I don't do ramen

Update

2010-08-31T17:57:00.000-07:00

First: Woohoo for 101 posts!! I'm a regular busy bee!

Second: I apologize for infrequent posts. I have begun the fun task of job-searching since returning from New York! I have also started up a new book blog (Bella Libreria) and have recently been approved to become a DIY Examiner!! :D

That and the wedding, I've been pretty busy! But I will be posting more, and I will set up an actual formula for this blog and the new one on Wordpress. I'm hoping to build a larger readership so that my blogs can become a community, one for DIY and cooking and the other for book lovers. Join me?

Artichoke Pizza in East Village, NYC

2010-07-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

I don't do this, plug other people's food, but I have to in this case. My roommate and a friend dragged me away from the dorm last night to go for pizza. I hadn't had proper New York pizza yet, so I was intrigued and agreed.

I had to go back and get a picture this morning so I could properly write about this great place.

Artichoke had a line out the door, which really isn't saying much since the place is so small. There was no seating inside, but a couple of benches just out the door. We ended up ordering our food and eating on the neighbor's stoop, next to a bar.

Now, I do not like white sauces as a general rule. I'm not a fan of Parmesan cheese at all. However, I was talked into trying the artichoke pizza, which is artichoke, spinach, mozzarella ( I think anyway), and a white sauce. To say it was heavenly does not begin to cover how magnificent this pizza was!

A little warning, the pizza is extremely messy. The sauce kind of oozes everywhere. I'm also not a fan of messy foods, but the flavor kept me too happy to fuss too much.

Price: $4.50 per slice, which is huge
Options: Artichoke, Margherita ($4), Crab, and Sicilian ($4)
http://www.artichokepizza.com/

The Today Show: Kristen Stewart

2010-06-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

My roommate wanted to go to the Today Show to see a Twilight character. This wasn't our first attempt, I might add. We tried a couple of weeks ago to see Edward Cullen, but turns out that Rob wasn't actually there. It was a pre-recorded interview, so we had woken up for little reason. This time we went for Kristen Stewart, who was actually there.

In all fairness, I had an amazing time. The night before, we sat down and made out some posters for the big event. No one could think of anything particularly witty to say to Twilight, so we looked elsewhere. We ended up deciding to reference Kristen Stewart's older movies: Adventureland, Panic Room, and Zathura. Below is my poster.

The next morning, we woke up around 3:30 am and all (roomie, roomie's friend, and me) headed out at 4am. Thanks to our past experience, we knew not to try the Subway and so grabbed a cab. I haven't seen the streets so empty. Amazingly, we were not the first people in line at all. There were about 15-20 people already set up in front of us.

At some point, a free coffee and bagel van pulled up. I didn't get either the coffee or the bagel, but those who did said they were awful. I did, foolishly by the way, try the free Rosemary and Oil Chips, which were far too salty and the rosemary reminded me of roasted chicken.

Below are my roommate (on the right) and a friend she met at a Twilight convention.

Once inside, things did not speed up at all, despite having waiting 2.5 hours on the street. For whatever reason, the remaining 30-45 minutes until the fun part seemed to take a while. During our wait, we met Jennifer (pictured below) and Chef Jeff. Jennifer was amazing and seemed to be full of energy, which helped me perk up a bit.

I also got a kick out of seeing the hosts of The Today Show live. I had seen the show hundreds of times and never thought I would be right where I was standing, a member in the crowd with a goofy poster in hand. I even got to see Al Roker doing the weather.

Finally, Kristen Stewart came out. Amazingly, she came straight up to our section, though only did 2 autographs before walking over to her interview. I must say, though I haven't gotten into Twilight, I was slightly star struck. I put my camera on burst and took several pictures while the people around me scrambled to get autographs. It was the craziest feeling! And what a gorgeous girl.

Along with Kristen Stewart, the Today Show had a barbecue competition.

Chef Jeff won!! Then, of course, my roommate and I had to run to class. It was a lovely day and a great time.

NYC: Busy in the City

2010-06-22T05:07:00.001-07:00

New York, New York. This is one crazy town! We had a great weekend! A group of us went to Coney Island for the famous Mermaid Parade. It was absolutely amazing.

We rounded up around 11am and headed out on what seemed like the longest subway ride ever--in reality it was only an hour. One man on the train was extremely loud and excited about the parade, which only served to make me more excited about it as well. Then, the second I saw what I recognized from the movies as Coney Island, I turned into a 6 year old. I couldn't contain how thrilled I was to be finally seeing Coney Island, a place I had always said I'd go but never knew thought I actually would go.

It was as grungy and magical as I had expected. We went onto the boardwalk and got a Nathan's hot dog each, another item to cross off my bucket list (yes, I realize I'm a bit young to have one of those lists, but oh well). Then we went on the overpriced yet insanely fun rides! We only picked two each, which cost me $11 for my tickets alone.

Spook-o-Rama was hilarious! I rode with my roommate and we both screamed the entire time. I about died with laughter when we came out the other end. We also went on the Wonder Wheel, which I don't recommend if you're terrified of heights. We were in one of the colored cabs on the ferris wheel, which moves on a track. Oh my goodness! I knew it would swing but when it actually started sliding, I grabbed a hold of the cage and didn't let go again until we were closer to the ground. Irrational, yes. This particular ride boasts never having an accident in its 80 years of service.

The parade itself was so entertaining! Half of the marchers protested against BP and the oil spill with signs such as "End Violence Against Mermaids" and walking around with black paint splattered on their bodies. Others just danced and had a great time, like the man in the short wedding dress in one of the pictures below.

The crowd got overwhelming, so we didn't stay to see the whole thing. We moved towards the beach, a more difficult feat than we anticipated! It took several minutes to push through the crowd while trying to keep the group from being separated. The beach, though, was no better. I swear, I've never seen so many people on a beach before!

On the more ordinary side of things, my hands are completely stir-crazy. I "smartly" left my sewing and crocheting supplies at home, and so haven't crafted a thing in a couple of weeks. I'm dying to go out and find a craft store (hopefully not too expensive of one) and get some supplies. Then I won't feel so restless when I come in and have nothing to do. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know! :D

Microwave Meal: Macaroni

2010-06-17T05:05:00.000-07:00

I love love love Italian food, especially when made nearly from scratch. However, it's difficult to make a perfectly Italian, delicious meal when your only pot is the size of a butter melt. What to do?

Well, I popped over to Kmart and bought the bits and pieces to pull off spaghetti from a microwave, which is less difficult than one might think! I used microwavable safe mixing bowls, macaroni noodles (because I never cook spaghetti noodles properly), and a jar of spaghetti sauce.

1. In a large mixing bowl, put the noodles and enough 4-5 cups of water, more if you want more of a buffer. Place the bowl in the microwave for 10 minutes, keeping an eye on it.
2. In a separate bowl, pour the spaghetti sauce. I love kicking things up a notch, so I added fresh minced garlic and a lot of basil (by far my favorite herb).
3. Once the noodles are done, put the sauce into the microwave. I like to go 2 minutes to start and then 30 second increments until the sauce is nice and hot.

Voila! Serve and enjoy!

Trader Joe's and Microwave Meals

2010-06-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

The one thing I am really not enjoying about this summer at NYU is the kitchen. Now, I don't mind a small kitchen by any means. The problem is, I didn't bring any pans. (Smart girl!) All we have that I can use without going shopping is the microwave. I am going to have to get inventive if I want to cook during these 6 weeks!

Along those lines, I have just found Trader Joe'! We didn't have one of these in my area of Texas. For those of you who also don't have it, Trader Joe's seems to be organic, or at least healthy foods without a high price tag, which is perfect for students like me. The one downstairs is fairly small, but I can find almost anything I want.

For now, my meals have been microwave foods from the store, such as oriental soups and the French Onion soup. Both of which are amazing! However, I'm feeling restless. Friends! Colleagues! Does anyone have a great microwave recipe?

NYC: Surviving Manhattan

2010-06-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

First official day of NYU SPI! For the record, I probably won't write every day and I won't give away all the awesome goodness. To get that, you need to enroll in this program yourself! :P I will, though, check in and stuff.

So I'm checking in! It's been a super long day and I am about beat. We commenced "class" at 9am and I didn't leave the building until around 7:45-8pm. I'm completely exhausted. We talked about everything from where the money is in magazine publishing to the advancement of technology.

Let me tell you! One thing we talked about was electronic reusable paper, which is a lot like what the Kindle is apparently (I had no idea beforehand). It's supposedly going to be as thin and flexible as paper in the future! I want one now! lol But that is probably an exceptionally bad idea. I would be the nut who would think...if I fold it into an electronic reusable paper airplane, will it fly? And it will be broken.

I also learned a key difference between the Kindle and the iPad. Apparently, the Kindle's screen does not reflect light. In fact, the brighter the light, the clearer the text. Just like a regular print book. iPad has a regular screen that the brighter the light, the more reflected. Good to know!

I'm completely sore from the running around. I know, there hasn't been that much. Just up and down stairs in the subway and in the building, but I haven't been active much lately. I'm sure I will get used to it by the end of the program.

Same goes for traffic!! My goodness NYC is a slow city! In London when crossing the streets, if the hand says "no walking" you don't walk. You will get run over. Here, the cars will honk at you but they will always stop. It's nuts! And the people walk so much slower on the sidewalk. And everything looks like it's meant to be just like London (Subway is very similar not that it's underground transportation but if you actually look like it). Also, the regions have the same names, like Greenwich. It's like London on a sleeping pill, I think.

Well, this girl has homework to do that's due tomorrow!

BTW Trader Joe's oriental soups are awesome.

NYC: If I can make it here...

2010-06-06T14:31:00.001-07:00

Hello from not-so-sunny New York! I finally made it into the dorm room and am settled!

I had a heck of a trip. Yesterday folks and I left at 6am to get me to the airport by 8am so I could catch a plane for 10am. I think I got 2-3 hours of sleep that night. Then I landed in LaGuardia and took a shuttle to a lovely hotel across the street from the largest and most packed graveyard I have ever seen! Seriously, the ones in London have nothing on this! Next morning bright and early I took a cab here to the dorm!

I went around the city with one of my roommates and her family. Here is some of what I saw:

Tomorrow we meet up with our groups to pitch project ideas! I have found out that I will be the Marketing Director for my group, which is odd. I know why, though. I wrote on my resume that I had made a couple of news releases. I never said they were good, though.

Along those lines, I have made a decision. I will play a role in a movie during my time here. I'm not the scaredy cat girl who doesn't talk. Instead, I'm the smart, clever, social butterfly who impresses. I'm getting a job out of this thing. lol Well, I hope so anyway. Time for homework!

NYC: Empire State of Packing

2010-05-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

I am halfway to New York. Ok, I'm halfway to ready to go.

Plane Ticket....check
Hotel for arrival....check
Hotel for departure....check
20 Magazines....check

I have decided maybe magazines won't be too bad. However, I wasn't the kind of teen who actively read magazines. I never sat on my bed flipping through Cosmopolitan or Seventeen. I read books and watched films. So I went out and bought every magazine that all of the speakers for NYU Publishing Institute work at. $80 worth of magazines. Ok, some extra bridal magazines as well! (I may not really feel like a bride but it's not for lack of trying!)

I'm just waiting on the loan, which STILL has not been completed. The company says it has everything it needs from me and is waiting on NYU to confirm everything. That's nerve-wracking. It's supposed to distribute TOMORROW. Oy vey! Last thing I want, which I am dreading, is the institute's coordinator telling me to go home because nothing was paid. How humiliating!

The blog will start to resemble the London format once again. I can only take so much crafting with me as I'm working with limited space. I'm thinking embroidery or crocheting. There will be cooking, though! I live upstairs above a Trader Joe's. I have never been to one, but I hear the foods are great. Plus, the park nearby has a market every Sunday. Any Sunday I'm not in class, you will find me there!

4 Days to go and COUNTING!

Chicken Recipe: Mom's Chicken

2010-05-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

This actually is a slight variation of my mom's fried chicken recipe, which I believe was passed down from my great-great grandmother. I added a couple of extra spices to give it some more flavor, but the basic recipe remains the same.

As this is fried chicken, it's a bit of a diet buster! The best thing I can say is, one meal isn't going to kill you. You can be bad for A meal without wrecking all of your hard work.

Ingredients:
Mix of chicken breasts, thighs, or legs according to preference
3 cups of buttermilk (substitute can be found in salad dressing post)
Cayenne pepper
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
3 cups of flour

1. Earlier in the day, like before work, put the chicken into a bath of buttermilk, about 2 cups worth, and soak in the fridge.
2. Pour enough vegetable oil up to about 1/2 inch in a cast iron skillet (regular sided frying pan if you don't have the great pleasure of owning a cast iron skillet). Heat to boiling, BUT be extremely careful!
3. Mix the cayenne pepper, garlic, and salt into the flour. It's hard to quantify, so mix according to taste. I usually overdo it and put in enough so I can see every seasoning.
4. As the oil is heating up (and keeping a very watchful eye on it!), dredge the pre-soaked chicken the flour mixture. Then dip the chicken in buttermilk (the remaining cup), just enough to dampen but not enough to wash away the flour and seasonings.
5. Put the chicken into the skillet and let cook for 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it! After 5 minutes, flip it and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
6. Test the temperature. Properly cooked chicken is about 165 degrees internally. If it needs to go longer, flip it over and keep an eye on the temperature.

Serve with delicious cheesy, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted Brussel sprouts for a delicious meal!

DIY Deviance: Summer Sewin'

2010-05-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

Apologies for such a delay! Finally school is over and I have graduated with an B.A. in English. Here in a couple of weeks I will be headed off for NYC to the NYU Summer Publishing Institute, provided all the loan papers get processed and approved in time. I'm super excited!! I will be studying magazine, digital, and book publishing in a 6 week intensive program. I am leaning more towards books because I've always been a book nerd. I don't really ever read magazines. Even planning the wedding, I look at a magazine for an average of 5 minutes tops. Also, I don't really care for digital reading. I've tried it a few times, but I love the weight of books in my hands. I just don't think I could trade that in for the world.

In the meantime between graduation and NYU, I've been busy sewing and packing up the apartment. I finally broke out the ole (okay brand spanking new) sewing machine. I'm officially addicted to it. I have 4 pillows completed and one in limbo while I await stuffing (which I left at my parent's house). They're inspired by London, where my hubby-to-be is currently. They are not perfect pillows and not from patterns, but I love them.

My terrible Union Jack

My tribute to Banksy

Random polka dots, obviously no London connection here, just trying to make a set

Fluffy Happy Sunshine pillow

Work currently in progress. I'm planning on somehow putting the number 159, which was the bus I took more often than any others (to get to my guy) and so has a special meaning to me.

Rocker Shoes

2010-03-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

The Women's Shape-Ups - Fitness Junkie from Sketchers.com (Mine are pinker!)

Ooooh! One more thing! I got rocker shoes! lol Not the super expensive Sketcher's Shape-ups ($110 a pop). My mom and I were looking for trainers that I could walk and work-out in and I just had to at least try these on. I expected to hate them so that I could get over it and be done with it. Unfortunately, I am a kid. And with these shoes, when you stand straight, you can rock back and forth. We also got a really good deal for two pairs; one for her and one for me.

These shoes claim to do everything the Shape-ups say: tone butt and legs, improve posture, improve balance and strength, promote weight loss, etc. All well and good. I'm not a doctor or an analyst so disregard my opinions and seek professionals. This is just what I think of them.

Improve posture? Probably. You have to stand proper to avoid falling backwards.
Improve balance? Same story. You're walking on a constantly uneven surface.
Strength and toning? Meh. We shall see about that. I can see this as being fairly minimal and shouldn't replace actual exercise. Many experts who have written on these shoes agree on that.
Promote weight loss? YES! Because you'll feel like a kid and want to rock back and forth in these for hours on end and it feels like walking on a moon-bounce. Oh, wait. That might just be me.

Fun factor 100%! Giggle factor 100%! But worth the money? Sure for me because it's hours of entertainment and silliness. But I wouldn't chose this over working out. And you really should not use these in your workouts. Just walking down a very small hill, I felt a twinge in my foot. These are good for walking, but not running as well. Ergo, in the end I had to get real trainers as well.

Updating

2010-03-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I have become completely hooked on Biggest Loser, cliche! But it's true. Seeing these people struggle and overcome weight loss is extremely inspiring. Here are men and women my weight, some lower and some higher (poor Michael), and I can look up to them. In fact, most episodes, I feel so guilty sitting on my butt watching them that I either start doing steps on my step stool or lift my little 5lb. hand weights and afterward do a full workout.

So what have I been doing with the weight loss? Not too terribly much. Start of March I managed to lose a couple inches in a week and a half, which was exciting, but I soon crashed afterwards. I though, obviously mistakenly, that since I was working out (a whole glorious 20-30 minutes most days), I could eat whatever. This included oreos and a pizza one night, which my poor stomach regretted not even an hour later. Obviously this tactic did not work and it was only through prayer that I fit into my wedding dress for bridal portraits the following week.

