Praise for Against All Grain's "grain free sandwich bread"...

Before I start gabbing...just take a look at this brown, glistening crust...the crack, the rise...oh my...

 

This is Danielle Walker's recipe from Against All Grain, and I love it.  Of course, I wanted to soak and dehydrate my own cashews to make cashew butter instead of buying the jarred kind, so that added days onto this process, but it was worth it.  It's a beautiful piece of culinary science...the reaction of baking soda with apple cider vinegar...the technique of whipping egg whites to peaks...giving it moisture while baking, and patience blended with a quiet environment...no peeking, no shocking with cold air and slamming the oven door!!  Of course my oven has the worst bit of old dirty glass in the front, so I had no idea what was going on in that oven...until the end.  

What a pleasant surprise.  So many recipes I've tried with mediocre results, so much money in materials squandered.  But this one was fantastic.  I followed it to the letter, except (there's always an except, right?!)  I used organic raw milk instead of almond milk. Unless almonds are organic, it's a law in this country that they are to be pasteurized by fumigation with carcinogenic chemicals.  No thanks.  Plus, I'm not sure how they milk an almond...(just kidding).

After it emerged from the oven, we set a timer because it's supposed to cool for one, torturous hour.  Many times I tried to storm the gates (or the heel, rather...) but I waited.  When I sliced it open, I was very surpised that it was done all the way through.  I'm used to spongy, wet doughs now that are goo inside, and this was not the case.  Air pockets!  And then we toasted it in the broiler...

And slathered on Kerry Gold butter!  It was delicious, everything I'd hoped for.  It didn't turn into a nasty ball of glutenous dough in your mouth like wheat bread, and it didn't turn all squishy with quiggy bits like rice flour bread...it's a bit "spongy" when you poke it, but toasting fixes that right up.  Now we have to wrap it up and it's supposed to get better as it sits.  I'm not sure how long this is going to SIT?!  I've already had seconds...I reproduced yet another bready favorite, cinnamon toast.  With a little honey and cinnamon...it was just oh so delightful.

What prompted me to take on a big job like this on a Sunday besides desiring the satisfying aromas of freshly baked bread wafting through the house?  It was...Whole Foods.

Last week, we were at Whole Foods looking for something to eat for dinner.  I've had some bad runs there between "vegan enchiladas" and "paleo stir fry" among all the other seemingly healthy things they serve in their prepared food area.  The enchiladas made me plain sick, and the paleo stir fry was OK except the only dressing that did not contain a bunch of sugar was a tomato basil sauce, and it was just not tasty.  I ended up dumping tamari on it, and when it mixed with the tomato flavor...yuk! 

Don't get me started on their soups and salads.  Most of them contain a wheat product as a thickener plus canola oil which is not a healthy oil.  Canola means "Canadian oil, low acid"...and it comes from the rapeseed which was banned by the FDA back in the 50's because it was too toxic for human consumption.  If the FDA bothers saying that something is bad...it's BAD.  In the 70's, they bred a new variety of rapeseed, renamed it "canola" and voila!  Better living through science prevails once again!  Cheap and dirty.  Plus, word on the street is it makes a fantastic pesticide.  No wonder the mosquitoes come after me and leave everyone else alone...

Sooo...the next time we ended up at Whole Foods looking for food, I decided to try their gluten free deli sandwich.  The bread they use only contains one substance that I don't care for, agave nectar.  It's highly processed and is heavy on the fructose side...as in, almost completely fructose. Fructose goes straight to the liver, but it's a lot better if it goes skipping happily down the lane hand-in-hand with fiber, that's why it's perfectly fine to get it via whole fruits...it's not good in an isolated, processed state like agave.  Plus it's just sickening sweet.

