the hobby room diaries

Technique of the Week: DIY Lip Balm

2013-06-09T22:45:00.002-07:00

I used to love those lip balm orbs--they look cool, the colors are fun, the flavors smell fantastic, and the ingredients are natural and junk-free. I had a couple in my purse and a couple at home and I used them all the time. Until I had some sort of reaction to the lip balm, yuck. I'll spare you the details, but I had to cease and desist and find something else, which was irritating because there isn't much out there that's more natural or free of unnecessary chemicals.

So I did what any normal person would do and looked into making my own lip balm. Because all the normal people I know are cooking up lip balm in their kitchens. Right? You guys are, aren't you? Turns out, it's quick and easy AND you have the benefit of complete control over all the ingredients you use.

The basic recipe is one part wax to two parts solid oil, plus essential oils for fragrance. Here's what I used:

2 ounces natural yellow beeswax pellets
3.75 ounces coconut oil
0.25 ounce pure lanolin
lemon essential oil
peppermint essential oil

Put the beeswax, coconut oil, and lanolin in a small saucepan and melt over low heat. I just put my tiny saucepan on my kitchen scale and measure everything right into it, since the measurements are by weight anyway. Once the ingredients are fully liquified, remove from heat and add essential oils to your preference. Make a little sample to make sure you like the balm by dipping the tip of your finger into the mixture and trying it. Pour the lip balm into whatever container(s) you are using and let it solidify.

I had some standard lip balm tubes that I used a pipette dropper to fill and I found that I needed to keep the liquid lip balm over low heat while I filled the tubes, otherwise the pipette would quickly clog with solidified lip balm. The above recipe filled twenty lip balm tubes and I had some leftover that half-filled a quarter-cup container.

So far I love this stuff and the family and friend consensus is that it's an exact copy of store-bought lip balm. Win! I ordered all the supplies at Bulk Apothecary, except for the coconut oil already in my pantry and the lanolin I found at my local food co-op. Another bonus to making your own lip balm? It's a lot cheaper when you make it, approximately 50 cents or less per tube (including the tube and depending on where you get your other supplies).

Are you a lip balm fanatic or could you live without it? Do you have a fave or will anything do?

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Coconut Oil Potato Chips

2013-04-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

I like snacks, they are my making-good-food-decisions downfall. Especially, I like potato chips. In my mind I call myself a potato chip connoisseur because that sounds better than potato chip hog or potato chip vacuum. I do have some standards:

No potato chips that are baked, popped, or come in a can. Those aren't potato chips, those are crackers made out of mashed potato flakes.
No crazy flavors--pickle, ketchup (I'm talking to you, Canada), chicken and waffle, BLT, and maple bacon (sorry Kettle Chips, you know I love you) will never pass these lips.
No unnecessarily greasy chips and if the chips are greasy, no industrial seed oils (this is how they make them, it's super gross).

(chips sliced 1/16" thick, light and crispy, chips curl and fold)

(chips sliced 1/8" thick, more substantial, chip stays flatter)

My perfect chip is thick-cut and kettle-cooked in expeller-pressed sunflower seed oil with a light sprinkle of sea salt and is doubled-over in the middle, because the folded ones are the best. Ideally, I would like a coconut oil potato chip, but there's only one place I've found that makes them, Honest Chips in Colorado, and over time I think the shipping would be a little much. So I set out to make my own and I just happened to have a jar of the very best coconut oil sent to me to try from the lovely people at Tropical Traditions. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is creamy and snowy white, with just a hint of coconut aroma, and it melts like a dream.

So I sliced a couple baking potatoes on my mandoline slicer and dropped them into a pot with an inch or so of super hot coconut oil (that did not exceed 350 degrees, for those keeping track of that kind of thing) and once "chip" had been achieved, I rescued the potatoes from their bath, drained them on paper towels and sprinkled them with sea salt. Perfection. Oh, and then I may or may not have dipped some of the lucky chips in melted dark chocolate. Because I'll be honest, sweet and salty is really my favorite kind of snack.

Here are a couple tips that will make your chip-making better.

As you're slicing, drop stacks of slices into a bowl of cold water so they don't discolor.
Before you drop the potato slices in the hot oil, shake off excess water and make sure most of the pot is covered because any remaining water will cause hot oil to splash out of the pan and on to you. Ouch.
When you're done frying, strain the coconut oil into a lidded container and save for another batch of potato chips or whatever else you might need to fry.

Are you a sweet snacker? Or a salty snacker? Or do you mix them?

P.S. I did receive a complimentary jar of coconut oil from Tropical Traditions to try, but my opinions are my own. I was not required to write a review and I get no compensation for a favorable review.

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He is Risen!

2013-03-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

"He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen." Matthew 28:6

Happy, happy Easter to you and your family and friends. Enjoy your day, find some eggs, eat some animal-shaped chocolate. Mostly, remember that the day is about how much Jesus loves you.

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Turn that Frown Upside Down (with free printable)

2013-03-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

It was one of those mornings, just a miniature disaster away from becoming one of those days. There were a bunch of little things. I accidentally turned-off my alarm and slept later than I wanted to. One boy threw a fit about wanting to wear the previous day's dirty jeans and the other one spilled a full glass of juice on the floor.

Full. Glass. Of juice.

The dishwasher had to be unloaded so I could fill it with the stack of dirty dishes from the previous night. I got an unpleasant e-mail from the web designer who deleted a dozen pages from my site. All this added up to leaving the house late and I "had to" speed so I could still get a good spot in yoga class. As I worked up a good simmer driving down the road, some car pulled up right behind me and tailgated me for a mile, which I really hate. One of the boys turned around to see the car I'm telling to back off and says, "Look Mom, it's a police car!"

Then I got pulled over.

And as I wait there on the side of the side of the road for the officer to bring back my license and a hefty ticket (what I very rightly deserved) thinking, "Ugh, this is THE WORST day EVER," I had a realization: I could bounce back and still have a great day. There was no reason to let circumstances (mostly in my control in the first place) dictate how the rest of my day would go. Furthermore, I decided that I shouldn't let my lousy attitude allow me to make lousy decisions. Like excessive speeding.

The very nice State Patrol officer returned with my license and because I had a clear record and, I kid you not, my kids were buckled safely (seriously? who is not making their children buckle up?), I did not get the ticket I should have gotten. I did miss yoga entirely, but spent the time working-out with a friend instead, so nice a trade. My morning got better and the day that looked pretty rotten was actually pretty great.

All that to say, the kind of day you have is up to you. Your circumstances might require you to try harder to maintain a good attitude, but it's still your choice in the end. So try starting your day with a smile (and some encouraging Bible verses never hurt either, try Isaiah 41:10 or 1 Peter 5:7) and see where that takes you.

Or print this handy and decorative reminder and frame it on your wall. There are lots of choices because I started messing around with PicMonkey while watching Survivor the other night and I before I knew it, there were way more than I intended. Enjoy.

If you want to download, just click on the image you like and follow to the next page. These print best as 8 x 10 photos and if you need help with the printing, just send me an e-mail and I'll do my best to answer your questions.

Do you have any tips for keeping a positive attitude during trying times? Any favorite encouraging Bible verses?

