tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73751177140794184802024-02-07T21:49:31.097-08:00SodaPop PagesWe are two sisters with a wide variety of interests and skills. We are mothers, wives, and creative thinkers. Both of us enjoy reading, cooking, fashion, vintage style, and several other fun things. Our goal is to share some of our experiences and thoughts with our readers, and make self improvements along the way.Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-71064592788071628862011-10-18T12:11:00.000-07:002011-10-18T13:14:11.538-07:00Salmon Croquettes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVY4kRj47MmsaP-rBIB0SUGqvTv_qrX3x9Iq1XE3V00cbX_-Yh5g6jN-45V0HSAEtIklNXUAfrcQq3OLTrBH-vsnzWvUiHrAnKfL2NPxznxyyj_QouiUU-zfy6UibD-J_5tqY0AGPXQZA/s1600/salmon+croquettes+010+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVY4kRj47MmsaP-rBIB0SUGqvTv_qrX3x9Iq1XE3V00cbX_-Yh5g6jN-45V0HSAEtIklNXUAfrcQq3OLTrBH-vsnzWvUiHrAnKfL2NPxznxyyj_QouiUU-zfy6UibD-J_5tqY0AGPXQZA/s320/salmon+croquettes+010+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Remember the french bread I made? After it started to get stale, I stuck it in the fridge to keep it fresh longer, but ran it through my food processor to make panko bread crumbs first. Panko bread crumbs are basically white bread that has been made into crumbs, and not seasoned. I love that panko can be made with all sorts of bread, so using what I have on hand is perfect!<br />
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Since I had some panko to play with, and I also had a can of salmon, I decided to make some yummy salmon croquettes! Mmmm. These are wonderful with a dab of sour cream.<br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><u>Salmon Croquettes</u></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">1 can salmon</span><br />
2 eggs, beaten<br />
1/4 c panko<br />
1 tsp lemon juice<br />
1 tsp dill<br />
1 T shredded carrot<br />
1/3 c finely chopped onion<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp pepper<br />
1/2 c panko for coating<br />
Oil for pan frying<br />
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Mix all the ingredients, except for the 1/2 cup of panko and oil, in a bowl. Spread the remaining panko on a plate. Form eight patties carefully with the salmon mixture, and gently coat the patty on both sides with the panko. In a hot frying pan heated on medium-high heat, swirl enough canola oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan (about a Tbsp worth). When the oil is hot, test with a bread crumb to see if it sizzles. Once it sizzles, gently add four patties , making sure to leave them alone once they hit the pan so they won't break up. Cook for a bout six minutes, or until the bottom is lightly browned, and then flip it over. Cook the other side until lightly golden, then serve warm with a dollap of sour cream.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeP6XU-6EZXzH7mhjOKOXEbmInqAzFJGnvUu_-hN8I0xfbnyL9cVfV4JkuFoThFGqXLGFoZLbdai01XYNP_1TCo2AcDmMOYip_RUUsK0Ztqs2usGRH3UWu-GKjh92CxKx_p4G073dgj07/s1600/salmon+croquettes+001+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeP6XU-6EZXzH7mhjOKOXEbmInqAzFJGnvUu_-hN8I0xfbnyL9cVfV4JkuFoThFGqXLGFoZLbdai01XYNP_1TCo2AcDmMOYip_RUUsK0Ztqs2usGRH3UWu-GKjh92CxKx_p4G073dgj07/s320/salmon+croquettes+001+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be sure to flake your salmon as you mix!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The patty is almost impossible to see here.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gER-1SNRhxNdkF0gJlsdwtOMc47r4uk18q7rEdih3T0dmr6DVb4LrycZWcXFh5woRqw7g-z7i5WlC1tvZkvcOtbnUCVwcj7VNGryPpLKRa7lVUy1rvbj08i9V_pQpJyR70Vx6i9TQbLG/s1600/salmon+croquettes+007+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gER-1SNRhxNdkF0gJlsdwtOMc47r4uk18q7rEdih3T0dmr6DVb4LrycZWcXFh5woRqw7g-z7i5WlC1tvZkvcOtbnUCVwcj7VNGryPpLKRa7lVUy1rvbj08i9V_pQpJyR70Vx6i9TQbLG/s320/salmon+croquettes+007+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sizzling in the pan! Mmmm</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvrIf5umn_hhGMbWkQJQnJqjxSTgoasZlWWXemRE7r1J_KRZkbVV_AL2miAxV8beCvwgX20avhzfDK_Fdiwjz6tmYfiACAclDiG_aQSH-X7ii33hxv5AFcvkHFHSprgSqMpPpwbxFfiEK/s1600/salmon+croquettes+009+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvrIf5umn_hhGMbWkQJQnJqjxSTgoasZlWWXemRE7r1J_KRZkbVV_AL2miAxV8beCvwgX20avhzfDK_Fdiwjz6tmYfiACAclDiG_aQSH-X7ii33hxv5AFcvkHFHSprgSqMpPpwbxFfiEK/s320/salmon+croquettes+009+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salmon croquettes...minus one for my daughter.<br />
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<script type="text/javascript" src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-902886162443169152011-10-15T10:10:00.000-07:002011-10-15T10:10:14.207-07:00Teddy Bear Celery Cuts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdNTEAZC4dSKgVcRIIrgJr0nDSsJfxzzw2Qm5LKCQb6Seup00EE8Ru00gYpC52679HGyF1Yg2-IEd7ma1LImiXJIoTkfy7a5nYX8HeW3EJdsACBQOOOi94z6p_niy4TbI7ui4SjSAgza6/s1600/veggin+out+004+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdNTEAZC4dSKgVcRIIrgJr0nDSsJfxzzw2Qm5LKCQb6Seup00EE8Ru00gYpC52679HGyF1Yg2-IEd7ma1LImiXJIoTkfy7a5nYX8HeW3EJdsACBQOOOi94z6p_niy4TbI7ui4SjSAgza6/s320/veggin+out+004+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Today I washed and cut up all of my produce for the upcoming week, and stumbled upon something really cute. If you cut celery just right, you can make adorable bear shapes! These will make a great decoration for my bento lunches, and any other cute food dress up. These bears are really easy to make, but you can only make a few of them because you have to cut them out of the branch part near the top of each celery rib. If you pick a celery stalk with several ribs, you can make more bear cutouts than if you use a sparse celery stalk. Here's how to cut them out:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCN0E59FDLp5kmru4lxj_-Cc9BIHOiruMnkubchcpuHR7XXk_Bp4PtQ5OVcX7G27lQEU-dXN5OGr0T3EXmyGWGcd89pIxApIcX9Ebhpm9jegeAcqhOZ1etAZ9j_hJOygO1BYXR8vgqBSt/s1600/veggin+out+001+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCN0E59FDLp5kmru4lxj_-Cc9BIHOiruMnkubchcpuHR7XXk_Bp4PtQ5OVcX7G27lQEU-dXN5OGr0T3EXmyGWGcd89pIxApIcX9Ebhpm9jegeAcqhOZ1etAZ9j_hJOygO1BYXR8vgqBSt/s320/veggin+out+001+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Place knife about 1/8" above the indented part of the celery and cut.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOrxVSjQ2MW4Yl4Q4TUUsAoQGZkg7qhN3IB_a6ViAalikJrF3OwqTMRdGc-uyyYDkZBRFJGxU1yiVlHMtKFI59PmVSVkdiAZUdJraroRd24Mu7xra2VOYRhJG8kQ8cbz88essmnaJQTn8/s1600/veggin+out+002+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOrxVSjQ2MW4Yl4Q4TUUsAoQGZkg7qhN3IB_a6ViAalikJrF3OwqTMRdGc-uyyYDkZBRFJGxU1yiVlHMtKFI59PmVSVkdiAZUdJraroRd24Mu7xra2VOYRhJG8kQ8cbz88essmnaJQTn8/s320/veggin+out+002+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It should look like this. Or close to it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7m1Ka-lz72OUb5ogN72kRP4CrJa46-HhMDylYFc_LczcweSkF32Q0eqHjenCUjIn-oRrkSY_OcItn3mYw2NNip_rp0G9j1lcxQCIMQbrxMNtDSBWYUckne45GdxfwcC7woR7yPfHBMRC/s1600/veggin+out+003+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7m1Ka-lz72OUb5ogN72kRP4CrJa46-HhMDylYFc_LczcweSkF32Q0eqHjenCUjIn-oRrkSY_OcItn3mYw2NNip_rp0G9j1lcxQCIMQbrxMNtDSBWYUckne45GdxfwcC7woR7yPfHBMRC/s320/veggin+out+003+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cut on the indentation.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5A-PMLfA8iUqnUTVBT8UaVV1_dOVJhBLXrgA3mCY484Pe1EFdk2qFbGhmnktex5mQkJGZVOifMQXrmtb662V45nFLMecu5yi_ybLw26E2_Facb612Gf8GweP-zm1lP2DY6nI5u-iHzQL/s1600/veggin+out+005+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5A-PMLfA8iUqnUTVBT8UaVV1_dOVJhBLXrgA3mCY484Pe1EFdk2qFbGhmnktex5mQkJGZVOifMQXrmtb662V45nFLMecu5yi_ybLw26E2_Facb612Gf8GweP-zm1lP2DY6nI5u-iHzQL/s320/veggin+out+005+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teddy bears!