Let's do flowers.

I've mentioned that I do special event flower design on the side.  It started about six years ago when my good friend Caryn and I did the flowers for a family wedding.  More friends followed...then referrals...and now, we get a manageable stream of clients from various forum postings and word of mouth. 

I love flowers and always have.  Even back when I had a grocery budget of only $20 a week, I would spend $5 of it on flowers.  One might think that a "floral designer" would only fill her home with the most exotic flowers.  Think again.  I don't have time (or the funds) to go to the flower market and make up an elaborate arrangement every week--but I do try to always have fresh flowers in our home.

So I thought I'd start a fairly regular post on how you can take even the most pedestrian of blooms--straight from your grocer--and turn them into something special.  I didn't think of this until after I put this week's arrangement together, but from now on I'll take pictures of the process so I can give pointers and how tos.

This week, I resisted the temptation to do an overly fall-themed arrangement...as I'll be doing that for our Thanksgiving centerpiece.  Instead, I chose cushion poms in a fresh green and paired them with white alstromeria.  This way, the arrangement will transition nicely when I begin hanging Christmas decorations this weekend.  I cut the blooms fairly short to make the arrangement appear quite full and just nestled the poms here and there--it couldn't be simpler.  The best advice I can give you if you're unsure of how to arrange flowers is don't fight nature!  As one bride put it, "the flowers should not look stressed." 

It really only takes a few extra minutes to set out and maintain a fresh bouquet of flowers--but the instant impact it makes on your space is immeasurable.  And as for cost, this arrangement came in at $9 and the hardy blooms I've chosen will last 10-14 days with proper care...and set out on my foyer table, it reclaims my entryway and asserts "do not pile mail/hats/or any decapitated toy parts here"--can't beat that.

Be sure to check back for a regular series on flowers. 

Random tips.

My father forwarded me one of those long emails filled with random tips.  It made me smile because he prefaced it like this:

"FYI.  Maybe you know all this stuff already.  Dad"

I of course didn't know most.  But I love that my dad thinks I may have somehow picked these up already.  He knows I'm a tip hound. Here are some that were new and interesting to me.  I have no idea whether they work but will definitely try them.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store.  If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster. 

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.  Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking. 

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef to help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on the stovetop, over med-low heat until warm. This keeps the crust crispy without burning the toppings.

For easy deviled eggs, put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag.  Seal, mash, add other ingredients, reseal, mix thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg.   

**Can't believe I've never thought of this one**When you buy ready-made frosting, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes to double in volume.

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster. 

**I think this one is brilliant**To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get into narrow openings.

If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place it in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

**I immediately did this one and was amazed**Even if you always clean your lint filter in your dryer, it may still be clogged.  To check, take your filter to the sink and run hot water over it.  If water does not pass through, it means a film has formed over the mesh, caused by residue from dryer sheets.  The best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months.

Make-ahead mashed potatoes.

I'm getting off pretty easy this year for Thanksgiving.  My folks just moved into a new house this summer and we're gathering there for Thanksgiving.  The last few years, we've hosted.  And to say I like to go overboard on the menu is an understatement--all of the magazines I get tempt me with fabulous looking recipes...and before I know it, I'm making a dozen things in varying textures and tastes, both savory and sweet.  And that's just the appetizers.

My folks will have an abundant spread, to be sure.  But it'll be nice and traditional, no frou frou.  Good, delicious, time-tested family dishes--everything from feel and memory.  In fact, my mind simply cannot form the image of my parents cooking in their kitchen while referring to a recipe in a magazine or cookbook.  You might as well ask me to picture myself eating nothing but raw celery (the one veggie I cannot stand--and it does so have a flavor). 

Along with my sister-in-law, I get to bring dessert.  I'm also allowed to bring one or two starters.  This means I'll bring five.  And they asked me to make the mashed potatoes!!  I about fell over.  But then I remembered that I recently made mashed potatoes for them (using the below recipe) and my mom and I "tasted for seasoning" a good quarter of the dish before it made it to the table.  And then I caught her licking the mixing bowl.

This recipe initially caught my eye because you can make it ahead and store in your fridge for up to 2 days--when planning a large meal, this really works for me.  But even if I'm serving it immediately, it's the only recipe I use because it is amazing.  Once you see the quantity of butter and cream, I doubt you'll doubt that.  Plus, it's from Cook's Illustrated--enough said, right? 