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Cara Cara Orange Granita

2013-03-16T23:13:00.000-07:00

I am generally not a fad follower. Not that I'm immune by any means, but if I can help it, I like to hang back and see if it pans out for everyone else before I jump on board. So a month or so ago when I started seeing ads and signs at the store for cara cara oranges, I thought, "Yeah, whatever, it's just another orange."

Our local food co-op has this program where kids can pick out an apple, orange, or banana every time they come in. My son went a couple weeks ago with my mom and came back with his pick--a regular-looking navel orange that, when cut into, was pink-fleshed and tangy and juicy and delicious. And it had no seeds! We checked the receipt and it said, surprise surprise, cara cara.

Then I went to Costco for produce and lo and behold, they had eight-pound bags of cara cara oranges, so into my cart they went. We must have eaten half the bag in the first two hours after getting home. We all hunched over the sink, juice dripping down our chins, eating wedge after wedge, only stopping to cut another one.

Days later, now on bag number two of cara caras, the frenzy slowed and I began to look for new ways to enjoy the oranges that didn't end with washing my face. Even though it's the middle of winter, it's my opinion that anytime is a good time to eat a frozen dessert, so I decided on this granita. Let me add, I had never made a granita before and it was just as easy and foolproof as it seems.

No cara cara oranges where you live? Stick with regular navel oranges and taste the juice mixture before you freeze it, you may need to adjust the amount lemon juice and sugar. This is great served alone, but is extra delicious served creamsicle-style with a healthy dollop of vanilla bean whipped coconut cream.

Find printable recipe versions for whipped coconut cream here and for the orange granita here.

Are there any food fads (or non-food fads) that you've gotten on board with that you've absolutely loved? That haven't panned out?

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Tooth Pillow

2013-03-05T12:56:00.001-08:00

My oldest recently lost his first tooth. He discovered it was loose on a Sunday morning and by Monday morning it was out. I don't remember losing teeth that fast when I was a kid, but I do remember the little white satin tooth-shaped pillow my mom made to put our teeth in under our pillows (and that we later retrieved quarters from). At the time, I thought it was just something fun we did, but now on the other side, I see how functional the tooth pillow is. Baby teeth are tiny and I don't see how you could find one again between a pillow and rumpled bed linens if not for putting them in something a great deal larger.

And so, I set out to make my own tooth pillow.

This is a great project for using up fabric and ribbon scraps because the pillow really isn't that large. I happened to be cutting up for napkins some of the Mister's button-up shirts in need of retirement, so I had some scraps laying around that the boys liked. Of course, the traditional choice would be white which would look particularly nice in a satin or velvet, especially because you wouldn't need much fabric, so it wouldn't cost much.

Supplies:
pattern (download here)
main fabric
coordinating fabric
6" ribbon
stuffing (one large handful)
basic sewing supplies (iron + ironing board, thread, needle, sewing machine)

1. Download the pattern and cut out the tooth. Cut two teeth from the main fabric by stacking or folding the fabric wrong-sides together, pinning in place with the pattern, and cutting. The pattern is not symmetrical so it is important to not cut two teeth with fabric facing the same way or they won't match up when you sew the pillow together. Trim the ribbon to the width of the top edge of the pocket, per the pattern. Trim the top of the pattern off so just the pocket is left and cut one pocket out of the coordinating fabric.

2. Press all pieces flat. Take the pocket and with the wrong-side up, fold over 1/4-inch on the top edge, press in place, then fold over again and press. Stitch the folds in place. Now align the top edge of the ribbon with the top edge of the pocket, pin in place, and stitch across the top and bottom edge of the ribbon to attach to the pocket.

3. With the pocket right-side facing, determine which tooth piece it matches best with and lay it in place as it would look when finished, with both right-sides facing up. Now place the other tooth piece, wrong-side facing up, on top of the other pieces. Check for correct alignment and once it's aligned, pin in place.

4. Stitch around the tooth, back-stitching at the beginning and end, leaving a 1 1/2 to 2-inch opening on one side to stuff the pillow. Turn the pillow right-side out and fill with stuffing, making sure to get it well into all the corners (try using the eraser end of a pencil). Using a needle and thread, sew closed the opening.

Just days before E discovered his loose tooth, I overheard my mom telling him that his cousin got two whole dollars from the tooth fairy, so of course he remembered this when it came time to put the tooth pillow to use. This tooth-losing business could be pretty lucrative for the boys. I have a friend who gives cash for the first tooth and Hot Wheels for all the other teeth and I have a different friend who gives fifty-cent pieces. What are your tooth fairy traditions?

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DIY Tie-Dyed Crayons

2013-02-26T22:38:00.003-08:00

In the process of doing some cleaning recently, I rescued a bag of sad-looking crayons from church. The zip-top bag itself was opaque from much use and what remained of the crayon wrappers were dirty and stained from toddler fingers and old age. Nevertheless, I brought the sorry mess home because I have always wanted to try melting down old crayons to make new, pretty ones.

This is a great project to get your kids involved with, especially because they will have lost interest by the time you're pulling burning-hot liquid wax from the oven to cool. You could use a standard metal muffin tin, but I happened to have some silicone muffin pans that made popping the finished crayons out even easier.

Here are the steps:

1. Remove all wrappers from the crayons and break into 1-inch, or smaller, pieces.

2. Place the crayon bits into the muffin pan, filling just to the top of the cavity.

3. Put the pan in the oven (275 degrees) for 5-15 minutes, or until melted. The amount of time depends on the age and wax composition of your crayons, the size of the cavity, and the true temperature of your oven. The heart-shaped crayons were pretty large and took about 30 minutes, but I also made some in a mini-muffin size pan and they only took about 8 minutes.

4. Let the wax cool to room temperature and remove from the pan. If you have a raised part around the top edge of the crayon, just gently rub against a piece of paper to smooth it down.

Pretty easy, right? The boys gave some of the heart crayons to friends as a belated Valentine's Day present (there are some really cute Valentine cards made with similar crayons out there) and I sent some others to my friend the Leftovers Lady because these are exactly that, leftovers.

There will always be crayon bits to remake into new crayons, but what about other kid craft supplies? Is there anything to do with leftover watercolors or poster paint or tiny amounts of play-doh? If you have ideas, I want to hear them!

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Last Minute Meaty "Spaghetti" Marinara (grain/soy/dairy-free)

2013-02-20T18:01:00.000-08:00

I get asked every once in a while by friends what I'm fixing for dinner and it's usually a surprise to them when I say "I don't know, I don't decide until 4:30 or 5:00." There are definitely times that I've planned ahead and prepped well in advance of dinnertime, but mostly I just keep a well-stocked pantry and refrigerator and make what sounds good on a meal-by-meal basis.

Which is not to say that I don't have those nights where I stand in front of the open fridge, staring while it beeps at me to close the door, and moan aloud, "I don't know what to fix" or "Nothing sounds good." Just like those mornings when I stand in front of the open closet staring while I moan, "I have nothing to wear." Because somehow the clothes or food I have are never the clothes or food I want. Why is that? Anyway, I digress.

On those nights when I'm all out of ideas, it's nice to have a sure-fire to fall back on and in that case, it's this faux-spaghetti with meat sauce. I pretty much always have marinara on hand and I'll admit, it's usually store-bought. There is some great homemade-quality marinara out there and most of the time I'm more than willing to buy it for the time savings. I go into more detail about quality marinara in the recipe, but it boils down to sauce made with a small number of pronounceable ingredients.

