Kim's Kitchen Sink

The Madness of March

2013-04-09T22:32:00.003-07:00

Once again, I've participated in this thing we call March Madness.

This year, I took a chance and actually paid to participate in a bracket. With my coworkers. I picked my picks the way I always do, of course, based on mascots. I like to pretend the mascots are facing off against each other, and choose the one I think would win in a real life battle.

Usually, I do better than my friends (or - ahem - husband) who take it seriously, considering player abilities and school seed and whatnot. It just goes to show you...that...um...it doesn't matter?

This year? This year, I placed 2nd in my office pool. And I won $50*. HECK YEAH!

Observe and bow to my greatness or whatever.

Amazing. Proof that MASCOTS WIN, BABY!!!

*actually $30, because there was a $20 buy-in.

And then there were cupcakes...

2013-03-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

These cupcakes are sinful; there's no denying that.

I make them just about once a year, to celebrate my husband's Irish heritage and the holiday his family celebrates with such enthusiasm (my mother-in-law sends us an annual St. Patrick's Day care package, complete with Irish soda bread and some form of Jameson's somethingorother...this year it was truffles).

Rather, I say that's the reason I make them. And in some ways, it is. I mean, the "Irish Car Bomb" is a Somewhat Offensive American Traditional St. Patrick's Day Drink (though I can't say I've ever had one). But that's not the real reason, of course.

The real reason is that they are delicious, satisfying to assemble, and immensely popular. They're pretty and fun for groups and just boozy enough to make you feel a little naughty...but still, they're just cupcakes! What's the harm there?

This year, Katherine and I baked the cupcakes before starting on the Pre-St. Patrick's Day Ladies' Dinner, but by the time the other two ladies had arrived and we'd all been enjoying our Irish Stout with Vanilla Vodka (do you like cream soda? do you like drinking? try this.), and well, we decided to eat dinner before finishing the cupcakes, and then we were too full and too drunk to do anything but smile sleepily as we laughed together as ladies tend to do.

So it wasn't until Monday, two days later, when some friends came over to help organize the pantry (and you know, have dinner), we finished the cupcakes. The guys scooped out the insides and made the ganache (aww their first ganache...adorable) while the ladies organized the crap out of the pantry (and PS the photos on the blog post linked above do not do justice to the transformation).

And then I made the frosting. Oh, the frosting. This year, I decided I was ~~too lazy to deal with the star-shaped pastry tip~~ going to go for a more foamy, heady look. You know, to imitate the foam on the top of a nice stout? I whipped the icing more than usual, and added extra Bailey's for extra creaminess. And oh man, I think I've found a winner.

Other than that slight frosting change (and maybe a little extra whiskey), I make these according to the original recipe (from Smitten Kitchen). And I can't believe I haven't blogged them before (my brain says I have, but the internet disagrees with me).

Wondering what the inside looks like?

These babies are so tasty I've been thinking about making them again, and not waiting very long to do it. What's an excuse to make them in April? :)

Or perhaps I'll change it up and go with a lemon cupcake, filled with Limoncello ganache (is that a thing?) and a strawberry champagne frosting? Oh, the possibilities...

Garden Season is Upon Us!

2013-03-23T18:05:00.001-07:00

Spring is here, and for the first time in months, I found myself with a weekend and nothing to do with it. No plans, no travel, just rest. So of course, I woke up at 9:30am. After a few hours of vegging out on the couch with HGTV, I cooked up a delicious breakfast with St. Patrick's Day leftovers (corned beef with scrambled eggs and Irish cheddar, fried mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, and dark rye bread).

I decided to take advantage of the lovely weather to take care of some much-needed weeding out in the garden. This time of year, the Nasturtium goes absolutely nuts, and will take over the entire garden if we're not careful! Our Dinosaur Kale, Rainbow Chard, and Parsley are still doing incredibly well, and I didn't want them to become overrun with Nasturtium. And I know, Nasturtium is edible and whatnot, but when I see it taking over the yard like this:

I just want it gone. Anyone have any killer Nasturtium recipes? Let me know. I'm sure it'll be back by the time we're ready for planting. Anyway, this is what it looked like after approximately 3 minutes of pulling (Nasturtium is incredible easy to pull out of the ground).

Check out that Rainbow Chard (left, front) and Parsley (left, back - it's like a bush)! There's also one last Padron Pepper plant that looked alive enough to save...we'll see how it does over the next few weeks. Oh, you want to know about the sideways W (or backwards 3, or capital letter E) in the middle of the picture? Oh...um...that's the Dinosaur Kale.

The Dino Kale has been growing horizontally lately, sprawling along the ground instead of growing straight up in the air. I'm guessing it's because they're so top-heavy, and because they lean into the sun. After some iPhone Googling and some pacing across the overgrown grass, I determined that sometimes kale just gets tall and falls over. Sooo there's that.

I hacked a little solution, by way of a large tomato cage. It was tricky, because the stalks have spent so much time crawling along the ground that I didn't want to accidentally uproot them by forcing them in the opposite direction. Eventually, I got all three healthy stalks up into the cage, and tied to the top rung.

I have no idea if this will actually work or if it will just make things worse, but at least they're not sprawled out in the dirt anymore. Maybe this will even help the tiny-chalky-white-bug infestation problem?

I also clipped a few blossoms -- Kale and Nasturtium:

And lavender (which are a little too short for the bud vase - I need some rocks or something, I think:

The garden's looking almost ready for planting now. We'll have to do a little soil turning-over I think, and figure out what to plant this year! Definitely thinking strawberries in the half wine barrel, and maybe bell peppers in addition to the Padrons this year?

What are you planting these days? Are you still covered in snow?

Spring Cleaning: Pantry Party

2013-03-19T22:33:00.002-07:00

The pantry, before and after. Detail shots below.

The pantry has been bothering me for quite a while.

For months, it's fluctuated between "messy but I can deal with it" and "I can't find anything and I'm afraid to reach into the back, both because I don't know what I'll find and because something might fall on me".

But last night, we had a few friends over, one of whom really wanted to help me with the pantry. Honestly, one of the reasons it's taken me so long to do it is that I promised I'd wait for her (reason, excuse, whatever).

Can't disappoint a friend.

Anyway, after some Chinese takeout, we set to work. We took everything (and I mean eve.ry.thing) out, I wiped down the shelves, and we set to organizing. The biggest changes were the additions of the lazy susans and plastic bins, and the reorganization of the risers -- both things that helped immensely.

I'll explain via these detail shots :)

Top two shelves before and after.
Soup and oils/vinegars got the lazy susan treatment, with
the exception of the giant canola oil and the PAM.
Tea is coralled in two plastic baskets on top of a riser
(hot cocoa is below), honey is right nearby, and little-used
crackers are in the back. Canned tomatoes, beans, olives,
pasta sauce jars, and chicken stock are on the shelf with
the oils for easy use -- I think I'll get another riser for that
shelf to make can-stacking easier.

Middle two shelves, before and after.
This was just a mess. Now it's not a mess, thanks to a lazy
susan (for sprinkles and sweet spices like cinnamon and
nutmeg) and some plastic bins and repurposed risers.
Baking supplies have enough room to be stored,
grabbed when needed, and easily put back.
Little-used spices are in a little basket, and the smaller,
loose items are corralled in bins for easy access.
That's what she said.

Bottom shelf, before and after.
This shelf is for the things I use least, like boxed bread
mixes, assorted jams, oatmeal, jello pudding mix, etc.
Also: the big pot that's not nonstick,
and an empty plastic bin.