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoess

from Cook's Illustrated

Note:  bake the potatoes until they are completely tender; err on the side of over (rather than under) cooking.

Ingredients

• 5 lbs russet baking potatoes (evenly sized), scrubbed and poked several times with a fork
• 3 cups heavy cream, hot (** sometimes I use a cup of half and half but I've never replaced all of the cream)
• 8 tbl (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• salt (I use kosher) & pepper to taste

1.  Adjust oven rack to the middle position; preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2.  Microwave potatoes on high power for 16 minutes, turning over halfway through the cooking time.  Transfer to the oven, placing directly on the hot oven rack (use tongs).  Bake until a skewer glides easily through the flesh, about 30 minutes, flipping over halfway through the baking time (do not under cook).

3.  Remove potatoes from oven and cut each potato in half lengthwise.  Using an oven mitt or folded kitchen towel to hold the hot potato, scoop out all of the flesh into a medium bowl.  Break the cooked potato flesh into small pieces.

4.  Transfer half of the potatoes to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds, gradually adding the rest of the potatoes to incorporate, until completely smooth and no lumps remain, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides and bottom as needed (you can use a hand mixer instead but lumps will remain). 

5.  Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in 2 cups of cream, followed by the butter and 2 teaspoons of salt (this is for kosher salt--start with a lot less if you are using table salt).  Gently fold in up to 1/2 cup more of the cream as needed to reach your desired consistency.  If you are serving immediately, you are done--so dive in.  If storing--continue:  Once the desired serving consistency is reached, gently fold in an additional 1/2 cup cream (the potatoes will be quite loose...don't worry).

6.  To store:  transfer potatoes to a large microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

7.  To serve:  poke lots of holes in the plastic wrap with the tip of a knife, and microwave at medium-high (75 percent) power until the potatoes are hot, about 14 minutes, stirring gently half-way through the reheating time.  Add salt and pepper to taste--always stirring gently.  Enjoy!

*check out more "works for me" ideas over at We Are THAT Family.

Turkey-hand hand towel.

One more Moore had these turkey tees on her blog and I just love them (just as I love everything she does).  We plan to do t-shirts later in the week as part of a play-date craft activity.  In the meantime, I thought I'd send some love in the form of an embellished tea towel to my wonderful mother-in-law.  We'll see them at Christmas, but we'll miss them over Thanksgiving.  Hands on a hand towel...granted, it's a bit on the nose but it makes me smile. 

Here's an easy tute:

  

 

Check out more ideas over at DIY day at A Soft Place to Land.

Cheers,

 

Wash and repeat.

I have not been online much the last few days because it's been one of those weeks.

Our washer is about to fall apart and our dryer is not far behind.  The washer works, randomly, on roughly a 1 to 4 ratio.  When it doesn't work, I have to put it through again.  Which is awesome.  Because increasing my laundry challenge by 25%--even though there is no actual increase in laundry volume--is exactly what I need to keep this house humming.  To be fair, it really wouldn't be that bad if our 19-month-old would stop thinking it's hilarious to use his sleeve to smoosh food into everything--walls, hair, furniture..everything.  I'm desperately trying to make it until after Thanksgiving because I hear Sears is having a very good deal on front loader sets for Black Friday.  Check out other Black Friday advance ads here.

Now if you are wondering how a little hiccup in laundry could take me down and basically offline all week, well then, all I have to say is, can I come over?  Because if you cannot relate, it tells me that you must live in the kind of space that I would like to visit.   Like, now.  So put some tea on.

I did manage to stay on track on some holiday shopping and even took advantage of some deals--here are some I thought I should pass along.

Our Target has the Leapfrog Tag reading system on sale for $39.99.  You can stack Target's $10 off coupon with Leapfrog's $10 off coupon--making the system a great gift for any pre-readers on your holiday shopping list.  Plus, Amazon and Toys R Us have Tag books for under $10 right now.

