My Cup of Creativi-Tea

Last Round of Photos for Creative Everyday Week 8

2012-02-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy February 29 everyone! Is it called Leap Day? I'm showing you the last of my photos for February's Creative Everyday project. I haven't decided what medium I should use for March. Any ideas?

Upcycled Embroidered Denim Headband

2012-02-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm short. Which means that I have to hem almost every pair of pants or jeans that I buy. When I cut six inches off a pair of jeans, I can't bear to throw away the scraps. I figured I could upcycle it into something fun, like the flower cuff I made. I packed one of said scraps and embroidery floss in my bag for craft night a few weeks ago. Just in case I had a chance to do some crafting of my own.

I wasn't sure what to do with this scrap piece of denim pants leg at first. The denim has a bit of stretch and after cutting it down to half its width, it wanted to be a headband. It's been a while since I embroidered, but I wanted the design simple and sort of abstract.

I just embroidered clusters of French knots all over. When I was a kid and taught myself how to embroider from books and kits, I just could not master French knots. A few years ago, I tried again after a long hiatus. Now, they're super duper easy for me. So I guess I'm just showing off.

I had Sophia model it for me and as you can tell, she likes it!

Do you embroider? What's the one stitch that alludes you?

Dot Seurat, Painting, and Sewing at Strathmore

2012-02-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

For the past two days, Sophia has been talking about Dot Seurat, aka painter George Seurat. Seurat is known for creating a painting using little dots, known as pointillism. Why was my 6 year old so fascinated with a dead French painter? This weekend, she attended the Cooking Up Creativity at Strathmore. Taught by Lisa Murphy, the class explores art and food which ties into Strathmore's current exhibit You Are What You Eat.

The first part of class involved sewing pockets and adding decorations to her very own apron. I'm proud to see her using the sewing skills I've taught her. She was so proud of her apron, she wore it yesterday and announced, "I'm ready to craft!"

Not only did she learn about Seurat, the class learned about the painting styles of Cezanne and Klee as well. Then they created apples still life using each of these artists' techniques. The one above is her Cezanne. For some reason, the fact that Dot Seurat died so young really stuck with Sophia. She kept bringing it up throughout the weekend.

After sewing and painting, the kids were presented with cookies and colored icing to paint the cookies in the styles of any of the artists they learned about that day.

I was really impressed by her instructor and artist Lisa Murphy, Not only did she give the class a crash course of three different painting styles and painters, she connected with each student. She spoke with the kids at their level and encouraged their creativity.

If you're in DC, take a morning or afternoon and walk through Strathmore's You Are What You Eat exhibit. The exhibit runs until March 17, 2012 and is open to the public. I was able to see a tiny bit of it while I waited for Sophia's class to let out. The artwork is very creative and fun. Make sure you eat first or you'll get really hungry staring at the cherry danish and the box of chocolates.

Strathmore provide us with a ticket to the children's workshop but I was not required to write about it. All opinions are 100% Sophia's and my own. Photo of Sophia sewing courtesy of Lisa Murphy.

My Morning Cuppa: Berry Orange Smoothie Recipe #FloridaOJ

2012-02-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Smoothies are so fast and easy to make, I have no idea why I don't make them more often. Usually when I make these yummy frozen drinks, I sweep my fridge and freezer for ingredients. I think these would be great for breakfast since I'm always on the go as soon as I get out of bed.

I always use a liquid, yogurt, and frozen fruit. This time I used 100% Florida orange juice. Protein helps us feel fuller, so I added some yogurt. Usually I add plain low fat yogurt, but I found this Stonyfield strawberry yogurt at a good price. Of course since it's a berry orange smoothie, we need berries. I always keep a stash of frozen fruit in my freezer. Right now I have blueberries and strawberries.

Tip: Cut and freeze overripe or leftover fruit. You can use them in smoothies like this one, cook them in some sugar to top pancakes and waffles, or bake in muffins or breads. Sometimes I over buy fruit on purpose (like those organic blueberries that were on special) or I buy more than the kids can eat. Those strawberries got a bit too ripe for the kids' liking, so I cut them up and froze them. My toddler only eats half a banana at a time, so I break the leftovers into 2 inch chunks and freeze them.

I don't have a regular blender. My husband bought me a stick blender a few years ago and I love it so much! You can use your blender or a stick blender to make smoothies. I added the yogurt, blueberries, strawberries and 100% Florida orange juice to a small pitcher.

I gave them a quick whir (about 3 minutes). The blueberries turned the smoothie into a gorgeous purple.

How did it taste? I knew the orange juice and strawberries would be on the tart side. The sweetness of the yogurt and blueberries balanced it out. The recipe made enough for two smoothies, but I confess. I drank hubby's smoothie too.

This crazy springlike winter in DC has made both my husband and I feel under the weather. I'm happy to drink this smoothie. The orange juice is full of vitamin C while the blueberries are packed with antioxidants. Plus add in the healthy protein and calcium from the yogurt. That's a power drink!