I'm already loving my new setup -- it was so easy (and dare I say fun?) to spin the lazy susan around tonight when I needed some balsamic, and being able to see everything is definitely helpful. We threw out a good amount of expired stuff too (though honestly not as much as I anticipated), which is always good. Hopefully, having everything at our fingertips will mean less stuff will go bad from now on!

And with the Spring Equinox tomorrow (officially), I feel like I've gotten a little bit of a head start on this whole Spring Cleaning thing. Perhaps I'll make it a real thing this year, since I've been feeling a bit restless as far as cleaning and organizing the house goes...I'll do my best to photograph befores and afters and blog about it. Because nothing says interesting blogging like home organization!

Are you getting in the spirit? Do you find yourself overcome with the urge to organize? Tell me I'm not alone!

Say Cheese

2013-03-17T22:13:00.001-07:00

Oh, friends.

As usual, I've been meaning to post for weeks, but life has been getting in the way. Yada yada, things have been crazy and good and the blog once again took a backseat.

But that's changing tonight, because I can't wait one more minute to bring you this post.

I first met the folks at Sartori Cheese at the annual San Francisco Food Fete last year, and was really into their flavored BellaVitano cheeses -- raspberry and rosemary and espresso...these cheeses were interesting and delicious. This year, they presented some new flavors (chai!?), and they, too, are delicious. Oh, cheese. Cheese pleasin' me.

Sartori was kind enough to send me some samples for (ahem) further review, and I set up a taste test with a few friends. Everyone had one that he or she liked the best -- I wish I could tell you that one was the clear frontrunner, but we had 5 cheeses, and 5 people, and 5 favorites!

Perhaps you should try them for yourself.

Leave a comment on this post and you'll be entered to win a fabulous prize package...a Sartori cooler bag filled with cheese! You'll get the BellaVitanos (Chai, Espresso, Black Pepper, and Raspberry) and the SarVecchio Parmesan as well.

mmm cheese wedge

These are award-winning cheeses, folks. You should probably enter now.

Rules and Whatnot:

Leave a comment about your favorite cheese to enter.
If you Tweet/Facebook/G+/Whatever this, come back and leave a comment for each thing you do.
No limit to number of times you can Tweet/Facebook and come back to comment.
Each comment = 1 entry.
Winners will be chosen via random number generator.
Contest closes at 11:59pm PDT Friday March 22.

Full Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, except for the free cheese. All opinions are my own. I love cheese.

Happy Birthday

2013-03-04T23:45:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about this post for weeks, without knowing how to start. I know what I want to say, but not how to say it. But because today was her birthday, I think today is the day I'm going to try.

About two weeks ago, our dear friend Sean lost her battle with Leukemia. It was sudden, and took her life only a year after she beat breast cancer. Sean spent 2012 eating organically, exercising, and generally getting her health on; she told me once that she felt like she was given another chance, and she wanted to live the healthiest life possible. When she told us about the diagnosis in December, she laughed and said, "Well, I guess that was a bunch of crap, eh?"

Sean was one of the most generous, beautiful, open-hearted people I've ever known. I loved our evenings spent comparing marinades as we prepared our meals over the campfire, and she spent more time than she needed to listening to my ramblings, endlessly supportive and encouraging. Quick to laugh, and laugh heartily, she brightened even the sunniest days. I know, it's cliche and maybe even a little quaint, but it's true. She was just good.

And it's not fair. It's not fair that she doesn't get to live out the rest of her adventure-filled life. It's not fair that her wonderful husband doesn't get to grow old with his wife. It's not fair that we all have to live without her. It's not fair that she had to suffer.

I think the hardest thing to reconcile is the absence. In a way, it's all still so surreal. Like we all had a party to celebrate Sean, and I just didn't see her there. Like this has all been temporary, and actually she's fine, or getting better. Like it can't be possible that she's just gone. Because...how is it possible? Young people - healthy people - good people. People we love. How can they just be gone?

I know how, of course. I understand reality, and I'm not under the impression that I can change the present by wishing it were different. Of course. But it still seems so unlikely. So untrue. So unfair that a person so good could just be gone, and that's it. It's over. The finality of it is arresting.

I've spent the last several weeks thinking about loss. About grieving. About life, and death, and the choices we make, and about celebrating the people we love every day. I've talked to friends, and my husband, and my therapist. I've read far too much on the internet. And still, there are no answers. I don't think there ever are, really.

It's times like these that make me wish I believed in a higher power. I consider myself to be pretty much agnostic in matters of religion/faith/spirituality - I don't know what I don't know and all that. I wish I did, or believed that I did, because it seems that at the very least, it would be comforting.

But where I don't find that type of solace, I do find peace in knowing that Sean lived her life with positivity. Hearing her friends and coworkers speak at her memorial two weeks ago only reaffirmed what we all already knew: that this was one truly special woman. Someone told a story about becoming fast friends with Sean, and admitted (jokingly) to being thrown off by other peoples' stories -- she had thought that she was Sean's special friend. But Sean made everyone around her feel special. It was just her way.

Even Sean's occasional complaints were tempered with silver linings, or at least a good joke; she was welcoming, joyful, and pretty much just the kind of person you'd want to have in your life. Her memorial was really a celebration of her life, and I think she would have enjoyed it. I am trying to keep little bits of her spirit in me from now on - life should be celebrated, and lived with an open heart.

Grief is a funny thing. But in choosing to celebrate, I think I can honor my friend. Here's to you, Sean. You look gorgeous.

Sweet.

2013-02-12T09:53:00.001-08:00

My dear friend Joanna recently took that big, brave step and quit her day job to pursue her passion. And man, her passion is delicious.

Joanna is the woman behind Baked Love, a San Francisco-based bakery that is just full of delicious treats. She has a special February menu (below), and I can personally vouch for her cupcakes...I have personally sampled almost every flavor, both in mini and full-size form. They. Are. Delicious.

She does weddings, she does special events, she does cupcakes and cookies just because you want them. Delivery is just within San Francisco right now, but if you're in the area, I highly recommend giving her a shout. You can find her on Facebook too, if that's your style.

This is Random Acts of Kindness Week, so do yourself a solid random and order some treats!

Jo, I'm so proud of you for taking the leap!

(click to enlarge)

Year One.

2013-02-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

In lieu of the usual "life got in the way and I have been ignoring my blog" apology, I'm just going to say that yeah, life got busy. Good things, not so good things, it happens.

I'll be back to blogging soon, with all sorts of things to say I'm sure, but for now, I'm away for the weekend, celebrating the end of our first year of marriage.

I can't believe the year flew by so quickly.

Here's to year number two.

Crafternoon: January Edition

2013-01-20T22:35:00.000-08:00

So, I totally failed at photographing today's Crafternoon (all I photographed was chubby baby cheeks), but it was a big success!

Projects included couch cushion cases, mod podged glitter jars, buttons, a purse closure, fabric flowers, wedding thank you's (ahem, it hasn't been a year yet!), a little seam-repair, and lots of knitting! The food was excellent, the company grand (hello, new friends), the baby adorable, and the flicks chicky.

All in all, a great afternoon of crafting and lady time.

Did you take a picture of your craft today? Attach the pic in the comments (here's how you do it) - CC, I'm looking at you!

Thank you, ladies, for a wonderful Crafternoon yet again!

*this blog post is kind of boring, but I wanted to document Crafternoon as best as I could. Please, friends, add your pictures!

Happier at Home

2013-01-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

Last week, my dear friend Alyssa (friend for over 15 years, baker of our wedding cake) reposted something from Apartment Therapy, called 10 Simple Things to Make You Happier at Home (see Alyssa's post here, with her commentary). I liked it so much, I decided to repost it myself, with my own comments.

