Golden: Beautiful Bamboo

While I was in graduate school I had some of those handy dandy cutting board sheets, each labeled with the name of the food you should cut upon it. When I was in the store they seemed so clever and practical...but they certainly have their downsides...especially when you set them on the floor and have your strong brothers-in-law take turns cleaving open pumpkins. Additionally, the flexibility of the boards makes them less easy to clean, and causes them to stick together should you accumulate more than one in the sink (or all four, which I would never do of course...only most weeks). And, as with other plastic cutting boards, thick or thin, the places where the knife marks the surface eventually becomes rough and not so fun to run your hand or dishrag across, while wood or bamboo stay smooth.

Weekend Links: Things you didn't think you could make

This weekend, I have been thinking seasonal foods.
Nathanael and I spent the day in our garden yesterday, hoping that our produce will step it up and start growing...but alas, it is only March after all.

tiny beets

 

 

A neat little pink rock I found in the garden. Completely unrelated to the subject at hand.

But not all seasonal foods are produce.

Last week I saw a couple of girls standing on the side of the road waving posters at cars speeding past, and one of the girls was dressed as a giant cookie. Know what I'm talking about? Somehow the girl scouts in our area never got around to knocking on our door. So, I was thinking of making some of those delicious minty cookies myself, and did a little searching. I have not made them yet, but I figured I should not wait to share with you how to make your own girl scout cookies. Plus, the tutorials and pictures on the website are super (here are two of them).

And with Easter approaching, Marshmallow Peeps are hitting the shelves. 

If you're ok with plain, marshmallows are pretty cheep, but Alisa Burke's blog has pictures which makes homemade ones look special and delicious. But, if you want to go all the way to the peep stage, you might have to choose bunnies or chicks.

With all of this dessert making you might want to make some vanilla. Or start a bunch of it now, and give it as Christmas gifts.

And if you don't have a garden, but are in the mood for some sprouting, why not try tempeh?(And even a tempeh video with relaxing Indonesian music in the background.) Once it's ready, you may even want to season it with some home smoked chipotle peppers....but if you're wanting to use homegrown peppers you're going to have to wait a little bit longer.

And in case you missed them, here are some things you might not have realized you could make from past posts this blog (not necessarily spring foods): Yogurt,  Refrigerator Pickles, Kimchi, and Trail Bars

Golden: Candied Grapefruit Peels

**At the end of February I won a sponsor spot on the fun and creative blog Cross My Hooks, and today I am the featured sponsor!

 Go check out the post, and have a look at my mini button in the right column of her blog. If you like it, and think your blog readers might enjoy Harmless Color, you can grab the html for it at the very bottom of my blog.**

Candied Grapefruit Peel is a great way to use something which would otherwise be wasted: the grapefruit rind. I know a choice few people who use the zest of a grapefruit in recipes instead of lemon or orange zest, but for me the wonderful grapefruit essence is often (depending on the recipe) overwhelmed by its bitterness.

Red: Grapefruit Cranberry Marmalade

I have always loved grapefruits. But grapefruits also play a small part in our love story, so Nathanael and I enjoy them a little bit extra. 

Remember how the first installment of the story ended with me not jumping to conclusions, and then Nathanael calling my Dad? That was the beginning of the fall semester of my senior year of college, and in my strong efforts to not jump to conclusions about him liking me or not, I hadn't mentioned Nathanael or his letters to anyone...so my Dad didn't actually know he existed until he called that day and asked to pursue me in a relationship headed the direction of marriage. Needless to say, my Dad was a little surprised. He told him he'd get back to him.

Blue Jean Kindle Cover Tutorial

     Some of you (especially those of you who know that my frugality borders on stingy) may have read that title, and said,"Wait a minute. She has a kindle?"
Yes. It's true. But for the story on that, you're going to have to wait until the end of this post...mainly because I want you to scroll past the pictures and see the transformation of a few pieces of discarded blue jeans and cutting board into a kindle cover (I apologize for the florescent lighting...but most of my inspiration happens after sundown. Ignore the frequently changing colors..I did try to adjust them believe it or not). I also saved it until last because the story involves some videos, and those will be at the end.

