Autobiography of Craft

Classic Cheesecake

2012-02-07T22:51:00.000-05:00

Cheesecake is my husband's favorite dessert, which is lucky for me, because it is an easy sweet to make low carb. This is The Joy of Cooking's old-fashioned cheesecake with substitution of Swerve granulated for the sugar in the original recipe, and the addition of an almond flour crust. I made the cheesecake upon his request for hubby's birthday cake. The coulis was a last minute creation, and a bag of mixed berries is what I had in the freezer. The coulis would be equally good with whatever fresh or frozen berries you have on hand.

Classic Cheesecake with Triple Berry Coulis
low carb, gluten free

Crust
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup vanilla flavored sugar free whey protein powder
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling
3- 8 ounce packages cream cheese
1 cup Swerve
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Topping
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Swerve
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Triple Berry Coulis
1 cup frozen mixed berries (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry), defrosted
2 tablespoons agave nectar (or other sweetener, to taste)

     Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine crust ingredients in a medium sized bowl, mix until combined. Press evenly into the bottom of a 10 inch springform cake pan. Don't try to build the crust up the sides of the pan, but do cover the seam. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Allow the crust to cool completely before making the filling.
     Have filling ingredients at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 300F. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until creamy. Gradually beat in Swerve and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl and beater between additions. Pour the filling into the prepared, cooled crust. Bake at 300F for 30 minutes, then shut off the oven. Allow the cheesecake to rest in the oven with the door cracked open (put the handle of a wooden spoon into the door) for an additional 30 minutes. Remove the cheesecake to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before making topping.
    Combine sour cream, Swerve, vanilla, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Spread over cake. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, before removing ring of pan and serving.
     Place the defrosted berries and agave nectar (or other sweetener) into a blender. Blend on high until liquified. Strain if desired. Serve cheesecake with a drizzle of coulis.

Peanut Butter Cup Fudge

2012-01-30T16:39:00.000-05:00

I was the lucky winner of the Swerve Sweet-stakes on their Facebook page. I shared my New Year's resolution to keep off the pounds I lost in 2011, and lucky me, I get help doing just that with my winnings: a year's supply of Swerve!
Sunday we had some friends over for dinner, so I had my chance to try out Swerve for the first time. I got home from a day of shopping, and had picked up some peanut flour while we were out. I wanted to make a quick, no bake dessert, because we were hungry and I needed to get dinner in the oven. I thought of the fudge recipe that my grandfather used to make for us grandkids when we were little. The original recipe called for a whole pound box of confectioners sugar! My new version is sugar free and low carb, but just as delicious as the fudge of my childhood memories.

Peanut Butter Cup Fudge
Low carb, sugar free

Peanut butter layer
1 1/2 cups natural chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup peanut flour (PB 2 powdered peanut butter)

3/4 cup Swerve Confectioners Style

1/2 cup butter, melted

Chocolate layer

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup Swerve Confectioners Style

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine peanut butter layer ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Spread in a 8x8 square baking pan. Put in the refrigerator to chill while you make the chocolate layer.

Combine chocolate layer ingredients in a medium size microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high about 1-2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Stir until smooth.

Remove peanut butter layer from refrigerator. Pour chocolate layer on top and spread over the surface evenly. Return to fridge and chill until set, about 2 hours. Cut into squares and enjoy.

Custom hot cocoa by the mug

2012-01-16T18:29:00.000-05:00

It is bone chilling outside this week. Dry, windy, and cuts through four layers of warm woolies cold. It may not look like winter without any snow on the ground, but it sure feels like it. This is hot cocoa weather. I like my cocoa rich, dark, not too sweet, and ready as soon I crave it. Hubby, on the other hand, likes his sweeter and less chocolatey, but also right away. How to please us both? Custom hot cocoa in a mug! You are less than 5 minutes away from your own chocolate bliss.

Basic cocoa by the mug
sugar free, low carb, gluten free

1/4 cup water
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
10-15 drops liquid stevia
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together cocoa powder and half of water in a mug until smooth. Add remaining water, milk, stevia, and vanilla. Microwave on high 2-3 minutes or until hot. Careful not to overheat, as the cocoa could boil over. Stir well and serve.

This basic recipe is more hubby's style of beverage, and makes enough cocoa to fill a standard coffee mug. My favorite mug holds about one and a half times that amount. I use 1/2 cup water, 1 cup of milk, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (really chocolatey!), about 20 drops of stevia, and the extract. Of course, I don't limit myself just to vanilla extract! I like variety in my cocoa. I recommend substituting raspberry, orange, almond, or peppermint extracts. Not a fan of liquid stevia? You can use your favorite sweetener: start with the equivalent to 1 tablespoon of sugar and go from there. Experiment and make the perfect cocoa for you!

Fudgy Raspberry Swirl Brownies

2012-01-13T20:49:00.002-05:00

I often bake for milestone celebrations like birthdays and holidays. I like to save my treats for such occasions, both to make them feel more special, and to keep myself from over-indulging on a regular basis. Sometimes, when I really feel like baking, I find my own occasion. Last week a coworker had my back during a stressful time, so I wanted to bring him a treat to thank him. I was planning on baking Thursday night, but it had downpoured all day long, and my 100 year old field stone foundation usually takes on water in such situations. I was positive I was going to come home from work to a wet basement. I got home that night, prepared to break out the utility pump and the wet/dry vac, and found my basement was dry. So I baked brownies to celebrate my luck! These are a new take on my Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies, now with a berry twist, and the same secret ingredient, canned black beans.

Raspberry Swirl Brownies
Reduced carb, sugar free, and gluten free

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed well
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tablespoon raspberry extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup liquid egg substitute (or 4 large eggs)
1 1/2 cups light agave nectar
1/4 cup sugar free seedless raspberry preserves
1 bar (3.5oz) sugar free, low carb dark chocolate (Simply Lite), chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper and lightly coat with non-stick spray. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and the butter on 50% power for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir until completely melted. Place the beans, almond flour, raspberry extract, salt, and a few tablespoons of the melted chocolate mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth. In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg substitute (or eggs), then add the agave nectar and beat well. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the egg and agave mixture, set aside. Add the bean mixture and the rest of the chocolate mixture,and the chopped chocolate (if using) to the agave and eggs. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the reserved agave and egg mixture with the raspberry preserves. Drizzle over the brownie batter in the pan. Use a butter knife to pull the raspberry mixture through the batter, creating a swirled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until just set in the center. Let cool in the pan completely. Refrigerate overnight or until completely chilled through for the best flavor and consistency.

Glitter Gore Trophies

2011-10-17T22:53:00.000-04:00

Nothing says Halloween like severed body parts and glitter! When I saw this great trophy idea on Dollar Store Crafts, I loved it, and decided to make them for my friend's Halloween party.

One trip to the Dollar Tree later, I had my hands and skull. I also picked up some wooden plaques, glitter, and scrapbooking labels at the craft store, and spray paint and upholstery tacks from the decorating store where I work. I sprayed the body parts and labels first with Fusion spray paint, which sticks really well to plastic, then with a brighter gold spray paint.

While the spray paint dried, I stained the plaques.

Next, I brushed tacky glue on the bloody bits of the hands and sprinked on the red glitter. I did the same with the recesses in the skull and black glitter.

I printed out award designations, taped them inside the label holders, and then affixed them to the plaques with upholstery tacks. When the glue was dry on the body parts, I hot glued them to the bases.

The perfect award for an awesome costume, like an amazing Edward Scissorhands.

Of course, because I made the awards, I couldn't take one home, but I rocked as Rosie the Riveter, don't you think?

Apple Spice Muffins

2011-09-15T16:32:00.001-04:00

I went apple picking earlier in the week. After eating fresh apples out of hand and whipping up a low carb apple crisp, I turned to the internet looking for more apple treat recipes. Instead, I found All Day I Dream About Food's Zucchini Walnut Spice Muffins.

In her muffin post, Carolyn was lamenting the lack of zucchini in her garden this year. I can sympathize with her. Out of my three plants only one bore fruit, and it only produced two zucchinis. I had no zucchini abundance with which to make muffins, but a half peck of apples happy to join the party.

I adapted Carolyn's recipe to suit the contents of my pantry and was thrilled with the results. I used two apples, peeled cored and finely chopped to replace the zucchini, and I left out the walnuts.

Apple Spice Muffins (adapted from ADIDAF's Zucchini Walnut Spice Muffins)

low carb, sugar free, gluten free

2 cups apples (about 2 large fruit), peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup liquid egg replacement (Eggbeaters)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup soy flour
1/4 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1/4 cup Truvia
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 325F and line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl, mix together apples, yogurt, egg replacement, and vanilla until well combined. If you mix the apples into the yogurt mixture as soon as you have finished cutting them, they won't turn brown.

In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, soy flour, whey protein powder, Truvia, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the yogurt mixture in two additions, alternating with the milk, and then beat in the coconut oil until thoroughly combined.

Divide batter among prepared muffin tins. Bake 28 to 32 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cool cucumbers

2011-08-11T10:00:00.003-04:00

It's a bumper crop year for cucumbers in my garden. I've been picking 6 to 8 a day for the last few days. That's a lot for two people to eat, especially when one of them is not really fond of cucumbers. Luckily, I love pickles! These are easy to make, small batch pickles, for when you have a few too many cukes in your garden.

Refrigerator Pickles

1 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar (or cider vinegar)
2 teaspoons pickling salt (kosher salt or sea salt work, too)
4 sprigs fresh dill (or 1 tablespoon freeze dried dill)
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
4-5 small to medium sized cucumbers, cut into spears
1 quart canning jar (or reuse an old pickle jar or pasta sauce jar)

Clean jar well with very hot soapy water, rinse well, and dry. Put dill, garlic, and peppercorns into jar. Pack in cucumber spears. Combine water, vinegar, and salt in a saucepan or microwaveable dish (a large glass measuring cup is ideal, the spout will make pouring easier later). Bring to a boil on stovetop or in microwave, stirring to dissolve the salt into the vinegar mixture. Pour the hot vinegar mixture into the jar, filling to the bottom part of the lip (leaving ½” to ¾”space on top. Depending on the size of your jar, you may not need all of the mixture.) Put on cap and allow the jar to cool to room temperature, and then move into the fridge. Allow at least 2 days in fridge to pickle before serving. Pickles will keep in the refrigerator up to two months.

To top it off: Hot Fudge

2011-08-04T21:44:00.000-04:00

I went to a lovely ice cream social last weekend, and was inspired to make something special with which to crown my sundae.

