Stitches and SNPs

Feeding Friendship: Blood Orange Yogurt Cake with Blood Orange Curd

2012-01-27T13:18:00.000-06:00

I totally lucked out when I picked winter citrus for this round of Feeding Friendship - this week is Citrus Fest at Central Market! That means I had access to sour oranges (mojo anyone?), limequats, Buddha's Hands, and all sorts of other great citrus. After sampling all of my options, I settled on blood oranges and decided to make a blood orange curd I found at Simple Math Bakery (love the name of that blog).

The curd took way longer than I was expecting to come up to temperature, but it is a pretty low maintenance recipe. Mix together the sugar, eggs, zest, and juice and heat over a double boiler for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don't freak out if you get a few egg bits, just strain it before you mix it into the butter. Thanks to the sweet and slightly floral flavor of the blood orange, the resulting curd is complex and very sweet! I'd recommend cutting back on the sugar and increasing the lemon juice.

I've had a yogurt cake from Clotilde Dusoulier's first book earmarked to make for the longest time. Then I found Smitten Kitchen's yogurt cake recipe with lime zest and black berry sauce and marked that. Well, the time had finally come to make a yogurt cake. I followed the Smitten Kitchen recipe, but substituted blood orange zest and juice for lime. The wonderful thing about this cake is it is all one bowl.

Once all the wet ingredients are blended, you sift in the dry ingredients and stir - done! I love a batter that doesn't begin with creaming butter (mostly because I never remember to soften my butter ahead of time). Evidently, I threw away my round cake pans before our last move (???). Or at least I can't find them. So I made cupcakes instead.

I cooked them at the same temperature for 25 minutes and they came out just right. The yogurt creates a really moist, tender crumb and allows you to cut back the amount of fat used in the batter. I'll definitely be making these again, but with extracts or more zest to bump up the flavor.

My pictures don't do it justice (I made this late last night), but the curd is a pretty salmon color and, due to the lower acidity of blood oranges, runnier than lemon curd you may have had. I have about three cups of curd left, but don't worry, I have a plan for it!

DIY Kid's Science Kit (with Download)

2012-01-24T00:05:00.001-06:00

So I'm great at making gifts for babies and pretty good with adults, but I have absolutely no idea what anyone between the ages of about 5 and 21 would possibly want for Christmas. The worst, for me, is the "tween" (side note: when did that become a thing? I'm pretty sure no one ever called me a tween when I was 11). Since Geoff has a brother and sister who fall into that age group, it took be a while to come up with homemade present ideas. Eventually, I just decided to make something I wanted to play with and hoped they would like it. And what do I think is the most fun thing ever? SCIENCE!

There are a lot of so-called science kits out there, but you'd be surprised how many include fake microscopes. I knew I could do better and include all the gee-whiz experiments I've encountered over the years. After scouring the internet (I highly recommend Science Bob for all sorts of experiments you can do with stuff already around your house and Home Science Tools for more complex projects), I came up with 28 projects that I thought (hoped) were appropriate for supervised 8 and 11 year olds. To me, science is all about making your own observations so I streamlined the instructions, added some questions and places for the kids to write their own observations, and a "What's Happening?" section to explain the science behind each experiment in a kid-friendly way.

Then I assembled as many of the necessary components as were safe to ship and would fit in my box and topped it with a personalized notebook for each child. My kit included baking soda, balloons, bar magnet, borax, chocolate bars,clear plastic cups, coffee filters, compass, cork, corn starch, corn syrup,epsom salts, food coloring, glitter, index cards, iron nails, liquid soap,metal washers, needle, pennies, plastic stir sticks, salt, skittles, soy saucepacket, straws, string, tape, white glue, and wire. You could include more or less, but I wanted to ensure that they would be able to do several of the experiments on Christmas day without having to go to the store.

If you want to make your own DIY science kit or just try out some of the experiments, you can download my workbook here: http://goo.gl/5WMmJ. It contains directions for cabbage-based pH testing; making your own bubble solution, play dough, slime, bouncy ball, and invisible ink; turning a chicken bone into a rubber bone; using paper chromatography to separate out the dyes in candy; copper plating nuts and bolts; making a Cartesian diver; building a hoop plane, balloon rocket, oatmeal container camera, worm composter, compass, pinwheel turbine, solar oven, and mousetrap marshmallow catapult; determining the strength of chocolate bars; turning leaves into skeletons; testing for photosynthesis; dying carnations and carrots; making staltactites and stalagmites; and my very own at home DNA extraction that I do with students every year.

I hope you enjoy the PDF I put together and let me know if you have any other links to great home science projects!

The World's Coolest iPhone Case

2012-01-22T23:58:00.000-06:00

Okay, I might be a bit biased, but I really think this is the greatest iPhone cover ever made. Our phones had stopped reliable sending and receiving calls, so Geoff and I finally had to replace them. We bought the last generation of iPhones (the 4, not the 4S) and while Geoff opted for a classic black case to protect his, I finally got to buy the cross stitch case I have been eyeing for more than a year. I bought my case at Think Geek. You can get them more cheaply at Amazon, but this case has more stitches per inch (so you can make a more detailed design). As soon as I ordered it, I began working on a chart based on this picture. I tried several sites that promise to make cross stitch patterns from photos, but I had the best luck just laying a piece of graph paper over the printed image and making my own chart. The case arrived on Friday and I began stitching immediately, pulled away only to go to a James McMurtry show. I love the way it came out and I'll never get my phone confused with anyone else's!

Foto Friday {41}

2012-01-20T23:13:00.000-06:00

Saturday January 14: New Neighborhood Restaurant

Sunday January 15: A Warm Heart

Monday January 16: New iPhone = More Self Portraits

Tuesday January 17: Waiting for an Oil Change

Wednesday January 18: Designing my Custom Phone Case

Thursday January 19: Felt Booties

Friday January 20: James McMurtry show

Gung Bao Chicken

2012-01-19T21:29:00.001-06:00

When I came across this recipe for Gung Bao Chicken at Leite's Culinaria, I got really excited. I love Kung Pao chicken, but the restaurant version tends to be too heavy with gelatinous sauce and not hot enough. Ick. This recipe, however, is awesome. It comes together quickly and is (relatively) light.

The heat in this recipe comes from a combination of hot peppers and Szechuan peppercorns and it is completely worth tracking down the Szechuan peppercorns. I was surprised to find them very cheaply at my (slightly bourgeois) grocery store. The heat that comes from the peppercorns isn't an upfront heat like you get from most chili peppers nor the nasal-clearing hit of wasabi, but just hangs around on the soft palette. I can't explain it, but you really should try it.

December Book Report: Make Bread, Buy Butter

2012-01-17T21:26:00.001-06:00

Each of those flags is a recipe to try.

While I didn't technically finish this book in December, I read nearly the whole thing on the flight back from Pennsylvania. This book was given to me by Laurel because it reminded her of my "Is It Worth It?" feature here on my blog. The basic idea of the book it that the author makes her own versions of things we frequently purchase to see if the homemade version is better and/or cheaper. The stories that go along with the recipes are easy to relate to and you'll be surprised what things are cheaper to make and which aren't worth the effort.

So now I have a list of new things to make: cream cheese, hot dog buns, granola, danish, hot sauce, truffles, blackberry vinegar, corn tortillas, graham crackers, Worcestershire sauce, berry mustard, mascarpone cheese, burrata, chevre, ginger ale, bitters, orange-apricot conserve, sweet-hot pickle relish, cheez-its, and vanilla extract. I since "Is it Worth It?" making a comeback!

Carne Guisada + Tamales

2012-01-16T23:50:00.001-06:00

Carne Guisada is something I hadn't heard of before moving to Texas and the incarnation that I find at most restaurants here is a very thick gravy and deliciously falling apart meat stuffed into tacos, enchiladas, and tamales. I'm pretty much a sucker for anything in gravy so I was going to make it regardless, but I was curious about it's authenticity. I had found a good-looking recipe at Homesick Texan, so I knew it was legit Tex-Mex, but did it really cross over from south of the Rio Grande?

According to my friend Clarissa, "my grandma made it, but it is a stew, she would never have put it in enchiladas." So with that blessing, I seared off the meat, deglazed the pan, and dumped it all in my crockpot. Then I went to teach some friends to knit while it cooked a solid six hours on low. Because I cooked it in the crockpot, there was less evaporation than there would have been on the stovetop and I found that it needed the thickening power of a bit of flour at the end. The chunks of beef were falling apart and fresh, warm tortillas were perfect for sopping up the gravy.

Eating it as a stew was fantastic. But there was a lot left over. A lot. So, undoubtedly bringing shame to Clarissa's abuela, I made the leftovers into tamales. And you know what, those were delicious too.

A Very Special Quilt

2012-01-14T10:33:00.000-06:00

Over the last several years, my mom and I have started a tradition of working on a sewing project in the days after Christmas. This year, I had the perfect project - a quilt more than two years in the making. For my friend Sarah's baby shower, the attendees made hand-painted onesies. That baby has since been born, celebrated two birthdays, and outgrown her onesies by several inches (she's so tall now!).

I took all of the onesies and quilt fabric with me to Kansas and my mom and I set up an assembly line to make each of the blocks. I am so happy with the result! Now instead of old clothes in the closet, Clara has a quilt which she loves! When she is older, it will remind her of all the people who care about her.

Foto Friday {39-40}

2012-01-13T23:43:00.000-06:00

Saturday December 31: Airplane!!

Sunday January 1: Wilcox Hotel last reunion show

Monday January 2: Topology of Geoff (thanks, Mark)

Tuesday January 3: Snow!

Wednesday January 4: Home Again!

Thursday January 5: Prepping for AGAR workshop

Friday January 6: 1000 organized photos

Saturday January 7: favorite curtain

Sunday January 8: Remembering the Alamo

Monday January 9: AGAR Workshop

Tuesday January 10: Relaxing

Wednesday January 11: Lunch al Fresco

Thursday January 12: Galette Complete

Friday January 13: Leek/Blue Cheese and Spinach/Mozzarella Pizzas

Foto Friday {37-38}

2012-01-13T23:22:00.000-06:00

Oops. Somehow I let nearly a whole month slip by without posting my daily pics. Never fear, they were taken, just not posted. I can't believe it's been a month since...

Saturday December 17: Christmas Party

Sunday December 18: Trying to get into the Spirit

Monday December 19: this little piggy went to art school

Tuesday December 20: Dinner with Sharon and Eric in Austin

Wednesday December 21: my favorite wall

Thursday December 22: last cuddles before we leave for the holidays

Friday December 23: Putting up Tree

Saturday December 24: Christmas Eve

Sunday December 25: Merry Christmas!

Monday December 26: I Got a Lens!

Tuesday December 27: Mom and I made a quilt!

Wednesday December 28: I love Lawrence!