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-61109377340887392182011-10-14T10:30:00.000-07:002011-10-14T10:30:25.350-07:00Bow of HairI found this video on youtube that shows how to make hair look like a little bow, and I had to try it out on my little girl. It is really easy to do, and it stands out more than a regular hair bow. For my daughter, I added a hair tie that had a cute little doll on it, just to up the cuteness factor (which was added after the ponytail was bent in half and then split, so she had two hair ties in her hair). Here she is, all "dolled" up:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuWy_DGeIpTlo53qyvxbAPIxvV9B9ENFCzHQvaGhfn1Lm_1wijkEkXfS0set6Lagdaiz-NAiBEaEh7ukelXbLZ9BVVANsvkGpxQ9xEwHPUzkJ18tBYQwZDzWS9A4_RBK6UHy5i-EJUlBJ/s1600/Olivia%2527s+hair+002+copy+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuWy_DGeIpTlo53qyvxbAPIxvV9B9ENFCzHQvaGhfn1Lm_1wijkEkXfS0set6Lagdaiz-NAiBEaEh7ukelXbLZ9BVVANsvkGpxQ9xEwHPUzkJ18tBYQwZDzWS9A4_RBK6UHy5i-EJUlBJ/s320/Olivia%2527s+hair+002+copy+copy.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her doll sits right in the center of the "bow".</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWhSwIyYUk-zFuxB9HiG6RQrBeiDcO1IU0PY85K_DCsWv4jZzG39ZOjO5FsNOlrUwm8Dvuw6unCHk7RAx4gRwXmtyC48Tpy_iV2Go-MyUqGRFcrwGb3JzAO95N_SKFc5DPiEzjBAj91h3/s1600/Olivia%2527s+hair+001+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWhSwIyYUk-zFuxB9HiG6RQrBeiDcO1IU0PY85K_DCsWv4jZzG39ZOjO5FsNOlrUwm8Dvuw6unCHk7RAx4gRwXmtyC48Tpy_iV2Go-MyUqGRFcrwGb3JzAO95N_SKFc5DPiEzjBAj91h3/s320/Olivia%2527s+hair+001+copy.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the back, it looks just like a little bow.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>To learn how to make this, watch the video below.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-MWqyGtzclQ" width="420"></iframe>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-15138202057405886542011-10-13T07:47:00.000-07:002011-10-13T07:47:16.455-07:00Easy French Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDQ8d45GNXWNFUUErbJmsg2oIm-VeP7fAarbA3qBwxRem3ywVAxTI7zSbQmh9fA4NFO6Mk51EwWEVbGYpLyJrl6Qn2y_T3yXJUK0n8pJP_Gy0ZDnMU23H68sqlj8Vvb6A03BbwoErv5on/s1600/055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDQ8d45GNXWNFUUErbJmsg2oIm-VeP7fAarbA3qBwxRem3ywVAxTI7zSbQmh9fA4NFO6Mk51EwWEVbGYpLyJrl6Qn2y_T3yXJUK0n8pJP_Gy0ZDnMU23H68sqlj8Vvb6A03BbwoErv5on/s320/055.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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This technique is great for people who have some experience with baking bread. I have decided to bake all of my bread from scratch, so this technique is perfect for me. To get started, let me give you a list of ingredients:<br />
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4 C Flour (I like bread flour)<br />
1 T Yeast<br />
1 T Salt<br />
Very warm (not hot) water<br />
Extra flour for kneading<br />
Water to make steam<br />
Oil to grease cookie sheet<br />
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This guy is seriously brilliant. I have to say, for the minimal effort, this bread is pretty tasty. After I bake my bread, a few days later, if there are leftovers, I put them in my food processor to make bread crumbs, and put them in a bag. These are called panko bread crumbs, and they are wonderful to cook with (more posts on that later). Let me know how your bread turns out if you give this a try. Trust me, you'll be glad you did!<br />
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By the way, I use the bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches, using cheddar slices, and they are out of this world delicious!Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-68174259233356138352011-09-05T05:48:00.000-07:002011-09-05T05:49:22.123-07:00Quick Macaroni and Cheese BentoI found the cutest pasta at the local market on Friday. It's teddy bear shaped! Since it was time for lunch, and I had just done a ton of dishes, I didn't feel the need to dirty up much more with cooking lunch. So, I made a tiny batch of macaroni and cheese with 1 cup of the bear pasta. I boiled up some water, added a pinch of salt, and then filled the box with pre-cut cucumbers and pre-peeled carrots. I then got out a slice of cheddar cheese, and cut out a bear shape using my rice mold. With the leftover bits of cheese, a teaspoon of butter, and 2 tablespoons of milk, I made some simple macaroni and cheese using the hot, drained pasta. Then I filled the rest of the bento with half of the pasta and my daughter set to work eating it. To save time tomorrow, I took the other half of the pasta and made another bento for the fridge. This time I used a leaf of lettuce to separate the pasta, and added some grapes and cut cucumbers to switch things up a bit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the coolest carrot I've ever seen! It grew wrapped around another carrot!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ypBCYerl1b6WG2ZGXmX_anOcjavHtFqNRjlsKlB0D8WaYoL0SzU4GcklcZmsxmUZMrhgMT5caFxtLt6fyvYY7QA7lEvflv7nXhixGtboEyOPbc4pMljYKH0Lbo4ACnjU67f-Y7RcQnxH/s1600/Bento+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ypBCYerl1b6WG2ZGXmX_anOcjavHtFqNRjlsKlB0D8WaYoL0SzU4GcklcZmsxmUZMrhgMT5caFxtLt6fyvYY7QA7lEvflv7nXhixGtboEyOPbc4pMljYKH0Lbo4ACnjU67f-Y7RcQnxH/s320/Bento+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first bento, with the cheese cut-out.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_oz31LaiD__Y7mrS_tTYC1Giqm_z7pTwgXLlvmtNeV6LbzfM4LxhVlAmN7HT2G7Q0RyEI8EYdNn2qiqo5Xp7zH2YktZhBrCvVNFd0iUb_SakfhFNvwTpo3JX1G5uN1OFaAUNTwVsWSF0/s1600/Bento+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_oz31LaiD__Y7mrS_tTYC1Giqm_z7pTwgXLlvmtNeV6LbzfM4LxhVlAmN7HT2G7Q0RyEI8EYdNn2qiqo5Xp7zH2YktZhBrCvVNFd0iUb_SakfhFNvwTpo3JX1G5uN1OFaAUNTwVsWSF0/s320/Bento+004.JPG" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See? Teddy bear pasta!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1xItsGiAJscjWivovOBjLaRN0DLZT_5Gv06vZX4VGU2prwUYN3y85dcuMnEO0hHy3Wy8FslPCzMlsGwM9QoXMdOvFrj8kNjQhOGnnIxezbgXkyIvXgDPQCyLfvzbl982PCT05NOaDV1g/s1600/Bento+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1xItsGiAJscjWivovOBjLaRN0DLZT_5Gv06vZX4VGU2prwUYN3y85dcuMnEO0hHy3Wy8FslPCzMlsGwM9QoXMdOvFrj8kNjQhOGnnIxezbgXkyIvXgDPQCyLfvzbl982PCT05NOaDV1g/s320/Bento+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmm, pasta and some fruit and veggies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZXdqwbcovb77pEavDbPX8AFQzXm6LHZMXIZe5zSb4OWH48-reLK5_jEozk4vN1rCzHp43fwqYvrKy_aa2_1zqlSBx1ufWBQVJrUQdfjPxZ5cG7CasL9zu6Mgg8C1JKBjo_Adx9NrhM0z/s1600/Bento+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZXdqwbcovb77pEavDbPX8AFQzXm6LHZMXIZe5zSb4OWH48-reLK5_jEozk4vN1rCzHp43fwqYvrKy_aa2_1zqlSBx1ufWBQVJrUQdfjPxZ5cG7CasL9zu6Mgg8C1JKBjo_Adx9NrhM0z/s320/Bento+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here you can see how it all fits with the lid on.