Sweet Simple Fudge!

Well I'm not made of money but I have (some) time on my hands..I thought I'd share what I'm giving (creating) this Christmas for friends and family.

I found this great (and simple) fudge recipe from Martha Stewart (*with my added tips)

Simple Fudge with Walnuts

Toast Walnuts *A few zaps in the toaster oven (on Med toast) helps with that
Chop Walnuts Coarsely.

*In a 4 quart pot
Measure out 3 cups of Mini Marshmallows
1/2 stick of butter
1 tsp Real Vanilla
1/2 c Heavy Cream

Heat and stir til melted. Once melted add a bag (12 oz) semi sweet chocolates (In my case I used 11.5 oz of Ghiradelli Chocolate chips) plus the walnuts. Scrape into a parchment lined (with overhanging flaps on all four sides) 8x8 pan.
Cool and refrigerate for about 1 day. Once that's chilled just make cuts 6 x 6.

Variations (Instead of Walnuts, Crushed): Peppermint Candies Reisen Candies, other types of nuts or Candied Fruit.

Boys and Toys

I don't encourage guns, and we try to be aware of our tv. (Except when we have to leave the kids at the mercy of our parents) But this picture reminded me of how my son, as a baby (2 years) instinctively memorized commercial breaks with guns (no matter how innocent the commercial was) and kungfu etc. I was further totally amazed that he was able to build his duplo blocks into a shape of a gun, battleship and more..I constantly say how guns are scary and guns hurt people to him. But the fascination stuck. I know now it's a boy fantasy thing and other mom's have confirmed to me that it's a passing thing. I am flabbergasted that boys can so quickly notice a dangerous toy (and mimic it) and not notice when I say their name..image found on ffffound.com

Project: Corkboard Makeover/Homework Station

I have to admit that while I love organization (it's the little containers I REALLY love) in spirit, "organized" isn't what my family says about me. So when I saw my husband grab a gift box to trap our loose papers, including my son's homework (a big reason why we never turn it in on time). I had to get creative. And I had a corkboard (16x20?) to help..

I had some twill cloth left over from another project, about 1/2 a yard, cut into 8" sections (sew the top edge about 1/2"), plus various colors of grosgrain cut to about 12" or less if your pockets turn out bigger. Staple gun, plus scissors (since my daughter was floating around me while I did this project, I thought it best to use kiddie scissors)

Clockwise: I start by stapling the grosgrain strips to the top of the board. Next I lay the top most pocket out, folding the sides I staple as I lightly stretch the fabric. (About 3 staples on each side)

Top to bottom: Next I staple a tight row of staples along the bottom of the pocket. Add the next pocket (slightly lower) the same way.

Top to bottom: The last pocket, instead of starting on the sides, you'll be stapling the bottom edge from the inside, then staple the sides..
While it's not made to hold TONS of papers it does keep us on track of what homework got done and what needs attention.

Salt & Pepper Porkchops

My son loves the restaurant version of salt and pepper squid, but I speculated that I could do the same thing with pork chops at home. As this was an experiment I can't tell you if I've got the peppers right but it had the restaurant style taste (and got my son to devour this) Warning: Open your windows, it'll get powerfully smelly cooking with oil. The trick to cooking this fast is the size of the pieces. If they are about the same size, they cook in the same time. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
3 pork chops cut into two bite chunks (2x1) or strips (3-4" x 1/2")
1/2 tbs of 5 spice
1 1/2 c flour plus 1/2 c water
3 serrano chilies - sliced
2-3 cloves of shallots - diced
4 cloves of garlic - diced
2-3 cups of oil in a 4 quart pot
slotted spoon

Heat oil. Add a bit of the serrano, shallots and garlic to flavor the oil and remove from oil before it overcooks.
Add the 5 spice to the flour to flavor the batter. Add porkchops to flour and add in small batches to the oil. Cook for 5-10 minutes, depending on thickness of pork. Drain onto a plate with a paper towel. Salt to taste. When pork is done. Add the shallots, serrano and garlic to oil and quickly pull out and sprinkle onto porkchops.
Serves 4+

Served with some simply prepared greens and this makes for a nice dinner.

Books I've read & am reading now..

