angry chicken

Da Bombe.

This ice cream bombe was made for Father's day. It was so good. It's vanilla ice cream with a layer of crushed graham crackers and java chocolate chip ice cream in the middle. Chopped cashews are sprinkled on top.

Pretty tasty. The girls wanted to make it. They weren't into the coffee flavored ice cream, but they didn't mind because they were eating the vanilla out of the carton the while we made it. It wasn't homemade ice cream. It was one of those weekends when mixing and dumping bought ice cream was the most we could manage. It was very satisfying. Making the graham cracker layer I thought was ingenious, but it wasn't so much, because it made the 2 ice cream layers sort of fall apart when you cut the slices.

This was my grandmother's mold. She made a lot of ice cream bombes. Especially the watermelon looking ones that I loved so much. Not because I liked the flavor really, I just loved that it looked like a watermelon. She had such a dry sense of humor and food that looked like other food, or other things, amused her immensely. She had a box in her garage labeled "fake food" have I mentioned this before? This mold of hers is one of my prized possessions. When my mom moved about 4 years ago we were going through her kitchen stuff and she gave this to Pete when they were boxing stuff up and told him I'd want it. I wasn't in the room at the time. Later when we got home, he said "Your mom gave this to me and said you'd want this?" I screamed. I think he was a bit surprised at my reaction. I couldn't quite explain to him why it meant so much to me, but he gets it. He knew my grandmother very well. (And remembers the rat shaped meatloaf she made that one time.)

You can use just a glass mixing bowl to make these ice cream bombes, but obviously I had to use this.

see, I can delegate & what's in my mouth?!

I didn't make Liddy's party invitations this year. This is a big deal not because I felt guilty (these are so crazy cute I am thrilled to have found them) but because I Iove making invitations and all paper type items for the kids and was sad to not have the time to design any like Sadie's last b-day invite or Liddy's birth announcement. I don't remember what I did for middle child's last party, but I think it was cute? (Hopefully this isn't a potential therapy topic for her.) I was reminded of all this reading Sally's post about b-day stuff for her boys. That lady knows how to plan a party. I am so excited by the ceramic popcorn containers she linked to. I must have them.

Anyhoo, I bought these locally at Oblation and they are printable, so you can run them right through your printer at home. They made me so happy. The font I found here. I love handwriting fonts so much.

Of course, the matching thank you notes had to come home with me as well. There are a bunch of seriously cute patterns in this collection. Now I want to make more! But I don't want to have more parties, just print more invites. I should print invites for a virtual party. That would be cool. Or perhaps not cool, but dumb, I can't decide. Probably dumb.

I am freaking out as I type this because I am eating Christopher Elbow Chocolates right now in the form of a dark chocolate bar that has pop rocks in it. I am serious. This was sent to me by some evil genius as the best late b-day gift ever. Thank you!!!

birthday cake

I was going to do a make-your-own strawberry shortcake dessert bar for Liddy's party, but flaked out and made my go to chocolate cake recipe instead, because we all love it so much. Here it is with a standard buttercream frosting (recipe from the side of the powdered sugar bag) tinted yellow and adorned with pretty flowers cut from—

Starbursts. This was a fun filled fruity smelling experience that the older girls adored. Tip—if you come up with the brilliant idea to soften the candy in the microwave, do it for only 5 seconds. Another tip, don't run cold water over the glass that got covered in melted Starbursts when you pressed it on top of a molten hot fruit chew. And a final word—don't tell you husband what any of the creepy cement-like brightly colored crud is on the glass when he does the dishes, just give him a blank stare.

Other than that, these really were fun to make. For reals. And the candle holder is from here, of course.

furoshiki

I was e-mailed link to this image and PDF from Vanessa and am geeking. I love furoshiki. And I love diagrams. And I love this color green. And I love diagrams that have white lines on a dark background, like old blueprints. This is making me so happy. And hooray for using fabric for wrapping gifts and not paper that just gets thrown away.

window shopping

Window shopping at La Garconne. These are all from the sale section.

Both these dress have such great belts. Belts make me happy. These dresses make me very happy.