Make your bed. I started doing this last year, thanks to Jolie Kerr's "Let's All Make Our Beds" (LAMOB) series on The Hairpin. I don't do hospital corners or anything, but let's be real - I don't do hospital corners when I put new sheets on the bed anyway. I do, however, pull the duvet up and straighten the pillows every morning. That counts.
Bring every room back to "ready." This is just about my dream. The first step is actually de-cluttering it all and cleaning up to begin with, of course. We're getting there (over a year after moving in), but I think in the next few months, we'll be at a place where a bit of daily maintenance will mean this is pretty easy to maintain. And it will make me so, so happy.
Display sentimental items around your home. We are good to go in this arena! Our home is full of sentimental items, yo! There are a few rooms that could use some sprucing up, but overall, my decorating style (and thus, Will's) is a mix of old and new, with family photos, heirlooms, and mementos all around us. It's mostly from my family's side right now, but slowly we're adding things from Will's family as well, which makes me quite happy.
Start a one-line-a-day gratitude journal. AT says to jot down one happy memory from that day before bed, because reflection is an important part of happiness, etc etc etc...and yeah, that's probably true. My therapist has asked me to do something similar. I suppose I should start doing that. Maybe I actually will.
If you can't get out if it, get into it. I could stand to do better at this one...if there's an unpleasant task ahead of me, finding a way to enjoy it will certainly make it easier. See: bootcamp.
Before you get up each morning, set an intent for the day. This is something we do at the beginning of most yoga classes, and I think it's totally legit. I don't know if I'll remember to do it, or if it'll feel silly (sometimes I feel silly doing it in yoga, but it is helpful to have something to come back to throughout the class), but it can't be a bad thing to think about.
Do small favors for your housemates, expecting nothing in return (not even a thank you!). I've started to do this recently, though it's been more for me than for Will. I figure if I'm doing housework because I want to, I won't feel resentful if I don't get thanked or if I do it alone. And strangely, as soon as I started intentionally doing housework for me, I noticed all the work Will actually does on his own, without me noticing or appreciating it. Funny how that works. I did do several loads of dishes today, hoping he would notice...but it would be interesting just to do things as favors :)
Call at least one friend or family member a day. I try to call friends/family while walking home from work most days, though sometimes it's nice to just be quiet with my thoughts. Every day might be stressful to maintain, but I do love checking in via phone as a regular activity.
Spend money on things that cultivate experiences at home. Did AT just give me justification for buying more stuff for the house? Not that I need any help with justification...I'm kind of awesome at that particular skill. In all seriousness, I don't need someone to tell me to save/spend money on things that will encourage us to have people over and entertain. It's one of my favorite things to do -- we have a wonderful collection of "things" for entertaining. The next thing we're saving for is a grill for the backyard...but for now, we're pretty well-equipped for party-hosting.
Spend a few minutes each day connecting with something greater than yourself. I'll quote AT here:

"Whatever your spiritual beliefs — or non-beliefs — may be, studies show that connecting to a high power is correlated with happiness. Just stepping back to realize that we are part of an enormous universe can put some perspective on your annoyance with the those-are-definitely-not-mine-and-they-are-abso-fricking-lutely-repulsive socks under the coffee table. Before bed, spend just a few minutes contemplating something larger than yourself. Take a walk in nature. Write in a journal. Create a sacred space in your home. (Or if spirituality is really not your thing, create a home spa: light some candles, soak in a hot bath, delve into a good book… are you feeling better yet?)"

I'm not a very spiritual person, but I do believe in connecting with nature, and I try to take a minute to appreciate the world around me while I'm walking to work, or looking out a window, etc. And I can totally get down with a home spa...

So there you go. 10 things. What do you think?

Uhhh Bootcamp? I mean, Yeahhhh Bootcamp!

2013-01-05T21:29:00.001-08:00

I've always been curious about bootcamp. The thing is, all the bootcamps I know about are at crazy pre-work hours. Hours like 6:30am. 5:30am even! Who are those crazy people who choose to work out (and wake up) at such ungodly hours? Ok, I know who they are. I have a few pre-work bootcamp friends, who have gotten totally fit doing it, and don't seem to mind waking up so early. I'm a girl who likes her sleep though, so I've never gotten into it.

The thing is, I'm not so good with the post-work workouts either. By the time I get home, I'm far too tired (lazy). I can rally for ballet most weeks, because I love me some ballet, but other than that, it's hard to get motivated. All I want to do is cook dinner and sit on the couch. Sometimes I even shower. I know; It's amazing the things I can get done between 7:30pm and bedtime (which, by the way, needs to be 11pm - no more staying up super late, Kim. You're too old for this.)!

Sarcasm aside, I need to infuse some working out into my life. And inspired by the fact that I can no longer button jeans that fit just fine pre-holidays, combined with the 93% off bootcamp Groupon deal, it looks like I am now a bootcamper. At least for the next two months.

Starting on Monday, January 14, I'll be going to "30-day Bootcamp" two days a week - it's on my way home from work, and it's in the evenings, and it's close to BART. No excuses, right? This, combined with Yoga on Tuesdays and Ballet on Wednesdays means I've got four days a week of exercise on the agenda. I need to buy resistance bands, and a jump rope, and one of those bags that holds a yoga mat and stuff. While I just might die, I also just might get into shape.

Do you bootcamp? Am I going to die? Are there things I should be tracking, for my own personal edification?

A New Year

2013-01-02T01:50:00.002-08:00

We've just returned from a whirlwind and a half of holiday travel, from sunny (but cold! no, I swear!) Los Angeles to rainy (and a teensy bit snowy) Olympia to seriously snowy Tahoe, and it's nice to be home. It's not nice to start the year off discovering a flat tire, but we count our blessings and remain thankful that we noticed it back in our neighborhood and not while descending the icy (ish) mountain roads or barreling along on the highway. It's the little things.

Speaking of little things, there are a few "intentions" (thanks, Natasha, for the new word for something that's sort of not quite a resolution) that I'd like to put out there in the Internet universe for posterity or whatever.

In 2013, I intend to:

Exercise more, by finding a routine that I enjoy. First thoughts: Kinect games (Just Dance and Kinect Adventures for cardio), setting up the stability ball recommended by my PT (sit on it and do a few exercises before sitting on the couch), and incorporating weights into my at-home routine. Plus, yoga on Tuesdays and ballet on Wednesdays.
Eat more hearty salads. First thoughts: I need a serious detox after two weeks of gorging on cheese, beer, and baked goods (oh bagels and La Farine baguettes, you will be the death of me). For a month or so after we returned from our honeymoon, we stuck to salads for dinner a few days a week, and it felt really good. Raw veggies, kale, and eggs/beans were excellent for getting rid of that "my insides are coated with butter" feeling, and it's time to revisit our old friend the salad.
Feel healthier and stronger; take care of myself. First thoughts: I'm sure this will come from a combination of the first two things, but it's time to start really taking care. I need to get my eyes checked. I need to lose weight, not for looks, but because it will alleviate pressure on my knees. I need to actually do my PT exercises and strengthen my core. Time doesn't go backwards, and we don't get younger and healthier as we age. That's not how it works, people. Did you know that?
Spend more time in the present; disconnecting from the gadgets more. First thoughts: It's ironic that I'm saying this while on my laptop, sitting next to my husband, who is on his laptop. I'm calling this the last binge since we just got home and had a little online catching up to do, but starting tomorrow I'm in it for real. This means no checking my email while I'm walking to the train. No texting while I'm talking to someone or at dinner. No checking Twitter while watching TV with Will. Focusing on one thing at a time, and not feeling the need to be connected with the entire world every minute all the time.
Get organized about our finances. First thoughts: After the wedding, we started talking about how now we were Grown Ups and should probably start thinking about things like our savings goals and such. Time to start filling out worksheets and making a plan. Pretty exciting, actually.
Make a plan for finishing areas of the house. First thoughts: I'm saving for a sofabed for the office/guest room, but that room needs a LOT of work before it'll be ready. I also want to get our big storage closet in better working order, organize the pantry, and rearrange things in the basement. And it's time to get planning for next summer's veggie garden too. It's only a rental, but we love it, and I'd love to get some of these "oh man we've been here over a year" projects done.