ANYWAY, the sandwich...made my day.  I hadn't had a sandwich in a very long time.  One of my favorite things in the world is an Italian sub sandwich.  They're the best in Philly, but even D'Bronx here in Kansas City makes a pretty darn good one.  I salivate over them and miss them dearly.  And the bread on this gluten free sandwich...was nothing like a hoagie roll, nothing!  The goal is to make them at home. But alas, if I was going to buy and consume a $4-$5 loaf gluten free bread that wasn't bad...I knew I could make something with my own ingredients that was much better.  And this recipe will be our new "go to" sandwich bread from now on. And I think I might have to now own her cookbook!

BTW, no one has paid me to say any of these things...I rant and rave on my own accord, for free!

This Saturdays' thrift store finds...

My favorite little hole-in-the-wall thrift store has coughed up more treasures.  But I'm afraid the obscene cheapness is about to come to a screeching halt.  It seems that all of a sudden, someone who knows what they're doing is pricing things!  Good for them, it's about time.  And yet the cheap treasures still abound...and are nowhere NEAR the overpriced "bargains" at other thrift stores I visit.

This little vintage baby dress is new with the tags, and while children's clothes are usually heaped into a bin and you DIG to your heart's content for 25 cents per item...this one they knew to price much higher.  I paid $3.99 for it, probably my highest priced item of the day.  But I liked it.

Another Arizona plate!  I smell a collection forming.  99 cents.

More vintage embroidery.  All 3 were pinned together for 99 cents...and I've already used one in my new  current obsession...hand sewn bibs using vintage materials.

Another 99 cent treasure...this book is from the 40's and while not in great shape, it has that wear and character that I love for art projects.  I'll most likely make an art journal out of it for Bashi.

I love the innocence in writing in these old books...so refreshing.  Danny looks like a nice boy who loves his momma...doesn't he?

And this beauty...I passed on, sadly!  Now I wish I had it hanging in my kitchen.  The irony of a wheat-free house.  Bread warms the heart alright, some would say it warms it all the way to heart disease, but I think the plaque speaks of that warm, loving feeling that breaking bread with loved ones gives!  But I see things through rose colored glasses these days...or would that be through non-rose colored glasses?!  Maybe it will still be there next time!

My first hand sewn baby bib...

Inspired by Alabama Chanin's "Five Generations (and a baby bib)", I've finally taken the time to sit down and start sewing things by hand.  It's supplied me with many much-needed things...to SIT down, to SLOW down, and to have valuable CRAFT TIME! 

This bib is made entirely out of bed sheets, thread I already owned, and buttons from the thrift store.  it's 3 layers sandwiched together which hopefully will supply enough thickness to keep sweet potato goop off of baby's shirt.  When it goes through the wash, the edges should get nice and fuzzy as well.  Some people may not like that...but there are tons of bibs out there that are hurriedly tucked and machine stitched...this is about slowing down, which also matches my theories on food and eating.

At first, my hand stitching was "awkward".  My thread kept looping and knotting and misbehaving...I had not "loved my thread" quite enough!  It really did work the next time I threaded the needle.  Yesterday, I schlepped a chair out into the sun and sat under a pine tree and stitched while the littles dug holes in my muddy herb garden bed!  It's the perfect craft for me as I have tons of saved fabric and love handmade, imperfect things with frayed edges.  Character over perfection!

$5.50 thrift store finds...

I love thrift stores...especially little hole in the wall ones that could charge a lot more, but don't.  Of COURSE, I like that...!

Here's my latest haul...not pictured are the 3 Hot Wheels cars I bought which actually made up for half of the $5.50 total I spent.  Funny how 3 little junky made in China toys are more valuable than vintage linens, plates and a silver played serving set in the original box?!

Usually, I pass up all kinds of state plates...but not one from New Mexico!  The vintage mustard striped dinner napkins are very nice quality, and appear unused.  There's a vintage Christmas nativity ornament on them from 1977 which may be difficult to see.  The silver played serving set is Wm. A Rogers and is in the original box.  The striped kitchen towel is worn but still nicer than the ones I buy at Target!  The stained, tatted heart I will use in an art project...possibly an art journal with all the memorabilia I've saved from dating, our wedding, honeymoon and St. Valentines days.  And last but not least, a vintage tea pot made of lucite with funky bits embedded in it.  Such treasures at $5.50...less than a burrito at Chipotle.  :)

What I DID pass up was a crate full of original Erector Set pieces from the 1930's with the original instructions and everything.  $100!  I hope they get that for it!