I'm a avid reader. I think this whole summer I've read at least 30 books. I don't count unfortunately and my range of likes is wide. Only when I feel I have to slog through a book do I ever put one down. But I love recommendations. Fiction is what I love best. I've made it my mission to educate myself and read the "classics" so those will always be on my reading list. But here are other books I've picked up as a "tweener".

This book is what I'm reading now. I find it funny the author is a grump and wants to find an actual location for happiness..


I just finished this book and definitely would recommend this book to those who love a good story. I read "My sister's keeper" a while back and it had a slight resemblance to it.


I just read Girl with the Dragon Tattoo because I wanted to know what the hype was. I found it was more interesting than I expected. Yes, I did see the movie and have to admitted we skipped the assault on the female character. (I figure my imagination is enough to horrify me). I'd pass this book along to techies and those interested in detective novels. I've got the other two books on my reading list.

Craft Project Wish List

I'm an avid reader, mom, part-time worker, small etsy business owner. So while I can't say I've got tons of time on my hands, I really have a long list of projects, I'd love to accomplish. And they are very varied (from house projects to recreating cute wallets I've seen in books. My only trouble is I'm too undecided on fabric combinations and lacking self-discipline to read instructions thoroughly and my sewing skills are basic at best.

1. Make/design a functional (for me) wallet with LOTs of pockets

2. Make a tote with grommets similar to one pictured but bigger and tote-yer

3. Make a cool camera strap. (Not boring black)

4. Make a fabulous skirt (And have the courage to wear my creations)
5. Use the circle mirrors (from my wedding) and paint frosted designs and hang
6. Create kimono wrap for KK. (From weekend sewing book)
7. Paint one wall Burnt Orange (maybe w/ glaze of brown?)
8. Make square cement potting boxes (from Martha Stewart)
9. Make a firepit (via Lowes)
10. Make skinny beaded necklaces for sisters and friends for Christmas.
11. Make a purse organizer with Lots of pockets (see a trend here?)

One for the boys...

My son loves Star Wars and especially the Lego Star Wars games. He's only 5 and he's addicted. He begs and begs to get the privilege to play with Dad. But is willing to play on his own if necessary. Because of his love we designed these address stamps. They also make great bookplate stamps for your little fan's (or big fan's) library.

Covet Garden

There's a new online magazine that just came out. Covet Garden takes it's time into interesting people's spaces. I especially like the feature that allows you to roll over items in the pictures to find out where they got them! Image is from covetgarden.com

Heebee jeebees

I have a moderate fear of spiders. Teeny tiny spiders, ok I'll squash them if it means my kids are safe. But freaky big as your hand spiders I run for the nearest man to handle..(Usually my husband but my 5 year old is working up his courage to do it. So far he's only on daddy long legs)
Once when I was up late and my husband was on a out of town trip I had to handle a big spider (brown recluse?) and it was wiley..I had to resort to throwing a somewhat heavy card book on top of it (from a distance). Good thing they crush easy..The hardest part was picking up the dead body. (Yeah I'm pretty squeemish).
I've noticed because of the recent change in weather an extraordinary amount of spiders are coming out of hiding. I had to make a "honey do" list for my husband to remove a few, so my kids would stop gawking at them from the deck. Happy Fall season!

Tough computer

Ok, technically my husband is looking for a laptop and he freaks out if I even tip his old laptop the wrong way..with our pair of wild kids (believe me they are crazy)this actually looks like a viable option. It isn't pretty but if I decide to go spelunking down caverns (which is 100% unlikely) and need to bring computer to entertain the kids. This will be my first option..Found on engadget

I want this!!!

HandmadeAwards
I don't nearly have enough skills to create this cute bunny. But I'm amazed at how people can whip something up like this from thin air! You can find the pattern at HandmadeAwards

Money Tree

I found this interesting link on a social experiment on money hanging from a tree. What would you do? I have to admit I might be a little wary of free money. I might be those who see the money and walk past it (or take a pic of it). After all I was always taught that money should be earned..But the premise of the idea was very interesting.

Wonton Meal!

I had a big craving to make my own wontons. I remember my family making them all the time. And with my family, being a no waste kind of family, I have memories of my dad taking a wonton skin (just when I thought all the filling was gone) wiping down the inside of the bowl with it and having (miraculously) another wonton full of stuffing!


So nothing fancy but it turned out well, plus I had extra wontons to freeze for another few meals. These are approximate measurements, as I usually cook by experiment. Feel free to play around with the quantities to get your best wonton. To get the flavors right I cooked a small batch to taste if it needed anything more.

