Flour and Fleece

Coconut Chicken Curry

2009-08-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

Curry is one of the greatest foods I have had the pleasure of consuming. The spiced aroma that fills a kitchen, the warmth of it’s flavors wrapping ones tongue. It’s like magic… okay not really, but it’s certainly a favorite. Before I moved away and out of the country livings of a small town, I hadn’t even the slightest idea of what curry was. I remember smelling the turmeric and coriander floating over our back fence from an Indian neighbor, but never bothering to ask what on earth it was… and then it happened.

As I strolled through the aisles of a small town market, I caught a glimpse of a Madras Curry label glimmering in it’s shiny tin. And on sale, nonetheless! So, I bought the curry, thinking, “what the hell, I don’t know what it is now, but Google will change that,” and started adding it to everything!

I tend to blur lines across countries, so to speak, in regards to curries. Using traditionally Indian brands, to make Thai styled dishes. I call it multicultural. :P

Ingredients

2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons (nutty) peanut butter
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 cup coconut milk

1. Coat chicken in mixture of flour and cayenne.

2. Heat oil in pan, and cook chicken until golden.

3. Add curry powder, and toss to coat. Set aside.

4. Sautee onion and garlic in pan until onion is translucent.

5. Return chicken to pan and add remaining ingredients.

6. Cook until chicken in done, and sauce has thickened.

Spinach Quiche

2009-07-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

…You’ve never had quiche? Wait, what… what do you mean?

It’s just tooooooooo easy.

I <3 Pie

2009-06-17T12:13:00.001-07:00

Arroz Doce

2009-05-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

I can only begin to describe the love I have for this dish. The Portuguese rice pudding of my childhood.

The sweet lemony tang, enveloping the milky rice, covered in a pattern of cinnamon, blanket my taste buds in a manner both comforting and nostalgic.

This is what childhood is made of.

The sour bite of youth, with the sweetness of purity, and the spice of adventure.

…oh how I wish my mother wrote down her recipes (next time I’m Vlogging her)

Try this! It’s the closest recipe I’ve found that equates to my mother’s madness.

Beijos.

Cooking Mama X-Stitch Chart

2009-04-24T23:01:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I haven't been giving myself enough time to get a stitchin'. But I did develop a wonderful Cooking Mama cross stitch chart.
I was trying to limit the amount of colors... thus the white schnoz. Not too shabby.

A Portuguese Easter

2009-04-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

This is my mother’s recipe, and it goes back several generations. Unfortunately, I’d say it’s more of a technique than a recipe, as NO ONE ever takes precise measurements, but simply does as their mother did, and as their mother’s mother did, and so on.

And besides, if I had the recipe, dare I share a familial ancestral dish with the internet? pshaw! Some things are just better kept secret.

Pao doce, and Sopa do Espirito Santo… ftw.

P.S. Yes, that’s an egg in the bread, and No, the links do not direct to the recipes used. ::pouty face::

Peanut Buttery Frosting

2009-04-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

This is for those who weren't able to enjoy the peanutty goodness that is peanut butter, during the salmonella outbreak earlier this year.
To you I say, "Should've stocked up, sucka!" Because this is the greatest frosting I have ever created. (I made this recipe at about the time they were pulling jars off the shelves)Peanut Butter Frosting
by: Yogi

1/2 cup peanut butter (I used an all natural nutty)
5 tablespoons margarine, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
milk (to thin)

and blend!

The Critique:
This frosting made white cake cupcakes... is painfully addicting. When we were out, I kept craving a fix.
I fell asleep dreaming about them. I woke up in the middle of the night craving one. I woke up in the morning starving for its flavor.
I would make this more often if I wasn't so concerned for my health, because by golly this recipe is the shit! (Pardon the fowl language)

Gettin' Stitchy Wit' It.

2009-03-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

Baby Bacon Explosion

2009-02-24T19:39:00.000-08:00

It's definitely not as pretty as this one, but it was certainly tasty!
About a month late on this one. Made this for the four year anniversary with the boyfriend. It went really well with Au Gratin potatoes.

Nothing says "I love you" better than a heart attack, right?

Rolled, slathered, baked, and a tad bit crisp. nom Nom NOM.

French Bread

2009-02-04T23:30:00.000-08:00

Looking for the easiest french bread recipe ever? Look the further. Oh yes. Check out that beautiful crust.
Note to self: Buy better camera, as the make photos appear edible.

Oatmeal Whole Wheat Quick Bread Sans Egg

2009-01-23T21:03:00.000-08:00

So, what to do when it's raining, you don't feel like sewing, and you have no eggs? Why, you find a recipe that doesn't call for them!

