A Better Way

Moving On

2013-10-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted here in quite a while, and I've been taking that time off to think about what I want blogging to look like for me. In the end, while writing here has been so much fun and a wonderful introduction the blogging world, this site is no longer a good fit for what I'd like to be doing.

So, I'm happy to let you know that I'm launching a new site today called Whisk Paper Needles, at http://whiskpaperneedles.com/. Stop by, hang out, and stay a while - can't wait to see you there!

Ways to Create: Making Art Journals

2013-06-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

I've been working with elementary-aged kids for over five and a half years now, and one of my favorite parts of my job is being able to do creative projects with them. I have seen kids bloom through art projects and I love to connect with them on that creative level! I don't believe in micromanaging their art to get a specific outcome - so most of my projects are based on giving them a fun new way to create and then getting out of their way. I thought I'd start sharing some of those projects here with you. Many of them are messy, none of the products from these projects will look alike, and all of them will get kids creating in whatever way is right for them!

Art journaling is something I have loved for a while now, and so this summer I decided to give art journaling with kids a shot. I know I love journaling in books that I have made myself, and I wanted to give the kiddos at work that same opportunity. So, we spent some time this week learning how to create tape-bound journals - and as always when doing art projects with kids, their creativity blew me away. They created pages thick with a huge amount of tabs, pockets, fold outs, and envelopes (for their Top Secret writing)...

And their journals were just awesome.

This is actually a pretty simple project to do, and the kids loved it, so I thought I would share how we made them here.

First, I talked with the kids about journals and what sorts of things they thought would be fun to include in their journals. When they wanted to make specific things, like envelopes and tabs, we brainstormed together different ways to make the features they wanted (folding pages in half and taping them to make envelopes, taping three edges of a scrap of paper onto a page to make a pocket, folding tape over the edge of a page to make a tab, etc.). Then, they made all of their individual pages. A page consisted of one piece of paper, folded in half, and cut in size they wanted their journal. We kept the supplies simple, and just used paper, scissors, and craft tape.

We all met back together when they were finished, and I showed them how to use tape to bind their journals. Its important for this step that they line their pages up pretty precisely, as shown
below. Some kids who struggled with this step found that working with a partner really helped - one person would hold the pages so that they lined up exactly, and the other partner would tape them together.

After the first two pages were taped together, they flipped them so that the strip of tape was folded in half. Then they continued adding pages like this until their journal was as thick as they liked.

Once all their pages were bound together, we used a thicker piece of tape folded over the entire edge to reinforce the binding.

The journals could be done here, but we decided to add cardstock covers to ours to make them slightly more sturdy. They folded the cardstock in half, cut it to fit the size of their journal, and then used a gluestick to attach it to the front and back of their journal. Since the fold of the cardstock is over the tape binding, this also prevents the tape from peeling off with wear, and makes the binding stronger.

The best part about this project is how much the kids absolutely love their journals! We store them at camp and pull them out when we get back from field trips or when we have some down time in our day, and the can't get enough of writing and drawing in them. And at the end of the summer, the kids will have a beautiful record of all their adventures and the fun they had. What could be better than that?

Our Mini Rooftop Garden

2013-06-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

My husband and I both grew up tending gardens and eating their produce all summer long. I remember so clearly how it felt to head outside with a book, stuffing the pockets of my jean shorts with spinach on my way past the garden. I would climb up onto a comfortable tree limb in my backyard and spend the afternoon reading and snacking on the fresh-picked leaves. Later, at dusk, my mother would send me out to water, and I loved the feeling of dust-dry dirt against my feet as I held our green garden hose.

My husband has similar fond memories of growing up tending a garden, and we've wanted a garden of our own for a long time now. We moved into the apartment we live in now a couple of months ago, and we LOVE it here. The only downside is that we don't have a backyard - something we both desperately wanted.

We decided to ask our landlord if we could have the use of a small deck that's at the back of the house (we live in an beautiful built home that's been split into apartments). He had no problem with that, and so we started a small rooftop garden a couple of months ago. It's tiny - really a just a few tomato plants, some lettuce, basil, and some herbs - but we are so fond of it.

We've already eaten several meals seasoned by the herbs, and one wonderful salad of baby greens, but I'm most excited for the tomatoes. We have a few different varieties that we got from our local seed bank, and I can't wait to try them. There's something hugely satisfying to me in growing my own food - even if it's just a tiny amount. It's nice to finally get my hands dirty and realize that just because I can't have a garden like the one I remember growing up doesn't mean I can't have a garden at all. Container gardening like this is totally new to me; if you have any tips, let me know!

my sister officiating our wedding ceremony - you can just make out the
pots behind our legs (photo by our wonderful friend, Juliet).