Since then it's been a struggle to figure out what to do next. I bought the Biggest Loser Wii game, which is kind of fun but I am paranoid about making loud thumping sounds and disturbing my neighbor the floor below me. So I do this in moderation and skip the jumping jacks. I did impress myself, though, in the weight loss yoga when I lifted all well over 200 pounds of me into a downward dog and, alternating and holding for 30 seconds each, I was able to do it on one leg. Of course, my arms and shoulders were killing me, but it was a nice, small accomplishment.

I have finally overcome my gym-phobia as well. Last week I decided that I just had to go to the gym and make it part of my routine. I could do more there than I could at home. Last week was more of a trial run and I lost 1/2 inch across my body and feel stronger already. Now this week I am trying out a weekly routine to see how I do. Monday, Wednesday, Friday I will do cardio or treadmill walking for 1 hour with the goal of burning 400-500 calories. Tuesday and Thursday is strength-training for 1 hour with no calorie goal because I haven't really figured out how to measure it. Also, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I have a potential 30 minutes I can add and go to the gym in the afternoons to do a little extra.

Unfortunately, this week is Easter weekend, so I will have no school on Friday. I'm going home and that means figuring out some way to get the hour in. The articles I have been reading recommend 7 hours a week of workout, so I'm still working out how to do things. I will write back with how this week has gone and the results.

From diet to diet to diet

2010-03-01T06:09:00.000-08:00

It seems inevitable that once one diet ends, the next must begin. Today marks my official completion of HcG, 26 days on and 26 days off. Technically, I could begin again starting today, but as I have no desire to spend any more money to go get the required fattening food to begin, I'm opting out. Therefore, I'm in search of the next big thing.

I did great with HcG, lost 20 pounds and kept it off for the 26 days. However, I was a bit disheartened that no one noticed a change. Solution? Trying something else. Last week I started the Biggest Loser Workout (the original one) and incorporated both the dvd and the book together for a 30-40 minute daily workout. You are supposed to break a day in the week, but I feel guilty not doing anything, so I stayed with it. I also maintained my low calorie diet; since HcG, I still can't seem to stomach higher calorie levels and I'm just not that hungry. In a week and a half I shrunk an average 1.5-2 inches across my body, excluding hips and upper arms--the notoriously most difficult areas. I feel stronger, my breathing is much easier, and I'm seeing measurable results faster than with HcG.

Oh, and yes, I do watch Biggest Loser, but only recently. I get excited for everyone on the show, and often motivated to get up and do just a little bit more exercise before the night is through. I'm particularly rooting for Michael, who I think needs the weight loss more than anyone, having started out around 500 pounds. I do think it's a bit crazy, though, to see disappointment in their faces when they've only lost 3-4 pounds. I know they work extraordinarily hard, but any weight loss is good, no matter how little.

Other news! I have submitted my resume and cover letter to Random House in hopes of becoming a publisher's assistant. I absolutely love books and have been a collector since I was very young. I really want to break into the publishing world, so I'm applying for jobs as well as grad school programs to get my masters and to learn more about the vast field. Hopefully I find a way to get my foot in the door! *crosses fingers*

Also! My fly-away bracelet is currently on showcase in Etsy's bracelet section! Check it out:
http://www.etsy.com/category/jewelry/bracelet

No new news from the government. We are still waiting to hear if the fiance petition will be accepted and if Ken will get back in time for the wedding. I'm a nervous wreck, so I have been trying to keep as busy as possible with homework and craftwork, specifically for the presentation rescheduled for tomorrow (bad news, though, is that I have no voice and so presenting will be interesting).

(Caption: Not all crafting ideas go right! I needed blue feathers, so decided to dye them. I ended up with purple feathers, which doesn't quite work.)

Today, I have hit 15 readers on here, which is exciting! I want to hear from you! Random comments? Relevant comments? Life in general? Doesn't matter! Leave a comment below or hit me up on twitter.

http://twitter.com/idontdoramen

Egg Recipe: Mama's Deviled Eggs

2010-02-23T16:17:00.000-08:00

I have been in such a mood for deviled eggs the past couple of days. I always love it when my mom makes these on holidays, but Easter is too far away! I want to make my own!

Here's the scheme. I know that paprika is the best thing to mix with the eggs, but I'm tired. I want to spice things up! I'm going to add 5 different seasonings and have a colorful collection!

The Spices:
Cayenne
Dry mustard
Fajita seasoning (yes, I'm serious!)

Directions:
1. Boil the eggs for at least 7 minutes. (I never actually get this part right and get that slightly hardened stage between soft and hard boiled eggs.)
2. Cut the eggs in half and scoop the yolks out into a small bowl.
3. Mix with 1 Tbsp. of Miracle Whip (depends on how many eggs you make; I'm doing 8).
4. Add a touch of mustard to taste.
5. Set out the empty halves and fill with the new filling.
6. Sprinkle on your seasonings!

Sidenote: Of these spices, the cayenne was by far my favorite! I would have to say I like it even better than paprika!

DYI Deviance: DYI-ing up a storm

2010-02-21T18:51:00.000-08:00

Right, so I've been extremely bummed lately. I've been going through my engagement alone. My guy is in London and while we talk as much as possible, it's not the same. So I've been DIY-ing up a storm between reading assignments. :D

Here's what we've got from this weekend alone:

Re-Opening!

2010-02-11T18:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, so if you read previous entries, I started to get depressed at the lack of success with my shop. I closed up, technically I put it into vacation mode, and thought about not

http://www.etsy.com/shop/stasiamb

Ranch Dressing Recipe

2010-02-08T16:06:00.000-08:00

I'm a big lover of Ranch dressing! I think that's either just a Texan thing or just an American thing. Today I decided to heck with store bought brands. I will make my own and it will be amazing.

I did have an oops, though. I didn't have proper garlic, so I used dehydrated flakes. I was upset that the flavor wasn't very garlic to begin with. Turns out that if you let it sit overnight, the garlic flakes rehydrate and the flavor comes bursting out!

Ingredients:
1 cup light mayo
1 cup buttermilk (see below for alternative)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
1 clove of garlic (or 1/2 tsp of dried garlic or to taste)
2 tsps. lemon juice
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. celery leaves (I prefer fresh, but dried is just fine)

Directions:
1. Mix all the items together. (If you want super uber smooth, blend them, but I just mixed it by hand).
2. Put in the fridge for 24 hours (especially important if you used dried garlic).

NOTE! If the consistency seems too thick, add a little more buttermilk. If too fluid for you, add a little bit more mayo.

Buttermilk Substitute: Add 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice to a cup of milk. Stir well and then let sit for 10 minutes.

Spring Cleaning!

2010-02-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

I put the shop on holiday mode. Opening the shop was probably one of the silliest and most spontaneous (yes I realize it took months to talk me into it in the first place) things I've ever done. I may close things down, although then there'd be no chance of an outlet for all these pieces I have accumulated, both vintage pieces and my own.

My mother is coming tomorrow, so my usual college student pigsty needed a good clean-up. In part of this, I finally put up my corkboard displays to hang up the jewelry and rosettes.

I have far too much of this junk in my apartment, and even more vintage pieces I have inherited. They're the silly things that keep me out of trouble when my mind feels like it's going to explode or when I'm missing my fiance so much that I need a distraction. I can then sit down and focus for a couple of hours and nothing gets into my mind. Unfortunately, this has resulted in my huge collection, of which these couple of pictures show hardly a fraction.

HcG Information: Last Day of this Phase

2010-02-03T06:01:00.000-08:00

Yay!! I'm on the last day of the first 26 days of HcG. I'm so happy! The food has been ok up until now, but I'm really ready for some variety. Particularly, cheese. I didn't think I'd miss it as much as I have. Oh, well. Tomorrow is nearly here.

I've topped off at 20 pounds, gaining and losing every other day. I was hoping for more, especially during the last week, but this is good enough for now. Anything less than my previous weight is an improvement and I'm definitely feeling the health benefits.

Tomorrow starts the 1500 calorie per day and I'm really not sure what to do.I have a set routine and now I need to triple my intake? I need to sit down tonight and formulate my game plan. At least I'm not so limited. I can actually mix 2 veggies tomorrow lol. Or I can even have that amazing broccoli and cheese soup waiting for me in the pantry. I still need to eat healthy, but the options are now much more open.

How are things going in your experience? Leave a comment below or twitter me!
http://twitter.com/idontdoramen

Coming to an attic near you!

2010-01-29T20:18:00.000-08:00

Stasia's Whimsical Attic is about to adopt hair pieces as well as jewelry! :D I've been experimenting with the rosettes and various fascinators and so far we have two newbies getting ready to join the shop. (Not that there are any customers as of yet, but I'm going to be in the earrings showcase February 2!)

First up, La Barrette Rosette

I really quite like this piece. :D

And then we have nameless fascinator, or as my brother calls them, astonishers.

And yes, that's my Christmas tree in the background. It's nearly February and it's still up. That's nothing, really. Last year I put it up and didn't put it away again until I moved out of student living in June.

Anyway, I would love to hear your opinions! Please let me know what you think of these items by either leaving a comment below or catch me on twitter! :D
http://twitter.com/idontdoramen

HcG Information: 1 week to go!

2010-01-25T04:39:00.000-08:00

Yay! I'm down to 1 week left. I have just a little bit of February and then I'm done with this phase of HcG (I'm on a 26 day program). I'm very excited to open up my options quite a bit more, not that I've had too much difficulty anymore sticking to the diet. I was even pretty good at the fancy dinner Saturday night.

How am I doing with it? I hit 20 pounds, which is the goal I set for the whole program. Since I have a week left, I figure I might as well give it my all for the homestretch. It's much easier now and I actually do get full around 500 calories. I'm also exercising 5 days a week and I feel restless on the weekends when I don't workout, but I have to study too.

So what do we do when we're past the hard part of HcG? I've been planning ahead for this specifically because I know I'm going to need to go get groceries before I'm all done. (By the way, my last grocery bill was $30. I love HcG.)

On the 26 day program, you stop taking the HcG at 24 days but maintain the 500 calorie diet for 3 more days. I read in Simeon's Protocol that this is because there is still HcG in your system and if you had even a little fat, your weight would go back up.

After day 26, you start a new 26 day program. Now you eat up to 1500 calories, but absolutely no lower than 1000. You can add the lean fats, milk and cheese, nuts, and any fruits or vegetables under the sun. There are still no's to adhere to, but let's face it, after these past couple of weeks, they're mild.

*No sugars or sweeteners (including honey and corn syrup)
*No breads or starch
*No fast food or Trans fats (which often times go hand in hand together)

The thing I think I will find most challenging is eating more calories to get up to the new amount. I also hope that I won't stop the exercising because it has improved my posture, balance, and energies so much.

Where are you at with the program? Comment below or twitter me! :D
http://twitter.com/idontdoramen

Seafood Recipe: Crab Cakes

2010-01-24T15:47:00.000-08:00

Ok. This is a really different recipe. I have always wanted to try homemade crab cakes, and HcG might not be the best time! However, crab IS definitely allowed!

This recipe is not my own but is an amalgamation of several recipes I have come across along with a regular crab cake recipe that hasn't been downsized for HcG. As is my curse, I can't seem to stick with a recipe!

Ingredients:
4 ounces of crab (or crab imitation, but the real stuff is much better)
1 garlic clove sliced into several slivers
2 pearl onions minced as best as you can
1⁄4 tsp. lemon zest (I love the added flavor but don't like putting in too much. Do according to taste)
A pinch salt
Pepper to taste
2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
3. Split the mix in half and form into hamburger like patties. You can add additional flavorings here like a bit more pepper, cayenne, etc. I love adding a touch of smoked paprika!
4. Place these little crab cakes onto a tinfoil lined cookie sheet. Bake these babies for 15 minutes or until golden brown. (Keep an eye on these suckers! I let mine go too long and they turned out extra done!)

DIY Deviance New Experiment: Fabric Rosettes

2010-01-23T07:00:00.001-08:00

I've been experimenting with fabrics and necklaces in my spare time, which is few and far between at this point. However, last night I really worked on it.

My first attempt was a couple months ago. I'm considering adding more chain to it or something to fill it out. It's not bad, but it's looking a little sparse.

Then last night I made another attempt. I decided I wanted to try these rolled fabric rosette things I see popping up here and there. It took a little experimenting, but I finally got a system I can work with. The necklace doesn't look good on me, so I won't be wearing it, but maybe someone else will someday. Here is the final product of 5 hours of work messing up and then finally getting it right.

I'm so pleased with it that I'm considering making a bunch more for the shop. :D We shall see! Wish me good luck at the conference! Ciao!

HcG Information: What can I drink?

2010-01-22T19:12:00.001-08:00

First, my update: I have hit the infamous plateau and everything has slowed down. I'm very much looking forward to this part being over with so that I can lose weight. I also have a huge temptation tomorrow night. I am going to a conference where we are having (as lame as it sounds) a large etiquette dinner tomorrow night with gorgeous foods. I don't want to slip now, especially on the plateau. I'm doing so well with the daily exercise and eating right.

Now! On to what I really want to discuss. Water gets REALLY boring after a while. It's the same taste and, frankly, it's a bit blah. So, what's a good alternative?

Unfortunately for me, alcohol is not on the menu. I say unfortunately because part of this conference is a cocktail networking hour. I will be the only one without at least a sip of wine, but I really don't drink.

Ok, enough with the No's. This diet is all no's. What can we ACTUALLY drink other than water?

1. Tea. All kinds! Do you realize how limitless this is? I have 6 or 7 in my cupboard. Particularly drink green tea; the antioxidants in it are amazing. However, if you're like me and hate the taste, get a mixed green tea. Pomegranate green tea is fabulous!
2. Coffee. this is also fairly limitless. If you don't drink it black, there are a couple things to keep in mind. First, you only get 1 teaspoon/Tablespoon (I can't remember which, but I will find the reference) of milk with your coffee and, Second, you should substitute refined sugar with Stevia. It's a great new sweetener that's not artificial.
3. Mineral water. I know nothing about this because I really don't care for mineral water. It's all filtered from the tap for me.

You can drink as much of these as you want! Just make sure you are getting at least 2 liters of water in your system.

*Further information on all things HcG diet can be found in Dr. Simeon's Protocol, a copy of which can be found at: http://www.thehcgdiet.com/pdf/pounds-and-inches-by-dr-a-t-w-simeons.pdf

Blissful Nothingness

2010-01-21T20:07:00.000-08:00

I have been on pause with the etsy shop. None of the pictures' backgrounds currently match because I left my camera at my parents' house last weekend. I had gathered up some interesting things to make the jewelry pop, but it ain't gonna happen for a couple of weeks. I posted old pictures just so that something would be posted, not that anyone's buying. I'm hoping to get back into the jewelry once school's out because I seem to think I'll have a break between graduation and marriage day. (Ha! lol Goofy girl!)

HcG is going really great. Yesterday was a BAD day and this morning I had hardly lost a thing, which was disappointing, but that's what I get for being bad. I made myself do penitence today for it. Extra workout and strict adherence to the diet. Imagine my surprise when it came to dinner time and I wasn't hungry, despite many hours since lunch. I went with veggies at least and later got in protein. I barely made it into the 500 calories, but I didn't want any problems.

My water intake has also been up today, past 3 liters! This was not obligation drinking but feeling horribly dehydrated. I blame the bad foods I let myself eat yesterday. At least this time I wasn't sick. Last week I decided that my lemon drops should get eaten so they wouldn't be temptations lol. My body taught me a lesson on that one and I haven't had candy since, which is unusual for me.

Wedding plans are on track. This week we hired the string quartet, the caterer, the florist (officially now), and picked out bridesmaid dresses. Thank goodness! Now veil or no veil? At my first actual fitting I promised to let mom just put a ton on me and we'll see. I'm not the stereotypical bride and I think a veil will accentuate my roundness. I'm not that keen on it.

New addiction! I've been looking at Yokoo on etsy for a long time, but lately I'm really hooked on her. She's amazing with knit. http://www.etsy.com/shop/Yokoo?ga_search_query=yokoo&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&order=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title

In case you can't tell this is a post for winding my mind down for the night, so random things are coming out. I foolishly decided to work out at 9, which gave me too much energy to go right to bed at 10. 5:45am is going to hurt tomorrow! lol

Cheerio!

The Wii Fit is a worry wart

2010-01-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

By the way! On Hcg you're supposed to weigh yourself daily. I decided that I'd skip the expense and use my fiance's wii fit plus. The weight may not be accurate, but it still tells me how much I've lost.

Problem! The Wii Fit is constantly worried about me. It expresses concern every morning when I'm continuously 1-2 pounds lighter and says to take it easy and focus on long term goals instead of short term. Sage advice, but it worries too much. I wish I could put it at ease and tell it I'm on HcG so this is going to happen for a couple more weeks. Poor dear.

Oh, and also! It asks after my fiance every morning. It misses him almost as much as I do.

HcG Information: Day 12!

2010-01-20T05:15:00.000-08:00

As of this morning, after 12 days on HcG, I have lost 15.2 pounds!! I'm so excited! My clothes are fitting a little nicer and I made it up to the third floor via stairs without getting too winded. I know it's not an extraordinarily noticeable change to the outside world, but it's given me a lot of confidence. I usually fail diets and the fact that I'm not failing this one is spectacular.