Wonton Skins (Thin)
1 pound ground pork
1 cup finely chopped dried shiitake mushrooms (rehydrated) - approx. 6-8 one inch caps. Stems removed.
Approx. 20 raw shrimp (61-70) finely chopped - 1 pound?
3 tab finely chopped Chinese Chives (gow choy)
2 stalks fine chopped green onion
dash of soy sauce
Approx 1 1/2 tab fish sauce
1 tsp of ground pepper - freshly ground is best.

Chicken to stock to boil with.
Veg to add to broth: Bok choy is traditional, but I made mine with Swiss chard from the garden.

Ramen, Saimen (almost any noodle you like, but firmer noodles (unlike udon) are best)

Mix all ingredients well. Stuff about a teaspoon into a wonton skin. No fancy nurses hats (a fancy way to fold, for when guests come over). Just a tight seal at the top.

To cook- Boil about 10-12 mins depending on quantity. When it's just about a few minutes from being done I'd throw in the veg to cook. Boil separately (in another pot) some noodles like saimen to go along with it. Use the broth from the wontons as your soup. Enjoy!

To freeze: Freeze on tray individually. Then transfer to a container. I like to add a few with my instant ramen to enjoy.

Next time I might try adding fish, or some more exotic ingredients. (I like to experiment)

Final Show

Here's what my Stargazer lily looked like with most of it's blooms. Final count of stems was 78 blooms! I am still amazed that it's one stem. *I asked a Local celebrity Cisco Morris what he thought and via email he informed me this is called fasciation. It's a rare thing and happens only once.

Grey Bridesmaid dress

So my younger sister is planning a wedding. I was asked to be a bridesmaid (er.. matron, whatever) After much switching she's down to yellow and grey for her colors. Grey dresses. Here's my pick. While I hate my arms I can maybe get away with covering with a shawl. But honestly believe my strength go well as a wedding coordinator than bridesmaid..Now if she can only find a site with her budget in mind. Source: J Crew Wedding.

Mutation!

When we got our first home, we were mobbed by catalogues offering their wares (and trying to lead us to refinancing). One catalogue (I can't remember the name) enticed me with FREE bulbs! They were so sure I'd love their bulbs and the quality that they'd start us off with a free purchase. So I carefully looked through and selected some alliums and stargazer lillies. The alliums were instantly eaten by (Racoons? Rats?) but to this day our lillies have kept producing beautiful blossoms. This year we noticed it was a little crowded and separated a few babies from the "mother bulb" and carefully placed the mother bulb plus a mate in another container. Lilttle did we know what "mama" had in store for us! Out came this crazy flat stem which was about 3 inches wide x maybe 1/4 inch deep. We accepted "mama's" uniqueness. And she gave us 70 potential blossom head! Whoa mama!

New Fascinators

I love the simple beauty of a blossom at the end of a loose chignon or bun. While I got married (ahem) a few years ago and it wasn't even heard of yet. (Am I dating myself?) The fascinator has captured my fascination. So I've tried my hand at creating a few.
I think I best love forming the petals the most. Because they are handformed no two are exactly alike. Plus I've included some very sweet swarovski buttons (to put a little shiny on any event).

Thankful

There's always something to be thankful for, 5 Things I'd list right now are:
The Library System (full of freetime consuming entertainment for kids and adults);
Peas (Fresh off the vine is how my kids love them, and they don't know it's the same stuff from the freezer!); Backyard swings (We put a very low-tech swing up onto a tree in the yard and it's just low enough for my littlest to pull up to, which is really low); good manners! I truly am a believer that the good you send out, comes back to you. And it has.; Skype - I wouldn't travel without internet and skype! Image found via ffffound.com

80 percent recycled.

I was browsing through ffffound and ran into this recycled house for low-income people. I love it's rustic feel and that personal style and pride have gone into each detail. It's not slapped together, in fact I think it's thoughtfully laid out. The original article is from the NYTimes.com

Sunny Day!