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-13530527177051132032011-08-18T00:00:00.000-07:002011-08-18T00:00:02.904-07:00Vintage Skills: Hand Embroidery, Basic DaisyHopefully all of the practice with basting and back stitching has encouraged some confidence and excitement to move on to more challenging stitches. The basic daisy is a fun embellishment for clothing, purses, handkerchiefs, greeting cards, and much, much more. If the daisies are grouped together, they create a lovely floral decoration, especially if different colored threads are used. This technique is not difficult, but it may take some practice to really get the hang of it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglATyWHbuWmX7CpUMPD7BuXJcpUmyRa7Awp5T3Zh8To4SDeHIUO_9b1I9Su7_0awrcgWqTnbJkL_t0v4UWZ3ecvlnwWuWnidYD-KtfdmosDqVxwK8O2dQW68MZmg3WVJjzD7km9cvv3Fpy/s1600/Daisy+embroidery+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglATyWHbuWmX7CpUMPD7BuXJcpUmyRa7Awp5T3Zh8To4SDeHIUO_9b1I9Su7_0awrcgWqTnbJkL_t0v4UWZ3ecvlnwWuWnidYD-KtfdmosDqVxwK8O2dQW68MZmg3WVJjzD7km9cvv3Fpy/s320/Daisy+embroidery+1.jpg" width="287" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yGkfw7LiJxTBEFs8H_mx9wP-IoWzsCX1aqvPxhAMuSvfD0Ef1QGXKYiukhQftqOgUAa7wzii05ZzQCOIMVhL8l0IPc7fBVIAu2xHm-nxCJRKKC9B3pRfifWp-GOn42VZhktFeZE9-4L1/s1600/Daisy+embroidery+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yGkfw7LiJxTBEFs8H_mx9wP-IoWzsCX1aqvPxhAMuSvfD0Ef1QGXKYiukhQftqOgUAa7wzii05ZzQCOIMVhL8l0IPc7fBVIAu2xHm-nxCJRKKC9B3pRfifWp-GOn42VZhktFeZE9-4L1/s320/Daisy+embroidery+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PSMZJfuXQ1bIkRqjEKN49F8N7r_Dk1PT2KavfNaox1ZMWs3fBo65MI8f_JM1xdUHAUkVkXdPTMcRfc3xbQ0ki-4IvV0ZiVL_Em55Jxop4pUVY1cdi91Y-sF9XrdaAHMBkXDjLJRfwVW-/s1600/Daisy+embroidery+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PSMZJfuXQ1bIkRqjEKN49F8N7r_Dk1PT2KavfNaox1ZMWs3fBo65MI8f_JM1xdUHAUkVkXdPTMcRfc3xbQ0ki-4IvV0ZiVL_Em55Jxop4pUVY1cdi91Y-sF9XrdaAHMBkXDjLJRfwVW-/s320/Daisy+embroidery+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQbcZ5wAlYapqZ6-Ebd-Ep-TyFgjn6AqPmWYGUINJIXq7us3UaEaF-I_8XkGt4yv6suazEC_M3ot5c309_70LLxZWU6CdUcD_KUzYqkfxan2y5vsNRg-MftQ87x9CGBTggn3lJCdO4z-1/s1600/hand+embroidery+tutorial+videos+004.AVI"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fv19.nonxt6.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3D37a0f4a2a863d076%26itag%3D18%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1312847566%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D3E536A1E41B43C2ABAA66ACA1CDFEEAD004C19F4.39A969310F9A3861A90A393D81620D345B92A03C%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fv19.nonxt6.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3D37a0f4a2a863d076%26itag%3D18%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1312847566%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D3E536A1E41B43C2ABAA66ACA1CDFEEAD004C19F4.39A969310F9A3861A90A393D81620D345B92A03C%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-8385084793999397172011-08-11T00:00:00.000-07:002011-08-11T00:00:02.887-07:00Vintage Skills: Hand Embroidery, Back StitchThe back stitch is a very important basic stitch in embroidery. It outlines beautifully and adds special detail to both simple and complex designs. This stitch can also be used to mend clothing if a seam becomes ripped or loose. The concept of this stitch is to start the stitches just close to the end of a line, but not at the end, and go backwards to make the first stitch.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwzI-esbzxhRx73vdcCEB_yFYUslOAz-nAxX6ATId3LNYGDTsb42c2LQJZbEpHhj3PHBNv6xnqBCEH_vq-A0A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-83893462909698367882011-08-10T00:00:00.000-07:002011-08-10T00:00:13.529-07:00Hamburger and Pepper Pasta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjzzbPFjHlzccXVcnnKGJYfsfMN5ZdtZ5IrGtl4oriDfY48q_N3jOLGU-dnOpHbHkXKIAFNNnPYSmAV9egWQvba3bn7_AM6BHAq9lq1jFNKkA1rR5LZMZ2EHPLMKL1YSC9Qr2cdesW3Ulu/s1600/Cooking+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjzzbPFjHlzccXVcnnKGJYfsfMN5ZdtZ5IrGtl4oriDfY48q_N3jOLGU-dnOpHbHkXKIAFNNnPYSmAV9egWQvba3bn7_AM6BHAq9lq1jFNKkA1rR5LZMZ2EHPLMKL1YSC9Qr2cdesW3Ulu/s320/Cooking+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I think my taste buds have changed on me. I find that lately I not only tolerate some spicy food, but I am actually craving it. Now, for me, jalapeno peppers are spicy...or used to be, anyhow. Lately I adore pepper jack cheese, so I bought some to use this week, not having an idea as to how. There were two peppers, one red, one green, in my fridge that needed to be cooked, so I thought a one pan dish would be perfect for dinner.<br />
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Hamburger and Pepper Pasta<br />
1 Red bell pepper, chopped<br />
1 Green bell pepper, chopped<br />
1 Small onion, chopped<br />
1 Clove garlic, minced<br />
2 T Extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 Lb ground beef<br />
2 Cups fusili pasta/elbow macaroni<br />
1 Box chicken stock/broth<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
1 Cup pepper jack cheese, cut into cubes<br />
1 Cup cheddar cheese, shredded<br />
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Heat the pan to medium-high heat, add olive oil. Saute peppers, onion, and garlic until soft. Crumble ground beef into the pan, and brown. Add the chicken broth and the pasta. Make sure the pasta is under the liquid, and cover with a lid. Cook for about 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Turn heat to low, and add the pepper jack cheese. Stir until melted, then add the cheddar. Melt the cheddar and remove from heat. Serve hot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdMtPeKkseP_e143b_31IRn4RT-Urxilk4JotlxpP-oZP1VTWKHm93cdCu3u42RfAc5PylvETqefQ6fqJDSdJAK09Kd5wU-P1dyrg3K2fPHkqyu9Eaw3gVfAMg0jDaY2lAfz8HhEgikWY/s1600/Cooking+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdMtPeKkseP_e143b_31IRn4RT-Urxilk4JotlxpP-oZP1VTWKHm93cdCu3u42RfAc5PylvETqefQ6fqJDSdJAK09Kd5wU-P1dyrg3K2fPHkqyu9Eaw3gVfAMg0jDaY2lAfz8HhEgikWY/s320/Cooking+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sauteed peppers, onion, garlic, and browned beef in the oil.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0d0RvD_t7rzEwsQMOPQg8PKkna8fkiJd-pCYhq0JhlKO6DW12SjzuAbAOFd6hu_DnYT-rqz-2_YB-BCn1DuIZgRe1Q8f2x2HXp6Q2EeCvsz_ske0ZkiPr8N7t0kst3GOR_Coa_fAmZgBF/s1600/Cooking+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0d0RvD_t7rzEwsQMOPQg8PKkna8fkiJd-pCYhq0JhlKO6DW12SjzuAbAOFd6hu_DnYT-rqz-2_YB-BCn1DuIZgRe1Q8f2x2HXp6Q2EeCvsz_ske0ZkiPr8N7t0kst3GOR_Coa_fAmZgBF/s320/Cooking+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken stock and pasta added.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqI87Ldh-QoZ0AqiGzgRhcWVP4bdEh1iaxpX61TBYxQ_fnd6vmIoyPI03Dqt7j49IJDK9qMQEbPlJLuZwXYdnW2j-EBy3XIms5iVItqV5fWjufOQjYbUnO03L-H5tFbo0lNdBv46go5Bb/s1600/Cooking+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqI87Ldh-QoZ0AqiGzgRhcWVP4bdEh1iaxpX61TBYxQ_fnd6vmIoyPI03Dqt7j49IJDK9qMQEbPlJLuZwXYdnW2j-EBy3XIms5iVItqV5fWjufOQjYbUnO03L-H5tFbo0lNdBv46go5Bb/s320/Cooking+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keep the lid on to prevent the pasta from drying out.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZuhIqX8144Vbl4ajQhapi5DJGOjAn02uFKyoklQf3oBKYypHpOMWujPwF1wdWN0eQGl_Yb7-0SscN9VWEIO-777Q5yKnjuVHPzS0MezXcPqcijVWThIGJC3ZGr4LCbRFkYbVQ_2QysF3/s1600/Cooking+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZuhIqX8144Vbl4ajQhapi5DJGOjAn02uFKyoklQf3oBKYypHpOMWujPwF1wdWN0eQGl_Yb7-0SscN9VWEIO-777Q5yKnjuVHPzS0MezXcPqcijVWThIGJC3ZGr4LCbRFkYbVQ_2QysF3/s320/Cooking+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding the pepper jack cheese.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSRB_fk57u6US3A0DAesqBKyLtkxw8UeZXkL9LhmDi-t_lHGnpZHeWvJafmRrMJ5hy7lEmQEHPXE6At8NRRWQeOsxwuKYHwYCKFjVrYIMUfODahyXyRGm1ffH0Gb3P6L_k85I355HRglh/s1600/Cooking+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSRB_fk57u6US3A0DAesqBKyLtkxw8UeZXkL9LhmDi-t_lHGnpZHeWvJafmRrMJ5hy7lEmQEHPXE6At8NRRWQeOsxwuKYHwYCKFjVrYIMUfODahyXyRGm1ffH0Gb3P6L_k85I355HRglh/s320/Cooking+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding the cheddar cheese.