cozy little life

From the Cookbook Cupboard: Whole Foods Kitchen and World-of-the-East

2010-05-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

Featuring

Tomato and Lentil Dahl with Toasted Almonds

from Whole Foods Kitchen

with

Naan

from Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking

My husband prepared the dahl, I made the naan. On one half of the kitchen, he chopped away at the onion and garlic, measured out spices and lentils and other such things, while on the other I kneaded and floured and rolled dough. His pot simmered on the left front burner while my skillet griddled on the right. A perfect pair, we are. Oh and the same goes for the naan/dahl combo.

After sitting down to our bounty, my first words, spoon in mouth, were something like, "Omm, yeahmm." More eloquently stated, a second later, "That's good." I then tore off a hunk of naan and dipped into the bowl, ate that, and said, "Nice," or something to that effect. So yeah, they were good! If only we hadn't feasted earlier on all-we-could-eat vegan breakfast nachos, to our great discomfort. Thus we could only eat one bowl each of the dahl. Pity. But we enjoyed the leftovers for lunch today and I say, it was still a delight.

As far as the recipes were concerned... of preparing the dahl, he said, it was ridiculously easy. Making the naan, on the other hand, got a bit sticky (literally). The recipe states to add yogurt (of a nondescript amount) to the flour mixture slowly until everything is incorporated. I plopped some soy yogurt, about a 1/2 cup, into the bowl of flour, squished it around with my hands and thought, this is going to be a pain. The parts that had yogurt in 'em were clumpy, the other parts were just loose flour. No amount of squishing really got them to become one mass. So I proceeded to add more yogurt, and just as I was tilting the yogurt container towards the bowl, letting the stuff ooze out, the whole lot of it plopped out. Huh, that may be too much, I said to myself. A quart of yogurt, I think it was. You know, the big container. Anyhow, I squished it, and realized, it was really really sticky. So I sprinkled more flour. And some more. All in all, after the kneading and rolling on a floured surface and the whole process, I think I had to add about 2 more cups of flour. And I didn't think to add more baking powder. In the end, the taste and texture of the finished naan were great, but it didn't have that light airiness that naan tends to have. Erm, my fault. But whatever. It was still yummy.

What a gorgeous couple, eh?

"So what are you doing with your hair these days?"...part 1

2010-05-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

...a diary about my foray into an alternative method of hair washing using baking soda and apple cider vinegar

Day -2

Washed my hair using my usual natural/organic shampoo followed with conditioner. Post-shower, patted with a towel, applied an organic no-frizz oil to the ends, and did a short blow-dry of my bangs. Typical morning routine.

Day -1

I didn't shower today and thusly didn't wash my hair. In a word: Yuck. It equated to greasy, stringy, good-for-nothing hair. Thought, this is for the birds. Wore a beanie all day to hide the hideousness. Decided, tomorrow I'm going to try that baking soda/apple cider vinegar thing I've read about. Coincidentally, a lot of people in the blogosphere are giving it a go lately and calling it the "no poo" method. Note: My husband abhors the term, and therefore I'm not allowed to repeat it ever again. No really, he got all worked up over it. I also can't say, "I'm not using shampoo anymore." Because to him that implies lax grooming habits. I'm instead using an "alternative method of washing my hair," or something to that affect. Sheesh.

Day 1

First attempt at alternative hair washing with baking soda and apple-cider vinegar. Pre-shower, prepared the stuffs: in separate containers, dissolved 1 tbsp.baking soda in 1 cup warm water, mixed 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar in 1 cup warm water. In the shower I wet my hair thoroughly, poured the baking soda mixture slowly over my whole head and sort-of rubbed it around my scalp. Then rinsed with water. Thought, my hair has that squeaky clean feeling. That's not normal. And I wasn't too sure I liked that. Then I poured the vinegar mixture over my whole head, rubbed a bit, and rinsed with water. The hair felt less squeaky. Better. Finished the rest of my usual body cleansing routine. For any interested parties - you know, if anyone just wants to be more like me, which I warmly welcome and condone - I like to lather/wash with Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap, the Unscented Baby Mild formula, that I've added some essential oils to. Favorite oils include: Lavender, Bergamot, or Sweet Orange. Erm, anyhow... post-shower, I patted dry with a towel, didn't blow-dry my bangs or any hairs, and applied a little no-frizz oil to the ends. A couple hours later, after my hair air-dried, I noticed it felt pleasantly soft. So nice.

[Wait, hold up a minute...why are you doing this, you ask? In brief, I say, check out Babyslime's Info: Shampoo Free. There's good stuff there.]

Week 3 of My One Small Change For May: More Bagels!

2010-05-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

I will save the world with bagels, I tell ya! A plain bagel here, a cheesy bagel there, and it all adds up! Peace will be born in the bagel! Well, maybe not, in point of fact...but I've been having fun making them and eating them, and that's gotta count for something!

If you've been in the know, you're aware that I've been participating in the One Small Change movement begun by Hip Mountain Mama's blog. I have been following along and hearing about other's changes every step of the way, and I am so excited to be a part of such a large-scale (in terms of overall impact) movement that starts with such small-scale changes in our everyday lives. I gather so much motivation from others like me who want to make a difference but can only do so much in their own lives - but isn't that all it takes? I'm not the only one who cares about the impacts on my environment, on my neighbors, on my family, and on my own body... that makes me feel like we're not all terribly doomed.

A recap of some of the changes I've made this year (some I've shared with the community and some I haven't):

*I've stopped using plastic produce/bulk item bags and instead use ripstop nylon bags hand-made in Eugene, OR (so they're local, too!)

*I've been hanging our laundry to dry on a clothes line I installed in our basement

*My husband and I are toilet-training our kitty (yes, training her to use the actual toilet as opposed to a litter box) to eliminate the need for litter (currently, we use eco-friendly litter, made of corn, wheat, or newspaper)

*We've made a commitment to support local alternative energy sources by signing up with our energy supplier to include the price of clean wind/green energy offsets on our monthly bill.

I'm currently in the process of May's small change: making oft-used bread-goods at home rather than buying them at the store (bagels and flat-bread, thus far). I'm pleased with the outcome.

This is my second batch of bagels for the month of May. This time, I used the same basic dough recipe but I made a few tiny adjustments. I substituted about 1/4 cup of millet flour (because that's all I had on hand) for some of the whole wheat flour, added 1 teaspoon of vital wheat gluten, used honey instead of sugar, added about 3 tablespoons of pesto to the dough, and omitted the oil because the pesto was pretty oily on its own. The pesto added a nice, subtle dimension. Yummy. Yet still not flavorful enough for my refined taste buds. It may be the flour that's the problem. I'm interested in trying a dough with less whole-wheat flour, perhaps half and half - I feel like no matter what flavors I add or toppings I use in a predominantly whole wheat dough, that wheaty taste is going to stand out. But right now I have to use up what I have (two huge jars of the stuff) before I can justify getting some lighter flour.

My bagel-forming technique has improved, but as you can see, there are some cracks in the bagels where seams opened up during the boiling process. No worries, though.

They were well-liked this morning for breakfast with some vegan cream-cheese. On the side, we had a few dollops of plain soy yogurt with warm gooey apricots (dried fruit, soaked overnight in the fridge, then boiled down until the liquid is a little syrupy). Mmmmmm, breakfast.

My overall thoughts on the process of making bread-goods:

*It saves money, though I'm not sure how much. I'm going to guess a couple dollars, no more. But two dollars per week is nothing to balk at.

*For every batch, I avoid purchasing a product that comes enclosed in an earth-hating plastic bag.

*It's been fun expanding my cooking repertoire, and it gives me confidence that I can make other awesome foods that I've taken-for granted as being difficult or tedious.

*I love knowing exactly what goes into the food my family consumes. I can make healthy choices and trust that the ingredients are fresh.

Gripes:

Just one -

*I'm still figuring out how to best manage my time when it comes to yeast-rising, letting dough stand, getting chores done around a recipe schedule, etc. Bagels and flat-bread are easy and take no more than two hours out of my day, but when the time is broken up between several rest-periods, I feel like I can't really get much done in the intervals. I think I just need to plan things out a little better - i.e. have a basket of laundry ready to be thrown into the wash on the first rise, then hung up to dry on the second, etc. I feel like I'll be more efficient this way. I just need a bit more practice and tweaking.

If you ask me right now, I'm thinking I can keep this up. After May, perhaps I'll slacken the schedule to every other week. Then we'll be able to enjoy bagels every other day. That will be the good life. *Sigh*

I'll be one of those people!

2010-05-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

A breakfast I could get used to! A homemade bagel, pre-toasting, pre-butter and pre-nutritional yeast

I've always swooned over the idea of baking bread, and have heard from many regular bread-bakers that it becomes a very meditative, mindful task when they get into the rhythm of doing it each week. I want that. I also want the yummy bread goodness in my belly. I guess I've been missing out. Never baked a simple crusty loaf. I have however managed moist, chocolatey banana bread (once), and whipped up a few batches (maybe just two) of homemade hamburger buns when we were going gluten free for a while. But the baking bug never caught. Now, I think I'm ready.

My One Small Change for the month of May is to try cutting back on store-bought bread goods and, instead, make them at home from scratch. I've psyched myself up to prepare one bread-y item that we would normally buy at a grocery store per week, hopefully making enough to freeze some. My intention in doing this is to reduce packaging waste, but also to save a few dollars, and perhaps the thing that makes it really worth-while is the thought of connecting more with my food and providing even more delicious, made-with-love nourishment for my family. Thus far in my bread challenge, I've tried my hand at making bagels and flatbread (Greek gyro style), with pleasing results.

Bagel in the toaster oven.

Last week we had bagels: The recipe I used came from this site and was easy to follow and execute. It made about a dozen (I'm just eating the second to last of this batch for my breakfast, yum). I used whole wheat bread flour, without any topping (well, not true, on a few I sprinkled some shredded cheddar I had leftover from another recipe...but it was very minimal). It made dense, hearty-tasting bagels. I realize now they may have been dense due to my yeast not activating enough. Next time, we'll see if there's a difference, now that I know. I mixed in a little bit of garlic powder and onion flakes to the flour while preparing the dough, but I couldn't taste them in the bagels. No biggie. My husband and I both liked them. Next time I think I'll add fresh garlic with some sautéed onion, perhaps with some poppy seeds as well. Ooh, and my favorite type of bagel to buy from cafes or the store is cheddar jalapeño... I'm curious how a whole-wheat cheddar jalapeño bagel would taste! We'll find out soon!

Here's a picture I snapped before promptly folding the thing up, shoving it in my mouth, and moaning with delight. Not the best shot, but no other photos were taken. The evidence has been destroyed.

Last night I made flat-bread for gyros ("the best I've ever had," said my husband!). I started with dough from this one recipe (the by-hand version, at the bottom) that called for baking the flat bread, but thought they might turn out too puffy and therefore incapable of easy folding, judging from the pictures. So I looked at a few other recipes that required grilling instead of baking and decided that would be a better method of cooking. Following the recipe up until step 2, I divided the dough into balls and let them rise 10 minutes more, then rolled them into rounds and immediately grilled them one by one on a pre-heated cast iron skillet at medium-high heat. I set them on a plate covered with a clean dish towel to keep them warm while I finished the rest of the fixings. Verdict: Perfection! They were very pliable and soft, just a little chewy, but still firm enough to hold a boat-load of fillings. No complaints at all with this dough recipe! I'll be making it again, most definitely.

For the gyro filling, I spread a thin layer of tzatziki on the flat-bread, piled on sautéed mushrooms with onion and zucchini, veggie chikn' fingers cut into thin strips, chopped cucumber, shredded romaine, and then sprinkled a bit of feta and grated cheddar over the top. I have to say that this meal was awesome! We each finished off two gyros, which is kind of a lot... we're pigs, yes.

I found the tzatziki recipe here and it was super easy. I substituted with soy yogurt because we're cutting back on dairy (ignore the fact that we found it acceptable to have two types of cheese in the gyros, but no cow's milk yogurt). And I cut corners by not draining the yogurt overnight - pure laziness, that's all I can say. It wasn't too runny, as the recipe warned it would be. I also used three cloves of garlic instead of one - the result was tremendously garlicky...perhaps too much so! I woke up with garlic breath this morning, that's how garlicky it was. I'd say two cloves would be plenty for my taste buds, and one clove sufficient, but you can adjust to your own liking, of course.

My next attempt may be at crackers. I like crackers. My husband likes crackers. Together, we enjoy crackers. Home-made crackers would rock.

Oh!!! Or cinnamon swirl bread in the style of Dave's delicious creation! Yeahhhh.

Mmmmmmm. Bread stuffs.

On second glance...

2010-05-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

Here's what I saw yesterday in Apartment Eye-Spy:

Easy, you say? I can't stump you.

Ok, so humor the rest of us, let's see what I spied... ~

A tarnished and worn brass box keeps foreign coins and cheap pendants picked up over the years...rubbing them gently between my fingers is so pleasing, so very tactile.

A hand-blown candle holder has become a vase for a pothos cutting. I love the tiny imperfections in the surface of the glass, to me they are just perfection.

A simple, unassuming jar of incense. Incense is lit almost daily in our home, and the smells immediately take me away to a calmer place, a more meditative state of mind. More connected with the earth and with my creation.

Thanks for playing along and for visiting!

Take care.

It's the simple things... : An Apartment Eye-Spy

2010-05-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

True, happiness can't come from found objects, man-made things, stuff.

Still, sometimes the littlest trifles of things

- tarnished trinkets or treasure -

- the texture of old glass -

- smells of faraway places that may linger in an object -

make me smile.

And that's reason enough to keep them around.

A game of Eye-Spy reminds me that they're there...

Here's what I spy with my little eye...

At first, just a peek!

Come back tomorrow to take a step back, get a better look, and find out what it is I spy!

Bergamot Tea Cakes

2010-05-04T06:35:00.000-07:00

This Sunday afternoon I was craving something cakey but not, familiar but wholly different, soothing while at the same time uplifting, sweet but subtly so. I am in no way a baker, but have occasionally dabbled in what I call 'adventure baking' (what bakers would just call 'baking' I suppose). By 'adventure' I mean make it up as you go, hope the result won't be disastrous, but enjoy the process nonetheless. It turned out the result was, by unanimous vote (well, all of two voters), a yummy success!