Head swapping...

I've been getting handy with the scissors again...this is what happens when I'm stuck inside for too long!

Snow day facial reconstruction...

Snow...we finally got some real snow!   You can see our law furniture with snow up to the springs!   And that "bush" at the bottom of the picture?  Yes, well...that's our Christmas tree which got tossed out into the yard until we can dispose of it properly.  My dad used to tie a cement block to ours and sink it into the lake for a fish habitat, but I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate that over at Loose Park Lake.

Anyway, 9 inches deep...

It's put a lovely white cap on everything, and although I don't mind being snowed in...there are a couple of littles I know who have started to get cabin fever.  When you see them running laps around the dining room table, you know it's time to get out the GLUE.

Last night, as I was going through old Veranda and Elle Decor magazines in an attempt to shave the fat off the magazine collection...I remember how much I loved to tamper with the faces of make-up models.  Usually I do it origami style and tear the whole page out and make a series of folds in order to quickly adjust their beauty levels and facial proportions!  But I knew that was a little advanced for my monkeys, so I cut a huge pile of eyes, lips and noses for them to arrange on cards that they had water-colored some time back.

 

Working the glue bottle is always a joy...I know I still like playing with Elmer's.  When I was a kid, I used to pour it all over my hands, let it dry and then peel it off.  And now I get to pass on the legacy!  *sniff sniff*...so sentimental!  Bashi picked up the routine immediately...he would grab a part, flip it over and squeeze the glue bottle over it and make a pile.  I'd then rub it around for him and hand it to him to place.  He did one or two but became disinterested as he was only fond of squirting glue everywhere!

Little Miso was trying to actually find both eyes that matched instead of picking two different ones, and she got the noses upside down too.  She was more timid with the glue bottle.  I learned a little more about them by just watching how they went about the task.   In the end, we came out with some really funny combos.  They would giggle when I'd hold each one up.

At one point, Bashi looked up and had a stray eye stuck to his forehead.  I hadn't laughed that hard in a while.  We got a really good art fix today...and knocked out our St. Valentine's cards to boot!

Friday's lunch...

French fries baked in coconut oil with garlic dill kefir cheese.

Kefir cheese is made by straining the whey off of freshly made milk kefir.  Donna of Cultured Food Life uses it for all sorts of fun things, even ice cream.  It turns out a lot like cream cheese, and you can season it a number of ways.  For this dip I used dried dill from my garden, a clove of garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper and then whipped it with a hand mixer.

I've completely departed from processed sugar, and even try to avoid it in small amounts.  Ketchup contains a lot more sugar than any of us imagine, so even though I love it on my french fries, I decided to find something healthy to use instead. I certainly did not miss the ketchup with this spicy yumminess on my taters!

Also, we don't eat a lot of potatoes, but do not avoid them!  We also had sprouted mung bean soup with these fries which was loaded with turmeric, cumin, coriander, garlic and ginger which was actually a Dr. Oz recipe.  Of course, I probably doubled the spices, but that's just me.  Herbs and spices are true medicine.  No mung bean soup pic...I pureed mine and it just looked like green goop.  Delicious green goop!

What's for dinner??

Beef liver and caramelized onions, bacon and ginger-cinnamon carrots.  

We've been...Googled...

A new coloring book arrived this morning...also known as, the Google Fiber manual. 

A young man wired yet another device to our house and a certain little Miso was thrilled to receive this new coloring book from..."The Google Maaaaaannnnn!!" 

I was checking for hidden cameras.  They've documented just about everything BUT the insides of our houses and I wondered if they'd outfitted their installation techs with cameras to make even the private parts of our homes and lives...available for all to inspect!   My insightful husband simply commented with "No, that's called Facebook"!  Yes...self-imposed lack of privacy!