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjzzbPFjHlzccXVcnnKGJYfsfMN5ZdtZ5IrGtl4oriDfY48q_N3jOLGU-dnOpHbHkXKIAFNNnPYSmAV9egWQvba3bn7_AM6BHAq9lq1jFNKkA1rR5LZMZ2EHPLMKL1YSC9Qr2cdesW3Ulu/s1600/Cooking+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjzzbPFjHlzccXVcnnKGJYfsfMN5ZdtZ5IrGtl4oriDfY48q_N3jOLGU-dnOpHbHkXKIAFNNnPYSmAV9egWQvba3bn7_AM6BHAq9lq1jFNKkA1rR5LZMZ2EHPLMKL1YSC9Qr2cdesW3Ulu/s320/Cooking+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmm, super cheesy, peppery pasta.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-32039849439464434412011-08-09T00:00:00.000-07:002011-08-09T07:48:38.095-07:00Sour Cherry Preserves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKXsHFbhcPrvsC6k-FrbIO5pKTH_aix_04RibTmYIHM47vWaZvJjY3-wd0pWH5I2IPazbeW9iaSXskrfVeNc5qUb83y1KKTlyjb61hJsbGmubHxkckc9S1fdfL5Pb5duCM98phPveE6op/s1600/sour+cherry+jam+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKXsHFbhcPrvsC6k-FrbIO5pKTH_aix_04RibTmYIHM47vWaZvJjY3-wd0pWH5I2IPazbeW9iaSXskrfVeNc5qUb83y1KKTlyjb61hJsbGmubHxkckc9S1fdfL5Pb5duCM98phPveE6op/s320/sour+cherry+jam+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Making jam from scratch is never something I imagined myself doing, but recently I happened upon an amazing blog, called <a href="http://tigressinajam.blogspot.com/">Tigress in a Jam</a> and now I am obessed with trying to make jam at home. My best friend has three amazing cherry trees in her yard, but she told me that they tasted awful and thought they were inedible and probably just for the birds. So when I saw a post from the Tigress on sour cherries, I began to wonder if my friend had sour cherries. The blog had a few recipes to try with sour cherries, so I asked my friend if I could stop by and pick some cherries. I am SO glad we did! I happen to love sour food. When people are running and screaming for water after eating a particularly sour food, I tend to taste that food and grin in appreciation. <br />
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I brought home loads of cherries, but the season for them had just barely passed, and I had to sort through many that had burst open. Still, with the amount that was in good shape, I made the most amazing cherry pie (another first for me) and amazing preserves courtesy of<a href="http://tigressinajam.blogspot.com/2011/07/sour-cherries-two-classic-preserves.html"> this blog post's recipe.</a> I was surprised at how easy it was to make...well, it was after I sorted, washed, and removed the stems and pits. I ended up with just a small amount less cherries than the recipe called for, so I cut down some of the sugar and the lemon juice and decided that I would keep my jam in the fridge for safety's sake. I've heard that jam making is easy, and now that I've done it, I just can't stop myself! The best part is that if the jam doesn't jell properly, the end product is a delightful syrup that can be used on ice cream, yogurt, pancakes, and all sorts of good food! All you do is add the ingredients to a pot on low heat, dissolve the sugar, then raise the heat a tad, stir, and wait till it's ready. Easy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHaarYvsJWlrr_xL1HBXzvXgcIaLb0HhZ7V2xuRflLu4RHW4Mp6DNm7iDrqY8xmW-Zl0FCvvim2yXf-8R0g9tz8vRfsPj-H0FZ1j7M1bwkD3e7PqY_Zw346YAN8nw9fA2lGhwEPsUHo4h/s1600/Cooking+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHaarYvsJWlrr_xL1HBXzvXgcIaLb0HhZ7V2xuRflLu4RHW4Mp6DNm7iDrqY8xmW-Zl0FCvvim2yXf-8R0g9tz8vRfsPj-H0FZ1j7M1bwkD3e7PqY_Zw346YAN8nw9fA2lGhwEPsUHo4h/s320/Cooking+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See that foam? You just heat the fruit in the pot, and the juice releases along with air bubbles.<br />
The foam can be skimmed off easily with a spoon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-49691733751556699592011-08-08T00:00:00.000-07:002011-08-08T00:00:08.155-07:00Apple Sauce From Scratch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAuCx7qLbCKv565_iUL6zziSOrT5-lX-9grW2gw_FoU66EcraHXBsdHXi_izWpOugSv1RX1jbgKaLAnncaSY46vQq1XgfdgCoHOeF8DMVKAodgm3IhJaan7pNT1_I8faJ3ArrU6li5bHz/s1600/Cooking+006+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAuCx7qLbCKv565_iUL6zziSOrT5-lX-9grW2gw_FoU66EcraHXBsdHXi_izWpOugSv1RX1jbgKaLAnncaSY46vQq1XgfdgCoHOeF8DMVKAodgm3IhJaan7pNT1_I8faJ3ArrU6li5bHz/s320/Cooking+006+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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My good friend had a couple of apple trees with ripe fruit ready to pick, so I packed up my daughter and grabbed some beautiful apples. They were very tart, but now that they've rested a bit, they are much sweeter. The taste is between a yellow and a green apple, so they are very delicious. The only drawback with the apples is that they will not keep as well if left for long periods of time. Since I had two other generous friends who let me pick fruit from their trees, I gave them some of the apples, and decided to try and preserve some of my apples for future use. Following the advice of another brilliant friend of mine, I decided to make my own applesauce and keep it safely in the freezer. It was surprisingly easy to make, and it tasted like apple pie filling!<br />
Here's all you need:<br />
Apples, sugar, and cinnamon<br />
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First, I peeled the apples. Then, I sliced them up into chunks and dumped them into a large pot. I don't mind the natural brown color that cut apples get, so I left mine as is, but if the color is a problem, a bit of lemon juice will stop the color change. On low heat, the chunks became soft enough to release juice and soften up for mashing into a beautiful, chunky applesauce. Then I used my potato masher and carefully mashed the apples, making sure to not burn myself on the steam or rogue bits of apple that shot out of the pan from the movement. To finish the applesauce, I added sugar and cinnamon. I like mine a little tart, so I used a little sugar and a little cinnamon. I just added a little bit at a time, and tasted it until it was just right. Not bad for my first time making applesauce!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8R70nhKhzzCn8htoGZ-bcwsKoA6lTn2MraDqUwxJDMLoGHMEpOc8kF622vPVbHTvls7UZoH4Txvi-pqtxptTpv2jLefkIKfcT1D76KybGsL2ERKX_3cWVhGkh_lfpAg2ztMEMYi3kEK1/s1600/Cooking+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8R70nhKhzzCn8htoGZ-bcwsKoA6lTn2MraDqUwxJDMLoGHMEpOc8kF622vPVbHTvls7UZoH4Txvi-pqtxptTpv2jLefkIKfcT1D76KybGsL2ERKX_3cWVhGkh_lfpAg2ztMEMYi3kEK1/s320/Cooking+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is when I added the chopped apples.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eSpI_hNeBaVadT1gBsY-l3uwng_pjlMhOlElmmzxpcjV0Wpzzl22mmo5G1DgCVlpr4_NiHhZ2xm3pynyp14TwHew4ghNbZgCYKbbDALKJgZp5opiyZY_PzJJS5z9S5UgVHc6RznZN-Z9/s1600/Cooking+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eSpI_hNeBaVadT1gBsY-l3uwng_pjlMhOlElmmzxpcjV0Wpzzl22mmo5G1DgCVlpr4_NiHhZ2xm3pynyp14TwHew4ghNbZgCYKbbDALKJgZp5opiyZY_PzJJS5z9S5UgVHc6RznZN-Z9/s320/Cooking+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As they heat, the color becomes a gorgeous golden brown. <br />
This is when the apples start to get soft and begin to release juice.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oID10okZ8d-Dme-5W-cNStocp4ZRtKagpEspC3XMfdafAhFKGosPcyM705DiJ1HQM61kvBitLYZEEEkW6SVCQQzOpr3I5GX5gLMUkh-wstAFnqeTGtUT6jFYhKs58qRs5LKscxHQMFH3/s1600/applesauce+001+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oID10okZ8d-Dme-5W-cNStocp4ZRtKagpEspC3XMfdafAhFKGosPcyM705DiJ1HQM61kvBitLYZEEEkW6SVCQQzOpr3I5GX5gLMUkh-wstAFnqeTGtUT6jFYhKs58qRs5LKscxHQMFH3/s320/applesauce+001+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product. Pure bliss!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-8543889222664047422011-08-01T20:03:00.000-07:002011-08-01T20:03:00.829-07:00Food and Books and Books About FoodI love summer, especially <em>this </em>summer, which I have dubbed the summer of food and books. Jen and I have become healthily obsessed with food, specifically things like homemade sauces, preserves, and organic produce. My kitchen has never seen this much action before; I'm actually using all my gadgets and appliances, and I'm using every meal as an opportunity to experiment. I'm finding that I can cook even complicated meals with minimal stress and mess. It's almost surreal to get through the preparation of a pot of mushroom risotto without cursing, crying, or throwing my wooden spoon, but hey, it's a nice change. <br />