This is so flippin cute and this gathered bit at the bottom would look so bad on me. Just horrible. These wonderful pieces made me all excited—so I went out and bought 4 plain t-shirts at Old Navy. Sweet. Same thing, right?

Okay, 5-minute skirt show and tell soon. I am beat! The 2 b-days parties were a blast (Liddy is 1! and Grammie is a bit older than 1!) and I am so tired—wow. I can't believe my babe is 1. I just can't. Now I need to sleep for 3 days. I wish someone would get on that sleep pod invention I keep thinking about that I just made up. I should not be writing right now. Pete is at his gig and I am punchy and not making sense. My favorite time! Mmmm. Sleep pod.

swearing and then happiness

So, I'm not mad at this dress anymore. It's been 2 weeks now, or maybe just one week. We are friends. Middle child loves her and actually cried when she was getting washed, which is a first. I realize now I was unconsciously trying to recreate this dress which is dear to my heart (it's from mini boden) and I get a little panicky when I think of it getting too small, so I am really happy I can make something similar. No matching sketchbook this time, I ran out of fabric, but little barrettes instead which seem like an unacceptable substitution. Again, see the genius of the small object hanger.

There's my little sitter—like for a portrait. Posing for photos is her new thing, so stinkin' cute. Especially because it's all a farce, this demure gesture, because she was probably spitting out chewed food on the rug about 5 minutes later. That's my girl.

The issue with this dress is, unlike Sadie's striped version which was a woven cotton with just a wee bit of stretch— this one is a true knit. Trying to use the FOE to both finish and gather the neck and arms was completely crazy. Here's why—the knit, no matter how careful you are, stretches when you pull the FOE tight while zig-zagging it on. So, you end up with pretty much no gathering. It's a lovely finish, and FOE is wonderful with knits as an ungathered edge finish, especially if you don't want to monkey with hemming, but as a gathering finish—not so good. In hindsight I could have tried a stay stitch to secure the edge of the knit, but I'm not sure that would done the trick. Possibly, and I should test that.

After some swearing, cutting, and messing around, I ended up just running a basting stitch around the neck and arms, gathering it the old fashioned way, and then binding it with the FOE. Wrapping the FOE over a gathered edge was not a super awesome experience, but I did it, and the cool thing is when you do all that and clip the basting thread, it retains it's stretch beautifully. I then added 1/8" elastic across the front and back bodice and this time covered it with FOE using it as a trim, unfolded, to cover the elastic. That's that wide lavender ribbon there across the front of the dress. The girls have very different tastes, Delia picked out the fabric and trim color and it s 100% her, which I love. The fabric is from SewZanne's, as is the FOE.

The Built By Wendy knits book has a wonderful serger tip— I now keep my serger on a 3-thread overlock stitch (instead of the 4-thread) then when I want to use the 3-thread rolled hem, all I need to do it turn a dial. Yeah, it's awesome. Before when I used my rolled hem, it involved a bit more adjusting because I was going from a 4-thread to a 3-thread stitch.

My new thing with knits is no hems, just rolled edges. Within reason, but you know what I mean. I just finished a skirt yesterday in about 5 minutes, no joke. 2 pieces, cut on the bias, FOE waistband, and a rolled hem. It was a woven cotton with a bit of stretch and it's killer. I wore it out to dinner with my mom and brother for her birthday and got compliments on it from the hostess and was showing the FOE waistband off after I asked her if she sewed. Yeah. Someone shut me up and tell me to pull my shirt down. And I just want to say I would buy everyone my serger if I won the lottery, for real. I've had this particular model almost 4 years now and every time I use it I am ecstatic bought it. I'm just saying. It's an Babylock Imagine and I am in no way affiliated with this company, but I wish I were. I actually believe pimping this serger is more like a public service announcement, it's that good.