Bergamot Tea Cakes

1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon glutenous rice flour

1/2 stick of softened butter

a pinch of salt

3 large eggs

1/4 cup of warm water

10 drops bergamot essential oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. With a whisk, mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls. Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients to make a thick batter. Small chunks of butter left in the batter are fine. Spoon batter into a lightly greased muffin tin or non-greased silicone muffin mold.
Sprinkle tops with a pinch of sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick in center comes out clean. Break one apart, serve with a cup of tea, milk, or on its own, and go 'mmmm.'

Makes 6-8 tea cakes.

The Cookbook Cupboard: Veganomicon

2010-05-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

This is a new, potentially permanent, 'thing' I'd like to share with you when you visit Cozy Little Life - an occasional recipe review from my favorites in my own kitchen's cookbook cupboard. I don't cook from recipes often, in fact it's really rare, maybe four times a year...but my husband likes to use recipes when he cooks now and then, and I like to eat the things he makes me. I've also been getting into a rut lately, a funk of sorts, and have been needing some new motivations to get me excited about cooking. I love trying new dishes, but sometimes I can get so controlling (or is it lazy) when it comes to using a recipe, that I end up substituting like crazy, ignoring steps, and turning a dish into my own creation, and it's not always an improvement on the original. So committing myself to trying out recipes in their original form with whole-hearted conviction will be a great exercise for me and my taste-buds!

Featuring

Baja-Style Grilled Tempeh Tacos

from

VEGANOMICON: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook,

by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero,

Da Capo Press & Lifelong Books

The first recipe review I'd like to share (hopefully not the last) is for Baja-Style Grilled Tempeh Tacos. Yesterday was a hard day for me - I had a combination case of the deep blues and the 'mean reds' - so to help me out and cheer me up, my fantastic husband cooked dinner for me, using our Veganomicon which he bought for me this past Christmas.

These tacos were just perfect - light, refreshing, fresh-tasting, healthy, tangy, yummy, oh so good... The recipe didn't seem difficult, and a lot of the cooking time involves marinating. You can prepare most of it ahead of time. They went great with a light Mexican beer (in fact, the marinade is a spiced up beer-base) and would be perfect eaten on a warm summer evening. Though we were stuffed, just the two of us having eaten the suggested 4 to 6 servings (do we just eat a lot, or what's the deal?), we didn't feel gross afterward. The recipe made 8 tacos for us.

C'es La Vegan tried this recipe and gave it a rave review, as well. I love her photo. Her taco is topped with avocado, something I really wanted to try, but they were too pricey.

If you're interested in giving this recipe a try, I recommend that you pick up a copy of Veganomicon - this cookbook has so many tasty-sounding dishes, some that we have tried and I'll soon blog about, some that I look forward to testing out in the future - I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Here Comes the Sun

2010-04-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

My husband and I took a trip to visit my family in Tucson, AZ the first week of April. The last time I saw them all was Christmas in 2007, and that was also the first time I introduced them to Austin, who at the time was my soon-to-be fiancé. It was a short visit then of just a few days, and this time around, the trip was only five days long, so there was a lot of catching up, hanging out, and showing Austin the sights of the desert.

Having grown up in the desert, I've gotten rather jaded about all that dry, dusty brown-ness and the hot, searing sunshine...but several years away and lots of time spent in the damp, gray northwest has helped me to appreciate it and given me a new perspective on it all.

Here are a few photos I wanted to share from when my dad took us to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum:

Bright and Early: Apartment Eye-Spy

2010-04-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Welcome welcome, come on in. Glad you stopped by! Oh I see you have your cup of tea [coffee, smoothie, juice, water] in hand. I think I'll join you...just one moment while I put on the pot...
Ah, that's better. Sigh.

So you were curious about my Eye-Spy, eh? Well, go on, take another quick look-see.

Here's what I saw yesterday in Apartment Eye-Spy:

...

Here's a tiny hint: you've actually seen all of these things before.

Guessed, yet? Still stumped, perhaps? Ok, now step back with me, have a better look, and find out...

Remember this picture?
(Please forgive the recycled images)
Check out that headboard...

Yep, that's it! That's the first thing I spied yesterday - our home-made headboard.

I bought a long bamboo shade at a yard-sale a year or so back - some of the slats were broken and the thin string weaving it together had come very loose in many places. I discarded the broken bits, lovingly hand-weaved it back to life, all in the name of craft, then cut it up into shorter pieces to use for various projects. This was one of them (and here's another one). It's just nailed to the wall in its four corners. As our bed [mattress] doesn't have a frame and is just sitting directly on the hardwood floor, it needed a little something to 'anchor' it into the space and make it feel less like we were temporarily camping out in our bedroom.

Someday soon, when we upgrade our family bed to a King-size from this Full, the makeshift head-board won't fit anymore, and will be transformed to something new. Who knows what it will be used for then?

Ok, recall this photo?

Look in the corner...that star garland!

Though it's gathered much dust over the years, and has been chewed on by Yuki Baby when she's felt mischievous, I'm not ready to take down this hand-made string of stars that I bought while in college at a fair-trade world-crafts shop. It's been with me through many moves and many life changes: living in dorm rooms while I was a socialite sorority girl (a strange, out of place period in my life, to say the least); student apartments when I was an angsty, introverted writer/artist; a post-college party house when I was a risk-taker and wild-child; and currently in my sweet, blissful, sanctuary, first family home with my Love Austin.

Ok, now the last thing I spied can be seen, in a different light and in a different way, in one of the other photos of this post. Let's 'draw open the curtains' so to speak and shed some more light on it...oops, the answer slipped out.

Curtains!

Here's an old, dark photo of the bedroom, featuring the sheer curtains. We've changed things about a bit since then, but as it's a gray day today, hubby's sleeping in, and this place is currently needing a tidy-up, I think this photo will have to suffice. I just love these curtains. They're cheaply made, from a 'big-box' store, and in need of a little hemming so they won't sweep along the floor as much, but they came at a great price to fit the budget and from afar they're simply dreamy and wispy! They're too sheer for us to open the blinds and let more light in, as we have no privacy from that window, but we don't hang out in the bedroom anyhow, so it works out.

...

Thanks for visiting with me, I enjoyed the good company and conversation! It was nice sharing my home with you! Have a great weekend!

On the Surface of Things: An Apartment Eye-Spy

2010-04-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

Care to guess what it is that my little eye does spy?

...

Come by tomorrow to take a step back, get a better look, and find out what I spied!

Clean Energy, Happy Earth

2010-04-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend I put up a clothes-line in our basement. And I'm really surprised I haven't done this before. For some reason, I always had this slight doubt that clothes would actually dry naturally in a damp climate, even though I've seen it happen and have practiced line-drying when on vacation in other wet environments such as southern Ireland. Overnight is all it takes. Well, three laundry loads later, I'm a total clothes-line convert. There's something so enjoyable, so mindful and connected, about hanging up the clothes. I already have an obsession with clothes-pins: they're this house-wife's version of duct-tape, a universally useful tool. Finally, I'm using them for they're intended purpose!

And on a similar note, today I signed us up with our local power supplier to purchase Clean Wind each month to offset our energy usage. One unit = 200 kilowatt hours (kWh) of new wind generation in the NW. 200 kWh is actually more than our average monthly usage, so I feel pretty darn good about this. We already purchase Green Source in addition to our basic service rates - "Under this option, 100 percent of your electricity use is offset with renewable energy. In 2009, the mix for this product came from approximately 82 percent new wind, 11 percent new biomass (wood waste) and 7 percent new geothermal energy." I'm so stoked to contribute my share (a few dollars, at that)!

I guess you could call this my "One Small Change" for April, even though I haven't kept up each month since January. It's the least I can do for my lovely planet, just in time for Earth Day!

Recipe for Comfort: Lentil Love Bowls (And The Story Behind Them)

2010-03-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Feel free to skip ahead to the recipe at the end, or read the whole story and also get some ideas on substitutions.

I've been making this dish, in some variation, for years. It was less of a recipe and more of an intuition (as most of my cooking always has been). It came to be while I was living alone in student apartments during college. I was on a tight food budget, still figuring out how to eat well as a vegetarian, and experimenting with cooking large quantities of single dishes, made of the nourishing ingredients I knew and loved (and could afford) so I could simply re-heat and go. Lentils and oats were cheap and hearty, so I ate a lot of oatmeal and a lot of Lentil Love Bowls that year! And something to note: one of the reasons oats and lentils are so comforting, besides the fact that they leave you with a warm, full belly, is that they both contain great amounts of mood-boosting B vitamins, including Folate, which can reduce symptoms of depression. (*Love bowls do not contain oats, only lentils).

I can't recall the first time I made it, but I do recall how it inspired endless mouthgasmic "ohhhhhs" and "mmmms," so I made it over and over and really could never tire of it. In the biggest pot I had, I threw in some of this, some of that, lots of curry powder, lots of marjoram, and let it simmer on the stove. Unbeknown to me, a friend of mine, David, who lived just across the hall, had been cooking a similar dish to the Love Bowl. One day delicious smells were wafting over from his place, through my door, and I received an instant message (oh recall the days of AIM) from him stating he had made far too much food for one human being to consume in a week. He invited me to help him devour it. It was amazing! Almost the exact dish, but his was made with the addition of tofu and a different curry powder. It must have been divine providence - this recipe was meant to be, meant to be loved, meant to be shared. I soon added tofu to my own version, and that's how the Love Bowl began!

The Lentil Love Bowl is so versatile, it's almost an 'un-recipe.' Post-college, I came to know the full versatility of it when I moved into a house with three guys, and the Love Bowl became a daily dish (consumed literally every single day of the week). One house-mate, Luke, would bring home boxes of slightly wilted veggies he had picked up for free behind New Seasons Market or at Food Not Bombs, and everything would go in the slow-cooker to be made into Love Bowls. His favorite and most oft-added ingredients were kale and root-veggies. At the same time, I was obsessed with the burrito as a food form, so day-old (or four-day-old) Love Bowls were spooned into tortillas, topped with jalapeños, wrapped up, and drenched with sriracha. The creamy, savory goodness paired well with rice and millet, and when sopped up with hunks of crusty baguette, it became ultra-rustic. If chips were ever in the house, we'd eat Love Bowls like a chunky dip with avocado, cilantro, and pepper jack cheese. Smeared on toast or topped off with a couple eggs, scrambled, boiled, or fried, it made a great stick-to-the-ribs breakfast. Thinned out with lots of broth, Love Bowls became a tasty soup.

More veggies variations that I've tried include: carrots, zucchini, potato, celery, mushrooms, beats, corn, spinach, squash, etc.. You can also add seeds, such as pumpkin or sunflower - soak and cook them with the lentils. If using flax, I recommend ground flax just sprinkled on top at the end. Truly, the possibilities are endless!

Lentil Love Bowls, The Original

Ingredients (all can and should be approximated or substituted to your liking - that's how I do it):

2 1/2 cups of dried lentils, soaked overnight
1 can of coconut milk or coconut cream, but not coconut water
1 can of tomatoes, crushed or diced, including liquid
1 can of green chilies, diced
1 bell pepper, green, yellow, or red, diced
1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
1 cup firm or extra firm tofu, cubed
1/5 of a stick of butter
1/2 teaspoon of dried marjoram
1 1/2 tablespoon of curry powder, a blend with turmeric and cumin, not to be confused with Thai curry paste
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, or a couple cloves of fresh garlic
A few squirts of Braggs Liquid Aminos, or 1/2 a teaspoon of salt
1/2 of a cucumber, diced - optional (for raw garnish, or even cooked in the pot...no really, give it a try!)

Directions:

Rinse, drain, and cook lentils in new water until soft. I usually use twice as much liquid as lentils, and cook in the Crock Pot on high for a few hours. But I used to cook my lentils on the stove, bringing the water to a boil and then simmering on medium heat. Depending on your method of cooking and how fresh your lentils are, the cooking time will vary.
If using root vegetables, seeds, or more beans for variation, add them at the very beginning and cook in the same liquid as your lentils.
Ladle out any leftover liquid in great excess. A little leftover is ok.
While lentils are cooking, sauté the onion and bell pepper, as well as garlic (if using fresh garlic) until slightly tender and beginning to brown.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and all remaining ingredients to the pot and let simmer for at least 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The-longer-the-better, as any curry is always tastier after it has had lots of time to infuse with its flavors. I let my Crock-Pot sit simmering on low for several hours before I deem it ready.
Ladle into big bowls, spoon it up, and feel nourished.

Apartment Eye-Spy

2010-03-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here's what I spied yesterday...in Apartment Eye-Spy

Take a step back to see and discover more...

Like the oil lamp in my last Eye-Spy, this sailboat mobile also hung in my late grandparents' home when I was a child. Many of my memories of visits to Poppop's and Nanny's contained either this mobile or the lamp. Many days I would sit at their dining table, blowing bubbles through a straw into my chocolate milk, watching completely mesmerized as the little glistening boats would turn and bob. Poppop would never tire of indulging me by pulling the main string so it could remain in motion always. I guess no one else in my large extended family was so touched by it, because no one batted a lash when I made a request for it. But as I'm in the spirit of disclosure, this thing was such a pain in the neck to untangle and hang after it was transported. I spent hours, literally HOURS, going cross-eyed with it laid out on my kitchen floor, trying to sort it out. But all out of love and in the spirit of keeping those memories alive!

This picture comes with fewer memories than the mobile, nonetheless it has a story. When I was in my freshman year of high school, my mother and I stopped to browse at a used book fair at our local mall. I was a voracious reader back then (I'm talking about reading a book a day, oh those were the days!) Well it was paradise for me - table after table overflowing with the bound written word. I bought a stack of things to last me the week, including one special item - A Metropolitan Museum of Art Album of Miniatures, filled with little drawings on postage-stamp type paper that you could adhere inside paperback guides about the works of art. Recently, I dug through on old box and found a few of the loose drawings. This particular Van Gogh piece, Almond Blossoms, strikes a chord in me - it's delicate, subdued, feminine, fragile, and so natural, not quite like most of his other works of bold color and abstract surrealism, although I love all that too! I wanted to display this in some way, so I stuck it onto some plain brown wrapping paper (yep, thrifty business) and put it in a cheapo frame (bought years back for a few bucks at Tar-jay boutique). Voila! Pretty wabi sabi!
::
Thanks for taking a look with me!

Dibble Dibble Dopp Go the Fat Rain Drops

2010-03-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

Just a two-fer Eye-Spy today! Some heavy-clouded skies have made it hard for me to take any half-decent photos around here of late, and frankly I'm just less-inspired when the weather is dreary. Hope you all are enjoying some sunnier skies wherever you may be around the globe!

Apartment Eye-Spy

Drop by tomorrow and I'll tell you what it is I spy!

I've Been Sowing

2010-03-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

Fingers crossed, within less than a month this dreary little window box will be exploding

with wildflowers and alpine poppies. Seeds were sown earlier this week on a beautiful

sunny Spring afternoon. As I write this, the weather's icky and gray and has been

spitting on that flower box all night. But a little rain is just what those seeds need, alas I can't complain.

I really need some respectable gardening tools, no? That's a giant soup spoon (trowel)

leaning against the measuring cup (watering can). You can tell I'm new to this "gardening" thing.

But I can't wait to learn!

Free-dom, Peace, and Happiness

2010-03-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

on the corner stoop

in a tattered brown box

are things for free

nubby sweaters

cracked handle-missing mugs

old mixed tapes of forgotten songs

a condom wrapper

- inappropriately discarded -

twelve mismatched forks

things loved once

now neglected

or never cared for at all

you may ride by on your bicycle

and behold this junk

it is offered up

for you to take

and use in your home

you may rummage through

pick nits

examine any loose threads

sniff

dust off with your hand

take your pick

take it all

take nothing

true

all things have a shelf-life

rotting damaged goods

get discounted prices

in the supermarket

but some things are good

for just a little while longer

past their expiration date

noelle boosinger, september 2007

I love love LOVE coming across "free" boxes and goods, and around SE Portland I find them quite often. I'll be coming home from work at noon or on my way to the grocery store when I spot something on the street corner. OH! Treasure! I really can't resist digging through every box or pile of discarded things - maybe at the bottom there's my prize. I've found/adopted so many items that are now some of my most cherished and unique pieces. Clothes, kitchen utensils, dish-ware, pillow-cases, picture frames, chairs...you name it and someone doesn't want it anymore so they're sharing it with you! Recycle, reduce...yeah those are great. But re-use! That's one of my favorite ways to save the planet. Sure, some things I find and fall in love with need repairs, re-purposing/up-cycling, cleaning or painting... but I get so excited anticipating exactly how it will look and fit into my life. Other things are golden from the get-go and I always feel like the luckiest person alive for being gifted that one perfect, meant-for-me thing. Either way, I'm always so grateful for the bounty I bring home, grateful for the wonderful possessions someone has kindly blessed me with, FOR FREE! Sweet!

Of course, how freeing it is to return the favor and offer my own gifts to those who want or need them. Every few months I purge and de-clutter the unneeded things around our home. Sometimes all I have to offer are a few pairs of shoes that gave me blisters or books that I can't resell, often found originally in free boxes. My husband and I are not keen on having a lot of stuff that we don't need and absolutely love. We're pretty minimalistic folks. However few, those items are staying out of the landfills and going to another home where they will be taken care of and cherished for a little while longer. That makes me feel so good!

How about you? Are "free" boxes plentiful in your neck of the woods? Or do you participate in swaps, freecyle, or bartering organizations? I'd love to hear about it.

Also, remind me and some day soon I'll write to you to share my awesome source for free women's clothing here in Portland!

A Few of my Favorite Things

2010-03-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

Here's what I spied in... Apartment Eye-Spy

...

New bamboo cutting boards! Our old one was a bit larger and we couldn't find a suitable place to store it besides directly on the counter. Because it sat out constantly, it wasn't taken care of properly (I've since gotten into better habits) and it began to crack as well as get this yucky waterlogged smell. These new ones get a quick wipe off or rinse, a dry, then they are hung up; once a week I lovingly oil them.

Our wall of love. Sweet little notes, drawings, photos, and mementos, hung above our bed so we can be reminded of them often. I feel such an overwhelming sense of joy and peace when I re-read and re-visit all these wonderful memories my husband and I share.

Vintage oil lamp that belonged to my grandparents on my father's side. It hung in their home for as long as I can remember until my Poppop passed away and my Nanny had to move into an assisted living home. I remember days when I would visit them as just a little one, five or six years old, begging Poppop to "make it rain" in the lamp. It was so magical to me. Sadly, it no longer works and I had to gut the inner-workings when it needed a major cleaning a few years back. But it will always be special for me, and it makes for unique focal point in our bathroom.

Flower Trailer on PS3

2010-03-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

Have you had a rough day? Need a few moments of peace and relaxation between wrangling the kids into bed and tackling the dirty dishes from a week ago? Tranquility is at a finger's grasp - just pick up a joystick.

PlayStation three, a newer generation video game console, is paving the way for a very different sort of genre in video games that may change the common perception of gaming. The tradition of video gaming as mostly an alt-culture outlet offering aggressive, shoot-em-ups or exploration through macabre scenes populated with monsters and demons is very recently going through some transitions that promise it a brighter, more credible future as not only an entertainment outlet for the masses but also as an outlet of artistic expression in the mainstream world. Sony PlayStation is not the only console brand trying to branch out and create a wider customer base - Nintendo Wii has been making its name in popular culture by marketing to housewives, geriatrics, and tween girls. But where Wii is offering games in the spirit of quiz shows, fitness regimens, and petting zoos, PlayStation is making poetry.

Last February, PlayStation released Flower. My husband bought it for me as a Valentine's day gift, and it was such a breath of fresh air (pun intended) to play. He's a gamer, and since being with him, I have come to be somewhat of a gamer. I've only played a handful of games obsessively, all of them either cute, ethereal, or relaxing in some way. All of them non-violent. Flower fulfilled my prerequisites to a T. Though, truth be told, Flower is not one of those games I played with obsessive gusto... but it's not really that sort of game. And I find that to be a good thing.

Leave behind your stresses, the chaos of the outside world, the humdrum minutia of daily routine, the sterility and confinement of space in concretes, plastics, and glass. Now, imagine you're the wind. Light, free, a whisper, or a roar.

Here comes the sun!

2010-03-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

I haven't been feeling all too well lately. This being day number 29 of the most persistent, clingy, won't-take-no-for-an-answer virus, I woke up sans sinus congestion, sans sore throat, and wished I could sleep another hour (per usual) but to my satisfaction I didn't feel like I couldn't function properly without it! The end of ill malaise is here, woot! As I munched on a fine breakfast [of homemade granola with plain yogurt and pb&j toast, if you're wondering] I surfed the internets. The handy weather widget on my home page promised sunshine, and it has delivered. It's a refreshingly comfortable day at 59 degrees. The icing on the cake was that I was given the night off from nannying - a pleasant surprise, and I fully welcome the chance to share some quality time with my husband and go to bed early!

So after leaving work at noon, with fair health, mood bright, and the imminence of Spring in mind, I pedaled over to Portland Nursery to get some supplies for what will be my very first season of container vegetable gardening! We have about 5 square feet, perhaps less, to work with on our front concrete landing, so we'll have a decidedly modest selection of veggies. I bought seeds for Roma Tomatoes, Cocozelle Squash, Yolo Wonder Peppers, and Little Finger Carrots. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of picking up the conventional, non-organic variety of the pepper and carrot seeds, so I'll have to exchange those two for organic. No worries, it's still a little too soon to sow outdoors and I don't think I'll start them indoors. I have such bad luck growing anything in this apartment besides the ever-forgiving pothos plants, so I'd hate for all my efforts to be in vain.

And there's a question: Is there some sort of encyclopedic handbook of gardening that folks refer to and might recommend for those of us just getting our feet wet? Or should I just try to go with the little tidbit of guidance on the back of my seed packets? I really want to be successful with this, so I'd appreciate any help I could get!

Well, nothing more worthy to note, so I'll leave you with some things to gaze and guess at:

Apartment Eye-Spy

Covet the light,

2010-03-13T17:37:00.000-08:00

...gather every warm ray, look up for the sun and delight in it as though it were your very first morning and forever new, tuck it greedily in big-bellied bottles and wide-mouthed jars to be released and shared when the light is so much scarcer.

I'm late in posting this morning because I was waiting ever-so patiently for the sun to peek out of the clouds - so I could get some good photos. It hasn't returned, but there were moments when the clouds were just barely illuminated in a whiter shade of gray... so I emptied out the light some kind folk had stored away for me (in handy lamp light-bulbs) to share with you all.

Here's what I spied yesterday in...Apartment Eye-Spy

...

hand-crafted tea pot, found in a Free box because it's missing a lid, now is home to an orchid that hasn't bloomed in two years

paper cranes strung up on string encircle a dead fichus

cracked ceramic tea-light lantern, found in a Free box, hangs unassumingly in our bedroom corner

Take a Look

2010-03-12T17:05:00.001-08:00

A while back I did a couple of posts on the theme of "Apartment Eye-Spy" - a few simple images capturing part or the whole of things around my home (a glass bottle with a flower in it, a dish with some river stones, etc.). If you weren't around then, or if your memory fails you, like mine forever does, you can re-visit those posts here: A Watchful Gray Laze Day; Drizzle Drip Go the Raindrops.

Well I really liked the concept of sharing those tiny snippets as a way for you to have a peek into the space where I dwell, and it was nice to see my own home from a slightly different, pared down perspective. From now on, "Apartment Eye-Spy" will be a regular feature on Cozy Little Life. Maybe I'll post every Friday and call it "Friday Eye-Spy." When I get a bit more readership over time (there's a hint of optimism), I may turn it into an actual game - I post the picture, you take a guess at what it is. Meh, we'll see how it goes.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next installment of "Eye-Spy" coming this weekend!

Just The Tiniest of Glimpses

2010-03-12T15:57:00.000-08:00

Apartment Eye-Spy

Care to take a guess at what these are?

Come by for a visit tomorrow morning and I'll tell you what I spy.

kitty-chat

2010-03-12T14:18:00.000-08:00

Having the "birds and bees" talk just misses the mark when you're talking to an adolescent feline.

Plastic is So Passe

2010-03-08T14:17:00.000-08:00

Many of my favorite bloggers (see my "inspiration" blog roll) have been participating in the One Small Change project this year. In a nutshell, each month, these families have been carefully choosing one thing in their lives that they can eliminate/up-cycle/change/etc., however seemingly small, to make a collectively huge impact on the environment and global health. How awesome is that? Anyone can join in, and blog about their experiences, or not. And your "One" thing could be anything, really.

Here's an example: stop using plastic grocery bags and get in the habit of bringing your own re-usable bags.

Easy-peezy! Many people are already on that bandwagon [bus], if not every time they purchase something then at least occasionally when they can remember to bring along bags. But if you're one of those folks who is still dragging his/her heels and holding firm to their beloved plastic bags, and maybe you're looking for a little bit of incentive (besides a healthy, thriving future for our planet and whatnot) before you give it a try... Mambo Sprouts and BlueAvocado have teamed up in a Shopping Bag Giveaway. It's a cinch to enter, and you can pass on the word for an additional entry. I've entered myself in the contest, and now I'm sharing the chance with you to win (how sweet of me!)

Admittedly, I hopped on the re-usable bag bus and have been cruising along joyfully, guilt-free, for a long while now. It wasn't very hard for me. I'm not a purse kind of person - I commute by bike daily (my husband and I don't own cars) and I always have a backpack strapped on my shoulders. So I can carry everything I would normally carry in a purse, in addition to being able to throw several grocery items, or clothing purchases, or snacks, or whatever in there. And I keep one or two re-usable shopping bags in the backpack, so I'll always have it handy. Truth be told, I've come to have quite a collection of re-usable bags over the years, but I never pass up an opportunity for another one. Especially if it's a non-ugly one (most of BlueAvocado's bags are decidedly cute!), and most especially if it's absolutely free!

Yay!

Saturday Morning Mindfulness: On Practice

2010-02-27T10:41:00.000-08:00

I like Saturdays best when taken with great patience, perhaps at a slower pace but not necessarily, enjoying more deeply each moment and activity at-hand while giving as little thought as necessary to "what's next." Very little planning actually occurs. There's no rush. Not that there is no rhythm to the day - for instance, we know that at some point in the middle of the day our bodies will need nourishment and so we'll take a lunch break. We can be prepared for this and accommodating, but we don't need to worry about stopping everything at one o'clock precisely as if lunch must be made then or else the universe will fall apart. After all, rhythm can be extremely nurturing and reassuring in such a crazy world where we feel we have little control. But rhythm is not the same as a schedule. Taking my Saturdays moment by moment, I feel it allows room for everything from my week to sink-in and settle. If I don't allow myself this one day of remaining in the "now" to contrast with my work week in which I'm steadily one or two or five steps ahead of the present, my weekend passes me by and I start Monday again wondering what have I done with the past seven days? No matter how productive I had been, those days just disintegrate and disappear and I feel caught in a whirlwind feeling powerless and lost. I'm probably not unique in this notion.

Sometimes the first day of the weekend just doesn't happen that way. Some Saturdays seem to carry on right where Friday left off, with chores and errands and appointments, and sometimes even making plans for leisure can feel like they're part of a to-do list. Anyone else get that? Funny, though: Most of those Saturdays full of pre-scheduled plans find me making as many last-second cancellations as possible because I feel bogged down by obligations, so despite a list of good-natured intentions, nothing actually gets done in the end. And on the other hand, some Saturdays can be extremely enjoyable and relaxed while at the same time even allowing room for great productivity. I can do much-needed chores and run errands that can't be put off until Monday. But so long as I approach each activity independently, with patience and with flexibility, allowing myself the freedom to do only what I can do at that one moment instead of worrying about the end-result (not setting up some day-long bulleted task-list), things just fall into place as they feel natural and at the end of the day I find I've accomplished a whole lot without the feeling of being "worked."

This particular Saturday, throughout all of my thoughts - from my groggy-eyed waking and rising off my bed, to my regular morning read-through of favorite blogs with less rush than other days in the week, to a walk and then breakfast out with my husband - I find that I'm fixated on this common thread: Mindfulness. Being in and experiencing the present moment exactly as it is, without judgement, without plans, without nostalgia or regret for past moments...and giving myself the freedom to just. be. in. the. present - with eyes open, with compassion (most importantly toward my self, because how can we begin to show compassion for others if we can't do so towards our own vulnerable selves), and with open heart and room in myself for all the possibilities of whatever comes next (but not trying to predict or pass judgement on what that will be). When my thoughts kept returning to the importance of mindfulness, the notion of 'practice' arose. Mindfulness is a practice that takes practice to achieve. I thought, I can't continue on in life being mindful only on Saturdays. Yes, it would do me good to be mindful on every Saturday, but one day a week is not enough.