Oh, and if the green pots look familiar, it's because they were also featured in our wedding. Our wonderful friend Jenny painted them for us, and we used them to hold the posts of our chuppah. At our old house, they just sat stacked in a closet. We're happy now to finally put them to some good use!

DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint

2013-05-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

This art project is one that I've done with the kids for a long time. Its a great lazy summer day activity, and one that the kids absolutely love. To make your own sidewalk chalk paint, simply mix together equal parts cornstarch and water in a cup, then add food coloring. Stir together with a paintbrush, and then get painting!

One thing that I love about this project is that it engages kids on a lot of different levels. Super artsy kids can go to town creating their own masterpieces, and very social kids can work together with their friends. One boy I work with who loves to push boundaries and can be a real behavior issue at times spent the entire activity sitting near the food coloring, adding a drop at a time into his cup of paint and watching the colors change. It was great to be able to give him the space to experiment on his own.

I do let the kids have free access to all of the supplies for this project. I teach some basic color mixing (red + yellow = orange, etc) and assist kids who ask for help, but I think it's good for them to be able to experiment and interact with the supplies independently. So many times, the art projects they do in school require tracers and have specific rules about what they can and can't make. There's value to learning how to follow directions, but I believe there's also value in having space to experiment and create on their own.

Have fun making this and painting the town with the kids in your life!

Celebrate Summer - Etsy Treasury

2013-05-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks, but with the weather getting steadily warmer and the school year coming to an end out here in California in just 3 more weeks, I've got summer on my mind! I have no affiliation with any of these shops - but I do think that the start of summer is a great thing to celebrate. Here some fun, affordable ways to bring a little summer into your life.

Fresh Squeezed Napkins ... nicoleporterd... $28	Modern Dahlia Flower No... AldariArt $18	Neon Faceted Wood Neckl... FableAndLore $25	Mint Sea & Cotton Ball ... theSepiaSea $20
Handmade Long Wallet B... faithonearth $37	Screenprint - Sun Mount... strawberrylun... $25	Geometric Shape Screenp... bensonbenson $8	Art Print , A3, Poster,... Coquevama $24
Art Print 8 x 10 - Tech... witandwhistle $18	Good Morning Sunshine 1... MadeFarmFresh $7	Jotter, Pocket Notebook... witandwhistle $5.75	Watercolour Tree Artwor... jellybeans $15.5

Have you had any fun etsy finds lately? Tell me about them in the comments below!

Homemade Pop Tarts

2013-04-30T11:10:00.001-07:00

It seems like I am always on the lookout for homemade versions of grab-and-go type foods. My husband and I are both often rushing out the door, and I know that if we don't have easy food to grab on the way, we wind up spending way to much on food while we're out and about. We always try (with vary success..) .to pack lunches on weekdays instead of buying them - so I usually spend some time on the weekends baking and making snacks to tuck into our lunches for the week.

This weekend I decided to try a recipe from Smitten Kitchen - I love Deb's writing and her recipes are always amazing! Homemade pop tarts sounded almost too good to be true; I love the idea of the commercial ones, but to me they always taste so flat and stale. These homemade pop tarts are what you wish the commercial pop tarts would be - a crispy, flaky crust, stuffed with delicious, fresh filling. I'll definitely make them again - and next time I'm thinking of using Nutella as a filling. Less healthy, but doesn't it sound delicious?

I used the recipe from Smitten Kitchen, although I altered it slightly. I believe the recipe is originally from King Arthur Flour.

Homemade Pop Tarts

For the Pastry Dough:
*2 cups all purpose flour (although you could easily substitute whole wheat)
*1 TB sugar
*1 tsp salt
*1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
*1 egg
*2 TB milk
*1 TB heavy cream (substitute milk for this if you don't have cream on hand)

For the Fillings:
Jam Filling
*3/4 cups jam (I used blackberry)
*1 TB cornstarch
*1 TB cold water

Lemon Cream Cheese Filling:
*4 TB lemon curd
*4 TB cream cheese

To make the dough, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces, then use your fingers, a pastry cutter, or food processor to mix in the butter until it is in pea sized lumps. If using your fingers, simply pinch the pieces of butter between your thumb and fingers. Whisk the egg, milk, and cream together in a separate bowl, then mix into the flour and butter mixture. Knead briefly on a well floured counter until dough holds together. Split the dough into two pieces, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate while you make the fillings.

To make the jam filling, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water and pour into a small saucepan. Stir in the jam, and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool.

Preheat your oven to 350, and remove the dough from the refrigerator. Roll out on a well floured surface until it is about 1/8" thick. Cut out rectangles of dough (I used a 3"x5" index card for guidance so that I would get rectangles that were exactly the same size - use anything that is the size you'd like your finished pop tarts to be).