2012 went by faster than I can even make sense of. That sentence was terrible, but it's almost 2am and I'm ok with that. I can't believe the year is over, and that we're already on Day Two of 2013.

What are your big plans for the new year? Have you gotten used to writing 2013 yet? Will we ever? Are you making resolutions or intentions or goals or vision boards?

A Masochistic Post About Setting Up A Gift Wrapping Station

2012-12-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

This post is a little masochistic for me...I would LOVE to have space in my house for a Gift Wrapping Station. Maybe someday I will, but for now, I just dream on Pinterest, and set up a temporary station on the dining room table. Good thing my gift wrap is all organized and easy to access in its plastic bins and such. Also, since we fly away for the holidays, and the TSA often unwraps wrapped presents (even in checked luggage), we tend to wrap at our parents' houses once we arrive. Someday, though. Someday...for now, enjoy this post that will torture you a bit. Unless you're one of those lucky folks who has a craft room, and you can set up a gift wrapping station, and I don't want to talk to you. Just kidding. I'm just jealous.

Create Your Own Gift Wrapping Station

Jessica Johnson is a Marketing Director at Extra Space Storage. She is an avid goal setter, reads three books each month, and blogs about organization at Storage Blog.

In recent years my family started doing a round-robin for Christmas gifts, which means I only have to buy—and wrap—one present each season. Now that my holiday prep is so streamlined, I marvel at how I ever kept sane in the face of a whole pile of gifts demanding to be wrapped. Who has time? And where did I put the scissors anyway?

While I can’t buy more time for you, or convince your family to cut back like mine did, I can tell you how to find the scissors. It’s all about making a concerted effort to keep your wrapping supplies in good order.

The best way to do so is to set up a dedicated gift-wrapping station. Even if you don’t need such a thing year-round (ed note: I wrap presents throughout the year! Justification!), creating one at the beginning of the holiday season might just save your sanity when Christmas and Chanukkah arrive with their inevitable last minute wrapping binges (ed note: Chanukkah starts the day before Thanksgiving in 2013. Get ready, folks).

Here’s how to make your own wrapping command central.

Pick a place: Choose a table or other flat surface that you will keep clear of debris, preferably one large enough hold a spool of wrapping paper.

Stow your paper: Rolls of wrapping paper might be some of the most annoying objects in the world. (ed note: I agree) To marshal them to order, make sure you always secure the end of the roll with a small piece of tape or a rubber band. Then decide how you’ll store them. The options vary depending on whether your station will be permanent or temporary.

The most effective permanent option is a wall-mounted rack. Try building one yourself, and if you have a bookshelf to sacrifice, incorporate that into the plan. Alternately, think about keeping your paper in a large, flat drawer.

If you’re going for a temporary solution, try a vertical bin such as a plastic kitchen trashcan or mesh wastepaper basket. For easy stowing, keep your rolls in a special box designed for wrapping paper, which can be stored for next year without any fuss.

Wrangle your ribbon: If you’re not going to string your ribbon spools on dowels and hang them from your wall-mounted wrapping board, there are other effective solutions. One of the best is using a vertical counter-top paper-towel holder—just stack your spools and get ready to wrap. (ed note: This is a great idea!!) But, as always, make sure the ends of the rolls stay secured with tape; organized ribbon tangles just as easily. ed note: And what about when the end disappears into the roll? So frustrating.

Control your supplies: The odds and ends of wrapping are what gets me in trouble. Scissors, rolls of tape, little cards, and other decorations always end up spewed everywhere. Of course then I can’t find any of it, no matter how close at hand it all is. One great suggestion for keeping all this in order is a hanging toiletry bag. Include anything that might be helpful—a hole punch, a glue stick, pens, double-sided tape, bows, tags, and of course, scissors.

If you want a more stylish solution, consider attractive bins, baskets, and buckets of all sizes to keep things in sight and organized. You can reuse containers and other items from around the house. Here’s a gift-wrap station that employs a crib rail to hang gift bags and miniature buckets to organize markers and tags.

The solutions can be creative, but the priority for your wrapping station should be organization so you can release the best of your creativity on your gifts.

What’s your favorite wrapping organization solution?

Holiday Organization: Product Guide

2012-12-21T22:00:00.000-08:00

Y'all know I'm a little organization-obsessed. So when Extra Space offered up a post on holiday organization, I was all ears. I'm currently at a point where I need to re-think my holiday-specific storage (new Halloween decorations, leftovers from our Election Party that would work for 4th of July, and Christmas+Chanukkah too, mean lots of stuff to store! Not to mention the gift wrap and such...). Enjoy!

Best Products for Holiday Organization

Written by Jessica Johnson, a Marketing Director at Extra Space Storage. She is an avid goal setter, reads three books each month, and blogs about organization at Storage Blog.

The holidays have a lot of moving parts — gifts, cards, decorations, the list goes on — and it can be a challenge to keep it all straight. Every year I’m newly annoyed by the tangled tree lights, the unspooling gift wrap rolls, and the ornaments smashed due to my inadequate storage techniques.

This year I’ve decided it’s time to get serious about organizing for the holidays. After a little research, I’ve found some great products that I think will help. Check out these useful holiday organization and storage items.

For gift wrap

I was at first thinking of picking up a customized gift wrap center, a hanging gift wrap organizer, or at least a vertical storage bin for wrap rolls. But then I found the ultimate in wrapping organization: Container Store’s gift wrap work station.

The A-frame structure holds 12 rolls of paper, has a bunch of pockets and pouches for everything else you need, and features a special holder for rolling out paper at table height. It folds closed and hangs in a closet when you don’t need it. Check out the product video on the Container Store’s website. ed note: I totally freaked out about this a few months ago. Too bad it's so pricey! Want want want want want. For more Container Store Gift Wrap Awesome, check out this idea I pinned recently - this lady is smart and I want to copy her. Right now, I have an excellent little collection of plastic bins filled with bags, bows, ribbon, and such, and my falling-apart-at-the-seams, 3-year-old gift wrap organizer. It works. Ish.

For cards

The mantelpiece is a good place to put cards, but what if it’s full of other things or you don’t even have one? While you can hang cards on a string attached horizontally to the front edge of the mantle or to the wall, there are other ways to organize your holiday correspondence. For example, try out this special wall hanging or this tree-shaped table-top card holder to display your cards.

After the season’s over, some people just throw their holiday cards away, but if you’re someone who likes to hang onto such momentos, a greeting card storage box might be just the thing. ed note: I usually just throw them away. Am I a bad person?

For decorations

Christmas ornaments are some of the trickiest things to store safely, since they’re usually breakable and often oddly shaped. Luckily, there are a whole bunch of different products to help with this problem. I’m thinking of trying an ornament storage box, three-drawer ornament chest, or ornament storage tote with trays. ed note: I keep ornaments in various boxes and plastic bins, wrapped in tissue. I've been seriously considering something like these ornament boxes...which one to choose?