This weekend has been nice and cool! Today it's sunny and warm. The kids and I have snacked on a few fresh peas from our little garden (sorry no pic cause they gobbled them up too fast!) I hope our tomatoes get some fruit soon or I'll have to try my hand at making green tomato relish. (I'm not looking forward to that). Photos found at ffffound.com

Envelope Wraps

I've been inspired to create envelope wraps with some of my designs. Since I love paper I wanted my designs to emulate some of my favorite japanese washi papers. They work great on A2 envelopes and rsvp (a1) envelopes. I put them on sale on my site as a editable PDF. You print them over and over for only $10

Sweet morsel!

Miette is my favorite word in French. Meaning little crumb or morsel. I have to say I'm savoring and salivating just looking at these delightful little treats from this sweet bakery in San Francisco!
Or perhaps this little treat. Check them out here!

If you have extra cash

Ok, I don't have cash laying about and I can't say I'd do this. But NPR had this quirky article about teddy bear vacations to Lapland. Well Brownie will not have the priviledge of doing this anytime soon. They do seem awfully close to the fire here. Teddy Tours

Macarons

I have heard down the grapevine that macarons are the thing for this year and will oust the humble cupcake sooner or later. I hate to say it but I'd be more likely to make cupcakes than macarons with their fussy requirements and pricey ingredients. But one of these days I'd like to create the chic macaron just to put that ability under my belt. While surfing around I ran into this article about them from former pastry chef of Chez Pannise David Lebovitz I suggest you go over there and try it!

Cute Veggie

I'm starting to love cute bento box meals! I wish I had time to perfect lunch like this. At this point, I'm lucky to get a peanut butter sandwich into my kids hands, as we shuttle off to grandma and I go to work.

Perpetual Calendar

I have to say I appreciate geekery when it's way cool like this..Unfortunately it's sold out! But here's the incredible company that makes this!Dependable Letterpress

Bunk bed palace!

How I wish I were the kids lucky enough to get this! Cedar Works definitely has some posh gear for kids. First seen on At home with Kim Vallee

My sentiments exactly...

I love this poster. Procrastination at its best. Seen on ffffound.com

New Self-inking stamp designs & invitations

I have to say that having an Etsy site has made me more productive than I ever thought I could be. Being in business suits me. (I've always wanted to have a business and this was the safest and easiest way to start) I recently put up some new self-inking stamp designs. The 88 butterfly is a real butterfly from South America and the number 8 is considered auspicious in the Chinese thinking (I think because it sounds like the word for an gold ingot).

IKEA: Sign of the times

We were running by IKEA yesturday when we noticed that the Kid's club is no longer going to offer freebies (ending June 1). Those of you who don't know, IKEA had a club card you scanned at the front entrance and got items like a free toy or free drink from the resturant, and sometimes a free kids meal! While it's not closing it's playroom (thankfully!) I was sad to see it go. I also noticed a lot of prices slashed unbelievably low. I guess even a giant like IKEA is feeling the pinch of this economic crisis.
I have to admit, with our very limited income, we didn't come away with any purchases either. No liquidity of cash, so no spending. We are thinking about going to a thrift store to find the stool we are looking for. At least the Reuse movement has better incentives these days. I have to wonder out there, what's your strategy for saving a dime?

Say it ain't so, kitty!

Hello Kitty is all a flutter over how to capture the next market of little girls and is struggling for new ideas! Don't leave us Hello Kitty! And she's only 36!

Mr. Darcy

I was wandering off to Design Sponge and they had a ode to Jane Austen and the regency period her stories are set in. While I do like Colin Firth as Darcy. I also love the tongue and cheek version by BBC called "Lost in Austen" The pond shot in the original is where most girls swoon..I think they do a pond shot fairly well here.

Bee Scooter!

What baby wouldn't love this posh little scooter shaped like a bumble bee. Source:Twilite Moon

Japanese Myths

I found this image while hopping around blogs. It's designed around a myth of the Futakuchi-onna is a woman who has been starved by her husband, so her head splits into a mouth and her hair turns into greedy hands in order to steal food. Beautiful and weird at the same time.

Pantone Bikes!

I have to say I'm in love with these Pantone colored Bikes! I want the Teal one for sure! I'd add a kid carrier and ride off to explore the trails in Seattle and have a picnic in a nice spot by the water! Source: www.bbici-italia.it

Honey, Can I have this?

Can I have a workshop this nice, complete with the car? Source:Trendir.com

It's semi spring with a chance of hail..How I wish my garden had this super sense of functionality as this one above (from France). Of course my black thumb will probably flub that too.. Source Design Sponge.