Assemble the tarts by placing about a tablespoon of filling in the center of one rectangle, leaving at least quarter inch perimeter of dough around the edges. For the cream cheese and lemon curd pop tarts, I placed half a tablespoon of cream cheese first, then added half a tablespoon of lemon curd on top. Dip a pastry brush in water and brush generously around the perimeter of the rectangle. Place a second rectangle of dough on top and press firmly with your fingers to seal the dough on all sides. Press with a fork around all outside edges.

Place the tarts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Slit the tops of each tart (or use a fork to poke holes in the top) - otherwise they will poof up in the oven. Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes, until golden brown. Make sure to let them cool before tasting - the filling packs a lot of heat!

As Deb (on Smitten Kitchen) mentioned, I tried the tip from King Arthur and dipped my dough trimmings in cinnamon sugar, then baked them. They were delicious - almost like little bites of fried dough!

Beekeeper's Quilt Update

2013-04-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

Do you remember a couple of months ago, when I wrote that I'd started a new knitting project? Well, I'm here with an update! I started the Beekeepers Quilt by Tiny Owl Knits in late February: it's an adorable quilt pattern made of hundreds of tiny hexagons knit in the round and stuffed with wool. Each individual hexagon (aka hexapuff!) takes me about 35 minutes and 14 yards of wool to complete - and in the two months since I started the project, I've knit a little over 100!

Here's what 102 hexapuffs look like all piled up:

And then arranged into a quilt:

Honestly, the arranging is one of my favorite parts! I haven't stitched any hexapuffs together yet because it is so much fun to play with the colors and patterns and lay them out in different ways. It's hard to see in the pictures, since they're taken with my iPod (my camera has officially bit the dust...), but most of the yarns I've used are slightly heathered - I really like the depth it adds. I'm hoping to add some tweed yarn into the mix next.

If my math is correct, to make a finished blanket I'm going to need 880 hexapuffs, so I'm almost an eighth of the way done. I'll make sure to keep you updated along the way!

Ways to Create: Double Portraits

2013-04-18T09:41:00.001-07:00

So this first project is not messy at all, actually - and for a few reasons, it's a great first project to do with a new group of kids, or with a kid who is insecure about making art. First of all, older kids love the look of this project and are always excited to try it. By the time they hit 5th or 6th grade, a lot of children have really internalized that they're "not good" at art or drawing, and so they have a hard time loosening up and letting their creativity flow. There's nothing to draw in this project, and with a digital camera, they can try as many times as they want or the shot that they're hoping for. Giving them a way to be immediately successful and to create something "cool" lets them open up and just have fun!

When I did this project with my afterschool kids, we spent a few minutes first talking about framing a shot and picking two distinct places in that framed shot where they wanted to pose. I did need to remind them several times to hold the camera steady in one spot once they'd chosen their shot; moving the camera means that the photos won't line up exactly when they try and meld them into one image. We brainstormed ideas for poses, then I gave them the cameras and let them have at it!

I was lucky enough to have access to a photo printer, so once they were done taking pictures, they chose the two they wanted to use and I printed them. Kids then cropped them however they liked and glued them together:

This was such a fun project to do; aside from the creative aspects, it led to a lot of great conversations about different sides of people's personalities, and a lot of admiration of each other's work. They were so proud of what they had made.

Let me know if you try this with your kids; I'd love to see your projects!

all photos shown in this post are used with permission

Moving, Family Traditions, and Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes!

2013-04-09T11:30:00.002-07:00

I took a small break from posting here for the past couple of weeks... March was a big month for us! In addition to both my husband and I working slightly more than usual and me getting a bad cold, we also moved to a new apartment! We're loving the new space; its a bright and beautifully maintained apartment in an old home that's full of character. To the right is the view from the picture windows in our living room. We've been wanting to move for so long now, but were holding off until we found a place that was a good fit; we're very happy we finally found it.

It's been fun to carry on all our little traditions in this new space. There's something so important to me in doing all the little things - they really become the story of who you are as a family. A lot of our traditions revolve around food (my husband works as a chef) - and one of my favorite traditions is always cooking a big breakfast together every Sunday morning. We try to make it a point to have it be a special meal, especially since Sunday marks the first day of Russ' work week, and he leaves about an hour after breakfast is done.

The weekend that we moved, though, we didn't have a chance to make a our usual Sunday morning breakfast, as we hadn't even unpacked most of the kitchen at that point. I was pretty bummed about it, as this is something we really never skip. So I unpacked like crazy that day, and decided to make breakfast for dinner that night. The only part I couldn't include was our traditional cup of coffee - so I improvised by making chocolate espresso cupcakes for dessert!

I adapted a recipe from Art of Dessert; you can find her original recipe here. This recipe makes 30 cupcakes.

Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup whole milk with 1 Tbs. lemon juice

1/2 cup strong coffee, cooled

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3 muffin pans with cupcake liners. Beat together butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs one at a time. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Combine the buttermilk and coffee together. Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture. Pour into the prepared pans. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean.

I added a basic cream cheese frosting (although the original recipe calls for a Kahlua Espresso frosting, which also sounds delicious!), then topped it with Trader Joe's Sugar, Chocolate, and Coffee Bean Grinder - which is such a nice novelty item to have on hand. I use it on so many things! If you haven't seen one, they are these great little spice grinders filled with white and brown sugar crystals, dark chocolate, and coffee beans. I use it to top ice cream and all kinds of other desserts.

If you've noticed that my pictures look a little off, it's because my camera got slightly damaged in the move. These photos are from my iPod - but hopefully my camera will be back in the game soon! I'm so glad to be settling into my new space, and very happy to be back to posting in this space as well.

Color Run!

2013-03-05T09:23:00.000-08:00

I have always had a lot of things that I want to do. I will make vague plans to do all kinds of things and have all kinds of adventures. Usually, though, the next step is that I talk myself out of doing any of them: that class I want to take is too expensive. That camping trip I want to take is too impractical. And who knows if it would even be fun... there are always plenty of reasons why is just doesn't make sense to go out of my way to make these things happen.

This year, though, Russ and I made a deal: we were going to start going on more adventures. Starting in about November, I have been trying to step out of my comfort zone: taking those classes, going on those camping trips, starting a blog even though I wasn't sure if it would succeed. It has been hard to change my thinking from finding reasons not to do things to finding ways to make them happen. But the more I do, the happier I feel.

So, in that spirit, last weekend we went to Candlestick Park in San Francisco and participated in our first Color Run - a 5k where you get doused with colored powder every kilometer. We got there late (traffic was crazy!), but had a blast - it was so much fun, and there was a really great, friendly vibe at the whole event. People were high-fiving each other everywhere and everyone was just having a good time.

This also got us inspired to start training so that next year, we can run it as a race instead of as a fun run. My mother - who is always an inspiration to me - just started a Couch to 5k program this week, and while we can't actually go on runs together (she lives in NY), I'm excited to be training at the same time.

Here's to more adventures!

Work in Progress: The Beekeeper's Quilt

2013-02-26T18:54:00.000-08:00

I love to knit, and for a while now I have been looking for a good, long-term project. Something portable, so I could work on it in the car or on the bus, but still substantial, and easy enough to pick up and knit while talking or watching a movie. Finally, I found this: The Beekeeper's Quilt.

photograph from tinyowlknits.com; click on the link above to see
the full pattern and information about the project on her website.

Each hexagon is knitted separately, stuffed with wool batting, and then stitched together, so this is a definite long term project. I started knitting the small hexagons (the designer calls them "hexapuffs," which I think is adorable) two days ago, and they are totally addictive! Here's my progress so far:

I've only knit about a dozen so far, but they all use scrap yarn that I've had lying around the house for a while - I'm excited to finally get around to using some of it! Its perfect for small amounts of yarn that are leftover from other projects. There's a real satisfaction that comes with finishing each one, and I can't wait to make some more. Here's how they look all laid out:

What do you think?

Book Review - Make Your Place: Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills

2013-02-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

To be honest with you, I had planned a quite different blog post for today. My weekend, however, got a little sidetracked by food poisoning. When I realized that I wasn't feeling well, my first instinct was to grab Make Your Place: Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills. Its one of many reference books that we keep in the house, but it's by far the one we go to the most, so I thought that I would share it with you here. There are tons of great tips on how to make your own, natural cleaning supplies, and as I mentioned above, this is the first book I'll look to when I'm not feeling well.

Make Your Place is a small, handwritten book that covers three main areas: health, cleaning, and gardening. I use the health section the most, by far. From this book, I have learned how to make tinctures, salves, and teas to treat many medical conditions. You do have to put some time in upfront to source the plants and supplies you'll need, but it has definitely been worth it for me. My husband and I have used ideas from this book to treat first aid emergencies as well as to manage chronic conditions - for instance, my husband's eczema, which haunted him throughout his childhood and young adulthood, and which has now disappeared. These natural remedies have really worked for us!

The cleaning and gardening sections are also great - there are tons of great ideas, and they're presented in a very doable way. If you're just looking to get started in making the switch to more natural cleaning, there are plenty of easy and cheap ideas to try out, even if you don't want to jump in with both feet just yet.

The tone of the book is fun, light, and conversational, and all in all, it makes a great addition to your home library. The copy I own has been dog eared and pretty beaten up - which for me, is a sign of a well-loved book. Which books do you find yourself referencing again and again? Let me know in the comment section below!

