angry chicken

it's been a long week.

Not a bad week but—but a long week.

Deadlines have been met and it's all good, but I am tired. I was hit by a bad sugar craving wednesday and on the way through the kitchen to the backyard made these in a foggy daze. They are crushed up cereal pieces stirred into 1/2 a bag of melted chocolate chips with a bit of salt and then scooped into mini muffin cups. They hardened in the fridge and then went in my mouth for the next few days, making me both happy and ill, depending on the time of day. Thank god they are gone now. This batch made way more than I thought it would. I saw something similar here but just made this up during my stupor. Can't really do it wrong, you know. She calls them Homemade Cereal Bonbons. I call them Day Wreckers.

And then there was the neighborhood fire that involved 6 fire trucks this week. This is from my back door. So that there is 6 firemen hacking away at the roof of a house, behind our house. Like, a house that shares our property line. Much excitement. No one was injured. We were all outside when the area filled up with smoke. The whole event caused much discussion among the girls and much reenactment. And lots of talk about sirens and smoke and some dramatic asthma-like attacks, that kind of thing.

a new summer dress (but it's the same pattern)

So, this here is another summer dress (like this one and this one), but this one is a total mini boden rip off. This is Delia's color and when I found it super-cheap on the outside sales table at Fabric Depot, it had to come home with us. It's rayon. We got some green for Sadie, too. Liddy got nothing, but she has yet to tell us her favorite color. We can't understand a word she says.

It's hard to see in this shot, but the FOE is a light blue. It is also used, unfolded, to slightly gather the bodice. I got fancy and made a ruffle by serging strips (3-thread rolled hem) and gathering it before stitching it on. Lovely. The whole dress just pulls over her head, so no closures to worry about. The mottled rayon look is a bit early 1990s but I still love it for the girls. And I just got the newest mini boden and didn't see that dress in there this year, so I am even happier I made this.

I am thinking about making a video tutorial for FOE soon. I need to find my stick puppet heads.

 

messing around when I should be working-

Um, yeah. So, if you want to waste a lot of time putting your photo in crazy settings—this is totally fun. Check it out here (via photojojo).

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a standard summer dish around here.

So good and so easy. I use Ina's recipe as a place to start, but it changes a little every time I make it. I always add feta.

But hold the phone! Even though these photos show bulghur, I just made this again 2 days ago with quinoa instead and it was even better! So, this is my new favorite way to make it, for sure. I use this quinoa, no rinsing needed.

Hey, thanks for all the gadget suggestions! Now I have some new ones I must try out. Totally unrelated, I saw this new press-on eyeshadow and am totally freaked out by it, yet strangely fascinated. It's so star trek. If I did competitive ballroom dancing I would totally be rockin' this look. I like to plan these things, just in case.

my indispensable kitchen gadget list

 

To avoid making this the longest post ever (I already have that covered) I'm going to try and use brevity. A few things: These items are the exact items I have. There are so many different models out there, but I can only vouch for these. There might be better kinds—I have no idea. I love these tools. Love them to death. They are an unexpected love. I wouldn't have thought they would become so important when we first met. The typical life improving gadets like a Kitchen Aid mixer, Cuisinart, coffee grinder—all that, I have not included in this round up.

First up, the apple peeler slicer. Peels, cuts, and slices apples for pie and crisp in the wink of an eye. Just make sure the apples are fresh and firm. Outstanding. The pineapple cutter. Yeah. I LOVE this goofy thing. I use it so much one might be worried about my pineapple consumption. I have almost sliced my hand off cutting pineapple. Never again. And last here, the butter pot, so I can keep fresh butter on the counter all the time. I have already mentioned these items in other posts, so you know how much they mean to me.

Whip cream whipper. Again, this has already been blogged about. Dangerous love. I probably should not admit how much this gets used. The hand blender is the only way I blend soups and sauces. We haven't had a normal blender in 5 years. And the salad spinner. Some people don't have salad spinners. I didn't a long time ago—just a lot of wet towels. I don't know what I was thinking.