Some of my tips (not that you should necessarily listen to me):
1. Be sure you've checked with your doctor first. They can give you sound advice, especially if they're not the ones selling it to you.
2. Listen to the water thing. Drink at least 2 liters of water. I don't count any water that I drink before I leave for classes and I'm sure to drink 2 liters before I get home.
3. Try some green tea! Pomegranate green tea is a great fruity alternative to always drinking water. (I don't know about other brands, but Arizona's is amazing and comes in instant.)
4. Wiggle! Exercise even a little bit. I run all over campus but I also do a little bit of exercise in the mornings. Every little wiggle helps! :D
5. NEVER let yourself get to the point of starving. Go ahead and eat an apple or something. When you let yourself starve you're more susceptible to cravings, which can derail you. Obviously, I know a lot about that. lol

PS. I'm NOT a doctor or medical student. I'm an English major, so don't take what I say as law. Talk to your actual doctor.

Have any tips? Leave a comment below or send it to me on twitter! :D
http://twitter.com/idontdoramen

Wedding planning is nearing completion as well. We are down to mostly the small details like veils and jewelry, and we're still working on the flower girl dresses for my wonderful to-be nieces. We are looking for something Alice in Wonderland-ish but still princessy.

DIY Deviance: Veils! Veils! Veils!

2010-01-19T04:52:00.000-08:00

I cannot make my mind up if I'm going to wear a veil or not, but if I do, I am very drawn towards the birdcage veil. Now, these, for whatever reason, are very expensive, sometimes more so than regular veils. I figured, I'm crafty enough and I have an insane amount of tulle. Why not try it on my own?

There are a lot of directions out there on the internet, but one of my favorites comes from Hip Hostess, also on blogger. She shows you step by step how to achieve the veil as well as how to add a lovely organza flower. Her blog is also a great read, so I definitely advise roaming around a bit! :D

http://hiphostess.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-make-birdcage-veil.html

I made my veil out of black tulle, which won't go with the gold and ivory dress, but was more of a practice run. Now I know how I would want it to lay and how I'd change what I made to fit it. I'm still not set on wearing a veil, though! I'll keep you updated :P

HcG Information: 5 HcG Friendly Veggies

2010-01-18T15:32:00.000-08:00

HcG is no easy diet to stick to. Trust me, I've fallen off a hand full of times during this process. I love cheese, and well, I gave in this past weekend. The scale showed it too, going up 2 pounds. On this kind of diet, that's not optimal.

Solution? Vegetable heavy meals. I will roast chicken for almost every meal (which isn't suggested, by the way). However, I cannot eat raw asparagus, raw spinach, raw anything too many days in a row! Here is my list of super easy HcG friendly vegetables that won't be too boring!

1. Put asparagus onto a tinfoil lined cookie sheet and put into a 350 degree oven (that has been preheated, of course). Leave it there for about 10 minutes. Afterward, pull it out and drizzle some lemon juice and cayenne pepper. It's a weird but really yummy combination!

2. Vinaigrette dressings are perfectly acceptable as long as they have next to no fat! Make up a nice salad for a change.

3. Chicken soup with vegetables in it is a great option, but the broth does have fat. Go for something light like Progresso's option for Chicken Noodle Soup. Low on calories but lots of flavor! Heck, throw in some extra veggies to make it more filling if you need an extra boost.

4. Fruits! Fruits are definitely allowed as long as they're not high in sugar (none with corn syrup, for sure, and the diet recommends steering clear of dried fruits.) Mix, match, and have fun! There are so many options!

5. Steamed cabbage. I know, that does not sound yummy at all! First off, sweet cabbage is great lightly steamed. Second, I really love mustard with mine! There are many things you can do with this under appreciated vegetable (aside from sauerkraut!)

HcG Information: Exercising with HcG

2010-01-17T19:52:00.000-08:00

The one thing I do not approve about the HcG diet is the lack of exercise. You cannot exercise while on this. Ok, it makes perfect sense to me. You're only consuming 500 calories and if you burn off more than that, it can be very dangerous. However, I'm trying to readjust my habits to also include exercise.

I have a WiiFit Plus, but this is not a piece of exercise equipment, but it's a good start. It makes exercising fun! But it won't help you lose a lot of weight fast. The next step up are the exercising dvds and after that it's off to the gym for classes or independent work.

However, if you're like me and plus size, it's a self-esteem blow to go to a gym and be the only one my size there. It's just easier, psychologically, to stay home. So, what are your options at home with the hcg limiting everything?

1. You can do regular walking at a relatively slow pace (no faster than 2 mph).
2. You can also do yoga. Here you are not burning a whole lot of calories at one point but you are stretching and building muscles, which will be better for you in the long run.
3. You are allowed to do 15 minutes of cardio. You should probably, though, do some kind of light weight training beforehand, however, because you don't start really burning fat until after 15 minutes of exercise.
4. Wii Fit. You're really not going to do that much cardio with it, especially if you keep within your 15 minutes.

HcG Information: Day 7, but not quite a week

2010-01-15T06:19:00.000-08:00

Right-o. I'm down 8 pounds so far, which is quite nice. I'm already seeing the effects the weight loss has had on my health. I'm breathing a lot easier and I'm able to get up the stairs into the library or to the 3rd floor to my apartment without about dying from loss of breath. My clothes are starting to fit a little better as well! My aim is 20 pounds, but with how I feel each morning waking up, if it stopped here, I'd be fine.

One of the main criticisms about this diet is that it is just another "crash" diet. It certainly seems that way. Here I am taking this HCG (by the way, I'm doing that orally because needles scare the heck out of me) every day, 3 times a day and eating around 500 calories (it's supposed to be up to 500, but some days I miss a little). This sounds a lot like a crash diet to me too, which is why I didn't do it back in September when my mother did.

Now I REALLY wish I had. All of last semester I'd eat a sandwich from home, a bag of white popcorn, and a bag of skittles for lunch along with a diet coke. While the white popcorn was actually very healthy (had little sodium and was air popped), the skittles and diet coke killed me. I know I gained at least 10 pounds, which thankfully are almost off.

This diet is teaching me the discipline I never had. I didn't know how to walk away from bacon cheese burgers, pizza, fried foods galore, etc. Now I find that I can talk myself out of the greasy food. Healthy food tastes just as great and I end up feeling so much better afterward. I'm getting more in tune with my body, which is the number one teaching of the Inside Out Weight Loss program if you ever check it out. (http://renee.personallifemedia.com/)

Also, after you are done with the 20/28/40 day diet, you don't just go back to your normal routine and gain back everything you've lost, which is what usually happens with crash diets. You're not done yet. Then you go on a slightly looser in restrictions 1500 calorie diet for the same amount of time as you did the HCG. You still have to maintain discipline.

And they (ambiguous they) say it takes 6 weeks to produce or break a habit. Viola! After this program, you have developed a habit of cooking healthy foods with little to no fat and you're eating your veggies and fruits. For people like me who always struggled with the discipline, we're learning how to eat healthier and it's becoming a habit.

Ok, so my stakes are a bit higher. I have almost high blood pressure and I had been having trouble breathing after stairs. That and I'm getting married in May. I have a lot of reasons why this HAS to work for me, which is why I'm not letting myself fail. I don't know what it would be if you're say 150 and you want to just get to 120ish, the suggested healthy weight.

Happy long weekend and don't forget Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

HcG Recipe: Welcome to day 4

2010-01-12T05:15:00.000-08:00

Right-o! I failed yesterday. Ok, I didn't completely fail. I have lost 3 pounds since Sunday, but I gained 0.4 of it back after breaking and eating pizza. What can I say? I decided it was better to get the temptation out of the way right away lol.

I woke up super early and roasted a chicken breast to have for lunch. Let me tell you! It is really hard to get skin off a chicken and then try to get as much fat off of it as possible. I'm seriously considering a George Foreman grill so that it just drains off. Gross to clean up (I have plenty of experience with it lol) but easier than trying to get the skin and fat off with no shears.

Lunch: Roastedish Chicken, Celery, 1 Grissino (As soon as I run out, I'll make a recipe)

The chicken breast is really simple to make.
1.Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit
2. Cut off all of the fat that you can possibly get.
3. Add your seasonings. On HCG, you want to really limit your salt intake (which you should do in general), but you are completely free to experiment with other seasonings. Yesterday I used rosemary, for today it's lemon pepper. Have fun with it!
4. As if you were steaming fish, place your chicken breast on a large piece of tinfoil and wrap it. Let me rephrase that. Don't really wrap it. You want a completely enclosed tent so that the moisture doesn't get out but you don't want it flat against the chicken. Make sure there's breathing room.
5. Cook for 45 minutes.

Like I said before, the diet is really restricting, but with the nearly limitless options of herbs and seasonings they recommend, you really shouldn't get too bored! :D

But I did fail. The pizza called my name. lol. At least it's gone now.

HcG Information: HcG Day One

2010-01-09T19:27:00.000-08:00

First, I do intend to keep this HCG thing up to date as much as possible, but forewarned, I'm doing 19 hours this semester to graduate on time. :D

I upped the day I started the diet to today so that I can be less worried as I'm starting school. Today and tomorrow are all fatty foods along with the first doses. It's harder than I thought! Luckily it's just today and tomorrow. I did have an awesome time picking out vegetables and fruits. I'm looking forward to starting on that.

The options are very limited, only a handful of options for the fruits, meats, and vegetables. I picked out romaine, parsley, tomatoes, green onions (which I can't tell if they're on the allowed list or not), and radishes for my vegetables. Fruits I went crazy because it's so easy to choose fruit. I don't really know what all I'm supposed to tell you with this as none of my followers need this kind of diet at all! lol At least it will involve new recipes! :P

Has anyone else done the HcG or started it or knows someone on it?

HcG Information

2010-01-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

Right. I can't believe I have willingly signed up for this. My doctor even approved of me doing this. I usually think these fad things are weird, obsessive, and inevitably ineffective. But, for some reason, I wanted to do this. I want this to work very badly. So! I'm going to document my 30 days on HcG and the new recipes I encounter on the extremely limited diet.

I officially start on Monday, January 11th with the start of classes. On the first two days I am supposed to eat LOTS of fatty foods, which will actually be somewhat difficult to me. I may be a big girl, but I don't eat fatty foods very often. My sweet tooth will be my biggest challenge.

My first impressions of the diet are mixed. First those couple of days, I'm really not sure about. Also, you're only consuming 5-600 calories daily and afterwords you still have a very restrictive maintenance diet for the following 26 days. Healthy habits are great, but you can't stay too low for too long. Another thing, you have to weigh yourself daily. That's a bit obsessive. I know it tracks your loss and makes sure everything's on track, but I don't own a scale for a very good reason. I had already become obsessive looking at it every day, sometimes a couple times a day, and putting myself down for the results.

Ready? I'm not sure I am, but for some reason, I'm going to give it a try.

Alice in Wonderland Wedding

2010-01-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

We finally have an idea for the reception! It's going to be an Alice in Wonderland theme! :D Below are some of my inspirations.

Left three images belong to Disney

Bread and Butter Fly Cupcakes by Hello Naomi on flickr:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2194/2299732314_d00265801f.jpg

White cupcakes found via Cupcakes Take the Cake and were made by Look Cupcake:
http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/2009/05/alice-in-wonderland-cupcakes-by-look.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/look_cupcake/sets/72157617713321192/

I'm very excited now that things are coming together! :D Any ideas would be fantastic and I'd love it!

New Years Resolutions

2010-01-04T08:22:00.000-08:00

We all have them...and we all give them up. I figured, though, I'd share what mine will be and I really do hope to fulfill them this time around. These are my first set in five years! :O

1. HcG Diet
I plan to start the HcG diet on Monday, with the start of my last semester. My goal is to follow the diet as close to the letter as possible. I'm getting married in May and I don't want to look like I do now and I want to feel gorgeous in my dress.

2. Relaxation
I am taking 19 hours this semester, applying for jobs and graduate programs, and planning a wedding. My life is going to be hectic, but I need to find time to stop and relax. If I can get it down now, then when I'm out in the "real world" I should have it figured out.

3. From the inside
I'm really tough on myself and don't feel comfortable in my skin. I need to learn how to accept myself as I am and not improve because I think I'm a failure, but because I want to be a better version of my already ok self.

There are a few more resolutions, but I started to get really specific! It gets a bit long, and these are the main ones. :) I'll keep updated on my HcG experience as well. I'm expecting the stuff to come in sometime this week.

Happy New Years!!!

Pomegranate Recipe Pt. 3: The Pomegranate

2009-12-13T07:40:00.001-08:00

The pomegranate is a wonderful fruit, but it's also really tricky! Unless you go get a bottle of juice (which is infinitely easier but less rewarding, i think), you have your work cut out for you! Here are some helpful hints for how to conquer the pomegranate.

Warning! You may not want to wear your best white blouse or shirt while doing this as the juice sprays wherever it wants to and can stain!

De-Seeding
The seeds are actually the part you eat, which I didn't know until my first encounter.

1. Cut your pomegranate in half.
2. Get out a medium to large bowl and fill it with lukewarm water. (Most directions I have seen say cold, but I froze my fingers doing as such in London).
3. Add the halves of pomegranate into the water, seeds facing down and round rind facing up. Depending on the size of the bowl, you may only be able to do one at a time.
4. Let the pomegranate halves sit for 10 minutes.
5. Now the fun part! Carefully peel away the white membrane to expose the deliciously red arils (or seeds). The arils will sink, and the membrane will float. Also, watch out! If you are not gentle enough, you will get squirted by an exploding seed.

Have patience! This could take a while.

6. Skim off the floating membrane as best as you can. Pour the water and seeds into a strainer that has holes small enough that the seeds will not escape. Rinse with a gentle stream of cold water to remove any extra membrane.

It takes a lot of seeds to make the amount of juice you'll want for both the cupcakes and the frosting, so don't be surprised if you need more than one pomegranate. Otherwise, POM and other bottled juices are good as well and save the time.

De-juicing!

Ok, there are many ways to de-juice the pomegranate, and I'm going to give you two.

Way One:
Place all the harvested seeds into a freezer bag and roll over it with a rolling pin.

Advantage: Fast and easy!!
Disadvantage: The crushed seeds within the juice arils will make your juice slightly bitter.

Way Two:
Place all the harvested seeds into a freezer bag, sit down, and play pop the seed!! When done, open a hole in the bag just big enough for the juice to come out but the pulp to stay in the bag.

Advantage: You don't get the bitterness and you get a fun game similar to bubble-wrap.
Disadvantage: The game is very tedious and can take a long time.

You no longer have any reason to fear the pomegranate!! Have fun and I hope your kitchens smell fabulous after this! :D

Pomegranate Recipe Pt. 2: The Frosting

2009-12-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

Because I'm in love with pomegranates, I want these cupcakes to be ultra-flavored! To top off our pomegranate cupcakes, let's add the frosting.

Pomegranate Frosting!!

Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter softened or vegetable oil
2-3 tbsp of pomegranate juice (more only if your mixture looks dry)

Directions
1. Cream the butter. (Note, if you're using vegetable oil as a substitute, then you can skip this part).
2. Add in the pomegranate juice and mix until well blended.
3. Add the powdered sugar in slowly as you mix. You may include more juice if the mixture is looking a bit dry.
4. Frost your cupcakes! :D

Pomegranate Recipe Pt. 1: Cupcakes

2009-12-13T07:18:00.000-08:00

I promised them long ago, and I'm now delivering!! (now that I have finals to procrastinate for :P)

Pomegranate Cupcakes!

Ingredients
1 cup white sugar (the finer, the better, but regular works too)
1/2 cup butter or vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup of pomegranate juice (fresh is best but it's also a hassle!)
1/4 cup of water, if needed

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, go ahead and line your muffin/cupcake pan with the paper liners (note that without the liners or some kind of support, the cupcakes will sink).
2. In a bowl, mix your wet ingredients. Start by mixing the sugar and butter until creamy. Then add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. (hold off on the water and juice just yet)
3. In another bowl, mix your dry ingredients. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients slowly into the wet.
4. Add the juice to the mixture. If the mixture is still fairly dry, add a little bit of water as needed. Stir until the mixture is nice and smooth.
5. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake liners, filling them to just below the top.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes. BUT! As always, you should keep an eye on the cupcakes after about the halfway point as all ovens have different interpretations of 350 degrees.
7. Set them out to cool while you mix up the frosting! :D

A Week Ago Today...and other funny excuses

2009-11-19T05:02:00.000-08:00

Ok. I said I'd put up the recipe. I was going to even include pictures. That would've been fine and dandy had I not made cajun pomegranate cupcakes instead! Our oven, I'm not sure what's up with it!! I can set it even 5 degrees below the recommended temperature and keep a close eye on it, but I still only get a 30 second time frame before everything is burnt to a crisp. *sigh* Hopefully soon I'll get that recipe up.

The store is also not that far underway. I have the policies and shipping set, I just need to finish the pictures and then list everything. This is the shop's url: http://www.etsy.com/shop/stasiamb Soon! Soon, I promise, it will be up and running.