Have you tried Zoya lipglosses?  Love them.  Natural and vegan friendly plus tons of colors, ya da ya da.  I heard about a promotion for some freebies.  I thought it was supposed to end on Nov 13th.  But I tried it today and it still went through--I think it now runs until Nov. 15th so hurry.  Detes:  3 full sized tubes in your choice of color, free.  They usually go for $6 each, but right now, if you go here to order, then enter LIPS in the discount code, you just pay $6.95 shipping.  Hello stocking stuffers (no.  Not for the boys).

I'm putting together a gift basket for a new mom-to-be.  The gift is from a group so I wanted to pull together lots of useful but cute items.  One thing I found were these beautiful nursing covers from Uddercovers.  And, if you use promo code 1FREE it should be free-- again, you pay shipping ($8.95).  Note that even though it appeared as if I was ordering the Carson design, I received the Jones pattern.  But I'm not complaining--I'm sure they are just sending whatever they have in abundance.  This is a super deal because they are great nursing covers and usually retail for $32.  I have no idea how long the promo will run.  I'm on the lookout for more goodies--so far, I haven't made a dent in what we collected, but the basket is already getting full.

Last, have you tried Cheryl & Co. cookies?  We use them a lot for gifts.  If you'd like to try a sample, go here to order 6 free assorted cookies (you pay $6.95 shipping).  It's a great way to sample their goodies, even if you've had them many, many times (ahem).   Plus, you get a $10 off coupon for a future order.

Back to the laundry.

Weekly chicken.

A few weeks ago, my grocery store had a great sale on whole chickens.  I think they were $2 a piece--which is rock-bottom around here.  I bought six.  And every Saturday morning since then, I've pulled one out of the freezer.  After thawing, I use this rub and recipe for rotisserie style chicken (I recommend you make a big batch of the rub).  I let it sit overnight and on Sunday, I roast it in the oven.  I took the picture above when I tried it out in the slow cooker last weekend.  It was still good, but not as tender and perfect as slow roasting in the oven. 

We usually enjoy it for dinner on Sunday evening.  We always seem to be out and about on Sundays, and then...surprise!...it's suddenly 6pm and dinner needs to be on the table to make bedtimes.  You too, right?  So this chicken dish has become a lifesaver.  I mix it up by doing a different side veggie and starch, and everyone is happy.  Plus, there are usually enough leftovers for me to turn into a different meal at least once more later in the week.  We're almost through our stash so I'm on the lookout for another sale to stock up.  Streamlining our everyday meals will be key during the upcoming holiday schedule--and this year, I am on a mission to not be crazed!  You too, right?

Baby steps, knitting.

I mentioned in a prior post that I picked up my knitting needles.  Again.  But I think--I think--that this time it finally clicked.  Actually, scratch that.  You know how sometimes you dare not say things out loud for fear of jinxing it?  It's like that.

My grandmother, on my father's side, was of German descent.  And she taught me the basics of knitting when I was a child.  I was ten or so, I'd guess.  She taught me in the Continental style because that's what she did.  Sitting beside her, I managed to knit some dish cloths and pot holders.  Even a wallet, though my stitches were so loose and uneven that the coins fell right out--talk about a bummer, not to mention a lesson in irony. 

After I learned to knit, I'm pretty sure I liked the process well enough.  And my grandmother was certainly an inspiration, turning out beautiful items.  But still, I remember not really loving some of the end products, and I'm not just talking about kid-mangled worthless wallets.  No.  My grandmother, being a grandmother and all, was a prolific knitter.  And to keep things economical, she tended to knit with acrylic.  So although I believe I always respected the effort that she put into knitted garments, I didn't exactly treasure them.  I thought the acrylic felt funny.  I know that sounds harsh but I swear I had things that squeaked (acrylic yarn has come a long way). 

I forgot about knitting for a long time, then tried again--for about five minutes--in law school.  I devoted another minute during my last pregnancy.  Both attempts were disasters and I put away my knitting needles once again.  But I wasn't giving up for good.  I knew I'd try again.  I like to think it's part of me, somewhere. 

Flash forward to the present.  It's getting consistently cold here.  And last week, as I reached for the stash of winter garb, I was struck by what I have on hand.  Mittens and hats and scarves--all machine knitted, all mass produced, all so very blah.  What I wouldn't give for one of my grandmother's lovingly knitted items now, acrylic or not.  So I decided to try. Again.