Tongs. Wow. How did I ever live without these? I use them for everything. The superb zester is for lemon/lime/orange zest and grating nutmeg and ginger. Parchment paper—the only way I don't swear when I bake.

Cast iron grill/griddle and grill press. The grill press is for making panini. The griddle stays on the stove top at all times, which I have mentioned before. I have to say no to teflon (we lost a lovebird to teflon smoke poisoning years ago, have I mentioned this before?) and since I can't find a panini press in the world that doesn't have a non-stick/teflon coating, this combo is wicked phat. And last in this row, the mandoline, which has increased my our veggie consumption 10-fold. It's the crazy thin slices that do it.

Cookie dough scoop.I get a lot of compliments on my baking, which is rad, but it's not me, it's my tools. I mean it. I feel like a cookie making robot when I use this scoop, which is thrilling. A mesh drain!! Seriously, my favorite on this page. Am I insane? Well, yes, after years of fighting with my drain because it always plugged when I wanted it to let water pass though. My life has been greatly improved by a little mesh drain thingy for under 5 bucks. And, lastly, my beloved, kick-bootie turner. I can get any cookie/pancake off with this, no matter how thin, stubborn, or delicate. I can't live without it.

Okay, surely there will be a second round, (including our little pepper grinder!) but this is it so far.  Please share your favorite kitchen gadgets! I get a ridiculous amount of joy from of tools that make life easier and/or more pleasing.

grilled zucchini

So, I was making some grilled zucchini for dinner tossed with a little olive oil, fancy salt, and parmesan as a side dish, and ate all of it myself. Oops. I didn't feel bad because no one likes grilled zucchini as much as except maybe baby (because she is a baby). She loves flavors of the salty variety, and who can blame her? I'm laughing looking at these plates. They are from Pottery Barn circa 1992—our first "real" dishes from when we shacked up at 19 years old. So sweet.

I cooked the zucchini on that griddle/grill thing that I referenced in this post. I have been thinking about how much enjoyment I get out of my favorite kitchen tools. I think I will post a list soon. I love sharing kitchen tool/gadget love and hearing about friend's favorites.

We have a lot more zucchini in the CSA box this week. Good thing there are over 500 recipes for it here.
 

peas and other items

Peas. This was from a few weeks back—I don't even know what we did with them. I think they went in a salad? Or a frittata/quiche thing. But they were good. And the small hands love to shell 'um.

3 new items on the stuff-about-me list:

-I was flattered to be asked for 5 craft blog links over on Venus Zine, so I gave them some along with a random out of focus photo of myself which I was hoping would come of as arty, but I think it's just comes off as out of focus. I have been reading the Crafting a Business with Jenny Heart articles over there and they are really awesome. So much information, really and truly—I can't believe how deep she delves into so many complicated topics.

-I was interviewed a for this nice apron article over on Her Times. Thanks Erica!

-I am super excited to see my barrette/pouch project in the glossy pages of the newest Sew Simple magazine (Volume 10). There's a ton of quick and easy sewing projects in this issue, check it out!

5-minute skirt*

Here's the 5-minute skirt how to I have been meaning to post. Please see the disclaimer at the bottom.

And are you annoyed trying to read all this while at your sewing machine? I am! So get the PDF version right here. It's kind of a big file, just so you know.

This super easy to sew skirt is 2 pieces, front and back, cut on the bias. The waistband is FOE (fold over elastic) and the hem is rolled with a serger. You don't need a serger for this project—it just means you will need to hem your skirt the traditional way, which is any way you normally would.

Here's what you need:

-skirt fabric (I strongly suggest a woven cotton with a wee bit of stretch. EDIT-—t's better if this fabric has no stretch than a fabric with too much. So a normal woven cotton would work, but not a cotton knit or jersey.)The best way to make sure you have enough fabric is to make your paper pattern first and take it to the fabric shop. Or, make your paper pattern and measure it out first, if you are ordering fabric online. Don't forget to get extra fabric for shrinkage. For a rough guide, figure about 2 1/2 yards for an XL and 2 yards for a XS, depending on the fabric width and your skirt length. This is a generous estimate.