Ok. Now for the week ago today. This isn't a grand story and I'm not that great at telling it. A week ago today I took my boyfriend out to dinner for his birthday, and it happened to be one of the first Thursdays I did not mind. While we were gabbing away (which means I was gabbing) over chips and queso, he asked to see my rose ring.

You see, many months ago, he had bought me a large rose ring and had me wear it on my left hand. Now he took it away and put it into his pocket. I started to protest until he brought out a small black box and opened it and then set it in front of me. I picked up the box with the shakiest of hands and looked up at him and back down at it. I didn't pull the ring out myself but made him put it on me; this is partly because I was afraid the ring would fall and would be lost. I sparkled all the way home.

Picture really doesn't show how much it really sparkles.

So I will be a Mrs. on May 22nd. I know that sounds really soon, but once we apply for the fiancee visa, we get a very small time frame to get married. So that is our date. May 22nd.

Random :P

2009-10-26T05:09:00.000-07:00

Hi!!!

I survived the GRE and the outcome was tolerable. I scored about average for my major, which I'm not sure I'm thrilled about. I think I may want to take it again, even though there's no real point to it.

The plans are graduate school for publishing. So far I've looked into The University of Denver's Publishing Institute, New York University's summer and graduate programs, Emerson College's graduate programs, and Random House's two week program. I'm not picky where I end up, as long as I end up somewhere. Luckily, one of my supervisors at the internship has told me she'll help me find a job if I don't get into grad school, but she recommends at least applying.

On the food note! I'm going to be experimenting again! Probably by the end of the week. I bought two gorgeous pomegranates, and I'm thinking pomegranate cupcakes! If it goes right, I'll post the recipe. If it goes wrong, I'll post the hilarious pictures. :P

I took the lovely boyfriend to his first high school football game on Friday. He seemed to enjoy it, but I was more interested in the high school band. My youngest brother plays saxophone...not too well lol but he tries! And our band and the other team's band decided to have a showdown during the last quarter (our team was leading 41-0, so there wasn't much else to do!)

The doll I'm making for my little cousin Gracie for Christmas is well underway. I almost have two legs! lol This should be quite interesting. I also have to make something for her older brother and sister, mom, dad, and grandma. That's not to mention my immediate family and my grandma. And my boyfriend, his brother's family, and his parents! I probably could have planned this better...

NEWS!!

2009-10-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

Ok! So I have officially begun the process of opening shop on Etsy! :D YAY!!!! It's a bit slow-go, as I'm just recovering from all of the mid-term havoc these past three weeks. I have items, I just need to post them and everything.

Unfortunately, the title of the store may have to be Stasiamb lol. Not very catchy. It's either that or find a new email address. Doh well. lol

But YAY!!!!!

Ooooh Dear Thursday

2009-10-08T04:56:00.000-07:00

This is what I need this morning.

I hate Thursdays! lol And this one seems to be particularly nasty. I accidentally woke up at 5am this morning, an hour earlier than usual, and I could not go back to sleep. If you can even say that I slept last night. I think the 3 cups of coffee at the restaurant last night was probably not the best of ideas and will not be repeated. Also, Thursdays are the night that I work until midnight and then am up again the next day at 6 to get to the internship. I hate Thursdays.

I'm about to commence on a couple of new crocheting projects, both that have to be done fairly quickly. First, I promised a dear friend a scarf a couple weeks ago, but school started getting hectic. I know the plan, it's going to be charcoal and maybe Tiffany-ish blue hounds tooth. It's completely an experiment lol.

The other is a Christmas present for my littlest cousin! :D I'm going to make her a cowgirl doll, which I have never done. I'm thinking she should be about 12 inches long at least, since this is a little girl I don't want things to be too small. I can't draw very well or I'd post the sketch of exactly what I'm thinking lol. I am excited about it.

And I have two very exciting things to tell you that...I can't tell you yet. One has to do with this fantastic book my internship is working on. (Not me, though, sadly. I really wish I was.) The other...no hints. lol. When it's time, I'll post it.

For now, I have to do more last minute cleaning since Mom will be staying with me tonight and tomorrow night, and I don't want to be in trouble for leaving all my crafts all over the living room. Oh and HE will be here Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Artichoke Recipe: Roasted Madness

2009-10-06T05:02:00.000-07:00

So the other day I went to the grocery store and set myself a challenge. I have way too much tillapia in my fridge, and I needed to use it up, but I also needed a vegetable. I grabbed an artichoke. It was pretty! lol I've been warned before not to try cooking artichoke, that it will be too difficult for me and way too expensive if I mess up. Pfft! I did it anyway.

Ingredients:
1 Artichoke (fresh as you can get it)
1 tsp olive oil
1 small pinch of salt
1 pinch of black pepper (you can use any seasoning, I just really love black pepper)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Take out a baking sheet and cut a long strip of aluminum/tin foil about the same size as the sheet. Crumple it up and then carefully unfold it again and place it inside the sheet.
2. After cleaning and preparing,** cut the artichoke in half and lay the two halves on the foil.
3. Drizzle on the olive oil and add the salt and pepper. Try to get both sides of the artichoke with the oil and seasonings, as it will just burst with flavour! :D
4. Cook in the oven for 10-20 minutes, or until you can poke a fork into it and it is tender (much like with the asparagus or brussel sprouts).

Serve with tillapia! What a treat! :D

**Cleaning and Preparation Instructions
Ok, this is how my mom explained to me how to do it:
1. Soak the artichoke in cold water for 5 minutes and then rinse it under cold tap water.
2. Cut the stem until you have a little under 1/2 inch stem left.
3. Cut off the top of the artichoke to let the leaves loose and trim off the pointy bits on each leaf. It's not required, but it is preferable.
4. After the artichoke is cut in half to cook, remove the choke. This part is absolutely not edible, so don't try. Get it completely out of the way.

And now go on with the cooking! :D

DIY Deviance: My first amigurumi critters

2009-09-29T11:43:00.001-07:00

Bragging time! lol I wanted to post my two very first amigurumi critters: Nellie the Elephant and Hulla VanHoosel the Owl.

I made Hulla VanHoosel. He's kind of a kooky little owl, like me (minus the owl bit)! He loves to tut around the counter and hoot. He's been very helpful in catching all my little fruit flies that have run crazy in my kitchen, but he prefers to snitch my apples from the fridge.

Then there's Nellie the Pink Elephant. This is not a chick to mess with. She's got spikey turquoise-ish hair, a trunk ring, and two Mighty Boosh earrings. She's even got a theme song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eti21PVHXrg. Despite her hard exterior, she's quite the softie. She loves watching chick flicks with me, and her favourite is The Accidental Husband, mostly because of Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

Ok not too much bragging. They are a bit rough looking. But I love them!! And I'm getting much better :D

Nearly October!!!!

2009-09-26T09:45:00.001-07:00

This is how I've been feeling lately lol. So crazy! (picture taken near Southwark Cathedral in London)

This is madness! September is nearly complete, and October is just around the corner. October has to be, hands down, my favourite month. The leaves change colours (if you live anywhere but here in Texas), the pumpkins come out in bright oranges, Halloween candies and trick-or-treaters! How can you not love this month? Oh, yeah! And...my boyfriend will be here on the 10th!!

It's been a couple weeks since my last entry, but school has been keeping me underwater. I study nearly every day, and I don't go out unless it's to school. In fact, this next week will be worse! I have an exam on Monday and a major paper due Thursday. The paper is for my Literary Theory class and is about who decides meaning: the author, the reader, or society. I sent a rough outline to my professor on Thursday, but he still hasn't gotten back to me. Nervewracking!! The exam is on Beowulf and the Canterbury Tales, neither of which I'm worried about. It's the saints lives characteristics and hero tale elements I really need to work on. There's about 20 of each! lol

But it'll be so much better on the 10th! I left him back in London in June, and it's been so hard to be over 4000 miles away from him. But 2 weeks from today!!! yay!!

He's already been planning what to do while here! On Halloween he wants to go to this masquerade event. I'm not sure where it is, or I'd post the link or flyer for it. It does sound like a lot of fun, but masquerade outfits aren't cheap! lol Especially for us curvier girls! I may end up having to try to make this dress, if I can find the time.

I'm also hard at work making more pieces for an Etsy shop. I think I want to have at least 20 before I set up shop, just to have a nice selection to start with. It's been slow-go but Monday is my only mid-term and after next week, even internship won't be as hectic. So I think I'll have more "free" time soon. I'm super excited!!!

Dessert Recipe: Choooooocolate frosting (Cocoa Powder)

2009-09-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, so completely out of the blue last night I wanted chocolate frosting. I had graham crackers in my cupboard but they needed something more, but I didn't feel like cooking or dealing with pots and pans. So, I went to my handy dandy recipe box and pulled out a quick, no cook recipe for dark chocolate frosting!!

Ingredients:
3 Tbsps melted butter or vegetable oil
3 Tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
Water (if needed)

Directions:

Easiest directions ever. Mix everything together in a bowl. If the frosting isn't smooth or is still dry after you've mixed it together, add a small splash of water until it gets to the consistency you want.

For a bolder flavour, instead of the water, add a teaspoon of your favourite coffee. But be careful! It's hot :P

This is great on graham crackers, cupcakes, brownies, you name it! I use it on anything I want a bit of chocolate for. :D

Etsyness: To do or not to do?

2009-09-05T09:04:00.001-07:00

Ok. I've been recommended by friends to start selling my jewelry. Actually, this has been going on for a while now. So I've decided to do it, and I've been reading through all of the Etsy Seller's Handbook. There's a lot to consider!!! And I'm a nervous wreck as usual. I honestly didn't think I had the guts to do this, and I'm not convinced that I do yet.

There's so much to keep in mind when opening on online shop! What do you call it? The name should be catchy enough to draw the curious in while still maintaining relevancy to your products. It should also be easy to spell! I figure, if my dyslexic brother can't spell it, I should try something else. I've not settled on a name yet. I tossed around StanOfAsia, an old nickname someone from Freshman year at university called me, but a friend pointed out people might be misled by this name. So back to the drawing boards.

Then there's pricing the darn products! I've been super confused on this part. It seems to me that you have to take into consideration how much the object is worth, how much your time is worth, and how much money you want to make in a year. lol Most of mine wouldn't be bought over $25 at this point in time, and that might even be pushing it. But when I used one of the worksheets on Etsy and factored in, for one of the pieces, all the materials used, the time I spent, how much I should pay myself per hour, etc. the previously maxed out $25 necklace was to cost $79. This necklace is not worth $79, believe me. How do you then figure it?

How about photographs? This is difficult for me! My photos (see previous posts) don't look so hot, and I haven't been able to get my camera to cooperate with me. I'm really stuck, and I"m not that artistic. I may have to wait for my boyfriend to get here from London and have him do it all. Drawback is that will be 5 weeks from today.

Setting up shop! I have a handful of pieces done and ready, I think. I rigorously test the necklaces and bracelets to make sure they'll withstand the tug of a curious baby. I've finally gotten past the point where the necklaces slip apart just from normal wear, and I think they're sturdy. So, the product is ready. I just need to get a name, price everything properly, take lovely photographs, and then review policies for my shop. We'll see how this all goes!!

Being Different in America Rant

2009-09-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

I am taking LGBT Themes in Literature this semester. By far it is my favourite course because I'm learning something new every class. First day? Learned same-sex marriage was legal and accepted in the medieval time, I think it was France. NOT ONLY THAT! There were Christian rituals and prayers for it. How cool is that? That about blew my mind! This past week we watched a short with Jack Black in it called "Prop 8."

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-jack-black-john-c-reilly-and-many-more-from-fod-team-jack-black-craig-robinson-john-c-reilly-and-rashida-jones

It was hilarious to see Jack Black playing Jesus, but the whole thing was quite insightful. It used one of the arguments I've been using for a while. So many advocates against homosexuality and same-sex marriage are using the Bible as their evidence. They "throw the Book," so to speak at individuals who are "sinning." The part of the Bible they're referencing is Leviticus. If you look there, as Jack Black's Jesus notes, there are a lot of abominations in Leviticus that we gloss over about now. Like shellfish!! Or, how about wearing clothes that are made of mixed fabrics? And these people don't even think twice about it. They pick and choose what to accept as doctrine and get to make themselves the judge and jury with it.

Kids are taught this from an early age. After all, they pick up on what their parents or guardians teach them through actions and words. We often don't think about the impact our beliefs have on the kids in our lives. Children can easily be taught racism, sexism, intolerance, and cruelty by their role models. It starts so young! I can't completely blame the parents, but to take them off the hook completely would be irresponsible.

I got lucky. My family was a different sort, even with a preacher as my father. Following my parents example as I grew up, I learned to look at the world through unbiased eyes, or at least I hope and try to eliminate as much bias and prejudice that I can in me. I didn't learn to see color, gender, sex, orientation, religion, or anything. I saw people and I saw how they behaved around others, how they carried themselves, and how they treated each other. That's where I made my judgments about them, because let's face it, we all make judgments.

Ok, I keep digressing. My primary point of all that is that children need to start off thinking positively about differences. And a good way to start with that is what I'm scheming for my action-rhetoric piece for my LGBT Themes in Literature class. I'm literally taking literature and making a statement with it.

I want to interview parents how many of them think they're homophobic and intolerant. I'm going to be 90% say they aren't. Then I want to have them read through a series of children's books that are designed to show children that there are all kinds of families in the world. Mom and Dad, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, Mom and Mom, Dad and Dad, Mom and Step-dad, oh I think you get the picture. And I think kids really need to learn that different is ok!! Different should be celebrated! I also want to know how many libraries carry these kinds of books and if they'd be willing to add them to their lists. My university only has one book of the kind.

I really like Who's in a Family by Robert Skutch and also It's Okay to be Different by Todd Parr. Ok, I'm biased. I absolutely love Todd Parr's books. I think every family should have them on their bookshelves.

Ok, so that's my basic idea for my action-rhetoric. I'm not sure if it counts, though. I want these kinds of books to be available to children so they can be re-programmed, bad word but I couldn't think of a better one, to be more accepting individuals. It's best for everyone.

Ok, so now that I"m done ranting! I'm off to study Beowulf and get ready for my internship in the morning. :D Night!!

Homosexuality and the Bible (don't diss the title until you read the post! lol)

2009-08-31T05:07:00.000-07:00

I found this when I was surfing around on Twitter! I was a little put off at first by its title, but still intrigued!! So I clicked and found something so insightful and HILARIOUS that I nearly choked on my coffee. This needs sharing! lol

Homosexuality and the Bible
Tuesday, 23 June 2009 09:23 Lara
http://www.capetownlesbians.co.za/article-archive/religion/85-drlaura.html

Ever get tired of people throwing Bible verses at you, and using religion as an excuse for condemning homosexuality? Well, this is something I came across many years ago, and I still laugh every time I read it.

On her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by a US resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative:

=============

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination... End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is, my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath.Exodus 35:2. clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle- room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fan.

James M. Kauffman, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus Dept. of Curriculum,
Instruction, and Special Education University of Virginia

DIY Deviance: The Jewelry Box Exploded

2009-08-30T13:18:00.001-07:00

After the past few weeks of being stuck in my apartment with nothing to do, I have overfilled my jewelry box!! But it's been fun! Here are my most recent endeavors:

Seafood Recipe: Truly Yum Tuna Melt Sandwich

2009-08-26T05:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, school is upon us now. We're all rushing to class and sitting in lectures all day long now. There's little time to eat until the end of the day, and that's only if you don't work too! I went my first day eating only breakfast at 6:30am and then again a sandwich for supper at 9:30pm. Not healthy!! And also, not intentional. My solution?? Packing the backpack with small items that can be eaten quick with little disruption to your schedule.

One example of this is the tuna melt sandwich. Protein is incredibly important to keep you going! So don't skip it! This recipe is easy and great! And it can be adjusted to however many servings you want to make up. It's mostly according to personal taste

Ingredients

2 Tbsps Mayonnaise (I use Miracle Whip Light)
1 Packet of strained Tuna (any kind will do)
2 Tbsps Chopped scallions
1 Squeeze of half a lemon, or about 1/2 tsp
1 Pinch of black pepper
1-2 Slices of mozzarella (A small handful/ 1/4cup of shredded works well too)
2 Slice of some kind of whole wheat bread

a. If it isn't already, strain the tuna and then transfer to a bowl. Break apart the chunks that are stuck together with a fork and flake it until it all sticks together.
b. Add 2 Tbsps mayonnaise and mix well.
c. Add the scallions and try to evenly mix them so you won't get one big bite of scallion.
d. Squeeze the lemon over the mixture and toss in the pinch of black pepper.
e. Put a teaspoon or two of the tuna mixture on both slice of bread and add the cheese. Put the bread on a baking sheet if you are going to use the oven, or a plate if you use the microwave.

Oven:
Heat under the broiler for about 5-10 minutes, whenever the cheese is melted.

Microwave:
Heat on high/medium high for 1 minute 30 seconds, whenever the cheese is melted.

The sandwiches are really hot!! Let them stand for 2-3 minutes before cutting into two and putting into a sandwich bag to take along to classes. Also, grab a bag of carrots or celery to go along with it. :D

Enjoy! I hope classes are going well!!

The time for stress begins...