What kind of smoothies do you like to make? Share your recipe!

Berry Orange Smoothie
makes 2 glasses

1 6oz cup of low fat yogurt in flavor of your choice
1/3 cup of frozen blueberries
1/3 cup of frozen strawberries
Orange juice

Add yogurt and berries into your blender. Add about 1/4 cup of orange juice. Blend. Add more orange juice if smoothie is too thick. Blend to desired consistency. Pour into glasses and drink immediately.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. Learn more about 100% Florida orange juice or visit their Facebook page. Learn more about Safeway by following them on Twitter or visiting their Facebook page. Stealing my husband's smoothie and my opinions are my totally own. #CBias #FloridaOJ

Make These Chocolate Truffles With Your Kids

2012-02-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've always wanted to make chocolate truffles. The recipe seemed easy enough, but the mess. Rolling chocolate in my hands sounded warm and gooey. And melted chocolate ganache and kids didn't seem like a good combination. Especially for my toddler. Like a disaster waiting to happen.

It's a good thing I was wrong. I took the kids to a cooking class at our local Whole Foods and they enthusiastically made chocolate truffles. Sure it was sort of messy, but not disastrous. Why not try it at home? I found a simple chocolate truffle recipe on Martha Stewart.

I made the ganache before Sophia came home from school, since I knew it had to chill for a bit. The recipe called for bittersweet chocolate but I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. I also added a splash of vanilla extract. Why not?

The kids were chomping at the bit when they saw the ganache. I spooned out about 2 teaspoons worth of ganache and set them on some parchment paper. After they washed their hands, I gave each a spoonful and let them roll them into balls. My toddler needed some help, but he loved it. It was just like playing with playdough. His hands were moving so fast I couldn't get a good photo!

After they rolled the truffles into little balls, we rolled them into their choice of coatings. I prepared these ahead of time and put them in little bowls. We had chopped almonds, cocoa powder and red sprinkles. I made my own grown up mix of cocoa powder and chili powder.

After we coated them in sweet delicousness, we put them in these paper liners I bought from an after Christmas clearance sale at IKEA. Make sure to keep the truffles refrigerated until you eat them or gift them.

We made these as a Valentine's gift for Sophia's teacher. As you noticed, the kids hardly got any chocolate on them. I think the dirtiest my toddler got was when I let him eat one of the truffles he made. He got chocolate all over his face! The chili cocoa truffles I made were soooo good! Just a tiny kick from the chili.

As parents, sometimes it seems like too much work to let the kids do a messy craft, science experiment or even cooking. We have so much fun once we get started! What messy activites do you like to do with your kids?

Looking for ideas for fun, sort of messy projects to do with your kids? There so many recipes at the new Clorox Clean-Up Recipes For Fun site. Sign up win $10,000 towards an Ultimate Mess Party while you're there. After you've checked out recipes for wacky science experiments, arts and crafts or creative cooking, submit your own recipe for an extra 10 entries towards the grand prize. I already see some science experiments I want to try!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox Clean-Up Recipes for Fun blogging program, for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on this program, click here and see the Terms link. All opinions and truffles are mine, mine, mine! I mean the kids ate some too.

Creative Everyday Week 7: More Photos

2012-02-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Favors at a Valentine's Party

Disney on ice

At the park

Celebrating Mardi Gras with Homemade King Cake!

2012-02-21T17:14:00.000-05:00

Last night at 10PM I decided to bake some king cakes in celebration for today, Mardi Gras. I baked 2 cakes. Hubby took one to work.

The kids and I just finished decorating the second one. First the glaze made of confectioner's sugar and whipping cream (because I had some just sitting in the fridge after we made truffles last week).

Then the trifecta of colored sugar on top: gold, green and purple (looks muddy in the photo). We're looking forward to dessert tonight!

Have a great Mardi Gras!

Taste Test: Pasta e Fagioli from Parents Need to Eat Too

2012-02-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

The very first recipe I wanted to make from Parents Need to Eat Too by Debbie Koenig was her Pasta e Fagioli. During our early dating years, we frequented a certain pasta chain restaurant with the word "Garden" in its name a lot. One of my favorite soups was their pasta e fagioli. Sometimes I would just get their unlimited soup and salad. I haven't been back to that restaurant in over 10 years and sadly haven't had any pasta e fagioli in about that long.

Pssst, if you haven't entered to win a copy of Parents Need to Eat Too, go enter. The giveaway ends tomorrow!

Debbie Koenig's recipe was easy to follow. I cooked the soup until right before the pasta was to be added and stuck it in the fridge. Yesterday afternoon I pulled out the pot, reheated it and continued with the recipe. I did improvise a bit. I had some zuchinni in the fridge that needed rescuing so into the pot they went. The soup came together rather quickly.