My kids like this dish as well as the Mister and I do and for a while they thought it was made with actual noodles, it's that good. Grab a printable recipe by clicking here.

What's your go-to, out-of-ideas dinner recipe?

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Samoas Truffles with Coconut and Bacon

2013-02-11T23:06:00.000-08:00

I have great news: your wait is almost over. And what wait is that? Why, the wait for Girl Scout Cookie season, of course. As soon as March 1st, and continuing until the 17th, you can satisfy your craving for Thin Mints and Samoas (and whichever your faves are) just by hopping in the car and cruising by your local grocery store to see if there's a table with smiling girls out front. Or save time and take advantage of the Girl Scout Cookie Locator and plan your route ahead of time. Better yet, download and use the free iPhone/Android Cookie Locator app that's new this year.

Now, what happens if you get halfway through that third box of Samoas and you want to change it up a little? Don't worry, the Girl Scouts of Western Washington are here to help. For the second year in a row, the Girl Scouts of Western Washington are teaming up with local food bloggers to develop creative recipes using Girl Scout Cookies (check out the contest and eventually vote here). I entered last year with this Thai noodle stir-fry that used Do-Si-Dos in the peanut sauce and I am participating again this year with these yummy-looking truffles.

According to Wikipedia, Samoas account for almost 20 percent of cookie sales and it's easy to see why--they have chocolate, caramel and coconut all in one delicious little package. Using Samoas for a recipe was a no-brainer for me and I figured that since they're already pretty darn good, I would stick with the winning combination of flavors. With one tiny exception. Bacon. Because bacon makes everything better, right?

These truffles turned out a little differently than I envisioned and I like them better for it. The coconut cream I added to the Samoas crumbs makes the truffle smooth and creamy, while the toasted coconut adds nuttiness and texture. My bacon-loving friend Amy noted as a joke that the only thing missing from these delicious truffles was bacon, but I quickly saw how adding a salty, smoky element could only improve things and it did. I have a fondness for all the recipes on my site, but I have to say that this is definitely one of my favorites. I feel boastful saying it, but it's true (and verified by others), these truffles are really, really good.

Save yourself some trouble and click here to print the recipe.

Samoas truffles

with dark chocolate, toasted coconut and bacon

Makes: one dozen 1 1/2-inch truffles Total Time: 90 minutes (30 minutes hands-on)

INGREDIENTS

14 Samoas Girl Scout Cookies (one box minus one cookie)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup coconut milk cream (the thick cream on the top of a can of coconut milk)

3 strips smoked bacon

8 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate

PREPARATION

1. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add the shredded coconut. Toast, stirring frequently, until golden brown—this will take about five minutes. Coconut can burn quickly and easily, so keep an eye on it. Once toasted, pour the coconut in a bowl to cool and return the pan to the heat and add the bacon.
2. Cook the bacon until browned and crispy. Place the crisped bacon on a paper towel to drain and let cool. Once the bacon is cool to the touch, crumble into small pieces and set aside.
3. While the bacon cooks, add the cookies to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the cookies are finely chopped. Add the coconut milk and 1/3 cup of the toasted coconut to the bowl and pulse until fully combined.
4. Using a 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop (or a large melon-baller) portion the truffle filling onto a parchment-lined baking tray and once all the filling has been scooped, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Once the truffle filling has firmed-up, remove from the refrigerator and prepare the chocolate. Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and microwave on high in one-minute increments until almost fully melted, and then stir until smooth.
6. To coat the truffles, take one ball and roll lightly between your palms to smooth any rough edges, then place in the chocolate and quickly roll to coat with a small fork. Using the fork or a toothpick, pick up the truffle and briefly let any excess drip back into the bowl, then place on a piece of parchment. Sprinkle with the reserved toasted coconut and place a couple bacon pieces on the top.
7. Repeat the chocolate coating and garnishing for all remaining truffles. You will likely have leftover chocolate, so scrape the remaining chocolate onto an open spot of the parchment you are using and top with the remaining coconut and bacon for a bonus treat (also add crumbled bits of the extra Samoa cookie if it’s still available, wink wink).
8. Chill the finished truffles to set and serve as soon as the chocolate has hardened.

Are you buying cookies this year? Which ones are your favorites?

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A Very Hobby Valentine's Day

2013-02-07T21:58:00.000-08:00

I am a big fan of Valentine's Day and you can tell by the number of posts I've done that are Valentine-related compared to all other holiday posts. Something about the hearts and the red and pink makes me smile. I thought I would re-share with you some posts I did last year to get you into a Valentine-y sort of mood. Here goes . . .

These are some chocolate cupcakes with red hots icing. Mm-hmm, red hots added to marshmallow-y boiled icing. Delicious. AND the cupcakes are the homemade chocolate variety. From Alton Brown. Double delicious.

When I was a kid, my grandma (the creative one) mailed fun Valentine's Day cards just like these and it was exciting to see each year what she would enclose in each pocket. Get yourself some clear vinyl and candy and stickers and you too can sew your own (mailable!) clear Valentine's Day cards.

Who loves ya, baby? God does. No matter what. Without a doubt. No exceptions. You can print your own copy of this reminder and pop it in a frame and voila! instant inspirational art.

And while you're at it, print this one too. More Valentine's Day art to go in that spare frame you have laying around. I love this song from Etta James (At Last) and it always reminds me of dating my husband. I doubt it will remind you of dating my husband, but it's still pretty romantic all the same.

XOXO,

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Paleo Almond Joy Bark

2013-01-31T19:56:00.000-08:00

It happened again. I did a couple posts, then got sidetracked, then put off doing new posts, and now it's been a couple weeks. I have been spending some time thinking about blogging and why I do it (it's fun!) and what I hope to get out of it (a sense of accomplishment and an outlet for creativity). I think my mindset has changed from when I started out and I'm going to allow myself to be more relaxed about it going forward.

What I haven't been getting sidetracked from is eating paleo. Still doing it, still loving it. A lot of people starting paleo try the Whole30 and go cold-turkey on processed and no-list foods, starting strict and adding things back from there. I went about it kind of the opposite way, starting with the standard list of paleo no-nos, but being willing to still eat a few things (like cheese and peanut butter). I'm finding as I go along that I am becoming more strict and less willing to cheat. Almond butter is just as enjoyable for me as peanut butter and cheese? What was I thinking? Now that I've had dairy out of my system for a while, the cheese off of one slice of pizza is enough to send my stomach roiling.

If you take a quick scan through the recipes here, you can see that I have a sweet tooth, but that's one thing that I haven't cheated on. And by cheating I mean eating grain-based and processed baked goods--I have made a few paleo baked goods and they were pretty darn good. However, most of the time I just stick with dark chocolate. Good quality (organic, soy-free, 60% cacao or higher) dark chocolate is full of antioxidants and fairly low in sugar, so is not a bad choice.

I have been eating a lot of coconut too, sometimes with the chocolate, and that always reminds me of two of my favorite candy bars, Almond Joy and Mounds. Paleo-ifying those candy bars is just the next natural step, right? Melt all the components together--almonds, chocolate, coconut--and you have a pretty healthy treat to satisfy your sweet tooth that takes less time than making a batch of cookies.