I spy with my little eye a sundae topping that is low carb. I also spy one that is low carb and vegan. Can you guess which toppings I spy? The cashews and the strawberries are both contenders, yes, but I'm talking hot fudge!

One is full of cream and butter for the traditionalists, and the vegan one is made with coconut milk. They both tested well at this little ice cream party. I love dairy, but I actually favored the vegan version, which is redolent of a mounds bar. I was too busy stuffing my face to get a sundae photo, but I can assure you it looked (and tasted) amazing.

Traditional Hot Fudge

Sugar free, low carb, gluten free

1 3/4 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup Truvia

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 ounces unsweetened (baking) chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla

1o drops liquid stevia extract

Run truvia through a coffee grinder until it resembles super fine or powdered sugar. Combine heavy cream, butter, powdered Truvia, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth and the Truvia dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate until completely melted. Stir and vanilla and liquid stevia. Serve immediately or pour into a mason jar or other covered container and refrigerate until needed. Reheat over low heat in a saucepan or at 50% power in a microwave.

Vegan Hot Fudge

Sugar free, reduced carb, gluten free, dairy free

1 can unsweetened coconut milk (13.5 fl oz)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 ounces unsweetened (baking) chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla

20 drops liquid stevia extract

Combine coconut milk, agave, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth and consistent. Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate until completely melted. Stir and vanilla and liquid stevia. Serve immediately or pour into a mason jar or other covered container and refrigerate until needed. Reheat over low heat in a saucepan or at 50% power in a microwave.

Crisp of choice

2011-05-21T22:25:00.002-04:00

I love rhubarb season! My dad has a patch in his garden, so I made a stop last weekend to score some giant, crisp stalks. Pair the refreshing tartness of rhubarb with the juicy sweet redness of strawberries, top with crisp sweet crumbs, and you've got a perfectly pink spring treat. Not a rhubarb fan? Neither is my husband. So double the crumb recipe, slice up some apples, and make a pair of crisps.

Crisp of choice: Strawberry-Rhubarb or Apple
Low carb and sugar free

Strawberry and rhubarb filling
4 cups rhubarb (about 4 large stalks), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/4 cup truvia (or 1/2 cup splenda)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter

Apple filling
4 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples (about 4 medium sized fruits)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons Truvia (or 1/4 cup Splenda)
1 tablespoon butter

Crumb topping
Enough for one crisp. Double the measurements to make both.
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons Truvia (or 1/4 cup Splenda)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix filling ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Pour into a 2 quart casserole or baking dish. Cut 1 tablespoon of butter into bits and scatter over the top of the filling. In another mixing bowl, combine all crumb topping ingredients except butter. Cut the butter into small pieces, add to dry crumb ingredients, and work together with a pastry cutter or two knives. Sprinkle topping evenly over filling. Bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes, or until topping is lightly brown, fruit juices bubble up around the edges, and the fruit is soft when pierced with a knife. Allow to cool for at least 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature, with low carb vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Strawberries and Cream Pie

2011-04-26T17:29:00.001-04:00

Strawberries and Cream Pie
Sugar free, low carb, and gluten free.

Crust
1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 cup sugar free vanilla protein powder
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling
1/2 cup sugar free strawberry preserves
2 packages sugar free cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
3 1/2 cups skim milk

Topping
8-10 fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup heavy cream
5 drops liquid stevia (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine crust ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Firmly pat mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a pie plate. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.
Gently spread strawberry preserves to cover bottom of crust. Set aside.
In a medium size saucepan, combine pudding mix and milk. Whisk until combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until it comes to a full bowl. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then stir. Pour pudding into crust. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until chilled completely.
Slice strawberries. Arrange on top of chilled pie.

Place medium size bowl and whisk (or whisk attachment of electric mixer) into the refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes. Place cream in chilled bowl, and whisk until thickened. Add stevia to taste. Continue to whisk until the cream reaches soft peak consistency.
Serve pie with a dollop of whipped cream.

Fashion plate

2011-04-19T22:09:00.000-04:00

With only a few weeks left until International Steampunk City Waltham, I've been busy making costumes. I have something I could wear in a pinch, but hubby had nothing at all, so I got his ensemble together first.

For his waistcoat I used Simplicity pattern 2895. The welted pockets nearly ground the whole project to a halt, but once I worked through that little problem, the rest was a breeze.

The gun is a repainted toy store find (see before and after pics), and the holster is my own design, made from scrap leather from the upholstery shop at work. It hangs on a belt and also fastens around the thigh. The wing embellishment is borrowed from our own jolly roger design.

Oooh, cheesecake...

2011-03-15T14:07:00.002-04:00

Blueberry Swirled Mini Cheesecakes
Sugar free, low carb, and gluten free.

Crust

1 1/2 cups almond flour (Bob's Red Mill)

1/4 cup sugar free vanilla flavored whey protein powder (Designer Whey)

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Cheesecake

2 cups cream cheese (two 8oz packages), softened

1 cup Neufchatel cheese (one 8oz package), softened

4 eggs or equivalent egg substitute

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup Truvia

Swirl

1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed

3 tablespoons agave nectar, or sweetener to taste

     Preheat oven to 350F. Line 18 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners. In a medium size bowl, mix almond flour and protein powder. Add melted butter and stir until thoroughly combined. Scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of crust mixture into each lined muffin tin, then use your fingers to pat it firmly into the bottom of the tin. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Set aside to cool. Reset oven to 325F.
     Place blueberries in a blender or food processor, or use a stick blender and bowl. Blend until liquefied. Put a fine sieve over a small bowl and press blended blueberries through the sieve with the back of a spoon. Discard blueberry solids. Add agave nectar, or sweetener to taste, to the blueberry puree. Set aside.
     In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat together cream cheese, Neufchatel, and salt on low speed. Add Truvia, continue to mix at low speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl. Mixing at low speed, at eggs one at a time (or 1/4 cup egg substitute at a time), allowing each egg to blend into the mixture completely before adding the next. Scrape bowl and and paddle. Add lemon zest and juice, mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape bowl and beater, and mix for a few more seconds. Divide the filling mixture among the 18 cooled crusts, about 3 1/2 tablespoons per tin. Pick up and knock tin lightly against counter to settle the filling into the bottom of the tins. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of blueberry puree on the top of each cheesecake, then draw a toothpick through to swirl.
     Place the cheesecakes on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until just set in the centers. Shut off the oven, open the door, and allow the cheesecakes to cool to room temperature in the oven. Remove cheesecakes from tins and refrigerate until chilled through. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Macaroon or muffin?

2011-03-07T22:12:00.002-05:00

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Muffaroons
Part macaroon, part muffin, completely tasty! Great for breakfast, snack, or dessert. Low carb, sugar free, and gluten free.

4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar substitute (Splenda)
4 eggs (or equivalent egg substitute)
3 cups almond flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons coconut rum (or 3 teaspoons coconut extract)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bar (3.5oz) sugar free, low carb dark chocolate (Simply Light), chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12 jumbo muffin or 24 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners. In a large mixing bowl, work butter and sugar substitute together. Add eggs, mix until incorporated, then add remaining ingredients. Mix until just combined. Divide batter evenly among the prepared pan, filling about 2/3 full. Place in middle rack of preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature. Store leftover muffaroons in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

The Secret Ingredient: Black Bean Brownies

2011-02-14T19:26:00.001-05:00

Reduced-guilt Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
"Black beans?!" you say. Yep, don't tell and they'll never know. These are rich, fudgy, and peanut buttery, and my taste-testers ate them up without guessing they were reduced-guilt. Enjoy! Gluten free, sugar free, and low carb.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed well
1/2 cup peanut flour
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup liquid egg substitute (or 4 large eggs)
1 1/2 cups light agave nectar
1/4 cup peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper and lightly coat with non-stick spray. In microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and the butter in the microwave on 50% power for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir until completely melted. Place the beans, peanut flour, vanilla extract, and a few tablespoons of the melted chocolate mixture in to a food processor and blend until smooth. In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg substitute (or eggs), then add the agave nectar and beat well. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the egg and agave mixture, set aside. Add the bean mixture and the rest of the chocolate mixture to the agave and eggs. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the reserved agave and egg mixture with the peanut butter until light and fluffy. Dollop over the brownie batter in the pan. Use a butter knife to pull the peanut butter mixture through the batter, creating a swirled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until just set in the center. Let cool in the pan completely. Refrigerate overnight or until completely chilled through for the best flavor and consistency.

Lost in Space

2011-02-12T18:16:00.000-05:00

Nope, I'm not lost forever. My computer died shortly after Christmas, and I've had to borrow hubby's, so my blogging capabilities have been severely limited. Good news, however! I intend to use my tax return money to buy myself a laptop, and then I'm back in business. I have lots of things I made for Christmas to show you, and crafts in progress for various babies who are coming in the spring. So stay tuned!

M: T II, Just Desserts

2010-11-24T19:26:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Mission: Thanksgiving II, the second part of my South Beach friendly thanksgiving. This time the sequel may be better than the original, because this redux has cheesecake!

Low carb cheesecake (based on Classic Cheesecake from Truvia.com)
Crust
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts
1/3 cup sugar free vanilla flavored protein powder
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling
2 cups (2 packages) cream cheese
1 cup (1 package) neufchatel cheese
1 cup egg substitute (or 4 whole eggs)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup + 1/2 tsp Truvia

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Chop the hazelnuts finely or pulse in food processor to a fine texture. Stir in whey protein powder and then butter until well combined. Press evenly into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Let the crust cool.
Drop the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Blend Truvia, cream cheese, neufchatel, and salt with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Continuing to mix on low speed, add 1/4 cup egg substitute (or one egg) at a time, allowing the mixture to blend 1 minute before adding more egg. Scrape down the bowl and paddles. Add the lemon juice and zest, mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into cooled crust, spread even. Bake for 35 minutes or until the edges are set but the middle of the cheesecake still jiggles. Shut off the heat and allow the cheesecake to cool slowly in the oven for about an hour. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The whey protein powder I used is Designer Whey Protein, which is sweetened with stevia, and I bought it at Trader Joes. Truvia is a granulated stevia sweetener that is slightly more sweet than sugar and has a vanilla-like scent.