There's this small part of me, born from old habits and assumptions learned as a child in grade school, that automatically thinks the phrase "practice makes perfect." But in truth, in life, there is no such thing as perfection; there is just practice, which may lead to some improvement of course, but the practice is never done. Even the greatest maestros, bodhisattvas, gurus, and champion athletes need to keep up their practice.

Some days it's extremely difficult to keep up practice. "No time" commonly gets in the way. Some days life just won't slow down long enough to allow for mindfulness and living in the present, no matter what techniques I utilize to stay centered and present. Other days I lack the compassion and forgiveness within myself and feel like a failure or that my current efforts are not good enough. But that's when practice can be most beneficial and needed. No matter how hard it is today, no matter what excuses we may make to avoid practice, it will not get easier without the practice. If I don't have a mindful Saturday, I feel lost, I know this much. That's enough to clue me in that it is so very important to me to cultivate mindfulness whenever I can.

I come to think of another 'practice' I'm working on these days: In my yoga class two Tuesdays ago, my teacher asked if any students were working with injuries or had any areas to address in particular on that day in their yoga practice. I mentioned my on-going shoulder stiffness and pain and asked if we could keep Downward Dog to a minimum that day as it is a problem pose for me to hold and maintain for very long. She told me what her teacher used to tell her when a student "complained" (in her words). "Just do the practice." My shoulders will not heal and Downward Dog will not get any easier without practice. Of course, I was reminded by my teacher to be ever-present and mindful of my own limitations, not to push myself further than I know I can go, but also not to go too easy on myself. I needed to stick to my practice. Good idea, probably.

So I come back to my Saturday, with mindfulness and practice in my thoughts and intentions as I do everything, from drinking a cup of Earl Gray and enjoying the taste and the warmth and the immediate release of tension as I drink it, to being conscious of posture and lifting my heart and dropping my shoulders as I type at my computer (I'm a habitual sloucher). From experiencing something new and opening myself up to learning and personal growth by attending a local workshop on seated Zen Meditation (how relevant and fitting that I should be discussing mindfulness, I know!), to recognizing and getting through a moment in which I feel panicked and stressed about having to make introductions to a group of complete strangers in an unexpected social interaction.

I come to this sort-of conclusion without exactly trying to conclude anything: It's a never-ending project, I am ever-aware of my need to be more "in the now" but I will try to be compassionate with myself when it just doesn't happen. I will not beat myself up, both figuratively and literally by having higher than realistic expectations. I will try not to hold any expectations. Either way, it's gonna take a lot of practice.

Photos are of an art piece by an unknown artist in the Portland area, left as free on the curb. I altered the color and quality of them.

Thanks to the artist for their beautiful work now being displayed in my living room

and for unknowingly allowing me to use and alter your piece.

A Happy-Time Sunshiney Good Drink

2010-02-19T15:37:00.000-08:00

Even at dusk in late February, I can feel the warm rays

The verdict is still out on what to name this yummy beverage. My husband offered up "Orange Amazing," Mr. Brown, whom we got this recipe from, calls it an "Orange Delicious" (because that well-known title "Orange J@li@s" is a legal trademark), and I have to agree with you there that my idea, "Happy-Time Sunshiney Good," is a tad wordy and takes something out of you every time you have to say it three times fast. But say it nice and slow, leisurely, between fatty-straw slurps of this cold frothy drink and then... well, you'll come to the conclusion that you don't particularly care what it's called. You're just gonna drink it.

To make your own, you'll need these:

A blender

An ice cube [shape of choice] tray

1 cup orange juice, divided

1/2 an orange, zest of

1/2 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Then you do this:

Freeze 3/4 cup of orange juice in an ice cube tray, ahead of time.

Toss the frozen juice, the remaining 1/4 cup of liquid juice, and the rest of it all in a blender. Whirrrrr it up.

Pour it in cups, some for you, some for me.

Drink it, share it.

Smile.

Makes enough for two persons*.

*Truth be told, after the initial loving/savoring with the first few sips you'll probably slurp it down pretty quickly, and as soon as your giddy brain-freeze is melted away, you'll want a bit more. So I suggest doubling the measurements, unless you're not sharing. Keep in mind, sharing is caring!

Notes on pow-sugah: Prior, my husband and I wouldn't have called ourselves even recreational users of the stuff. Not our thing, really. But our home pantry now contains a 1 lb bag, pure, solely for the purpose of making this concoction. If you don't have it and don't have a dealer who can hook you up, you certainly can skip this and you'll still have an awesome creation to imbibe, but your drink will lack a certain somethin' somethin' that granular sugar or agave or whatever just can't provide (it has to do with how quick the sugar dissolves in cold liquid, and the corn starch that exists in the powdered variety makes for a much smoother froth).

Do enjoy!

nice bumping in to you!

2010-02-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

Oh heyyy there, buddy. Long-time-no-see! How are you these days, life treating you well? Oh, me? Have I been ill, you ask? Erm, no, fit as a fiddle. On vacation? Not quite.... not really, at all. What have I been up to? I must be incredibly busy with umpteen projects and tasks, right? Well, not much, doing just the same-ole, working a bit and keeping house - the usual routine - truth be told. But hey, enough about me, how have you been?! Ok, fair enough, so you're feeling hurt, maybe abandoned a little bit and wondering whether 'friend' is an accurate term to describe this relationship we have going here. Friends don't just hole away for months on end without ever paying a visit, I know that. Friends stay in touch and are there with you through the tough times as well as the sweet moments. Yes I'll admit, I'm a terrible friend [blogger], I'm as fair-weather as you get. You can never count on me to be there, I know that. But hey, if we're playing the blame game and making apologies, let's not fail to point the finger in your own direction. Have you really been there and listening [reading] when I've wanted to call you up to talk [write a post] about my latest decorating style for the apartment (wabi sabi), or to share our upcoming plans for Yuki's birthday celebration (she'll be one this week)? Sometimes, I just... feel like I'm talking [blogging] to a wall. Then what's the point? I mean, who cares about my boring day-to-day, surely you don't? I'm totally replaceable as a friend, anyhow, there are tons of folks out there who are just more interesting to hang out with [read about]. That's all I'm sayin'.

Ok, so I'm being a wee bit melodramatic, perhaps. But even as I write this, I honestly feel a little queer and schizophrenic about it all, as though I really am just writing this for myself. Really I only might, maybe, get lucky to have one reader today that stumbles upon this post by accident and then realizes it's not what they were looking for. But maybe that's ok? Well, even if there isn't that one reader out there (but if there is and you're still with me, let me thank you and you are welcome here!) , a lot of people blog just for themselves, to jot down ideas or to remember things, to keep a history of their days, like a digital diary. Nothing wrong with that and no shame in it. I never expected to be in any way "famous" for my blog, never hoped for as much readership as the handful of homespun/earthy/mama/housewife blogs I read religiously every morning to get inspiration, relate to, and brighten my day. Nonetheless, it's been hard for me to find the motivation to post anything these days, even for my own enjoyment. I guess I've just been too self-critical and now I'm having a little pity party about it! Indulge me. And since we're getting overly personal here (I can do that without fear, you know, since I'm the only one reading this), I've been feeling this way in general, lately. A little lonely, a little like I'm replaceable, preferring to hole up and be a shut-in because there's no one who will miss my presence anyhow. I mean no one besides my wonderful husband and best friend, of course, whom I am never lonely around and am almost never apart from besides when we're at work. He's amazing and holes up with me in our blissful little home together! And therein may lie part of my problem. I'm too terribly cozy with him, and our life together just too damn comfortable and perfect. So it's hard to venture outside of this beautiful rosy box of mine into the scary world and [blogosphere] to try to make friends or put myself out there when it's so easy to just stay in.

Well, it's good for me to come out once in a while, to socialize, to take risks and to make and keep connections. Just know it is hard for me, but I'll work on it more. I promise. I really would love to hang out and get to know you more.

Oh yeah, I do like to draw.

2009-10-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

I had forgotten. I am (sometimes) creative!

And fittingly, I found my reminder out there in the blogosphere. A couple days ago, I was reading one of my favorite blogs of late in an attempt to become inspired. I was looking not for inspiration to draw but rather to write (makes sense, you know, reading to get started writing). As any regular followers of Cozy Little Life know, the posts come in spurts. I get urges, write one or two posts, and then fizzle out. So I was looking for some sort of kick-start and that day's post was all about how the author realized her own talent and enjoyment in drawing while helping motivate her daughter's creativity. Her family declared it an Art Weekend (how great is that?)!

Well, it made me think about my own drawing project I had abandoned many months ago, and the others that never even got their starts because...because why? What happened to my creative mojo? I've always been a pretty creative person in nature, rather than a very logical or analytical one. Art, music, writing - my brain has always just understood them. I played an instrument all throughout grade school, took etching and drawing classes in college, and I wrote half a novel for my thesis. But after my days of the classroom came to an end, these old interests seemed to end, too. It would be easy to blame my grown-up responsibilities as the killer of my creative side because even after several job changes and successful efforts to make more time for me and my 'muse' to bond together, I still stopped creating. Too much time had passed since I last tried, or maybe I got burnt out, all of my creative juices spent. Mostly, I think I let the big scary thought of drawing or writing or whatever (and the daunting end-product I was working towards) stop me from even starting a project. This too often has been the case for me, in life. Is it a self-doubt issue? Probably.

Well an hour or two after reading that blog post, I pulled out the unfinished project, my charcoal pencils and powder, and sat down to draw. And it felt AMAZING. I didn't worry about how it will look in the end, about how long it might take to complete, about whether or not I will keep on drawing a day from now, or next week or next month. I might fizzle out again. But I tried not to think and just let myself enjoy the act of drawing. I was right away more peaceful and content and meditative with every scratch of my pencil over the paper.

I thought of a young boy I babysit. He's four, and he loves to draw. But also, a lot of the time, he gets upset and stressed out about how "good" he can draw, and then it's not enjoyable for him. Sometimes he won't even start a drawing because he already thinks it's going to be "bad" in his mind. It's saddening to witness his joy squandered by an arbitrary notion of talent that he picked up from where? Contrast that with his little sister, who's 18 months. She loves to draw and loves the act of drawing. She doesn't yet know what talent means. She probably doesn't even have an image in her consciousness of what her picture will be or is once it's completed. Drawing is still so pure for her. Is her own self-doubt as an artist inevitable? It it that perhaps unlike her brother, she's just more creative by nature and will continue to enjoy drawing even when she's four and still as she's older? I can't guess.

Why is it that we (the greater we, everyone, society) should suddenly give up coloring and crafts when we leave grade school? I believe it's both Waldorf and Rudolf Steiner, two approaches to education, that foster art all across the curriculum as a more innate tool of expression and learning that everyone can share in and utilize throughout their lifetimes. As opposed to the notion that art is one separate subject, with boundaries, that becomes reserved only for the gifted, "talented," once we reach a certain level of education.

Well, maybe this discussion is a little bigger than one post can handle. I started out writing with the intent to discuss imitation and it's ability to inspire. Monkey see monkey do. It digs a bit deeper, though, and begs for thorough pondering.

2009-10-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

Kss.

Listen to the leaves falling one by one.

Kss.

Listen. Listen.

Walking home this evening from a late afternoon movie, fall was definitely announcing its presence to us. Even donning my wool pea coat and with legs sheathed in my new purple fall tights, I folded my arms across my body and held on a little bit tighter to fend off chill. No longer just a smattering of leaves are upon the sidewalks but in some spots now the paths are entirely obscured by their browns and reds and yellows. It's time to start switching gears, to begin moving a little slower and settle in a little deeper.

"Then there were THREE in the family..."

2009-10-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

How much do I love them, my cozy little family? ALL OF IT! That's a lot, I know. Just one month ago, Austin and I adopted (our first!) and our couldn't-possibly-get-better lives got so (so very!) much better. We named her Yuki, meaning "joyful."

You could have asked me before if I'd fall in love with this little bundle of pure tenderness, and of course the answer would have been a resounding "yes without a doubt!" (well, more like "yaaay kitteeeeee!") but the moment she stretched out her tiny little arms and legs and yawned and I saw her pink little tongue and her eyes closed so tight... I melted.

Of course I can't resist all the cuddles and the kisses, the snuggle-her-up-so-close-next-to-me scrunched up nose kisses because she's just so damn CUTE!

There's nothing sweeter than the deep peace I feel when I stare down at her as she naps beside me on the couch. Oh! And I can't get enough of how unbelievably soft she is. I'm really hooked.

Who can blame me? Aren't you in love with my baby, erm kitty, too?

For Those Pesky Lookie-Loos Outside your Loo: Contact-Papered Windows (Shoji-Screen Style)

2009-06-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

My husband and I live in a rented apartment.Now, in said apartment the bathroom's single medium-sized window (which I feel is quite large for any bathroom) is placed so "cleverly" as to allow me to gaze out into the beautious world while I sit ever-so-peacefully on the toilet, taking a poo. Nice, eh? Picture it. Not only can I bird-watch while I eliminate, but birdies (and people alike if they come to pay a visit) can return my gaze (!) since the window in mention is also situated alongside our front door and facing the front stoop which is shared by a neighboring apartment. I feel so exposed.

Being on a tight budget, as most of us are these days, I couldn't just go out and buy window treatments. I had to keep the purchases to a bare minimum or make do with stuff I already had at home. So at some point, probably while I was in a receptive and prone position on the toilet, I had this brilliant idea of custom painting a removable window film with clear contact paper and cheap acrylics. I already had a roll of contact paper in my craft cupboard (I like to use it for laminating various things, you know, when you randomly need to laminate) along with an assortment of paintbrushes to choose from... all I needed was a new paint color, and with a short bike-ride to the craft store I was able to pick up a small tube for 97 cents. With simple supplies spread all around - a ruler, a pencil, a handful of clothes-pins, paintbrush, paint, and contact paper - like a kiddie in grade school I plunked myself down on the kitchen floor and got to work.

I have to admit, I can't take credit for the idea of using contact paper on windows. I wish I could, because whoever figured it out is a smartie. As materials go, it's cheap, easy to adhere, and totally removable. Unfortunately, I can't remember where I came across the source, so I can't give credit where credit is due. But I did use my pretty little head to imagine a design, however simple. I wanted something akin to a Japanese Shoji-screen, using an off-white paint to look like rice paper...sorta. As to what design you choose, the options are endless - you might enjoy a a multi-colored stained glass replication, a black and white geometric pattern, or a soft Monet-like scene of flowers. I hope this gives you some inspiration to try it out in some form in your home (whether on a window, a glass curio cabinet or cupboard, or a glass coffee table, etc.)