The soup smelled good. It looked gorgeous, especially with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese on top. Alas, the soup didn't work for me. It was missing something, a zing.

First there was too much pasta in the soup. The recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of small pasta. Maybe my mistake was using orzo. The entire soup was dominated by the orzo. In fact I had to add more water because the orzo soaked up all the broth. I would have like some more beans in the soup. I didn't haven anymore cannellini beans, so I added the only canned beans left in my pantry: garbanzo.

The kids loved the broth and ate lots of bread dipped in it. The mostly ignored everything else in the soup, which is kind of par for the course. As I ate my bowl of soup, I realized that the soup was missing some umami. I decided to soak some dried mushrooms and added it to the soup. Then after hubby got home, I added some soy sauce for more umami. It tasted better than before, but still. . .meh.

So the pasta e fagioli was not a success for me. Now I have to figure out what to do with a huge pot of this. My first thought is to puree it and use it as a dip or a sauce for something.

Any suggestions? I'd rather not throw out a pot of soup.

I'm glad that the beef and barley soup came out great. I'm going to try a non-soup recipe next from cookbook next. Don't forget to enter to win a copy of Parents Need to Eat Too, go enter. The giveaway ends tomorrow!

I received a copy of Parents Need to Eat Too for review. I'm participating in a Blogger Cooking Party and will be entered in a drawing to win prizes. All opinions and failed soup making are definitely my own. This post contains affiliate links.

It Takes A Lot of Planning To Eat Organic or Local Food

2012-02-20T07:30:00.000-05:00

Some chard from last summer's CSA bag

This weekend the DC metro was expecting snow. Yet here I am researching local CSAs, aka community supported agriculture. Last summer, I was lucky enough to participate in my local Whole Foods' inaguaral Maryland's Best program. It was a good way to dip my toes into eating organically and locally on a regular basis. I have no idea if Whole Foods will offer the program again, but I'm seriously thinking about joining a CSA.

In the past few years, I've been slowly making changes in how our family eats. We avoid high fructose corn syrup (except for weakness for some candies). We buy milk without hormones like rBST or rBGH. We buy organic fruit sometimes. We stock up if our Whole Foods is having a great sale, like they did on organic blueberries last summer. I still have some in the freezer. Hmmm, maybe it's time to make some blueberry scones.

Luckily, I can purchase organics thanks to coupons or good sales. Unfortunately, there aren't coupons for produce. That's why I'm researching my CSA options on a semi-cold winter weekend. It's hard to think that I need to plan now, in February for food I won't see until May. It's also hard for us to shell out such a large sum all at once. It's not because I don't want to. I have to re-work our family budget. Some of the farms offer a installment plan, but I'd rather just take care of it up front if I can help it. The Whole Foods Maryland's Best program charged me weekly, which made planning much easier.

See what I mean about planning? If our family joins a CSA, we're taking something out of our budget to pay for it. It's crazy but I always hesitate to make a big purchase because something always comes up. The car needs to visit the mechanic. Or cavities need to be filled.

So I'm crunching numbers and planning. I want to make it work. I want my kids to visit the farm that we join and see where their food grows. I've never lied to them that the meat they eat come from cows, pigs, chicken or fish. The Vietnamese language doesn't call animals by a different name once they become food, unlike English. The first time I told Sophia that her yummy steak came from a cow, my husband winced. It's better that she understands now. I try to teach her to respect her food. To only take what she will eat because so much work has gone into her food. From the plants to the animals to the farmer to me, the cook.

I think she's getting it. While everything we eat might not be local, all-natural or organic, we're taking baby steps to each healthier, more nutritious food. We still order pizza and Chinese takeout. Some nights I just don't feel like cooking. But it's all baby steps.

Do you eat organic or local? Are you joining a CSA this year?

This post was inspired by Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Could you live an entire year eating locally or the food from your garden? Barbara Kingsolver transplanted her family from the deserts of Arizona to the mountains of Virginia for this very endeavor. Join From Left to Write on February 21 as we discuss Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. As a member of From Left to Write, I received a copy of the book. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Staying Healthy With Vitamin C: My Cold, Cough, & Flu Kit #FloridaOJ

2012-02-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Recently, I've been a slacker when it comes to taking care of my body. I'm eating breakfast late or not at all. I'm getting less than 4 hours of sleep every night. I'm not drinking enough water but too much coffee. Sure enough, I woke up a few days ago with a scratch in my throat.

Usually I just ignore my symptoms and hope it goes away. This time, I'm fighting this cold! I usually aim for natural ways of boosting my immune system before I take any over the counter medications. Inspired by Safeway's Be Well. Save Well pamphlet I picked up from the pharmacy, I put together a little cold, cough, and flu prevention kit for instances like this.