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I have been reading like crazy, especially books about food. Like I said, I am nursing a healthy obsession here. Sometimes I sit and read through my cookbooks, which has its own appeal, but what's even better is a book that combines food and great stories. My favorite food book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tender-Bone-Growing-Up-Table/dp/0767903382">Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl</a>, a memoir of the food writer and critic's early life in a dysfunctional home with a mother who not only can't cook, but really, truly <em>cannot cook. </em>Despite her mother's disasterous turns in and out of the kitchen , Reichl is able to find strength and love and personal connections through food. This book gave me a deep appreciation for the ways we can connect through food, and respect for food safety rules. It's funny, it's sad, it's relateable, but the best part? This book has recipies! I tried a few of the recipies, but my absolute favorite was for Nonna's Lemon Ricotta Biscuits, which my husband and I make all the time now.<br />
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So go ahead, read a great book and cook some great food this summer; that's what I'll be doing.Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-75506005822835164252011-07-28T09:15:00.000-07:002011-07-28T09:15:37.342-07:00Vintage Skills: Hand Embroidery, Basting StitchHand embroidery is an art form that is becoming harder and harder to find since the invention of the embroidery machine. While I am a huge fan of embroidery, whether machine made or not, there is a touch of something sacred in the skills of this centuries old art form. Kings and Queens adorned themselves in elaborate embroidery, but the meek and lowly also had family treasures passed down from generation to generation that were hand embroidered. The stitches marked the time of people who lived and worked long ago. In ages where many people could not read or write, their legacies lived on in the stitches passed down through generations. Tapestries were added to when marking the family tree, and family histories were often stitched to capture important memories, grievances, or victories.<br />
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When I look at the underside of an embroidered design, it shows me the time, patience, and attention to minute detail that was all put into the creating of the brilliant design on the front. That doesn't exist with machine embroidery. My Grandmother and my Mother taught me the basic skills of embroidery when I was young. Of course, I had little appreciation or patience for it back then, but I am very grateful for the knowledge that was passed down, now that I am older. My other Grandmother made handmade gifts for me and my sisters, so I feel very sentimental when I embroider anything.<br />
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Since I was blessed with learning to hand embroider, I would like to share this treasured skill with my readers. Once the basics are mastered, greater skill levels are easy to obtain. There are books that have simple and complicated stitches to keep up levels of improvement. The materials needed for embroidery are very inexpensive. Embroidery needles, embroidery floss, embroidery hoops, needle threader (if you can't thread the needle easily), scissors, fabric or garment, and stabilizer are necessary equipment for hand embroidery. These items can be purchased at craft stores and fabric stores. *If you are a beginner, avoid fancy metallic or iridescent floss; it is not easy to work with.* Always use fabric that is not important, or the final garment to practice on before starting a major project. Mistakes are part of the learning process.<br />
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Now that the materials have been discussed, it is time to learn the most basic stitches, and a few tips that are important for embroidery. Each week, a new video will showcase a new stitch or technique.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DDeV8AA4NYw" width="425"></iframe>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-64049046271560474632011-07-26T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-26T00:00:09.746-07:00Grilled Cheese Bento<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwPVr1yuCzJT6AvWS1pLtzJPyEp9WiTb9gk8ERGKc1pjXaHKWqTF6vkZOvFzpkKj6IxGMGL52VPPC-_XosebCXPCpzDM8RXbxfp0CjK1EEDOWqVRAXlnljpv7cMcLaaVNszlYhI3yIug_/s1600/bentos+and+polka+dot+dress+003+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwPVr1yuCzJT6AvWS1pLtzJPyEp9WiTb9gk8ERGKc1pjXaHKWqTF6vkZOvFzpkKj6IxGMGL52VPPC-_XosebCXPCpzDM8RXbxfp0CjK1EEDOWqVRAXlnljpv7cMcLaaVNszlYhI3yIug_/s320/bentos+and+polka+dot+dress+003+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Right now I am trying to transition my way of cooking and eating to include more organic and local goods as possible. Organic goodies tend to be more expensive, so I have decided to take some time to make the permanent shift. I am a frugal person, so I cannot just waste what I have in my pantry and freezer. The good news is that I have very little processed goods so far. Meals in boxes and freezer bags are not in my house any more. So while my diet and my choices are far from perfect, I am taking some time and making it my goal to get there by January. Wait, not that I think that I can be perfect, but that I think I can give my best effort to be more conscious about where my food comes from and how it is produced.<br />
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I give myself kudos for baking my own bread when our last loaf went bad (in Germany the mold grows very fast!). My bread always seems to be smaller than what I get at the store, so it works perfectly for my bento boxes. After I slice my bread, I butter one side of a couple of pieces of bread, slip in a half slice of havarti cheese, and heat it up in my skillet on medium heat. I lightly brown each side, and get it ready to serve my daughter. Since she rarely eats a whole sandwich, I cut it in half, and give her one for dinner, and wrap the other one for her bento box. For my own bento, I cut my sandwich in half and stack the halves on top of each other, keeping the curves together. I wrap my two halves and my daughter's one half in cellophane, then add them to the boxes. My heart-shaped silicone cups hold some cut-up tomatoes, and I cut a plum in half, using cute blue elephant picks to decorate each half. Since the sandwich remains loose, I wedge in a few slices of cucumbers to secure it. My daughter loves hearts, so I add a paper heart with some tape. Cute stuff!Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-91560378188005663772011-07-25T07:10:00.000-07:002011-07-25T07:10:25.539-07:00Homemade Mayonnaise: You Can Make That Yourself?!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This started as mayo, and I tried to save it with some extra flavors.</td></tr>