Egg Free O atmeal Whole Wheat Quick Bread
by: Anu

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 450°F
2. Lightly grease and dust a 9x5x3-inch loaf.
3. Mix, Blend, Bake! (See Link for detailed instructions)

The Critique:
Not the greatest recipe. I felt the oven temperature was too high, and the baking time way too high. It smells wonderful no doubt, but the top crust burned slightly from only being in for 25 minutes, while the bottom was still under cooked. I'd try this again, for sure, as it is simple, and contains ingredients I absolutely ALWAYS have on hand. But play it by instinct, and lower the temperature.

Bread Making

2009-01-09T00:21:00.000-08:00

Growing up my mother always happened to come across a random bread maker at a yard sale of some sort. She never made bread, though I longed for it's fluffy warmth. Now that I have finally moved out on my own, it is time to reclaim my childhood dreams. Thus, I scavenged a bread machine from an aunt of mine. Someone who too, does not understand, nor appreciate crafting her own bread. Well, enough of my bickering. Let's see some bread!

So, this was my first. A traditional white bread, prepared sans operating manual. And I think it turned out quite tasty.

Basic White Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup Warm Water
4 teaspoons oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dry milk
3 cups Bread Flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1. Add measured ingredients to pan, yeast last
2. Select size, crust color
3. Remove carefully, let cool.

The Critique: Seriously.
Who complains about fresh bread?

Beef Curry

2009-01-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

This was my first time experimenting with 1.) a slow cooker and 2.) an authentic curry dish.
Usually I just toss in the curry powder to my liking, and than be done with it. But this time, I wanted to try it for real. And what you see are my results. (Pardon the hideous hand-me-down dish.) NomNomNom. That was totally worth the four hour wait.

Ingredients (to taste):
stew meat
potatoes
flour
curry powder
vegetable oil
onions
garlic
ginger
salt
cinnamon
beef stock

Directions:
1. Dredge meat and potatoes in the flour mixed with the curry powder.
2. Lightly brown the meat and potatoes in a pan with the oil and onions.
3. Place in the Slow Cooker and add all other ingredients.
4. Mix well, cover and cook on High for 4 hours
5. Serve with fluffy steamed rice.

Caramel Delites

2008-11-20T22:30:00.000-08:00

...or more commonly known as: Samoas, are arguably the greatest Girl Scout cookie ever created. The scrumptious and addictive treat is one which many of us cookie lovers wait all year for. So, of course, during the off season of Girl Scout selling, it's only natural to search for the ultimate alternative to the caramel-coconut-chocolate ring of yum. So lo and behold, Baking Bites has provided us with one.
(Pardon the last minute camera-phone quality photos)

Homemade Samoas (a.k.a. Caramel de-Lites)

Cookies
1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
up to 2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F.

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Makes about 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.

(Find full recipe at the link provided)

The Critique: Another unfortunate let down. As you can see from the photo, I didn't even bother putting the chocolate on top. The cookie was too sticky and crumbly to hold up, and fell very short of the 3 1/2 cookie mark it promises. The recipe should have specified a type and brand of caramel, because my baking quality caramels were a disaster. Too chewy, too sweet, and just too too much! Especially with the coconut. I ate one cookie, and it gave me a toothache. I had very high hopes for this recipe, but too bad of an experience to try it again.
Put this one in the discard pile, and just stock up for the year the next time your neighborhood girl scout comes knocking at the door.

Scarf + Hoodie = Scoodie

2008-11-17T16:13:00.000-08:00

The Scoodie

The Visuals:

The Tutorial:
Just Tutes

The Lesson:
Don't ever forget the lessons your grand/mother/home ec. teacher taught you. Never sew over pins, your needle will break and it will shoot you in the face.
Believe me, I know.

Cross Stitchery

2008-11-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

Recently I came across the greatest cross-stitch tool on the web; or so it is in my opinion.
It's a text generator for cross-stitch patterns on crosstitch.com.
It's quite a wonderful tool, as I've been trying to force myself to get more into stitching, aside from just embroidery. I think I'm going to plan out some simple designs for Christmas. After all, everyone could use a custom bookmark, or spiffy stitched work of art.

The quote is one by Sage Francis, a wonderful spoken word artist.
And if you're interested in more progressive cross-stitchings, I highly recommend RadicalCrossstitch.com. Getting creative with traditional crafts, makes them absolutely timeless.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2008-10-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

I love Fall: the crunching leaves, the smell of rain. And especially the seasons foods and the anticipation of Thanksgiving and Christmas. And with it all comes baked goods.
So, as it is Halloween, the festivities call for sweets, and whats better than pure sugar? Frosting.
And so you have it, lush milk chocolate cupcakes with a cream cheese topping. Yum.