Want to make your own? Click here or on the recipe for a printable version.

Because sometimes you feel like a nut. And sometimes you don't.

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Cereal Treat Layer Cake

2013-01-16T21:35:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: this delicious-looking cake is not healthy. By any standards. It is made entirely of processed ingredients and there is nothing natural about it. But it's fun and tasty, so you might want to give it a try anyway. If you plan to make it, also plan to chase it with a salad. A big salad.

When I was a kid, I remember making Rice Krispy treats on the stove in a big pot, with the sticky strings of marshmallow stretching from all around the pan to the handle of the wooden spoon while I stirred. Then the day came that I learned about making krispy treats in the microwave. A revelation! I still feel a little like I'm cheating, but it's just so easy. And then came the realization that I could use other cereal. I mean, there's nothing like the original, but the neon colors of Trix make the treats something truly spectacular.

I have a friend who loves krispy treats and had a birthday recently and I figured that this ~~delicacy~~ ~~monstrosity~~ ~~sugar-bomb~~ special cake would be just the thing. The whole project is relatively quick and easy, as long as you have all the ingredients, cake pans, and a microwave. I left the sides un-frosted for a more rustic look, but you could just as easily frost the sides and make the interior of the cake a surprise.

Want a printable version of the recipe? Click here or just on the recipe itself.

I didn't actually enjoy a slice of the cake, but I picked off a few marshmallow-coated Cocoa Puffs and they were pretty good. My boys did partake in several sticky, over-stuffed mouthfuls and they said it was the best thing I had ever made. That week.

Do you have a processed-food guilty pleasure? I, for one, am a lover of Twinkies and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. What's yours?

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DIY Fabric Napkins

2013-01-14T19:23:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get stumped on something and rather than deal with it, you put it off and make excuses to not do it? And then once you put it off a couple times, it becomes easier to continue avoiding and daunting to even think about tackling. That's this blog post. I've had the pics ready to go for at least two weeks, but I wasn't sure what to write about. So I procrastinated. Again and again. This was easy for me to justify, what with wrapping up the holidays and getting back into our regular routine (packing lunches! sweaty workouts! playdates!), but it was procrastinating none the less. For shame.

All that to say, I'm back and excited about all the things I have planned in the next weeks and months. I have a bunch of yummy paleo recipes, sewing and woodworking projects, and a new blog design to share that I think you'll really like.

And now for the focus of this post . . . I want to show you how to make your own fabric napkins. I originally got on the kick of making napkins because I was cleaning out my linens closet and noticed that I had a lot of napkins still wrapped in tissue from our wedding. Almost nine years ago. While part of me wanted them to stay nice and clean, another (practical) part realized that it's a waste of space to store something I'm not using, so I came up with a compromise. I am saving the really nice napkins for special occasions and using the everyday napkins for, well, everyday. To make sure I had enough napkins for each of us for a week, I made a couple more sets in fun fabrics that will appeal to the boys (and hopefully hide stains).

Let's start the project:

1. Round-up a sewing machine and related supplies, in addition to (pre-shrunk) fabric and coordinating thread. Cut your fabric into equal-sided squares into as many pieces as you can get out of your fabric. My purchased napkins range in size from 10 x 10 inches to 16 x 16 inches and I find that for everyday use, a 12-13 inch napkin is just the right size. Cut squares one inch larger than the size of napkin you want, i.e. cut a 14-inch square to get a 13-inch napkin.

2. Press a hem on all edges of each square. With the wrong side facing you, fold over 1/2 inch on one edge and press in place, then fold over the 1/2 inch again so the raw edge is enclosed. Repeat all the way around each square.

3. Now you're ready to stitch. The easiest way is to stitch the first side with edge folded in place and just before you get to the end of the edge, fold the next edge over just as you pressed it and sew to the corner. This sounds a little confusing, so check the pictures if it doesn't make sense. To make a fancier mitered corner on your napkins, you will essentially single fold the edges according to your press marks, then fold the corner toward the center of the napkin with the outer edge of the fold stopping at the inner corner you pressed, and then fold the edges in. Again, check out the pictures to get a better idea.

A side note on the environmental impact of napkins. We were using basic paper napkins from Costco that biodegrade reasonably well, but are not made of recycled fibers and are bleached white. Using fabric napkins means no garbage, but does mean more laundry and the use of stain-fighters. Overall, it seems like the cost and "green-ness" of both napkins is about the same. If you have input or information on this, comment below, I would be interested to hear it.

I'm not as much a resolution setter as I am an implementer of new things--I find that if I don't take specific action, then I never make any progress. So I want to know, is there anything new you're trying this year?

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Technique of the Week: Great Bokeh with Christmas Lights

2012-12-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

Wait! Don't take down your Christmas tree yet! I know Christmas is over, but this is prime time for taking fun bokeh shots using the lights on your tree.

Not sure what bokeh is? Technically it's the area of the photo outside the point of focus but most of the time it refers to anything blurry in a photo. Around this time of year it frequently refers to the circles of light you get from twinkle lights in the background of your shot.

Interested? Let me give you a few basic tips before you grab your camera. (No DSLR? See below.)

1. Get out of automatic mode.

2. You need a large aperture to let in lots of light, so set your f-stop to the lowest number your lens allows. Ideally this in the 1.something range, but higher can still work well. Try aperture priority mode which will build the image exposure around your selected aperture.

3. You need a shallow depth-of-field. This means that you want there to be a large distance between the subject that you are focusing on and the light source behind it. Also, get your camera as close as possible to the subject.

4. Practice. Different things will work in different situations. Sometimes you might need to use manual focus. Sometimes you may need a light source in front of the subject (behind your camera, not the flash) to adequately light the subject and other times the light from the background may be enough. Conditions and lighting are different outside than inside and differ between night and day to interesting effect.

If you like the shaped-bokeh, like the stars and hearts that I have in a couple photos, it's possible with nothing more than black paper and a decorative punch. I did a tutorial almost a year ago on creating easy shaped-bokeh filters and I'll tell you, it's really easy, go here to learn how.

If you don't own a DSLR camera and still want to try this technique, it is still possible. You can achieve good bokeh effects with a point-and-shoot, especially if it has a manual mode. However, since I don't have any experience doing this, I'm going to send you to Robert Donovan's excellent tutorial on pocket camera bokeh.

Happy photographing and if you take some bokeh shots, I want to see them!

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Last-Minute Christmas Decor: Fabric Scrap Trees

2012-12-24T00:08:00.000-08:00

It's possible that you are sitting in front of your computer today reading this and thinking, "I'm ready for Christmas, but I would really like some more Christmas tree decorations to put out and it would be great to use up some fabric scraps while I'm at it." And if you are thinking just that, I'm here to help you. So get out your fabric scrap stash and some pinking shears and let's get started. (Like that "All is Calm" word art in the background? Find it here.)

You need:

foam cone(s)
plain head straight pins
pinking shears
fabric

1. Using the shears, cut the fabric into strips approximately 1 inch by 3 inches. How many you need depends on how close you place the loops, so cut a lot and if you have any leftover, just make another tree or two.

2. Start your first row at the bottom of the tree. Fold one fabric strip in half and pin the ends to the cone. Place the next loop slightly overlapping the first loop and in this way work your way around the cone and up to the top. That's it.