And thank you for all your rad comments about soy and gladiator sandals! Seriously. This is why I love blogs.

breakfast of champions & health food stuff

Mellon, strawberries, homemade granola, (from this recipe on the cheat sheet) and plain yogurt with agave nectar on top. So, the agave nectar I finally got from TJ's and it now is being used on all sorts of items. It's lovely. It's not as strongly flavored as honey, which I also love, but not with everything. I especially enjoy the agave nectar on fruit. I am also getting into ground flaxseed meal. I know you are supposed to grind your own flaxseed, but I am not buying another grinder for that. I read it's best to not use your coffee grinder, unless you want grass flavored coffee. I found Bob's Red Mill brand flaxseed meal (I love Bob's and know they have a high turnover rate) and it comes in an opaque bag which I keep in my freezer, so I think the air/light issue is dealt with. I really like the taste of flaxseed. I mix it with oatmeal. It's a super food, you know—I got a bag for Grammie, too. (Which appeared to be unopened last time I checked. You are so busted, Grammie.) I don't know why it took me so long to try this stuff. I would tell you everything it helps with health-wise but I would get it wrong. It's really good for you, I know that.

Not sure where I am at with the CSA box this week, I haven't planned much because of the two birthday parties (Grammie and Liddy) we have going on.

I have come full circle with this whole soy controversy that I have been reading about only half-heartedly, because it's the type of thing that makes me crazy. I think it is probably old news too, (like years old) but it was news to me, anyway. These people say soy is practically killing us and our children (more about baby soy formula here) and here's a rebuttal, taking issue with the statements of the soy haters. I thought this last article was very well written and made me feel better.

Gads. My girls never had formula, soy or otherwise, so I never had to research all this, and we don't drink soy milk, but we do eat tofu and love miso soup. I also love tofu dogs and love tofu corn dogs even more. I know they sound horrible, but they are so good. I think where I have landed is—it's all about whole foods, you know? Hooray for tempeh/pressed tofu/miso and lay off the fake meats made with highly processed soy protein (not tofu) and 101 ingredients. (Perhaps like the tofu corn dogs?) And of course, veggies/grains should take center stage, as we all know. Geesh. You know there's a bunch of politically driven/biased research with all this stuff, it's so hard to get a straight answer. It all makes me want to just eat rice and beans, read a trashy book, and back away slowly from the computer. 

Unrelated, I have decided I am not so into the gladiator sandal trend.

happy toys (on sale)

I am in love with these simple wooden puzzle toys. I got some last year and I now need them all.


I realize they are a bit freaky/acid trippy, but in the best way. They are bigger than you would imagine. We have two and I play with them all the time. I don't think the girls have ever noticed them.

Sadie needs this. Like we need more toys in this house.  So, I am freaking because these toys along with everything in the shop is 20% off at Willow Tree Toys through Wednesday the 18th  Thursday the 19th only. (Enter this code WTT88, the sale was just extended an extra day!) I actually wrote them and asked if I could blog about this because the e-mail said it was a secret sale. They said yes, so I guess it's not so secret anymore! Liddy might get a few extra b-day gifts. click. click.

I want my baby bok

The baby bok choy was a huge hit. I grilled the tofu and the bok choy on our griddle/grill pan which permanently resides over two burners on our range-top. There is a flat side and a grill side on this pan. I love it. I put it on 4 years ago and never took it off. Under the bok choy is a nest of udon noodles with green onion and sesame seeds garnishing the top. I marinated the tofu in a sauce for about 10 minutes and poured the extra over the whole dish afterward. Yum! Here's the marinade/sauce. (I found it here and doubled it):

1/2  cup soy sauce
2 teaspoon sesame oil
3 teaspoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons grated ginger
2 small garlic clove, minced
1/2  teaspoon Tabasco or dried hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoon vegetable oil

I used an organic tofu that is extra firm and not packed in water, so I didn't bother pressing it first and it held up beautifully.

new summer dress for eldest child

A new summer dress was made for the eldest child. The youngest has a b-day in 8 days, so of course I made something for a different child—just to give myself even less time. Upon completion, the middle child was sad (rightly so) that her dress wasn't done yet. I explained that I couldn't sew both at the same time. She didn't believe me. It was then declared by the eldest that from now on, all sewn items need to be made for the middle child first. This was noted by myself and all present. I think my photo stylist's hand popping in there is very funny. Thank you husband.