Cream Cheese Frosting
By: riffraff

Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 lb powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
3 tablespoons milk or cream

Directions
1.Blend softened cheese and butter in mixer.
2.Blend and whip in the sugar and vanilla.
3. Beat in enough cream to arrive at the right spreading consistency.
4.Ready to spread.

Unfortunately though, in spite of the rave reviews of this frosting recipe, i found it to me quite a dud. As you can see from the image, it didn't hold well. Even after adding more powdered sugar, and even flour to thicken, I found that this recipe would prove more favorable for a glaze, and not a cupcake frosting. But on the bright side, it is Halloween, and they look almost ghost like, right?

Stencil it.

2008-10-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

How to make a super cool Mega Man shirt, at home:

1. Create a stencil or search for one using a site like Stencilry.c om

2. Print out the stencil on a trimmed sheet of Freezer paper, the plastic coating will help adhere the stencil to the fabric.

3. Cut out your stencil using a small pair of scissors and an Xacto knife for precision.

4. Prepare your fabric, in this case a T-shirt, by ironing it.

5. Place your stencil onto your fabric, and iron it on a low-medium setting just until the paper has secured itself to the fabric.

6. To support your stencil, secure a sheet of cardboard to the underside of the fabric.

7. Using fabric paint, (or my favorite option, craft paint + fabric medium, available at all stores which sell craft paint) and preferably a flat headed paint brush, stroke the paint carefully across the stencil.

8. Now let your new image set, preferably overnight.

9. When your image has dried, carefully peel away the Freezer paper.

10. Now it's time to heat set your image, on a heat suitable for your fabric. It is recommended that a tea towel be placed in between the iron and the image.

*note: Dabbing your paint brush will cause the paint to seep, and create bleed.

Now marvel at your craftiness as your friends beg for you to reproduce their favorite images onto dirt cheap tees. Your welcome, and have fun.

Black Apple Doll

2008-10-13T12:38:00.000-07:00

Have you got a pile of fabric scraps lying around that are just begging for attention? That favorite print that's too small for even a bag? And have you got an hour to spare? Well than the Black Apple Doll is the pattern for you!
Found on the Martha Stewart website, the Black Apple Doll, created and introduced by fellow crafter Emily Martin, is a quick and easy pattern that will put that vintage, limited edition, or scrapped fabric to good use.
Although inspired by Martin's artwork, which can be found on etsy.com, the Black Apple Doll pattern can easily be modified and adjusted to your likings. This also makes a great beginners project when learning curves, and pre-cut kits are also available from time to time at The Black Apple shop.

This was my very first doll. Machine stitched, with a hand stitched head. I have definitely learned since creating this doll. More stuffing was a must (who knew something so small would need so much?) and a planned and drawn on face will turn out a lot more appealing as opposed to drawing it directly onto an already stuffed doll. We learn from our mistakes.

This was my second. Still in need of improvements, but it was a modified pattern for a male version. Perhaps using flesh toned fabrics would do well for my pasty skinned dolls also.
I modified the top of the shirt to give it a spiffy collar, as well as gave his skin tight khakis cuffs above the shoes. Not bad, but he's still missing eyes, and has got pins in his head. *oops.

Strawberry Pie

2008-09-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

This recipe is one of the absolute best I have tried for strawberry pie. It's a wonderful summer dessert, as seasonal fruit is always tastier. It was created just two short weeks ago, as the season is ending I was lucky to find wonderfully plump and bright fruit. The filling is extremely simple, but it's really the butter crust that makes this pie shine. A double-crust helps to hold it together, and the lattice is just a beautiful addition to create a classic look.

To begin, we first gather the ingredients:

For the Bottom Crust:
1 9 inch pie tin
2-3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter

1. combine flour, sugar, salt, and toss
2. cube the butter and cut into the flour mixture
3. sprinkle 1/2 of the cold water into the mix and toss
4. add water as needed until it forms a dough
5. separate the dough into two packed balls and knead 2x
6. refrigerate dough for >1 hour
7. flatten one of the balls into an 10 inch round on a floured surface
8. gently lay the flattened dough into the pie tin
9. prick the dough multiple times with a fork
10. reserve remaining dough

To prepare the filling:

4 cups of fresh, hulled, strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. mix together sugar and cornstarch, add to strawberries
2. add lemon juice, nutmeg, and toss
3. set aside mix for 10 minutes
4. spread mixture into the prepared

For the Top Crust:

2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cold butter

1. roll out the reserved dough until 1/4 inch thick

2. cut and lay the lattice
3. mix the egg yolks and brush onto the lattice
4. cube the cold butter and place on top of the filling

Bake @:
400* Fahrenheit
30 minutes
until juices thicken
Tips and Such:

- Line the bottom of the oven rack with foil to prevent spillage, it will boil over
- if the crust gets too dark before the juice thickens, cover gently with foil

Refrigerate >2 hours before serving: