or buying gifts for friends and family.
Funny Friday: 12/2/11
I think from now on I’m going to post a fun video, photo, link or otherwise entertaining web find on Fridays. It will always be related to food somehow.
Here is my favorite thing on the web today (explicit):
Enjoy!
Thanksgiving Leftovers Soup
I stood in front of a fridge packed full like a kid’s closet. A couple of times I opened the door and a bottle of sparkling cider, wine or a boursin would fall out and hit me in the shin. I cursed this fridge, full of leftovers from Thanksgiving. Pies, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, casserole, vegetables, strudels, and a hundred different types of cheese. I couldn’t find anything, I couldn’t put anything new in there and damnit, I was sick of the same leftovers and I was not going to eat it anymore!
So I decided to make a dish out of my leftovers that didn’t taste like giving thanks. As someone who doesn’t eat turkey, google searches for leftovers were a wash, so I had to get creative.
I decided on soup. And o.m.g. I’m glad I did. It was delicious.
Thanksgiving Leftovers Soup
No recipe. I heated some frozen celery leaves with no-chicken broth in a pot, added some Sunny Paris seasoning from Penzey’s and let that heat up. Tossed in some rustic truffled mashed potatoes (chunky, with skins) and some cheesy corn casserole. Added black pepper, crushed red pepper and salt. And boom! Soup!
We had this soup for dinner last night with a vegetarian reuben and it was amazing. What a hearty, winter meal!
Lemongrass Pea and Napa Slaw
Ever realize at 10:00PM that tomorrow is your work’s Thanksgiving potluck and you’ve prepared nothing? Well, hey, me too!
So I dug through the kitchen pantry and the fridge to see what sort of concoction I could throw together and came up with something I will definitely be making again because it is truly delicious – how’s that for a win-win! Luckily, we had just gotten our produce box from Dominion Harvest on Wednesday, which featured local Napa cabbage and big, beautiful radishes that I used here.
Lemongrass Pea and Napa Slaw
The beautiful colors of this dish make it a crowd pleaser.
- 1 cup (dry) Minnesota wild rice, cooked in rice cooker with 1 tsp frozen chopped lemongrass
- 2.5 cups frozen peas, thawed
- 1/2 large red onion, chopped
- 2 large radishes, chopped
- 6 outer leaves Napa (Chinese) cabbage, shredded
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup light Duke’s mayonnaise
- juice from 1 lemon
- 3 TBS rice wine vinegar
- 1-2 tsp garlic powder, depending on taste
- 1 TBS finely grated lemongrass (I use frozen chopped lemongrass)
- 1 TBS dill
- 1 TBS finely shopped chives
- 1 tsp toasted onion powder (I like the one from Penzey’s)
- parsley and pepper to taste
Instructions – Add all ingredients to bowl. Mix. Serve. Eat. Enjoy.
Yummy!
Last minute deliciousness!
List: Things I’d Eat Everyday (If It Didn’t Make Me Fat)
Sometimes, when I’m eating something delicious, I think about how, with no consequences related to health or body, I could eat something everyday and not get sick of it. Sometimes the flavors are just too perfect. So here is my list of…
Things I’d Eat Everyday (If It Didn’t Make Me Fat…Or Dead or Diseased or Smell Funny):
(in no particular order)
- Dolmades
- Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt
- Margherita Pizza
- Manchego Cheese with Spanish Wine
- Pistachio Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache Macarons from Petites Bouchées
- Pad Thai with Tofu
- Tom Yum Goong
- Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout Float with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- Vegetarian Hu Tieu
- Huevos Rancheros
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Miso Soup
- Raw Oysters
- Grilled Whole Branzino with Lemon Beurre Blanc
- Vegetable Korma
- Mac n’ Cheese
- Pomme Frites with Truffle Honey and Parmesan
- Local, Fresh Honey
- Avocado Toast with Garlic and Salt
- Figs
- Chevre
- Balsamic anything
Whew, and that list could go on!