The amazing hanger is from the small object, of course.

There is a matching sketch book cover for Miss Sadie, who is always drawing stories now. It comes off, so we can add new books as she fills them up. I am in love with this striped fabric. 

There are a million things bouncing around in my head, but for my own sanity I will just list details of this dress:

It's my own pattern. I would tell you it was based of this blouse pattern, but really, it has been altered so much that directing you to that pattern to make this dress would only cause swearing. That's the short answer. The binding is FOE which also gathers this cotton stripe at the neck and arms. The cotton stripe has a wee bit of stretch. The hem is finished with the serger (rolled hem) as is the book cover. The gathering on the bodice is just 1/8" elastic pulled tight and stitched on. Done and done.

I have no idea where this fabric is from—I have had it a few months and don't remember where I got it. The dress was super easy. This was not the case with dress #2 for the middle child, which I will blog about later when I have had more time away from it. I am still mad at that dress. I believe bad sewing mojo happens in 3s, but this dress had about 6 things go wrong with it. It is dang cute though, so I will show it soon.

this dough is evil.

I have only made the challah dough once (it makes four small loaves) and this was made from the last ball of dough I had in the freezer. I pulled it out Thursday, popped it in the fridge after it thawed, and then Friday morning made these cinnamon rolls while making the morning coffee. No recipe, just rolled a rectangle, added butter and cinnamon-sugar and then let it rise. I popped them in the oven and then drizzled with a glaze. Very very dangerous. I think this dough should be outlawed in our house. This same dough made the challah french toast a bit back and these hot crossed buns. All from that bread book. Not only were these so easy, they were so good. I wanted to add orange rind to the glaze but I knew that would get me kicked out of the house, so I didn't.

Thanks for all the fava bean suggestions. I made this salad because I also had fennel to use up and it was wonderful (but I had no mint and I think it really needed it) and am going to do something with the baby bok choy tonight. Your comments for using this up are awesome!

beet down

Here's a beet salad on a bed of greens with goat cheese (again.) These beets came in the CSA box. I roasted them with garlic cloves then made a orange vinaigrette and added spring onions and radishes sliced thin. I warmed it all before I put it on the greens. Just lovely. Pete didn't touch it, but I didn't want to share, so that's okay.

Long ago a friend mentioned she hangs her mandoline on a string for easy access. I have this mandoline and never used it much because it was tucked away. The baby found it and almost gave me a heart attack because it's so dangerous. So, on a string it went and is now hanging on the wall near the sink. I have used it everyday since, mostly with radishes and carrots—slicing thin and tossing with everything.

I need to find good recipes this week for fava beans. I also need to use up the baby bok choy. I have 3 days. I try to use most of the veggies up before we get the next box—even if it means just roasting them all and making a soup, which is always popular around here. (Except with the eldest, the super taster.) And soup seems appropriate since it still hasn't even hit 65° this week. Grumble-grumble.

*update-yum! On the summer salad front, see hello yarn's salad recipe, where it is hot.

 

house of swag

I have always had an affinity for custom made merch. Especially of the family variety. It must be in my blood. We had matching family t-shirts in the 70s (baseball style—white with green sleeves) that had the iron-on words "Karol Klan." Awesome. I realize now the clan spelling with a K was probably not the wisest decision. It was meant to be a play on our last name—an alliteration type thing—not an association with, you know, The Klan. Double awesome. This was all my dad's doing, who loved labeling things. By things, I mean everything, like our t-shirts. We had a tape label maker that was used constantly, especially on cassette tapes. It was the kind with the red or black tape and the type would emboss in white. I can't find any online right now to show. Now I want one. (Grammie, do we still have our label maker and did we keep any of the t-shirts? And was it really Klan with a K?)