Sugar-free Sugared Cranberries

1 package (12 oz) fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups Splenda (or equivalent sweetener, such as 1/3 cup Truvia or 1/8 tsp liquid stevia)
1 cup Truvia

Rinse and drain cranberries. Pick out stems and any soft or mushy cranberries. Transfer berries to a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, combine water and Splenda, and bring to a bare simmer. Pour the hot liquid over the cranberries, cover with a small plate to keep the cranberries submerged, and macerate in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, drain the cranberries, removing and discarding any that have split open. Pour enough Truvia to cover the bottom of a large plate or shallow bowl. Put a handful of the still wet cranberries into the Truvia and shake to cover them. Remove the covered cranberries to a cookie sheet and repeat with more Truvia and cranberries. Allow the cranberries to sit on the cookie sheet for an hour so the coating will harden. Serve immediately or wrap the cookie sheet in plastic wrap and store in a cool dry place for a few days.

I used Splenda in the macerating liquid in this recipe because I had extra on hand and it dissolves very easily in water. For that same reason, it is not ideal to crust the berries with, as it will melt on contact and not make a nice granulated, snowy coating like the Truvia. If you choose to store the berries for a short time, don't put them in a completely airtight container and leave them in a single layer. The crust will soften and not adhere to the cranberries if they are piled on top of one another and sealed up tightly.
Serve these crunchy, sparkling little sweet-tart treats straight up in a candy dish to snack on, top your cheesecake with them, or add them to a festive drink. Here's a cheery seasonal libation to float them in:

Ginger Spritzer
4 cups water
1 piece fresh ginger, about 5 inches long
1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia (or equivalent sweetener of your choice)
Seltzer water

Slice the ginger thinly. You don't have to peel it. Combine sliced ginger with water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a bare simmer and cook about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add liquid stevia. Allow the liquid to cool to room temperature. Strain through a fine sieve to remove ginger solids. Pour syrup into an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, pour 1/2 cup ginger syrup over ice in a large glass. Fill the glass with seltzer. Top off with sugared cranberries and serve immediately.

If you're into libations of a more adult variety, try adding a shot of rum or vodka to your drink. Or nix the seltzer completely and serve the ginger syrup over champagne, as Martha Stewart suggests.

Mission: Accomplished. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Mission: Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T20:52:00.001-05:00

Since June, my husband and I have been following the principles of the South Beach Diet, and between the two of us we've lost nearly 100 pounds. Seems like we've got a good thing going with the diet, but now come the temptations of the holiday season. My mission: indulge in traditional flavors of the season, but omit starchy foods, such as white rice, white potatoes, and corn, white flour, and sugar.
Turkey is still on the menu (for hubby at least, I don't eat it), but stuffing and mashed potatoes are out. What's in, you say?

Mashed Fauxtatoes
1 head cauliflower
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Cut the cauliflower into florets. Peel the garlic cloves. Combine in a medium saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until cauliflower and garlic are soft when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Drain cauliflower. Transfer to a food processor and blend until chopped into pieces the size of rice. If you don't have a food processor, you can also transfer your drained cauliflower back to the pot and use a potato masher to break it up. If you like chunky mashed fauxtatoes, stir in the milk, butter, and celery salt by hand with a spoon. If you like smoother spuds, spin in the food processor or a blender until pureed. If your cauliflower isn't warm enough at this point, you can return it to the pan over low heat for a few minutes until piping hot.
This recipe tastes remarkably like mashed potatoes to me, but the texture is less starchy. Enjoy it solo as a side for Thanksgiving, and try it again later as a topper in place of potatoes on your favorite shepard's pie recipe. Yum!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Casserole
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 packages frozen spinach, thawed
1 large onion, chopped
3 cups milk
4 tablespoons whole wheat flour
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
Mrs. Dash or other mixed seasoning and salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl toss the squash with olive oil. Season to taste, I like to use Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy and a little salt. Spread the squash on a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the squash is soft and slightly brown on the edges. Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, saute the onion over medium heat in the butter until softened. Add the flour and stir to combine. Let cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the milk gradually, whisking to avoid lumps. Let the mixture come to just below a boil, stirring often. Remove from the heat and add 3/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, putting in a handful of cheese at a time and stirring until it melts before adding more. Put the sauce aside while you drain the spinach in a colander. Squeeze to remove as much moisture as you can from the spinach. When the squash is ready, remove it from the oven and allow to cool until you can handle it. Layer the ingredients in a 2.5 quart casserole dish, starting with a layer of squash, then a layer of spinach, then a layer of sauce. Repeat layers, then top with reserved 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
This recipe can be a side dish, or for non-turkey eaters like myself, the main dish.

Add a few other sides, perhaps peas and pearl onions, or green bean casserole, and my friends you have Thanksgiving. But wait, you say, what about dessert? Or a festive drink? Never fear, join us next time for
Mission: Thanksgiving II, Just Desserts.

Fall Craftastic

2010-10-30T22:12:00.000-04:00

I've been a crafting machine the past two months. My creations include:

My niece's Halloween costume. A friend picked up hairclip Minnie ears in Disney World, and so the costume was inspired. The dress is Simplicity pattern 2460 and the bloomers are Simplicity 7189.

A bubble paint batter bowl I made at Clay Dreaming's paint your own pottery studio. I had a terrific time there, and I'm seriously considering taking their introductory throwing class in the near future. (Like I need another hobby, I know.)

Our Renaissance Faire costumes. My dress is Mccall's pattern M6097 and the french hood from Simplicity 2589. My capelet was my own design. Dan's coat I made several years ago for another costume, but it worked wonderfully for his plague doctor outfit. It was made with Rocking Horse Farms men's coachman coat pattern from Smoke and Fire Company. Dan's mask is my design, inspired both by historic references and recent video games.

Craftster steampunk swap items. I ended up swapping with another partner after my first one. The faux leather hip bag is a modified version of Matt's Map Bag from One Yard Wonders. I added waist and leg straps of my own design to make it perfect for my partner's steampunk courier character. I also made a magic braid bracelet, ballet style slippers, and a steamy necklace for her.

Airships and lace

2010-09-03T21:17:00.003-04:00

I recently partook of a Steampunk themed swap on Craftster, and made some things that I really loved and gave away with much difficulty. This was my favorite.

My partner requested a messenger bag, and one of her favorite steampunk genres is air pirates. It's made of unbleached cotton duck and faux leather, and used this Simplicity pattern. For the blue design I used a piece of lace as a stencil and sprayed the fabric with Simply Spray fabric paint. The technique worked beautifully, and I love the result. The airship lithographs I found as copyright free images here and here, then printed them onto fabric transfer paper. The key and lockset I got at scrapbooking store, they are Tim Holtz Idealogy findings. I really enjoyed making and embellishing the bag, and I'm in need a of new one myself, so I may be making another one soon!

I've been...

2010-08-17T22:54:00.000-04:00

Steampunk themed swapping here. Pictures to come once my partner receives her package.

Getting dressed for this. Today I bought a nice green damask to go with purple crushed velvet in my stash. Also bought some red and white polka dot fabric for my niece's Halloween costume. Guess who she's going to be?

Playing with this. I bought the board and the book after meeting Kim at her book signing a couple of weeks ago.

Watching this. My husband claims someone made this movie just for him. It has all of his favorite things. I claim that if you like old school video games and kung-fu movies, you might just like it, too.

Steampunk sparklies

2010-06-27T11:24:00.001-04:00

I recently participated in the Steampunk charm swap on Craftster.

I made charms for six partners in our group, The Coopered Lushingtons. The bottlecap charms are painted with oxidizing metallic paint and filled with resin and watch parts. The blue teardrop and the amber oval piece are resin colored with transparent pigments, and the two opaque gold teardrops are resin mixed with gold mica powder. It was my first time working with resin; it was fun and fairly easy to work with and I love the results. I'll definitely be using it again.

See all the swappers' creations at the Steampunk charm swap gallery, here.

For the kiddos

2010-05-10T20:48:00.001-04:00

A couple of gifts I made recently for some little ones:

I crocheted Tigger for my niece's first birthday. He's from this pattern booklet by Leisure Arts. I made Pooh and Piglet from the same booklet a few years ago for my cousin's son. These patterns are definitely not for the beginning crocheter, and now that I have a few more years experience, Tigger was easier to make than his predecessors. In all three patterns, I found that I occasionally had to adjust where on the round I did my increases, decreases, color changes so that they made sense for their location on the animal. If I followed the directions exactly, Tigger's nose would be crooked or his stripes wouldn't line up. So it took a bit of trial and error to get him just right, but I knew going in, from my experience with Pooh and Piglet, to take the pattern more as a basic guide, modifying if it didn't work. The way the designer has you build Pooh and friends, attaching limbs and stuffing as you go, leaves you with minimal seaming at the end, which I think is awesome. I also think Tigger's tail construction, in particular, is a bit ingenious. It's my favorite part of him! Perfectly springy, as it should be.

I made this Brobee pillow for on commission for a friend for her friend's daughter who just turned two. My friend sent me this post from Yogabbafriends.com as inspiration. I modified their design, adding Brobee's cockscomb and stripes on his back. He's made from fleece with felt for his facial features. I once again had help from the wonderful gang up at Bernina Design Workshop in Topsfield.

Airship Pirates!

2010-04-23T21:04:00.006-04:00

When we bought our house last year, the previous owner had a flagpole attached to the side of the house. I never noticed the flag when we went to the first showing, but Dan did. He started talking about getting a pirate flag to hang there, even before we owned the house.

Once we moved in and finished unpacking, we started shopping for a pirate flag. We wanted something different from the typical Jolly Roger, nothing too "Pirates of the Caribbean" looking. We searched the internet and couldn't find anything we liked. As lovers of Steampunk aesthetic, we decided to design a flag that airship pirates might fly. We designed it in one night, but the flag stayed a sketch for many months while I finished up other projects and looked for local help with flag-making.

I stopped in to Sew Creative in Beverly looking for resources, and the owner suggested I contact a woman who used to teach a flag-making class there, Carol.

Carol and I emailed back and forth over the winter months, and finally in March we met up at the Sunday Sew-in at Bernina Design Workshop in Topsfield.

There, in the span of an afternoon, Carol taught me how to construct my own custom Jolly Roger.

I also met some other amazing sewing enthusiasts and artists. BDW has a wonderful little community of people who frequent there. I was back again this month for another Sunday Sew-in, but that's story of another project for a later time.

Now our airship pirate flag is on display. It took me almost a year, from idea to completion, but I'm really happy I saw it though. Dan and I are both thrilled with the result.

Cupcakes

2010-03-10T20:16:00.005-05:00

I had a couple of cans of sweetened condensed milk, a can of table cream, and half a carton of eggs that needed using, so I searched the internet looking for a suitable recipe for a treat that would be easy to bring to work and share. Tres leches cupcakes fit my criteria perfectly. I used this recipe from The Noshery, but modified the milk mixture, using 1 can of table cream, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, and a about 1/2 cup half and half. After a taste test of whipped cream and frosting for toppings, I stuck with the frosting as the Noshery called for, but skipped the cherry and sprinkled on cinnamon instead. They came out perfect: light and fluffy with a nice moist center, and no soggy cupcake wrappers, which was my big fear. They were also a hit with my coworkers. I'll be making this recipe again.