2009-08-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

So university classes start back up for me this Monday!! Yikes!! I'm quite nervous. I reviewed my required hours and stuff and turns out that while I'm nearly done with my major, 15 hours of them will not count towards my graduating. I may have to take a summer of random courses just to finish properly. I'm planning on meeting up with my advisor soon, though, to figure out what's up and what needs to be done.

Ready for classes? :D

Here's my primary reading list this semester:

Moll Flanders (great book, second semester in a row to have to read it)
Twelfth Night (my favourite Shakespeare play)
Le Morte D'Arthur
Dr. Jekyll + Mr. Hyde
Fingersmith
Fun Home: Family Tragicomic
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
The Importance of Being Earnest (loved the film with Rupert Everett and Colin Firth)
The Canterbury Tales (ooftah, again)
Doctor Faustus (this is also the second semester in a row)
Beowulf (haven't read since high school, but it was quite good)
Henry IV (took a whole class on Shakespeare, so this is basically more like review)
Shakespeare Sonnets (same story)

There are also literary theory books and American west pre-1900 books that I haven't included on this list. That and I'll also have some currently unknown book to read for my internship, which I'm completely excited and petrified about!

Oh! And I've started to make an Amigurumi owl. I'll let you know how it turns out.

DIY Deviance: Printer Paper Parcel

2009-08-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

As a full-time student, I seem to go through a lot of paper with homework assignments and finals. The problem with these large printer packages is that once they tear, the sheets of paper seem to go everywhere. So I took an old pair of jeans and made a holder!

Mine's not exactly amazing looking, but it's functional!

What you need:

1 pair of old jeans
1 package of paper (mine is a 500 sheet package)
Needle and thread/Sewing Machine
Pins
Scissors/rotary wheel
Scrap fabric

Instructions:

Take your paper and measure the length and width. Standard paper here in the US is 8.5x11 inches.

Now, take your old pair of jeans and measure out 2 extra inches length and width compared to your original measurements. Or you can go with the width of the leg as is, like I did, and just add the 2 extra inches length wise.

Cut across the width of the leg. Turn the fabric inside out (wrong sides facing out) and pin along the bottom of the leg. It's easiest to pin together the part you just cut rather than the cuff. Sew together.

Technically you can be done here and decorate as you please. Embroidery or appliques will look great on it! I added a trim around the cuff. I measured 24inches length strip of fabric 3 inches wide. Fold the fabric in half with the wrong side of the fabric facing out, so you have one long strip about 1.5 inches wide. Pin and sew the sides together, making sure to leave on end open so you can turn the fabric right side out again.

Line up the strip of fabric along the cuff. Pin and sew.

Then Voila! A printer paper parcel. I later added buttons to the opening to keep things closed. Not entirely stylish, but helpful!

Dessert Recipe: Homemade Chocolate Pudding

2009-08-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

I got this killer craving this afternoon as I was making up the dough for pizza tonight. I wanted something chocolatey and smooth, but I have no junk food readily available in my kitchen. In fact, at the moment there's not much readily available in my kitchen.

I was not deterred! I decided to make some homemade chocolate pudding! So I dug into my recipe box.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 pinch of salt
3 cups milk
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder

DIRECTIONS

a. In a medium size saucepan, whisk the milk, sugar, flour, and cocoa powder until smooth and bring to a boil over medium heat.
b. Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches a pudding consistency. (Vague, but basically, if you can dip your spoon into it and it doesn't run or drip quickly off, you're there)
c. Take the saucepan off the heat and add in the butter and vanilla. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.
d. Transfer into an airtight container or a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Chill for about 30 minutes in the fridge before serving.

Now that dessert is ready, onto my entree! Homemade pizza with summer sausage and bacon topping. lol Not elegant, but it'll do!

Crazy Week

2009-08-14T09:36:00.001-07:00

This has been one heck of a week for me! Not that much has happened that most people would call much. I didn't start out too well, though.

First the fatal Flan incident. I'm still kicking myself over that one, though I did later get a good laugh out of it. But the blister from the burn is at least mostly healed and the flan is out in the large bin outside waiting to be collected.

Then I tried to organize my living room area. If you could see it now, you'd see I pretty much gave up. My only improvement was the dvds. Whereas they were all stacked accordingly to color (yes color, not alphabetized lol) on the floor, now they're arranged. I took an old Twizzlers shipping box I had inherited from goodness knows where and painted it, so it looked less cardboard. I then let it dry overnight and viola! Temporary solution. :) I was quite pleased with it, but not much else has been accomplished since.

I found out I need to take the GRE exam in order to apply to graduate schools. I'm running out of time, and I have to borrow money from my folks, which I'm exceedingly not happy about. But I want to get into the publishing world, and I think my best bets are to go to schools like Emerson or NYU to get a Masters in the subject. It, hopefully, would give me a good heads up. That along with my internship, which I'm nervous about 24-7. But first, I have to study for and hopefully blow away the exam, which is September. Provided I get the funds to even pay for it.

School is only a couple weeks away, not even that really. I have to go into my work-study job a week from tomorrow for training. I've worked at this place before, but when I ran away to London for a year studying abroad, I took a break obviously. The commute would've killed me! I'm very glad for this training. I've been so worried that I don't remember a thing and whereas I used to do a good job, now I'll fail. I've actually had dreams to such an effect.

I'm dropping out of my university's honors program. That was a particularly difficult decision. I've made my lower division honors at the end of my sophomore year, but entering my senior year, I just didn't see how I could finish. At the end of the senior year, students present their projects that they've been working on for the past two years. I'm behind. I went to London and my adviser said I'd be fully capable of doing the two year work in one. But as I look at it now, it's impossible. I'd die from the stress.

But last night! ooooh last night. I had chicken marinated overnight in a lemon and oregano mixture. I cooked it with olive oil in the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (I don't have a meat thermometer so I have to go by certain times then mutilate to make sure it's done lol) and it was fantastic! I didn't have the lemons in the end, so I couldn't make the recipe I wanted to for the asparagus, but I did wrap them in turkey bacon, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with lemon pepper. Also great! And dessert success!! Lemon bars worked out, that's where the lemons went.

My only trouble last night is the side of my finger touched the oven rack as I pulled the lemon bars out. Not pleasant. But other than that, the night went well and I enjoyed my dinner for one with the movie The Ramen Girl. I thought it was such a cute movie! :D And what's funnier than the idontdoramen girl loving the movie The Ramen Girl?*

Deep breath and the end.

*although I will say, while I don't like store bought inexpensive packs of Ramen, I'm in love with the real thing. Great story for London, I'll have to tell another time. :D

DIY Deviance: Upcycling Magazines

2009-08-13T08:40:00.001-07:00

During the moving process into my new apartment, I realized I have way too many magazines. Instead of immediately throwing them out, my first thought was what should I make? I went online and found this source:

A Little Hut - Patricia Zapata: recycle project no. 7 - magazine bowl

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Here Patricia Zapata of A Little Hut shows you step by step how to make a fun magazine bowl. It takes a while and a good deal of patience, but it's a great project!! Here's the first one of those that I made:

Mine was lopsided and not nearly as well built as Patricia's but I had fun doing it! I'm going to sit down today with my freshly mutilated large magazine and making a larger one to put skeins and balls of yarn into.

The other magazine project that I've found is Recycled magazine coasters on the blog How About Orange. This is a fun looking project that doesn't look like it'll take all that long to do:

http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2009/06/recycled-magazine-coasters.html

My focus here was on magazine upcycling, but honestly go to both of these sites! Both A Little Hut and How About Orange are absolutely fantastic sites for crafting and other fun stuff! I could spend hours raving on both, or you could go check them out! :D Happy folding!

http://alittlehut.blogspot.com
http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com

Poem: Tomorrow in the Morning

2009-08-12T16:06:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow when you wake bright and early in the morn,
With the sun filtering through the frail curtains,
Turn to your side to that small sleeping girl,
Kiss me hello gently and bring me back from dreams.

Hold me tight in your arms, wrapping them all around,
And keep me warm and safe from morning chill.
Remind me you love me in hundreds of ways,
With a whisper, with a touch, with the slightest smile.

You are the man that I love, though I may not say it yet,
And in my heart I'll always be true to only you.
My steadfast rock, my only faith,
You are the only breath and the only beat of my heart.

So tomorrow when you wake bright and early in the morn,
With the sun filtering through the frail curtains,
Remind me that I am the only one for you
And tell me you'll love me after the end of time.

Fabric Fever and Grad School Jitters

2009-08-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

I've been to the Wal-mart fabric section. Yeah, I know. Wal-Mart. But hey, you work with what you can afford. When there's more money, then you can be more picky and get the better stuff at actual fabric stores. Or better yet! Print my own.

So here are my findings. Mind you, I didn't buy any actual yards but got to the scrap section. Can't beat only paying about $3 for several types of fabric.

Don't ask me what attracted me to these two pieces. Dark yellow and pink polka dot. Not my usual style

Lovely yellow! My favourite color is green but yellow is a close second.

Here's my favourite piece of them all. Gorgeous chaotic polka dots from a distance

Up close, the pattern is more fun yet!

And then there's this tiny snippet. I'm not sure what to do with it, but it is very nice.

And finally! The bumble bees!!

So many bits of fabric and the desire to make something. I'm not sure what yet. But there are definite possibilities, particularly with that chaotic polka dots. A shirt perhaps? Maybe a bag? I'm just not sure.

On a non-craft related front. I decided to try to go to Grad School. A bit late, yeah. I'm starting my senior year at university and expect to graduate in the spring. Turns out, I need to take the GRE. I don't know if I know anyone who has had to take this and it's a bit daunting. It's in October, two weeks after my boyfriend gets here. I'm a bit worried at the moment but I still have a couple weeks until I start school. That gives me time to start studying.

Anyone out there taken the GRE before? What are the study tips any of you have for when you're confronted with a large exam, even the SAT? I want to know! :D

Recipes Gone Wrong: Fail, Perhaps Even Epic Fail Flan

2009-08-10T16:39:00.001-07:00

I made flan for the first time today. Bad idea. This was a flop from near the start, though I do plan on trying again until I get this one right! First I dripped hot, melted sugar on my finger while pouring it. Then I forgot to put the tin foil on top Before I put it in the oven. Then the sugar started bubbling out from underneath the mixture and made the first ever mess in my oven (great, melted sugar mess, good start to tenant-management relationship.) Then the tin foil stuck to the goopy, messy flan-like creature. Now it's cooling.

First, Google "flan" and see what it's supposed to look like.

Mind you, mine hasn't been flipped over just yet, but here it is:

I'll be sufficiently happy if it just tastes ok. But further study of the recipe is in order and I plan to get this right eventually. I love flan too much to fail! lol :P

Update later on: It looked worse turned over!!! lol

October Should Hurry It UP!

2009-08-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

This past year I fell in love. It's really the first time ever, not to mention my first boyfriend. But, sadly, I had to leave him behind in London on June 8th. It's been so hard being apart from him, since our previous longest separation was a mere 2 weeks. I did, though, not long ago get some reassurance.

He's coming over in October!! I can't tell you how excited about this I am, but I have had to remain contained. After all, it's still two months away. I have only reached the halfway mark in my waiting, which is agony. I've been counting down the days, and, thanks to internet and technology, have been able to talk to him most days. I just wish October would get here!

I've been missing London in general, lately. When you live in Texas where most days about now are 100 degrees and over, that gentle climate of England is so tempting. I went from wearing sweaters around the city when my family came over to visit to, the next day, wearing a tank top and feeling misreable. And, I miss those gorgeous Victorian buildings and walking past places and landmarks, knowing that someone important walked on this pavement and saw exactly what I was seeing then. I miss glancing up every once in a while and catching a glimpse of an old 1800s ad saying advertising cigarettes, saying you should smoke for your lungs' sakes. I love that city so much, and coming back was almost heartbreak. For so many reasons.

On other news, I have progressed almost nowhere at all with my Christmas presents. My little purple hat is far from finished, and I still have to decorate it! I'm not sure what happened, but it seems like the other hat was so much easier. Then I still have to do the matching scarves and make something for that cute little baby. And university starts back up for me in two weeks!! Hectic.

All right, I will now retire to a marathon of 80s movies and hopefully get to talk to my wonderful guy later.

compai: Clothes, classrooms and...bags! bags! Refashioned bags!

2009-08-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

I read a lot of blogs, I mean a lot! I just saw this come up on Compai's blog, though it's a few days old. Let me tell you! If you don't know Compai, you don't know what you're missing! They write the most amazing, hands-on refashion/upcycling books out there. There's nothing you can't do with their help!!!

And now, after the amazing books 99 Ways to Cut, Sew Tie & Rock Your Scarf, 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim, and Tie Your T-Shirt into Something Special, and 99 Ways to Cut, Sew & Deck Out Your Denim comes their brand new book available for pre-order: Refashioned Bags: Upcycle Anything into High-Style Handbags.

As soon as I have the money, you can bet this will be on my shopping list, and it should be on yours too. You just can't lose with Compai! :D Check out their amazing blog and site for more!

compai: Clothes, classrooms and...bags! bags! Refashioned bags!

Seafood Recipe: Rutabaga Tilapia Chowder

2009-08-09T17:12:00.001-07:00

I was in the grocery store and found this recipe card for clam chowder the other day. I couldn't get any clams, other than canned and I hate pre-canned, so I decided to change it!! One thing I have a lot of right now is Tilapia fish. I'm sick of breaded fish, so I figured I'd give this idea a shot. It's based off the clam chowder recipe, but a lot of it is made up and just jotted down as I went along.

This is also my first taste of Rutabaga. Can you believe it? I've never had it before. I had to Google how to handle it and peel it. It turns out this starchy vegetable, I'm guessing on that bit, has to be peeled about 1/4 of an inch in, past the wax and brown. It's much easier, I found and read, to cut up the Rutabaga first and then peel it because then you can see what you're doing.

Ingredients:
1/2 a Rutabaga, diced into small bits
2 fillets of Tilapia, diced into about 1 inch bits
1 can of cream of potato soup
1 cup of milk (the lower the fat the better)
3 tbsps finely chopped scallion
1 tsp pepper
1 pinch of salt
4 stalks of asparagus, diced (excluding the tips unless you really want them)

Directions
a. In a large sauce pan, add the milk, rutabaga, asparagus, and cream of potato soup. Bring the mixture to a boil over a high heat.
b. Once to a boil, reduce to a medium heat and cover. Let it simmer for no longer than 3 minutes, or about the time the rutabaga and asparagus are tender. Do not let them cook until mushy or the texture will be no good.
c. Stir immediately. While stirring, add the Tilapia and 2 tbsps of the scallions. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
d. Once the fish is thoroughly cooked, remove the pan from the heat. Add the salt and pepper and stir.

Serve up and sprinkle the remaining scallions on top. Great with sweetened corn bread!

French Press: Conquering the Coffee Press

2009-08-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

I returned to my parents' house for a couple days this past week to meet up with friends and spend time with my family. Since moving to my new apartment, I'm a little over two hours away, which is not convenient visiting distance, especially with gas prices as they are. My friends and I decided we were going to have a crafternoon, though after a series of odd timings turned into a crafterevening. The craft of choice? Crocheting!!

One friend knew already, and it was up to both of us to teach our other friend and my big little brother. I'm not always that good of a teacher, and that night I failed misreably! She got frustrated and I was no help at all. But! we did have fun making fun of the movie Pearl Harbor and the boys who kept shushing us during the movie.

I also learned astonishingly that I was the only one who knew how to use a French press or Coffee press. Only for coffee, mind you, but I haven't tried it with tea yet. One of my dear friends had me try to explain it and it came out sounding so much more complicated than it is! So I'm going to post a tutorial on here. Hopefully it will help others who need it explained as well!

What You Need:
A French Press (Mine is by Bodum, but they all work pretty much the same)
A Wooden Spoon
Coarsely Ground Coffee
Your Favourite Mug
Boiling Water

To Do:
a. Bring your pot of water to a boil. Mine has a whistle, so I just walk away until it screams at me to hurry back. With my kitchen, it usually takes 3-4 minutes on high heat.

b. As you wait for the water to boil, take out your French Press. Scoop 2 heaping tbsps of coffee (or however much your specific press's instructions tell you) and pour into your press.

c. Pour the boiling water CAREFULLY into your press and stir with a wooden spoon or plastic/silicone spatula. I'm breaking the rules here and using a metal spoon. If you do this, make sure you do not clang up against the sides as you can break the glass. Let sit to brew for about 5 minutes.

d. Put the plunger and lid onto the press, making sure to align the slotted portion of the lid away from the spout of your press. Very slowly push the plunger down until it reaches the bottom. Go too fast, and you risk a mini volcano of hot coffee.

Grab a nice freshly baked lemon muffin and enjoy! Or if you're weird like me, let the coffee sit and cool for 10-15 minutes until it's not so hot. :P

PS! Please ignore the filthy kitchen. I'm working on cleaning it, but I wasn't thinking when I took my photos and have now plastered my mess online.

Seafood Recipe: Totally Tasty Tilapia

2009-08-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

I love alliteration, but when it comes to creative titles, I'm the worst. That was one of the main complaints I think ever single one of my English professors has complained about. Anyway, anyway. I digress. Lovely fish recipe!!

