Lost Button Studio

Seeds: Saving and Soaking

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:38:00 +0000

This year I planted some flower seeds that were saved from my grandma's garden and some rattlesnake bean seeds I saved from my garden. This is what they look like now...

I also tried soaking all of my seeds in water for 24 hours before planting them (a tip I read about here) and I really think it helped them germinate and grow faster. Will definitely do this again next year (and will try saving even more seeds from my garden).

High Crown Muffins

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:31:00 +0000

{muffins with chopped apples and cinnamon}

King Arthur Flour has a recipe for basic muffins that I'm experimenting with (I really like my recipe for banana and pumpkin muffins, but was looking for a basic recipe where I could use things like berries, apples, peaches, etc.).

There's a tip in the KAF recipe for getting high crowns on your muffins like you see in bakeries. You start with your oven at 500°F and then drop the temperature to 400°F as soon as you put the muffin batter in the oven. It works!

Dairy-free Cream of Broccoli Soup

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:18:00 +0000

I made this recipe over the weekend and we liked it. It uses a potato to thicken the soup instead of a roux made with butter, flour, and milk (like another recipe I have) so it's dairy-free. I saved half of the broccoli florets, steamed them separately, and added them into the pureed soup because I like chunks of broccoli in there. Because of that, next time I will probably add more potato (I used a Yukon Gold) or less water or both for a thicker soup. It was good with toasted onion bagels.

Freezing Raspberries and Home Food Preservation

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:41:00 +0000

{image from raspberry lovers}

This morning we picked a bunch of our raspberries and I wanted to freeze some since they won't last long fresh. I was going to freeze them just like I froze the strawberries last year but I wondered if that was best...so I decided to Google it and found a cool resource, the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Never knew there was such a thing.

There's a ton of info on the site for freezing, drying, canning, etc. Just glancing around I found some things that sound interesting like Cranberry Marmalade, Pumpkin Leather, Sweet Cherry Topping, and even info on how to freeze avocados.

Oh, and on the question I had about freezing raspberries I found out it will work just fine to wash, drain, freeze on cookie sheets, and transfer to freezer containers.

The Cutest Homemade Vanilla Extract

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:22:00 +0000

I've been wanting to make my own vanilla extract for a while and the other day I decided to look for a "recipe" and found the Coco&Me blog and the cutest ever bottles of homemade vanilla extract...clear glass bottles with lettering and designs made with a white paint pen which stands out against the dark vanilla. I am totally going to have to copy cat this.

After seeing these bottles I had to look through the rest of the Coco&Me blog and found it is written by Tamami, a mom of two who sells handmade chocolate, cakes, and tarts at a London market on Saturdays. OK, I can tell by her blog that she works hard, but how cool of a job is that? And the best part is she generously shares her recipes for things like Lemon Drizzle Cake with Lemon Icing, Crème Patissière, Pâte Sucrée, Luxury Brownies, and Ganache Truffles. So nice!

Here are a few more photos to drool over...

A Yummy Life Photography

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:21:00 +0000

My friend Jodi just launched a new web site for her Salt Lake City photography business, A Yummy Life. She specializes in candid portraits of children and I love her style. Here are some of my recent favorites...

She also offers Polaroids with any of her packages which is so cool. I love the colors in this one...

Birthday Treasure Box

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:44:00 +0000

I have 24 nieces and nephews, can you believe that? Shopping for individual and thoughtful birthday gifts could be really time consuming, so this year I decided to fill a wooden "treasure box" with inexpensive small gifts and treats and let the younger kids (up to about age 10 or 11) choose five things out of the box for their birthday. The older kids get gift cards they can use to buy something they'd like or put towards a bigger item. So far the kids seem to really enjoy this so maybe it will become a tradition.

Here are some of the things I have in the box, have had in the box, or think would be fun to put in the box:

$1 coins * small notebooks * unique pens and pencils
hair barrettes and clips * candy and gum * bubbles
matchbox cars * foreign coins * stickers
mini puzzles * fingernail polish * disposable cameras
$2 bills * art supplies * magnets
lipgloss * sidewalk chalk * yo-yos
cool rocks and shells * small travel games or cards
costume jewelry * glow sticks * small flashlights
post-it notes * bookmarks * garden seeds
pencil toppers * patterned or colored shoelaces
magic towels (the ones you soak in water to expand)
Pez machines * shark teeth * small books
pocket mirrors * finger puppets * rubber stamps
fun band-aids * Japanese erasers * silly putty

I would love to add more handmade items (I need to search Etsy to see if I can find items around this price range). If you have ideas to add, please comment!