Easy Whole Wheat Biscuits

2013-02-12T09:39:00.001-08:00

I remember waking up many mornings as a child to find my mother baking these biscuits for breakfast. They're easy and very quick to make, and they use ingredients that you likely already have on hand (my favorite kind of recipe).I modified my mother's recipe by substituting whole wheat flour for some of the all purpose flour any by using butter instead of shortening - otherwise, these are just the same as Mom always made.

Easy Whole Wheat Biscuits
*1 cup all purpose flour
*1 cup whole wheat flour
*2 tsp baking powder
*1 tsp salt
*2 TB cold butter
*1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flours, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter (or, to cut in butter without a pastry cutter, simply put the butter in the bowl and pinch it into the flour until it is the size of small peas). Stir in a cup of milk, adding more if needed to make the dough hold together.

Turn out the dough and roll it about 1 1/4 inches thick. Cut it with a biscuit cutter or with the top of a wine glass. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until golden brown. This makes about 8 good sized biscuits.

I eat my biscuits with butter and jam, but you could also serve these with herbed butter for a delicious savory side dish. These only take about 15 - 20 minutes total to prepare, including cooking time, so they are a great last minute addition to your meal.

What recipes do you make that have been passed down from your family? Let me know in the comments below!

Sweet and Simple Valentine's Day Wreath

2013-02-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

As Valentine's Day is getting closer, the children I work with are getting more and more excited. They are always clamoring for more crafts, and so we try to get creative in our (fairly low-budget) after-school program. These wreathes are simple to make and require very few supplies, all of which you probably already have on hand - cardstock (or any stiff paper), scissors, and a stapler. This makes it a great last minute craft, and its definitely one that the kids love.

First, cut several 1" x 4" strips of paper (I used 16 of these strips to make my wreath, but you could use however many you'd like). These strips don't have to be perfect, so even young children can cut them independently. Next, staple two of these strips of cardstock together at one end.

Pull the opposite ends of the strips together beneath the stapled end, and sandwich them together between two more strips of paper as seen below.

Continue stapling strips together this way until you have as many hearts as you'd like.

Then form into a circle and add one more staple to attach the last heart to the first one.

I had about 20 children ages 6 - 11 doing this craft with me, and only three staplers on hand. To help them be patient while they waited for their turn with the stapler, I gave them markers so that they could decorate both sides of their strips of paper. Older kids helped the younger ones with the stapling, and in the end it was a great collaborative project!

Rise and Shine Coffee Sugar Scrub

2013-02-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

In the winter especially, I love using facial scrubs. My skin often gets very dry in the winter, and scrubs help fight dry skin by removing old, dead skin cells to expose the new, healthy skin cells underneath. These healthy skin cells absorb moisture better and help your skin to look and feel healthier.

Store bought scrubs are often very expensive, but you probably already have everything you need to make your own homemade version. While there are tons of versions out there, this coffee sugar scrub has quickly become my new favorite. The coffee helps to improve circulation and is also an antioxidant, and the sugar provides great, gentle exfoliation - sugar begins to melt as soon as it hits the water, so this isn't an overly abrasive scrub.

To make your own scrub at home, you'll need:
*3/4 cup ground coffee
*3/4 cup white sugar
*1 TB vanilla
*1 cup oil (you can use any kind you like - I'd recommend grapeseed oil for very greasy skin, and olive oil for normal - dry skin)
*1/4 cup dry oatmeal, ground in a coffee grinder or food processor (optional. This is a great and very soothing option if you have breakouts on your skin)

Mix all these ingredients together. To use, massage the scrub over damp skin, then rinse and pat dry.

These scrubs can be anywhere on your body that dry skin is a problem, and they also make great gifts! Use some creative packaging, and it would make a great Valentines Day gift for friends or family, or a wonderful teacher appreciation gift!

Sweet Homemade Cupcake Toppers

2013-01-29T12:11:00.000-08:00

After baking cupcakes the other day, I was looking for something fun to use as a cupcake topper. I didn't have anything ready-made, so I grabbed some twist ties (the kind you'd get in the bulk or produce section at a supermarket), yarn, and a pair of pliers and got to work making my own. Here's how I did it:

First, gather your supplies and use your scissors to cut the excess paper of the twist tie. Like you see in the photos above, you should be left with just a wire coated in paper. Next, use your pliers twist it into a shape you like. With Valentines Day coming up, I created one that spelled 'love,' and another that was in the shape of a heart, as you can see below.

Then, simply wrap it with yarn (using glue if necessary to secure the ends), bend a second twist tie around it to use as the stake, and insert it into your favorite cupcakes!

These are so quick and easy to make - mine only took about 5 minutes each to create. They're a fun and simple way to dress up a dessert for someone you love - or could be sweet surprise tucked in a stack of pancakes for a child's Valentine Day breakfast!