Thursday December 29: Flight to PA

Friday December 30: Geoff's most random Christmas gift

New Paper on the Evolution of Skin Color

2012-01-12T19:10:00.000-06:00

I was toodling around my Google Reader today over lunch when I spotted a link in the Scientific American blog feed about genes related to skin color. Since that is something I study, I clicked through to Scientific American which led me to the EvoAnth blog. I was reading along when I suddenly realized they were talking about MY PAPER which is already available online (here) and will come out in print sometime in the next few months. So since other blogs are talking about it, I thought I'd mention it here as well. :)

That's two papers down and one to go to meet my goal of three papers published by April! I did publish this commentary in November as well, but it wasn't on my research so I'm not going to count it towards my goal. I'm so excited to have one of the papers based on my dissertation work published and I hope to have the other out soon as well. If you want to keep an eye on my publication record (and I know you do), I set up a Google Citations site a while ago.

Okay, enough self-promotion for today.

Galette Breton with Fresh Cheese and Asparagus

2012-01-12T09:24:00.000-06:00

When I was in Montreal, I had a delicious asparagus crepe so I decided to make it when I got home. Those crepes had a thick white cheese in them, but I made my own Boursin-like cheese from Greek yogurt. I just improvised this version as I went so if you make it yourelf (and you should - it would be a great appetizer) play around with whatever herbs or other flavorings you would like. Even if you don't make the crepes, you really should consider making this cheese, it is so delicious. Eat it the first day you make it when it tastes perfectly fresh. By the second day, it tastes just like store bought - good, but not spectacular.

My crepe was going to be a galette (buckwheat crepe) except that I didn't have buckwheat flour so I decided to substitute rye. The substitution was, to be honest, unnoticeable. So feel free to go ahead and use David Lebovitz' recipe as is - but note that it makes fewer than 18 crepes.

Fresh Cheese:
1 1/2 cups 2% Greek yogurt
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp granulated garlic

To make the cheese, beat the yogurt thoroughly to release the whey. Blend in remaining ingredients and transfer to a large sieve lined with cheesecloth or multiple coffee filters. Place sieve in bowl and cover with additional cheesecloth or coffee filters and weight with a small plate and two cans. About every 15 minutes, dump out whey that collects in the bowl (you can save it for baking bread).

While the crepes are cooking, steam one bunch of asparagus for about 15 minutes. To assemble, spread cheese on half a crepe and top with four asparagus spears. Roll up like a burrito. A salad with a mustard vinaigrette pairs nicely with the crepes.

New Year, Old Friends

2012-01-11T23:36:00.001-06:00

New Year's is a time for looking forward, but this year we spent it reliving the good old days in snowy State College. So many of our friends have moved away, but lots are still close enough for a visit. (Although there were some that we missed.)

Many things were still the same, but lots are changing. Like this little girl who is not so little any more. On New Years Eve, Wilcox Hotel played their "final reunion" show downtown.

Everyone had a fantastic time! It was so much fun to see everyone and spend time in some of our old haunts.

I hope you are having a wonderful start to your new year!

Christmas in Kansas

2012-01-06T00:35:00.000-06:00

I love, love, love Christmas with my family! It is far and away my favorite holiday. Inevitably, I end up stressing myself out with last minute work projects and overly ambitious homemade gifts. But once we arrive at my parents' house, it all melts away. Over the last several years, my parents have taken to waiting for Kevin and I to arrive home before we decorate the tree.

We aren't much for white lights or themed ornaments. While we have some gorgeous blown glass ornaments, the tree is mostly covered in hand-made ornaments and ornaments of all shapes and sizes we collected over the years. I like it so much better than perfect but impersonal trees.

On Christmas morning, we got up at the crack of 9:30 for our traditional breakfast and then opened our stockings. Dad and I then get the turkey in the oven before we open presents. It's been a long time since I was around children this time of year, but I get the impression that children don't take well to this sort of schedule. I'm basing this largely on the phone call we got from Geoff's dad at 8am his time - all the presents had already been opened! Almost all of my gifts this year were handmade and I'll post more about them soon. I'm so lucky to have a family of people who appreciate the love and effort that goes into a handmade gift!

Dad and I prepare nearly the same meal every year, with small tweaks in herbs and techniques. But generally it is turkey, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes (this year I made them with candied pecans on top), green bean casserole, and cranberry relish. Tradition is so yummy. After dinner, we frequently play board games. Kevin brought a few new ones, but we also played Rummikub, which we have played since I was little.

We saw lots of family and friends while we were in Lawrence including Christmas Eve brunch with Summer and dinner with my mom's sister and her family. It was a wonderful trip and a great way to relax before our crazy New Year's Eve in State College!

2011 on Stitches and SNPs

2012-01-04T20:17:00.001-06:00

I have lots of posts in the works about our Christmas and New Year's trips and my DIY gifts, but first I wanted to take a look back at 2011 (as seen through the very narrow prism of my blog).

January

We moved to San Antonio, but I didn't blog about it until March.

February

Geoff turned 32 and I made my first dress to wear to my cousin's wedding in Houston.

March

We watched KU get knocked out of the Elite Eight and ate vegan for a week.

April

I ran a birthday 10K with two awesome friends and then headed to Minneapolis for the AAPA meetings.

May

I made Mothers' Day cookies and we celebrated Memorial Day with a cookout.

June

Geoff started back to school, while I spent most of the month in Seattle for a statistics course.

July

A fireworks-free Fourth of July and home-made pretzels for the World Cup.

August

A super busy month: my parents and grandma came to visit, Geoff's band debuted their album, and then I completed my first triathlon!

September

This month was all about cooking including a week of dinners for less than $5.

October

The middle of the month was dominated by two fun work trips - to Virginia and Montreal - and ended with a costumed night race for Dia de los Muertos.

November

We took a wonderful trip up to see family for Thanksgiving and then up to Wichita for my high school reunion.

December

It was hard to get into the Christmas spirit with the thermometer hovering around 70, but making gingerbread houses and yarn trees helped.

Feeding Friendship: Candy Cane Cookies

2011-12-23T01:58:00.000-06:00

When Sarah picked peppermint as our ingredient, I knewimmediately that I was going to make my Grandma’s candy cane cookies. She’s made these every year for as long as Ican remember. The cookies themselves area basic shortbread-like cookie, but what really makes them are the bright redstripes of peppermint frosting.

I took a few liberties with the recipe for the dough. I didn’t have much shortening on hand so Ireplaced half of it with butter (which I had tons of after overbuying formaking gingerbread). I also increasedthe amount of vanilla extract and left out the butter flavoring (since I don’thave it and I had added butter). Theresult of subbing in the butter was a more puffy and tender cookie than thecrisp one I’m used to. The butter addeda nice flavor that I liked, but I missed the crunch. Next time I may sub only ¼ of the shorteningfor butter.

Once the dough is made, Grandma uses her cookie press tomake cane shapes using a circular die with jagged edges. I was excited to use my cookie press for thefirst time and had the dough loaded before I realized that of the twelve diesmine came with, none of them was the one I needed. Luckily, I own a huge star tip for my pipingicing. Unluckily, my hand gave out afterpiping about three dozen of the candy canes that way. I understand now why cookies presses needmetal parts – that dough is stiff! Idecided to freeze the rest of the dough for other applications in January.

I went ahead and baked the cookies that I had while I made thefrosting. The key is to add enough peppermint extract to get a strong enoughflavor to stand up to the plain cookie. Remember that you will only be putting a small amount of frosting oneach cookie. Once cooled, I piped onstripes and took them to a Christmas party where they were promptly devoured torave reviews! It’s so nice to be able tohave a taste of my childhood at Christmas.

Candy Cane Cookies

adapted from Grandma Cris
Makes 5 dozen

Cookies:
3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. Crisco
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 c. milk
2 tbsp. vanilla

Icing:
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. butter, softened
1.5-2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla
Red food coloring
Peppermint extract to taste

1. Cream together butter, Crisco, and sugar. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add remaining ingredients.
2. Transfer dough to a piping bag and pipe into candy cane shapes onto a lightly greased or lined cookie sheet.
3. Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes.
4. To make frosting, sift powdered sugar and mix in all other ingredients.
5. Once cooled, pipe lines of frosting onto cookies.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (inside)

2011-12-19T23:23:00.001-06:00

The only gingerbread I had ever made before this year was graham crackers and store-bought frosting, but I set out to make one completely from scratch. I mentioned this to Veronica and Mike on our trip back from Thanksgiving and we all started brain storming what sort of things we could make - trailers, lighthouses, outhouses, post offices....

In the end, Mike stuck with the unconventional theme and made a replica of the Alamo (see also, their chicken coop).

I went a more conventional route, but I love it.

We used a rather bland gingerbread recipe so when I made the leftover dough into gingerbread men, I followed Veronica's request for chocolate gingerbread men by dunking them in ganache.

They didn't all make it out of the ganache unscathed.

With the house smelling like Christmas, it was time to get the decorations up. I've been slowly growing our Christmas decorations over the years and they are almost all handmade. I decided to add a pompom garland to the tree this year following the instructions from One Pearl Button. I used some scrap yarn I had lying around so I ended up with a pink, blue, green, and silver garland. A bit unconventional, but I like it. Plus, the non-Christmasy colors mean it can reappear for other festive events. Birthday garland anyone?

For the past five years, I have made a photo ornament of Geoff and I. This reindeer is for 2011 - just waiting for a nice picture of the two of us. Here's the whole tree:

I made a few more decorations with scrap yarn. I get my craftiness from my mom who made all of the decorations for she and dad's first several trees. A few years ago, she made me a set of red crochet snowflakes like the ones that decorated their trees thirty years ago. I had more than would fit on my tree to I made another garland to show them off.

This is all the snow we will be getting in Texas this year - highs in the 60s and 70s all week! With the house decorated, I wanted to make a little something for my desk at work. I used this tutorial that I spotted on Craftzine. So easy. So quick. So cute.

I've also been hard at work making Christmas gifts. I'll be sharing most of them after Christmas (so as not to spoil the surprises), but I did want to point any knitters out there still looking for last minute gifts towards this scarflet. I knit it up in some luxurious Malabrigo Rasta in about three hours. It is sooooo cute in this yarn that it was really hard for me to give up. They had a gorgeous mustard skein too that I am thinking about heading back and getting. Maybe a hat for me?

Christmas is also a great excuse to get out of the house and spend time with friends. We went to the McNay Museum of Modern Art (which is just around the corner from us) to see their Nightmare before Christmas exhibit last week and this weekend we attended a Christmas party at the head of my department's house and then donned our Christmas jammies for another party hosted by some friends we met through Veronica. And now it is just six days until Christmas!!!