The week after Tres Leches cupcake day, it was my birthday. So I made my own cake. I made the Yellow Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. I added one vanilla bean scraped into the vanilla extract in the batter for extra flavor, and I was a bit too generous on the chocolate frosting and ended up having to make a quick batch of vanilla (All- Purpose Frosting from The Perfect Cake by Susan G. Purdy) to finish the last six cupcakes. The variety was good, if unintended. Apparently some people favor vanilla over chocolate. Silly people. Add sprinkles and let the festivities begin!

Finished Object

2010-02-14T21:12:00.004-05:00

Finally finished the Icelandic Turtleneck! Here I am modeling it.

It fits me pretty well, and I'm hoping it suits my sister even better. We're both about the same size, usually a women's 16-18. I followed the pattern for a 44" bust, but made more increases in the chest. The original design has cap sleeves and arm warmers, but I made long sleeves instead. Here's my pattern for the sleeves:

Rnd 1 Join at bottom center of armhole opening. Ch 2, dc-blo 11, 2dc-blo in next 2 st (at corner of armhole), dc-blo 50, 2dc-blo in next 2st (at corner of armhole), dc-blo in each remaining st around, sl st in 2nd ch of beg st.
Rnd 2-25 Ch 2, dc-blo in each st around, sl in 2nd ch of beg st.
Rnd 26-45 Ch 2, dc-blo 2 tog, dc-blo in each remaining st around, sl st in 2nd ch of beg st.
Rnd 46-54 Ch 2, dc-blo in each st around, sl st in 2nd ch of beg st.
Rnd 55 Ch 2, dc-blo in each st around, sl st in 2nd ch of beg st, fasten off.

Doin's

2010-02-09T20:44:00.001-05:00

What I've been up to so far this February:

Got the Urban Bone Crusher and its sign hung. Used a coworker's suggestion (thanks, Sam!) and attached the machete to the wall with magnets for quick access in case of apocalypse.

Very nearly done crocheting the Icelandic Turtleneck from Crochet Me, which I started in October 2007. Only a few more inches on the second sleeve and sewing up ends to finish. That's right, Mary, you may get your sweater before it's too warm to wear it!

Also working on a little mural for the Steampunk Library. I'll be painting the right wall Voodoo like the rest of the room, and gears will transition the purple library color into the cream color of the stairwell. So far I've just gridded out and started transferring my design onto the wall. Stay tuned for more progress pictures!

Don't encourage him

2010-01-15T21:21:00.002-05:00

I know I shouldn't indulge my husband in his zombie-ridden apocalypic fantasies, but after he got his Urban Bone Machete, Mark II, he asked me to make him a sign with which to display it.

Commisioned to make a craft project, I'm helpless but to oblige, as evidenced here and here. So I present "In Case of Zombies".

Its a blank pine plaque I bought at AC Moore. I woodburned the lettering, filled in with colored pencil, attacked it with a meat cleaver (the one knife I never use, and didn't feel really bad about mistreating), and distressed it with artists' acrylics mixed with matte medium. Here's an in progress pic. More pics to follow once we get it and the machete up on the wall.

The pie is taunting you

2009-11-20T21:58:00.004-05:00

Mmm, homemade apple pie. I made this one last weekend. So good. I love it, but I hardly ever make it. Why? Well, it's not exactly instant. Takes a good hour of prep plus an hour to bake. Sure, I can manage that occasionally on a lazy Sunday, but here's the real problem: once you make a pie, there's whole pie to eat. That's a lot of pie for two people. Solution? Single serving pies in a jar. Genius. Make a bunch now, freeze them, bake two at a time. Bonus, I already have some of those squat half pint jars around here from last Christmas' sugar body scrub. Pie, you can taunt me no more. Via Craft and Gifter's Log.

Halloween Costumes

2009-10-29T19:41:00.008-04:00

My niece's bear costume ended up very cute and fitting pretty well. I had to cut some length off the arms and make the booties smaller, but I'm proud of myself for getting it mostly right on the first try.

For my own costume, I took apart a dress I wore to a themed banquet 7 years ago. I was an angel, you can't see much of the wings in the picture.

I took off the top metallic layer of the dress and just used the lining.
Fourteen yards of fringe later...

Voila! Flapper Laurie.

Dan wore the vinyl riding coat I made him a few years ago, did his own goth makeup, and spent all night explaining what his costume was. Last time he wore the coat, sans makeup, someone said he was from the Matrix. This time, he was mistaken for a Sith lord. You decide.

View from the sewing machine

2009-09-13T19:37:00.007-04:00

My parents stayed over last weekend and helped us fill gaps in the foundation and clean the gutters. Thanks Mom and Dad! It rained all day yesterday, and the basement stayed completely dry.

They also brought some home grown produce, including the blueberries for this cereal box photo- worthy breakfast. Only those ads have orange juice and milk, not pink lemonade, right?
I was off work until Thursday, I took vacation time to see Ana off on Wednesday. Hope her return to Brazil and her family if going well. Then I had to work a whole three days. Such a long week.

This weekend, I've been hanging out with Dan on his first day of vacation and sewing Megan's first Halloween costume, a little brown bear, Simplicity pattern 7317. So far it's coming out just like I'd hoped.

I have the bodysuit completely done, and started the hood. The fabric is fleece, so she can wear it instead of coat. Or whatever babies use for outwear. Hopefully it fits!

Next tour starts in 5 minutes

2009-08-13T22:05:00.007-04:00

We had a housewarming party this weekend, an open house all afternoon and evening. Somehow our guests managed to show up at pretty regular intervals throughout the party, so we were running house tours every fifteen minutes. The highlight of the tour, at least in my opinion, was the library.

Yes, the Steampunk Library! It's in its infancy now, there are a few more elements I definitely want, and of course I would love suggestions to increase the steaminess. Obviously missing is a window treatment. I'd also like a reading lamp and a footstool. We also own several antique reproduction maps that have yet to make it on the walls.

The wallspace next to the tall bookshelf is reserved for some form of loft access. We're thinking a library ladder, if anyone knows a good source for one, let me know. We'd also like some kind of shelving or storage system for the loft. I made my hubby crazy arranging and rearranging the boxes we have up there so you can't see them from below. I think cardboard visible up there, like it is in the photo, is an eyesore. Any thoughts? Do share!

Top 10

2009-07-20T21:00:00.002-04:00

Things I love about my new house.

1o. Plenty of room for entertaining.
9. I can put on my own little cooking show on my kitchen island.
8. My stove boils water faster than my old one, and the oven heats consistently to the temperature I want.
7. I have my own patch of land to plant.
6. Dan gets his own room for his collection.
5. Ferrets fighting while rolling down the stairs is hilarious.
4. I get to park in my own driveway.
3. Laundry room is on the first floor, and I don't need quarters to run the machines.
2. Two words : Two toilets!
1. I haven't needed to call the cops on the neighbors once yet!

We're settling in nicely here. Unpacking and redecorating are nearly finished, pictures to come soon.

Welcome home

2009-06-18T20:12:00.002-04:00

We bought our first house! Want to see the inside? To visit my photo page click here. I'm hard at work cleaning and painting in every free moment this week, and we're planning on moving in next week. Redecorating pictures to come once we're settled.

Technicolor daydreams

2009-05-30T18:03:00.007-04:00

We're still waiting for the final word from the bank if we're going to be homeowners, but in the interim I'm still daydreaming about decorating the new place.

Here are some possible wall colors. Trans Atlantic for the kitchen, Posh for the living room, Noodle for the stairway, Karma for our bedroom, and Voodoo for the alcove (A.K.A. the Steampunk Library). Whatcha think? They're all colors from C2 paint. I love C2, and I'm not just saying that because of the paycheck. Their colors are just awesome!

Steampunk on MAKE : Television

2009-05-17T08:44:00.005-04:00

Hurrah for local Steampunk! Featured within are Jake Von Slatt of The Steampunk Workshop, the Mass Steam Steampunk Society of Massachusetts, and local band HUMANWINE.

Steampunk Library

2009-05-09T20:37:00.005-04:00

I'm loving how the Steampunk movement is reemerging in my scope of consciousness right now, popping up in such places as issue 17 of Make Magazine, 'Lost Knowledge' and episode 3 of G4 Underground, 'Urban Spelunking and Steampunk'. Feeling inspired, and with the gears in motion for buying our first house, I'm daydreaming about creating a Steampunk influenced library in our new place. We already have a few pieces for the space: several world maps that we acquired on our honeymoon, my newly reupholstered armchair,

Dan's antique cupboard,

a replica classic globe, and lots and lots of books.
I only wish we had more musty, leather bound tomes.

Some things we're missing are appropriate bookshelves...

some art...

and maybe a phonograph. Who doesn't need a phonograph?

I've found more inspiration at The Steampunk Home, Brass Goggles, The Steampunk Workshop,
and searches on Etsy and Flickr.

Baby Blanket, meet Bunny

2009-04-10T19:33:00.003-04:00

Finally finished! I started this blanket back in August on our honeymoon and finished it just in time for Mary's due date. I'm thrilled with how it came out. It's fun, colorful, and mom friendly: it's already been through the washer and drier with no ill effect. I used this yarn, made 36 squares instead of the 80 suggested for the full size version, and single crocheted the border instead of knitting it.
I made Mr. Bunny too- in 1993! He was a middle school home ec project. Poor guy doesn't get out much, so I thought he deserved a little blog face time.

The end is in sight...

2009-03-17T17:48:00.003-04:00

Or should I say ends. Yikes!
I love how all the mitered squares came out, but I have a lot of seaming to do before it's a blanket. Now it's a race to the finish- don't have that baby yet, Mary.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day, everyone!

Onesies on the runway

2009-02-25T19:25:00.004-05:00

For my sis's baby shower, hubby and I designed some killer stenciled duds.

The most important ingredient: freezer paper.
It makes a super easy fusible stencil material AND keeps your steak from freezer burn. Seriously. Here's a detailed tutorial. Check out this other great set of tuts on stenciling, too.

Second important ingredient, fabric paint. Third, cotton onesies, washed. Now go find yourself some quirky sayings or cute graphic designs on the internet. Or design your own. Print out.

Now trace onto your freezer paper. Cut out the parts that correspond to the black bits. Don't forget to reserve interior details, like the inside of the O's. Use a dry iron set to cotton, iron on your stencils. They'll stick after only a few seconds. Don't forget to iron on those O centers, too.