If boxes with dividers and drawers are too fussy for you — or you have decorations other than ornaments to store — maybe a big old holiday storage box would fit the bill. Other special items also have their own storage products, such as this artificial tree storage bag, this Christmas light reel, and this heavy-duty wreath and garland bag. ed note: I already have three plastic bins dedicated to Christmas and Chanukkah, but with this year's wreath creation, I'm going to have to get a wreath box/bag as well!

This baby needs protection!!

I’ve discovered that there are products for pretty much any holiday storage need you have. So do a little digging of your own to find just the right things for your own organizational priorities. Meanwhile I’ll be setting up my wrapping station and getting started.

Do you have tips for holiday organization? What products do you use to keep it all straight?

Party Time!

2012-12-18T20:30:00.000-08:00

While I'm away, traveling for the holidays, I'll be posting a series of guest posts. I've selected these posts for their content, and have edited them as I see fit -- my edits will be made noted inline with the original content, and all photos are my own. Full disclosure: these posts are being sponsored by Extra Space Storage, whom I met at BlogHer earlier this year.

This first post is about organizing a party...a subject near and dear to my heart. I LOVE throwing parties, and our not-so-new-anymore house is a perfect place to entertain (the architect, Leola Hall, designed it that way!), so we've been hosting groups both large and small for all sorts of gatherings lately. Hosting a party can be intimidating, so I thought it might be a nice idea to share some tips and tricks! Read on, my friends...

Found the booze!

Tips for Organizing A Party

Written by Jessica Johnson, a Marketing Director at Extra Space Storage. She is an avid goal setter, reads three books each month, and blogs about organization at Storage Blog.

While hanging at bars, clubs and restaurants is fun, having people over can be a more economical, and intimate, and frankly enjoyable way of getting together – especially during the holiday season. If you’re planning on having friends or family over for holidays, special occasions or just because you haven’t seen each other in a while, check out these tips for throwing a great party:

1. Think About Space

If you are planning to have a few friends over for cocktails, space considerations usually won’t be an issue. Larger gatherings, on the other hand, require some space planning. When deciding on how many people you can comfortably host, think beyond space and consider things like bathrooms and parking as well. ed note: Don't forget about seating! Unless you plan to have a seated dinner, move chairs away from the dining room/kitchen table, and out into the open! Create clusters of casual seating that guests can move around, and try to include a little bowl of munchies like nuts, popcorn, or chocolates that people can snack on without getting up to go to the main buffet/food area. If you're having a LOT of people, consider stashing chairs in the bedroom and making the party more of a Standing Room Only deal - you'll want a few places for folks to sit, but people will likely stand around anyway.

Seating area around the fireplace and piano - piano bench
does double duty, and the dessert table is within easy reach!

2. Set a Budget

Great parties don’t require a lot of money, but you’ll save yourself some stress by setting, and sticking to, a party budget. A budget helps you set a heme and will be your guide when shopping for food, drink and other party needs. ed note: yessiroonie. save money by planning ahead of time, and shopping for decorations at the 99 cents store!

3. Establish Your Guest List

Once you know how many people you want to invite to your party, start writing out your guest list. As you write, make sure that you have contact information for each person: People often change cell phone numbers and email addresses and some guests, particularly if they are older, may not check email often. Take the time to track down the best contact method for each guest. ed note: I like to use Evite, because it's very easy to send email reminders to select groups of your guests (ie: all those who have not yet responded) - Facebook Events are handy, but since not everyone uses Facebook, and because they don't have a way to email everyone on your guest list (posting a message to the group won't notify those who haven't accepted, or email those who've turned off notifications), it can be hard to communicate! Also, always assume that a few people who didn't RSVP will show up, and vice versa.

4. Plan a Menu

With budget and guest list in hand, start figuring out what you are going to feed all these people. While you don’t have to buy a huge amount of food, it’s a good idea to make sure that your guests won’t leave your place hungry, unless you are simply having people over for drinks and snacks before going
out.

These days, it’s important to consider people’s dietary needs and preferences, so be sure to ask people when you call or send an invitation to let you know about their restrictions. If a person has very specific dietary needs due to an allergy or sensitivity, ask them for specific (think brand names) food items that they can eat. You may also want to clear recipes with them.

Dessert table, filled with sweets. And yes,
that is a chocolate fountain.

I like to create a pretty well-filled table before
guests arrive. You never know who's going
to bring booze and who will bring a platter
of food, so I like to be prepared. Also, I have
a thing for setting up a lovely spread.
I love it. So much.

5. Think Like a Guest

While getting your home clean and neat is a given before a party, you need to do a walk-through with a guest’s mentality:

Is it easy to find the bathrooms? (If not, put up some signs.) Are they stocked with extra toilet paper, hand towels and feminine hygiene products? Are these items in plain view so that guests can help themselves?

Will there be rooms that are “off limits” to guests because they contain valuables or pets? Do they have signs on their doors asking guests not to enter?

Do you plan to serve drinks all evening or will guests be helping themselves? If they will be helping themselves to drinks, do you have an accessible bar, table or counter that they can use?

ed note: We decided to do drinks in the kitchen this year, so we directed guests thataway, and had a sign posted to tell people where to find what (cocoa and cider on the stove, beer and juice in the fridge, wine and liquor in front of your face).

Cookies and dreidels within reach on the TV
stand! Make sure to let friends with children
know if you have potentially dangerous things
like candles (or cookies) out at kid-height
when they arrive so they can keep
an eye on sticky little fingers :)

6. Get Help

Hiring professional caterers can certainly reduce your workload, but it can also be very expensive. Less costly alternatives include picking up prepared food from a restaurant or grocery store or hiring a college student to help you with party preparation and clean up. ed note: Thank you a million times over to Reed and David, who shopped, cleaned, decorated, and cooked with us on the day of the party and before. Without your help, I would have drowned in my own ambitions.

Do you enjoy throwing parties? Share your best tips in the comments section!

Happy Holidays!

2012-12-18T09:55:00.003-08:00

From our house to yours :)

Blogging will be even more sporadic than usual for the next few weeks as I enjoy the holidays with our families. I've scheduled a few guest posts, and I hope you enjoy them. Here's to a happy holiday and a wonderful new year!

Jacob's Creek Wine

2012-12-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

This post is long overdue, but I'm crossing things off my list as the year winds down, and I say it's better late than never!

Back in October, I was invited to a wine tasting dinner hosted by Jacob's Creek Winery (from Australia), held at Prospect, a delightful restaurant in San Francisco that I had never visited. The evening was a delightful culinary treat, and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to taste such awesome food and wine.

Le menu

Le wine expert!

The tasting was in honor of their new Moscato, which is a bit sweet but quite lovely. And look! Fun facts about Moscato!

There are 13 hip hop artists who have Moscato in their lyrics (Drake is such a fan, he had a Moscato wine sponsor his 25th birthday*)
Real Housewife of Atlanta Nene Leakes just launched her own Moscato brand
30% of Moscato drinkers are Millenials (hey! That's my generation!)
It is said that Moscato was served at King Midas' funeral (Moscato is Italian for muscat, one of the world's oldest grapes)
The word Moscato was tweeted 510,034 times in 2011.

Random, but kinda fun, no?

*I could not name a Drake song, and I don't know when he turned 25, but I hear his a big deal or something? Thought y'all might appreciate the info.

It seems I was drinking a little too heartily to photograph the wine, so please accept this photo from the Jacob's Creek website, so at least you can see the label (and better recognize it in the store!). I tried the Pinot Noir, the Chardonnay and the Dry Riesling, and enjoyed them all. The Riesling in particular - typically I find Riesling too sweet, but this one was quite nice. As was the Chardonnay (again, not too sweet). We had some champagne too...oh, all of it was tasty! I am getting the feeling that I am not so much a wine expert and could perhaps benefit from a class in wine tasting. Perhaps.