This is the perfect project to do while you watch an episode or two of your favorite show. And you really could do themed trees in this way by choosing fabrics that mirror the colors of your favorite team or holiday.

This is kind of unrelated, but I want to know nevertheless: what's your opinion, real Christmas tree, fake Christmas tree or no Christmas tree?

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Last-Minute Christmas Decor: Paper Covered Letters

2012-12-21T23:13:00.000-08:00

Do you find yourself, just days away from Christmas, wishing that you had more decorations? Probably not. But just in case, here is a quick and easy project that you can start and finish the same day. In fact, you could make these paper-covered letters and give them as gifts because you know that there's either (a) someone you might have forgotten or (b) someone who will give you something that you need an emergency reciprocal gift for.

Stop by the craft store and pick-up:

papier mache letters
spray paint
patterned/scrapbook paper
Mod Podge

1. Spray paint all sides of the letters. Allow to dry.

2. Place the letters face-down on the back side of the paper and trace around. Cut out the paper letters and lay on top of the letters to check for fit. It's very likely that you will need to trim 1/8 to 1/4 inch from the edge of the paper letters.

3. Brush and thin layer of Mod Podge onto the front side of each letter. Cover with the paper and smooth out all bubbles and wrinkles. Let dry for 5-10 minutes, then brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on top of the paper and slightly over onto the sides to keep the paper's edges down. Let dry completely, about 30 minutes.

Or, you could do an even easier version: wrap the letters using patterned paper (or wrapping paper) and double-stick tape. There are two ways to do this . . .

1. Cut a long strip of paper, one inch wider than the thickness of the letter. Center on the sides of the letters and secure with tape, easing around corners by cutting slits into each side of the paper. Trace the front and back of the letter and adhere with double-stick tape.

2. Trace the front and back of each letter on the patterned paper. Add a half-inch to each edge and cut out. Adhere to the right side of the letter and fold over the extra paper, easing around corners and rounded parts by making small cuts in the paper to the edge of the letter. Top the folded over paper with a strip of paper the exact width of the letter, taping in place.

See? Quick and easy. And festive. And totally adaptable to any other holiday or occasion.

Do you have favorite Christmas decoration you can't wait to get out every year?

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Fruity, Nutty Macaroons for the Blogger Cookie Swap

2012-12-11T22:57:00.000-08:00

If you're a food blogger, then you have probably seen the cookie swap logo posted around the blogosphere and you know where I'm headed with this. Otherwise, let me tell you about an event that's been taking place involving bloggers who like to ~~eat~~ bake cookies. The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap is pretty much a traditional holiday cookie swap, except it takes place online and through the mail. There are actual cookies exchanged (!) and instead of handing out photocopies of your recipe, all participants just post the recipes and scrumptious pictures on their blogs. Fun and easy.

This is the second year of the cookie swap and this year there were over 500 participants and the event raised funds to be donated to Cookies for Kids Cancer. OXO was nice enough to match the amount of money raised and send everyone participating a nifty "Good Cookie" cookie spatula (you can buy your own here and half the proceeds get donated as well).

Since we are now eating paleo, I selected some dietary restrictions when I signed-up and as there weren't that many other people signed-up with similar food restrictions, I got one match instead of three. I was matched with Jacqueline from The Dusty Baker and she mailed me the tastiest, crispiest, gluten- and dairy-free chocolate-dipped biscotti that we have all thoroughly enjoyed.

Apparently Jacqueline and I think alike, because I also made cookies that were dipped in chocolate--cranberry, pistachio, and coconut macaroons. These cookies are also gluten- and dairy-free and have a pretty short ingredient list (basically just coconut, egg whites and sugar). The only thing keeping these from being paleo is that I added refined sugar, which is pretty much a no-no. Why, oh why would I do something like that? I tried them with honey and they were good, but pretty crumbly (which means pretty much un-dippable) and I was hoping that Jacqueline's first thought when she opened the parcel would be something like "Ooh, those look yummy" instead of "What . . are those?"

It seems like pistachios and cranberries are now year-round food items, which makes me incredibly happy, but I still associate them primarily with Christmas. I thought they would add a nice crunch and tang to the sweetness of the coconut that would make them a little more festive and it worked perfectly. The recipe follows and you can click right on the recipe to print it.

What foods do you associate with the holidays? Are there particular cookies or other treats that you make each year?

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Zucchini Noodles and Something New

2012-12-10T17:06:00.001-08:00

I realized as I sat down to write this post about noodles that outside a recipe for a Thai noodle stir-fry, I have never done anything with pasta on this blog, which is kind of weird, as I love pasta. In fact, if it contains carbohydrates, I can pretty much guarantee that it's on my list of favorite foods and it's been this way as long as I can remember. But let me add this, my relationship with carbs is not really on the up-and-up, it's kind of seedy. (And at this point, I get rambly and personal, just an FYI.)

I read and keep up with the latest, so I'm aware, as are you, that refined food is not that good for you, that anything made with white flour is a poorer choice than, say, whole wheat flour. So over the years, I have cut back on white, processed carbs (baguettes, pasta, doughnuts and the lik), but I have still missed them and felt deprived. Which has led to either (1) indulging and feeling guilty the whole time or (2) over-indulging and feeling disgusting, literally (because my body would rather pass on the junk) and figuratively (because I know better). I have switched to whole wheat pastry flour for all my baking needs and but this doesn't really lessen the guilt and makes me feel more disgusting (because there is more fiber in whole grain, so the lump stays in your stomach longer). This is a problem.

I am going to interject here about my oldest boy, he is sweet and thoughtful and funny and for a week while I carried him, a little bun in my oven, I was furious at him. I didn't pass my three-hour blood glucose test and was faced with being forced off sugars of any kind for five whole months. I knew that he would never appreciate the sacrifice I was making for him and I resented him. A lot. (Crazy hormones!) But it was quit sugar or birth a seventeen pound baby, so I quit cold turkey and unbelievably, after just a week, I felt amazing and didn't even miss the sweets. I had no back pain or swelling or heartburn and weighed less when I delivered than before I got pregnant. Amazing, right? So then what did I do? I jumped right back on the sugar wagon. And felt sluggish and gross. Repeat that cycle once again, add a few more years and this is where I'm at a couple months ago.

The carb/sugar deprivation-indulgence cycle is just not enjoyable and if you're there, too, you know this. Combined with a desire for more energy and alertness (as I mom and frequent exerciser, an extra boost is always welcome) and an overall interest in being really healthy and setting a healthy example for the boys, the Mister and I embarked on something totally new.

We are now eating paleo.

Not familiar? Here's a quick run down: no grains, processed foods, vegetable oils, dairy, or legumes. Yes, it's extreme. No, it's really not that hard. A friend of mine says, to paraphrase, "if the food is in the form that God created it, then that's what you should eat" and that's really the whole idea: eating foods that help your body function best and still have their nutrients, and don't have a bunch of other stuff added to them. After about 6 weeks of eating this way, we both feel fantastic. I'm not starving between meals, or dragging in the afternoon, and I can focus better. I'm going to stop here because I've made this a little long, but will pick it back up later. If you want more information about paleo, check out the resources section of this fabulous and funny blog, Nom Nom Paleo.