Foto Friday {36}

2011-12-16T23:19:00.000-06:00

Saturday December 10: Fall

Sunday December 11: Quick and Easy Christmas Gift

Monday December 12: Sweet Potato Minestrone

Tuesday December 13: Angel Tree Gift

Wednesday December 14: More Angel Tree Gifts

Thursday December 15: McNay Museum

Friday December 16: Norman the Gnome

Rye Swirl Bread

2011-12-14T23:00:00.000-06:00

Does anyone remember the episode of Seinfeld where Jerry steals a loaf of marble rye from an old lady? I'm not saying you should knock a stranger down for this bread, but it is pretty darn good. Every time I make a recipe from the Bread Baker's Apprentice, it comes out perfectly. This bread was only slightly more complicated to make than the standard multigrain bread I usually make for sandwiches and it was a fun change of pace. The only thing I would do differently next time is add caraway seeds into the dough. Great for toast (but not with jam) and delicious for a pastrami, swiss, and hot deli pepper sandwich. Yum!

Foto Friday {35}

2011-12-09T23:33:00.001-06:00

Saturday December 3: Texas Snow

Sunday December 4: Gingerbread House!!

Monday December 5: Bowl of Fun

Tuesday December 6: Tree is Up!

Wednesday December 7: Hank meets our backyard visitor

Thursday December 8: Hot Chocolate

Friday December 9: Mini Tree

Feeding Friendship: Sweet Potato

2011-12-08T23:50:00.000-06:00

Sweet potatoes hold a very special place in my heart. The first meal I ever cooked for Geoff was pork chops and sweet and spicy glazed sweet potatoes. My mom, grandma and I made a comically large mess (I ended up with sweet potato and coconut webbing between my fingers) trying to craft Paula Dean's marshmallow-stuffed sweet potato balls. And my contribution to the last several thanksgivings has been mashed sweet potatoes with orange and chipotle. My latest favorite is sweet potato falafel from 101cookbooks.

I've made these a couple of times, and they are delicious! You need to plan a bit ahead to allow enough time to bake the sweet potatoes until they are very soft. You want the sweet potatoes to be completely smooth before you incorporate the other ingredients. I have made this with both regular flour and chickpea flour and I prefer it with the regular flour (if you can handle the gluten). This, along with stirring them gently and spooning blobs onto the pan without compacting them, will result in light and delicious falafel. I served it with a simple tzatziki and a Greek chopped salad for a light winter meal. Enjoy!

Giving Thanks for Family and Friends

2011-12-07T23:30:00.000-06:00

For the last several years, we have been in State College for Thanksgiving because we were too far from our families to make the trip. This year, however, we are just an 8 hour drive from my family in Oklahoma City (that's close in the Midwest - also, for my East Coast readers, Midwest does not refer to Ohio - but back to my point). The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we piled into a van with Mike, Veronica, and Veronica's aunt to head up I-35. Five drivers, two hours each, and a stop for Cain's chicken later, we arrived at my aunt's house while everyone else continued on to Wichita.

On Thursday, my parents and brother drove down from Kansas for Thanksgiving dinner for a total of 24 people at dinner. 24 VERY LOUD people. Seriously, I'm the quiet one in this family (frightening, right?), and sometimes I forget just how loud we can get. I love it, though, and miss being around all the madness when we leave. The picture at the top is almost all of my cousins on my dad's side looking nice and composed, but I think this photo (and the 15 others like it) captures us better.

On Friday afternoon, my parents, Kevin, Geoff, and I drove up to Wichita so that Geoff and I could attend my 10 year high school reunion. We met up at a wine bar downtown. Above are the centerpieces I made for the occasion. 2001 does not seem that long ago!

Before the reunion, we had dinner with my close group of friends. We hadn't seen all of the girls since Veronica's wedding so it was great to catch up. When you have known people for so long, getting back together always feels incredibly natural and we talked and talked like we had seen each other yesterday.

We did have color photography in 2001, I swear.

The reunion was so much fun! About half the class came (there were only 23 of us ), and it seems like everyone is doing really well. It's always difficult to tell where peoples' lives will take them after high school, but everyone seemed happy, mostly employed, and in good health - what more could you ask? There were lots of marriages and masters degrees and a few kids. A lot of the class has moved away from Wichita, but were able to get back for the reunion. I can't wait to see what everyone is up to in another five years.

Foto Friday {33 &34}

2011-12-02T23:30:00.000-06:00

Saturday November 19: Cutting a new dress

Sunday November 20: Kale, Pancetta, and Grape Pizza is delicious!

Monday November 21: Can't get over the sunsets back in the midwest

Tuesday November 22: the mustache lasted 45 minutes

Wednesday November 23: my baby cousin Finn

Thursday November 24: Thanksgiving with my cousins

Friday November 25: My boys

Saturday November 26: Class Reunion!!!

Sunday November 27: Road Tripping back to San Antonio

Monday November 28: It's getting cold

Tuesday: November 29: Brought a taste of Lawrence home

Wednesday November 30: Puffy Tacos, a San Antonio classic

Thursday December 1: Face masks

Friday December 2: Birthday Girls

November Book Report: Prodigal Summer

2011-11-30T23:09:00.000-06:00

When I was a child, I would stay up until all hours of the night reading by the nightlight I convinced my parents I still needed at ten or the flashlight I hid in my pillowcase (under the pillow being too obvious). As quickly as I devoured books, I remember the loneliness I felt when I finished one and the feeling that I couldn't go to sleep until I had read at least a few pages of a new book. As a grown-up, I still stay up too late reading from time to time, but I hadn't thought much about that peculiar sadness that comes from finishing a book you loved until I finished Prodigal Summer.

This was the first Barbara Kingsolver book that I read, despite many recommendations and I now completely understand why do many of my smart, strong, female, scientist friends loved this novel full of smart, strong, female scientists. The story covers a brief period of time but the characters have rich back-stories that unfold as the story progresses. I found the characters' world-views instantly relatable and enjoyed the way the several disparate stories wove together and set each other off.

The book really did have the feel of summer, slow but fulfilling. Like lying on a soft bed with the windows open as a warm breeze stirs the curtains- doing nothing but feeling utterly contented.

Feeding Friendship: Spanish Tortilla

2011-11-24T23:30:00.000-06:00

To help Veronica use up her eggs, I submit the tortilla. A Spanish dish traditionally made with just onions, potatoes, and eggs that I've gussied up a bit. From what I can tell, it is frequently used to sop up any residual booze late in the evening. We had it for a sober dinner.

First, I strongly recommend that you make sure all of your potatoes and onions fit in your cast iron skillet before you start cooking. You want your tortilla to be nice and thick, but not to overflow the pan. I looked at quite a few recipes that call for a quarter to a third of a cup of oil to cook the potatoes and onions. I used about 2 tablespoons and thought it was fine. I also browned my potatoes more than is traditional, but I liked the flavor and texture.

I decided to add some additional ingredients which I layered in with the potatoes. To keep things Spanish (and delicious), I used dry chorizo, roasted piquillo peppers, and manchego cheese. The only hard part of this whole recipe is the flip. As the tortilla cooks, run a spatula around the edge and as far underneath as possible. Once it is nearly set in the middle, loosen it really really well and slide onto a plate. Flip the pan on top and then invert to finish cooking.

Tortilla
Serves: 4-6

5 yukon gold potatoes
1 small yellow onion
4 eggs
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
4 oz. Spanish chorizo, sliced and roughly chopped
6 oz. Manchego cheese, shredded
10 oz jar piquillo peppers, diced

1. Thinly slice the potatoes and onions. Using 2 tbsp of oil, cook over medium heat until the potatoes are soft and lightly browned. Remove from pan.
2. Cook the chorizo until slightly crisp. Remove from pan.
3. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan and layer 1/3 of the potatoes to cover the bottom. Spread half of each of chorizo, cheese, and peppers over the potatoes.
4. Beat eggs with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the remaining potatoes and onions in the egg mixture then layer half into the pan.
5. Repeat layer of chorizo/cheese/peppers and potatoes. Pour remaining eggs over the top and jiggle to work the eggs down through the potatoes.
6. Cook over medium heat until just set in middle (7-10 minutes). Flip tortilla and cook 2-5 minutes more.
7. Delicious hot, but leftovers are great at room temp for lunch the next day.

Samosas

2011-11-23T00:08:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, an unexpected package arrived on our front porch. When my grandma came to visit us in August, we ate at a wonderful little empanada restaurant near us which inspired her to send me this adorable set of empanada makers and a cookbook full of delicious-looking recipes for pocket pies from all over the world. I'd been thinking about making samosas for a while, but the filling and crimping was deterring me. Problem solved. I was a little skeptical about them staying closed, but it was no problem at all.

How cute is that little tiny one? The opening is about the size of a quarter.

I diverged in many, many ways from a proper samosa, but the root - veggies flavored with ginger, garam masala, and cilantro - was still intact. Rather than making the thinner wrapper common for samosas, I used a naan-inspired dough recipe from the book which resulted in a chewy and crispy crust. So good!

For the filling, I decided to skip the potatoes (I was already frying them, after all) in favor of cauliflower. Since I only wanted a small amount each of cauliflower, carrots, and peas, I found a frozen mix. Thawing and chopping took less time that softening the onions, garlic, ginger, and garam masala in just a bit of oil. I tossed in the vegetables and when everything was tender-crisp, I pulled it off the heat and stirred in a dollop of yogurt to add some body to the filling. I think the starch from the potato would have served that purpose.

The back of the cutters can be used to cut out the perfect-sized disk of dough. A bit of egg wash around the edge made sure that the seal was solid before the samosa was dropped into 350 degree oil until golden brown. You could certainly bake these, I just happened to have a pot of oil from the doughnuts I made earlier in the day. Once drained and cooled slightly (seriously, resist, they are lava inside) they were delicious with mango chutney and a salad.

IKEA Hack: Fjellse Trundle Bed

2011-11-21T22:33:00.000-06:00

This is probably the thing I made recently that I am most proud of (thus the many photos). I had been searching for a trundle for a while. Our second bedroom was an office and music studio already so there wasn't much room for a guest bed. Unfortunately, it was $500 for anything that didn't look like it was going to fall apart the first time that someone slept on it. So what's a girl on a budget to do? Make one yourself, obviously.

IKEA run!!!!!!!!!!!! You will need two Fjellse twin beds and two sets of Sultan Lade twin bed slats (plus whatever else you convince yourself you "need" at IKEA).

Get your mom to help you assemble both headboards. Get my mom if you can - she's awesome at this stuff. The Fjellse beds are low to the ground so to make room for the trundle underneath the main bed, the crosspieces need to attach higher on the headboards.

My very clever mom suggested that we use the available holes to make a template in a piece of paper (the instructions). Align the template for the bottom hole with top hole on the hadboard and drill two new holes (for a total of 5 holes). Then attach the bed rails to the two headboards using the top three holes. The fit of my trundle is really tight so you may want to attach the bed rails a bit higher if your mattress is plush.