The kind folks over at Jacob's Creek have put together a little food and wine pairing guide as well, for you to sample this holiday season. I haven't found it in my local stores yet, but I'm hoping I will soon!

Food and wine pairings, courtesy of Jacob's Creek:

Appetizers·

Grilled Bruschetta With Marinated Artichoke Hearts: Best served with Jacob's Creek Reserve Chardonnay·

Chilli Prawns: Best served with Jacob's Creek Moscato Rosé

Classic & Unique Holiday Side Dishes

Sweet potatoes: Best served with Jacob's Creek Reserve Chardonnayo

Sausage cornbread stuffing: Best served with Jacob's Creek Reserve Barossa Shiraz

Green beans with mushrooms casserole: Best served with Jacob's Creek Reserve Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir

Green Vegetables With Spicy Sauce: Best served with Jacob's Creek Reserve Riesling

Main Dishes·

Baked Ham with Cranberry Curry Glaze: Best served with Jacob's Creek Reserve Pinot Noir·

Panfried Salmon With Beans and Preserved Lemon/Caper Vinaigrette- Best served with Jacob's Creek Reserve Riesling

Dessert·

Strawberry Flan- Best served with Jacob's Creek Sparkling Moscato Rosé·

Pavlova Roll With Tropical Fruit And Mango Sauce- Best served with Jacob's Creek Sparkling Moscato White

Thank you so much to Jacob's Creek for hosting this event and allowing me to have such hearty "tastes" of your wine!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received wine to sample and review, and the meal at Prospect, but otherwise received no compensation for this post. I was not required to write a positive review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Holiday Crafternoon

2012-12-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

I'm torn between cleaning up from last night's awesome party and treating myself to a pedicure, so instead I'm catching up on some blogging while I catch up on Once Upon a Time (is anyone else sort of addicted to this show?).

I recently hosted a very special Holiday Crafternoon, and I do say it was one of our most productive yet!

Mandy turned a bicycle wheel into a wreath!

I made a wreath out of ornaments!
This baby is my pride and joy.

I made a village of ball jar snow globes!

Sprinkle ornament + double mirror ornament!

A junk food feast.

Not pictured: many, many more ornaments, fabric-covered letters (for a friend's nursery), a tshirt with iron on letters, and printed photos. So much success! Ladies, did I miss anything?

Giving Good

2012-12-02T19:29:00.003-08:00

This holiday season, I've been approached by a lot of PR companies, hoping I'll include their clients' products in my holiday gift guide. Funny thing is, I've never actually put together a gift guide, and I feel sort of icky recommending products just because someone asked me to. I have a strict policy here at Kim's Kitchen Sink, to only recommend products I've tried and loved. If the brand is willing to provide product for a giveaway, all the better, but I never review something just because I'm getting it for free. Just so you know.

While I'm not putting together a gift guide this year, I do want to bring your attention to the World Vision Gift Catalog. When they emailed me, asking if I'd write about them, I wasn't just drawn in by their offer of product to review and give away. I was encouraged by their creative approach to giving, and the way they make it incredibly easy to give to those in need. How does it work? Watch this short video!

From World Vision:

The catalog has more than 250 items ranging in price from $16 to $39,000 that help children and families in need here in U.S. and around the world. Included in the catalog are several items that foodies on everyone’s gift list might enjoy such as Family Food Kit, farm animals, fruit trees, drought-resistant seeds and many more.

In addition World Vision offers Maximum Impact Fund gifts that are used where resources are most desperately needed. With a financial contribution, the gift giver can select one of 36 items that can be given to a loved one and at the same time help a person in need.

World Vision sent me this beautiful set of spoons (from the Maximum Impact Fund list), and is going to give one set away to one of you as well! To enter, visit the catalog and leave a comment on this post, telling me what you think of giving this way -- would you like to receive a gift that helps someone in need? My husband's uncle "gave" us all a cow (given to families in need) via Heifer International one year, and I thought it was really nice! If you were going to give someone a gift from World Vision, what would you give?

You can check out World Vision on Pinterest and Facebook as well, if you're interested.

Please note that the contest ends on ~~Friday December 7~~ Monday, December 10 at 11:59pm. Winner must be located in the U.S. World Vision did not compensate me for this post, and though they did provide a free set of wooden serving spoons, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Losing my mind

2012-11-20T10:43:00.000-08:00

Last night, as we performed the annual "sort through the gifts we've bought and stored over the last year and see how we're doing for the holidays" ritual, I discovered a small package wrapped in black tissue paper. I couldn't remember buying it, or even what it was, and I asked Will if he knew what it might be. Not that he is accustomed to storing early-bought items in the gift box in the closet; it just looked so unfamiliar to me I thought I couldn't have been the buyer.

We decided on a little mystery gift roulette of sorts: one of us would open the gift to see what it was. One of us must have bought it for the other, so there was a 50% chance that the person who peeked inside the tissue paper would get an early present and a ruined surprise...but also a 50% chance that the giver would recognize the gift. Right?

I decided to let Will go for it. In hindsight, I should have checked the mysterious package, as there was a greater likelihood that I bought it based in the fact that it was discovered in the box of gifts, and like I said, Will is not a likely to store thing there. Alas.

Perhaps you can see where this is going. From the other room, Will called out that he was pretty sure this was a gift from me to him. My heart sank a little, as I was pretty embarrassed to have forgotten about a present I purchased.

My heart sank even lower though, when I looked at the ornament (a brown bear with gold glitter, a broken foot, and a red and white striped string), and realized I had absolutely no recollection of where or when it was purchased. Or why the foot was broken and missing.

This is definitely the type of gift I'd get for Will; I'd gotten him a similar ornament (a polar bear, glittered) the year before. He is certain, and I agree that I must've picked it up somewhere along the way and forgotten about it. I mean, paging Captain Obvious over here.

That doesn't change the fact that I have absolutely no clue where I got it (flea market? but when?) -- there is a tiny little voice inside my head that seems to think I bought it covertly while in some store with Will, while he wasn't looking, and that could be right, I'm sure. I must have seen it somewhere, thought it was a good gift, and stowed it away. That's why things end up in the gift box, after all. Maybe this was years ago, though if that was the case, I'd have discovered it in the box last year. It's driving me mad that I can't remember where or when this brown bear ornament came into my life. What stores use black tissue paper? Why would I buy a bear with a broken foot?

Regardless, Will now has an early Christmas gift, and I am losing my mind.

Guerneville Getaway

2012-11-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

This weekend, we went on a 24-hour getaway. This little escape was perfect for a few reasons.

I planned the whole thing, not telling Will a single detail (except for how long we were going and what to pack).
We were sort of wiped out from two weeks of construction at our place, and early-morning chainsaws next door.
Our landlord was arriving at 9am on Saturday to finish the construction/remodel job, and would be working in the house all day.
The holidays are fast-approaching, and while that's super exciting, it's also a little intimidating. We are basically busy every single weekend (and most weeknights) from now until New Years, and yay holidays but omg busy.

A little romantic escape was certainly in the cards: some one-on-one time, some gotta-get-outta-town time, some plan-something-awesome-for-your-husband-and-surprise-him time. I love that.

Thanks to a Living Social voucher, I scored a great deal at Boon Hotel + Spa (there are still two days left! you can get it too!), that included wine and massages. We drove to Guerneville on Friday evening, through heavy traffic and pouring rain, arriving just in time for dinner at the restaurant Boon owns in town. We came back to our room (a Queen Suite, with a cute patio/yard that would be great in the summertime), lit a fire in the fireplace, and read, cozied up on the couch. Oh, and then we ate chocolate lava cake in our robes. Deluxe.