Now you're ready to paint. Use several light coats instead of one thick one.

Let dry to the touch, then peel off the stencil. Voila! Haute couture à la bébé. Allow to dry overnight and heat seat per your fabric paint's instructions.

I detailed this design with a fabric marker after the pink paint dried.
She's gonna have spunk, style, and spit-up.

Under craftstruction

2009-02-13T20:06:00.003-05:00

My Lotus Leaf mittens are on hold while I try to finish up baby things before I become an auntie. Still working on the Mitered Squares Blanket that I started back in August. I've got 22 of 48 squares done, and no hope of finishing it before the baby shower next week. So I had to start up another little project, so she'll have something to open at the party. More details to come! Now back to work...

Western Spaghetti

2009-01-25T23:41:00.003-05:00

via Poppalina

Gotta love the parm yarn.

Cold, but happy

2009-01-16T20:46:00.004-05:00

Things that make me smile when it's 5 degrees out.

My adorable creatures

Technically, they might also help keep me warm,

but they have much more important things to do than snuggle.

Other people's adorable creatures

Upside Down Dogs

Cute Things Falling Asleep

The gourmet chef of creative leftovers

Craft Leftovers

Frosting and bad puns

Cake Wrecks

And when all else fails

Wishful thinking

Why I haven't been blogging

2009-01-08T18:45:00.001-05:00

I'm addicted to this.

Amid piles of gift wrap

2008-12-30T21:04:00.008-05:00

My furious whirlwind of crafting and days of joyous giving are past. I gifted nineteen homemade presents this year, and just made the Christmas deadline on a few of them, but it was a fun and rewarding race to the finish. Let's see photos of the last few gifts before I wrapped them up and sent them off their new owners.

A knitted bamboo kimono
for baby on the way

Mother of pearl and fossilized coral necklace
for my grandmother

Sugar body scrub with vintage ice cream spoons
for many lovely ladies

Freshwater pearl and swarovski crystal necklace
for the bride to be

Knitted cotton ballband dishcloths
for Mom

Shell and silver necklace
for Mom to look great while using those dishcloths

And one more that didn't get a photo shoot before gift wrap-

The Crumpet beret, modeled by my beautiful aunt, Paula

Hope you all enjoyed the holidays, and here's to a wonderful and inspiring new year!

Snow what?

2008-12-21T09:36:00.005-05:00

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
but cookie baking is so delightful.
So as long as I have some dough,
let it snow let it snow let it snow!

Extra gingery gingersnaps

Peppermint candy canes

Cashew butter cookies

I kept myself way too content and cheerful baking cookies all day on Sunday.

Crafty Opportunities

2008-12-07T20:27:00.005-05:00

Today's plan was my annual trek into Boston for the Bazaar Bizarre, but the weather didn't cooperate. My family and friends from Western Mass were planning on driving out to join me, but the snow kept them closer to home. I was still thinking about going solo, but I decided I'd rather not try to stay warm and dry while walking around the city. The snow sure was pretty though, the kind that covers everything like powdered sugar, but not enough accumulation to have to pull out the shovel.

So I didn't get to see the new venue this year and I missed out on all the exciting craziness that is the Bazaar, but did not deny myself a crafty outing. Instead I popped over to Yarns in the Farms for the Twist Collective trunk show. It was inspiring to see all the lovely Twist patterns in the flesh (or fleece, as it were). I got to try on the Sylvi coat, which is even more amazing in person, and the Postwar and Lotus Leaf mittens, and see so many of the gorgeous sweaters, scarves, hats, and mittens from the Fall and Winter issues. I met the lovely Julia from Twist, and Tink and Wink and everyone at the Farms were enthusiastic and helpful as always. I ended up buying the pattern and yarn for the Lotus Leaf mittens.

The turquoise will be the main color of the mittens, with the orange as the lotus and leaf pattern. I'm making them for myself as soon as I finish up the rest of my holiday gift making.

Who needs the mall?

2008-12-01T18:11:00.004-05:00

Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving. I avoided the mall crowds and made some more presents. Ok, I did make a stop to the bead store and the craft store, but didn't have to fight for parking at either. Spoiler alert for my bead store shopping companions, don't scroll down if you want to be surprised on Christmas....

Etched pilsner glasses.

Fluorite and cut glass necklace.

Red tigereye and onyx necklace.

Friendly Cthulhu

2008-11-23T20:07:00.003-05:00

H.P. Lovecraft's mythical creature, now pocket sized and huggable. The pattern is from Christen Haden's book Creepy Cute Crochet (which also features adorable amigurumi ninjas, zombies, and monkeys). He's made from some leftover yarn from a tea cozy I knitted. Christen recommends using poly-pellets in his base to keep from being top heavy, but I didn't have any around, so I sewed up a little scrap fabric bag full of rice to weigh down his bottom. His eyes are polymer clay, she describes how to make them in the book. He was a quick and easy stash busting project, and I'll definitely be making some of the other patterns from the book.

Knits on Celluloid

2008-11-11T18:54:00.004-05:00

I saw Zack and Miri Make a Porno the other day, and was impressed by all the funky knitwear in the film. I'm not the only one who was delighted to distraction with the handknits, check out this blog, and this one. All the knit and crocheted items were created by Salvador Perez, the costume designer for the film, who, according to the film's website, had great fun doing it. Well, Salvador, thank you, as I had great fun seeing all those great hats, scarves, and other fiber creations. Even if you don't have a great appreciation for yarn, go see the film, it's classic Kevin Smith and 101 minutes well spent.

Sharing the warmth

2008-11-03T21:17:00.004-05:00

A neckwarmer I crocheted to keep me warm on Halloween. The button I made as well, it's polymer clay.

Handmade holiday present #3, the Marsan Watchcap. The yarn I used is Miski by Mirasol, it's 100% baby llama and wonderfully soft and warm but remarkably lightweight.

Handmade Holiday

2008-10-28T17:44:00.003-04:00

I'm trying to make the majority of the presents I give this Christmas. Here are some pictures of my progress so far.

The bag is Kwik Sew pattern #3643, and the neck warmer pattern is by Kim at Yarn Abuse. I've also got a Marsan Watchcap on my needles. Many thanks to Kristin over at Craft Leftovers for the inspiration of her Hattery Round Up. Stay tuned for completed hat pictures!

Brezeln

2008-10-20T18:10:00.004-04:00

In honor of Oktoberfest, I present-
Homemade soft pretzels!
These are so delicious and not hard to make at all. I used this recipe from the October issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine. I used the same ingredients as in the recipe, but made the dough in my breadmaker. Just popped everything in, pressed a button, and walked away for an hour.

Then I shaped the dough and let it rest for a bit.

Next, a two minute bath in boiling water, drain, a sprinkle of salt, and into the oven. I didn't have the pretzel salt specified in the recipe, so I used coarse sea salt.

Fifteen minutes later, fresh hot soft pretzels. These would be great for a party. Unfortunately, Dan and I had to eat them all ourselves. Darn.

Add a bit of mustard to dip in, and you have the perfect snack for a chilly fall afternoon. All you need is a good Bier aus Deutschland, and it can be Oktoberfest anytime.

Ahoy, sweets!

2008-10-13T17:57:00.006-04:00

This weekend we celebrate Columbus' discovery of America and my discovery of the candy buffet. Okay, neither of us really found anything that someone else hadn't seen before, but I'm still celebrating. We went to a friend's wedding yesterday, at the reception they had a sweets table, where guests select their favorite candies and make their own favors. I've never seen one before, but apparently it's a popular idea, and I love it. Here's my loot-

Love is sweet. And so is the sweets table.

Green thumb's up

2008-10-05T13:36:00.006-04:00

The growing season is almost at its end, and today I pulled out most of the plants in my garden. I thoroughly enjoyed my first summer as a community gardener. My harvest was bountiful, even overwhelming at times. None of my plantings were a complete flop, but some of the varieties particularly outperformed the rest.

Receiving top honors in my garden review is the Eight Ball zucchini (Cucurbita pepo 'Eight Ball' ). This zucchini produced early and abundantly. My two Eight Ball plants were among the first zucchinis in the community garden to fruit, I was picking them the last week of June, and today when I went to pull up the plants, I found two more zucchini waiting for me. That's 15 weeks of fruit production, pretty impressive, not to mention that they taste great and their little round shape is remarkably endearing.

Another of my favorite cultivars this year was Aussie Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Lesbos'). This great basil plant thrived in a pot on my balcony. It has slightly smaller leaves and a spicier taste than the sweet basil I've grown before, but the selling point for me on Aussie is that it does not produce flowers. With traditional basil you spend the summer pinching off buds and pruning the plant so it doesn't flower and ruin the flavor of the leaves, but with Aussie there's no maintanance required. Just picking and pesto!

I grew Juliet plum (Lycopersicon lycopersicum 'Juliet'), Super Sweet 1oo cherry (Lycopersicon lycopersicum 'Super Sweet 100'), and Jet Star (Lycopersicon lycopersicum 'Jet Star')tomatoes, and was pleased with all three. I also grew Golden Nugget yellow cherry (Lycopersicon lycopersicum 'Golden Nugget') tomatoes, but I didn't like their flavor as much as the other tomatoes. They were not as sweet and a bit mealy in texture. Also, Golden Nugget is a determinate variety, its fruit ripens all at once, and I couldn't keep up with picking them, so a lot ended up splitting and rotting on the vine.

I grew eggplant for the first time ever this year. In keeping with my small round fruit theme, I selected Little Ball eggplant(Solanum melongena var. esculentum 'Little Ball'), which is shaped like Eight Ball zucchini. Unfortunately, Little Ball was not as successful as Eight Ball. The plants produced plenty of beautiful purple fruit, but they were so filled with seeds that I found them unpalatable.

Successes celebrated, lessons learned, my summer in the community garden is drawing to a close. Truthfully, when I pulled out my plants today, I left my Eight Ball zucchini in the ground. I know frost is coming some night soon, but there are still flowers on the plants and I saw a bumblebee buzzing around them. So I'll leave them a little while longer, and see if they beat the odds and give me another harvest. Grow little zucchini, grow.

scrappy

2008-10-02T19:03:00.003-04:00

Whew, the variety of scrapbooking supplies sure is exhausting. I got lost in Michael's land-o-scrap. I was intrigued by Martha Stewart's craft line, I hadn't seen it before. Finally the masses can get their own bone folder.
I still can't wrap my head around all the stick on lettering, cutout machines, themed papers, stamps, stickers, embellishments... yikes. I've been avoiding that whole section of the craft store for years. I used to make scrapbooks when I was younger, but they consisted simply of pictures and memorabilia glued into a book that came with the paper already in it. Maybe if I was feeling creative, I'd cut the pictures in a fun way or write something witty underneath. So I'm trying to stay simple, and not buy into the mass market of scrapbooking paraphernalia. I bought a classic imitation leather book and old fashioned stick-on picture corners. I'm going to set my photos free from the boundries of flickr, wish me luck.