Put the slats in and take a break - the hard part is over........................................................okay, back to work.

Cut two inches off of each of the remaining long bed rails. Flip them over and screw in the cross pieces that belong to the foot boards. Position then about a third of the way in from either end. Rather than adding wheels, we found four of these felt sliders. They are self-adhesive and also cover the screws so they don't gauge the floor.

Flip the trundle right-side up and attach two handles to the trundle then go ahead and add the slats. We screwed in the two end slats as well for extra support. Put the mattresses on and slide the trundle underneath the daybed.

Your trundle is complete. You can leave it like this if you want, all clean lines and simplicity. But I was hoping to make this into a comfortable spot to curl up with a book on a lazy weekend afternoon (which never seems to materialize).

Getting that comfy upholstered look starts with - duh - upholstery foam. This piece was about 1" thick. We wrapped it around each end and secured it with heavy-duty thread in several places. Then we made slipcovers for each end out of royal blue duck cloth.

This is my intense sewing face (except I'm mostly laughing). The exact dimensions are going to depend on how thick your foam is. We put in a gusset but you could go even simpler and just run a seam up each side. The slip cover should be snug and compress the foam slightly.

Upholstering made a huge difference. Geoff does all his class reading there, when the cat hasn't already claimed it. And the best part is that when we move in a few years, it will all come back apart into small, easy to pack pieces. I was a bit concerned at first because the spartan frame looked a little flimsy, but this thing is so sturdy. I LOVE IT!!!

Cost:

2 Fjellse twin beds: 2 x $40 = $80
2 Sultan Lade slatted bed base: 2 x $10 = $20
2 matresses (with Groupon): $110
1 yard 60" wide duck cloth: $10
1" x 60" x 36" piece of foam: $25
Super Sliders: $5

Total: $250

Pumpkin Doughnuts

2011-11-19T21:22:00.000-06:00

So I don't know if I mentioned that in preparation for the pumpkin Feeding Friendship, I bought four cans of pumpkin. You see, I was deeply scarred by the 2009 pumpkin shortage so the urge to horde just kicked in. When I found this recipe for pumpkin old fashion doughnuts at Not So Humble Pie, I knew where that second can of pumpkin was going.

I made the dough the night before and cut it out in the morning. I realized that my large round cutter was terribly misshapen and I don't even own a small enough cutter for the holes. No problem, I used a drinking glass and a narrow shot glass with great results. I love doughnut holes so I ended up with 14 doughnuts and 21 doughnut holes by cutting out extras wherever there was space in the dough.

It's really important to get everything set up ahead of time and do the frying, draining, glazing and cooling within reach so that you can be right on top of your fry oil. Do your best to keep the oil as close to 325 as possible. The doughnuts that were cooked without letting the oil temp rebound were denser (but still delicious - don't get me wrong).

When you first drop the doughnuts in the oil, they will sink. Don't panic. They'll pop back up to the top after about 20 seconds. You'll flip them twice and then drain them on paper towels. I found the easiest way to turn them without splashing hot oil around is to use chop sticks. One set for the oil and one for the glaze. These are pretty involved, but worth it for the freshest doughnuts you'll ever eat! They make a wonderful snack alongside some mulled cider.

Foto Friday {32}

2011-11-18T19:31:00.001-06:00

Saturday November 12: Too early for Christmas Trees!

Sunday November 13: Collage for Geoff

Monday November 14: Spin Class!

Tuesday November 15: Home erectus contemplates

Wednesday November 16: Luxurious Sweater coming!

Thursday November 17: Cute clementines!

Friday November 18: Yummy wine and Masterpiece Classics

October Book Report: Remarkable Creatures

2011-11-12T21:10:00.000-06:00

I'm turning in my October book report late, can I still get partial credit? On my trip to Montreal, I read Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier and I loved it! My friend Kris recommended it as part of her ongoing science book club. When I stumbled across it at my work library while I was waiting for a meeting, I figured it was fate.

I read Tracy Chevalier's earlier novel The Girl with the Pearl Earring in a single night several years ago (although I never saw the movie because Colin Firth's mustache is just too creepy). I enjoyed this just as much, although I read it at a somewhat more leisurely pace. The story is inspired by two real women who were fossil hunters along English bluffs in the Victorian era. You can read a bit about Mary Anning on Wikipedia. The novel touches on questions of science and religion, the value of hands on experience vs. academic expertise, as well as class and gender in science and society. All of these are certainly questions that are relevant today as they were in Victorian era, but the novel avoids getting weighed down with these issues.

I'm a big fan of historical fiction with modern implications and this is a great read if you are all interested in historical novels and/or science. For those familiar with the history of evolutionary theory, it is fun to see names like Cuvier turn up in the plot. Now I want to go to the British Museum of Natural History and see the ichthyosaur Mary finds in the novel.

Foto Friday {31}

2011-11-10T22:57:00.001-06:00

Saturday November 5: First Dance

Sunday November 6: Happy Hour

Monday November 7: Banh Mi!

Tuesday November 8: Moon rising on my way home from work

Wednesday November 9: Failed at giving blood :(

Thursday November 10: Too early for gingerbread?

Friday November 11: Finally chilly enough to need my (fingerless) gloves

Feeding Friendship: Gingerbread

2011-11-10T08:17:00.000-06:00

I love how Sarah always picks such versatile ingredients, but sometimes it leads to too many options. The first thing that I tried was an extra gingery marinade for banh mi. Then I thought about making ginger bubble tea, but I couldn't find the right tapioca pearls or big enough straw. Through all that, I couldn't get the idea of making gingerbread of out my head. Specifically, this gingerbread. The chilly (60 degree) weather has me craving warm and spicy things.

Plus, as much as I love my Kitchenaid mixer, I do adore a simple loaf cake that comes together without it. Just mix up your dry ingredient with the spices (ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon - the foundations of all great fall and winter baking), mix in the wet and bake. The only additional step is to first boil the molasses with the beer. Perhaps to help the molasses dissolve? I'm not convinced it does anything, so feel free to skip it. For the beer, I used Coffee Porter from local Real Ale Brewing Company. The remaining 4 oz of beer was quite tasty. So tasty, I wasn't paying attention when the pan boiled over (don't be like me). I also subbed in my vanilla-bean infused brown sugar for the regular brown sugar.

I decided to use fresh ginger instead of powdered so I doubled the amount called for. My favorite ginger trick is to put it in the freezer, even if you are going to use it soon. You can grate it straight from frozen without any of those pesky strings, just nice light powder like you see in the photo above. The ginger flavor came through the molasses to give just the right bite. As good as it was straight from the oven, the dense gingerbread was AMAZING the next day (okay, for breakfast) toasted with a tiny bit of butter.

Foto Friday {30}

2011-11-04T21:57:00.000-05:00

Saturday October 29: Persimmons

Sunday October 30: Fresia Bush Smells Amazing!!

Monday October 31: Happy Halloween

Tuesday November 1: Meal Planning

Wednesday November 2: Chili for the Cold Front

Thursday November 3: Too Much Smoothie

Friday November 4: Leaving Work

Fall Came

2011-10-30T22:22:00.000-05:00

...finally, about 6pm on Thursday night. A cold front finally made it feel like season the calendar has been saying for a month and a half. If it were up to me, the leaves would begin changing on the first of September and warm, golden days would give way to cool, breezy nights. Around October, you would start to need to jacket, nothing big, just something light to keep the chill off. By November, every outfit would include a scarf.

But this is Texas and it was 85 degrees at Sea World last weekend. The only sign of fall has been the drop in our electric bill as we use (slightly) less A/C. But let's not dwell...fall came. And with it, my desire for all things Halloween.

My parents came to visit last weekend and my mom joined me in making some of these Halloween pennants. I'm a lover of cute Halloween over scary Halloween so these are the the perfect decorations for our front porch and my parent's fireplace. I made mine out of craft foam to make it a bit more weather resistant than paper.

Also sweet, not scary was this hat-ette (or pumpkin beret as was sung to my Prince-style by a coworker) that I made to go with my stenciled pumpkin shirt.

I finished my beret in time for my office Halloween party for which I also made these "witches' cauldrons." My mom shared the recipe with me. It is just brownie bites topped with rice crispies in melted caramels and mini M&Ms. The cauldron's handle is black licorice.

I wore the shirt, but not the hat to run in the Dia de los Muertos 8K Night Run on Friday. I didn't prepare for it as well as I should have, but I was pleased with the run. The first mile was great and pretty fast, the second was really tough, and miles 3-5 felt good. The park was dark so we ran in headlamps which felt a bit like running on a treadmill - you don't really feel like you are going anywhere.

On Saturday, we joined the Holtzes for some pumpkin carving. Geoff was intensely focused. This is his concentration face:

I decided to do the most detailed pattern in the book (cause I'm overly ambitious in pretty much everything). Just transferring the pattern took half an hour. But I was so pleased with the results.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Foto Friday {29}

2011-10-29T00:41:00.001-05:00

Saturday October 22: Sea World

Sunday October 23: Crafting with Mom

Monday October 24: Flowering Tree

Tuesday October 25: Tower of the Americas

Wednesday October 26: They Peck on My Window

Thursday October 27: Oyster Mushrooms

Friday October 28: Pre-Run

Feeding Friendship: Pumpkin Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Balsamic Vinegar

2011-10-27T14:20:00.002-05:00

I've been meaning to make pumpkin gnocchi for several autumns but my last gnocchi experience left something to be desired. The end result was pretty tasty but I found the process so arduous that I have never tried it again. It is one of the few things (ravioli also tops the list) that I would rather leave to the pros.

This recipe from steamy kitchen, however, is quick and easy enough for a weeknight. Weeknight gnocchi instantly deifies you as a certified domestic goddess. The key is that this recipe is for a ricotta-based gnocchi so the boiling, mashing, and cooling potatoes steps are completely skipped in favor of a base of pumpkin puree, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan.

When adding the flour, I was as gentle as humanly possible. This is definitely the time to get in there with your hands to minimize over-mixing. The less you can possibly mix it, the lighter your gnocchi will end up. Roll out gently and on a well-floured board and you have gnocchi in less than fifteen minutes.

The other key to this recipe is that the gnocchi are pan-fried instead of boiled. Cooked in a very hot pan, the gnocchi get crispy on the outside while remaining soft inside and the textural contrast brings a lot to the dish (according to my inner Tom Colicchio). After the gnocchi were cooked, I fried up some sage leaves which I crumbled over the finished dish.

Whenever possible, I like to make one dish meals so I cooked some thinly sliced crimini mushrooms in the finishing butter because, like gnocchi, mushrooms love butter and sage. Some spinach would be nice too. The splash (I used a glug) of balsamic vinegar added at the end makes a great sweet and sour glaze on the gnocchi. Although the pumpkin flavor gets lost, these pretty orange gnocchi are worth the (modest) effort.