First, I brew a cup of hot ginger tea. The ginger tea I like is pure ginger and strong. After it's done brewing, I add a packet of Emergen-C to my tea for an extra boost of Vitamin C. Remember those ginger Altoids? If you liked those, you'd like this tea. The hot tea soothes my throat and makes me feel all warm and toasty.

When I'm feeling under the weather, orange juice is my other beverage of choice. See that blue label on the juice bottle? No pulp? I'm still trying to convince Sophia that pulp is good for her. She's not buying it. That means unless I have room in my fridge, I just end up buying one bottle of no pulp orange juice. It makes me very sad. One of these days, she's going to drink juice with pulp.

I picked up some grapefruit juice for hubby because it's his favorite juice. He hasn''t gotten a lot of sleep lately either, so I was a good wife and picked up a carton for him. We were also out of children's ibuprofen. I always keep some on hand because, for some reason, kids always get a fever late at night. Like last week when Jaxson ran a fever for 3 days with no other symptoms.

There's also some great health and wellness tips in Safeway's Be Well. Save Well pamphlet. Besides recommending that we drink 100% fruit juice, other tips included getting more sleep (oh-oh), washing your hands, and taking multivitamins. While I shopping at Safeway, I grabbed my favorite Stonyfield yogurt too. Yogurt with live cultures have bacteria that is good for your digestive system.

I'm drinking some cold ginger tea while writing this post. I'm also hoping to get to bed early or catch up on some sleep this weekend.

Do you have tips on getting rid of a cold before it knocks you down?

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. Learn more about 100% Florida orange juice or visit their Facebook page. Learn more about Safeway by following them on Twitter or visiting their Facebook page. The lack of sleep, sore throat and opinions are my own. #CBias #FloridaOJ

Crepes in My Favorite New Skillet

2012-02-16T07:30:00.000-05:00

Every since we ate the steaming hot crepe from the DC Chinatown crepe stand, Sophia's been asking for cheese crepes. I didn't have a skillet the right size or the right depth to make crepes easily. I headed to one of my favorite bargain stores, Ross to see what they had.

I almost purchased a crepe pan, but since space is a premium in our kitchen, I need a multi-tasker. Even though I'm not exactly a fan of Rachael Ray, I grabbed this Rachael Ray bright orange 10 inch non-stick skillet. It didn't hurt that it was orange.

The skillet had a good weight and a strong handle. Very important. I wasn't sure how good the non-stick coating would be, especially since the skillet was only $15 (a bargain!). Here's what it looked like after some cheese strayed off the crepe and melted onto the skillet.

Sure, it's not that dirty, but fried on cheese can get pretty gunky on other skillets. I grabbed a paper towel and wiped it clean. Color me impressed! Okay, Rachael Ray, you sold me.

This now my favorite skillet!

Do you own any celebrity cookware? Is it any good?

Last Week In Photos: Creative Everyday Week 6

2012-02-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Here are the photos I took last week as part of Creative Everyday 2012. I'm really enjoying this medium. It's easy to whip out my smartphone camera if I forget to bring my point and shoot.

Parents Need to Eat Too Cookbook Review & Giveaway

2012-02-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

After cleaning out my pantry and shopping for ingredients last week, I tested out the Roasted Vegetable Beef Barley Soup from Parents Need to Eat Too: Nap-Friendly Recipes, One-Handed Meals, and Time-Saving Kitchen Tricks for New Parents by Debbie Koenig. This recipe was designed to be prepped and cooked throughout the day during your baby's naps.

Since my guy isn't a baby anymore and naps haphazardly, I prepped the soup as I worked late at night. I figured I could do it in between answering emails and writing blog posts. And I could. First up I roasted the vegetables. I love roasted veggies. As you know, roasting is my go-to meal.

While the veggies roasted, I browned the beef. Once everything cooled, I put the entire pot with the beef in the fridge. The veggies went into a container. The next day, I pulled my dutch oven, reheated the beef, added the veggies, barley, and the rest of the ingredients. After that, I just let the soup simmer, stopping to stir it whenever I walked buy. I was able to hang out with the kids while it simmered.

So the soup was easy to make, but did it pass the kid test? We served it with a nice toasty baguette. Sophia ate around the veggies, but loved the beef, barley and broth. Jaxson loved ate most his soup. He even played with his food. I was quite impressed with his, um, building skills. The soup was rich, hearty, and filling. I'm definitely adding it to my repertoire.

Whether you have a newborn, toddlers or older kids, I recommend this book for busy parents. It's chockful of tips on how to cook a healthy, delicious meal without sweating in the kitchen. My batch of beef barley soup made enough for everyone to have seconds, for hubby to take some to work, a couple of servings to freeze and lunch for me the next day. Not bad for so little effort. I'm looking forward to trying out another recipe.

Parents Need to Eat Too is available for pre-order and will be released on February 21. To learn more, visit Debbie Koenig's blog. Pre-order the book and receive a free digital starter kit that includes recipes and other items not in the book.