-FOE (fold over elastic) you need this for the waistband, so get at least your waist circumference.  You can find it in a gazillion colors at SewZanne's

-A big ol' piece of paper to make your pattern. I love Swedish tracing paper, but you can use whatever is big enough. In a pinch, you can also use muslin or another piece of fabric if you have some lying around. (In a major pinch, you can skip the paper pattern and draw these lines directly on the skirt fabric, but you didn't hear it from me.)

1. To make the paper pattern, get your tape measure:

A=your waist circumference divided by 2 plus 3" (So let's say my waist is 28", ha, that's funny. That would make A=17")

B=A+22" (So, in my fabricated small waist example B=17"+22" which is 39")

C=Your favorite skirt length. (Try measuring your favorite skirt as a guide for the length. If you are serging a rolled hem, no extra is needed. If you are using a traditional hem, add what you need, about 1" should do it if you are making a smallish hem. On my skirt, C =24") When drawing the pattern, Notice how the hem dips a bit, in the front? It's about a 1/2" dip, but it's really not a big deal, include it or leave it out.

2. Lay this pattern out on the bias onto your folded skirt fabric.  This means the grain of the fabric should match the arrow on the skirt in that sketch up there, see that? So the skirt pattern will lie at an angle. You will need to cut 2 pieces, which is why the fabric needs to be folded in half.  3/8" seam allowance already included.

3. Sew the skirt side seams right sides together. Turn it right side out and try it on. You should be able to fit it over your booty with a good tug. If it's too tight, cut 1/2" off the top to make the waist wider. Don't make it too big, it should be snug. It will stretch a bit over time.

4. Now sew the FOE onto the waistband using a zigzag stitch, stretching the FOE as you stitch. Try not to stretch the skirt fabric at all. Don't pre-cut the FOE, just stretch and sew it on. It won't fray, so when you are done stitching it on just sew right over the end, overlapping where you started.

5. Using a serger (and wooly nylon thread if you are extra fancy) serge with 3 thread rolled hem. The wooly nylon on one cone makes the rolled edge nice and full, covering the fabric edge completely. If you are sergerless, fold the edge over twice and edge stitch, or use the hem stitch on your sewing machine (Yes, there is one!) Go slow and ease as you need to, hemming on the bias can be a bit swear-y. You could also hem with bias tape, that would look super cute. You can use this method here.

*Disclaimer: The 5 minutes only apply if you have a serger, all the supplies at the ready, and are sober. Please allow for extra time if your personal situation deviates from this.

lovely clothes that I can't buy

Wonderful clothes here—

The eggplant told me about this site. They don't ship to the US, so it's just eye candy. Look at these tiny well placed pockets!

So cute. This reminds me of sweaters from 1985 that kind of looked like this. I actually never had any. I was more of the black-sweater-vest-with-the-white-t-shirt-underneath type girl. Or Benetton sweaters. But I love this. Not sure I could pull off the puffy sleeve. Maybe it's more for Sadie. I find it amusing that it's the puffy sleeves that give me pause, not the infantile figures on the front. I think I am going crazy.

3 words.

Rhubarb hand pie.

I want to write on and on about how good these are but I will come off as sounding weird. Pete and I had them for dinner last night (and breakfast before that) and for dessert just now. The kids don't give a hoot about these, thank god. Pete and I are just getting, um, totally insane about them. We are splitting the last one now. We have declared them to be the best fruit/pie combo ever. We keep having the same ridiculous conversation, "These are so good! I can't believe how good these are. . ." It's almost boring, and yet it's true!

These leaked juice like crazy so if you make them, bake them on parchment paper and use another sheet in the rack below to catch the juice. I used the apple galette crust recipe from my cheat sheet and for the filling combined 4 cups chopped rhubarb, 1 cup sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. I doubled the batch of everything because grammie got such amazing rhubarb at the farmers market. What I just listed above is for a single batch. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then 25 min at 350 degrees.

Add a hot cup of coffee and we think it's a complete meal.