Let's circle all the way back to the beginning and what we were talking about: noodles. In the new way I'm eating, traditional noodles are out, and I'm cool with that. But sometimes I just want the feeling of sitting with a too-full bowl of twirl-able pasta. Enter: zucchini. With a julienne blade on your mandoline (or a julienne peeler) you can slice and cook a bland squash into faux-pasta faster than boiling water for real pasta. I'll be honest: zucchini is not going to taste like pasta, no matter how fancy you cut it. However, it tastes better than just zucchini and feels like you're eating a bowl of noodles.

Here's the recipe and you can click to print, but I don't think you need to, it's pretty easy. If you Google "zucchini noodles" you can find tons of recipes, but this is inspired by the first recipe I read on The Clothes Make the Girl.

Have you ever tried something new that everyone else might think is totally crazy? What was the reaction from the people around you? Did you succeed?

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Craft Day: DIY Evergreen Wreaths

2012-11-29T22:29:00.000-08:00

Two of the things I most look forward to about the holiday season are decorating with evergreens and the smell that comes from decorating with evergreens. I usually just head down to Costco after Thanksgiving to pick up a decent-quality $15 wreath, but this year I didn't. This year I made my own.

When I was growing up my mom used to make a huge six-foot-across wreath out of branches and greens from the yard and hang it on the peak of our garage, complete with big red bow and lights. It took a lot of work, but looked really great (and was the snazziest decoration on the block, which is sometimes what it's all about, right?). All that to say, my mom knows what she's doing, so when she suggested a small wreath-making party a couple weeks ago, I was all in. Because here's the thing: making your own wreath is super easy. And cheap. And fun to do with other people. You just have to be willing to cut some branches down in your yard (or knock on your neighbor's door and ask for some of theirs).

Here are the things you need:

pruning shears
loppers (for serious branch cutting)
garden gloves
floral wire
wire wreath form
evergreen branches
ribbon, pinecones, floral picks

All told, the basic supplies should only cost about $5 because, ideally, your evergreen branches are free. If you're from around here, perfect--Washington is replete with evergreens and any trimming you do to get branches is probably necessary anyway. If you're not from around here, you might have to work a little harder or go outside your idea of what a typical wreath looks like.

When you set out to gather branches, get more than you think you'll need. Wreaths have a lot of greens compacted together, so you will use more than you expect. Don't be afraid to mix different greens--mine has fir, cedar, boxwood and laurel together. Using different shaped and textured leaves and branches adds depth makes a more interesting wreath.

1. Lay out your branches by type so you can see what you have, it's easier this way. Also, plan to work over a floor that you won't mind dropping lots leaves and branch bits on (like a garage or driveway).

2. Because branches grow wide and spacious, not close and compact, you can't just wire a branch onto the wreath form, even if it look like it would be perfect. Instead, use your pruners and clip off a few 5-6 inch sections of a branch you like, then stack them together to make a hand-sized clump.

3. Wrap the end of your floral wire around the clump four or five times, about an inch or two from the bottom, to make a small bouquet. Do not cut the wire. Now lay the clump on the wreath form, angling slightly to the outside, and wrap the still-attached wire around the clump and the wreath form four or five times.

4. Now you just keep repeating making clumps and attaching them to the wreath all the way around. To add other varieties of evergreens, try alternating clumps of different types of branches or just include different types in each clump. When you have finished, cut the end of the wire, then weave through the wires on the back of the form to secure.

5. When you have all the evergreens on, it's a good idea to hang up the wreath and see how it looks upright. Make any adjustments, then add embellishments--pine cones (wrap wire around the base and then attach to the form), bows (put wire through the bow and attach, or just tie the bow around the wreath), and floral picks (just shove right into the wreath, easy peasy).

A few extra pointers: make sure you overlap each new clump over the last clump so that none of the wreath form or floral wire shows. Keep an eye on the shape of the center and the outside edge to make sure that it's not so bushy that it no longer looks round. If you mess up, you can always go back and wire in another clump in a bald spot or give your wreath a haircut in a bushy spot. Or, add an embellishment over an ugly spot. No one will ever know.

Once you've finished, you'll be so amazed at how easy it was and you'll be totally thrilled that you made something so fantastic. And if you're fortunate like me, you'll also get to enjoy a yummy goat cheese snack that your really thoughtful friend brought over.

What about you, do you make holiday wreaths? Or purchase them? Or decorate purchased wreaths?

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Sausage Kale Soup, Revisted

2012-11-19T23:03:00.000-08:00

I originally posted this recipe last December and while I love the recipe, it has long bothered me that the pictures were so bad. I make the soup with some frequency and decided it was time to just take some better photos and re-post it. I had only been blogging for a month at that point, so there's a good chance you weren't reading back then and you haven't seen this recipe before.

This soup is based on Zuppa Toscano from the Olive Garden and if you spend any time online, I'm sure you've seen a recipe or two telling you how to make that delicious soup at home. I've had a few different "knock-off" versions and they get pretty close to the real thing, but I like my less-close version better. I know it sounds like I'm playing favorites, but it really is better. Really. (And I'm going to backpedal just a little by adding the disclaimer, "If you have the same kind of tastes as I do.")

My version is a little different and here's how: it's dairy-free and low-carb. I took out the cream and potatoes and replaced them with coconut milk and cauliflower, along with increasing the amount of sausage. Depending on the health guidelines you subscribe to, it's pretty healthy.

Want to print the recipe without getting the rest of this post along with it? Click here.

Have you ever made any restaurant-inspired "knock-off" food? Did it turn out? Would you rather eat what you made or what you got at the restaurant? If you could cook anything at home just as good as at your favorite restaurant, what would it be?

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Peanut Butter Double Chocolate Cookies

2012-11-14T08:13:00.002-08:00

It was just a matter of time until I made something like this. I mean, I've made no secret of my love of peanut butter and chocolate, and adding the cookie part is really a no-brainer. I based these cookies on a Nigella Lawson cook-along recipe and I'm sure it will come as no surprise that this cook-along took place in September. Yeah, I need to be better about that.

I know what most bloggers do (what I should do) is make something, then post about it. Then they make something else and post about it. What I have gotten in the habit of doing is making a bunch of things, then sitting on them for a while before posting. It's easy to get behind and while I find this problematic, have I done anything remedy my terrible planning? Nope.

Anyway, back to the cookies. They're good. No, they're better than that. They are so delicious and rich and chewy and gooey that you'll flip out. And I mean flip out in a good way. Like the kind of flipping out you would do if someone was selling the LEGO Death Star on Black Friday for $10 or if for one day only Williams-Sonoma became a dollar store or if the IRS gave out free cars for completing your tax return on time.

The cookies originally are a chocolate-mint confection and I made them that way and they were great--if you like mint and chocolate together, give them a try. I made a second batch and swapped the mint for the peanut butter and ended up with what you see here. If you have a chocolate peanut butter (like super-yummy Wild Squirrel Nut Butter) kicking around in your fridge, this would be a great place for it. That is, if the spoon can make it from the jar to the bowl without a detour to your mouth. (I'm not judging, I don't think I could do it.)

Want to print this recipe instead of writing it down? Click here.