Do you want to try out the some of the Debbie Koenig's recipes? Here's your chance to win a copy of her book, Parents Need to Eat Too. Thanks to William Morrow, I have a copy to giveaway to one lucky reader!

Giveaway has ended. Congrats to MomofTwo! ~~To enter, leave a comment sharing what your favorite soup is. Mine is pasta e fagioli, which I'm going to make next.~~

For extra entries do any of the following and leave a comment letting me know that you did:

Share this giveaway on Facebook and link to this page.
Share this giveaway on Twitter. Make sure you link to this page and mention @thienkim

Example tweet: I'll be a cooking fiend when I win @debbieharry's PARENTS NEED TO EAT book from @thienkim http://bit.ly/zuQFRA

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Giveaway ends February 22 at 9PM Eastern. Winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond. Cup of Creativi-Tea is not responsible for items lost or delayed shipping.

I received a copy of Parents Need to Eat Too for review. I'm participating in a Blogger Cooking Party and will be entered in a drawing to win prizes. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Sewing + International Delight Iced Coffee = Craft Night

2012-02-13T03:00:00.000-05:00

When I made my 100 things to do in 2012 list, I knew right away that crafting parties would be on the list. Another item on my list was to teach others how to sew. Everything came together when Stephanie of Dial M for Minky asked me to teach her how to use her new sewing machine. Delora (in the above photo) wanted some advice about a valance she wanted to alter, so we had a crafting party!

Of course when there's crafting involved, we need tasty drinks. I brought over the new International Delight Iced Coffee for us to try out. We tested out three flavors: original, vanilla, and mocha.

I even wrangled her sister-in-law Kelly to try out some too. She was probably being nice since it was my first time meeting her.

Both Stephanie and I drink a lot of coffee. A lot. Stephanie tried the vanilla and I hit the mocha. It tasted pretty good. The coffee was thick and creamy, but a little too sweet for me. I've become a hardcore drinker, so I can definitely see myself supplementing it with some of my leftover brewed coffee. Of course Stephanie and I didn't waste any coffee. We finished our glass!

After gabbing for an hour, we finally headed to the sewing machines. After teaching Stephanie how to thread a bobbin and her shiny new sewing machine, she practiced sewing a straight line. She did such a great job! After she got the hang of her machine, she upcycled a bed sheet into a pillowcase. She even made the ties herself! I'm very proud of her.

Delora fault valiantly against her machine. I'm afraid I wasn't as much help since I don't have very much experience with electronic sewing machine. I love my trusty 1970s Kenmore machine. Maybe one day I'll come over to the electronic side.

We had such a blast! I even made an upcycled headband while Stephanie and Delora sewed. (Photos later). After our brains were too tired to work heavy machinery, we ended up gabbing until almost 1AM. Yes, 1AM. It was a good thing I had an extra glass of iced coffee before I left. Not wise to stay so late on a snowy night, but a girls night was just what I needed after last week.

Guess it's time to plan the next craft night!

To learn more about International Delight visit their Facebook page. You can also follow International Delight on Twitter. Check out the fun I had shopping for the coffee on my Google+ page. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions and coffee addiction are my own. #CBias #IcedCoffee

Paper Punched Valentine's Cards

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's amazing what you can make with simple craft supplies. In this case, a glue stick, paper, and a paper punch. I remember doing a similar project when my daughter was 2 or 3. I figure, why not?

Sophia and I dug through our paper punches and started punching out shapes. I liked the idea of repeating the same punch over and over.

Thus this heart made of hearts card was made. As you can see, I wasn't too original with my text here. At least it's sweet, right? Sophia made several cards but have hidden them all. I'm assuming they're for me and her dad. I love watching her create and her attempts at being sneaky. I did not snoop of course. I'm going to be pleasantly surprised.

Want a tutorial on creating the above Valentine's card using just a single hole punch? Check out my tutorial on Tots2Tweens.

Are you making Valentine's cards this year? We only made these. The ones for Sophia's class party will be storebought. Because if we attempt to craft 20 Valentine's cards, guess who will be doing all the work?

Exactly.

Photography February: Creative Everyday Week 5

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

For February, I switched to a different medium for Creative Everyday. Instead of drawing, I'm taking photographs. I mostly take photographs of the kids or of projects for my blogs. This time, I'm looking at my world with a more creative eye.

A happy accident, cookies in grass at MD Science Center

It's been fun looking through the lens and playing with the zoom to look at my environment a different way.

Do you like taking photographs? How do you view your world?

Red Hot Upcycled Shoes For Valentine's Day (Tutorial)

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm on a never ending search for fun red shoes that are comfortable. And affordable. No small feat. A few weeks ago, I found the shoes below on clearance. They were comfy. They were flats. Perfect for toddler chasing.

After a quick tweet asking if I was crazy for buying 2 pairs of the same shoes so I could paint a pair. My friends totally enabled me to purchase them. Wouldn't you want to paint them? Beige is a cry for color! Late at night, I took over our dining table to begin my project.