Look, Mary, an update for you.

2008-09-23T11:12:00.003-04:00

Spent the day Sunday with my sister at the Big E and the evening at my parents' for my grandfather's birthday. It was nice to spend time with the family, the next time I see them will probably be Thanksgiving. I just got an invite to my 10 year high school reunion, which is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We never had a five year reunion, so I guess it's time to see what my classmates have been up to for a decade.

On the front of my many various and uncompleted craft projects, I finally finished my SAD therapy socks right before we left on vacation.

I also started a baby blanket with the Mitered Square Blanket pattern from the Mason Dixon Knitting book.

In Little Big Planet crafting news, there are now three completed sackboys and five in progress by users on Ravelry, two crocheted and six knitted. And here's a link to another sackboy that I didn't find on my last internet search. I really want to join in and make my own, but I'm not much of a designer in either crochet or knit. I can modify a pattern, but I've never started from scratch before. Maybe it's time to give designing a try...

Crafty Little Big Planet

2008-09-07T20:13:00.011-04:00

While I was at PAX, I became enamored with a soon to be released PS3 game called "Little Big Planet". The game features a handcrafted landscape made of fabric, cardboard, yarn, zippers, buttons, and other crafty materials. And of course it's super cute. I'm a sucker for crafty and cute.

Here I am with my ironically not so little LPB bag from PAX.

The gameplay encourages creativity too, you can decorate your space in the game and create your own levels. According to Media Molecule, the creators of LBP, " Characters have the power to move anything in this glued and stitched-together landscape; they have the power to design, shape and build both objects and entire locations for others to play." The Playstation Network is sparking creativity in LPB fans even before its release. On the LBP News site, they're running contests for character and print ad designs for the graphically inclined among us. If you prefer scissors and glue, check out their papercraft sackboy.

And if you like yarn, read on...

This is a Sackboy, the customizable playable character in LBP. Yes, he's KNITTED! I knew all those knitters and crocheters out there wouldn't take long to start making their own little Sackboys and Sackgirls. One quick internet search and I'd found LBP fans that had already taken up their needles and hooks. Here's a crocheted Sackboy by user Lanaglama on Ravelry, wife of the senior programmer for LBP. He looks so perfectly endearing and squeezable.

This Sackboy with a dragon costume was recreated in the yarn-flesh by one of the mother of an game artist. Click here to see what she made.... So awesome!

As of today, there are two other users on Ravelry with Sackboys in the works. I can't wait to see what other handmade LBP goodness gets created once the game is released. I'm keeping my feelers out there for more awesomeness.

Here's that map again.

2008-09-07T18:11:00.006-04:00

This might look familiar.

View Larger Map

I updated the map with highlights of our trip. Click around on the blue markers (it might be easier to navigate if you click the "view larger map" link below the map). I added my comments about the places and some of our pictures. If you want to see more of our Seattle trip pics, visit my flickr page.

P.S. My cable is fixed! All is right in the world.

Addict

2008-09-05T21:33:00.004-04:00

Yes, so I've been home from Seattle for four days and yet to post anything about it. The trip was awesome and I promise to share the juicy bits, but not now. Now I'm in mourning for my cable tv, which has been out since Wednesday afternoon. I didn't realize how addicted to tv I've become. There was a point 6 years ago or so when I didn't want or need cable, objected to paying for it, and only ended up having it because my roommates decided to subscribe. Now the tv is my companion, and I'm lonely without it. It's so quiet in here. I can't think straight. Or post anything worthwhile or interesting. Last night I was seriously regretting having thrown out the bunny ears we used to have before cable. At least I could watch a couple of local stations. The cable guy is coming on Sunday. He better fix my friend!

Westward Bound

2008-08-22T18:48:00.004-04:00

We've leaving on Sunday for our honeymoon in Seattle, Washington. Here's a map of some places I want to go while we're there. Click the blue markers to see details of each place. Yes, yarn shops are very important on an itinerary. Anyone have other suggestions of must-see's in Seattle?

View Larger Map

Eu estou aprendendo Português

2008-08-11T21:13:00.002-04:00

I've been neglecting my blog a bit, sorry. I've been spending a lot of time over on LiveMocha, practicing my Portuguese. If you're trying to learn a language or are a bit rusty at one, go join. It's a social networking and tutorial site for language learners, it's free, and it's great!
In crafting news, I've just restarted crocheting the Icelandic Turtleneck from Crochet Me. I started the first time in October, finished from the neck down to the armholes, then decided my round joins were forming a really ugly ridge. So I frogged it. It's a beautiful pattern, and beautiful yarn (and I promised to make it for my beautiful sister), so I was bound to pick it up again. So far, I'm much happier with the results this time. Speaking of my beautiful sister, I just recently found out that she's pregnant with her first child, and my first niece or nephew. Time to start making baby things! Any suggestions for great patterns for baby clothes or a blanket?

Ted E. Bear

2008-08-02T18:19:00.004-04:00

I imagine this is what the receiving end of a bear hug must look like. Truth be told, he was behind glass in the new black bear exhibit at the Stone Zoo, and I just could not get his face in any of my shots! I'm not much a of a photographer, especially of young bears who keep moving around.... That's his brother in the top right background, and here's a bit of video of the two of them-

And of course, a trip to the zoo is never complete unless Dan gives some of my money to a bird.

Before and After

2008-08-01T19:59:00.006-04:00

Quite the transformation. The garden is green, lush, and beautiful. I'm currently harvesting zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, eggplant, and cherry tomatoes. I also have a friendly mystery plant. It's the broad leafed number jutting up behind the cucumbers. When it was small, I thought it was a bean plant. Clearly I was mistaken. I let it continue to grow because it has wonderfully soft and fuzzy leaves and lovely little yellow flowers. Anyone care to wager a guess at what it is?

Zucchini Zealot

2008-07-21T19:05:00.008-04:00

Remember this little guy? Well, Mr. Zucchini has had many, many siblings. I've been picking at least two a day and, all for me, hubby doesn't eat squash. Don't get me wrong, I love zucchini and the gloriousness of a bountiful harvest, but it's been a smidge overwhelming. So far I've made zucchini-

Sauteed with fresh herbs and butter

Marinated in salad dressing and grilled

Shredded along with some onion, sauteed, and covered in fresh parmesan

Sauteed with onions, salsa, and cilantro

Muffins
Omelets

Stuffed with mushrooms, artichokes, homemade wheat bread, and fresh herbs. Baked in the toaster oven, it was way too hot out to turn on the full size one.

Shredded into veggie burgers, along with portabella mushrooms and quinoa. I found the excellent recipe in the July issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine.

And... frozen for posterity.

A whale of a tale

2008-07-16T20:18:00.003-04:00

We went on a whale watch out of Gloucester harbor yesterday. We saw about a dozen humpback whales, including a group of three adults and a calf that swam right under the boat!

Lonely no more

2008-07-05T20:46:00.002-04:00

Now my husband cannot claim I never knit for him, as I've finished the knitted companion cube! I cut the foam stuffing last night before the 4th of July fireworks. However, sitting on a curb in the dark watching fireworks is not conducive to needlework, so I popped down the street to watch the show, and then came home and seamed up the last side.

All of my major failing points in this project worked themselves out in the end. I conquered my first stranded colorwork piece! My knitting was twisted on the needle, but when I cut it into six faces the twist didn't matter anymore. My tension was all uneven because I was knitting a color with each hand for the first time, but it's not too noticeable now. Steeking was not nearly as scary as I thought it would be. Even the seaming wasn't overly tedious. I learned a lot on this project, and hubby seems to like it, so I'm calling it a success.

firsts

2008-06-30T21:37:00.007-04:00

First eight ball zucchini from my community garden plot!

And...
My first stranded color knitting project is off the needles, steeked (my first ever steeking, too!), and blocked!

Walk with the animals, talk with the animals

2008-06-23T16:51:00.003-04:00

We took an impromptu trip to the Franklin Park Zoo yesterday. It was chancy to be outside, there were a lot of thundershowers lurking about.

Intimidating clouds, no? It looks like it could be dusk in the photo, but it was only 2pm. Luckily, the weather held out for us, although we drove through intermittant downpours all the way there, it only sprinkled while we were at the zoo. And bonus, I actually remembered to bring my camera for a change. There are a dozen or so pictures of the animals up on my flickr page, but here's one of my favorites.

Half a dozen peacocks roam free in the zoo, and this one has made his home in the prairie dog exhibit. The peacock tries his hardest to look intimidating and scare the prairie dogs away, but they barely notice his efforts. In fact, one of the employees said that they steal his feathers to line their burrows! It was very amusing to watch them try to cohabitate.

growing green goodness

2008-06-18T20:18:00.006-04:00

My community garden plot has yet to bear any edibles, but my little balcony garden is beginning to reward me.

I have a healthy little crop of sugar snap peas and leaf lettace. Combine the greens and peas with a bit of goat cheese and dress with balsamic and olive oil, and voila-

Lunch is served! But maybe one more dish,

Vegan potato salad starring herbs from the balcony. The salad's ingredients are yukon gold potatoes, onions, soy bacon bits, dill, parsley, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil. Yum!

ahh, relief...

2008-06-09T21:20:00.003-04:00

It has been in the 90's (32C or so) here the last few days. I was thrilled to go to my central air cooled workplace this morning after spending yesterday sweltering in my apartment. But this evening the we got a wonderful off-shore breeze, it feels like someone turned on a giant air conditioner. Which, for me, is magnified by the fact that I do not own even a very small air conditioner.
In the heat of the weekend I managed to do a few rows of knitting here and there, and I visited my garden every evening. Not much to report from my bit of earth, the only crop I've reaped so far is a bit of lettuce (but a tasty bit). Everything seems to be growing well, and with weather like we've had I suspect it'll keep on growing.
My other activity the last few days has been playing with my Wii Fit. It's a balance board and accompanying game/exercise tool for the Nintendo Wii, and so far it's very fun. You get to play with a virtual hula-hoop in one of the games! We'll see if I keep with it, I'm quite fickle and get bored easily. At one point I was enraptured with Dance Dance Revolution for fun and exercise, and now I rarely ever play. I guess it's not so bad that I don't stick with one thing, as long as I keep doing something to stay in shape.