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I can't help myself. The inner Curious George creeps out when I learn that there are things that you can make easily, but that I grew up buying in jar or box form. One such product is mayonnaise. To be honest, we were not a mayo eating family growing up. Our loyalties were with Miracle Whip. But, after growing up, my taste buds replenished themselves enough to change my taste preferences. If you didn't know, your taste buds change every 7 years or so. So now instead of being fiercely loyal to one version of condiment, I can enjoy them both. <br />
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I first heard about making mayo from scratch on a Martha Stewart show. She was having a sandwich showdown with some famous guy and started to boast about how <em>her</em> mayonnaise was made from scratch. So I tried to search her site for how to do that. I didn't have any luck. Then, as I was reading <u>Julie and Julia</u>, by Julie Powell, she started to talk about her adventures in mayo making. She mentioned how easy it was, so I got even more curious. Now, I stumbled upon an amazing blog (via <a href="http://www.tigressinapickle.blogspot.com/">Tigress in a Pickle</a>) called <a href="http://fromscratchclub.wordpress.com/">From Scratch Club</a>, and saw a post about <a href="http://fromscratchclub.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/garlic-scape-week-take-two-aioli/">Aioli</a>. I had no idea what aioli was, so I checked it out. That post drove me to take a deep breath and dive into the world of making mayo. <br />
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I had some limes on hand, instead of lemons, so I grabbed a lime, two egg yolks, and ground up some fresh salt and pepper. I didn't have any garlic scrapes to make the aioli, so I just went with plain old mayo, which is what Liz, who wrote the amazing piece, said would work just fine. I had heard that if you use straight olive oil, the mayo will taste just like olive oil; I decided to mix in some vegetable oil because I had some on hand. I figured it wouldn't be a strong flavor, and would tone down the olive oil flavor some. <strong>(Do not do this!)</strong> <br />
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My ingredients were all set up, and I started to pour in my thin stream of oil. Then I panicked in my mind because it sounded like water mixing up for a long time. I was beginning to wonder if I made a catastrophic mistake. But slowly, it thickened, and I felt a little brighter. Once I was finished adding the oil, I switched off the food processor and then I tasted it. It was awful! It tasted like vegetable oil, with a slight tang of lime juice. Trying to rescue my mayo, I grabbed some parsley that I had chopped finely, some onion powder, garlic powder, a touch of cayenne pepper, and folded them in. It tasted really great with the new flavors combined, but the dominant taste was still the nasty oil.<br />
Lesson learned: always use really tasty oil when making mayo. I am going to try this again, once I have awesome oil to use.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used my organic eggs for this. Lime juice, salt & pepper are ready, too.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9nG38TUW4flP7sV7kwl2ivMcMo3Xnjw7z74vabWYeuwSYfbdHeEyYXcygAVPRm33fT8ggkRwu3tD3P9ouaxPm0E7m778yqJqOjkRS2zRtDVNr4bRpF36lkNMl02NOADEC02Do8dLWG2u/s1600/mayo+003+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9nG38TUW4flP7sV7kwl2ivMcMo3Xnjw7z74vabWYeuwSYfbdHeEyYXcygAVPRm33fT8ggkRwu3tD3P9ouaxPm0E7m778yqJqOjkRS2zRtDVNr4bRpF36lkNMl02NOADEC02Do8dLWG2u/s320/mayo+003+copy.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My super thin stream of oil going into the processor. <br />
This was a tricky picture to take!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwSrl5xPXGojEWutHcm4LCvIYkNyb4ZMhumDr-buMVNYxQhygFTeqkt8X9KD1jKRl5f4QWswStyjeKy7SEeXeAvBbU9Mg_ho5BSTGHdYVU-LOOL4Tp-DdeEu74PHCiadDmXElsb7hNkVz/s1600/mayo+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwSrl5xPXGojEWutHcm4LCvIYkNyb4ZMhumDr-buMVNYxQhygFTeqkt8X9KD1jKRl5f4QWswStyjeKy7SEeXeAvBbU9Mg_ho5BSTGHdYVU-LOOL4Tp-DdeEu74PHCiadDmXElsb7hNkVz/s320/mayo+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is when I felt relief because it got thicker.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPs1-VNtI5sd_hu-J2dfCjNwbqA5wDjGTziFGIHb_8BIXxFlaCGMVB26KVV6b56xh4gqjLWYYOKQHahTEdIQOxkIQixgz3HGRXzk52_2GylHwbCHS-0xUFTodBP6Ac3lilZnVSvsycrWK/s1600/mayo+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPs1-VNtI5sd_hu-J2dfCjNwbqA5wDjGTziFGIHb_8BIXxFlaCGMVB26KVV6b56xh4gqjLWYYOKQHahTEdIQOxkIQixgz3HGRXzk52_2GylHwbCHS-0xUFTodBP6Ac3lilZnVSvsycrWK/s320/mayo+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished mayo. After I took out the blade, <br />
some oil was pooled underneath. I just folded it in with the rest.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Added ingredients:<br />
Fresh parsley, chopped fine<br />
Garlic powder<br />
Onion powder<br />
Cayenne pepper (dash)<br />
<br />
*I feel that it is important to mention that there are raw eggs used in making mayo. When raw eggs are consumed, you can increase your chances of becoming sick with a food borne illness. If you choose to make your own mayo, refrigerate it, and use it within a few days of making it.*Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-3682985782622039352011-07-21T04:37:00.000-07:002011-07-21T04:37:02.391-07:00Charaben Bento Box: Happy Worm<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAvT3ZMl4MwwpeK5_IajqKMNcvD7YhXCb2YMmtuC98USMA4iCOrZ-nxnWWofq8Nd4IGqQjwYoZ9WlboZzSviLiHZad5OopqzFFBCXHQp1LLZKLeu50hIut3M73nHOxH5o1vBsc68xiR8v/s1600/charaben+bento+004+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAvT3ZMl4MwwpeK5_IajqKMNcvD7YhXCb2YMmtuC98USMA4iCOrZ-nxnWWofq8Nd4IGqQjwYoZ9WlboZzSviLiHZad5OopqzFFBCXHQp1LLZKLeu50hIut3M73nHOxH5o1vBsc68xiR8v/s320/charaben+bento+004+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost too cute to eat!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I love making bento lunches for my daughter, but haven't tried out the character bento, also known as a charaben bento, until today. I wanted to start out with something simple, and quick, so I went with this cute little worm! He is happy, and why wouldn't he be, with those yummy carrots and that juicy strawberry to tempt his tastebuds?<br />
<br />
First off, I made a simple wrap using leftover chicken, mayo, and slices of cheese. I had to tuck in the sides before I rolled it so that it would fit nicely in the box. I just rolled it from the short end to short end of the long rectangle...or top to bottom if you are looking at the picture below.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57iBJi2idnXeCOMaWXYKL226Qy-12XOBvrwMWxztZ9CSOpm30xx5ZFgDrRAJvDGcGna4JWZdafSSPJSKeF9wxm4MOD7au9tWBeB6I9Td0SZBB6BOPDCSmrMY_Mnj8JpLDrbsaqOe8ghjp/s1600/charaben+bento+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57iBJi2idnXeCOMaWXYKL226Qy-12XOBvrwMWxztZ9CSOpm30xx5ZFgDrRAJvDGcGna4JWZdafSSPJSKeF9wxm4MOD7au9tWBeB6I9Td0SZBB6BOPDCSmrMY_Mnj8JpLDrbsaqOe8ghjp/s320/charaben+bento+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After I folded it like this I rolled it from top to bottom.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After it was rolled, I cut it into three sections. To make sure the sections would fit the box, I placed the whole roll in, took my knife and made a mark of how tall the bento came on the side of the wrap. I cut that section and then cut the remainder in half as well. If a section is slightly too big, try to put the lid on. If it won't close, then you can cut off however much is necessary to make it fit. Easy as pie! Once I had my wrap spirals, I carefully added them to one side of the box, and cut out my sliced cheese shapes using a little kitchen knife. The black stuff is nori, or seaweed, that was cut with kitchen shears. Nori sticks to the cheese easily. After I put his head on, it looked odd, so I made a wavy cut from the side of the cheese, and put it on the bottom of Mr.Worm. That did the trick! Then I cut up a little carrot into sticks and placed them in the bento box along with a strawberry. This took me about 10 minutes to make. I love easy lunch days!<br />