I mixed the perfect red paint for my shoes. I used Basic brand acrylic paint, but I've used fabric paint for a previous shoe project. Acrylic paint is usually permanent once dry, so I was comfortable using it. Just remember that holds true for the clothes you're wearing. You might want to wear a smock.

I cut off the useless velcro strap and removed the velcro tab under it. It just looked so random. Before painting the shoes, I stuffed newspaper inside them to hold their shape and to keep paint out of the inside of the shoe. Using a stiff brush, I painted the shoe with the red acrylic paint. I let it dry and then added another coat until it was the color I wanted. Scarlet red.

Alisa Burke turned me onto these little bottles of squeeze paints. They are most famous for decorating t-shirts. I've experimented with them, but not as much as I would like. As I waited for the red paint to dry, I felt that the shoes needed something. Something exciting. So I grabbed my bottle of black squeeze paint.

After practicing on scrap paper, I doodled on the shoe. I had planned on doodling on the entire shoe. As I stopped to let the front dry, I realized I liked just having the toes painted. I left it dry overnight, then used a finishing spray to set it.

It's been fun wearing these shoes around town. Maybe I should wear them on Valentine's date?

Are you ready to paint some shoes now?

Cleaning My Pantry On A Saturday Night

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

This Saturday I cleaned and re-organized my pantry. Not exactly a date night activity. I was inspired by a new cookbook, Parents Need to Eat Too: Nap-Friendly Recipes, One-Handed Meals, and Time-Saving Kitchen Tricks for New Parents by Debbie Koenig. While the cookbook is geared towards new parents or parents with a newborn, I found so many useful tips. I don't have a newborn, but my toddler Jaxson needs constant attention, just like a newborn. Except he can run, scream, climb bookshelves, and destroy things when I'm not looking.

As I flipped through Parents Need to Eat Too, I thought, where was this book 6 years ago when I had Sophia? After months of eating angel hair pasta with jarred sauce, Koenig, a cook and food lover, knew there had to be a better way. Through trial an error, she developed the recipes and tips in the cookbook.

The chapter on stocking your pantry is invaluable. My pantry was in a sad state. Sure I try to keep staples like chopped or diced tomatoes and dried beans in my pantry but I forget to restock when we run out. I did feel proud that my pantry had many items on the Koenig's list: sesame oil (hey, I'm Asian-that's a must have), whole wheat flour, quinoa, steel cut oats, peanut butter, and soy sauce. Items like shelf stable polenta rolls and sun dried tomatoes were a surprise.

I chose two recipes, made a list and set about shopping. I picked up ingredients for Pasta e Fagioli and Roasted Vegetable Beef Barley Soup. The two soups appealed to me because they're hearty and while our winter in DC have been mild, nothing says comfort food like soup. While I was out, I also grabbed some items for our pantry.

Once I got home, I had to make room in my pantry for the cans of beans and diced tomatoes plus chicken and beef broth and everything else I purchased.

And THAT'S how why I cleaned my pantry on a Saturday night. As you can see my basket of noodles, Asian and Western, needs a ton of work.

Parents Need to Eat Too is available for pre-order and will be released on February 21. To learn more, visit Debbie Koenig's blog. Pre-order the book and receive a free digital starter kit that includes recipes and other items not in the book.

This week I plan on making the two soups I picked out. I hope two soups in one week won't be too much for my family. Good thing both of them will freeze well. I'll share my further adventures of Parents Need to Eat Too with you.

I received a copy of Parents Need to Eat Too for review. I'm participating in a Blogger Cooking Party and will be entered in a drawing to win prizes. All opinions and my crazy need to clean my pantry are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

5 Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy Foods

2012-02-06T01:12:00.000-05:00

Some nights at dinner, I get so frustrated when I look at the untouched food on my daughter's plate (with separate sections, thank you very much). Why can't she just eat what I cook and serve her? I refuse to cook a separate meal for her.

How do kids get so picky? When she was a toddler she ate everything I gave her. Sure she doesn't like most sauces like ketchup, soy sauce, barbeque sauce, etc. She doesn't like her food to touch, thus the cute pink plate with separate compartment. She could eat cheddar cheese everyday and be happy. Her milk has to be ice cold. If it becomes warm, she won't drink it.

As picky as I think Sophia is, she really isn't that picky. She loves eating phở, a Vietnamese noodle dish, spring rolls, broccoli (it's her fave veggie), and roasted nori (seaweed snacks). Then I feel pretty good about her eating habits. I'm not doing such a bad job after all.

So how did I get her eat broccoli? Or seaweed?