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

2013-01-22T09:03:00.000-08:00

I woke up the other day with the biggest craving for these lemon poppyseed muffins. It was cold and grey out, and all I wanted was to sit down with a hot cup of coffee and a warm, sugary treat - and the scent of lemons always just brighten up the morning for me, especially in the winter.

These muffins are sweet and simple, and come together quickly - great for last minute cravings.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
For the batter:
*2/3 cup sugar
*1 lemon (zest and juice)
*2 cups all purpose flour
*1/2 tsp baking soda
*11/2 tsp baking powder
*1/2 tsp salt
*3/4 cup sour cream
*2 eggs
*1 tsp vanilla
*1/2 cup unsalted butter
*2 1/2 TB poppy seeds

For the glaze:
*juice of 1 lemon
*1 cup confectioners sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. Melt the butter and let it cool.

Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers or the back of a spoon until the sugar is damp. Then add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk until combined. In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and melted, cooled butter. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix until just barely combined. Add the poppy seeds, and stir briefly (it's okay if there are still a few lumps in the batter - they'll bake out. But if you overstir, your muffins could turn out tougher than you'd like).

Divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. While the muffins are baking, whisk together the lemon juice and confectioners sugar for the glaze. Add up to a tablespoon of water into the mix, if needed, to make sure the glaze is thick but easily able to be poured. When the muffins come out of the oven and are still warm, use a pastry brush to brush the glaze over each muffin.

Enjoy, and let me know in the comments if you try this recipe out!

Beat the Winter Blues Treasury

2013-01-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

Now that the holidays are all officially over and everything has settled back down to normal, we're left with just... winter. Its definitely been a colder-than-usual winter out here in California, and I have been on the lookout for ways to beat the winter blues!

I always find that it's little things that do the best job of cheering me up. Here a few of my ideas - all around $20 or less, so they won't make a huge impact on your wallet. Hopefully, though, they'll help you shake those blues!

Tiffany Blue Chevron Infinity Scarf ModLux $19.50	Robins Egg Blue-Teal-Turquoise Mug juliaedean $21.00	Aqua Tissue Paper Pom Pom PartyPoms $4.00	Graphic Art Print YellowHeartArt $10.00
Snow Day Body Cream DressGreen $12.00	WINTER SALE Wild Blueberry Tea ChibiNaturals $5.75	Arrested Development Eye Chart ThePressingPig... $8.99	1 handmade cotton linen pillowcase linxge $22.00

As you can tell, I am in love with making these etsy treasuries... I'm not affiliated with etsy or with any of these sellers, but I do love curating these lists! To see more treasuries or make your own, go here.

Embroidered Constellations

2013-01-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

I have always loved learning how to identify constellations and finding out the stories behind them. I had a minor in Ancient Studies in college, and all the old myths have always just really resonated with me... especially when I can look up and see the same groups of stars that the stories were centered around. There's always been something magical about it to me.

My husband also shares this love of constellations, to the extent that when we were getting married, we designed our own constellation wedding rings and had them produced by a seller on etsy.com (Christine Bossler, who was wonderful - I'd highly recommend her). The rings are difficult to photograph because the silver is so reflective, but my ring has Ursa Minor drilled into it, and my husband Russ' ring has Ursa Major.

Recently, we were looking for something new to hang on the wall beside our bed. It had to be something light (because of the risk of earthquakes), so anything framed was out, and we didn't want to go for the dorm-room poster look. In the end, I remembered that I had several old canvases that we could use, and decided to embroider them with different constellations that have significance to us. I decided to start with Ursa minor, and this is what I came up with:

I like that the end result is subtle, and I'm going to make a few more to hang, gallery style, on the wall beside our bed. If you would like to make one, they're super easy to do, and all you will need is a canvas, paint and embroidery floss in colors that you like, a permanent marker, and a needle.

First, paint the canvas (I used one that was 8"x10") with navy blue acrylic paint, and while that paint is still wet, add a dollop of pearl acrylic paint in cornflower blue (find the kind I used here). Use a clean paintbrush to blend it in with the navy. This helps to add some depth and dimension to the color, instead of it being a flat blue. Make sure that you also paint the sides of the canvas for a finished look. Let the paint dry overnight.

Once you are sure that your paint is dry, turn your canvas over. Use your marker to sketch out a mirror image of the constellation that you'd like to use. Make a dot where each star will be on your finished piece, as in the photo below.

Get your needle and embroidery floss. Thread the needle and tie a knot in your thread, and then embroider french knots where you marked the main stars in your constellation. If you're not sure how to make a french knot, check out this video, which will show you how.

Once your constellation is embroidered, tie a knot in the embroidery floss and cut it. Divide a new piece of embroidery floss in half (so that you have two strands of floss, each with three threads). Thread one of these strands on your needle and make small, random stitches around the canvas to represent other stars in the night sky. Continue making small stitches until you are satisfied with how your piece looks, and you're done!