*Nori can be found in grocery stores in the ethnic food sections. They are used to make sushi as well as other things.Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-87223213096193386152011-07-20T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-20T00:00:12.942-07:00Making Vanilla Extract: Ridiculously Easy! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ul7_nopmg_RxVnsVaN8s6jmynffGHOs6xRFF0CnCq2eGZhgSjnLArCAzdmITaecYXz8s96fwd0WNb6Aqsj3PLXuNQ8Tt-LwOWvoqPzZRC7hHHd0NNdg34dcDvmhkJpwTZ5ZJbQysR7DO/s1600/blog+stuff+011+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ul7_nopmg_RxVnsVaN8s6jmynffGHOs6xRFF0CnCq2eGZhgSjnLArCAzdmITaecYXz8s96fwd0WNb6Aqsj3PLXuNQ8Tt-LwOWvoqPzZRC7hHHd0NNdg34dcDvmhkJpwTZ5ZJbQysR7DO/s320/blog+stuff+011+copy.jpg" width="277px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This stuff smells so good.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<br />
I checked out some cool websites on how to make your own vanilla extract, and I just got very Curious George up in my head. Could making real vanilla extract really be as easy as they claim it to be? The answer is yes! Yes, in the sense that I now feel like doing a little facepalm over how much money I have spent on real vanilla extract in the past. As you can see from this blog, I love to cook and to bake. When I visit people, I nearly always end up browsing through the cookbooks they have in their kitchen. I know, I am a bit crazy, but I just can't help myself! I love to try new flavors and new techniques. Well, actually, with the speed cooking that America has come to call home cooked meals, the techniques are more like old ones that are just new to me.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JSBb1520asiuKIpVGu6vZWaL9WgWxwbZDSdnSsJqjp_994fgusQKeR0o2g5Y3y168miuVHGRE2oOv3XaQdrZEi-q4aQSXHohW9zfUXCfTTbhGIebMgO2tkvpocAPvxeBszMgnAlGtg3J/s1600/blog+stuff+014+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JSBb1520asiuKIpVGu6vZWaL9WgWxwbZDSdnSsJqjp_994fgusQKeR0o2g5Y3y168miuVHGRE2oOv3XaQdrZEi-q4aQSXHohW9zfUXCfTTbhGIebMgO2tkvpocAPvxeBszMgnAlGtg3J/s320/blog+stuff+014+copy.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close-up view of the bean pods in the vanilla extract.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Anyway, I found this cool blog, called <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/">Simply Recipes</a>, where there was a recipe for <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_vanilla_extract/">vanilla extract</a>. <br />
<a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_vanilla_extract/">How to Make Vanilla Extract</a>. Then I got my butt to the grocery store, where they sell the beans in pairs, and not too cheaply. I got two bottles, leaving me with four bean pods. Naturally, since the recipe calls for 3 beans instead of four, I divided the 1 cup of vodka into three, giving me a 1/3 cup of vodka per bean. With four bean pods, that meant I needed 1 1/3 cups of vodka. <br />
<br />
I sliced the pods as per directions and stuck them in my mason jar, then poured on the alcohol, and stuck it in a dark spot for a few months. EASY! Oh, and of course, I took a look at the bottle of vanilla extract that I bought at the store, and lo and behold...there is corn syrup in it! BOOO! I think the best part of making your own is that you can reuse and reuse the bean pods for years by just adding more vodka as you use up the vanilla. You save some money in the long run, and the flavor is really amazing! So now I feel like running outside and shouting "<em>this </em>Curious George has made vanilla extract! Oh yeah, baby!" Hmmm, somehow I bet my town would label me as the crazy lady if I really did, so I'll put that on hold for now.Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-47349644357493867182011-07-19T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-19T00:00:11.723-07:00Ice Cream Floats: 50/50 Shakes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjep5Xh_icC1ZURwai8vHT9zNzj0tqb-bcoa6jGKI9lZoPs0yOpkK-JiJ3df6bGJUDoO7YHNJyYy-XFpyk_As2rG4ynwtqNiKLWQaTG9zv5cswtZId2-3vmLtjxvy4RjFh2nOIPfT6_HNDa/s1600/blog+stuff+009+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjep5Xh_icC1ZURwai8vHT9zNzj0tqb-bcoa6jGKI9lZoPs0yOpkK-JiJ3df6bGJUDoO7YHNJyYy-XFpyk_As2rG4ynwtqNiKLWQaTG9zv5cswtZId2-3vmLtjxvy4RjFh2nOIPfT6_HNDa/s320/blog+stuff+009+copy.jpg" width="246px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmm, it looks so yummy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
When I think of summer, I think of one of my favorite treats that my Mom used to make: 50/50 shakes. Basically, if you know how to make a root beer float, you can make a 50/50 shake. The only difference is instead of root beer, you use orange flavored cola. However, I do not recommend Fanta for this. For some reason, it tastes like Kool-aid mixed with sparkling water added to vanilla ice cream. But if you use a rich orange flavored soda, like Crush (which of course ended up getting REM's song stuck in my head) you end up with a shake that tastes like a Dreamsicle, or a 50/50 bar, in drink form. They called them 50/50 bars because they were 50% orange flavored and 50% vanilla ice cream.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxD6IuyxihY4nXuRx4U2hpH2TYgCeKVqE0F_HLuXIHQwMirCenQJ07gMazhn-Qf7qEicU68VZ96EILVoPuL2JYB0hQ5_o8O9XJUu-kE4ywDvboLL18YuVZ8ec9o_4MfFaF9-cc2haJ0NEU/s1600/blog+stuff+008+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxD6IuyxihY4nXuRx4U2hpH2TYgCeKVqE0F_HLuXIHQwMirCenQJ07gMazhn-Qf7qEicU68VZ96EILVoPuL2JYB0hQ5_o8O9XJUu-kE4ywDvboLL18YuVZ8ec9o_4MfFaF9-cc2haJ0NEU/s320/blog+stuff+008+copy.jpg" width="286px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We all got to have shakes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Get the kids out for this, set out your tub of vanilla ice cream, open some orange soda, and get out some tall drinking glasses. Fill the glasses halfway with soda, and add two scoops of ice cream, gently, on top. Make it fun by adding some straws. Make it fancy with an orange peel curl for garnish. Just <em>make</em> it! Heck, it would even be good with some dark chocolate grated on top of the ice cream or garnished with a strawberry, sliced nearly in half. Of course, if you're like me, there is never a bad time to add a little drink umbrella to a drink. Sit back and enjoy your new treat!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCiwTKTySpPGTaJlCAUORcVbTvM0l2DS_bVV0p_Q7Gfv6IngJ0REBf3BBDJvXW8PZjjnGdt1pIyUfy-fJ8VowyT-UTGr68T3qQYnAmnPjUEQRh_UxvFv77PULa7hevR2m2c1teC46eB5Gz/s1600/blog+stuff+005+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCiwTKTySpPGTaJlCAUORcVbTvM0l2DS_bVV0p_Q7Gfv6IngJ0REBf3BBDJvXW8PZjjnGdt1pIyUfy-fJ8VowyT-UTGr68T3qQYnAmnPjUEQRh_UxvFv77PULa7hevR2m2c1teC46eB5Gz/s320/blog+stuff+005+copy.jpg" width="236px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding the soda pop.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNMfwNIiag4MXt_YbXruZmVj7fiKdyS_DdlHWkrrzBC6jC-AISAsgRwTmj8NiB8anrjckY1ElidU3zXw5GMJNAkO14RId3XutHeRTX4xvJHHdgG_1ceDuvmWPAjZeaSkjVgSxDshzuCLE/s1600/blog+stuff+007+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNMfwNIiag4MXt_YbXruZmVj7fiKdyS_DdlHWkrrzBC6jC-AISAsgRwTmj8NiB8anrjckY1ElidU3zXw5GMJNAkO14RId3XutHeRTX4xvJHHdgG_1ceDuvmWPAjZeaSkjVgSxDshzuCLE/s320/blog+stuff+007+copy.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding the ice cream. It will foam and fizz.