Saturday morning, we woke up as breakfast was delivered to our room, enjoyed our French press coffee with biscuits and yogurt and juice, and borrowed the hotel's cruiser bikes for a quick ride downtown. We picked up delicious sandwiches and beer from Big Bottom Market, and biked on over to Armstrong Woods State Natural Reserve, about 2.5 miles away. It's magical to me that it only took, like, 10-15 minutes. Bicycling, man. It's da bomb.

Side Note: I am not a bike rider. I learned to ride as a kid, but didn't ride regularly (it's not really the thing to do in the San Fernando Valley), and would not consider myself someone who is comfortable on two wheels. Two years ago, I learned to ride as an adult, but haven't ridden since. And this weekend, I hopped on that bike and rode downtown and uphill and I was damn proud of myself.

At Armstrong Woods, we took the Pool Ridge Trail, a 400 ft elevation gain over a couple miles, up through the redwoods and lush, lush green loveliness. The rain started up again as we began our descent from the saddle, and though we were pretty well-covered by the trees for most of the time, the mist was pretty refreshing.

One of the only pictures we took this weekend, because I
kept my phone off/away, and Will's camera died.
Impromptu technology-free 24 hours!

Managed to get an awkward self-portrait in as well.
Gotta love Will's hiking glasses.

The rain was coming down pretty hard by the time we reached the picnic area (about .5 miles away from the parking lot), so we ducked under some trees for our sandwiches and beer before heading the rest of the way down the (easy, pine-needle-covered, full-of-awesome-trees) trail.

After a breezy 2 mile bike ride back to the hotel in the pouring rain, we were soaked. I mean, soaked. Really, really soaked. It was kind of fun (and a bit exhilarating) to ride downhill in the pouring rain! A challenge for bike-newbie-Kim, and a fun time for Will (who always likes when I try new adventures, and who is himself an avid hiker/biker).

Back at the hotel, we killed time in the hot tub (hot tub in the rain!) while waiting for our massage appointments, and used a complimentary hotel room to change and shower (thank you, Tom at Boon, for letting us use this bonus room! It was a much better option than hanging out, soaking wet, in the car!). Seriously, this small hotel was just full of awesome. After our massages, we headed back downtown (in the car, this time) for a great little dinner at Chef Patrick's before heading back home.

We stopped at Whole Foods to satisfy my pumpkin pie craving (did you know they sell half pies? genius), and shared it with our friend Carlos as we watched the end of the first half of the awful Cal/Oregon game before going home for real.

The drive home. It was seriously raining!

The best thing was that when we got home on Saturday night, it was only Saturday night! We still had a whole Sunday to go! The weekend felt much longer, and I am now all about the 24 hour getaway, you guys. Such a good idea.

Are you getting amped up about the holidays? Taking any time for yourself before the madness begins?

Be Prepared: Zippo Firestarter Giveaway Winner

2012-11-18T14:19:00.002-08:00

Congratulations to Kristen, the winner of my Be Prepared Zippo Firestarter giveaway! Stay tuned - I'm just working on getting it shipped to ya :)

That Week Our Shower Was Getting Re-done

2012-11-11T00:58:00.001-08:00

If you've been paying attention to me on Twitter today, you've likely seen some ramblings about watching a Harry Potter marathon while waiting for contractors to arrive to finish our shower. Were you confused? Maybe so.

Fear not. I'm here to provide way more photos and information than you ever wanted to see about our shower remodel. I'll try not to get to ranty.

BEFORE.
Note the mold in the corners.
There is also mold under the seat.
And in the grout.

Day 1.
Bye bye, shower.

Came home from work to find this.
Yeah, they accidentally sledgehammered
through to the bedroom.

Day 2.
Reframing and putting tar sealant stuff down.

Closeup on the framing. They were supposed
to build in a little recess for the soapdish on
the left. Spoiler Alert: they didn't.

Day 3.
This was really Day 4, since they skipped a
day, but who's counting?
I didn't notice the lack of recess for a soap
dish...but on this day they did some drywall?

Oh, and they removed the sink.
For unknown reasons.

And further messed up the bedroom wall.

Day 4.
More floor work. Mortar I think?
I should note that this was Election Day.

And we were having a party.
So I had to put up a note about the lack of sink.

Day 5.
We have tile!
This is when I noticed that there was no soap
dish built into the wall. Oops.
Also, at this point, we have our landlord ask
to remind the contractors about the marble
seat they're supposed to have shown us two
days ago. Apparently it's going in tomorrow.

Day 6.
Oh hey. They put in the seat. Too bad it's the
wrong color, and too small. It's hard to tell
from the picture, but it's too small to sit on.
Yes, it's still usable for sticking your leg up
to shave...but still. Too small. And wrong
color. Cue landlord calling contractor again.

It's now Day 7, and while we should be able to use the shower tomorrow morning, there is no curtain rod. You see, it was rusty and the contractors threw it (and the towel bar from the adjacent wall) away. Without telling us or the landlord. So...we found out today that they wouldn't be putting it back.

Day 7.
It's "finished".
Still to do: shower curtain rod, towel rod on
adjacent wall. The hose for the showerhead is
stretching out because it was too curled up in
the box for too long. So...yeah.

Please use the kitchen sink.

Our landlord is awesome, and he's been taking care of this for us...but it's still been craziness around here for a week. They did a pretty minimal cleanup job today, which meant I got to bust out the ole Swiffer (and dustpan/broom), and honestly I hope this is the last of them. Even though they have to come back to fix stuff...I'd almost rather not have a sink for a week and let my landlord fix it next weekend when he comes back to do the curtain/towel rod and fix the hole in the wall. And patch some other holes they made in the bathroom. Sigh.

Homeowners: I have some newfound mad respect for you.

People who DIY this stuff: Don't even talk to me. Wow.

Contractors who did our project: You don't get to show up late every day, take twice as long as you quoted, leave our place a hot mess, and expect that I won't blog about it. Not that you'll see this.

But still.

I'll post a final picture when it's all said and done, most likely, but there ya go. Our past week.

Bread, You Guys.

2012-11-08T18:52:00.002-08:00

I've waited so long to share this with you. It's criminal, really. And it wasn't until Jolie posted this picture that I even remembered that I hadn't shared it. And then I felt totally guilty, like I was keeping it a secret, when all I want to do is share this with the world.

Because you guys. This bread. The ratio of easiness to awesomeness should not be legal. There is no kneading. And now I'm going to show you pictures and make you want to make it right now. Which, let's be honest, you probably should.

And now, I'm going to walk you through the process, step by step (day by day...).

Step 1: put 3 cups of flour, 1 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp yeast in a bowl, and mix 'em all together. pro-tip: my measurements were not exactly exact, because I am lazy and didn't want to bust out my 1/4 tsp AND my 1/2 tsp. I just estimated my tsps using a 1 tsp measuring spoon. It was fine. I have no photo for Step 1, but since it just involves mixing dry ingredients together, you can use your imagination. It looks like a bowl of flour, basically. You can see it on this page if you want to, though, which is where I got the recipe. Her photos are better anyway.

Step 1.5: If you're feeling creative, add other (dry) stuff. I've done: fresh rosemary (kind of ripped apart with my hands) and chopped garlic (chunked, really; I just cut cloves roughly in quarters), and garlic powder with dried rosemary (not as good as the chopped garlic). I might try feta and garlic this weekend. Check out the original place where I got the recipe; she has a ton of combo ideas.

Step 2: Add 1.5 cups of water, and mix it all around. You'll have a ragged, clumpy ball that looks vaguely like dough. I used a spoonula for this, which worked very well.