This recipe only used about a quarter of a can of pumpkin so I made this pumpkin bread with the remainder. A very fall-appropriate breakfast in some very un-fall south Texas weather.

Foto Friday {28}

2011-10-21T23:30:00.000-05:00

Saturday October 15: Chinatown Montreal

Sunday October 16: My souvenirs

Monday October 17: OJ and Sprite (I'm sick)

Tuesday October 18: Back to Work

Wednesday October 19: Finished just in time for the Spina Bifida Texas Silent Auction

Thursday October 20: Commute Landmark

Friday October 21: I'm not the only one, right?

Where I've Been

2011-10-21T18:12:00.000-05:00

My posting has been sporadic lately because I have been traveling to two conferences (and then I got sick, but I'm not sharing pictures of that). First up was a dermatology conference focused on skin of color at Hampton University in Virginia. It was an interesting opportunity to learn how clinicians think about skin and to speak to a mostly physician crowd about how the evolutionary history of our species has shaped the variation in skin color we see in modern human populations. One of the organizers said it was not what she expected but that she enjoyed it and the rest of the crowd seemed to be paying close attention. I'll take that.

Hampton is located near Norfolk and Virginia Beach so I convinced Veronica to fly to DC with me where we met up with Sarah and then all drove down to Hampton. After the conference, we went for a hike along the bay in Virginia Beach. We ended up hiking quite a bit further than we meant to, but saw a lot of the coastline, marshes, tiny crabs, weird fungi, barnacles on trash washed up in the relatively recent hurricane, hordes of Spanish moss, and various birds.

I flew from Norfolk (awesomely small airport - car to departure gate within 15 minutes) to Montreal for the International Congress on Human Genetics. It was held in the Palais de Congres, which is a colorful and modern building close to both the Old City and the financial district.

The conference had an opening ceremony featuring - naturally - French Canadian circus performers and a pasta bar. I almost knocked over one acrobat wearing a lab coat standing on the shoulders of another acrobat in a lab coat. I assume that would have gotten me deported.

My favorite part of pretty much any conference is getting to see friends. I was expecting to see several of my old lab mates from Penn State but was pleasantly surprised to find almost all of us were in attendance. We took a picture for our adviser who couldn't make it.

I also got to see some of my friends from my undergrad days at KU, including these three who stole my camera and took about five variations of this picture during an anthropological genetics mixer I organized.

The actual purpose of my attendance was to present a poster about my current work on an enzyme related to heart disease. The poster room was more than a little overwhelming with about 1000 posters presented each day for three days. This is less than a quarter of the room.

After the conference ended on Saturday, I was able to spend some time walking around Old Montreal and see some of the gorgeous architecture. In addition to all the signs being in French, the juxtaposition of the old and new architecture really makes Montreal seem like a European city. It is always great to see friends and travel new places, but after ten days gone, I was glad to head home.

Foto Friday {26 & 27}

2011-10-14T21:50:00.000-05:00

Saturday October 1: Finally Cool Enough to Keep the Doors Open

Sunday October 2: Let's See if we can keep these alive

Monday October 3: Movie quote embroidery

Tuesday October 4: Toasting Veronica's Homemade Marshmallows

Wednesday October 5: Chinese Food and Japanese Beer

Thursday October 6: Sarah and V love their birthday gifts!

Friday October 7: Detour to the Williamsburg Outlets

Saturday October 8: Gave a talk at the Hampton Conference Center on the Left

Sunday October 9: Hiking in Virginia Beach marshland

Monday October 10: Flying to Montreal

Tuesday October 11: Poutine!

Wednesday October 12: Palais de Congres

Thursday October 13: Oh, Canada

Friday October 14: Last Day of the Conference

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!!!

2011-10-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today is Geoff and my 5th anniversary. In five years, we've shared four homes, acquired a very grumpy cat, and moved 1500 miles to start a new chapter of our lives together.

We met when I was interviewing at Penn State on a weekend that turned out to be his 26th birthday. I was invited to a joint party for him and two of his (and later my) friends. Although I must admit that I don't remember meeting him that night, he swears he remembers meeting me. Now, I can't imagine my life without him. He has become such an intrinsic part of me that it's hard to remember what my life was like before.

I do know this, it wasn't nearly as much fun, as satisfying, or as full of love. I'm a lucky woman.

Summer Rolls

2011-10-12T13:05:00.000-05:00

I was inspired to make summer rolls by this recipe - watch the video on how to roll them, it's the cutest thing. Although the shitake filling looked delicious, I can find them a bit overwhelming and I had some chicken thighs in the freezer that needed a purpose in life.

The thighs poached with bay leaves, peppercorns, a few star anise, a pinch of cinnamon, and lemon grass until just cooked through before being removed to cool.

The remaining broth deserved more than being dumped down the drain so I dropped the mung bean threads in to soften and take on some of the flavor.

Meanwhile, I prepped all the greens: lettuce, cucumber, sorrel, and mint. These are the key to the summery flavor of the summer roll.

The real heart, however, is the dipping sauce. Mine was the remaining broth (strained), soy sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes to taste.

Shred the chicken and pair all the fixings with the rice paper ready to be soaked in a large bowl of cool water and it's time to roll!

Our Night in the Museum

2011-10-05T01:08:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, Geoff, Veronica, Mike and I spent the night at the museum. Well, actually, we spent part of the evening at the Witte's Cocktails and Culture event. About once a month they have a themed evening of food, drinks, music and fun interactive activities. This month's theme was "Primal Instincts."

We got to throw atl-atls (spear-throwers) at a plastic deer. Based on our aggregate skills, we would have been stone-age vegetarians. With enough practice, Geoff managed to hit the target, but it was with the side of spear.

Mike did succeed in making fire so we would be able to roast our gathered tubers. Whenever someone got a spark, the survivalist instructor would blow it into a nest of dried tinder until it flamed up like something something out of Quest for Fire. It was quite dramatic.

Up next month is "Buccaneer's Ball." Veronica and I got in the spirit a bit early. We're loving getting to know San Antonio better. With Geoff back in school, we're both really busy, but there are lots of fun ways to take a break around town.

Foto Friday {25}

2011-09-30T23:30:00.000-05:00

Saturday September 24: Happy Days!

Sunday September 25: Petit Fours

Monday September 26: Late Summer Blooms

Tuesday September 27: Lunch Bag

Wednesday September 28: Resolving Pedigrees

Thursday September 29: Night at the Museum

Friday September 30: Fabric Box Construction

Feeding Friendship: Happy Days Petit Fours

2011-09-29T09:32:00.000-05:00

Thank you Sarah for providing me the opportunity to finally buy whole vanilla beans! Somehow that is something I have always felt was too decadent and not worth the pay-off. I have to say I was wrong - they really make a difference. Since I missed last month's baking challenge (don't act like you didn't notice, I know you all are keeping track), I decided to make this Feeding Friendship into a bonus baking challenge by tackling petit fours.

I started by baking this "ultimate" fluffy vanilla cake (flying in the face of recommendations to use a dense cake for petite fours) from Sweetapolita. Instead of two 8-inch cakes, I baked a single layer in my half-sheet pan (both hold about 15 cups according to this handy conversion chart). I cooked it at the same temperature, but started checking it after 10 minutes. It took about 15 minutes to bake.

I only made a half recipe of Sweetapolita's whipped vanilla bean frosting but I still used two whole vanilla beans and left out the vanilla extract. I added the spent vanilla pods to some brown sugar and I'm looking forward to using it on oatmeal in a few weeks. I cut the 9"x17" cake in half and then topped one with a thick layer of frosting and inverted the other half on top. I wrapped it up and put this sandwich in the freezer for about an hour to make it easier to slice into 2 inch squares without smooshing out all the frosting.

For the topping, I used King Arthur Flour's white chocolate poured fondant recipe, because real poured fondant tastes like, well, fondant. Which is to say, kind of gross. This version didn't cover perfectly (see below), but it was really tasty!

Veronica just finished staring in a production of Happy Day's the Musical (she was awesome!) and her family was down to see the show. I decided to make these petit fours 50's themed in her honor.

I found some simple clip art I liked and then traced an outline in sharpie onto a sheet of waxed paper. I flipped the waxed paper over and and then filled in the shapes with royal icing in white, black, and pink. Left to dry overnight, they came right off the waxed paper relatively easily (although I made two more of each than I really needed and was glad when a few broke). The petit fours were a huge hit!

p.s. Did you know you can make your own vanilla extract?

Okonomiyaki

2011-09-26T20:46:00.000-05:00

Okonomiyaki is a dish I've tried before with mediocre results. Previous versions have been heavy with lots of moisture-laden vegetables and a thick batter that resulted in dense pancake. This version from Midge at Food 52 won the "Best Street Food" competition and I couldn't agree more. You could certainly add some more veggies - pretty much whatever is in your fridge. We had it straight up with just cabbage and green onion, a lot more like a potato latke than a zucchini fritter. The best part was the Sriracha mayo that I made with homemade mayo because I had some leftover egg yolks floating around my fridge. Even if you think you don't like cabbage, give this a try. It stays a bit crunchy in the middle while the cabbage on the edges become tender and sweet. Not to mention, it takes about 20 minutes from fridge to table.

Foto Friday {24}

2011-09-24T16:51:00.002-05:00

Saturday September 17: Knit DNA

Sunday September 18: Stop Staring at Me, Hank

Monday September 19: So excited!!!

Tuesday September 20: Body Pump (Sore for days!)

Wednesday September 21: Pinterest - my newest obsession

Thursday September 22: Drinks on the Holtzes' New Screened in Porch

Friday September 23: Gourds' Record Release Party in Austin

Chicken Tinga

2011-09-22T23:57:00.002-05:00

I recently came across a dish called Tinga at our new favorite Mexican restaurant here in San Antonio. A little research (okay, a chance encounter with the Homesick Texan blog) revealed that this is a traditional dish of Puebla, Mexico. I love chipotles and I find they add a smokiness that makes everything taste like it has been cooking for hours. The version I had at La Fonda on Main was a delicious slow-cooked pork dish, but I decided to lighten it up a bit (and cut down the cooking time) by using chicken thighs and turkey chorizo. The result is a spicy, thick stew that would delicious over rice or sopped up with freshly cooked tortillas. I love this ready-to-cook variety:

Chicken Tinga
Serves 6

6 chicken thighs
1 lb turkey chorizo
1 small yellow onion
4 roma tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
4 chipotle peppers in adobo
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. salt
12 tortillas
cilantro
avocado and/or queso fresco
limes

1. Remove skin and excess fat from chicken thighs.
2. Cook turkey chorizo in a deep pot for a few minutes until cooked through. If you can't find turkey chorizo, you may want to remove some of the rendered fat.
3. In a blender, combine onions, tomatoes, garlic, peppers, herbs, and salt with 1/2 cup of water.
4. Stir tomato mixture into chorizo and add chicken thighs. Simmer 30 minutes uncovered or until thighs are cooked through.
5. Remove chicken thighs and turn up the heat on the sauce to reduce.
6. Taste sauce for seasoning. Shred the chicken and return to sauce.
7. Serve on warm tortillas with avocado, lime and cilantro.