So I'm asking for your help blogger friends, how do you stay on schedule with your posts? And to my non-blogger friends, what are your staying-on-schedule tricks for real life?

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Autumn Leaf Thankful Wreath

2012-11-08T22:29:00.000-08:00

I may have mentioned this before, or maybe not, but fall is absolutely, hands-down, without a doubt my favorite time of year. Around here fall means rain, and I'm sure you're thinking "when does the Pacific Northwest not mean rain?" but I'll have you know, we just came off a three month stretch of no rain, so it does get dry here. Sometimes. Anyway . . . rain. Fall also means cooking hearty soups and stews and bringing out the down vests and wool sweaters. I would add fleece to that list, but being that it's the PNW, we never actually put the fleece away.

Most of all, fall means leaves turning color and falling in big ~~crispy~~ soggy piles. We go on a fair number of walks and I love shuffling my feet down the sidewalk and kicking leaves out of the way. Down around the corner from our house is a row of these gorgeous maple trees and the biggest leaves fall. The boys generally stop their bikes there to sort through the masses to find the perfect leaf to carefully ride home with and . . . discard in the driveway. You probably thought we did something cool with the leaves; not so.

Now that we're in November, I'm still solidly rooted in "fall-mode", but my thoughts are moving toward Thanksgiving and thinking about gratitude. Something that's important to me and that I want to instill in the boys is an attitude of thankfulness and not just at this time of year, but at all times. God has blessed us so richly, given us so much and I'm not talking about possessions as much as the important things like relationships and health and security. I want to daily be aware and give thanks and I want that to be second nature to the boys as they grow up. As a Christian, I believe that God wants me to be thankful (1 Thessalonians 5:18), but Google "benefits of being thankful" and you'll see that having a thankful outlook isn't just a religious thing. Plenty of experts recognize that gratitude improves psychological, social, and physical well-being. So stop reading right now and make a list of ten things you're thankful for, it's good for you. Or keeping reading for a fresh idea incorporate being thankful with your fall/Thanksgiving decor.

I think you can figure out the project just from looking at the pictures, but for those of you (like me) who like supply lists and written directions, here you go:

straw wreath (with plastic wrap intact)
solid colored fabric
contrasting patterned fabric
straight pins (with flat, silver heads)
card stock in leaf colors
wide ribbon (for hanging)

1. Cut the fabric into 3-inch strips and use pinking shears if you are worried about or don't like the look of fraying edges.

2. Pin one end of a patterned fabric strip to the wreath and wrap around the wreath leaving some space between each wrap around. Continue to wrap and attach more strips with pins until you have gone around the whole wreath.

3. Now pin a solid colored fabric strip onto the wreath in an empty spot between the patterned fabric. Wrap the fabric around in the same way you wrapped the other strips until the wreath is filled in to your liking.

4. Wrap ribbon around the wreath and secure to the top of your door with a couple tacks or nails.

5. Cut out 2-3 inch leaves from the card stock. Score down the middle of the leaves and lightly fold to add some texture and interest. Write things you're thankful for on the leaves and use pins to attach to the wreath.

There are a couple of ways you can use this wreath . . .

Use this as a Thanksgiving dinner activity and have all your guests write on a couple of leaves, read them aloud throughout the dinner, then pin on the wreath.
Have a family night and let your kids write on the leaves (or draw pictures) and talk about what it means to be thankful.
Put the wreath up and ask any and all visitors to your home throughout the month to fill out a leaf to add to the wreath.

We are going to do the last one and there will probably be a lot of kids in and out of the house before the month is out, so I'm excited and interested to see what kind of things end up on the leaves.

So help me out friends and I'll add some leaves with your additions, what are you thankful for?

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Caramelized Apple Empanadas

2012-11-03T21:51:00.004-07:00

Nothing says "autumn" like apples and when you're making things with apples, what's better than apple pie? Not much. And while I love a slice of warm, caramelized apples in flaky crust, maybe with a dollop of whipped cream on top, pie that way isn't very portable. Enter the empanada (which is pretty much a more exotic way of saying "hand pie").

Let me tell you straight away, making empanadas is going to take more time than baking one big pie. There's no getting around it. BUT, making empanadas isn't hard, so just set aside a little time and turn on your favorite Tito Puente album. Wait, what? You don't have a favorite Tito Puente album? How can that be? You should give Goza mi Timbal a listen. But I digress.

If you're not interested in taking the time to make the pies, and I understand, sometimes it's just not convenient, you can easily find hand-pie making gadgets that will do the work for you. Try this one from Breville that has tons of good reviews at Williams-Sonoma. Regardless, making the filling is absolutely worth the time, it is sooooo delicious.

The recipe is adapted from one in the fab cookbook Fiesta at Rick's and you can find my recipe below, print it by clicking here, or go see Craftbaby blog post it was featured on a couple weeks ago (and learn some fun facts about me).

empanadas with caramelized apples

Makes: two dozen Total Time: two hours

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry dough:

3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (plus extra for rolling)

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

1/2 cup (4 oz.) vegetable shortening, chilled

1/2 cup ice water

For the filling:

4 large Golden Delicious or Honeycrisp Apples

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 egg

PREPARATION

1. Make the dough. Place flour, sugar, salt, butter and shortening in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 5-6 times until small crumbs form. Pour 1/4 cup of the water into the flour mixture and pulse 4-5 times until the mixture starts to clump. Add the remaining water and pulse again until the dough forms one large ball. If this does not happen after 5-6 pulses, add a tablespoon of water and pulse until the dough forms. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

2. Make the filling. Peel and core the apples, then cut in 1/2 inch pieces. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and once the foaming stops, add the apples and sugar. Stir the apples gently until they release their juice and caramelize. This is going to take somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 minutes. Once the apples are done, remove from heat.

3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove one ball of dough from the refrigerator and place on a floured piece of parchment. Flatten the ball and sprinkle with flour and top with another piece of parchment. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. You want to be able to get twelve 3 1/2-inch rounds out of the dough, so roll it about that big.

4. Cut rounds out of the dough. If you don’t have a 3 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, look for a drinking cup that big. Cut out as many rounds as you can from the first roll of dough. You can reroll the dough one more time to get a couple more rounds, but rerolling after that will result in tough and flake-less pastry.

5. Pick up one round of dough, moisten the edges with a finger dipped in water and place a tablespoon of apple filling in the middle of the round and fold the dough over and pinch the edges together. Place the empanada on a parchment-lined baking tray and repeat with the remaining dough rounds.

6. Crimp the edges of each empanada with the tines of a fork, and then prick the tops for steam to escape. Brush the tops with an egg wash made from one egg beaten with a tablespoon of water.

7. Bake for 20 minutes until the edges are browned. Serve the empanadas while warm or within a couple hours of baking.

So when fall rolls around, what kind of food do you start craving? Pumpkin or apple? Soups or stews?

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Technique of the Week: Frameless Balloon Arch

2012-10-31T15:02:00.000-07:00

When I throw a party, I like to have balloons outside to so people know where they're going and to get the fun started in the driveway. We threw a party for the boys recently and I figured I would try something new and a little more impressive for a change. Also, it was rainy and windy and free-floating balloons on ribbons seemed like a terrible idea.