Here's My Beautifully Imperfect, Homemade Shoji-Style Window Screen

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN REMOVABLE WINDOW FILM

Materials You Will Need:

Clear* Contact Paper a.k.a Shelf Liner (*You can use opaque contact paper, but this will prevent light from filtering through, rendering your window useless. If your aim is to pretend you don't have a window there, then this would be a good idea I suppose.)
Acrylic Paint* or Etching/Glass Specific Paint (*Some acrylics stick better to slick surfaces than others. If you're concerned about flaking/chipping, go with paint made specifically for glass. The cheapo acryclic I bought flakes off if I mess with it, but I touch the surface of the window pane as little as possible. I went for the temporary and frugal application option, but you can certainly make yours more lasting with an upgrade in materials.)
A Paint Brush
Measuring Tape
Ruler
Scissors
Pencil
Stencils (Optional)
Clothespins or Stones or Whatever (to hold down the corners and sides of the paper as they tend to roll under on their own)

What You Do With Those Materials [is really up to you] :

Measure the height and width of your window pane, then cut out a sheet of contact paper to fit that size exactly. I recommend using a ruler and carefully marking off height and width at several spaced intervals along the sheet before cutting, to be sure you have an even rectangle. *Don't remove the paper backing of the contact paper.
Place a handful of clothespins or other paper-weights along the corners and edges of the contact paper to prevent the sheet from rolling itself up while you paint.
Go at it! Paint your window screen (on the side that is not the paper backing side), then let it dry. Using a hair dryer on cool or low heat speeds the drying process, if you're as impatient as I am.
When adhering the finished screen to your window, enlisting the help of a buddy is really nice. Peel away just a little bit of the paper backing on one side or corner and align the screen properly on your window, then press that small area down and smooth out the bubbles. Keep the screen partly rolled up, especially if adhering it alone, and unroll it a little bit at a time - this helped me immensely. Peel a little more away and press it down, peel some more and press it down, unroll some more, peel some more,...until you've got it stuck on completely. Using your hands, gently smooth out any remaining bubbles (if using the cheapo acrylic, you'll probably have to do this VERY gently to keep the paint from flaking).
And that's it! Enjoy you're new-found privacy and revel in the fact that you made this yourself!

Keep Crafting With Contact Paper! : Try painting your own decals and cut them out free-hand-style for unique and cheap seasonal decoration!

Note: Contact Paper is completely removable, but not really re-usable. The non-sustainable ramifications make me weep, but it's still a neat and resourceful idea if you ask me.

Self-Proclaimed, A Granola-Eatin' Peacenik

2009-06-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

Good for the belly and good for the soul - Homemade granola is quickly becoming one of this health-conscious housewife's household staples because it's a perfect breakfast for those mornings when we're short on time and don't want to prepare a meal, it's filling enough to give us energy and keep us satisfied for most of the morning, and it's cheaper than store-bought granola or other cereals. Making granola at home also means that I can add whatever ingredients I choose, based on what I have on hand or what's on sale, and I can control how much sweetener is added (personally, I like a less sweet, more savoury granola). Thus, it's extremely versatile. Even more awesome is that I don't have to follow a complicated recipe to make it, because once you've made granola you know how to make granola. Think oats, nuts, seeds, and fruit. Throw in a little bit of this, a little bit of that, add some oil and sweet stuff, and get it all toasty - it's just that easy. Here's an example of a delicious granola recipe you can try:

Mix in a large bowl:

3 Cups Old Fashioned Oats

1/2 Cup Dried Coconut (Grated)

1/4 Cup Sunflower Seed Kernels

1/4 Cup Pumpkin Seeds

1/2 Cup Pistachios

1/4 Cup Almonds

1 TBSP Sesame Seeds

1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil (of your choosing)

1/8 Cup - 1/4 Cup Brown Rice Syrup (or sweetener of your choice, like agave, honey or maple syrup)

Pour the mixture into a non greased baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes on 350 degrees, stirring every 10 minutes. When oats are toasted a light brown and smell oh so yummy, remove from heat, and stir in:

1/4 Cup Dried Apple Chunks

1/4 Cup Raisins

1/4 Cup Dried Date Chunks

Let it come to room temperature, then scoop the granola goodness into an airtight jar or tin and store in a cool, dry place until it's devoured. Then make some more!

Oats, nuts, seeds, and fruit. Oats, nuts, seeds, and fruit. Oats, nuts, seeds, and fruit.

Drizzle Drip Go the Raindrops

2009-06-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

I wait with longing for cloud-break. Damp and musty, the walls are swollen and seem to press in as if they're listening for a whispered secret. Hush, go ahead.

Here's an Apartment Eye-Spy while we wait for the sun to grace us with its presence again. (UPDATE: It's 9 am and there's a soft glow about the trees - I daresay, the sun may be rubbing its eyes and leaving the pillowy clouds after all...or not.)

paper umbrell mobile, from powell's books in portland, oregon
::

old tincture bottle serving as makeshift vase for the sweetest little flowers picked outside our apartment

cutting of a pothos plant, at home in a stone-filled jar, adorned with a re-purposed bamboo window shade

"My Sushi Was Home-Rolled...How About Yours?"

2009-06-16T13:38:00.001-07:00

How to Host Your Own All-You-Can-Roll Sushi (Makizushi) Night

You might be asking yourself, "But isn't it difficult to roll sushi?"

In answer: "Yes, masters often must first apprentice for years and years in order to have the sole privelage of making sushi rice and then maybe later they learn to roll, but also no, really anyone can do it. Haha. It's actually a fairly forgiving process, once you get the basic concepts down. There is some, a little finesse involved in not over-stuffing the maki rolls so they stay sealed and in getting them to look all neat and tidy for presentation, but who truly cares what your sushi looks like as long as it tastes good, right?"

Short answer: "Lighten up! Don't take things so seriously." That's what I say.

Anyone can do this! If you must obsess about presentation, put any ugly dud-rolls on a separate plate or eat up your mishaps as you go along. Keep the atmosphere light-hearted and laid-back, laugh and chat while you roll, compare unique filling combinations you may come upon with the rest of the group and after piling the finished sushi onto a couple of platters, feast until your hearts and stomachs are content. You'll delight in the surprises you get when tasting eachother's handiwork.

Aside from your imagination and a sense of adventure, the Essential Tools You'll Need are:

Sushi Rice (see recipe to follow) - ingredients for sushi rice include Short-Grain Sushi Rice (white or brown), Rice Vinegar, Water, Sugar (or sugar substitute), Salt
Rice Cooker to make the rice, or a solid pot and fitting lid... I mean, c'mon, you're just making rice. No biggie. But I'll probably be shunned for saying that.
Nori Sheets (Toasted Seaweed Sushi Wrapper) - one sheet makes about 5 or 6 pieces of maki or 1 hand-roll
Sharp Knife for cutting maki
Fillings, to taste (more ideas to follow)
Wasabi, to taste
Soy Sauce, to taste
Pickled Ginger, to taste
A Healthy Appetite (without this, you're lost)

I've found that some Helpful, But Not At All Necessary Tools include:

Bamboo Sushi Mat for assisted rolling. I don't use one. I roll with my bare hands. Yep, I'm hard-core, can you handle it?
Wooden Spatula for spreading the sushi rice. I use my fingers, wetting them with water first to minimize sticking. Whatever floats your boat, though.
Several Shallow Dishes or Plates to cool and present the sushi rice, enough for guests to use conveniently without reaching too often in front of others (or everyone can just take turns - that works too.)
Bowls of Water and Dish Towels to wet/rinse fingers off and wipe hands.
Mini Shallow Dishes for serving soy sauce and wasabi.

To Make Sushi Rice:

You'll need 1 lb. short-grain rice (white or brown), 2 1/2 cups of water, 5 tbsp rice vinegar, 3 tbsp sugar (or desired sugar substitution - I use agave), and 2 tbsp salt.

Place the rice in a rice cooker, add water, and follow the manufacturer's directions for cooking. Or

place the rice in a pot with lid and add the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer very low with steam for 15 -20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Taste-test a grain or two to check for chewiness. If it's still crunchy and not softened/sticky yet, add more water and continue a low simmer. I usually have to add an additional 1/2 cup of water because my rice cooker heats up too quickly. Remove the rice from heat and spread it out on plates or in shallow dishes, so it can cool evenly. You may try fanning it with a magazine or something similar to cool it quicker.

While the rice is cooking, mix the vinegar, salt, and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently while stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove this from heat and let it cool before drizzling it over the rice. Run a spatula through the rice gently to evenly distribute the mixture through the grains.

To Prepare Nori Sheets with Rice and Fillings Before Rolling:

Lay nori sheet smooth side down (one side is slightly rougher/textured) on a rolling mat or table surface, vertically so it's tall rather than wide in front of you, and spread (press down) a very thin layer of rice on the bottom 3/5 to 3/4 of the sheet (leave a strip at the top for overlapping to seal). I personally like to go with the 3/5 ratio for slightly smaller maki that is more pop-in-your-mouth sized, and this also helps me prevent over-stuffing or seam bursting.

Across your rice (halfway between the top of the rice and the bottom), horizontally lay your fillings in a narrow strip grouped together like tiny logs, keeping the diameter of the combined "logs" to no more than 1/2 inch.

A General Idea of How To Roll:

Roll from the bottom to the top, gently pinching the fillings together for tightness and gently squeezing the nori roll as you go to keep uniformity. Stop when you've reached the end of the rice, and moisten the remaining nori with water or soy sauce using your finger tip. Continue rolling and seal the nori.

Cutting the maki is slightly easier when the roll has set for a minute. Clean or wet the knife in between cuts to allow for a smooth glide through the maki. Note: Even if you don't have an awesome sushi chef's knife or your knife is not ultra sharp, you can achieve a cleaner cut without smooshing your roll by doing a tenderly slow sawing motion (sooo tenderly) until you've sliced through.

As for the goodies within...

There are a million possibilities of sushi filling variations. I try to add one off-the-wall ingredient each time:

Sometimes I hit upon perfection, sometimes the flavors are just "meh"then my tongue says, "Whatever, not impressed,"and rarely I make something that's just too weird for my buds to handle. Recently I sampled my own ochra, sprouts, and pomegranite vinegarette sushi which I wasn't so keen on - the okra was too slimy - and luckily I didn't subject any other innocent folk to those odd-ball rolls. Also not a fan of hard-boiled egg and celery in my sushi. But I've hit upon some tasty pairings, namely the addition of crunchy, dried, fried garlic bits, which I found come in a jar at the asian market (in the seasonings section) for quite cheap. Scrambled eggs are equally delicious paired with almost anything, especially with grilled salmon and cream cheese.Additionally, I've done a soft filling of pureed edame seasoned with curry and garlic chile sauce,and I'd give that a big huge thumbs up! Give your spice rack a once over and consider sprinkling in some curry powder, ground ginger, or cumin before rolling it up. Or try spreading on some hummus.

Common Fillings That are Golden include: Cucumbers, avocado, green onion, sprouts, daikon, shredded carrot, smoked salmon, tuna, crab, scrambled egg, tofu, cream cheese, Vegenaise, sesame seeds

Home-Rolled Sushi and A Little Coming-of-age Tale

2009-05-28T04:32:00.000-07:00

My sushi Awakening came, I sheepishly admit, not until I was in my college years.

Prior to that great day, if you had once asked me to tell the difference between unagi and nigiri, I may have guessed that they were characters in the latest Karate Kid sequel, you know, close friends of Mr. Miyagi. Actually, my ignorance spread far beyond that, leaving my taste repertoire completely void of all Japanese cuisine. In my defense, I had an extremely unadventurous upbringing, in which the total extent of my family's forays into the world's broader palette of flavors included no more than Chinese fried rice and lo mein. A peek into my parent's spice racks will find their home cooking to be completely lacking in just that - spice. I think they've got basil, garlic salt, terragon, peppercorns, allspice, and... nope, that's it. And rice variety? Well, there's none other than Uncle Ben's Minute-Rice. I can almost hear my sweet mother - "What's the difference? Just cooking time, right?"

Oh, I have to simply take a deep breath, bite my tongue, throw up my proverbial hands and tell myself, "It's okaaaay. Just let it be." Because I grew up and passed out of that naive phase in which I would say to any and all new foods, "I don't like it," without even trying it... but my parents have not.

When it comes to sushi, I'm almost certain neither of my parents have ever even tried it. They're in their fifties. This baffles me. But then, it means I feel a little less embarrassed to admit that I didn't lose my sushi virginity until I was nineteen. I've had a lot more experience since then. You could say I've been around the block, so to speak. Now, give me a half-decent hand-roll, nothing fancy, and I immediately sushi-gasm. I don't even need a cup of sake, first, to put me in the mood. Don't be put off if following the meal I pat my belly and drift off into a sushi coma, a placid grin spread across my face.

All sex-refences aside (sorry, where did they come from? It's too easy to equate the pleasure I get from that little nasal zing of wasabi to the chills that run up my spine when... oh, hey, let's keep this family-friendly!) ...

It was my friends who influenced me. I blame (read: THANK) them for introducing me to the melt-in-your-mouth goodness of sushi that I had been missing. Suffice it to say, since my very first cautious bite (read: gobble) of a california roll - I have to laugh a little because I thought I was being gutsy enough with that - I have been a faithful follower. They said, "Try it, you'll like it, everybody's doing it, it's totally natural" and I went "Daaaaaaaaamn, that's good stuff."

Ah lak it ahlot - that's my mouth full of salmon nigiri, saying, "I like it a lot."