Strawberry Agua Fresca

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:12:00 +0000

{image from Sunset Magazine}

Last night we made Strawberry Agua Fresca using this recipe. It's like all-natural Kool-Aid. I used four cups of strawberries instead of five and I added a little more of the water into the blender so it pureed easier. We also just squirted a wedge of lime into each glass instead of adding the lime juice. Here's the updated recipe:

Strawberry Agua Fresca

4 cups hulled, rinsed strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
Lime wedges

In a blender, whirl strawberries, sugar, and 2 cups water until very smooth. Press blended strawberry mixture through a fine strainer into a pitcher. Add an additional 6 cups water, and more sugar to taste. Serve over ice with a lime wedge.

I'm going to try this same basic recipe with other fruits.

Found a Heart Today

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Fri, 08 May 2009 03:24:00 +0000

Today I was on the floor playing with my baby and I looked up and saw a heart in the wood grain of an antique chair I've had for years. I never noticed it before...isn't it cool?

Self Portraits

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:11:00 +0000

Here is a shot of my baby and me. Even though it is blurry and our heads are cut off, it was my favorite one of the bunch that I took that day. I love how he's sticking out his tongue and you can see his little arm in motion trying to get the camera.

Small Notebook had a post a few months ago that inspired me to try taking self portraits more often. Read it for some great tips.

Wire Heart Bookmarks

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Sat, 02 May 2009 22:18:00 +0000

Last week I made some hearts out of copper wire to use as bookmarks (inspired by these Martha Stewart paper clip charms I've been wanting to make for years). I just followed these directions:

Cut a 5" length of 20 gauge wire (I used copper from the hardware store)
Bend in the middle at a 90 degree angle
Grip each end of the wire with round nose pliers and roll towards the center to form a heart

I rough hammered mine and aged them with a torch, then packaged them up to give to some friends.

Healthier Graham Cracker Crust (and a recipe for Chocolate Coconut Bars)

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:40:00 +0000

{image from Martha Stewart}

I love Chocolate Coconut Bars (also called Magic Bars or Hello Dollies), but the recipe I use calls for 1 1/2 sticks of butter in the crust. I looked around for a healthier graham cracker crust and found this recipe from the Iowa State Food Science and Human Nutrition department which uses a little oil and honey instead of butter. It has a different flavor than the butter version but it's still yummy and it's actually more chewy which I like.

A Little Bit Healthier Chocolate Coconut Bars
(Okay, I know the rest of the bars have chocolate, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk which doesn't make them healthy by any means, but cutting out all the butter is a little improvement...)

3 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 350F. Pulse the graham cracker crumbs, honey, and oil in a food processor until well mixed. Sprinkle in the bottom of a 13 x 9" pan coated with cooking spray and press together with the bottom of a glass cup. Top with chocolate chips and coconut and then drizzle the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top (keep it away from the sides to make the removal from the pan easier). Bake about 20 minutes and let cool completely before cutting.

Rice and Black Bean Burritos

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:13:00 +0000

{image from Gourmet}

So I'm not making jewelry or crafting much right now, but I'm still cooking for my family so here's another recipe I thought I'd share. :o)

Make a batch of Cumin Rice and Beans (substitute black beans for the kidney beans and use 2 cups of water instead of 1 1/2...it needs it).

Wrap the beans and rice in warm flour tortillas and top with shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, tomatoes or pico di gallo, finely chopped red onions, and a squirt of fresh lime.

Maple Pecan Pork Chops

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:10:00 +0000

We had these Maple Pecan Pork Chops last night for dinner along with mashed sweet potatoes and broccoli. Simmering the pork chops in apple juice made them nice and tender and the juice carmelizes into a yummy sauce. Very good.

Make Your Own Flubber Kit

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:02:00 +0000

Here is a recipe for a slimy, putty-like substance that is fun for kids to make and play with. At Christmastime we made a bunch of kits with all the ingredients and instructions for inexpensive and easy friend gifts. The flubber will stay soft and pliable if you store it in a plastic container. You could add plastic bugs or reptiles to the kits as well so there are creatures to hide in the flubber.