So, I wish I could say this is the first mug I have had made with our child's photo on it, but it's not. It's not even the second. Or the third. Pete isn't as enamored of these as I am. He likes them fine but he doesn't immediately think "That picture of Liddy with the cheerio stuck to her face with snot is so gross and cute, let's make that into a mug!" the way I do. I need to remind him that his own Pete-doing-kung-fu mug I made for him 12 years ago is a prize prize possession of his now. There is something truly funny and crazy about using a mug with your own photo on it. Now I want family pencils. I'm the only Karol in our immediate family, the girls have Pete's last name, so I will have to think about the wording. Blair, didn't you make custom pencils awhile back, or was it your genius husband? I am link lazy.

I made the mug here. I just clicked on the site directly from flickr to add the photo. Super easy.

a little more pat benatar than I had planned

Here's a shirt I made from the BBW knits book. It's the basic shirt with the boat neck alterations. Notice the loose 3/4 sleeve, which is my favorite detail. So nice. And the neck fits perfect. I used my serger for this and turned the neck hem over once both top-stitching and edge stitching to make it lay flat. See the two black seams there? It's debatable if I should have made a facing instead. It sort of stays flat, but by the end of the day, it gets bit flippy. This jersey has modal in it, so it's a bit slinky— more Rock n' Roll High School than the classic French top I was going for. That's cool, it is a light pink and black stripe after all, which to be honest, I didn't notice when I bought it online.

The unnatural pose here is killing me. You are supposed to notice the sleeves, and the boat neck—with the coffee mug artistically obscuring the Empty Baby House. Why I am trying to obscure anything with a horizontal striped shirt on is beyond me.

Okay, it's been a RAD day. My e-mail is broken. I can receive e-mail, but not send any, and of course I have had a ton of immediate issues that need to be attended to via e-mail. It's raining here again, and not even 60°. Seriously, I had to turn the heat on. There are a bunch of other things I want to complain about which require more typing than I can do right now and are petty and silly anyway (when did I get so much grey hair?) Come on, man! I need a Friday! It's probably a good thing I can't send out any e-mail right now, to be honest.

I booked a massage on Saturday, so that's good. And I really dig this shirt, so that's good too.

at least she's consistent.

So, I have a backlog of food photos. I was overly excited by this dish I made. It's actually leftovers. I made these falafel style patties out of beans, brown rice, peppers, cheese, and veggies that were all in our burritos the dinner before. I added an egg and some wheat germ and crammed all this stuff in the cuisinart and made a sort of wet dough. Using a scoop, I dropped then in a little bit of oil and fired them, pressing them flat. Bean patties. A little thinned tahini with lemon juice is drizzled on top with a salad on the side. There's a dirty tablecloth, too. We were outside.

I didn't tell Pete right off, "Hey this is your burrito innards from last night mashed up into a ball and fried." But that's what it was. Very pleasing to dump the entire bowl of these random ingredients together and make a new dish out of them. I froze the extra and had them for lunch. They don't microwave well, definitely needed to be crisped in the oven.

Okay another random list:

-The new Tie One On theme is set and the Havana Nights gallery is up!

-Clicky the Moose is hosting another Bend-The-Rules Sewing Swap, this time it's place mats and napkins. Sign-ups close this week so cruise over here to join the fun.

-The über talented Amy Ruppel is having an art opening here in Portland this Thursday evening and has some new work including hand carved block printed fabric! I can't wait to see it. Details here at the gallery, the Grassy Knoll. Click under Artists and then on Amy Ruppel. It looks like a swell time, there will be music and kids are welcome to come.

she's writing about beans, again.

I bought these beauties from Rancho Gordo a few weeks back. I love the packaging.

I slow baked them at 250° for about 2 hours after pouring boiling water on them. They were perfect. There's an onion, some salt, garlic, and cumin in there. Much debate about when to salt these little guys, I seem to do it different every time and never really notice a difference.

I put them bed of arugula (rocket sounds so much cooler) with brown rice and topped it all with a balsamic vinaigrette. There is homemade rye bread there with chèvre. Yum. I don't remember if this is a real recipe, but was definitely inspired by reading recipes from this book, which I bought after checking it out from the library. I have a stack of cookbooks from the library right now and they are so good, especially for figuring out what to do with the abundance of chard in our CSA box.