Tagged

2008-06-03T20:34:00.005-04:00

Okay, per Kookie's request, here's the Q&A about me.

What was I doing ten years ago?
Ten years ago this month I graduated from high school. I scanned a couple of pictures from my high school scrapbook.

Here's a picture from my senior prom. I'm on the left. My aunt made me the dress, designed based a 1970's bridesmaid's dress I found in my best friend's hall closet. I still love that dress.

Here's a photo from graduation of all the seniors in the drama club. I'm fourth from the right. The girl on the far right ended up enlisting in the air force, looks like she had the military picture face down long before she joined up!

Five things on my non-work to do list today.
1. Call doctor and schedule an appointment for me. (check)
2. Call vet and schedule an appointment for Duncan, my ferret. (check)
3. Write thank you notes for wedding presents. (I got three done...)
4. Plant more beans where beans failed to come up in the garden. (check)
5. Bake bread in my new bread machine. (check and yum!)

Snacks I enjoy-
Nachos, pretzels, nuts, yogurt, dark chocolate, special K with berries, cheese and crackers.

Things I would do if I was a billionaire-
World travel. Buy a nice house to come back to when I'm done.

Places I have lived-
Chicopee, Massachusetts. I grew up in Chicopee, lived there from birth to 18 years old.
Salem, Massachusetts. I came to Salem for college and haven't left yet, except for a short stint in...
Coldwater, Michigan. I lived in Coldwater for one summer in college while I worked summer stock as a scenic artist for the Tibbit's Opera House.

Jobs I have had-
Playground attendant for Chicopee's Park & Recreation department, for several summers while I was in high school.
Cashier at Arby's Roast Beef. I am a vegetarian now and I was then, also. It was a tramatic experience. Their roast beef is not a real cut of meat, it starts life as a large frozen chunk of a pink meatloaf-like substance. Like seasoned ground beef held together with gelatin. Yum?
Salesclerk at the now defunct Filene's Department Store.
Resident assistant and front desk receptionist at Bowditch Hall at Salem State College.
Scenic artist for Tibbits Opera House.
Scenic artist for Salem State Summer Theatre.
Salesclerk and then assistant manager at The Limited Too, a girls clothing store.
Salesclerk, then decorative specialist, then assistant manager at Sherwin-Williams Paints.
Whatever I am now (I don't have an official title) at Waters & Brown Paint and Decorating. I work on the paint counter, but also dabble in the decorating department.

People I want to know more about-
Okay, this is a tough one. I read a lot of people's blogs, but I don't think anyone besides Kookie ever reads mine... but here goes.
Kim. Kim, we've met irl once, at the Crochet Me book party at Webs. I wore my crochet revolution armband and my sister won the biggest door prize. I hope you'll humor me and respond to my tag!

whole lotta post

2008-06-02T19:57:00.004-04:00

First- as promised, pictures of the community garden...

Here's a view of the garden taken from the far corner, facing the harbor. Yep, that's right, I have a garden right on the ocean, next to the yacht club. Sounds high class! The garden extends about the same distance again to the left, which you can't see in this shot.

Here's my plot. It's not much to look at now, but half of it is still seeds in the ground. From the near edge in the photo, I have planted two zucchini plants, two eggplants, a row of dwarf sunflowers along the left edge, tomatoes, marigolds, a row of bush beans, a row of cucumbers, and a little patch of leaf lettace. Hopefully it all prospers. It's been very dry here lately, so I've been out to water it every evening so far.

In other news, we had ourselves a sucessful party here yesterday, to celebrate our newlywed status. Hubby and I usually try to throw a party and end up with no guests or too few to really call it a party. But we had a good 25 people show up yesterday, and it was great fun. I got some lovely gifts, including a breadmaker!! which I'm very excited about. I'll spare you the oodles of pictures, but here's the cake my sister and I made.

She baked it at home on Friday, then she came up Saturday to help me cook and get ready for the party, and we frosted and decorated it. It's chocolate cake filled with chocolate mousse, slathered in fudge frosting, and covered in mini chocolate chips. It was glorious chocolate overload.

Lastly, Kookie, I accept the challenge of your tag! You'll be learning all about me in tomorrow's post. I'll even follow suit with you and find some 1998 pictures to post!

green thumb

2008-05-27T20:39:00.006-04:00

My community garden bed is all planted, pictures to come once I remember to throw my camera in my gardening bag. Meanwhile, my balcony garden is in full swing and my houseplants are thriving on neglect.

My african violet and my clivia are both flowering right now (this is the first time in the three or more years I've had the clivia that it has flowered. But they're supposed to thrive on neglect, so I guess I was paying it too much attention up until now!)

And here's a shot of my balcony, I'm growing pansies, herbs, lettace, and snap peas (peas not pictured...)

waz up

2008-05-19T20:08:00.002-04:00

Well, I've been sucessfully married for almost two weeks now. So far so good!
Tomorrow I'm planning on planting my bed in the new community garden down the street. They broke ground a couple of weeks ago, and I spent last Tuesday afternoon spreading manure and lime with some of my fellow gardeners. I've had a container garden on my balcony for quite a few summers, but this will be my first foray in the real dirt (besides helping my parents with their garden when I was growing up). I'm planting tomatoes and cucumbers for sure, and I'm thinking maybe string beans or squash as well. I already planted lettace and snap peas on the balcony before I knew if would get a garden plot, so they'll stay there. I'll probably also keep my herbs on the balcony, I like to grab a handful close by while I'm cooking.
In crafting land, I've only been working on one project recently, the knitted companion cube for my hubby. So far so good, with one minor setback. I somehow twisted my stitches on my circular needle and didn't realize till a good ten rows in. Normally I would frog and start over, but I figure for this project, it won't stay as a single piece, I'll be steeking and cutting it into six pieces, so the twist shouldn't matter at that point (I HOPE, I've never steeked before!). Right now it's just annoying, because the work doesn't slide easily around the needle.

matrimony

2008-05-07T20:35:00.006-04:00

I got married yesterday. It was a private ceremony at our justice of the peace's house.

Here we are, the happy couple, moments after marriage.

The obligatory rings picture. Mine is white gold, his is titanium.

After the ceremony, we had celebratory starbucks.

Then we went out to lunch with my family at the Red Rock Bistro. The Red Rock is right on the ocean with a great view. The whole meal was amazing (I had lobster pizza, which sounds weird, but was very, very wonderful) but dessert was the most photogenic. On the left is chocolate peanut butter banana ice cream cake, on the right is a raspberry napoleon.
After lunch, my sister and I frolicked in the Atlantic for a bit, then we all went back to my apartment and visited. As is customary at our family gatherings of late, we played bowling on the Wii. My grandmother used to play on a league, and she loves to play on the Wii, so she always instigates a game. After the folks left, Dan and I went to see Iron Man, which was a decent action movie even for someone like me without prior knowledge of the comic book. All in all a great day!

seasonally appropriate

2008-05-02T20:59:00.005-04:00

My tank girl is finally off the needles, just in time for warmer weather. It's drying right now, pictures to come. (Edited to add picture).

Woo-boy, I never thought I'd finish it. I finished the first half in no time, but then I got bored and put it aside for 6 or so months. I finished the second half of it a week or so ago, then seamed it up. Somehow I managed to a)make the back piece wider than necessary, b)make the straps too short, and c) seam it up lopsided so one armhole was bigger than the other. Good thing I didn't realize all these things at the same time, or I may have just given up. First I figured out the strap length problem, so I ripped the seams and lengthened the straps. Then, once I could actually try it on, I figured out the other two problems, ripped out one of the side seams and re-did it so the whole thing was even, and then made the front the back because it fit better that way (too wide back = more room for chest on front, which was actually a happy accident). I added some crochet edging along the neckline, and voila! Now I hope it fits its intended recipient, fingers crossed.

as promised

2008-04-24T17:27:00.003-04:00

Sneak peek of my get-up...

12 days to go...

in transit

2008-04-22T20:19:00.002-04:00

I found shoes to go with my dress, they're turquoise sandals. My new jewelry is in the mail from Georgia Jewels over at Etsy, I'm expecting it the end of the week. My friend also lent me a gorgeous Brazilian lace shawl to complete my wedding outfit. I'm really happy how it's coming together, and I'll post a sneak peek soon.
I'm also waiting for a reship from KnitPicks for the yarn to start my Companion Cube. The first package went MIA, the tracking went dead at the Salem post office (so close!), fingers crossed this one makes it here.

well dressed

2008-04-16T19:03:00.004-04:00

Spent the day at the mall with Mom yesterday. They're filming a movie there, and apparently it's Christmas at the mall in the movie. It was strange seeing Santa's house, garland, and ornaments in April. There were Christmas themed sweatshirts on clearance at Sears, and I said we should each get one and then hang around the Santa set until they started filming so we could get in the movie. We didn't.
We did get me a dress for my wedding (the red one, no way am I wearing white!). I still need shoes and jewelry, and I think I want to do a turquoise and red combo- so if anyone knows where I can pick up some turquoise/red sandals/heels and a necklace, let me know. I think I'm going to pop over to etsy on the necklace, but I looked last night on zappos for shoes and didn't see anything that spoke to me. I have a hard time finding shoes that fit, I wear a size 11 and have wide feet.
The other great experience at the mall was my first visit to Anthropologie. I always see Anthropologie inspired creations on Craftster, and I can see why people love their style so much. I wanted to take home EVERYTHING in the store. I restrained myself, because I can't fit in their clothes, and there was nothing I really needed for my house (except a toothbrush holder, and I didn't see one there). I took home lots of inspiration, though.

kitchen craftin'

2008-04-08T17:20:00.003-04:00

Here are the items I crafted for Craftster's Spice Up Your Kitchen Swap.

Knitted ballband dishcloth. This was the first one of these I had made, and I really enjoyed myself. The pattern really simple and quick, but interesting enough so I didn't get bored even once while making it.

Crocheted potholder. Just a single crocheted square backed with some scrap fabric. I also sandwiched some thick felt-like leftover fabric between the layers for insulation. I would have used quilt batting, but I couldn't find it at the time. It was in the kitchen closet behind my summer tires, found it when I got my snow tires taken off last week. I'm so organized.

Polymer clay fruit magnets.

Fruity fabric apron. I'm not much of a sewer, but I loved this fabric, so I gave apron making a shot. The pattern is Butterick B4945.