Inside out spring rolls

Here are 5 ways you can encourage your kids to eat more healthy food:

Cook with your children. When Sophia was as young as 2, I let her help me in the kitchen. We pulled up a chair, I gave her simple tasks. She peel the skin off garlic cloves. She helped measure out the corn meal when I baked cornbread. She buttered muffin tins for me. Sure it was a bit messy, but she learned how the food she ate was made. Young children can help stir, mix, scoop and count out ingredients. I got Sophia to eat fish by making fish packets together. We've made pumpkin ravioli, potato pizzas, and even apple pie.
Designate them the official Taste Tester. When I knew that Sophia would balk at a new food, I would dip a spoon into the soup or give her a small bite of chicken. I'd tell her "Taste this and tell me if you think I need anything." Not only does it give her a say in what she's eating, but it helps develop their palate. When I made the pancetta macaroni and cheese this weekend, she suggested that the sauce needed another type of cheese in it. After tasting it myself, I agreed. We threw in some grated parmesan cheese and it rounded it out.

Sophia's lunch box

Make eating fun. My toddler's favorite vegetable is "Bock-a-li" aka broccoli. He was lukewarm towards them for a while, but since it's a pantry staple, I wanted him to like broccoli. I always keep a bag of broccoli in the freezer. It's so easy to just pour it in a container and microwave it. Once I started calling them trees, he was intrigued. I let him choose a tree out of the bowl. Then we named them: he liked the mama trees, the sister trees, you get the idea. I use egg molds to make super cute hard boiled eggs.
Keep fruits and vegetables accessible. My kids love fresh fruits and veggies. It's a sad day when our fruit bowl is empty. I keep our bowls of fruit (we have two because our entire family loves eating fruit) on a low shelf so they can just grab a pear or apple when they want a snack. They don't even have to ask. They can just grab a piece of fruit. Things like chips, candy and pretzels are kept up high. I also offer kid friendly veggies like sugar snap peas (kids love their sweetness), edamame (fun to free those beans!), and celery (sliced on the bias to make it fun to eat). At dinner, our family has green bean eating races, to see who can eat a green bean the fastest. Of course the kids always win.
Stick a toothpick in it. Seriously. When I cut up fruit or veggies and stick a toothpick in it, the kids gobble it up. Maybe it's reminiscent of the samples they serve when we're out shopping. I also do this for Sophia's lunch. I make mini-kebobs for her lunchbox and most of the time she eats them all. You can make mini-kebobs of fruits, veggies, and meats (chicken breast, sausage, etc). The possibilities are endless. Toothpicks can be a choking hazard so please use your judgment before using them with your kids.

Remember, it's all about giving them choices. Or to make them feel like that have a choice in what they eat. You, as the responsible parent, decide what they get to choose from.

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I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Uncle Ben’s blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Watch Me Eat A Bug Cookie

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ready to be amused?

Exhibit A: Chocolate Chirp Cookies. See them, right on top?

After hemming and hawing, I quickly stuck the entire cookie in my mouth. It wasn't a big cookie, but I was eating a bug! The chef called the cookie a gateway cookie. A gateway to bugs I guess.

Chew! Chew! Chew! Yes, bugs were harmed in the making of this blog post.

I survived!

I guess they weren't so bad. It tasted like a chocolate chip cookie.

Have you ever eaten a bug?

Want to try your own bug cuisine? The Maryland Science Center's new exhibit Harry's Big Adventure: My Bug World! opens this Saturday, February 4th. Besides bug food (only on weekends), there are roach races and cricket spitting contests. There are also exhibits that don't deal with live bugs too. I didn't freak out. Too much. The exhibit is included in the Maryland Science Center's admission price.

Our family was invited to a pre-opening reception to see the exhibit. I was not obligated to eat any bugs or blog about the exhibit.

Food Finds: Louisiana Zapps Chips and Mighty Leaf Tea

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

My favorite all time kettle chips are Louisiana Zapps potato chips. My favorite flavor is the Spicy Cajun Crawtators. Yep, cheesy name, but loved the chips. Imagine my surprise to see Zapps at the Dollar Tree. I've seen them at some Potbelly's locations but we don't eat there often.

I've never tried the Voodoo nor the Hotter N Hot Jalepenos. I was totally underwhelmed by the jalapeno chips. It had a slight jalepeno flavor but that was it. The Voodoo chips had so many different spices and was too sweet for me. It was like a sweet barbeque flavor. Hubby threw both flavors into a plastic bag and mixed them up. That made them a bit better. Still it was nice to see a taste of home (Louisiana) when I least expected.

My other find was Mighty Leaf Mighty Leaftea for only $5 a box! That's a good price for organic tea bags, since it retails for $10 a box at Whole Foods. I grabbed the Orange Dulce and hubby picked Vanilla Bean Vanilla Bean . I think I'm going back to grab a box of their Earl Grey Organic Earl Grey as well.

What foods have you discovered recently?

I paid the chips and tea myself. The tea has made me very happy. This post contains affiliate links.