We'll see what brother has to add to the book today.  He's usually in charge of deconstruction, but maybe he'll want to leave his mark instead. 

 

I'm humming right along on my desk caddy.  It's going to take many layers of paper before it's satisfactory.  I've had to put  my beloved crafts aside the past two days because when I do my grocery shopping, there's always a lot of food to prep.  

Yesterday I made paleo chili.  I'd love to share the recipe but I read 3 different ones and then used the salad bar technique to make my chili.  I had random tomato products that needed to be used, a nice pound of grass-fed beef, freshly made beef broth and a TON of spices.  No beans, but I did add sour cream and cheddar to the top.  My kids loved it despite begging for more and more water, and eventually they needed milk to put out the fire. 

Today I'm making Indian food...chicken tikka masala, and mung bean soup.  The mung beans have been sprouting on my counter for a few days so hopefully they won't give any of us "issues"! 

Not just pinning anymore...doing!

Pinterest...either you love it, or you avoid it for one of many reasons.  It's endlessly fascinating to me, but it can suck your time up like the fiercest Hoover ever built.  Currently, I have 54 boards, 1,712 pins of inspiration, ideas, loves...and craft projects to try, someday!  Someday when I'm not busy sitting on my can clicking away at pretty pictures, that is!

Someday finally came...completely on a whim. I started with this project pinned from gingerbreadsnowflakes.com which is a tutorial on weaving in the Saori style.  Cardboard and yarn, I have lots of those!

This was my first...I went wild with color, picking every little crazy scrap of yarn I had.

 

I'm in the St. Valentine's Day mode, can you tell?   It seems I rotate my craft projects based on the approaching holiday.  My husband commented that this weaving has now replaced my winter craft of crochet.  I try, I try...but my brain cannot make sense out of the directions for crochet projects.  I need something hands-on and very forgiving...which can be "messed up" a little and still look good!   Oh!...all the scarves I've made with the uneven ends and skipped stitches, bahhh!

I also love projects which allow me to use power tools.  :)  Deeply embedded in my heart, is a love for tools.  I love tools corded...battery powered...hand powered...from small pliers to radial arm saws, my heart goes pitter pat.  I'm downright twitterpated for tools! 

This project for an artsy desk caddy made from tin cans inspired me to finally do something cool with the huge collection of tin cans I've saved.  They've been on my drafting desk for years...filled with Sharpies, and markers, and pencils....on my desk, eating up valuable space.  I wanted something portable, sturdy and spacious. And of course...I needed my cordless DeWalt, various hand tools and a "serious" hot glue gun...not one of those low-temp craft store ones that you could practically squirt ON your hand and not even feel it!  Low-temp glue also dries too fast, and the pieces eventually pop apart.  The hot glue gun I have growls when it heats up (kidding) and it squirts out glue so hot, you could give yourself a 3rd degree burn in seconds (NOT kidding). Rabid hot glue guns bring back fond memories of gluing hundreds of gaudy jewels onto set pieces for the Branson sensation, Shoji Tabuchi's wife...Dorothy!  She had a glorious shell with glittering (plastic) jewels which held her as she "emerged" into view...Glamorous! 

I drilled some holes so I could join 2 sets of the larger cans with baling wire to a wooden purse handle, then hot glued every can together.  Bashi watched with delight as the cordless drill whirred loudly...when the drill bit went through the first can he let out a revered..."whoa"...yes son, I know!  Anyway, it's solid.  Here it is for now...

My plan is to decoupage dress pattern paper all over the sides, which will not only make it look sweet, but will give it an added level of sturdiness.   This pin for the "altered tin can" made me happy...I hope mine rust on the edges too.

Lastly, I'd like to address the fact that I've been non-blogging since September!  I started a few posts...but either they were too personal, or I was just complaining.  :)  I've decided that sharing my current craft projects would be the best direction to take this blog.  With two toddlers, and a little one on the way...you'd think I wouldn't have TIME for arts and crafts.  But I must make time...or I'll go crazy.  And that's a fact.