     As for the cover, I really wanted to make one because most of the ones out there are either really expensive or completely synthetic. I wanted something that would last, and would be durable and thick enough to protect the screen, but streamlined, not bulky or floppy. I wanted something that I could shake (whether open or closed) and the kindle would still be held tightly.

     I thought it would be a good project to utilize my neglected denim collection, so I came up with a sketch. And even though I changed a few things, I'm happy with how closely I ended up sticking to it. I should sketch my projects more often.

Weekend Links: For artists of every caliber

As some of you may have noticed, this week I added a brightly colored button in the right column linking to a blog I stumbled upon lately and thought some of you might enjoy.

All Sewn Up is written by a Mom named Melissa (not my sister, but another fun lady by the same name) from Massachusetts, who shares tips she uses to make her household more environmentally friendly and frugal, as well as some occasional recipes and craft how-tos for old and young.

She also has a fun All Sewn Up etsy shop where she sells colorful, non-toxic, olive oil dough to encourage the imaginations of kids who love to play with dough. She's developed a recipe which is a little more advanced than your typical salt-dough, leaves your hands smooth and soft, and requires no refrigeration! Go check out Melissa's neat shop!



This weekend I also want to share with you some links I've found lately, which will be especially fun for those of you who love fiddling around with interactive websites. And even if you don't typically consider yourself an artist, these links just might draw a little skill out of you. (I found the first two on the blog How About Orange?, and the last one I found on my own.)

Tartan Maker allows you to create the plaid of your dreams by moving just four little knobs and choosing three colors. And for those of us who are as distractible as a goldfish, it's hours of fun!

Design your own Wallpaper by x3 studios is perfect for those of us who fill most of our browser's "bookmarks" with places to find neat wallpapers. With intuitive controls (and no registration necessary!), you are enabled to create desktops to suit your style and color preferences, whether they be simple, modern, sophisticated, neon, or grunge. The four examples above are from the gallery featuring other users, but I did come up with my own creation using this website...the header for the blog!

 Pancake Week by Boris Kustodiyev

The Emerald Necklace by Viktor Borisov

Finally, for the want-to-be globe trotter who has no funds, the most famous art museums of the world at your fingertips. Google Art Project allows you to go on virtual tours of museums, click on the most popular works and view them in minute detail (even closer than you would be allowed to get in person), and also has information about the artists, collections, and related works in an information bar on the right. It is a work in progress, but so far 17 museums, and hundreds of paintings, are up for viewing. The two I chose, Pancake Week by Boris Kustodiyev, and The Emerald Necklace by Viktor Borisov, are from The State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow; a museum I visited during my semester abroad. Click them, and be amazed by the unbelievable detail which is yours to view.



Yes, google may be taking over the world, but we love it, don't we?

Red: My Quick Meal

I could not have a red series on the blog without sharing my recipe for tomato sauce with you. First because it is a great quick meal, and is exceptionally adaptable. Second, because this is one of my top three go-to meals when I'm not feeling creative (I always have the ingredients). And third, because if you are eating pre-made sauce you're just missing out.

I am biased, yes, because as I grew up my Mom (who has completely Italian ancestry on both sides) was constantly making sauce and creating some delicious dinner for us with it. Pasta, homemade pizza, calzones, lasagna (the only casserole she made), and even homemade crepe-like manicotti a couple of times. And now that we're not small picky children anymore she's been telling us about eggplant Parmesan, polenta, and rice lasagna.

My first taste of pre-made sauce was at my grandma's house, and my little self didn't know what was wrong with the meal, but I knew something was missing, just like something was up with the bread because the "butter" was actually margarine...