If money and the body's vomit reflex were not an issue, I could just eat and eat and eat and eat, until I closed down a sushi joint. In fact, a close-knit few have witnessed me gorge myself on twenty-plus pieces (I won't let myself take an actual count) of maki in one sitting. I can't take all the glory of such a fantastic glut, because my good friends and husband have matched me at it, piece by piece. I assure you, I didn't purchase all that sushi at a restaurant. GOD NO, I couldn't afford that. I can only indulge in such a way during our super-awesome All-You-Can-Roll Sushi Nights that my husband and I frequently host. Last time, we had to cover the remaining sushi half-way through the evening with a plate to take a necessary break (an intermission, if you will) before *GROAN BELCH* finishing off the delicious bounty. The "out-of-sight = out-of-mind" notion, understand? It's always surprising, really incredible and quite pleasing actually, how much (a plethora) [of] sushi we can yield with just a few bucks worth of ingredients (especially since we purchase the fixins at an asian market as opposed to our neighborhood high-end natural food grocer!) We've made it a pot-luck where everyone brings their own favorite filling - we provide the prepared rice and nori sheets with appetizers and a few fillings we have on hand - and our investment was no more than 10 dollars. How awesome is that?

Guess what? You can do it, too. Did you see it coming? That long-winded intro was all to lead up this: How to Host Your Own All-You-Can-Roll Sushi (Makizushi) Night... now in it's own easy-to-access, separate post

Score! Brown Rice Tortillas! Whoohooooooo!

2009-04-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

Hypothetical Question:

"What if, for serious medical reasons, you were told today that you could never ever again be able to eat [Insert Favorite Food* Here]? How could you go on with your life?" *May include but is not limited to: Gooey Chocolate Brownies, Carb-Loaded Pasta Including Creamy Mac n' Cheese, Cheese of All Sorts, Mexican Food (vague, but this is just a hypothetical), Ice Cream, Pizza, Toaster Waffles, etc.

For a foodie, the typical answer is:

"GASP, Nooooo! Life would be so bland without [Food]. I'd go on a hunger strike! I'd die!"

Well, what if that question became a reality? It's really so easy to take the foods you love for granted. But for people with food sensitivities from allergens like gluten, corn, yeast, sugar, dairy, etc., figuring out what they are left with to eat, and what can actually be enjoyable, can become a daily struggle over the balance between diet and health. Most health-conscious folk read nutrition labels religiously to avoid things like hydrogenated oils, mono or triglycerides, excess sugars, artificial additives, and so on. I was one of those people. Now, I'm a label-reader to the extreme. Since my husband recently discovered that he may be sensitive to some or all of 37 (!) commonly listed ingredients, and since I'm such a loving, supportive wife (martyr?) who tries to eat whatever my husband eats when possible, to reduce temptation and make our kitchen a friendly and safe environment for him, my routine grocery trips have turned into a big teasing game of "Nah Nah Nah, You Can't Have That!" Something like sugar (evaporated cane juice, raw cane extract, etc.), is literally in 90% (ok, that's an estimate) of the food items on the market. Even in so-called whole-foods/health-foods sections! There are a handful of items that are sweetened with honey, but my hubby can't have honey either. C'mon, give some lovin' to natural fruit juice sweeteners, people! And a majority of gluten-free products out there substitute corn as the grain, which means that corn-less folk can't partake. My husband and I are particularly fond of Mexican Food - burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, tacos, mmmmmmmmmmmmm. I promise you that is not too many "m's" to convey the ultimate yum-factor of Mexi-goodness. Those foods are all traditionally made with corn or flour, not to mention with added fat of butter or lard. I say Poo! Cross that off our list.

Then this afternoon, I totally had my day, nay WEEK, made when I went to our local Trader Joe's, and discovered a handful of totally safe, allergen-free foods that my husband and I can both eat and enjoy without sacrificing much in taste! It's like the good old days again! I was able to buy brown rice pasta, which at other leading stores is either supplemented with corn meal or jacked-up in price to where you might as well have flown it in straight from the rice paddies, first-class. At an affordable $1.99, comparable to regular semolina/wheat pasta, it's well worth a try! I also found Gluten-Free Pancake/Waffle Mix for a crazy $2.99! Normally such a thing is $5 or $6, but not Joe's variety! A bag of reduced Guilt Potato Chips kettle-cooked in sunflower oil instead of cannola (for corn-allergic folk) cost a mere $1.79. And my saving grace: Brown Rice Tortillas! Ingredients: Brown Rice Flour, Filtered Water, Tapioca Flour, Safflower Oil, Rice Bran, Vegetable Gum (Xanthum Cellulose), Sea Salt. No butter. No lard. No corn! Price: $2.49 for 6 tortillas! Thank God! Thank Joe! I was tempted to buy twelve bags, but realistically went home with two. Post-purchases, I rushed home, unpacked my loot, and wrote a sincere thank-you comment on Trader Joe's webpage. I would have done a happy dance then and there, if I weren't so damn hungry from the hour-plus it took to check every label while shopping at lunchtime.

This cozy little life just got a lot easier!

And Joe? If you're reading? Please please don't discontinue those tortillas. I'll make it well worth your while.

Yummy Almond Butter Tea Biscuits: Wheat-free, Dairy-free, Sugar-free (Recipe)

2009-03-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

Nope, it's not an oxymoron. I really have found a recipe for some not only edible but quite certainly satisfying cookies, and they're made completely sans allergens!

INGREDIENTS* :

1/2 cup almond butter
1 to 1 1/2 cups barely flour
3 -6 tablespoons agave nectar
0-3 tablespoons soy milk
1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*Based on your personal taste-preferences for sweetness, aim for about 7 tablespoons of liquids total. Add flour slowly and adjust quantities based on the consistency of the dough as you mix. You want it to not be too sticky as you roll it out, but if you add too much flour, it will make a more crumbly cookie. Also, sunflower butter can be substituted for the almond butter, but you may need to add additional flour as it may make the dough creamier. Similarly, if you don't have barley flour, or are allergic, try oat flour or whatever else you feel compelled to. Feel free to experiment with sweeteners, too. Try two tablespoons of molasses or four tablespoons of honey. In the end, just wing it! Trust your instincts and trust the simple nature of the recipe.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the almond butter in a bowl and "stir" with a fork or mix with mixer to soften. You can warm the jar of butter (opened) in a pan of shallow water on the stove before hand to make measuring and mixing easier.
3. Add the flour, sweetener, and extract and mix/knead thoroughly. Get messy and use your hands!
4. Place between parchment paper and roll out to 1/4" thick, then cut with decorative cookie cutters. Lay the cut outs on parchment on top of a baking sheet, spacing them out about 1/2" apart (they won't really rise or spread).
5. Bake 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and set. Cookies will crisp as they cool.
6. Lift parchment and cookies off the pan and let cool for 15 minutes, then store in an airtight container.

Makes about 7 large turtles or 15 small hearts!

These are not ultra dense like a Biscotti but also not really chewy like a Chocolate Chip - just in between. A little bit crumbly, they're perfect left plain as an accompaniment to coffee or tea, and of course they go well with milk. They'll hold up being dunked once or twice, too. Because they're not ultra-sweet, and because they offer up some healthy fats and protein, you can enjoy them for breakfast without any guilt. My personal favorite version of this treat is smeared with some sugar-less applebutter or jam on top (I think it also makes them look prettier). Whether you cut them into adorable, bite-sized animal shapes or into larger rounds or stars, they're quick and easy to prepare and even easier to devour.

I adapted the recipe from this one I found online, using ingredients that were either more readily available at the grocery store, more inexpensive, or that I already had in my home, and then I tweaked the quantites a few times based on the consistency of the dough as I mixed it. I've made them three times, doing something differently with every batch, and they all came out just as tasty.

A Watchful Gray Laze Day

2009-02-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

Living Room Eye-Spy

The day is just perfect for sipping a generous mug of tea, munching on some crisp and chewy choco-chip home-baked yummies, and staring into space.

fichus

dried fruit - strung cranberries from christmas 2008

leaf dish and rocks

old friends on the journey - sheep from ireland, zebra from old town, san diego, california

I hope you enjoy your Saturday in much the same way. But if you're stuck running errands or drudgery at work, I hope the sentiment is there.

Bummed About Diapers (PART TWO): Elimination Communication and "The Diaper Free Baby"

2009-02-25T13:11:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I discussed how I came to the notion of EC online while browsing various eco-friendly parenting sites. This was a concept I was completely in the dark about. Only could I recall many years ago hearing the term "diaper-free baby" and thinking, "Wow that's an oddball idea, probably thought up by smelly, hairy hippies. What a mess!" This was before I grew to realize I was very akin to a hippy myself (and learned that those stereotypes don't quite fit the culture). And of course, like many other western-world folks who have grown up post the 70's, I was conditioned to think of "diapers" and "babies" as going hand-in-hand. You see, disposable diapers were invented and popularized in the late 60's. And using cloth diapers? Equally strange to me back then. In fact, while in elementary school, I was friends with a girl who had a little baby brother in cloth diapers. I always wondered how messy that could be! Washing poo out of the laundry? Disgusting! Coupled with these other facts - the one time I ate dinner with them, they made me try tofu and toasted seaweed; they only watched educational TV, sparingly; they raised goats in their backyard, in the city; their mom made most of their clothing - I thought my friend and her family to be absolutely bizarre! My family was the complete opposite of theirs - we were fast-food eating, tv-watching, gross consumers. But I somehow grew up to be more and more like that old friend and reject almost all of my parents' ways.

As soon as I read a little about EC, I knew that this was the answer to my diaper worries. I checked out a wonderful book from the library called "The Diaper Free Baby" by Christine Gross-Loh, and plowed through it, every page becoming a greater affirmation to me that this was the right way for my future family. Ok, so what exactly is EC? How does it work, you ask?

Elimination Communication is a process of becoming attuned to your baby's own natural elimination cues and timing. You're not potty "training" your child, nor are you "training" yourself, rather you are creating better communication with your child, helping them to be aware of their elimination as you would help them with all their other bodily needs like eating or sleeping. Many babies signal naturally from birth when they need to go or are going poo or pee. Grunting, squirming, fussing, holding their breath - these are some of the ways babies tell us they have an elimination need. Even after they have gone, many babies in diapers will squirm or fuss because they are uncomfortable sitting in their own waste. Often they become calm and content once they are changed. And aside from very young newborns, babies tend to have a regular pattern of when they eliminate, such as going right after waking and during or directly after eating. Knowing your own baby's patterns and cues is the first step in EC. It involves a good amount of observation and attention on your part, but usually this isn't difficult for new parents because they're already spending a great deal of time with their infants. So what if you're a working parent, or your baby has other caregivers? Not a problem! "The Diaper Free Baby" walks you through the many ways that EC can be a part of your family's routine, whether you EC full-time, part-time, or very occasionally. EC is adaptable to your individual circumstances, comfort levels, and needs. And the author, along with a plethora of testimonials from families who do EC, offer many tips for involving other caregivers in the EC process.

So far EC sounds very do-able, right? Nothing too far fetched about communication. Actually this all sounds great! So here's more of the actual how-to of EC, the logistics:

Once you are aware and attuned to your child's elimination, it's just a matter of cuing your baby verbally, with a sound, or with ASL (or all of the above) when you see that they are eliminating or ready to eliminate, so that they associate the action with the cue and the result and become aware of the sensation their body has when they eliminate. And here's where the "diaper-free" part comes in. Instead of being dependant on diapers as receptacles for bodily elimination, EC involves helping your infant or older baby eliminate in a potty, bowl, toilet, or any other receptacle, and then flushing as you would normally your poo or pee. If it sounds strange for a little baby to use a potty or bowl, it's because you've been conditioned to think that this is a means of elimination reserved for toddlers, older children, and adults only. Sure, an infant or young baby will need assistance, as they cannot safely sit up on their own, so this involves holding them or supporting them until they are old enough to potty themselves. If this sounds like a lot of extra work, think of all the work involved in changing a diaper. The amount of time it takes to unbutton clothes, remove a poop-smeared diaper, wipe a soiled bottom (and their back and legs and your hands if there's a blow-out), wipe the changing table if it's a particularly messy diaper, apply cream for diaper rashes, put on a clean diaper, and re-dress baby, all while struggling with their kicking or rolling about, is already quite a hassle. Imagine all it takes to potty an EC-ed baby is remove their pants, hold them over the potty, cue them until they eliminate, wipe them clean with TP or a wipe (which is significantly easier and cleaner since they haven't been squishing around in their waste), dump or flush the waste, and re-dress. No more smelly diapers stinking up the nursery, no more poop up the back, and no more kicking during diaper changes. Pottying can even be fun for baby and the rest of the family!

So what happens when we're not near a potty, you might ask? What about EC-ing on the go? "Diaper Free Baby" goes into great detail about how EC works outside of the home. One point to note is that soon, your baby will develop the ability to "hold it" until given a "pottytunity." Many families have expressed that while running errands, they simply potty baby before they leave, once while out if it's a long time away from home, and again when they return home, with no or few misses (a "miss" is when you don't catch the elimination before it happens." If you are experiencing very frequent misses, you can use a diaper or training pant as a just-in-case back-up. So you see, EC is not actually about never using diapers, rather it's a way to free yourself and your baby from the dependence on diapers.

Of course, there are probably a dozen questions many of you have about how EC would work for your family. I highly recommend reading Christine Gross-Loh's book, as it's extremely informative, shows how adaptable EC is to many different lifestyles, and offers countless tips and testimonials from parents who have experienced EC in their own unique ways. It's an easy read for anyone new to EC, and Gross-Loh approaches the subject with a relaxed and nurturing manner. She has PhD and is a mother, herself, so you can trust that she's knowledgeable. In addition to the book, there's an immense amount of resources available online and in book-form, as well as a number of support groups throughout the world, including one called DiaperFreeBaby which Gross-Loh is involved in. There are even stores and online-shops devoted to selling items that can make ECing easier for you and your family, such as infant-sized underwear, cloth training pants, potties and bowls, etc.

In my opinion, Elimination Communication just seems like the best way to go. Because it's extremely gentler to baby and to the environment, because it's natural and non-coercive, because EC offers another way for parents and their babies to communicate and bond with one another, and because it's a tried and true method that has been practiced throughout the world for centuries and through modernity, particularly where disposable diapers are considered only to be a luxury item, hands-down I'm hooked.