For this I used the individually wrapped filets of Tilapia at Walmart. Probably not ecologically smart and definitely not organic, but I'm a broke student living on an extremely tight budget. This pack comes with several fillets, so it lasts a while. I'm sure it's much better fresh!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of flour
1-2 4oz. Tilapia fillets
1 tbsp. black pepper
1/2 tbsp. lemon pepper (probably overkill but I love it)
1 tbsp. of oregano
1 tsp. of salt (or avoid and add later when you serve it to minimize)
1-2 tbsp. of olive oil

Directions:
a. If working with frozen filets, make sure you take it out a few hours before and set in the fridge to thaw.
b. In a frying pan, add 1-2tbsp of olive oil and turn the burner onto medium-high to high heat. Let warm up until the oil moves across the pan like water.
c. Mix the flour and seasonings. They seem like large amounts, but I'm paranoid that there's never enough flavour and so I add it to the point that I can see the seasonings easily. Do it to your taste though.
d. Spread the flour mixture out on a plate and coat the fillet thoroughly. Press the flour a little bit into the fish so it will stick better.
e. Shake off excess flour and carefully lay the fillet into the oil to cook. Flip after 2-4 minutes*.

Serve with a cold glass of lemonade and some amazing garlic roasted brussels sprouts. :D Happy cooking!

*Cooking time depends on choice. I prefer to cook for about 10 minutes total, flipping halfway through, so that the breading is nice and crunchy.

DIY Deviance: Attack of the Astonishers

2009-08-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

Rather than being productive on Christmas presents, I've been wasting my unemployed summer time making more of the astonishers. I like them but I seem to have lost my focus on the actual assembly. They're becoming heavy and thick, rather than the original light and airy but large flower.

Ok, but this weekend, as I'm stuck in bed sick, is the presents. I have 1 hat, 2 scarves, a pair of earrings for a little girl who just recently got her ears pierced (yay!!!!!), and figure out what I could possibly make for my mom. That's not the end of the list, but I'm so pressed for ideas at this point. Doesn't help any for time that I'm scheming about making a shirt from some lovely fabric I got at Wal-mart.

Pitiful update I know, but it will be followed by a recipe! Small consolation?

Wanted: Good Luck

2009-07-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my interview at the university's press for an internship. I want this internship so badly!! All summer I have been dreading this moment but as the time draws near, I've just been getting increasingly excited! I can't explain it. I'm not nervous so much as excited and ready to do this.

I'm not qualified, I don't think. I mean, scholastically I was. Studying abroad in London with the EXTREMELY more difficult grading system, my gpa dropped to about a 3.5. I'm embarassed and upset, but honestly, I did the best I could. I'm not proud of it, I'm just acknowledging it. Also, I read on the website that the press deals primarily with Chicago Style. I thought in my head, oh no! I only know MLA! But honestly, I don't know it that well. So I should be able to adapt fairly easily and I can spend the last few weeks of summer studying up. Let's face it, it's not like I don't have the time.

I really hope they hire me as an intern. I've had a love affair with printed words since I was very little. I've been pretending to read since I was 1 and actually reading at about 4 or 5. I collect books. I have over 200 books in my personal collection and have read at least 75%. I love the smell of books and how they feel in my hand. I've tried reading online, but it's not the same. There's not that comforting weight or the soft shuffle of a page turning. I love walking into the library and having that scent of old and dust hit my senses. It's incredible. And I want to be a part of the process. Whether in editting or whatever. It's always been in me to work with books in some form or fashion, and based on my writing skills, this may be the only way lol.

So, wish me luck tomorrow!

Late Post, Christmas, and Etsy-ness

2009-07-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

I have finally moved into the new apartment. I'm very excited, but it's nothing spectacular. I have internet at last, but it's not wireless. I walk around the apartment hooked up to a 40 foot internet line. lol. And I have no cable, I'm using an antennae and converter. It's not fun! I have to have the boxes on the floor aligned just right, place a heavy bag of necklaces on the antennae box, sit perfectly still, and expect to get up and readjust everything if I decide to change the channel. But the air conditioning works!!!

I don't have pictures yet, but I've been filling my unemployed time with crocheting. I've made so far 1 coffee to go cozy, 2 small coffee cup cozies, and 1 large coffee cup cozy. I'm also working on my future-niece's Christmas present. It's coming along slowly, but at least it's coming along. I made a large flower for her sister's hat, but I can't think of what to put on her hat yet. Then I also have to make them scarves to go with the hats and then start on presents for my family. I'm doing my absolute best to either make it myself or buy handmade. We'll see how my consumer family appreciates this decision lol.

I'm also under contemplation of whether or not to open an etsy store. I absolutely love this website. If I had more money, I'd buy so much! My favourite stores so far are FoldedPigs (foldedpigs.etsy.com & meredithhost.etsy.com), Klewism (klewism.etsy.com), Chinacherie (chinacherie.etsy.com), and Topsy Turvy Design (topsyturvydesign.etsy.com). That's NOT to say that there aren't practically a million amazing artists on this site. It's worth a browse or 30.

And I'm considering adding my name to the mix. I've made plenty of jewelry and have no place for a lot of pieces. Some things I make but know I'll never wear lol. And I have seen a couple pieces on that website that made me giggle at the prices. Take one necklace. It was about $20. I have all the pieces to make this necklace (and had before I saw it) and it cost me about $8 from Michaels. I could do better, maybe. We'll see! I'm still under contemplation.

DIY Deviance: Viola! Can Koozie Loveliness

2009-07-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm not about to admit that I think Koozies are stylish, but some are not nearly as bad as others. At a recent birthday party, I saw the worst of the worst. We had the typical big sis/lil sis Greek presents kind, A purple one with a huge purple boa arond the bottom, and the typical redneck hick kind.

Basically, I do not like any that look like these:
http://www.kustomkoozies.com/
http://www.thepinkmonogram.com/php/first.php?ACT=8616
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/monogrammed-can-koozie

The only reason I'm concerned with this is that I have a special occasion that needed a solution to hideous trashy cans lying around everywhere. So taking from my love of London, I mimicked a gorgeous Union Jack pillow I found.

DIY Deviance: Christmas in July

2009-07-11T20:55:00.001-07:00

Cliche as it is, I am embarking on Christmas in July. I've started my boyfriend's lovely nieces Christmas presents. I'm so excited! I've had a vision for them for a while. I wanted to make a nice hat and scarf set for both girls. I'm not sure what to do for the baby yet.

Step 1! Learn to crochet and get the rhythm constant. I've now gotten it, roughly.

Step 2! Learn how to read a pattern. This has been so incredibly difficult. I could read through a pattern and know exactly what it said. I just couldn't interpret it into action. After a lot, a lot of of patience, I have finally worked semi-successively through my first pattern!!!!

I sat down this afternoon with this pattern from Lion Brand Yarn:

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/chs-cloche.html

I absolutely love this pattern. It was so easy for me to follow and finally I have learned how to read a pattern. I sat down this afternoon and focused 100% on the task at hand. Of course, it helped finally having all the tools. I'm so excited! And I finished it this evening! I'm just working now on how to dress it up so the girls feel a bit more girly.

A couple of notes on this pattern.
1. You will be required to register with the site to get to any of the patterns. Do it!! There are so many patterns to browse through and the search engine is unbelievably helpful. It will narrow down to help you find exactly the pattern you want.
2. This pattern needs 3 needles. US sizes H/8, I/9, J/10. I didn't entirely pick up on this, and on the last round, I forgot to change out to my largest (of these three) needles. Now the hat has little to no give. Might have to be adjusted.

Use this site! Register! Play! :D
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/chs-cloche.html

DIY Deviance: Astonishing Astonishers!

2009-07-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

ok, technically it's a fascinator, but my brother's a dork and could never remember the word. He kept calling my flower an astonisher instead.

I love this flower and the second time, I made it better and even bigger! Each flower has a pin setting on the back, so I can use a regular headband and change it out according to my mood. This flower with the red button is my more playful one. I can't wait to do this in a few different colors and have more fun!

DIY Deviance: More projects in the horizon

2009-06-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

I have finally finished that darn scarf!! It's over 7 feet tall. I measured it on one of my gigantic friends who is just under 7 feet tall and he had to stretch his arm to unroll the whole thing. It's gorgeous...black. Nothing fancy at all, but it's for a guy! Guy's don't really need anything fancy.

But a month's work and it's all done! I felt like celebrating, I felt like jumping for joy, I felt like doing something else.

My first task was a hat! I knew exactly where to start! I went to the Threadbanger website. (http://www.threadbanger.com/threadheads/post/10902/how-to-crochet-a-hat) It's a great tutorial but I had troubles.
1. I didn't have the right size crochet hook
2. My yarn seemed to be too heavy and was much too stiff to work with
3. I didn't really know the difference in the single and double stitches.

That first hat was a disaster, and you can't see it. The second, well I took the tutorial as I do with any good recipe. I take it's frame work and change everything. I started out the same way and then changed everything about it. It's a better hat than the first, but I don't know if it's because I changed it or if I had improved with practice.

The hat, luckily only took 1/4-maaaaybe 1/2 a skein. That leaves me with a whole lot left to play with. I'm not sure what to do with it, but it's fun to have wiggle room when there's no money to buy more materials with.

Dessert Recipe: Lemon Cake

2009-06-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

Ok I lied! I thought I wasn't going to have to be baking or cooking or anything. I did, though, make both my asparagus and brussels sprouts on two separate occasions. Only the youngest brother stuck up his nose. A couple weeks later, here I'm making lemon cake with mommy!

We made lemon cake, with lemon curd filling, with lemon frosting on top. I told you! I'm a lemon girl!! Now, while this was a fun cake that I loved, I loved it each in pieces and not as a whole. I'd mix and match the bits.

Here's the recipe for the AMAZING cake, and my favourite part.

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk or lowfat milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 1/8 cups sugar

a. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit or 160 Celsius. If making a two layer cake, spray 2 8-inch round cake pans and sprinkle flour.
b. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Mix until completely combined.
c. In a separate bowl, mix together the lemon zest, lemon juice, vegetable oil, and milk.
d. In a large bowl or a mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar, and egg whites for 2-3 minutes with a hand held mixer or the large mixer on a medium speed.
e. With the mixer still running, add the flour combination in small parts and then the milk combination in small parts until both are completely combined.
f. Take out a wooden spoon and mix by hand until there are no more lumps.
g. Disperse the batter roughly evenly between both the cake pans and place on the middle rack of the oven.
h. Let cool completely before doing anything more with it as it will fall apart easily.

The new apartment

2009-06-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

I finally got to take a sneak peak at the new apartment! I can't move in yet for a little under a month, but I'm getting so excited!! It's small, but it's huge compared to the place I was living at! I absolutely love it and I especially can't wait for my boyfriend to come over.

Here are the pictures of the interior. I cannot wait to move in!! This is my first non-dorm place. I don't have to share the full size refrigerator with anyone but my boyfriend, which means I know exactly who snitched the ingredients for the dinner lol. I am a few blocks away from 3 grocery stores, 4 drug stores, plenty of restaurants, and not far at all from the university.

Now my goals are decided! I have little to no money to decorate this place. This is when DIY-ing finally takes off! I'm moving from my heavy jewelry making to more things!! I hope to make this place look great for me and my guy!

DIY Deviance: Crocheting like Crazy

2009-06-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

Long time! I've been recovering from the big move. It's been extremely hard. I've tried not to be too rude to people who have said to me "Oh you must be glad to be home." I've said no, not really to most of them, but also adding that it is good to see my family. They don't know what I left behind and what I have to wait for.

But I decided not to get depressed, and refocus my energies on making things. I'm living at home for a little while, so I don't have to fuss with cooking until mid July when I move into my boyfriend and my first apartment. I have one big project right now: a scarf.

I was originally a knitter. That's not to say that I was any good. I'd made 2 scarves, only one of which can be readily recognized as a scarf. I'm not really sure what the other thing was.

I figured, incorrectly of course, that I would make a scarf for my boyfriend. It was my "bribe" for him to come to America. I kept saying, I'll make this scarf for you, but you have to come get it. I'm not shipping it. He teased that it would take years upon years for me to finish, if I even got started. He was probably right too!! I know somewhere in my boxes there is a barely started baby yellow scarf I was making for an (ex) friend.

It took almost the entire time I was in London to find a crafting store in Wimbeldon. It would come as a great shock a week later to find that I lived two blocks away from one the whole time. Anyway, I was able to get needles and two skeins of black yarn for about £7. I got all excited, wound my yarn up into a ball, and got ready to cast on. All this, only to find out I couldn't remember a thing about knitting. I didn't know how to cast on or knit! I freaked out!!!

No one could help me figure it out for a while, or at least until my folks got to London but that was going to be two weeks. I dug through my stuff and magically found a crochet hook! I had an astonishing idea. Knitting wasn't working...at least not at the moment. Maybe I should try crocheting? Either way I'm starting from a beginning point!

So I googled and learned how to crochet! I decided, no knitting the scarf. I'll crochet it. I got started, crocheted the thing width wise with single stitches, and it took forever. Mom finally showed me how to do double stitches. I tried doing that for a couple weeks, including on the plane trip back to the states.

I think I unraveled it 2 or 3 times before mom gave me some new advice. She suggested that I unravel the scarf completely and try crocheting the scarf length-wise. I'm not sure how many stitches this blasted scarf is, but I know it stretches over 7 feet. I might have gotten just a bit carried away with the initial stitches. I'm not even half way done. How discouraging is this?

My hands are getting faster, though, and the work, though it seems like it will never end, is plenty easy. It just takes patience and a good movie to distract me. I'll keep up on its progress!

London: Camden

2009-06-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

I love Camden. If I've said that other parts of London are my favourite, I lied. Camden's it for me. There's something about it's alternative atmosphere that draws me in. I don't feel like I stand out, although I look nothing crazy or anything. I don't have the guts to be that creative with the way I look, but if I did then I would feel right at home.

I love all the handmade indie, the vintage, the goth, the punk, and especially the cyberpunk clothing stores. I've found some amazing items that I absolutely love there. I have a red rose ring, cute button earrings, 2 pashminas, 3-4 scarves, a lace scarf, and a nice large bundle of tulle. There's one store in the market where many of the items are under £1. Note, if you want to see all the stores open and the market at its liveliest, go on the weekend. If you want a more relaxed atmosphere with fewer people, go during the weekdays.

Camden market has grown lately! A couple years ago, the old market caught on fire. It's been under construction the entire time I've been in London. On this last trip to Camden, the area was back open for business. Here you can find all the new businesses that haven't been as established, but it's just as worth a visit. The redone area looks incredible!

Inside I guess what would be called the new old market (the original old market being now remodeled and new) make sure you stop by Cyberdog. From outside the store, you can barely hear the music, but one step inside and you can feel it deep within your bones. The colors are vibrant neon yellows, pinks, greens, and anything that would light up under a black light. Some shirts have digital displays, some are made of vinyl and some have a lot of fur or resemble UFOs. Unfortunately, you can't take pictures inside, but to see the merchandise check out their website! http://shop.cyberdog.net/

Walk past Cyberdog towards the exit, but don't leave yet! Turn left and look around. The area you see to the left is under construction but parts of it are now open to the public. You just have to follow the snaking path into a brand new market that looks interestingly like a multi-storied stable. The designers took note from the original stable market. Even the old horse statues are replicated, but updated! For instance, the oversized horse head. I love the look! I cannot wait to come back to London and see the place finished.

Poem: At the Crossroads

2009-06-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

At the Crossroads

I stood at the crossroad of my life
Childhood and adolescence at my back
And the torturing and confusing threat of adulthood ahead
I clung to the past, begging not to have to move
Not wanting to make any decisions
That would force my life’s progression.

I sat down on the dusty road and examined both options
Nothing seemed probable, nothing seemed preferable.
All would lead me to the end of the path,
Spiraling and intersecting with one another
Watching my heart’s lines cross and tangle
Feeling my emotions spiral out of control
And praying for some solution.

I closed my eyes and let tears of frustration fall,
Feeling my heart wrenched in indecision and fear
Knowing that there were no maps for either road ahead,
No guide and no assistance along the way.
I breathed in deeply the dusty road of memory
Begging not to have to move an inch
But knowing that I could not stay.

A shadow crossed my path and fell across my face
I looked up and saw a vague figure overhead.
He knelt down beside me and brushed away my tears
And took my hand so gently and helped me to my feet.
I stared at him in awe and with a slight concern
For this stranger I had never met and knew nothing of,
But still I quietly accepted his assistance and smiled at him shyly.

With my hand in his he led the way
Down a third path that I had not seen
Filled with both the glorious, sunny afternoons of spring
And the fearsome, tumultuous nights of winter.
Together we weathered through life and hell, of love and sadness,
Glancing back only once in a while to see that behind
And to remember why we treasure our happiness and each other.

--Published in TCU's 1147 Fall 2008

21 at last!!

2009-05-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

I'm now legal to drink in all countries lol. Such a small thing to aspire towards, but I've made it! We had such a wonderful time! My boyfriend took me, his niece, her father, and her friend to the theme park Thorpe Park. We rode I think 5 or 6 rides, including the new Saw Ride!