For each kit you need:

1 4 oz. bottle of white glue
1/2 teaspoon of Borax in a small envelope or container
2 plastic spoons
plastic cup
printed instructions, below
plastic container large enough to hold all of the above items

Make Your Own Flubber (or Slime or whatever you want to call it)

Step 1
Take everything out of the container. Pour the glue into the bottom of the container. Fill the empty glue container with warm water, put the lid back on, and shake. Pour into the container with the glue and stir with a spoon to mix. Add food coloring if you wish.

Step 2
Pour the packet of Borax (1/2 teaspoon) into the plastic cup. Add 1/4 cup of warm water to the plastic cup and stir with the other spoon.

Step 3
Slowly pour the Borax water into the glue mixture while stirring. A big glob will form. Keep stirring until you’ve added all the water and then knead the mixture with your hands. Discard any remaining water in the container. Dry out the container and use it to store your flubber.

Peach Crisp for One

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:10:00 +0000

Wow...has it been three months? I'm thoroughly enjoying our sweet little one but am completely exhausted at the same time! I'm planning to keep blogging, but it will still be sporadic for a little while. :o)

I wanted to share a recipe for individual peach crisps that I came up with recently. I love warm fruit desserts, especially in the winter. I've even been eating this for breakfast lately. This isn't quite the same as a crisp baked in the oven, but it's close enough for me and I like that you can quickly make a small serving.

Crisp Topping

Mix this up and store it in the refrigerator. I'm assuming you can keep it until the butter expires...mine hasn't been lasting more than a week or so.

1 cup uncooked oats, quick or old fashioned
1/4 to 1/3 cup (depending on how sweet you want it) packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Individual Peach Crisps

Note: This isn't an exact recipe and you will need to adjust this for your microwave and the amount of fruit and topping you use.

Place peach slices or halves (I've been using home bottled peaches but you could use canned or maybe even frozen...I haven't tried frozen yet) in the bottom of a microwaveable bowl equal to 1 to 2 peaches. Put about 1/2 cup or so of the crisp topping in a separate bowl and microwave on high until bubbly...I usually microwave it for about a minute. This pre-cooks the topping a little bit so it stays more crunchy. Stir the topping and sprinkle it on top of the peaches, then microwave the peaches and topping another minute or so until heated through. Let it cool enough that you won't burn your mouth (learned this the hard way).

I think this would be yummy with other fresh or frozen fruits but I've been on a peach kick. Let me know if you experiment with this and have good results with something else!

P.S. You could also use fresh peaches, of course. I forgot to mention that in the instructions because we do not have good fresh peaches around here in February!

Taking a break...

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:45:00 +0000

{the best things in life aren't things}

Taking a break from blogging and from the shop to enjoy the new little one in our family. Wishing you a great holiday season!

Bread Machine Focaccia (or Everything Bread)

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 22:53:00 +0000

Focaccia is one of our family favorites. We love cutting it in squares and then slicing each square horizontally for sandwiches. Or just dipping chunks of it in olive oil, vinegar, and fresh ground pepper. Yum.

I used to make this in my KitchenAid with a slightly different recipe, but it's so nice to be able to throw everything in the bread machine so that is usually how I make it now. Just like my muffins, I make mixes for this so it's faster to put together.

Bread Machine Focaccia

For each mix, you'll need:
3 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt

For each batch of focaccia, you'll need:
1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 focaccia mix
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place the water, olive oil, mix, and yeast in your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the dough cycle. When it's complete, pour the dough in a greased 9x13" pan. Using your fingers pat it to the edges and then push your fingertips straight down all over the dough to create dimples.

Topping:
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Dried rosemary

Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and more rosemary to taste. Bake at 425 degrees for around 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack for a few minutes before cutting.

Everything Bread

Another way we like this bread is to leave the dried rosemary out of the dough and topping and instead top it generously with poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, salt, dried chopped garlic, and sesame seeds.

Giveaway at My Favorite Things

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:31:00 +0000

Pop over to My Favorite Things before Tuesday, October 28 at midnight (CST) to enter a Lost Button Studio giveaway (TWO $25 gift certificates are up for grabs). And check out the rest of Molly's blog...lots of great finds and ideas.

Lost Button Banners

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:36:00 +0000

Here are a few banners I made to promote the Lost Button Studio shop. If you want to use one on your blog or site, I would LOVE it (let me know if you do and I'll send you a little "thank you"). Please link the banners to lostbuttonstudio.etsy.com.