DNA to Cuddle

2011-09-18T21:25:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we went to a first birthday party for my boss's daughter. Since her mom is a geneticist, I thought it was high time she start learning about DNA. Thankfully, I have had my eye on this knit DNA model for quite a while and was just waiting for the opportunity to make it. It took a couple hours each night over the course of several evenings, but was a pretty easy.

Knitting Nerd info: The coolest thing about this pattern is that you actually knit the tube into a spiral using a series of increases and decreases. I used an M1 increase instead of the YO called for because it mean't that I didn't have to deal with the holes created by the increase. To make sure that the nucleotides were evenly spaced, I shoved a DPN through each nucleotide and positioned it on the sugar-phosphate backbones.

The birthday girl thought it was neat and colorful, but it was really the biggest hit with the adults! Now everyone wants one.

The Real Value Meal

2011-09-17T15:28:00.000-05:00

Today, Slow Foods USA is sponsoring a $5 challenge to prove that real, wholesome food can be as inexpensive as fast food. As you might have guessed by the volume of food-related posts, we eat at home a lot. I'm by no means saying that we don't eat out, or even at fast food restaurants, but cooking my own food is better, healthier, AND cheaper than the vast majority of fast food. It really bugs me when I spend a lot of money for food that I could make better. So here are a few of the things we ate for dinner this week with the per serving cost and calories.

Pinto Beans and Cornbread
I actually made these a few weeks ago when I had about 20 leftover roasted hatch chiles which I added into the crock pot. A pound of dried pinto beans costs 89 cents and makes 6 very large bowls of yummy beans which can be frozen for later.

Calories: 490
Cost per serving: $2.00

Falafel w/ Tzatziki and Greek Salad
We're big fans of falafel around here. I usually use canned chickpeas, which requires a bit more flour to get the consistency right.

Calories: 600
Cost per serving: $3.50

Zucchini Carbonara
I love carbonara, but it isn't exactly a healthy dish. The roasted zucchini is a delicious, nutritious, and inexpensive addition. I've been making it all summer with double the zucchini.

Calories: 500
Cost per serving: $2.75

Veggie Chili w/ Baked Chips, Light Sour Cream, Cheddar Cheese
We make this frequently in the winter, but since football season has started, I figure chili pies are seasonally appropriate. This recipe makes a LOT of chili, but it freezes well.

Calories: 600
Cost per serving: $3.75

Italian-Style Jucy Lucy, Caesar Salad
You guys, these are so good! The onion and Worcestershire keep the turkey burger plenty moist and having the cheese on the inside means it is still nice and gooey (it does that fun string from your food to your mouth thing like in a pizza ad). I can imagine all sorts of variations on this. The classic beef burger with cheddar, bison and blue cheese, lamb with feta...mix and match to your heart's content.

Calories: 500
Cost per serving: $3.50

Seves 4

1/3 cup grated onion

1 lb. ground turkey
1 tsbp. of Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. dried oregano
pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

6 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into 4 pieces

1 red bell pepper

4 rolls
pesto

1. Roast the bell pepper over an open flame or under the broiler. Place in a closed container until cool, then peel.
2. Combine onion, turkey, Worcestershire sauce, dried herbs, and red pepper flakes. Divide into 8 balls.
3. Press each patty so it is slightly larger than mozzarella round on a piece of plastic wrap.
4. Layer 1/4 of the roasted pepper and a slice of mozzarella on four of the patties.
5. Cover with a second patty and press to seal.
6. Grill over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side. Allow to cool a few minutes so the cheese inside isn't still molten!
7. Toast buns and smear on a light layer of pesto. Add the burgers and devour.

Foto Friday {23}

2011-09-16T22:30:00.001-05:00

Saturday September 10: Dinner (w/ whisky)

Sunday September 11: Homemade Bagels

Monday September 12: Peach Butter

Tuesday September 13: My office

Wednesday September 14: Project Statuses

Thursday September 15: Knit Mustache

Friday September 16: Fall's Coming!

Feeding Friendship: Pizza Bianca with Balsamic Caramelized Onions

2011-09-15T09:31:00.000-05:00

This is the second recipe that I made with balsamic vinegar. The first was a fig frozen yogurt with a balsamic vinegar syrup based on a method and a combo of frozen yogurt and fig ice cream recipes from David Lebovitz. It was deemed a little too unusual for a Labor Day dinner, but it did lead to some interesting commentary:

"It's like a bad joke, not because it doesn't taste good, but because no one get's it."

"I feel like it should have a monocle and a top hat."

"It's like the ice cream is looking down on me...it doesn't care if I like it or not."

...and my favorite...

"It tastes.......picaresque."

So not wanting to present you with a condescending dish, I bring you my take on Il Vicino's Pizza Bianca. The reviews on this one? "Holy crap, this is good." It's no Mr. Peanut, but I'll take it.

I've played a bit with the ratios and added balsamic to enhance the sweetness of the caramelized onions. The sweetness is balanced out by the spicy cappacola, the earthy mushrooms, fragrant rosemary, and the funk of the gorgonzola. This would be fantastic with the slight fruitiness of fig balsamic vinegar. The temperature has been dropping here in south Texas, but it is still in the 90s and I didn't want to heat up my kitchen. So I cooked these pizzas on the grill. The intense heat makes great crust.

I generally prefer to make my own pizza dough because I think that the flavor is better. It is extremely simple to make, particularly if you have a mixer with a dough hook, but you do have to plan ahead about 2 hours. Alternately, you can make it the night before, put it in the fridge and then pull out the dough 1-2 hours before you are ready to cook. A final note on balsamic vinegar - I frequently toss it with vegetables that I am roasting. You use less oil and the flavor is great.

Pizza Bianca
Makes: 4 8" pizzas

Dough:

2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. instant yeast
3 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 c. warm water
1 tbs. honey

Toppings:
10 crimini mushrooms, sliced thinly
6 slices spicy capicola, cut into strips
2 yellow onions
1 tbsp. oil
3 tbsp. basalmic vinegar, fig if available
2 tsp. finely minced rosemary
1 tsp. crushed fennel seeds, optional
1 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
6 oz. gorgonzola
8 oz fresh mozzarella, shredded

1. To make the dough: Stir honey into the warm water and sprinkle yeast over water. Wait about 5 minutes until the yeast foams.
2. Combine flour and salt in the bowl of the mixer and stir to combine. With the dough hook on low speed, stir in the oil. Slowly stream in the water. Once fully combined, up the speed slightly and knead 6 minutes.
3. The dough should form a ball. If it doesn't, add another 1-2 tbsp. of flour. If the dough is dry and extra flour remains at the bottom of the bowl, sprinkle in a few drops of water.
4. Remove dough hook and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit 2-3 hours at room temperature or until approximately doubled in size.
5. Thinly slice the yellow onion and cook over medium heat in 1 tbsp. oil with the rosemary, fennel, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. When the onions are light brown, add the balsamic vinegar (be careful, it will let off a puff of acrid steam). Continue cooking until the onions are dark brown and all the vinegar has reduced completely.
6. Heat grill on high for about 10 minutes, then turn down to medium-high.
7. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll out to approximately 1/4 inch thick rounds. Lightly oil one side of the crust.
8. Prepare all of the toppings before starting to grill. These go fast once you start. I like to render some of the fat out of the capicola in a hot skillet before using.
9. Place two crusts, oiled side down, on the grill and close. Check the dough after 1 minutes to make sure it isn't starting to burn, cook 1 minute more.
10. Remove the crust and brush the top with olive oil, flip.
11. Spread 1/4 of the caramelized onions on each pizza and top with 1/4 of each of the remaining ingredients.
12. Turn the grill down as far as it will go and return the pizzas to the grill for 3-5 more minutes.

Bronx-Style Bagels

2011-09-11T18:49:00.001-05:00

I can't attest to the Bronx-ness of the bagels myself, but I certainly think that these have a delicous chewy outside and soft inside that makes for a great bagel. I didn't have high-gluten bread flour (just regular bread flour) and this made them slightly less chewy than they could have been. I also totally forgot about trying to find the malt syrup called for in the Smitten Kitchen Recipe.

The bagels are pretty easy to make and shaping them was simpler than I was expecting. The dough is quite stiff, much more so than a bread loaf so I ended up kneading by hand for the last several minutes because my mixer was really straining. The biggest challenge with this recipe is that you have to plan ahead. One to two days before you want bagels, the sponge takes about 2 hours to rise, then the dough is made, allowed to rise, transformed to bagel shapes, and proofed before being refrigerated overnight. So don't start these at 10pm is what I am saying (I was up until 2am). The next day, however, they are quick and easy to finish, just what I like in a breakfast recipe.

I haven't found a good bagel place in San Antonio, yet, so I think I will try these again with the malt syrup to see if I can get a crispier crust. Does it seem like bagel shops are less popular than they used to be? I still love bagels - so much so that I had one for breakfast. And another for lunch. Having these for breakfast all week almost makes me want to go to work!

Foto Friday {22}

2011-09-10T12:22:00.000-05:00

Saturday September 3: Tilapia Milanese

Sunday September 4: Hank at Attention

Monday September 5: Scrapbooking with Veronica

Tuesday September 6: Back to Work

Wednesday September 7: Gnome Chompsky

Thursday September 8: Needed the Trenta

Friday September 9: Wildfires getting closer

Aloo Gobi

2011-09-07T20:17:00.000-05:00

My most recent Indian meal was Aloo Gobi a quick dinner of cauliflower and potatoes that comes together in the time it takes to make raita and toast some store-bought naan. I used a recipe from Manjula's Kitchen, a website I recommend for all sorts of vegetarian Indian recipes. I decided to roast the potatoes and cauliflower to intensify the flavor and I added a red bell pepper and some peas in the last few minutes of cooking for some additional color and fresh flavor. Quick, easy, delicious, and good for you!

Sweettooth Premiere!

2011-09-03T15:53:00.000-05:00

We took a trip to State College a few weeks ago so that Geoff could premiere the Thai Honeymoon CD, "Sweet Tooth." The CD is fantastic and you can listen to it for free here or download the full album for just $5. The cover art was done by Geoff's incredibly talented friend Brian Stannard.

We got in on Tuesday night and on Wednesday we climbed Mt. Nittany before Geoff headed to band practice and I went to campus to meet with some collaborators. We reminisced about the first time we climbed Mt. Nittany together. It was a particularly warm day in January 2007 a few months after we started dating. Classes hadn't started for the spring semester and town was deserted. Afterwards we caught a matinee and were the only ones in the theater. Oh, memories.