This time, I turned to some books for help.  And I decided to try the English method, since the author of the book I'm using says it's her favorite.  The book is Stitch 'n Bitch, and I, like so many others before me, sing its praises. 

I find that when I knit in the English style, I control my tension a bit better.  I also believe it's easier to follow along with written materials and online knitting tutorials, as most seem to show the English method.  I'm not saying that I'll never go back to Continental.  I do think it's faster.  But I'm very happy that I now know how to do both styles.  Because I feel like learning both really helped me to finally understand how a stitch is constructed.  And yes, I'm a craft nerd but this time it's coming in especially handy as learning how a stitch should look--how it should sit on a needle--means I can now fix a mistake without resorting to ripping out rows and rows of work.  Can I get an amen?  Because I'm pretty sure that the very thing that killed me the most during prior attempts was the inevitable (and frustrating and curse-inducing) cycle of knit, rip, repeat.

I practiced a few nights this week.  Nothing fancy, just knit and purl in different combos using yarn I already had.  I'm just trying to achieve the right tension and find my groove.  I'm excited by how it's feeling and have to resist diving into a project that is too complicated.  Rationally, I know that the last thing I need is to get in over my head.  So I just need to stay off of The Purl Bee and Ravelry.

Over the weekend, I hope to continue knitting and maybe even visit a local yarn shop or two--just to look! 

Works for me Wednesday, holiday weight management.

Just about everyone I know dreads putting on a few pounds during the holidays.  And let's face it--it's probably going to happen.  There are countless once-a-year treats to be had, and I for one think you should have them.  Then again, at our house, butter is basically its own food group during the months of November and December, so I may be biased.  I also think it's too ambitious for anyone to try to lose weight during the holidays.  Instead, I'm all about damage control for weight management these next two months.  And to do it, I employ a simple mindset on how I eat. 

I'm not a dieter in a traditional sense and never have been.  But that's not to say I don't watch what I eat because I do.  I just don't restrict myself on a daily basis.  Instead, I think of my overall eating habits in blocks of days:  Mon & Tue; Wed & Thur; Fri, Sat, & Sun.  And I spread the good, the bad, and the downright ugly amongst these blocks of time.  If I eat horribly over a weekend (I cannot be let loose on party dip--it's really a problem), I try to redeem my diet over other days.  I actually do this throughout the year but it's especially helpful during the holidays. 

Let's talk specifics.  Most of the upcoming holiday parties will fall during the latter part of the week.  So I'll front load the veggies and fiber and all things healthful earlier in the week.  This goes for my family, too.  Because then I won't have a battle on my hands when the older boys are too excited at the party or family dinner to sit and eat like they usually do and only have eyes for the dessert spread.  Instead, I'll remember the midweek spinach fest and hardly blink when they belly up to that buffet o'treats and help themselves to, say, a third serving of pie.  In fact, they're probably just falling in line behind me--mmmm, pie.  And it's all good because come Monday, we'll crave something green and from the earth and I'll happily oblige. 

This game plan used to work on its own.  And then my aging metabolism became a factor--grrr.  Now I also up my cardio as much as possible and here's what has helped on that front: 

A few months ago, my friends turned me onto this super affordable workout video by Jillian Michaels.  It combines cardio and strength training but only takes 20 minutes.  Seriously.  And I dare say that every single one of us has 20 minutes a day (or at least every other day) to squeeze in a workout, right?  Especially when the commute is just to your TV and not your gym.  And in case you're wondering, it's no walk in the park.  I usually turn up my nose at workout videos, truth be told, because I'm a part-time fitness instructor going on my 14th year and my class motto is "hate me now, love me and your thighs later."  But this video challenges me.  And it's just the little extra I need to balance the excess in calories I cannot wait to consume.  Because as much as I love going to the gym (no sarcasm there.  I really do love to workout), I'm not going to go any more frequently during the holidays.

Here's to you, your forthcoming smorgasbord, and jeans that do not bind.

For more tips, be sure to check out the posts over at We Are THAT Family's works for me Wednesday.

DIY take out (sesame and peanut butter sauce).

When I was working, we'd do take out at least once a week.  Actually, it was probably closer to twice a week and we went out at least once.  Obviously, it was a hard habit to break.  Here is one of the ways we've managed. 