It was an absolutely amazing day. We forgot the sunscreen in the car, though, so we got a bit burned. But I got to share this day with the most important guy in my life and his family. The funny thing, though, is there was not a drop of alcohol in sight!

Dessert Recipe: Sweety and Tart Apple Crisp

2009-05-19T16:34:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty good recipe. I usually fail at reading recipes and start changing everything within a moment's notice. This one was a pie of some sorts but it kept falling apart. Now it's more of a pudding thing that's unbelievably amazing on ice cream or with cream.

1 1/4 cup of flour
1 1/4 cup of white sugar or brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon of ground nutmeg (optional)
10 tablespoons of butter or 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
5-6 granny smith apples (depending on size)

a. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit or 190 Celsius.
b. In a large mixing bowl, blend together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter/oil until well blended. It will come off looking like crumbs and stick all together. That's fine! Don't fuss too much.
c. Wash the apples and peel off the skin. Cut into narrow slices, but watch your fingers. Put all the apples into any baking pan. For safety sake, put the pan on a sheet pan in case of overflow.
d. Cover the apples with the flour mixture. Try to cover the apples as completely as possible.
e. Put in the oven for about 50-55 minutes. The apples should be tender and bubbling. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving on some cold vanilla ice cream.

Seafood Recipe: Pan Fried and Breaded Scallops

2009-05-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

I love scallops. They have such a sweet flavour and a lovely texture. I've had them pan friend, but I wanted a crisper texture. So I took a page from chicken, and breaded it! At Sainsbury's, if I want to save money, I get the small frozen scallops. The large fresh ones are best, but I'm a student.

1/2 package of small scallops or 10-12 small scallops or 6-8 large scallops
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp of salt
2 tbsp of lemon pepper
1 tbsp of oregano
1 tbsp olive oil, for the pan

If you have frozen scallops, be sure they're completely thawed before starting.

a. In a large plate, mix the flour and seasonings together. Add more if the flour looks sparse.
b. Roll the scallops one by one in the flour until completely covered. Shake off any excess and set aside.
c. Heat up 1 tbsp a large frying pan to a medium-medium high heat, until the oil runs around the pan like water when you tilt it. Be careful though!
d. Place the scallops on the pan and let sit for 2 minutes, or until the breaded parts are golden to dark brown. Flip over and cook for another 2 minutes.
e. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving and enjoy!

May this month go slowly

2009-05-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

I'm slowly starting to get bummed out. It's becoming more apparent that I'm not going to be here much longer. Talk about depressing. I love my family and friends, but this is where my boyfriend lives. I met him here, at Waterloo Station. I've had so many days of wonderful memories. I've taken thousands of pictures. I feel so at home here.

But I'm also too busy to be fretting over this. I've got papers due and two more finals. Then I have to pack up this tiny tiny little room, which looks like an explosion at this point. I'll be 21 the second to last week of May, and my family arrive a couple days later for a family vacation.

Return from Finland!

2009-04-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

We're back! And bummed to be back. Ok, a little relieved to. The language is vastly different and so much more complicated. I did learn one phrase, which I have since forgotten. It translates to "Hi there! How's life?"

We just got back a couple days ago from Finland, where we visited a friend of mine from high school and her boyfriend. It was gorgeous!! We had so much fun. We landed Wednesday and on Thursday, my boyfriend and I got lost in the little city of Joensuu and ended up doing a 4 mile round trip...oops! lol We were a bit late getting back to the apartment. Then that night we went with my friend and her boyfriend and her friends out on the town...and found out that even my boyfriend can't keep up with Finnish people when it comes to drinking. And may I point out that I don't get hyper and loose when I drink...I get sleepy and self-conscious. Go figure! I just wanted bed.

Friday was lovely!! It really snowed pretty heavy for us, which I enjoyed immensely! We ended up going sledding and ooftah! I kept falling off the sled and the hike back up the hill was tough. But it was so much fun.

Saturday we went snow shoeing during the day, which was awesome. We even made a snow-caterpillar on the ice! I've never been snow shoeing before, so of course it was really awkward. I was also not prepared for the amount of physical effort it would take. I'm not fit in any way lol so this was a bit challenging for me. But I loved it.

That night at 11:30pm we went to an Orthodox church for Easter service. I was warned it would be long...I was not warned it would be 3 and a half hours standing up the entire time. That and there were only 2 lines in English, so my boyfriend and I couldn't really keep up with what was going on. I did find it pretty funny, though, that the candles we were given upon entering the sanctuary were completely burned to the last inch almost an hour before the service was over. I make it sound like torture, though!! lol It was quite beautiful, and it was led by the archbishop of Finland.

Sunday we all slept until 3pm (understandable as we didn't get back to the apartment until 4:30 am. Then we went to my friend's godparents' for Easter dinner. Ooooh!!!! Lamb, potatoes, Finnish desserts. You name it! Amazing food all around!! We stayed there well into the night and left about 11pm, after my friend and her boyfriend and the rest of the guests (minus my boyfriend and me) used the sauna. Back to bed after that!

Monday we went ice fishing. That couldv'e been a lot more fun...had I caught even 1 damn fish. I was literally the only one who didn't catch a thing. My friend held her boyfriend's fishing rod while he dug a hole for her cousin and she caught a damn fish! Everyone else did but me. That and turns out my boots suck and aren't snow boots, so my feet were frozen. That night we went to my friend's boyfriend's mother's house for dinner. Amazing salmon recipe I need to get!! The food in this country is not praised near enough!!! Just incredible.

Tuesday we went to a castle and explored. Beautiful place. I'm not entirely sure where it was, but if I looked on a map, I'd find it. It was a couple hour drive, but gorgeous scenery all the way. The castle was built in the 15th century. It was beautiful, with some original woodwork, the tiniest organ in Finland and it was fun to see the evolution in the bricks. While we were there, though, they were preparing for the Opera festival, so parts were closed off.

Then Wednesday we flew back to London. Once we got back, I uploaded all my pictures...totalling 805.

No exceptional news other than all of that, really. I did, though, sadly lose my beautiful Books of Blood volume 4-6 by clive barker on the airplane from Kuopio to Helsinki. I nearly cried too!! I'm still bummed about that. But anyways, that's it for now :D

Finland!!

2009-04-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

My amazing boyfriend are running away to Finland! I have a friend from high school who lives there and we are going to stay with her. I'm so excited!! We've been looking forward to this trip for a couple months now. The tickets were a bit expensive, but about 1/2 what I had budgeted to spend. Yay!!! :D

Finland! Finland! Finland! The place that I want to be! :P

Pretzel Recipe: Practically Perfect Pretzels

2009-04-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

I promised to wait to make pretzels until my boyfriend came over, but I failed. I was dying to try out this recipe I found by Alton Brown. However, I didn't really like the flavour that much. So this is my altered recipe.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water (this part is for the yeast)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 and 1/4 teaspoons of yeast (or one packet)
4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 cups unsalted butter melted
10 cups water (this is for boiling)
1/2 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp water and 1/2 tsp of sugar
1 pinch of salt

a. In a large bowl (mixing bowl if you're lucky to have one), combine the 1 1/2 cup of warm water, the sugar, and pinch of salt. Just sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit for about 5 minutes.
b. Add the flour and butter and stir until everything's combined. Knead the dough for about 4-5 minutes, and feel free to add more flour if the mixture is too sticky.
c. Take the dough out of the bowl and place on a clean towel while you clean the bowl and rub vegetable oil on the inside. Put the dough back and cover the top with plastic wrap or a warm towel. Leave it be for 50-55 minutes so the dough can rise.*
d. When the dough has about 40 minutes left, go ahead and preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit or about 230 Celsius. Line sheet pan(s) with parchment paper and put a thin layer of vegetable oil on the paper.
e. While the oven is heating, mix the 10 cups of water and baking soda and bring to a boil. Make sure you have a pan big enough so you don't have to worry about things boiling over.
f. The dough should be ready now to work with. Divide the dough into the size pieces you want. I divide mine into about 8 roughly equal pieces. Stretch out into a long snake and shape how you'd like it.
g. One at a time, place the pretzels into the boiling mixture for 30 seconds. Place each one onto the sheet pan and brush them with the egg yolk mixture.
h. Put in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until a deep golden brown. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before eating.

*The first time I made this, it was way too cold in the kitchen for the dough to rise. All of the heaters in the building were broken. So I sat it on my lap and wrapped myself around it in a way to keep it warm while I watched a movie. Goofy, but effective!!

London: Go way South to Mitcham

2009-04-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

This is an underestimated part of London, which is kind of almost more Surrey than anything else. I have spent so much time here, and yet I have never gone exploring. That is, until my boyfriend suggested we go up to Mitcham Common. Good idea! Great idea! It's another get-away from the city.

We walked from Mitcham Fair Green and the Cricket Field, which is one of, if not the oldest still functioning cricket green in England, and up a really steep hill. When we saw the common, it looked pretty much like an overgrown patch of land waiting to be redeveloped into housing. (Let's face it, London can always use a few more houses.)

After wandering in, it was clear that this was never going to be redeveloped and shouldn't be. It was like running away to South Dakota. Past the overgrown, dried shrubs and trees, there was an open, hilly field with a pond filled with geese and other birds. It was amazing, and at a point we couldn't even hear the traffic. Something about that area drowned out all the noise.

London: Go east....and a little south to Greenwich

2009-03-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

Boyfriend and I picked a new direction. This time it was east and a little bit south. A hop on the DLR, and after I got over the fact that there are no drivers on the DLR, we came out on the other side of the river from Greenwich. It was a whole new atmosphere. I felt as though we had out of the hectic, fast-paced city, to what may have been Jane Austen's view. Large, cream colored, state buildings sat across the Thames. It was such a peaceful feeling and what a view!!

And just for fun, we took the tunnel and walked under the Thames. Never in my life did I think I'd walk under the Thames let alone that there would be a way to! The tunnel's construction was enacted by the London County Council (LCC) and it was officially opened in August 1902.

Most things were closing by the time we got there. We're good at planning where to go but we fail at getting going in the morning. We made it there by about 4:30 and everything closed at 5. We made it to the nautical museum but nothing else. We still went up the hill to the Prime Meridian. We had quite the view!!

London: Head North, Little Brother! Hampstead Heath

2009-03-27T19:51:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend and I don't get a whole lot of wandering time, maybe two days a week, so big adventures are few and far between. We're both very busy. I have classes and he has work, but we always manage to make time to go do something, and it doesn't usually cost a whole lot of money.

We were sitting around and thinking about where to go for our next adventure in London. We'd been to Camden several times, and we will go several more times, I'm sure. We'd seen most of the South Bank, having walked from Westminster Bridge to Canary Wharf one afternoon/evening. Somehow, during the conversation, Mary Poppins popped into my head and I asked him if he knew where that one house with the ship on top was and if it was maybe in London. He had no idea, so I went on the hunt. Wouldn't you know? I found it! And our trip was planned. We were heading north to Hampstead Heath.

I was not prepared for how peaceful We left the station and wandered down Hampstead High Street to Perrin's Lane, which we followed to Church Row. At the end of Church Row, we found the most overcrowded graveyard I have ever seen. Graves were toppled over and piled on top of each other. But there was something in the mess that was beautiful and sinister at the same time. It is said that this graveyard is featured in Bram Stoker's Dracula; it's where Lucy Westenra's vault supposedly is located.

Following the small path beside the other overcrowded graveyard across the street, nd up a steep hill, we turned right on Mount Vernon and found one of London's Xinfamous plaques. If you see these, always pause and read. There are so many neat things I've learned from these. Here we have where Robert Louis Stevenson stayed on several occasions.

After a lot of wandering and getting lost (ok we weren't that far lost), which I have become quite the expert on, we found ourselves at Admiral's Walk. We followed it a little bit before running into this large white house on the left. I didn't recognize it. I could've sworn it looked more like a ship than it did! The original house was remodeled in 1791 by Lieutenant Fountain North to resemble the quarterdeck of a ship. Every royal birthday, he would fire off a cannon from atop his roof.

What trip to Hampstead is complete without a stop by Hampstead Heath? You may have seen this in Mary Poppins. It was where they went to go fly kites! Well, we forgot our kite, but it was still fun to go wandering. A few steps in, and we forgot completely that you are anywhere near London. The trees seem to go on for miles and it's very easy to get lost. But with hectic, technology-crazy London in the back of our minds, this was a welcome get-away. We actually breathed in fresh(ish) air and could feel nature. It was amazing.

Muffin Recipe: Cranberry Orange Muffins

2009-03-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

This is the muffin I always get at Starbucks or any other coffee shop. I love cranberry-orange muffins more than any other kind. This recipe isn't the greatest, but it's pretty good.

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2/3-1 cup milk (depends on how dry the mix is)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp of salt
2 egg whites
2 tbsps butter or vegetable oil
1/4 tsps orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice and pulp (best if freshly squeezed)
2/3 cup dried cranberries
Sugar for on top of the muffins

a. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit or about 190 Celsius.
b. Mix together the dry ingredients--flour, baking soda, salt--in a large bowl and set aside.
c. In a medium bowl, beat together the milk and egg until the mixture is fluffy. Add the juice and milk. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.
d. Fold in the cranberries, and set a small handful aside for on top.
e. Disperse into lined muffin pans. For bigger muffin tops, fill closer to the top, as these don't grow that much on their own. Sprinkle a couple cranberries and a little sugar on top of each muffin.
f. Put in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins are slightly golden brown.

Have with coffee or hot tea.

Muffin Recipe: Lemon Muffin

2009-03-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

What's more refreshing than the taste of lemon? I'm a huge fan of the lemon flavour and I try to incorporate it as much as possible. This muffin is great for bringing along on spring picnics or also for a light breakfast.

2 egg whites
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsps of grated rind of an unwaxed lemon
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (or 1/4 cup of lemon concentrate)
2 cups plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

a. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or about 200 celsius.
b. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift together if you would like extra lightness.
c. In a medium box, beat together the wet ingredients--egg, oil milk, and sugar--until the sugar has mostly dissolved. Mix in the lemon rind and lemon juice.
d. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until it is all just mixed in.
e. Place muffin paper in your muffin pan. Disperse the batter evenly in the pan. If you want big muffin tops, fill to near the top edge.*
f. Put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until lightly browning.

*For more flavour, add pomegranate arids or dried cranberries to the mix on top or inside.

Muffin Recipe: Pomegranate Bran Muffins

2009-03-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

I'm a muffin nut. I absolutely love large, overflowing muffins. So I've decided to make this entire month March Muffin Madness in my kitchen.

None of us gets anywhere near enough fiber to keep our bodies healthy. What's worse is that a lot of fiber isn't exactly appetizing. In my attempt to improve myself, I bought a box of bran. I'm supposed to eat 1 cup everyday. How horribly dry. So I decided to do some alterations and made a muffin out of it. The sweetness of the bran mixed with the tart of the pomegranate makes for an amazing, and healthy muffin.

Ingredients

2 cups wheat bran
1 cup milk (buttermilk makes it even richer if you have it)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
2/3 cup brown sugar (preferably light brown, but either will do)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1/2 cup pomegranate arils

a. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit or about 190 Celsius. Take out your muffin pan and line each section with cupcake papers or wax paper. Even line if it's a silicone pan (in my experience, the muffins sink otherwise).
b. In a medium size mixing bowl, add the wheat bran and milk. Stir and then let stand for 10-15 minutes
c. In a large size mixing bowl, mix together the oil, egg, sugar, and vanilla. Once fully mixed, add the milk and bran.
d. In a small size mixing bowl, mix together (sift if you want it even lighter) the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the large bowl and mix until it is all just blended. The longer you mix, the more air will get.
e. Gently fold in the pomegranate arids, but set a small handful aside. Try not to burst any, as it will turn your mixture pink! Unless pink is what you're going for.
f. Disperse the muffin mix in the pan. Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with a couple extra arils and with a little bit of brown sugar.
f. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick in the middle of a muffin and it comes out clean.

Serve with coffee or tea and enjoy!!!

London: Wandering around the East End

2009-02-27T12:08:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love this city! London is just one of those places where it's great to get lost. Also, you have to have a camera on hand at all times. I always regret when it's been left at home. Like the time I was sitting at the university, waiting for my boyfriend to meet me, and I saw a bed driving down Regent Street! Or the time I saw a protest with banker-eating zombies on the corner of Oxford Street and Regent Street. This city is insane, but you gotta love it.

My boyfriend and I didn't go crazy this time. We picked East this time and headed to historical and notorious East End. This is where Jack the Ripper reportedly haunted and where he took almost all of his victims. We decided we would go see this mysterious place.

I personally love Victorian architecture, so this area to me was beautiful. This is Prostitute's church. I'll look up it's real name later if anyone has an interest. This church was nicknamed Prostitute Church, unsurprisingly, because prostitutes would stand outside of it to do business.

This square is supposedly were Catherine Eddowes's body was found after Jack the Ripper murdered her.

London has been a multicultural city for over 100 years now and that has made this city even more exciting. This is only a small example, but I absolutely love it. Here in East End many of the street signs are bi-lingual.