Here's my favorite thing I made, a knitted tea cozy. This is the thing I made that I pretty much designed by myself, as alluded to here. In this picture, it's on my teapot, but the pot it was designed for is a similar shape, only with the handle ends attaching closer to the lid, so it's a little stretched out over the handle on my pot. The button is polymer clay.

No more swaps for a while, I've decided to work on my current WIP's (my friend is still waiting for her Tank Girl, plus I have a knitted sweater, a crocheted sweater, and a pair of socks all on hook/needles). And I promised my soon to be husband (oh, am I going to have to get used to saying that word) that companion cube a while ago. I ordered yarn for it, the package should be here tomorrow.

soon to be a mrs.

2008-04-03T17:19:00.002-04:00

I know I talked about having an actual wedding here and here, but we've scrapped all that complicatedness. We're going to elope on May 6th. I just want to enjoy the day and not get all stressed out with the details (venue, dj, food, wedding party, guest list -Yikes), so I'm omitting them completely. Now all I have to decide is what to wear.

goodies

2008-03-24T21:04:00.002-04:00

I got some great kitchen accessories in the Spice up Your Kitchen Swap. Go check it out!
My partner should get her package by the end of the week, can't wait to see what she thinks.

java-fied

2008-03-23T16:20:00.002-04:00

The coffee dunked yarn unfortunately did not make it out unscathed. It is stained and generally unsuitable for sending out in a swap. So I started over. Dunkin' yarn withstanding, I will be sending out on time! I just finished a large item and have one more small one to finish up this afternoon.

sink, sank, sunk

2008-03-20T20:17:00.003-04:00

Sat myself down on the couch to do a bit of knitting for the kitchen swap. I have precious few days before I have to send it out, and I'm a bit behind, so I was looking forward to really cranking through some yarn tonight. I was moving right along, when all the sudden-Kerplunk! Yeah there was a cup of coffee nestled between my thighs, and I dropped the damn ball of yarn right in it. It was just bobbing around in that nice french roast. UGH. I've been knitting and drinking hot tasty beverages together for years, this was my first incident, and of course it had to happen when I'm on a deadline. So I rinsed out the yarn and unraveled it, and now it's hanging off a doorknob drying, with the needle and knitting still attached. I'm hoping for the best when it dries...

proud

2008-03-17T20:15:00.003-04:00

I am very pleased with myself. One of the things I knitted for the Spice up Your Kitchen Swap is my first time designing a knitted item myself, sans pattern (well with a bit of help from Stitch 'n Bitch Nation). And, imagine this, it fits the thing it was made for. Well, it fits the thing I have that most closely resembles the size and shape of its intended home in my swap partner's kitchen, but close enough! Now I shall gloat.

reversed

2008-03-10T20:10:00.003-04:00

I know I'm supposed to plan my wedding before my honeymoon, but Mr. Wunderbar and I booked our trip last night. We're going to Seattle for a week in August. Neither of us has ever been to the west coast before. The last three days we're there, we'll be at the Penny-Arcade Expo, which is a video game convention. So the last three are for nerdiness, obviously, but the first four days are for coffee and crafty goodness. And animals. Definitely need to find a zoo.

awww

2008-02-27T20:21:00.002-05:00

Check out the adorable pics my partner from the Craft My Pet Swap posted of her chihauhau, Jimmy with the bandana and bone mat I made for him! She's an awesome photographer.
In other swap news, I'm now in the Spice Up Your Kitchen Swap, and I'm just full of great ideas for my partner. Apparently, she gets ideas way faster than I do, because the day after the swap started she posted that she's almost done crafting! Yikes!

found

2008-02-21T17:02:00.003-05:00

Hurrah, the lost package has been found!

Now for pics of what I sent-

Knit gauntlets, shortened from the Lace -Up Opera Gloves pattern by Ysolda Teague found on Ravelry. They were supposed to be laced up with ribbon, but as this was the Buy Nothing Swap, and I had no ribbon, I made i-cord for the laces instead.

Knit dishcloths

A wallet and bracelet made from the circuit board from inside a keyboard, and magnets made from the keys. Searching for that keyboard is what caused my closet fiasco.

Polymer clay embellished crochet hooks

And- A crocheted bookmark, from the Fan Bookmark pattern by Crochetroo on Ravelry.

I'm so glad it wasn't all lost to the unknown forever...

therapy

2008-02-19T20:48:00.003-05:00

I rediscovered this yarn from Nakedly Knitting that I bought back in December at the Bazaar Bizarre, and decided it was just the thing to knit that would get me out of my winter slump. So presenting my Seasonal Affective Disorder therapy-

Ommm, spring is coming, ommm....

frustration

2008-02-16T18:00:00.002-05:00

I mailed out my package for the Buy Nothing Swap on Craftster all the way back on January 29th. I thought it finally made it to Oregon, delivery confirmation the post office website says it was delivered, but my partner says she didn't get the package! Sigh. This is the first time I've had a package get lost during a swap and it really makes my stomach churn.

unmotivated

2008-02-06T19:33:00.001-05:00

Ugh! I've had no energy to do anything creative the last few days. I don't even feel like knitting or crocheting, and that's usually my therapy. My portuguese class started again for the semester on Friday, so at least I have homework to keep my brain from turning to mush.

I think I'll hibernate for the rest of the winter, wake me when spring is here.

swap it up

2008-01-25T18:30:00.000-05:00

I'm still working on craft swaps. I have sucessfully bought nothing for the Buy Nothing Swap, which I have finished crafting for and will send out the beginning of next week. I'm just on my first item for the Craft My Pet Swap, and haven't finalized plans for the rest of my craftings on that one. But I'm very pleased with how my one item came out!
Here's another project I'm thinking of getting my needles into. My SO asked me to make it because he loves so the video game it comes from, Portal. And the poor guy has the flu this week (he had a fever of 102 the other day), so I'll do his bidding this time.

productive

2008-01-14T21:02:00.000-05:00

I managed to put the closet's contents back in the closet, but it took me three days. Mostly because I came down with nasty cold and wanted to do nothing but nothing. I even got help installing the new hardware, my SO the un-handy man squeezed into the closet with me and held on while I wielded the screw gun. I also filled a whole bag of lesser worn clothes for charity. But that's not really the productive bit.
For the Buy Nothing Swap on Craftster, I made great progress yesterday and this evening. I finished a large crafted object and made four, count 'em, four, small ones! Pictures and details to come, of course, in good time. Can't be too productive (and wouldn't want to spoil the surprise for my partner either).

um, oops...

2008-01-05T19:05:00.000-05:00

Here's my spare bedroom. Quiet, unassuming, and the cleanest room in my house (mostly because it's the least traveled). Until last night. I was stash diving for the Buy Nothing Swap on Craftster. There was gold back there in the far reaches of my closet, I knew it. I struck gold, but then got stuck on an item of clothing.

And I did this to my hanging rod. And put that hole in the wall. Oops. So then I was buried under my own wardrobe. I dug myself out, but unable to put anything back in the closet...

My poor spare room now looks like this. I know it's the Buy Nothing Swap, but now I have to go spend money. I need new closet hanging hardware and a some wall patching material!

All wrapped up

2007-12-24T14:52:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd show off I few gifts I made for Christmas.

The girl is a stencilled tshirt. She's a freezer paper stencil, and I got the image from this public domain site. The tshirt is dark teal, although in the pictures it looks black. I love doing freezer paper stencils, it's an easy process with great looking results.

The first purse I've ever sewn. I used Simplicity pattern 8331 E, but I skipped the more boxy shape and pleats in their finished bag because I liked how it looked before I got to the end of the pattern directions.

I also made a pair of knitted mukluks from Folk Style, but silly me, the only picture I took was of the "socks" before they got felted, soles sewn on, and embellished. I'm really glad I had learned to make a pair of socks from Getting Started Knitting Socks before I attempted the mukluks or I would have been totally lost. The pattern was clear to follow, but you definately need to have knitted socks before to understand it.

Oooh, ahhh...

2007-12-10T21:47:00.000-05:00

Look, Christmas lights. I never decorate for Christmas, but I found these at IKEA and thought they were worthy of gracing my window. They're circles of dark grey felt with LED lit stars in them.

And now, gratuitous picture of my sister and our dog about 15+ years ago.

I scanned a bunch of old pics for a project for my Portuguese class, so I thought I'd share.

Brrr....

2007-12-05T17:17:00.000-05:00

Winter just zipped right on up to my doorstep this week, it's so cold now! And we had snow this week, and lazy me, I haven't gotten my snow tires on my pickup yet. Good thing I can walk to work now if need be.
And with the snow, the reminder that Christmas is coming. I love giving handmade presents, but seeing I have 1/2 of one present knitted up, my family may get pictures of WIPs wrapped up for Christmas. Luckily, salvation, my sisters are coming up this weekend and we're going to hit IKEA on Saturday and then the Bazzaar Bizarre on Sunday.
Now, back to that knitting....

Squish, squash

2007-11-20T14:50:00.000-05:00

Hurrah for pumpkin pie!

I don't eat turkey, so Thanksgiving is an all starch fest, heavy on dessert. My sister is hosting for the first time and she's feeding thirty of us, so here's my contribution. I used this recipe from Epicurious.com for the filling, and the pate brisee recipe from the Joy of Cooking for the crust. The crust recipe is my old standby from apple pie making, but this is the first pumpkin pie I've ever made.

And, introducing....
Chumbalicious!

This little guy is my new Chumby. Check out their website, they explain what he is much better than I could. Currently he's living on my nightstand and showing off flickr pics, a couple of blog feeds, webcams for Shamu (!), polar bears, and pandas, and my daily horoscope. He also wakes me up in the morning. I heart Chumby.

beep...beep...beep

2007-11-07T16:58:00.000-05:00

Back'r on up!
In all the excitement, I forgot all about -

The spur of the moment scrap/recycled Halloween decorations I made the day before Halloween.

The ghosts are some old drawing paper and the obituaries from the previous Sunday's newspaper strung up on dental floss.

The pumpkin garland is drawing paper and sharpie.

My first knitted pair of socks!

I used Getting Started Knitting Socks to learn how. They were fun and quick, and I've already bought yarn to make more socks (I hope everyone wants socks for Christmas!)

Never thought it would come to this

2007-11-04T17:41:00.000-05:00

I'm officially engaged to be married. Go figure. After five years together, cohabitation for 4 and half of them, and multiple conversations in which he said he never wanted to get married, bf went and poppped the question on Halloween night. To which I responsed, "Huh?" instead of the traditional yes or no. After a bit of confusion, I did say yes, and now I get to craft myself a wedding (or an elopetion, is that a word?), and I vow there will be no white dress, no giving away of me, and NO first dance. It's mine mine mine to make hurrah!