When I need to turn leftovers into something, anything, that everyone will happily eat, I often rely on this sesame peanut butter concoction to help.  My boys are big fans of it, and I certainly like the taste as well--which should tell you right there that it's something special, right?  Unless I'm the only one who struggles to appeal to both a kid's and an adult's taste (though honestly, I could eat mac n cheese every night.  But then I'd have to buy a new, larger, stretchy, wardrobe.  So there's no money savings there). 

Back to the sauce.  Did I mention that it's super easy to make?  And versatile?  Thin it a little to make a sauce or keep it on the thick side for dipping.  I usually add it to cooked thin spaghetti or soba noodles and whatever cooked chicken left from a previous meal.  Toss in some fresh vegetables, such as thinly sliced red pepper, snow peas, and carrots, then top with some peanuts, and it's a one bowl wonder (great for lunches!).

I learned this mix of ingredients so long ago that I have no idea who to credit.  And since I hardly ever measure, below is my best guess.  Start with these amounts and adjust to your taste.

This is a pretty standard, all purpose sesame peanut butter sauce found in many Americanized Asian fusion cookbooks.  I wanted to mention that because my mom is Thai.  And growing up, I don't think my brother or I ever ate a sauce made with peanut butter.  My point is, my mom didn't teach me this one.  And so to my handful of friends out there who visit my blog and who also happen to know my mom (and who stash her eggrolls into take-home containers before the end of the boys' party--yes, I know all about it so stop thinking you're sneaky), you're not allowed to tell her, okay?  Because if you do, she'll come over here and make me prove that I can still make a decent pad thai for the kids from scratch (which I can, thank you very much). 

This is enough for 1 lb of thin spaghetti (which I toss in a little sesame oil after cooking).

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

5-10 Tbl soy sauce (depends on whether you're using low sodium, which I do, and how salty you like things.  Once, I was nearly out of soy sauce, so put in very little and was surprised to discover we didn't really miss it)

3 Tbl sugar

2 Tbl warm water--use entire 2 Tbl if making sauce (I use the pasta water), use less for a thicker, dip-like consistency

2 Tbl sesame oil

2 Tbl rice vinegar

Place ingredients into blender or use an immersion blender (what I do) and blend until smooth.  For extra flavor I sometimes throw in a few chopped cloves of garlic, as well as a chunk of chopped, fresh ginger.  The next time you're craving some Asian style noodles, I hope you'll try this instead of reaching for a take-out menu.

For more ideas, be sure to check out today's DIY post over at A Soft Place to Land.

p.s. Sorry, no pictures.  Squarespace and Internet Explorer are not friends today.

Halloween 09 recap.

So this week I immediately opened my Google 2010 calendar and wrote the following, in bold, across the first week of October:

Finish boys costumes by the 15th.  Seriously.  Do it.  And while you're at it, figure out your costume (and Charlie's) if you're going to the grown-up neighborhood party.  Do not wait until the day night of the party to make something--it makes you grumpy.  

It's not as if I didn't get everything done.  That's the thing with Type A procrastinators--we're good at it.  And we usually pull it out so never really learn our lesson.  But next year will be different!  And yes, Type A procrastinators are also typically optimistic.  

Max was Clifford, Leo was Snoopy, and Will was Eeyore.  My sewing room is covered in fur and felt bits.  It's even sticking to the walls.  In one of the pictures below, I tried to capture Leo wagging his tail, which he did every time he got some candy.  He did not break character all night and it was the cutest thing.  I also whipped up some very last minute grown up costumes because one of our neighbors throws a party that begins after the munchkins are tucked in.  My parents came over to babysit so Charlie and I could go.  We went as sushi--he was a salmon roe roll and I was shrimp nigiri.  I forgot to take a picture but if I get one from the other partygoers I'll add it later.

As for treats, cake pops were made.  The kids loved the happy witches and Frankenstein Jrs.  The eyeballs--not so much.  I think someone at the party told them that they were cow eyes and they just couldn't get over it.  They did look pretty realistic--red edible marker for the veining was key.

Can you believe it's November?  How did that happen?  I've pulled out several UFOs (unfinished objects) from last year.  And I'm trying to get back into knitting.  Which makes perfect sense because, as I'm sure you know, there is always so much extra time around the holidays.  We shall see.