I hope you are having a wonderful day - and enjoy making your own embroidered constellation canvases!

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

2013-01-10T12:46:00.001-08:00

My husband recently started a new shift at work that requires him to leave the house at 5am a few times a week. While he doesn't mind getting up early, in his rush to get out the door, he'll often skip breakfast on these days - which totally throws his day. We typically have muffins or scones around the house, but those aren't exactly a full breakfast...so I started brainstorming something to make that would be quick, filling, and nutritious. These breakfast bars fit the bill, and are easy for him to grab on his way out the door!

The oatmeal base means that these are filling and give you a good amount of fiber. And the add-ins mean that you can jazz them up any way you'd like - they can be made with super-healthy dried fruits, nuts, and seeds, or you can add in chocolate chips or substitute jam for the honey if you want a sweeter or more fruity-flavored twist. This is a recipe that definitely invites experimentation!

Dense, chewy, and packed with flavor

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
*2 cups cooked oatmeal, cooled
*1 TB unsalted butter, melted
*1 egg, beaten
*2 TB all purpose flour
*1/2 tsp vanilla
*1/2 tsp cinnamon
*1/2 tsp salt
*1/4 cup honey
*optional add - ins; I added sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, sesame seeds, and raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare an 8"x8" square cake pan by either buttering it or lining it with parchment paper.

Mix oatmeal, melted butter, and egg together in a medium bowl. Stir in flour, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and honey until combined. Add any add-ins that you like - any kind of nut, seed, or dried fruit would work well, so play around with it!

Bake for about 55 minutes (I know, doesn't that seem like forever? This is how long it took in my oven, but as soon as they are firm and slightly browned, they are ready to go). Let cool and cut into bars.

Makes about 8 bars.

Grab one on your way out the door!

Hand-stitched Felt Baby Shoes

2013-01-03T11:06:00.001-08:00

One of my closest friends recently announced that she is expecting a baby this summer. She's the first of my friends who live locally to be pregnant, and I am so very excited and happy for her! Since I found out, it feels like I am seeing baby-related crafts everywhere on Pinterest and on other blogs I follow, and finally I couldn't resist trying my hand at making something for this newest little one.

Then I found these wonderful, hand-stitched felt shoes on the Purl Bee (find the tutorial and free pattern here, on the Purl Bee Blog). They are sweet, simple, and stitch up quickly - and they'd be easy to modify in dozens of different ways: add additional embroidery, add a felt applique, lace them up with faux mini-shoelaces.

If you're a parent, what gifts were the most helpful to you when your children were young?

Top 3 Books of 2012

2012-12-31T17:03:00.000-08:00

Growing up, my family wasn't wealthy - not by a long shot. My mother, however, never let that stop her from finding things for us to do. Every single Saturday, while running our errands, she made sure that we stopped by the public library. It was one of the best things she could have done for me: I was an avid reader and would devour the books I got each week.

That tradition instilled in me a life long love of reading. So this year, I decided to keep a list of all the books that I read. It was entertaining to do - in the end, I read over 100 books in 2012, and looking back over the book list is a fun sort of year-in-review for me. I thought I'd share three of my favorites here with you.

1. The Real Minerva, by Mary Sharrat: Focusing on three women living in the small town of Minerva, Minnesota in 1923, this novel is simply riveting. Its written in a simple but poetic voice, and the characters are not only believable but so realistic that you can't help but ache for their troubles. I loved the details of small town life in the Depression, and the way that the three main characters all break the mold for women living in that time and place, and are forced to live with the consequences of those choices, both good and bad. If I had to pick just one book for the year, this would be it.

2. Bee Season, by Myla Goldberg: This novel gets off to a slow start, for me at least, but once it gets going, it REALLY gets going. It is meticulously plotted, and the author reveals aspects of each character poignantly and compellingly. I didn't imagine that a book centered around a spelling bee could pull me in so completely and be so absorbing, but my heart was actually racing while reading the last climactic scene. I really enjoyed how Goldberg explores family dynamics in this book, and the shifting perspective really helps illuminate how each family member views the others and views their own place in the family. I just found out (while googling the cover image) that this has been turned into a movie - has anyone seen it? Was it any good?

3. 11/22/63, by Steven King: I was pretty suprised by this book, I think at least partially because I always wrote Steven King off as a trashy horror novelist. I was dead wrong on that front, and this book blew me away (although I hated the first chapter). I love how King re-imagines the past again and again, and incorporates aspects of a traditional horror novel in with a book that is really about the dichotomy of intentions versus results, the importance of human connections, and the lengths to which one will go to preserve them. I also read The Shining this year (right around Halloween), and had nightmares for weeks - proof of some pure, great storytelling.