If you'd like a different size or if you have questions on how to use the banners, please let me know...

Freezer French Toast

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:33:00 +0000

When B was allergic to dairy I made French toast without any milk...just eggs and vanilla...and that is still the way I like it. The inside doesn't get as soggy and the outside is crispier.

I just whisk together 1 egg and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla for every two slices of bread (you might need to change the proportions depending on the size of your bread slices), quickly dip the bread slices on both sides, and fry on a lightly buttered griddle until golden.

I usually make big batches, let the slices cool on wire racks, place them on cookie sheets and freeze until solid, then pack in a freezer safe container. They reheat nicely in the microwave and/or toaster. More economical than the store-bought frozen French toast and you can make them a lot more healthy by using whole grain bread.

What's New

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:07:00 +0000

New earrings in the Lost Button Studio shop...

Have a great weekend!

Light Minestrone

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:36:00 +0000

Blogging is taking a backseat to baby preparations lately. I have about five weeks left until my due date and it's been nine years since my last baby so it's definitely like starting over! We're rearranging bedrooms and trying to finish up projects before we have a new little guy in our home.
In the meantime, here's another recipe for you. I modified a Martha Stewart recipe for vegetable soup one night and came up with a recipe for minestrone that we loved. I like it because it's more broth-y and less tomato sauce-y if you know what I mean...

Light Minestrone

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
coarse salt and black pepper
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) chicken broth
2 large zucchini, halved and sliced
8 ounces fresh green beans, cut into bite sized pieces
1 can (14.5 ounces) kidney beans
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil (or other Italian-flavored tomatoes), pureed
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup dried whole wheat or whole grain pasta

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook 3 to 5 minutes. Add the broth and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the vegetables, beans, tomatoes, pasta, and Italian seasoning. Cook about 15 minutes until pasta is tender. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Simple Cashew Chicken

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 18:39:00 +0000

Move over Chinese takeout. I tried this recipe last night and we loved it. I added three stalks of sliced celery and an 8 ounce can of water chestnuts (chopped) along with the green onions for some extra veggies. And I only used a couple of cloves of garlic rather than six. Next time I make it I think I'll double the hoisin sauce/water mixture to make it a little saucier but I ran out of hoisin last night. I love it when an uncomplicated recipe is so yummy.

Muffin Mix

jess@lostbuttonstudio.com (jess @ lost button studio) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:17:00 +0000

{pumpkin chocolate chip muffins}

Here is a recipe for muffins I make a lot. I created it from a simple banana bread recipe and made it a little healthier by adding some whole wheat flour, substituting some of the oil with applesauce, and reducing the sugar. It makes two dozen banana or pumpkin muffins. We eat some when they are freshly baked and then store the rest in the freezer.

Muffin Mix

To save a little time and a few dishes, measure the dry ingredients and store in reusable containers. For each mix, you'll need:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Banana Muffins

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups mashed overripe bananas
1 cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips, optional)
1 muffin mix

Mix the eggs, sugar, oil, applesauce, and vanilla until smooth. Add the bananas and mix well again. Mix in the muffin mix just until blended, being careful not to over mix. Fold in the walnuts (if using) with a spatula. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners and use a 1/4 cup scoop to fill each liner.

Bake at 350 F. for 15-18 minutes.

When cool, freeze muffins in the muffin tins and then repackage into freezer containers when frozen solid. Store up to one month (ours never last that long). Warm individual muffins in the microwave for 30-40 seconds on high.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Substitute a 15 oz. can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) for the bananas and add two teaspoons of cinnamon to the dry ingredients. Fold in 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of the walnuts.

Tips

If you like sweeter muffins, use up to 1 1/2 cups of sugar.
The snack-size applesauce cups are usually 1/2 cup so those are a good deal if you won't eat the rest of the can of applesauce.
I like using the mini chocolate chips in muffins because they give a lot of chocolate flavor without actually using a ton of chocolate chips.
If you have overripe bananas and you're not ready to make muffins you can mash and freeze them. Just add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of mashed bananas to prevent discoloration and freeze them up to 3 months. You can also freeze bananas whole and the skins will go black but they will still be usable.
You could use the recipe above and experiment with other flavors, you would just need to substitute something for the banana or pumpkin that has about the same consistency.