Bummed About Diapers (PART ONE)

2009-02-19T22:36:00.000-08:00

I have always (from as far back as I can consciously remember) wanted to be a mother. This sometimes subtle, sometimes over-powering, yet ever-present tugging at my uterine "heart-strings" has been a constant throughout my life. Every time I see a pudgy little bundle all swaddled in a mama's arms, or a tiny person waddling hand-in-hand with their daddy down a grocery isle, I say to myself, "Awww, a baby! I want one!" The desire to nurture is extremely strong in me. It's what led me, almost exactly one year ago, to scrap my career path in books/writing and instead try my hand at childcare, despite a complete lack of formal experience or education in the field (unless you consider playing house for far too long as a child and babysitting my nieces and nephews on occasion). I did however read several books of The Babysitter's Club series while I was in 5th grade, so perhaps that counts? Anyhow, with a supremely well-crafted and heart-felt cover letter (thanks to my BA in English) and an unflinchingly genuine desire to learn, I lucked out and was hired by a newly opened child care center in Southwest Portland. Working several months full time with a gaggle of infants from six weeks to eleven months gave me plenty of parenting practice under my belt! If you think one infant is a handful, try being responsible for the care of four of them at once.

"I bet it's good birth control," many people said.

Funny, and true, but the urge to parent is still there. I now am a nanny to a sweetie-pie 9-month-old, named Anna. I spend 20 plus hours of the week with her, one-on-one, doing all the things that a normal mother would do with their child - go for walks, take baths, sing songs, etc. and my baby "cravings" are still not satisfied. Of course, because she's not mine. Nonetheless, like many responsible someday-mothers and surely EVERY already-mother, I understand having a child makes a HUGE impact on your little world. My little world is not quite ready for me to be a mommy. Perhaps soon, but not yet. More accurately, mine and my husband's bank account is not ready. Babies are expensive. Of course, there are other factors that my husband and I would like to change before we deem ourselves ready. This is "family planning."

And just as important to consider in one's plans, the eco-responsible part of me knows that, aside from my own world getting bigger after having a child, the choices a parent makes while raising their beloved bambino can make a huge impact on the rest of the world, too, i.e. the environment. Yes, though their feet be itty bitty, the footprints they can leave on the environment are gigantuan. Ok, it's not their fault at all. Cower not, adorable little babes, you are not to blame! It's what your parents put on your bottoms!

I mean, I'm talking specifically about the excess waste and hazordous by-product from diapers. Disposable diapers, to be exact. Those squishy things on babies' bums to hold the poo and pee, the things that need constant changing, the ones that get thrown in the trash and then the landfill and then they sit and sit and sit and sit, bio-degrading in something like 800 years. Yeah, that's probably not good for the earth. Imagine the vast number of diapers that require changing in a single child's lifetime, assuming that they are not fully potty-trained until the age of three (which is quite common), and it's just appalling to think that all of that waste is just hanging around. Multiply that by, what, a really big number that represents the crap-ton of babies who exist in this world today alone, and you see that we've got a lot of stinky diapers on our hands. And I haven't even mentioned the trauma our earth undergoes when those plasticy bleached diapers are manufactured! Good grief! So these are things I worry about.

There is an option for those of us who are hip and green-minded. I've seen how some great Earth-friendly companies are now making bio-degradable disposables! WOW, what a relief! Except that they're pricey. If you so kindly will recall my earlier point that money is slim when you've got a child... And there's still a lot of waste involved in the process of manufacturing and disposing of them. Sure, it's trash that will eventually disappear, but it still is shitty (pun intended) to our earth.

I also haven't even begun to discuss the ramifications of those disposable diapers in terms of baby's health and development. Heard of diaper rash? Caused by diapers! There are a gazillion creams/pastes/ointments on the market devoted solely to the problem. No wonder! Our poor little kids are sitting in their own exrement and urine for sometimes hours on end, thanks to the constantly improving design of diaper linings that allow more and more of its contents to be absorbed. Obviously that's going to irritate their sensitive skin! And personally, I would hate to sit in my own pee or poo for even a minute, let alone several hours. Women can empathize to the smallest degree - you can understand what this must feel like if you have ever worn a maxi pad for menstruation. Unpleasant, to say the least. Additionally, by conditioning young babies to ignore the unpleasant sensation of a wet or soiled bottom until it is convenient for an adult to change their diaper, and then later turning around and asking for them to suddenly recall the sensation again as well as to give up what was once appropriate for elimination and adopt a completely new habit at the age of two or three (as in the process of potty training), you're just setting everyone up for a great deal of confusion and frustration. So I say, disposable diapers stink!

The alternative to disposable? Cloth. I've only ever heard rumors that these are still used by some parents, who are either ultra hippie or Quaker or something along those lines. I think the idea is great, in theory. Natural, easy-to-come by, responsibly produced cloth. Surely a cheaper choice and a more eco-friendly choice (if you're choosing organic, sustainably harvested fabric) as well. But I just assume that cloth diapers are such a pain in the rear to clean! You'd be doing laundry constantly, am I right? And there's some debate as to whether the extra energy and water required to launder cloth diapers is worth it compared to the environmental risks of disposables. Factor in the resources wasted by transporting the diapers if you use a cleaning service, and you realize you're still not helping the issue all that much. The enviro-impact is less, true, but how much less? I mean, it sounds worth it to me to put in the extra effort, but in the name of convenience, who knows what I'll resort to once I have a kid of my own.

So, what can a caring, conscientious, and frugal parent do about it?! It's something I've seriously mulled over. How will I diaper my baby?

In an effort to educate myself about the ever-changing market of baby stuff out there as well as the newest parenting techniques and philosophies, I peruse books and blogs and browse the shopping isles of baby departments or online stores. Ok, I do it just for fun too! Confession: Just last night I couldn't help but melt when I spotted a perfectly classic teak tandem swing online that I would die to buy for my children-to-be. I do this sort of thing all the time. So it's no surprise that while browsing the internet several weeks ago, I came upon an option I hadn't even considered: Diaper-free baby. "What? No diapers? Crazy talk!" you say. No really, it's possible! It doesn't really mean absolutely no diapers, ever. It only implies, a baby not dependent on diapers. Just here me out. This isn't some newfangled trend. This practice has been around for years! And most people are calling this approach Elimination Communication.

So why hadn't I heard about it, you might think?

(I'll tell you more about what I have learned regarding EC in my next post, so check back in a day or so!)

[photo borrowed from here]

A Little Taste of Love

2009-02-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

To everyone (including he who has found perfect love, is searching for reciprocated love, and even the one who doesn't believe in the existence of love): I hope you had a wonderful Valentines Day. Despite the gross consumerism and commercialization involved in the holiday, and the fact that for single folk it can be quite heartbreaking to endure, Valentines Day can be a tender and sweet little occasion. To me, it hearkens back to days in elementary school when you baked pink cupcakes for your entire class and exchanged paper notes stuck with stickers and glitter. To open a quaint little envelope with your name on it, and read a punny/cheesy message from the quiet kid who sits behind you and picks his scabs all day, makes you smile because even he has a soft side to him. Sure, his mom probably made him send valentines to everyone, but you're touched just the same. It reminds me of the days you got all giddy when your crush smiled at you, even though you knew he was smiling at every one else, too. Valentines Day was always just about spreading love and kindness, not about finding true romance and professing devotion (though if you're in a relationship, it can definitely be that for you). So I hope you all experienced some love and kindness yesterday.

I do happen to have a sweetie (YAY), so I baked gooey organic Double-Chocolate/Double-Love Brownies and hand-made corny and sentimental cards. That's him (hubby) in the photo, showing off my imperfectly heart-shaped, but undeniably delectable, confections.

Hand-Made Ornaments: Imperfect Little Perfections

2008-12-15T10:23:00.000-08:00

Here are two of my favorite things about Christmas this year, wrapped up into one little idea:

It's chilly out, perhaps like yesterday it just snowed, and I'm snug inside with the thermostat on 65, sitting on the couch and sipping some tea. Christmas is on its way, and it's the first time I'm not going back to my childhood home for the holidays or visiting other folk's parents. This Christmas is uniquely my own and my husband's - this means we will create new memories and traditions, begin to collect our very own cache of holiday decorations, and because our little family is still so new, we get to start from scratch! Since Austin and I share a lifestyle that is all about trying to remain anti-commercial, eco-friendly, healthy, resourceful, and thrifty whenever we can, Christmas to us will be devoid of all the store-bought, plastic junk that most families buy in heaps to fill their homes (the most gross display of this concept can be seen in the 10-foot-tall blow-up snow globes that adorn certain people's lawns). Naturally, I'm steering clear of stuffed snowmen and aluminum tinsel, bold red and green bulb ornaments coated in shiny shellac and glitter, mechanical singing elves, and plastic holly wreaths. Instead, I'm trimming the tree with all sorts of home-made, one-of-a-kind ornaments that are full of character and in years to come will hold special meaning to us.

On my home-made holiday kick, I got my hand on an amazingly easy recipe/craft idea for Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments (not to eat, just to hang) that you form with cookiecutters and dough and then bake in your oven. You can whip these up in a single afternoon. Not only will they smell great while you're baking them, but the decidedly delectable scent of cinnamon will remain on these ornaments for whenever you want to put your nose close to the tree and take a sniff.

Here's how you do it:

You'll need a large amount of cinnamon (depending on how many ornaments you want, could be anywhere from 2/3 cup to 1 1/2 cup, or you could go crazy and make a zillion of them, in which case you'll need more cinnamon). You'll also need an equal amount of applesauce. For both the cinnamon and applesauce, you can get away with buying the cheapest stuff around - they're still going to make awesome ornaments. If you're concerned about the footprints on the environment, buy organic and local. It's up to you. But if you just want to make a ton of these without shelling out a fortune, you can buy bulk cinnamon at your grocer's or get a bunch of jars from a dollar-store or chain pharmacy like Walgreens or Rite-Aid. Remember, you're not eating the ornaments, so as long as the cinnamon and applesauce smell, you're set. You'll also need cookie cutters, in your desired shapes, and some string, twine, or ribbon. Beads are an optional way to adorn the string with some added character. You could also use craft glue and glitter or paint to decorate the finished ornaments, but I personally like the natural, organic look of the dark brown cinnamon.

To make the ornaments, simply mix your applesauce and cinnamon together to form a dough.

It's going to be somewhat sticky, but if it's too sticky, add more spice. Too dry, add more sauce. Then roll out, or hand knead the dough to flatten and cut out shapes with your cookie forms. And don't forget to poke a hole for future hanging - a chopstick or skewer work perfectly. Then place on a cooling rack to air out for 24-hours, or if you want to speed up the process, bake on your lowest oven setting for 1 hour, then flip the cookies over and continue baking for 1 more hour. When dry, string ribbon or twine through the holes and hang the finished ornaments!

Note: Wax or parchment paper, or I've even aluminum foil, to line your baking sheet helps so the ornaments don't stick. Greasing your pan will discolor the ornaments...but if that's all you have and you're going for convenience, go ahead and try that. Just note that placing them directly onto a pan without a buffer can result in your ornaments being ruined when you go to remove them from the pan and they're crusted down. I have made this mistake, and getting them off the pan resulted in them breaking and crumbling.*

*In a recent batch, I sprinkled both sides of the flattened dough with nutmeg before cutting my shapes, similarly to how you might sprinkle a bread dough with flour to prevent sticking. This resulted in a faster drying time and allowed me to skip the parchment paper during baking. But it took away some of the cinnamon smell. It also gave the ornaments a more toasted brown color. I suppose it makes sense to sprinkle the dough with cinnamon, but I haven't tried that.

Holiday Hand-Mades, Lavender Dryer Sachets

2008-12-12T18:45:00.000-08:00

Each year, around Christmas-time (which now for all intents and purposes extends to about a week before Thanksgiving, sheesh), when over-stuffed shopping carts are racing wheel to wheel through store isles to get the last Tickle-Me toy or I-nano gizmo just as check-out lines are both expanding and retarding exponentially, I become extra blase' about the glut of consumerism and material greed surrounding it all. I always say to myself, "This year, I'm going to conserve resources, save money, and use my craftiness and creativity to make all my gifts for loved ones." And even with three or four or even five weeks left until the holiday, I never manage to get in gear and actually do it. I might muster up the energy and time to whip up one small hand-made trinket or ornament to give to my mother, but generally I expend all my efforts in other tasks or pursuits. I mean, who isn't busy in December with their regular lives, their everyday chores, their jobs, their long list of prominent stresses? The last time I was completely carefree in spirit and had a surplus of available hours to do arts and crafts around the holidays, I was in the third grade!

But the spirit of Christmas 2008 has gifted me with a very opportune, albeit somewhat disconcerting, change in job-status, i.e. I'm currently unemployed for the month of December*. That translates to a plethora of spare minutes to actually do some mean hand-made making of gifts!

One of my first projects involved sacheting everything in sight! I recently purchased a large quantity of plain, hand-sewn, muslin drawstring bags online at a neat little website called Earthsong Fibers. I hadn't intended to use them for holiday gift-making, but the original intended purpose (to make silica gel sachets to string in mass quantity around our home in a desperate attempt to de-humidify the air) was both impractical and no longer necessary.

Here are the details of the Lavender Dryer Sachets I made:

Materials Needed:
Muslin Drawstring Bags
or 3"X5" Fabric Swatches (to construct your own hand-sewn sacks)
Acrylic Paint and Fine-Detail Paintbrush
Dried Lavender Buds
Sewing Needle
Embroidery or Heavy-Duty Thread

Super Simple Instructions:

1. If using pre-made bags, skip this step. If you are hand-sewing your bags out of fabric you've chosen yourself, sew two pieces wrong-side together along three sides, leaving one side open to stuff with lavender. Turn right-side-out. Simple enough.

2. Place a piece of cardboard or paper inside bag, so paint won't seep through. Paint a simple lavender motif on one
side of the bags. Let dry completely.

3. Scoop or pour lavender buds into the bags, filling almost to the top. Leave just enough room to sew the open side shut.

4. Sew shut, using tight blanket stitch...or any other sturdy stitch, so long as it will keep the lavender from spilling out during repeated dryer cycles.

Throw into dryer with laundry. The sachets will infuse your linens or clothes with a soft scent of lavender every time you use it. Lasts up to ~50 cycles.

*Not to worry, friends, I begin work first thing come January as a nanny to a delightful eight-month-old, Anna. It's a great career change, and it will provide me with a lot more free time in the future, as well as unburden me from a lot of unnecessary stress. Yay!

Many Things To Be Thankful For

2008-12-11T16:48:00.001-08:00

The air outside was crisp and chill, but within our small Portland apartment nothing but warmth was felt this Thanksgiving day. Usually, I mostly dread the coming of this holiday - spending long, awkward hours with blood-family that I normally wouldn't grace with more than a handful of minutes of my time over the phone, the day is often spent being ridiculed or interrogated about vegetarianism, being teased with hunks of roast bird, being chided for taking smaller portions than the rest of my veritably-gluttonous relatives, staring at a television screen which portrays some mindless display of consumerism or aggressive sport, stuffing my face with processed and fatty junk side dishes - to fill a vast void created by my boredom - that I don't even savor and that I know will give me terrible indigestion and constipation because the main ingredient in several of them is either brown sugar or cheese-whiz... The whole thing really disgusts me. My husband, I'm quite positive, will agree that this type of Thanksgiving is exactly the opposite of how we would prefer to "give our thanks."