Most balloon arches are built around a frame of some sort, but this method uses no frame, only balloons, so it's cheap and way easier. Let me just add this piece of advice before I start with the instructions--use a pump. Don't try to inflate these balloons with your lungs, just don't. Please don't. That only leads to a throbbing headache on a fainting couch and while lounging on a fainting couch might seem great, you could really do without the headache. And it probably goes without saying, but you should do this project in the place you plan to have the arch, it's inconvenient to transport stacks of balloons.

You need to have on hand:

hand or foot pump
100 or so standard size balloons
20 or so long balloons (balloon animal size)

1. Clean your floor of dirt and hair or put down a large sheet to put balloons on. Inflate balloons, 16 or 20 at a time.

2. Take two balloons and tie the ends together in a square knot. This is called a doublet.

3. Take two doublets and join them together by twisting the middle knots around each other a couple times. This is called a quad.

4. Once you have a number of quads, you can assemble a section of the arch. Take one of your long balloons and tie one end of it around the middle knots of the quad. Hold the long end of the long balloon in one hand so it doesn't get lost and place another quad on top of the bottom quad, slightly shifted so the balloons naturally stack together. Pull the long balloon tight in the center of the top quad and weave it over the top of the balloon to the right, under the balloon next to it, over the balloon next to it, and under the final balloon in what is basically a figure-eight pattern. Continue stacking and wrapping quads until you have a completed section. You can just let go of the remaining long balloon tail and it will stay just fine.

5. Keep building sections of quads until you have enough to build the size of arch you want.

6. Now assemble the final arch. The long balloon tails are probably too short to be that useful, so just tie on a new long balloon to the middle of the top quad and go from there. Attach the balloon stacks together in the same way that you built them until you have the shape and size you want.

7. To anchor your arch, tie each bottom to something heavy with a long balloon--I used some dumbbells I had laying around. To keep the arch from flopping over, use more long balloons to go around the centers of the stacks and tie to anchor points.

Once you get started you'll get the hang of tying the balloons together and stacking them together pretty quickly and it should go pretty quickly. For the "installation" you'll probably need a step stool and an extra hand or two, so plan ahead for that part.

Do you have any party standbys that you rely on for easy and fun entertaining?

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(Spooooky) Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

2012-10-27T23:08:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I have mentioned it before or not, but I really, really like cheesecake. Sometimes I make baby muffin-size cakes and sometimes I make big cakes with cookie crusts, but it doesn't really matter to me what size it comes in, just as long as I get some of that sweet, creamy, tangy goodness. And if I can get some of that sweet, creamy, tangy goodness involved with peanut butter and maybe some dark chocolate, there's just nothing better.

It will come as no surprise to you, then, that I think the best candy you can score when trick-or-treating is a Reese's peanut butter cup. Halloween always makes me think of the commercials where vampire bite marks appear on the peanut butter cup and the peanut butter gets sucked out. If there was a way to do that, I totally would. And then eat the hollow chocolate shell. That said, I am not planning to eat any Halloween candy this year. I didn't eat any last year and I'm determined to do it again. So, in retrospect, buying Reese's to hand out to trick-or-treaters may not have been the best idea.

But cheesecake is not Halloween candy, so that's how I'm getting my peanut butter cup fix this October. (And yeah, I realize this defeats the purpose of not eating the candy.)

The instructions for making this luscious cheesecake follow and it's a long list, but don't be intimidated, it's totally doable. If you would rather, click here to print the recipe.

peanut butter cup cheesecake

Makes: one 9-inch cheesecake Total Time: about 3 hours (15 minutes active)

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds full-fat cream cheese (4 blocks), room temperature

1 1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided

3 tablespoons Dutched cocoa powder

4 tablespoons corn starch, divided

2 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, divided

3/4 cup chocolate chips

3/4 teaspoon instant espresso

1/2 cup peanut butter (natural, unsweetened is what I used)

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup chocolate chips for decoration (optional)

For the chocolate shortbread crust:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

Pinch kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup chocolate chips

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and then line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. The best way to do this is tear off a large square of parchment, set it over your pan and use your palm to push it straight down into the pan. Use your fingers to push it into the bottom edge of the pan and smooth the side pleats flat. Tuck the overhang into the curled top edge of the pan and this will hold it reasonably well. Next tear off four long sheets of foil (about twice the width of the foil). Stack two sheets together and fold the long edge over 1/2 inch a couple times. Open the foil and you should have a large square. Repeat with the other two sheets and stack the two squares on top of each other, with the seams going perpendicular to each other, and place the pan in the middle of the foil. Starting at one corner, fold and pleat the foil tightly up around the pan.

2. Make the crust. In one small bowl, add the 1/4 cup chocolate chips and microwave one minute or more until mostly melted. Stir with a fork until no lumps remain. Set aside to cool. In another small bowl, mix together flour and salt.

3. Place the butter and sugar for the crust in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix, then add the melted chocolate and mix that. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until a dough forms.

4. Turn out the dough into the pan and spread evenly on the bottom of the pan. The dough is quite sticky, so an easy way to do this is cover the dough surface with plastic wrap and push on the plastic until the dough is spread, then peel off the plastic and discard.

5. Bake the crust for 15 minutes, and then remove the whole pan to a cooling rack. While the crust bakes, make the batter.

6. In a large bowl, add 1/3 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons corn starch and mix until combined. Add one block of cream cheese and mix with an electric mixer until the sugar mixture is fully combined with the cream cheese—it will form small pebble-sized pieces first, then one smooth mixture.

7. Add the remaining cream cheese and mix until fully incorporated.

8. Place chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl and microwave in 45-second increments until slightly melted. Meanwhile, measure heavy cream into a small bowl and add instant espresso and let it sit. Stir chocolate chips with a fork until no lumps remain.

9. Scrape melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture along with remaining sugar and vanilla. Mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once. Add two eggs, mixing thoroughly between each addition and scraping down the bowl again.

10. Pour the cream-espresso mixture into the cheesecake batter and mix only until incorporated, do not over mix.

11. Pour the batter into the pan on top of the crust and smooth the top. Now repeat steps, adding peanut butter instead of chocolate and not adding espresso to the cream. Pour this batter on top of the chocolate batter and smooth the top.

12. If decorating, melt chocolate chips in the microwave and stir until smooth. Open a freezer-weight zip-top bag and place it with one corner down into a drinking glass, folding the edge of the bag over the edge of the cup. Scrape the melted chocolate into the bag and seal the bag, squeezing out the extra air, remove it from the cup, and cut 1/4 inch off the corner. Pipe hexagons in decreasing size, starting on the outside edge and working your way to the middle—try to get at least five. With a knife, start in the middle of the cake and draw it to the outside going through the same point in each hexagon to make the spokes of the web. Use extra chocolate and sprinkles to make a spider on parchment to add to the cheesecake once it has cooled.

13. Place a roasting pan in the oven and set the cheesecake in the pan, then fill the roasting pan with very hot water half-way up the side of the springform pan to make a water bath.

14. Bake the cheesecake for exactly 75 minutes and then remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan and place on a cooling rack. Let the cheesecakes cool to room temperature for two hours, add the chocolate spider and then refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

What's your favorite candy to get trick-or-treating? If you have kids, do you enact a "Parent Candy Tax" with their knowledge, or do you wait until they go to bed to pick out your favorites?

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