Thai Honeymoon premiered their album on Thursday night at the Darkhorse and it was so much fun! The set was great and everyone loved the album (seriously, go listen to it). Lots of our friends from State College came out and we had a great time. On Friday, a huge storm rolled through the valley which I loved. I adore thunderstorms and we have been living through the most severe drought since the 1950s. That night, all of our East Coast friends drove to town (plus a very special guest from Mexico City).

On Saturday morning, my friend Clara and I went to the lake (her parents came too). We had lots of fun splashing in the water while wearing our matching swimwear. We built a sandcastle and ate peanut butter sandwiches before both us needed a nap. (There was a little too much celebrating the arrival of our friends the night before.)

On Saturday night, our friend Brownbird Rudy Relic and Thai Honeymoon opened for a Wilcox Hotel reunion set at the Darkhorse. It reminded me so much of the spring of 2008 when Wilcox Hotel played at least one night a week and usually two. Geoff rocked so hard that he ripped open a callus on his hand and sprayed blood all over his guitar. We had to wonder what the TSA agent thought when they opened this case.

Seeing all of our friends - almost all of whom have ended up back within an 8 hour drive of each other - was a wonderful treat and made us a little homesick for our lives back in State College. However, we also realized that we are really happy with our life in Texas and that leaving State College was part of moving forward! Luckily, we have lots of friends all over the country to visit.

Foto Friday {22}

2011-09-02T23:47:00.003-05:00

Saturday August 27: Triathlon!

Sunday August 28: Losing

Monday August 28: Bemused in my Glasses

{Tuesday August 29: Coming Later}

Wednesday August 30: Sytlin'

Thursday September 1: Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt

Friday September 2: Sunset

Feeding Friendship: Creamed Corn Succotash

2011-09-01T22:19:00.000-05:00

I chose corn for this week's secret ingredient because it is the quintessential seasonal ingredient. So very good when it is ripe - sweet enough to eat raw (like in this Crunchy Corn Salad) - and so very dull when even slightly out of season. I've been interested in making my own creamed corn since last summer. It turns out that the creaminess of the corn isn't from dairy, but from the starchiness of the corn itself.

To prepare the corn, lay it on its side and shave off just the top of the kernels so that it looks like the picture on the right. Then take the back of your knife and get all the pulp and "milk" out. I even recommend wringing out the cob. You would be surprised how much you can get out of a fresh ear of corn.

All that pulp and liquid came from 8 ears of corn. When combined with the kernels you cut off, there should be equal parts kernels, pulp, and liquid. You can add a bit of water if need be. While you are doing this, fry up some bacon.

Caramelize one large onion, then add in the corn mixture. Let that cook at good 15 minutes before adding the thawed lima beans (you can use fresh if you can find them). Stir quickly and frequently while that cooks together.

These are the secret to my succotash - roasted hatch chiles. Central Market just wrapped up their Hatch Chile Festival and I was able to get a bag of about 25 roasted hatch chiles for $5. I removed the skin and seeds, chopped them up and added them in along with halved tiny tomatoes. I topped the succotash with bacon and served alongside some chicken sausages.

Creamed Corn Succotash
Serves 4-6

6 slices thick-cut bacon
8 ears very fresh corn
1 large onion
8 oz frozen lima beans, thawed
1 pint baby tomatoes, halved
5 roasted hatch chiles (or green chiles, or roasted red peppers), stems and seeds removed, chopped

1. Shave the tops off the kernels of corn and then collect the pulp and milk from the cobs.
2. Fry 6 slices bacon in a heavy cast iron dutch oven. Reserve bacon and pour off all but 3 tbsp. of grease.
3. Caramelize onion in the grease, then add in corn mixture. Cook 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
4. Thaw the lima beans in the microwave and add to the pot. Cook 20 more minutes.
5. Add the chiles and tomatoes. Cook 10 more minutes.
6. Crumble bacon over the top and serve hot!

August Book Report: Animal Farm

2011-08-31T23:11:00.003-05:00

I was flipping through my Google Reader feed last week when I spotted a blog post titled "Some Ants are More Equal Than Others." Had I come across this title a few weeks earlier, I would have smiled at the turn of phrase and moved on. Having just finished George Orwell's Animal Farm on the plane back from State College, however, I knew where it came from and the deeper meaning implied by my very well-read colleagues. So what I'm saying is, I'm probably constantly missing cultural references and not even realizing it. (As opposed to when I don't recognize the people on the cover of the magazines in the checkout line. I know that I'm missing a cultural reference and I'm fine with it.) This may be the first of several "classics" I'll be reading this year. Many of them, along with innumerable movies and albums, are on the list of things Geoff can't believe I've never read/seen/heard.

Unfortunately, when you read the the classics after you have already heard about them for years, some just don't tend to have the same impact. After hearing about Catcher in the Rye being banned for years in schools around the country, I was expecting something a little more salacious and mostly just wanted Holden Caulfield to quite whining (I wasn't a particularly sympathetic teenager). When I finally read On the Road, my synopsis was "get a job, hippie." So I guess it wouldn't surprise you that my thoughts on Animal Farm were "Yep, the the ideals of communism were corrupted in the Soviet Union." I suppose the story may have had more punch in 1945.

Are there any "classics" you were disappointed by? What about ones that exceeded your expectations? I found Where Angels Fear to Treat and Of Mice and Men unexpectedly moving.

Pho Real

2011-08-30T00:37:00.000-05:00

While enjoying our third meal of pho in Seattle in June, I said to my friend Laurel, "Why couldn't I make pho at home?" To which she presciently replied "Well, making the consomme will take all day and is impossible to keep clear."

I spent the vast majority of a Sunday simmering four pounds of beef bones and two pounds of ox tails with onions, star anise, cinnamon, and black pepper corns. I strained it and refrigerated it overnight so that the fat would congeal. The texture of the stock was fantastic thanks to all the collagen in the bones, but the taste.......well, there wasn't any. Luckily, I had some Penzey's beef base in the fridge. About a quarter cup saved the day.

Having rescued the stock, I turned to the (pre-soaked) cellophane noodles. I thinly sliced the sirloin and arranged it over onion slivers over the noodles and then poured on the boiling broth. By the time it was cool enough to eat, the meat was just cooked through. Topped with cilantro, basil, mung beans, lime juice, hoisin, and sriracha - it was a hot bowl of happy.

In the end, it was good, but no thanks to the recipe I used. The stock took far too long and the sirloin was fine, but the star of the dish was the shredded ox tail I added in. So here is what I would do next time:

Pho My Way
Serves 4-6

12 cups water
1/3 cup beef base (I like Penzey's)
2 yellow onions, divided
1 daikon radish
8 star anise pods
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp. cloves
6 large ox tails
12 oz mung bean threads (cellophane noodles)

Toppings:
bean sprouts
cilantro
basil
limes
hoisin sauce
sriracha

1. Day 1: Bring water to a simmer and whisk in beef base. Add 1 quartered onion, roughly chopped daikon, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and ox tails. Simmer at least 4 hours or until marrow in ox tail is translucent.
2. Strain stock and reserve ox tails. Shred oxtail meat (there will be lots of tendons, work around them - it's worth it). Refrigerate meat and broth overnight.
3. Day 2: Skim fat from the broth and discard. The broth will have gelled - this is a good thing.
4. Bring the broth back up to a simmer with the ox tail meat and a thinly sliced onion. Check for salt.
5. While the broth is coming back to a boil, soak the noodles in warm water for 10-15 minutes.
6. Drain the noodles and divide among bowls.
7. Pour broth over the noodles and top as desired (I like it with everything).

Dam It!

2011-08-29T00:03:00.003-05:00

One of my 29 by 29 goals was to start swim and bike training for a triathlon, but I got a bit ahead of myself and completed my very first triathlon this weekend. The Dam '09 is a triathlon that takes place just a few miles from our house, so it was a perfect first race for me!

I never would have been able to do it without Mike and Veronica. They not only lent me a bike and took me to swim class, but we trained together on this very course so that I felt really confident (albeit still a little nervous) when the race started.

We started off with a 400m (1/4 mile) swim, the discipline I'm most comfortable with. I was number 152 with people starting every 10 seconds so I had a bit of time to get nervous while I waited to start. Thankfully, all of that disappeared when I got in the water. I passed 5 people during the swim, but I was determined to stay on my pace and not go out too hard. I didn't want to be tired going into the 10 mile bike course.

The bike was the most challenging for me because I'm not used riding with lots of other cyclists. The course was three loops over the same route so I pretty much constantly had people flying by me. But I just focused on my race and tried not to get thrown off by their presence. By the time I got to the 4 km (2.5 mi) run, I knew I had it. I was tired, but the end was in sight!!

When I crossed the finish line, I was all smiles. Geoff was there to cheer me on along with Mike, Veronica, and some friends of Mike's from work who had also competed. My grin was so big that it got comments from the announcer.

I completed the race in just under one and half hours (the time is adjusted based on when you start the swim). My favorite thing about triathlons is that it is an individual event with racers of every level so I could just focus on running my own race and meeting my own goals.

When I finished, I felt like I could do anything!!!!! If only my legs weren't so tired.

Foto Friday {21}

2011-08-26T22:25:00.001-05:00

Saturday August 20: Splish Splash

Sunday August 21: Now the TSA agents know what a badass Geoff is

Monday August 22: Zapatista

Tuesday August 23: Still Blooming in the Heat

Wednesday August 24: Forever

Thursday August 25: A Bit of Rain

Friday August 26: Carboloading

Visitors Brave the Heat

2011-08-24T00:17:00.000-05:00

My parents and grandma braved the intense Texas summer to come visit us two weeks ago. They drove down so they could stop and see family in Oklahoma and the next day we put them back in the car to drive back up to Austin.

We hit up IKEA in the morning for supplies for a fantastic trundle bed I'll show you how to make very soon. Then we headed for the famous Salt Lick restaurant for BBQ.

The food was delicious. We shared a combo platter with a bit of each of their types of open-pit cooked meats and the special - a brisket burger smothered in queso and roasted peppers. Messy, but oh so good. Grandma, in her white shirt, spilled not a drop of sauce. The rest of us were not so neat.

After lunch, we headed to the LBJ Presidential library which had quite a bit of biographical information, but also a great exhibit of the radical movements of the '60s. It is on the University of Texas campus and free to visit so I highly recommend a stop if you are in the area.

The next stop of our jam-packed day was the Collings guitar factory outside of Austin. They only offer tours on Friday afternoons, but if you can make it there, it is incredible.

Each guitar takes about three months to make, not including the careful drying and rehumidifying of the wood. One very experienced man matches the front and back boards based on their sound quality before the blanks are cut. Just prior to final assembly, the pieces are returned to him for "voicing" and he shaves off minute layers from the inside of the guitar top.