But this year, being newly married and having lived almost one year in our home, Austin and I made the wonderfully exciting decision to have our own Thanksgiving - a more eco-friendly, local and non-traditional version than our parents' that is based on our liberal values and health-conscious dietary tastes, in which we could create our own traditions, here at our home, with our preferred family of friends. We invited another couple over (they are unmarried) for a potluck-style vegan spread. The day was perfect - informal, festive, fun and delicious! We started everything around noon. I had tossed a few hand-selected dried leaves on the coffee table and plugged in the white stringlights over our kitchen doorway for decoration - nothing too fancy - and set out some wasabi soy-nuts for snack. The guests arrived and brought with them some fine fine (pricey and high quality) Stumptown coffee, because they're employees and can get the stuff for free or discounted, which they ground and brewed immediately. We drank and chatted and were merry in the kitchen for several hours. When we were all sufficiently caffeine-buzzed, we decided to get booze-buzzed by making my new favourite drink called a Bourbon Furnace. It's so simple to make but it's amazingly cozy and yummy on a chilly Fall day. Here's the recipe:

Heat 1 jug (approx. 1 qt.) organic apple cider in a pot on the stove, bringing to a steady gentle simmer. Steep 1 homemade (or store-bought) sachet of mulling spices (cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, anise star, nutmeg, allspice - I bought mine in pre-mixed bulk at Limbo) in the simmering cider for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add a generous pour of Bourbon Whiskey to taste (probably 1-3 shots). Serve hot in a mug or mason jar. Garnish with a little lemon and a cinnamon stick (optional).

So while sipping our beverages and continuing conversation in our intimate little kitchen, we heated up the dinner fare, which included Spicy Thai Green Beans (not vegan due to shrimp sauce), Cooked Kale in Garlic Tahini Sauce, Roasted Veggies and Sticky Rice, Dinner Rolls, and as the main course, Pumpkin Tofu Manicotti. The Manicotti, which I prepared, hmph ha, was a sensation! So moist and flavourful, and surprisingly cheesy even though it contained not a hint of cheese (especially no Cheese-Whiz)! I'm going to add this recipe to my regular repertoire. It can be found here at a blog called Vegan Visitor. All of the food was amazing, and very healthy. Even though it was a hodge-podge of items that weren't planned in accordance with one another, the menu was surprisingly cohesive. And let it be mentioned that it all left the palette very content!

After filling our bellies not too full with good-tasting-but-good-for-you food, what better way to enjoy the company of friends than to play some games, as we did? A few mildly competitive rounds of Wii Boom Blox and a delightfully competitive game of Apples to Apples were just the ticket for the day, coupled with several glasses of the famous Bourbon Furnace.

And through it all, the deeply warm feeling of contentment and appreciation for my lot in life kept showing itself in a broad smile across my face. I have so much to be thankful for - a long detailed list that I will spare you of dear readers. But of those I'm most thankful - a loving and nurturing husband and friend, good health and great food to enjoy, as well as a tranquil and comfortable home - these things are exceptionally wonderful when I can celebrate them my own way rather than having to conform to someone else's traditions or lifestyle. And if you look at it that way, this is exactly what Thanksgiving is all about...sort of. The pilgrims came to America because they wanted to be free of the oppressive and confromist bonds of their mother country, England. They wanted to do things their own way, to rebell agianst the outdated and overbearing ideas of their parent government and church (even though it meant oppressing another group in turn, shame shame on them!, but that's not what I'm focusing on here). So, my Thanksgiving this year was not exactly a rebellion, persay, but in some form it was an expression of the freedom I've attained in growing up and away from parents to pioneer my own way of life with my awesome husband!

Keeping House

2008-09-07T08:29:00.000-07:00

When I awoke this morning, sun gently filtering through sheer white curtains and tickling my face with the light buoyancy of a feather, I sat up slowly and let my gaze settle in fragments upon the room while my eyes adjusted. Everything was in partial disarray, the week's hectic schedule having impaired my usual together-ness and tidyness. Clothes strewn across the papasan and at the foot of the bed and spilling out of the dirty clothes hamper. Tiny static-clinged millet hulls scattered everywhere on our rug as the aftermath of breaking-in my husband's new pillow, a sort of wedding gift from me (see previous article). Jeezischrist, what a mess, I thought. Is 7:22 am on a Sunday too early to start cleaning? And then, like a high-five to the bridge of my nose, it hit me: I'm a bonafide "grown-up," now. No more playing house in oversize dress shirts and aprons. This is for realsies. And I'm actually, not lying, excited about it.

The exact time at which the aging occurred is rather unclear. Whether sometime around last May, when I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in English and a half-finished novella in my portfolio, or sometime thereafter when, at the very under-ripe age of 23, I burnt out and stopped writing; or sometime in May of 2008, when I left a dead-end Shipping/Receiving position at the highly-coveted Powell's Books because it wasn't near enough to my original aspirations as a writer and left me jaded without a sense of purpose or drive; or when immediately post resignation, on the whim of some uterine itch of sorts, I jumped head-on into surrogate parent-dom as Assistant Teacher in the infant room at a fledgling childcare center, despite the fact that I had zero experience or training outside of childhood cuddles with my babydolls; or perhaps it happened all of a sudden when I got married last month to the love of my life and began burrowing a warm and nurturing domestic niche for myself and my husband. Hard to say. But with sleep-crusties still clinging to my eye lids, in my freshest early-morning ponderance, I suspected the full force of it really came about only yesterday. I bought my first vacuum cleaner. That's what did it. A Sears Kenmore Magic Blue canister vac.

After approximately 15 hours of admittedly anal-retentive research of Consumer Reports and Amazon.com reviews, and checking out "the merch" at local departments in the area, I settled upon this mid- to lower-end model with an additional three year full warranty by the in-town service center. And it's like a dream.

All morning (intermittently between blog-breaks, breakfast, and refills of Emergen-C) I've been switching between one attachment and the next, sucking up every mite from cracks and crevices, carpets, hardwood, upholstery, molding. And aside from the immediate gratification of seeing my home become gradually dust- and dirt-free, I feel oddly contented by this act. As the grime that has deflected previous vain efforts of broom and pail is whizzed away to bagged oblivion in my vacuum, and I slowly un-settle the sediment of our day-to-day existence, I feel my own self settling in its place.

It kindof reminds me of a book I'm currently reading, a memoir by Haruki Murakami, about the role that running has played in his life. Singularly meditative by repetitive motion to a point of hypnotic mind-placidity, Murakami describes the act of daily running as an excercise of the psyche as well as the physical body. In addition, the hard training and marathons run by Murakami throughout his adult life act as benchmarks, in a way, of the growth and transformation experienced as he ages and "settles" into the various stages of his life journey. For those not familiar with Murakami's work and life, at the age of 59, he's pretty much done it all, trying his hand and succeeding as business owner of a bar, author of countless stories and novels (in both Japanese and English), translater, and competitive runner, among other pursuits. I would say he's lived a very full life.

Maybe it's a stretch, but like running to Murakami, for me vacuuming this morning with my first major domestic purchase as a newlywed took on a highly meditative aspect and brought a profound sense of identity or place (for lack of better words) to this era of my life. Not that cleaning house is all of a sudden going to be a role I dutifully adopt as wife - chores and cleaning tasks are for the most part shared in our household. I'm not a Harriet to my Ozzie. But what I mean is this: like the space I occupy with my husband must be worked at regularly (by all parties) to be kept clean and healthy and functioning for the both of us in a comfortable manner, my adult life, too, including all of its parts (job or career, relationships, responsibilities, mental health, physical health, intellect, etc.), must be kept up, clutter-free, and regularly maintenanced more and more as I mature. And though it can sometimes seem tedious or daunting, it's something that I enjoy, because it brings about so many benefits. Life becomes smoother and more enjoyable when I keep it generally organized and free of ugly, grimy things (metaphorically speaking, now). By constantly re-assessing the current state of my life on a habitual basis, getting rid of any unwanted "dust," and coveting what is fresh and beautiful and pure, I find that I'm truly content and can fully accept, even enjoy the process of growing older.

And so I finish typing, and move to the next room, picking up my telescopic vacuum wand to continue the process. The vacuuming will never truly be complete, because each day a new layer of dust will come wafting in my front door or be dragged by muddy sneakers onto the floor, and it will build and build until I take out the vacuum again next week. But I won't worry about next week. All I can focus on is today. How tidy can my life be made, today? Well, with the help of a good vacuum, it can be pretty comfortable. And I'm telling you, it feels really, really good to live my life right now.

Lull by hulls

2008-09-01T09:58:00.001-07:00

What's more cozy than this? The lights are lowered, you've just donned some snuggly PJs, or slipped into your silky peach-fuzzed bareness, and are crawling beneath the sheets of your bed. The soft fabric falls gently, like a whisper upon your skin, and settles. Your heavy burdened head, swimming with thoughts of un-finished to-do's and the dizzying minutia of your day, nuzzles deep into the warm hug of a nook in your pillow, the channel that you've created with your palm to fit your head just-right. It's gentle and smooth against your tender cheek yet supportive and firm, enough to keep all eight pounds of your skull aloft throughout the entire night, but forgiving enough for your oh-so-fragile neck to be cradled safely in its friendly curvature. You breathe slowly and deeply, taking in the soothing scents of lavender, chamomile, rose, catnip (yes its true). And a familiar face grows larger in your lidded vision-scape, the face of Dreamland coming to take you, enclosing you in his sweet embrace like a warm womb, to a healing REM state.

But what if you're not sleeping on the right pillow? What if your pillow for all intents and purposes stinks? Getting to this place of sleep nirvana is a lot more difficult when your vessel to sleepy time is a lumpy, flattened slab of synthetic fluff? Sleeping on a pillow such as this can leave you restless, grumpy, and with a sizable kink in your neck the following morning. I know. I, too, have once or twice chosen the wrong pillow to bear the burden of my weary brain at night. After weeks of fitful sleep, tossing and turning, and waking with painful aches in my neck and shoulders which developed into an almost constant head-ache at the base of my skull that didn't go away with massage or ibuprofen, I turned to the internet as my guide. A day spent squinting, pointing, and clicking in search of the holy grail of pillows came up bountiful.

The wonder pillow I speak of in the begininning of this veritable info-mercial exists, my friend, and is made by The Pillow Company . Their Millet Hull night pillow is a godsend. Filled with organic, sustainable, and ethically harvested millet hulls, it's perfectly hip for those of us who choose to shop "green." And it's healthy. As opposed to other pillows on the market (I won't name names) your mind can be at ease knowing that you're not inhaling harsh synthetic chemicals from flame-retardent factory-produced products. And no ducks or geese were harmed or discomforted in the making. Add some organic aromatherapy herbs, such as a "dream pillow" mix (I got mine at Limbo Inc. in SE Portland) inside the zippered cover, and slip on a high thread-count organic cotton case, and you can surely rest easy the next time you lie down for a long snooze.

Home-spun Wedding

2008-08-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

The time ticker shows my wedding is a mere week away. Saturday will be our one year anniversary. Awwww, isn't that adorable? Yep, folks, we crazy kids fell in love so fast. It does happen. Austin and I are doing it our own special way (whether my mom thinks it's "special" or not is irrelevant).

For the new-comers, here's a quick taste of the details: We're, for all intents and purposes, eloping here in Portland, in a friend's backyard. The natural decor of foliage in the yard will be all the frill we need. Guests include the Officiant and two witnesses (friends who live in the city). No more. The vows, a sentence or two, but heartfelt and candid. Simple. We say this stuff to each other every day, so why list it all verbatim? Laid back, low-key, down-to-earth...call it what you will, we're just two people who love each other and wanna get hitched without all the fuss and superfluous ceremonious bullshit that means nothing to our simple, easy-going lives. Throw in a couple bottles of wine, a little something sweet to nibble, and an hour or so of talk and laughs and smiles and kisses, and that's our perfect little wedding. For the occasion, I bought a sweet white cotton eyelet sun dress from Saks (on clearance, god knows I could never afford to shop there normally) and a honeydew green sash for a punch of color around the waist. I opted out of flowers, due to the steep cost, low-sustainability factor, and sad transience of their inevitably wilting existence on our dining table.

But at six and a half days remaining, I find myself sort of scrambling (not frantically, but ever so graciously) to get the last-minute details together. I still have not found suitable footwear (two pairs of sandals already bought and returned prove that a comfortable yet flirtatious, and by all means thrifty, sandal (in white, no less) is a hard commodity to come by. In the end, I'm not die-hard opposed to flip-flops. Austin is without his suit, but I'm adamantly assured that I shouldn't worry, he'll get it today or tomorrow or later this week. Also, we have no wedding rings to exchange. Tattoos may be applied in the future, but we've found that a tasteful and timeless design is an even harder commitment than marriage. Oh well, what's a ring to a lifetime of love and fidelity and companionship? Announcements still need to be printed at Kinko's self-service center, but I already have the template ready in a folder, good to go. Whatever.

Still, somehow I found the time and freak, out-of-nowhere inspiration yesterday to design and hand-make this felt flower hair clip to wear for the big day. A quick Google "local business results" search of felt crafts and supplies revealed an adorable little shop on E Burnside where I bussed to buy white and pink felt, along with some embroidery thread. A glance online again for a model white flower (went with the rose, because my favorite, the calla lily, would be harder to render in near-to-one dimension) and I started cutting and sewing. Approximately 2 hours later, I had petals ready to be assembled. I opted to sleep a bit, and the following morning at 5 am or so, I picked it all up again and finished the project. I'd say it took me four hours, total. it set me back by about $2.50 in bought materials, 90% of which are still un-used for future crafting endeavors.

I think it's just the perfect "something new" to complete my outfit, and it will definitely become a fondly remembered heirloom!

(Image uploaded later - Our Wedding Day. True, I said I wouldn't have flowers, but at the last minute, our gracious and amazing officiant Jannie donated those beautiful calla lilies, out of her own home, along with the flower in Austin's pocket.)