Now here's an interesting spot. John Wesley preached here on a couple occaisions and Charles Dickens had several readings here. I love how many Charles Dickens sites you can find all across this city. He lived in almost every block of Camden it seems, and in every region of the city.

Here's the Ten Bells. This pub is supposedly a haunt of Jack the Ripper. I didn't see Jack when I went in with friends in the fall, but I did meet a Jack. Jack Daniels, that is, with a dash of coca-cola. We just couldn't resist the historical opportunity. Although, the inside looks a bit sparse and there's not really much to see.

A. Gold's is a must-see. It's across the street (Brushfield Street) from Spitalfields Market. This cute store sells genuine British traditional foods and drink, including Honey Mead, which my boyfriend and I picked up a bottle of. Also, there's hard toffee brittle with a hammer, Kendel mint cake, and Eccles (not sure about the spelling)Cake. It's worth a stop in. It's just a part of the experience of old London.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T23:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

I just had to make a note of my romantic plans for the night. I have one chivalrous boyfriend. He had to work, which was no fun, but it did not take away from the evening at all. I love spending any time with him, but today was especially special. Not only was it our first Valentine's day together, but it was the first one I have ever gotten to spend with a significant other. He is my first boyfriend, so this was huge for me. And he made it perfect.

I have a lovely card that made me a little teary eyed. And afterward, we walked around Streatham looking for places to eat. Of course, every place was full. It was Valentine's Day. In the end we found a nice Vietnamese restaurant with amazing food. The rest of our evening was the brand new Friday the 13th Movie. We are such romantics! lol Great times!

This is the cute toy the restaurant gives us. It kisses and then says "I love you!"

London: Loving London on the Embankment

2009-02-11T22:37:00.000-08:00

My boyfriend and I decided to go out walking in London to see what there is to see. This city is a gold mine for historical fun. I'm so serious. We chose a direction and today's was the middle, central London starting at Embankment Station.

We slipped between buildings and tiptoed around private property. (No we did not trespass, we just almost trespassed.) This is where the gems start to come out of the wood works.

All across London there are these lovely green taxi huts. There are not a whole lot of them left. I've only spotted 4 of them in various regions. We found one just off the embankment. If you come to London and you find one, stop and eat. The prices are great and the food is better.

We backtracked a little bit near the King's College London to Strand Lane. After slipping and sliding on the wet and icy alley and feeling like real trespassers this time, we found an old Roman Bath. Normally when you hear the word Roman Bath you think Bath, UK or other large spas. This one was a little hole in the wall.

Out the alley and heading east along the embankment, we wandered between buildings. We found Temple Gardens. Shakespeare reputedly said that this garden is where the mythical picking of the red and white roses that started the War of the Roses occurred.

Up the steps we found Fountain Court (top picture), which is mentioned in Dickens' The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit. In the same area was, correct me if I have the wrong name, Middle Temple (bottom picture). This is where Shakespeare reputedly premiered his play Twelfth Night, Or As You Will. More than likely, he even participated in the play himself as an actor. Another cool creepy fact is that during rennovations, a box was found and inside of it was a human skeleton.

A lot of confusion later, we also found Temple Church, featured in The DaVinci Code, both the Novel and the Movie. It's a gorgeous building. Part of it was rebuilt after WWII when an explosion destroyed part of the ceiling. This is still an active church, much like almost all of the churches, so check the opening times. We only had 15 minutes to browse before regular services began.

Then we were off to Fleet Street. I've been dying to see this place since I first saw Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (the play, not the movie, though I loved the movie too). I was surprised to learn that the story was not made up for the musical, but was an old Victorian legend. Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett played the same roles, but he didn't live above her. Aparently his shop was down the block and he used an abandoned underground line to drag the bodies to her, where she baked them up. We couldn't find the exact supposed location of Mrs. Lovett's shop, but we did find Sweeney Todd's. There are no markers, though.

Down Bell Yard is where the Victorian Legend says Mrs. Lovett had her infamous meat pie shop (top picture). Further down east on Fleet Street, there's a little alley called Hen and Chicken Court. It's a creepy alley, put follow it down to a small court. I peaked down the storm drains after something caught my eye, or what I thought was a storm drain. Personally, this to me was quite creepy (middle picture). Then we turned around to face Fleet Street and found what we were after. In the bottom photo, we were standing behind 185 Fleet Street. The site where the legend says Sweeney Todd had his infamous barber shop.

I love London! I wish I never had to leave.

Vegetable Recipe: Veggie Lover!!! Part 2

2009-02-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

As promised! Two recipes :) This next one is for Brussels sprouts. I love love love this recipe and will make a big bunch up just for dinner, not as a side. Oh, and note! Brussels sprouts are best fresh, not frozen. But if you're going to use frozen, thaw them first.

Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

5 cups of whole brussels sprouts
1 clove of garlic (chopped or diced or sliced)
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
1 tsp of lemon juice (maybe a bit less, it's up to taste)
1 tsp of rosemary (optional)

a. Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit or about 220 Celsius
b. If not already done, wash the brussels sprouts (see directions below). Peel off a couple layers of leaves and carefully trim the stem. Too much and the rest of the leaves will fall off. Cut each sprout in half.
c. Take out a large, deep pan. I'm not picky on the size. It just has to be large enough for all your pieces of sprout to lie flat and not pile on top of each other. Lay out your pieces.
d. Now for the seasoning! Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the sprouts. Sprinkle the salt and pepper on next. Mix everything with your hands in order to cover the sprouts relatively evenly with the seasonings.
e. Sprinkle on the lemon juice. This part is too taste and can be left off if you're not fond of lemon.
f. Put in the oven for 25 minutes.
g. Remove from oven and sprinkle on the garlic and rosemary across the pan. Put back in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until you can stick a fork easily through but the outside is still a bit crisp.

ENJOY!!!

Washing the sprouts

a. Place your sprouts in a large bowl with cold water and let them soak for 5-10 minutes. Hopefully, any dirt will fall out, but don't worry too much. You're removing the dirty parts before cooking as well.
b. Scoop the sprouts out, do not strain them. We don't want the dirt to go right back on them.

Vegetable Recipe: Veggie Lover!!!

2009-02-06T08:23:00.000-08:00

I'm absolutely in love with vegetables. This is an entirely new development. As long as I can remember the two I hated more than anything were asparagus and Brussels sprouts. And wouldn't you know? I love them now!!

I have two recipes that I will post separately, but both are well worth the effort. I usually only cook for one, maybe two on occasions.

Bacon Wrapped Aparagus

9-12 stalks of asparagus (green, white, or a mixture of the two)
1-2 clove of garlic
1 tbsp of olive oil
2 teaspoons of pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
3-4 strips of streaky bacon

a. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit or about 220 degrees Celsius.
b. Cut up the garlic clove as you like it. I prefer diced up in little pieces, but slices will work as well. Set aside for later.
c. Take out a sheet pan and some aluminum/tin foil. Crinkle the foil into a ball and then carefully flatten it back out, but leave the wrinkles in place. Lay the foil on the pan.
d. Wrap 3 stalks of asparagus with 1 strip of streaky bacon* around the middle, making a bundle. Lay the bundle on the foil with the loose edge facing down to hold it all together. Repeat for each set of 3 asparagus.
e. Drizzle the olive oil over your bundles, particularly over the tips of the asparagus to make them crispy in cooking.
f. Sprinkle half the salt and pepper on the bundles. Carefully turn the bundles over and sprinkle the seasonings on the rest.
g. Put in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
h. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the garlic pieces evenly across the pan. Put it back in the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the asparagus turn dark green** and the bacon looks cooked.

*With the streaky bacon, some people will wrap the entire stalks of asparagus. This could take more than 1 piece, so if this is what you want, adjust your recipe accordingly.
**You should be able to easily slide a fork through the asparagus, if it is completely cooked.

London: Snow!!!

2009-02-02T23:27:00.000-08:00

I went to bed last night with just a little bit of snow. I came from Texas to London, so I've not seen a whole lot of snow in years. And the sad part is that I'd been told there wouldn't ever be much even here. Imagine my shock waking up this morning to this!

School was cancelled!! And my boyfriend was off work. I decided to runaway to north Surrey to spend all day with him. Easier said than done, of course. The station closest to me was closed, along with a lot of transportation across the city, so I had to walk a bit further to Waterloo Station.

We went out and about in the lovely snow to Morden Park. I think I partially froze, but the scenery was amazing. It was a perfect day.

Unfortunately, the ice stayed but the snow was gone. School was back on.

DIY: 10 Reasons You NEED Threadbangers

2009-01-21T15:09:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I just found this awesome website a week ago while I was supposed to be studying. It's addictive and amazing!! I'm a threadhead, what can I say? So here are my top 10 reasons why you need to check out www.threadbanger.com

1. Finally you can figure out what to do with all those orphaned stockings!
What to do with your old stockings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv2k65P7hQ8&feature=channel_page

2. You can now make almost any kind of Halloween costume for a fraction of the price but still have a cool outfit!

How-to Make a Girl's Pirate Costume:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvopk72Bx3Y&feature=channel_page

Wicked Witch Costume: Halloweeny How-To:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJPpyL2o_nU&feature=channel_page

Halloween Costume Ideas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXQOk3argys&feature=channel_page

How-to Make a Mummy Costume:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLpkekBHco0&feature=channel_page

How to do Zombie Makeup:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOXWBFRtEwE&feature=channel_page
ETC

3. You can learn how to make your own custom hats and not depend on what stores decide is cool or not.

How To Make, Beanies, Ponchos, Mittens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=582z7Za98nM&feature=channel_page

How-to Crochet a Hat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIH0ntfwzCk&feature=channel_page

How-to Make a Pill Box Hat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7ADk96d8Qc&feature=channel_page

How to make Hat Molds with Victor Osborne:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZwC1D5KVLY&feature=channel_page

4. You can learn the basics of most crafts, like knitting, crocheting, and sewing.

Knit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKHLEquvqoU&feature=channel_page

Crochet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9bOHwLyO_0&feature=channel_page

Sew a Button:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrSs_DiJ-ZA&feature=channel_page

5. You can learn how to do almost anything with a t-shirt!!

How-To Make a Bikini:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ_dOI1Ks8w&feature=channel_page

Quickie, How-to make a Camisole:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa4HDtfPoQQ&feature=channel_page

How to Make Boy Shorts, Ruffeo Hearts Lil Snotty:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPsb6ciBJmI&feature=channel_page

6. Upcycle almost anything into almost anything.

How-To Make Bottle Cap Earrings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRh56cH3uYA&feature=channel_page

Upcycled Pendant Lamp:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geMy4WDwaHA&feature=channel_page

How to Make a Rain Poncho:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0jLDkthzBs&feature=channel_page

7. Thread and Banger, need I say more?

Big Stitch Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j3x3Po6uYE&feature=PlayList&p=865013B57DF77E1D&index=134

Big Stitch Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYb0XEXg-ZE&feature=channel_page

8. Handmade is more personal, fulfilling, and cooler!

9. Quilting isn't for our grandparents and church quilting circles anymore!

How to English Paper Piece- Quilting technique:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZcw7yxA2X4&feature=channel_page

10. Because it's DIY or Die!!

**Post updated several times as more fun videos and tutorials came on!!! lol :P

Spaghetti Sauce Recipe: Make Mine Italian

2009-01-15T17:41:00.000-08:00

I love food. But I don't love the price of going out to eat every night here in London. Stop by any Italian restaurant around my neighborhood, and you can expect to pay at least 20 pounds per person minimum. That's just not in my budget! So I'm going to tackle that amazing comfort food, Italian cooking today. :D

Italians, don't kill me. I realize this isn't exactly a genuine recipe. I cheated and created a quicker recipe. True Italian will always be best, but this isn't bad either.

First we need to go to the grocery store. My local one is Sainsburys, but any place will honestly do.

Our Shopping List:
3 Large tomatoes
1 Large onion
1 Bulb of Garlic
1 Pack of fresh basil leaves
1 Package of Spaghetti noodles (or whatever noodles you want)
1 Container of tomato puree

Cost: £2.58, and I'll have ingredients left over for other meals. Much nicer than £20 minimum!

When shopping, there are a few things to take into consideration. You can always use dried garlic or dried basil, but the flavour and smell isn't going to pop nearly as much as with fresh ingredients. Of course this entire meal can be made organic, but realize that it is going to up the price a little bit. And when choosing noodles, wholegrain is healthier than regular and tastes really great too!

Now, I'm cooking for one with this recipe. If you want to make this for more than one, increase the tomatoes, allowing 3 tomatoes per person. All of the rest of the ingredients will stay the same.

Now to get our ingredients ready. Please notice that the ingredient amounts are a bit different than the shopping list.

Ingredients list:
3 Large tomatoes
1/2 Large onion
1 Clove of Garlic
3 fresh basil leaves
140 g of spaghetti (I usually do a small handful, so I'm not as exact)
1-2 Tbsp of tomato puree
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of sugar
Olive oil (I'm not specifying how much, because it all depends)

Tools:
1 knife
1 chopping board
1-2 saucepans WITH lid (It's so much easier with two, but if you're like me, you don't have 2)
1 grater (optional)

Let's get to cooking!!

The easiest and most efficient way to cook anything is to have your ingredients prepared first. So let's do pre-cooking:

1. Clean the tomatoes and dice. You can use a dicer, but it's really better to have different size pieces. Set aside. Make some larger than others, but do include small bits, as this will make for texture in the sauce.

2. Cut the onion in 1/2 and wrap one half in plastic wrap and stick in the fridge. With the other, cut into small pieces, relatively even. Set aside Beware of your eyes! I underestimated the onion my first time making this sauce and was sobbing.

3. Take your clove of garlic and peel off the purple skin. The clove should feel a little tacky, which is a good thing! At this point you have a couple options. You can either grate the garlic or, as I usually do, dice into uneven pieces. It all depends on whether you like biting into garlic bits or not. Set aside.

4. I hate this next part just because it always turns my fingers green. Cut the basil into uneven pieces as well and set aside.

Now here's the tricky part. If you're like me, you only have 1 sauce pan and 1 frying pan. So the cooking is a little different (time is different, not technique). If you have 2 sauce pans, you're lucky!

SAUCE

1. Turn the oven burner onto a medium high heat. The ones at our dorm number 1-6, so I put it on 4. A higher temperature may cook faster, but you also have to watch it a little bit more.

2. The next step is to pour about 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the pan you are using for the sauce. Toss in your chopped onions and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes, until they're sweet and soft.

3. Now pour in your chopped tomato, garlic, and tomato puree. Add a pinch of sugar, being careful to relatively evenly distribute it. The sugar will help the tomatoes break down a bit. Stir a bit and then place the lid on the pan. Walk away from the pan for 10 minutes! If you feel you must, stir very occasionally.

4. After 10 minutes have passed, remove the lid. Be careful! All that pent up steam, whether your pan's lid has a vent or not, will come straight up at you. Stir the sauce and add a pinch of salt to the mix.

5. The basil is left last because it tends to lose it's strength during the cooking process. You can, to your preference add it at any point, but I like to leave it. Turn the heat down to medium/medium low (or a 3-4 on my scale) and let the sauce cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the texture you want.

SPAGHETTI

Admittedly, most people can make spaghetti noodles. I, however, was not taught and so had to figure out, and FAIL, on my own several times before I figured out a way that worked for me.

1. Fill the pan with water. I usually fill it 4/5 of the way but less is all right too. I'm just really bad with noodles.

2. Add a pinch of salt to the water and set the burner to the highest temperature. What? I'm impatient!

3. Once boiling, add your noodles. People have all sorts of tricks, but my boyfriend taught me this one. Being careful not to burn or scald yourself, apply a little bit pressure to the bottom of the noodles as you stick them in the pot, but not so much you break them. They'll fold and fit in faster this way.

4. Stir regularly and cook however long you want. I prefer softer for spaghetti and a little harder for macaroni, but it's all up to you.

5. Strain the noodles and put them into your serving bowl. Add a teaspoon or so of olive oil and stir. I add olive oil here because I always seem to have sticky pasta. This is a great way to loosen the noodles and give more Italian flavour to the dish.

Et Voila!

You can make the pasta and sauce in any order or at the same time, as the cooking times are quite similar. Enjoy!!

Tip:

Making seafood pasta? Before you put the lid on for the first cooking time (step 3) add a teaspoon of lemon juice. It compliments the seafood exquisitely.

Pictures:
As my camera is out of order currently, all pictures here come from either google image search or Microsoft clip art.

I don't do Ramen

2009-01-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog!! This is my first entry, so I figured I'd do the basic introductory stuff before getting into it.

My name is Anastasia and I split my time currently between London and Texas, though it's about to be permanently Texas for a while. I'm a broke student about to enter my last year of university and I don't see the broke changing for a while. So far I create my own jewellery by the ton and dabble a little in sewing items, though all my jewellery and sewing tools are back in the states and it will be 6 months before I get back to them. Sad day!!

Hence this blog!! Who knows better how to save money other than students? I will dedicate this blog to inexpensive recipes, experiencing London with little to know cash, and DIY projects I find and try out. Keep in touch for new posts!

Cheers!