I haven't lived with my mother now for 10 years. But I still do go to the library when I'm out doing my errands, and I'm so glad she instilled that habit in me.

What books have you been reading lately?

Lemon Pomegranate Scones

2012-12-29T20:32:00.000-08:00

light and airy, these scones are delicious!

Every weekend, I drive out to Green String Farm to pick up our produce for the week. I try not to buy anything that's not on our grocery list, but their farm store is just set up so beautifully, and prominently on display last week were tons and tons of fresh, juicy pomegranates. I couldn't say no, so we brought home 2 of the best-looking ones in a paper bag... and they've sat in our cupboard for a solid week now.

Now that it's somehow already the weekend again, I decided I had to use the pomegranates in something. After a failed attempt at pomegranate oatmeal muffins (which turned out waayy too dry), I decided to move on to scones. Now, I've already talked about how much I love scones; they're pretty much my default thing to bake. They're sure to impress and they're nearly impossible to mess up; what's not to love?

So without further adieu, here's my take on some pomegranate scones.

Lemon Pomegranate Scones
adapted from Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food

*2 cups all purpose flour

*2 1/2 tsp baking powder

*1/2 tsp salt

*1/4 cup sugar, plus more for topping
*2/3 cups pomegranate arils
*1 TB lemon zest
*1 1/3 cups heavy cream, plus more for topping
* lemon curd (optional) for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together until evenly blended. Stir in the pomegranate arils and lemon zest. Add the cream and mix until evenly combined. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead very briefly, until dough holds together.

Form into a 8" circle (no need to be exact here), and cut into 8 triangular pieces. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush cream on top of each piece, and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 17-20 minutes, until scones turn golden brown. For an extra indulgence, serve warm with a dollop of lemon curd. Enjoy!

Make Your Own Shuffleboard Set

2012-12-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in the last post, my husband and I love playing games. On our anniversary a few weeks ago, we went to one of our favorite bars in the city where we met and found out that our regular table had been replaced by a Snapback Shuffleboard table. Of course we sat down to try it.. and didn't get up again for an hour.

Having never played the full-sized version of shuffleboard, I'm not sure how the table top version compares. I do know, however, that we were laughing and having so much fun playing that I immediately started brainstorming ways to make our own set to play at home.

I was trying to make this in time for his Christmas gift, so it was a little hurried, but here's what I came up with:

Making your own version of this would be very simple - what I did was tape off three lines at one end of a wooden board I had lying around, paint them, and stamp numbers in each of the resulting sections. After the paint was dry, I put several layers of Mod Podge over the whole board.

For the pucks, I went to the hardware store down the street and found the heaviest round bearings that I could. I then glued felt to the bottom of each bearing to make them slide more easily down the board.

To play, shoot a puck from the bottom of the board. If you get it in one of the numbered sections, you get that number of points. But if you overshoot and the puck goes off the board, you get no points.

(We keep track of our total overall points in sharpie on the back of the board to add some extra competitiveness.)

Hope you're having a wonderful day!

Make Your Own Go Set

2012-12-22T12:12:00.000-08:00

My husband and I love playing games - especially board games. We have a games bookcase that's full of our favorites, but the one we play the most is Go.

The game of Go originated in ancient China, and the rules are fairly simple - players take turns placing colored stones on the board, attempting to capture their opponents stones by surrounding them with their own. However, the game itself becomes pretty complex. I won't get into all the intricacies, but there's a great tutorial that will quickly and easily teach you how to play here.

One of the reasons why we love Go so much is because we made our own game set. We wanted to be able to toss the set in our pockets or my purse and go to coffee shops or the park to play. It was one of the easiest projects we've ever done, and also one of the most useful, so I thought I'd share how we did it.

All you need to make your set is some glass stones (sometimes called vase filler gems, like these), fray check (optional, to apply to the cut edges of your boards), and sturdy (canvas or similar) polka dot fabric - the only catch here is that the dots on the fabric have to line up exactly in both rows and columns for the fabric to be usable.

The workable print, on the left, is Michael Miller Disco Dot

Once you have your fabric, use the dots as your guide to cut it. A standard go board would be 19 dots by 19 dots, but you can also play on a 13x13 or 9x9 board. We cut boards of all three sizes, and use them all regularly, depending on how much time we have to play. If desired, apply the fray check to the edges of your board - this will help make sure no stray strings unravel from the cloth. Then use the leftover fabric to sew two drawstring bags for the florist beads to go in (or just toss the beads into ziplocks, if you're not the sewing type)... and that's it!

This would make a great last second gift - it only takes a few minutes to make. Swing by the bookstore and pick up a book on how to play Go, or just refer them to this website in your card, and you're all set!

Enjoy your new game!