Doodling With Paint: Creative Everyday Week 4

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've faltered a bit during week 4 of Creative Everyday. Some days I've forgotten completely or just passed out on the couch at 6PM. I needed the sleep, but I had so much to do as well!

However, over the weekend, I treated myself to a fun shoe altering project (photos to come!). So I practiced doodling with some squeeze paints. It was definitely what I needed to get out of my rut.

What about you? How are you being creative?

The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection (Book Review)

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

As someone who briefly considered going to culinary school and is slightly obsessed with Top Chef, Ruhlman's The Soul of a Chef was fascinating. Ruhlman attempts to uncover what is it that makes a chef successful and what makes them good at what they do? Is their talent innate or can it be learned?

First, Ruhlman heads to the famous Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to find out. The CIA offers an optional certification, called Certified Master Chef exam that is so vigorous that very few pass it. Those that take the grueling test work so hard and want the certification so badly, some have even put themselves through it more than once.

After visiting the CIA, he follows now Iron Chef America Michael Symon and the very famous Thomas Keller. It seems the two famous chef are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Symon's style is loose and easy going while Keller seeks perfection in everything they do. (For a cool inside look of a waitress working at a four star restuarant, read Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter.)

I was fascinated by all the different tests chefs had to pass to become a Certified Master Chef. It makes the challenges on Top Chef look like making pancakes from a box. It's all about classic training, apparently. After reading this part of the book, I knew for sure that I'm not cut out for a restaurant kitchen.

Ruhlman also recounts both Chef Symon and Chef Keller's rise to fame. Both had humble beginnings. I got the impression that Symon created recipes on the fly while Keller tested each recipe, tweaking it many times before the dish made it onto diners' plates. I was mesmerized by Keller's methodology. What really struck me was the respect Keller's staff had for him. Keller even helped clean the kitchen! Apparently that is unheard of in most restuarant kitchens.

I enjoyed reading The Soul of a Chef for a glimpse inside the culinary world. Almost all the chefs he spoke with worked long hours and work-life balance was tricky for them. I can only dream of being able to see food the way they do, and experiment the way they do. Of course I don't have the time, tools, or income they have to do that. I'm not sure how much innate talent has to do with cooking. I think a lot of time surrounded by food and mentors make a big difference too.

Have you ever wanted to be a chef?

This review is part of The Kitchen Reader book club. Each month we read a food related book and share our thoughts. This month's book, The Soul of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman was chosen by Lisa of Charleston Treasures. Affiliate links are included in this post, but all opinions are my own. I borrowed my book from my library.

Photo by Another Pint Please... via Creative Commons

Made to Order Crepes in Chinatown

2012-01-30T09:45:00.001-05:00

Yesterday after we watched the DC Chinatown's Lunar New Year parade, we stopped at the crepe stand. I don't know if the kids have had a fresh crepe before. I can make them, but not like these guys can. They are pros! And they have the fancy machine.

We got a savory one, filled with cheddar cheese. They guy folded the huge crepe into four, wrapped it up in foil and paper. We stood outside in the cold and gobbled it up. Totally worth the $4, since the kids were entertained as we watched our crepe being made.

Look at that those huge jars of Nutella. I wonder how many they go through in one day?

If you're in DC, checkout Crepes On the Walk in Chinatown, right down the walkway of the Gallery Place mall. You won't regret it!

Kid Approved: Whole Food's Tequila Lime Seasoning

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if you like food samples at grocery stores? My kids can sense the food demo table from aisles away.

Last week, our Whole Foods was sampling pan fried salmon to promote their Friday sale. The salmon was generously doused with tequila lime blend seasoning (pictured above). It was tasty. Though, flavor any food with tequila, I'm all over it. Give me a drink with tequila in it and I'll be your buddy for the evening.

Oh, where was I? Oh yeah, so we patiently waited for our sample of steaming hot tequila lime salmon. I appreciate that the shoppers at Whole Foods aren't as vicious as the ones at Sam's Club when it comes to food samples. I was already going to purchase the salmon, but an afternoon snack never hurts.

Sophia fell in love with the salmon. So much after one nibble, I gave her the rest of mine. While I picked up the wild caught salmon (only $7.99 a pound-a bargain!), she asked if we could purchase the seasoning. I froze. She's not a big fan of a lot of seasoning on anything. The fact that she asked for it-I bought it!

The next day we made the salmon and it was a hit with everyone, even Jaxson. A couple of nights ago, I made my go-to meal, roasted chicken. As I went to grab some spices, I noticed my container of Tequila Lime Blend. I liberally added it to the chicken and potatoes. It was yummy and the kids loved it.

So, thanks Whole Foods for letting my daughter actually like something with tons of flavor. I'll have to buy more!

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Pssst. I was featured on Goddess Leonie's website yesterday. I'm sharing some more pages from my goddess workbook. Take a peek.

I totally paid for my own food at Whole Foods. In fact, I <3 their Friday sales.