RAGGEDY BALLS OF DOUGH
photo taken @ 8:20pm

For reference, the red bowl dough was made with brand new yeast. The silver bowl dough was made with slightly expired yeast. I wanted to see if it made a difference. I mixed the garlic and rosemary into the red bowl dough. End of note.

Step 3: Cover your bowls with plastic wrap. Let them sit out on your counter for 12-24 hours. I know that's a wide range. Really, it doesn't matter. If it's cold in your kitchen (or wherever you're leaving it to sit out, NOT THE FRIDGE), you'll want to leave it for longer since yeast likes warm temperatures for rising.

THEY HAVE RISEN! BUT NOT THAT MUCH!
photo taken @ 9:25am the next day
(aka, after 13 hours of rising)

Step 4: decide you want to see if they'll rise more, because it's cold in your kitchen, and maybe that yeast just needs to do it's thang for a bit longer.

MORE RISEYS!
photo taken @ 7:16pm that night
(aka, after just about 23 hours of rising)

Step 5: decide that 23 hours is enough time, and besides, they've risen a bit more (for reference, check the dough-lines on the silver bowl...you can kinda see the difference in how much it rose from 9:25am to 7:16pm. No? Just me? Fine.

Step 6: put some flour on your counter. Wish you had one of those fancy pastry cloths, because it's kind of hard to flour your counter very well, with no spaces showing (because this dough is crazy sticky and you don't want it to glue itself to your counter). Err on the side of too much flour, even though this will result in a very floury bottom of your bread. Oh well. Maybe use less next time?

Step 7: Heat your oven to 450, scrunch your dough into a round-ish shape, and cover it with ~~a brand new sheet of plastic wrap~~ the plastic wrap you used on the bowl earlier. Put your le creuset* in the oven and let it heat up for 30 min while your dough hangs out on the counter. *or other ovensafe pot with a lid. or cookie sheet with aluminum foil to cover the dough. anything ovensafe with a cover will work, according to the original recipe.

The silver bowl dough. It's not as risey as it could be.
Try to scrunch it into more of a ball-like shape, but end
up creating folds of dough with flour in-between, which
will end up sticking around after it's baked, which is not
the worst thing, but not the best thing either.

Step 8: take your pot out of the oven (IT IS HOT! REMEMBER THIS!), remove the lid, flour your hands and plop your ball o'sticky dough in your pot. Let your bread bakey bake bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, and then take the lid off (WEAR THOSE OVEN MITTS!) and bake for another 15 min to get the top all golden and crunchy.

OMG IT TOTALLY LOOKS LIKE BREAD!!!
Please be careful when you attempt to remove it form the pan.

Step 9: carefully remove your super hot bread from the pot and let it cool on a cooling rack or something. Do step 7-9 again with your second loaf of dough, because you're an overachiever like that. Be careful, because you're putting sticky dough into a super hot pot.

the red bowl dough rose significantly more, and I was better
at making it rounder. you can kinda see the chunks of garlic
and rosemary in it. delicious.

BA-BAM! IT'S MORE BREAD!

I'm not going to lie to you...this bread is freaking good. We finished two loaves in about 4 days. It's so super good, and tangy (even the plain version) without being too sour...just really, really good bread. And even though this how-to was kind of long and drawn out, it's incredibly easy. And fast. Throw the bread together in 5 minutes or less, let it sit for a day, and put it in the oven. Boom and done.

You're welcome.

Now go make bread and tell me about it.

Be Prepared

2012-11-03T19:05:00.003-07:00

Ok, so not this.

But kind of this?

While I technically missed National Preparedness Month (September), it's never a bad time to check in on disaster preparedness. With Hurricane Sandy terrorizing the East Coast, and the ever-present threat of earthquakes in my homestate of California, we could all use a reminder now and again, right? And apparently, October is Earthquake Month (and National Cyber Security Awareness Month? Does everything have a month?), so my timing is...not too late?

I was lucky enough to receive an emergency kit/backpack back in the day when I worked at Google, as part of their Oprah-like distribution plan (YOU get an emergency pack! And YOU get an emergency pack! Emergency packs for EVERYOOOOOOOONE!) .

My pack contains:

rope
thick gloves
battery/solar-powered radio/lantern
those shiny silver blankets
a tent/tube
ponchos
glow sticks
a wrench (for shutting off gas valves)
a whistle
kleenex
a military can opener
a swiss army knife
first-aid kit
matches
duct tape
emergency candles
water purification tablets
out-of-state contact info
expired water (oops)
expired MREs (oops)

This, combined with our drawer full of water bottles, our always-packed pantry, and our extensive collection of camping/backpacking supplies (including several freeze-dried entrees) means we are pretty well set for a disaster...as long as our house is pretty much intact. If the house were to burn down or collapse and we couldn't go inside, we'd be in a little bit of trouble.

72hours.org has information on what to do in cases
of all kinds of emergencies...including setting up
your family communication plan, finding shelter,
and stocking your home with supplies.

That's why I finally put together a "Go Bag" as well, something that's easy to grab and contains the essentials. We have the Google Pack, but it doesn't have everything. Like food, for instance. I grabbed an old backpack that I never use anymore, and filled it with canned goods (fruit, vegetables, beans, and spaghetti o's - things I wouldn't mind eating cold if necessary!), candy bars, and crackers that don't expire for a long time. It's a good idea to re-check your expiration dates once a year, just to make sure everything's still good! We each threw a rarely-worn sweatshirt in the bag as well, just in case, and I added some additional items like, um, feminine products and disposable utensils, and I'm considering adding some Clif Bars as well.

I do keep our important documents (marriage/birth certificates, social security cards, etc), my backup external hard drive, and some of our more "valuable" jewelry in a fireproof safe (documents and electronics in heavy duty ziplock freezer bags for water protection), but it's a good idea to also keep copies of the documents (especially insurance/marriage/birth certificates) in your Go Bag as well. Note to self: make copies and put in the Go Bag.

One thing that could prove useful, that I never think about, is a reliable source of fire. If your power goes out, you'll want a flashlight (and spare batteries), of course, but you also might want to light candles. You might need to light a fire for warmth, or to cook food. And in that case, a reliable fire starter will be pretty handy. I would usually just suggest a box of matches (in a waterproof container!), but there are other options too.

I recently had the opportunity to try out the Zippo Emergency Fire Starter, and I highly recommend it as an addition to your Go Bag. I'm not great with lighters, to be honest (I think I'm always afraid of burning myself), and if you don't have matches around (or your matches get wet), this would be a good alternative to have on hand. The waxed tinder sticks light quickly and easily, and stay burning for a good amount of time - definitely long enough to light a fire, I'd say! You can buy them online, or at various sporting goods stores...but one lucky reader is going to get one for free!

Leave a comment below, telling me what you have in your Emergency Kit -- if you don't have one yet, what will you put it yours when you make one? ed note: This contests closes for entries on Sunday, 11/11, at 11:59pm PST.

Seriously, everyone should have one. Don't be caught in a disaster without provisions. Stay safe out there.

Ed note: I actually started writing this post before Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast, and with the stories of devastation over there, this post just seems all the more relevant now. Please help yourself by being prepared -- and if you want to donate time or money to those in need on the East Coast, head on over to the Red Cross website to see how you can help.

Official FCC Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with 72hours.org, and I doubt they even know I'm writing this post. I just think their site is extremely useful. Red Cross Bay Area (with whom I am also not affiliated) pointed me to them a few years ago. Neither company has provided me with any compensation, and my opinions are my own. Zippo sent me a free firestarter (and refills) to try and review, but I was not otherwise compensated, and they did not require that I write a positive review. This is my blog, and my opinions are mine, yo!