In addition to making just 1200 guitars each year, the factory produces 600 mandolins. The craftsmanship is easy to appreciate even for someone like me who knows nothing about guitars.

While we were finishing up the tour, Grandma was out in the lobby chatting with Bill Collings. The owner was waiting to see how our tour went.

After dinner, we headed for the Congress Avenue bridge to see more than a million bats emerging to feast on the plentiful South Texas insects. This spectacle goes on for the better part of half an hour. If you have never seen this, I can't recommend it highly enough. It is a bit surreal.

As I watched the ribbon of bats wind across the sky, I couldn't help but wonder what it would take to install a colony in our backyard to deal with the mosquitoes. Saturday and Sunday, we took it a bit easier with trips to the farmer's market, cool projects around the house, and dinner with Mike and Veronica.

On Monday, we visited the Witte Museum to check out their Amazon exhibit. The focus was on the many dangers of the Amazon River.

Mom was so scared of the piranhas that she headed back to land-locked Kansas the very next day!

The trip was short but lots of fun. It was a great reminder to play tourist in our own town more often!

Foto Friday Twofer {19 & 20}

2011-08-19T13:23:00.003-05:00

Saturday August 6: Fig Pizzas on the Grill

Sunday August 7: Stocking Up

Monday August 8: Evening in Austin with Matt and Nita

Tuesday August 9: Fresh Skein

Wednesday August 10: Failed Display

Thursday August 11: Grandma is Here!

Friday August 12: Sunset over the Congress Street bridge

Saturday August 13: Sewing Project with Mom

Sunday August 14: Green and Purple Okra

Monday August 15: Piranha Food

Tuesday August 16: Clara puts Orang to Bed

Wednesday August 17: Atop Mt. Nittany

Thursday August 18: Thai Honeymoon Record Release Party

Feeding Friendship: White Beans with Rosemary and Mushrooms

2011-08-18T19:00:00.001-05:00

When Sarah picked rosemary as the theme ingredient, I thought, "Yay! I love rosemary." But really, I don't cook with it as much as I should. Two of my favorite flavors with rosemary are mushrooms and white beans, but that combination seemed a little to heavy for summer time. So I lightened them up with some caramelized tomatoes.

I highly recommend roasting the tomatoes and making the stock ahead of time so that you can put together a quick week night dinner. You could certainly use a store-bought chicken or veggie stock, but I save the tough bits of vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, and mushrooms as well as chicken trimmings for making stocks.

So that's it. Roast about 3 pints of different colored small tomatoes with about 20 crimini mushroom cut in quarters. Add to 4 cups stalk along with one caramelized onion, 1 can of cannelini beans, 4 cloves of garlic and about 4 sprigs of fresh chopped rosemary and simmer for as long as it takes to make cornbread. Dinners ready!

Feeling thirsty? Here is a bonus rosemary recipe: Boozy Watermelon Rosemary Lemonade It's particularly good with a splash of club soda and served up alongside fig and prosciutto pizza with rosemary and caramelized onions.

Tacos al Pastor

2011-08-11T08:39:00.033-05:00

The most complex part of making tacos al pastor (Geoff's all-time favorite type of taco) was constructing the rotisserie, like so:

photo by Madhav Pai Licenced under Creative Commons

Just Kidding! Obviously, authentic vertically spit-roasted pork at home isn't feasible. But slicing the meat to about 1/2 inch think and cooking it over a very hot grill did a surprisingly good job of replicating the char and still yielded juicy meat.

The internet (source of all authentic cultural information) indicates that this particular type of taco is a Mexicanized version of the gyro that came with Lebanese immigrants. True or not, the marinade that I found at Mexico: Food, Drinks, and More yielded deliciously vinegary and sweet meat. I thinly sliced the pork loin before marinading to maximize the surface area and then grilled it alongside some onions.

The meat was pretty tasty on it's own with just the grilled onions on top but I felt that the tacos really needed some more moisture in the form of a spicy avocado salsa. (Really, I think anything is better with avocados.)

But the best topping (it's an easy meal to put together so go a little crazy with the condiments) was the pineapple salsa I made. Just fresh pineapple, lime, onions, jalapenos, and cilantro. Even if you don't make the tacos, make the salsa.

I also parcooked some ears of corn in the microwave before finishing them on the grill and then brushing them with a butter-lime-chile powder mix. You know, because vegetables are important.

Boxy Button-Down Refashion

2011-08-08T17:51:00.000-05:00

I'm introducing a new blog series today: Make Do and Mend Mondays. Inspired by the WWII slogan, I'm trying to remake things I already have instead of throwing them out and buying new. I have always had a problem throwing out things that are usable - so much so that I moved a box of clothes I don't wear anymore with us from Pennsylvania because I was convinced I would remake them. The first in what I hope will be a biweekly series is a simple remake of a long-sleeved tunic length button down that I bought when I was about 30 pounds heavier than I am now.

This shirt makes me sad.

It was too long and boxy and perhaps most importantly, is long-sleeved, which I find pretty uncomfortable most of the time here in south Texas. I have always had a difficult relationship with button-down shirts. I like them, but being about a size and a half bigger at my bust than my waist means they frequently aren't flattering. Luckily, taking in the sides and shortening the length were not particularly difficult. I do recommend starting by basting the sides and hem to make sure they are where you want them before you cut anything. Measure twice, cut once! I redid the sleeves a few times before I got the cuff and the length just right.

This shirt makes me happy.

I ended up taking six inches of fabric away from the waist and I think it looks so much better. So the pink shirt is done, next I'll attack the grey one. Stay tuned in a couple weeks for a much larger scale Make Do and Mend project!

Foto Friday {18}

2011-08-06T02:29:00.002-05:00

Saturday July 30: Nachos and Chilled Wine for Dinner

Sunday July 31: Creepy Fish Display

Monday August 1: Too Many Reds

Tuesday August 2: You're not helping

Wednesday August 3: Chicken Sitting

Thursday August 4: School Supply Shopping (for Charity)

Friday August 5: My Morning Habit

Feeding Friendship: Roasted Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

2011-08-04T12:29:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited about this! This post launches the first of a biweekly feature called Feeding Friendship that is a collaboration between myself, and two of my closest friends - Veronica who blogs at Everybody Loves VD and Sarah of Not in Kansas Any More. Every two weeks, one of us will select a secret ingredient and post it on our tumblr account. We will each make a recipe and post about it on our personal blogs and and post a link to tumblr. Want to join in on the fun? Just follow us at Feeding Friendship. We'd love to have you!

This week, Veronica picked cauliflower as the secret ingredient, which gave me the opportunity to share one of the best dishes I've made recently. Roasted cauliflower is one of my favorite things to serve as a side dish or a component in pasta so subbing it in for half of the pasta is a delicious change of pace - and a great way to sneak in bonus vegetables. The first time I made this was shortly before I left for Seattle. I made an extra pan and froze it for Geoff to eat while I was gone. You can bake it right from frozen at 350 for about 45 minutes.

Roasted Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Yields: 6 servings

1 head cauliflower
8 oz whole wheat penne
8 oz 2% Velveeta
6 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
2 1/2 cups skim milk
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan, finely grated
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp nutmeg, optional

1/2 tsp dried mustard, optional

salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the cauliflower into pieces slightly larger than the penne.

2. Toss the cauliflower in 1 tbsp oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Roast 30 minutes, tossing halfway, until the the edges are dark brown.

3. While the cauliflower roasts, boil the pasta for about two minutes less than called for on the box.

4. Start the cheese sauce by melting the butter and adding the flour to make a roux. At first it will clump up, but keep stirring until it smooths out and starts to smell a bit like toast.

5. Add the milk, stirring briskly. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken, but not to the point of a gravy. Add pepper and, if desired, nutmeg and mustard.

6. Add the cheeses in three installments, allowing to melt between additions. Once the cheeses have all been incorporated, taste for salt (the Velveeta is pretty salty).

7. Stir the pasta and roasted cauliflower into the sauce and pour into a 9x13 glass pan. Spread the breadcrumbs evenly across the casserole and spray very lightly with olive oil to help crisp the topping. Sprinkle on the parmesan.

8. Turn down the oven to 350 and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Don't forget to check out feedingfriendship.tumblr.com to see what Veronica and Sarah made!

July Book Report: The Wives of Henry VIII

2011-07-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

http://www.michellehenry.fr/tudors.htm

On the (long ago) recommendation of my friend Summer, this month I read the The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser. A biography of - you guessed it - the six wives of Henry VIII. Before reading this, I didn't have more than a perfunctory familiarity with Henry VIII or the Tudor dynasty and Fraser's approach of focusing on the women of the court provides a perspective that speaks more to the everyday realities than the politics of the era. For me, these personal stories are infinitely more interesting and certainly inform the politics in ways that are ignored by recounts of battles and decries. One theme that struck me as unifying these women, and really all women of their era, is their helplessness in the face of staggeringly high infant and maternal rates. As Fraser concludes, the desire for at least one male heir (and preferably a backup as well) influenced not only the marriages of Henry VIII, but religion, war, and diplomacy. This book is exceptionally well researched and provides a level of nuance that is difficult to achieve in biographies of women from so long ago. The prose is dense but compelling and I really enjoyed this book.

Foto Friday

2011-07-30T14:28:00.000-05:00

Saturday July 23: Prickly Pear Margaritas are Delicious!!!

Sunday July 24: Crazy Large Flag over Gas Station

Monday July 25: Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix + Fresh Blueberries

Tuesday July 26: Loving this Biography

Wednesday July 27: I adore the fabric store

Thursday July 28: New necklace

Friday July 29: Movie at Outdoor Ampitheatre by the River!

Fringe Benefits Giveaway! - UPDATED

2011-07-28T22:27:00.003-05:00

Last night on the way home, I wanted to make something. But I was feeling impatient and wanted something that I could finish in one night. So I stopped by the craft store and picked up a few pendants and some chain.

I liked the rose gold and brass accents on these two pendants and I was able to find matching chains. Put pendants on chains (All on sale!). Add clasps. 3 minute necklace. Yay!

But then I was ready for a little more of a challenge, so I made this cute fringe necklace that I had seen at a bit of sunshine. It is just chain and jumprings. It takes a little bit of time to make (I would say one rerun of The Office), but it is straightforward and pretty.

I liked it so much that I made an extra just for you!!!! Well, one of you. ~~Leave a comment before Sunday July 21st at midnight central time to enter for your chance to win!~~

I remade the necklace and I like this version better, so you get to win it instead! I've extended the giveaway until midnight on Wednesday August 3rd. Just leave a comment to win!

Craft Blog Survey

2011-07-28T15:42:00.001-05:00

There is a giveaway coming later today, but first I wanted to pass along this link to a survey about craft blogging:
http://craftbookproject.com/?page_id=2

It is for a thesis in English, so answer just a few short questions about your craft blog and help this girl get out of grad school!