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-19340853768942137212011-07-18T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-18T00:00:08.574-07:00Sandwich Wrap Bento LunchI wanted to share the lunch I made for my daughter. I made a of sandwich wraps using leftover chicken, jazzed up sour cream, lettuce, and shredded cheddar. Once they were finished being filled, I rolled it up on both ends to look like a burrito, and cut it in half. The bento box pictured has a heart-shaped silicone cup, so I cut the wrap diagonally, then flipped the top half over the bottom so that the points of the wrap looked like the bottom of a heart. I place the heart cup (just a silicone cupcake cup) in the far end of the bento box, and then slipped in the wrap. There was a little room left inside, so I put in a cherry tomato. The lunches were really yummy, and fit inside the box beautifully.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxqO4ObWx1RRQvN3lwLg6zTjn_hgHPJLgPF9KID4aqhuzCogRNBfx48CFifRbPifkmp6ZRH-xErVgSWbNPiqR2VD7vVtYbFsoFQoBv-ImagelfF-ia21yp9KSRkFazGH-kIQnazKWbO6X/s1600/bentos+and+polka+dot+dress+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxqO4ObWx1RRQvN3lwLg6zTjn_hgHPJLgPF9KID4aqhuzCogRNBfx48CFifRbPifkmp6ZRH-xErVgSWbNPiqR2VD7vVtYbFsoFQoBv-ImagelfF-ia21yp9KSRkFazGH-kIQnazKWbO6X/s320/bentos+and+polka+dot+dress+003.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The silicone cup squished together a bit. Oh well.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<u><strong>Sour cream dressing</strong></u> (taste as you go method)<br />
Sour cream-small container<br />
Minced/crushed garlic in jar (about 1tsp)<br />
Seasoning salt<br />
Extra virgin olive oil (about 1 tsp)Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-4047934566309137782011-07-15T06:24:00.000-07:002011-07-15T06:24:33.794-07:00Reading is Sexy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cafepress.com/+shhh_librarian_gear_magnet,241997514" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyLUXx499OdWcAnfWWJdh9zT4lSTJhJ65lZJb3ErxE51-SFDJBp9p3XfsbO0IbRQKYoz9sHyRHXYhr0_-QI9BeCwlGjb4ncC480sHggjUwVsFS2VargkETpGY9aImvClUegZJlmD3N8Ps/s320/librarian.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click photo for the link!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
We love reading so much, we thought it would be fun to share a few reading inspired things we love over at <a href="http://cafepress.com/">cafepress.com</a>. Above, there is a funny magnet with a librarian on it. This one happens to be on sale right now for just $2! This would look super cute on any fridge. The shirt below is adorable, and it shows how sexy reading can be. How cute is this pinup?!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cafepress.com/+reading_is_sexy_womens_cap_sleeve_tshirt,330455996" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3SJoS3rcZYkjYpJFVSz7mh0rBeDTfwgf0Boi5sZ13rCB76P8Z6igoMlwRsL5XSu_glTvfcGXv1DTJGXRHLnUj_Wvx3a8IwTbBwlmCRI8wN-9nkxNjwLRJmA5xYuAyLx5xXZ168Cld_Izz/s320/untitledx.png" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click the image to find where this can be purchased.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This particular shirt comes in different colors and sizes, and is reasonably priced. There is also a swearshirt and duffle bag with the image on it. Cute stuff!<br />
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Up next, there is an adorable Reading Rainbow inspired t-shirt that is fun! It looks like a vintage tee from the 80's!! "Take a look, it's in a book"...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cafepress.com/+reading_rainbow_womens_light_tshirt,130637395" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhz271QsEaCyKE-1AB0oVMWgm5puLWkhmrB5HGf-RTlFKKcbL3Ym4szHvggCijGhBVgekl6dVZRVy_vEZGEZbrgBfFnPJ9bty6J7yCepyyqaNZX2bhP09jKbo02JTbGVUaUC9UikfZvquc/s320/130637395v9_480x480_Front_Color-LightYellow.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click the image for the link!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There are even cute kids t-shirts available! This one is great. Oh, and it is made with organic cotton!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cafepress.com/+bedtime_organic_kids_tshirt,431459035" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg37jipR5FyvyCVih0NUHxXvHf5a9sm2JuiMb2Nq2SoZUNSUvOwg0X7d4g7qDEprsYI8SYIOygPZovRPM3RvdwlnDa0Txybr67rLSRh8lnja-GBu8HB-QYYEYoTLr4kXrNyrcwXGFGTgyC/s320/431459035v3_480x480_Front_Color-Natural.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click photo for the link!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
These are great ways to reward your kids and yourself for reading books. Enjoy being an appreciative reader!Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-31386254740027098182011-07-14T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-14T00:00:00.356-07:00Pizza Dough TossI said I would record myself attempting to toss a pizza, so this video is fulfilling that promise. I am really, really bad at properly tossing pizza dough, but it's a start. So far, I have managed to put a lot of holes into the center of my crust, so I am hoping that with practice, I can stop doing that. I've been making pizza from scratch for years, but the crust never seemed to taste the way it does at restaurants until now. When pizza dough is tossed in the air and caught properly, or in my case rudimentarily, the dough is automatically made thinner in the center and slightly thicker on the edges, just like pizza requires. Also, the exposure to air causes the outside to dry out a little, while leaving the inside soft and pliable. This is good for a crunchy outside and chewy inside once the pizza has been baked.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxo1jOCHOorIaIgeK2ay4fJuPCsjjfosLxMpJLDVm7D0H3KN6cSNHObnHEuukR_53t5C0xbigak9P4YbhddoIyw4CbMmRd9nx3MpRb4dH1qZbMsKI1dHJvbePOuMBukfqwqypG111Ik2d/s1600/51ZKK5gQAeL__SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxo1jOCHOorIaIgeK2ay4fJuPCsjjfosLxMpJLDVm7D0H3KN6cSNHObnHEuukR_53t5C0xbigak9P4YbhddoIyw4CbMmRd9nx3MpRb4dH1qZbMsKI1dHJvbePOuMBukfqwqypG111Ik2d/s1600/51ZKK5gQAeL__SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I use a pizza dough recipe from <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/29-Minute-Meals-Working-Mother/dp/0848710703/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310499410&sr=1-1">29 Minute Meals</a></u>, by Robert T. Teske and Carol R. Guthrie, which is a Working Mother book. Don't ask me what Working Mother is, I have no idea. Other recipes can be found online very easily. I recommend <a href="http://allrecipes.com/">allrecipes.com</a> for finding specific recipes because the recipes are reviewed and are rated by those who try them out. I feel really silly for not attempting the dough toss sooner. When I think about it, I was worried about dropping the dough...which amounts to only a few dollars' worth of supplies. This is what changed my mind, and got me to just give it a try. Heck, if it falls on the floor, it can be picked back up and practiced on again and again until the skill is picked up and simply thrown into the trash! Eventually, I hope to not look like a total idiot while tossing the dough, but for now I am happy with not being afraid to try.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxsVzopYidg7mWeHeUNauLJ_xPG245n5dcjhSTEYF3iC2bMBMdAwCZ8Ntt5f8lCx-JwbcuuuISsdnfra0zYwA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-69033258601741973812011-07-07T07:04:00.000-07:002011-07-07T07:04:51.508-07:00Chicken Quesadilla Bento Lunch <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Zy2oo81uQjOt5v9C9FnhaN_h9y-m9_m2jiaqEvPVGoa2asqaceCokwi7k04aDPIkaUymylvxOOwu3XffAj6kOyIDLhmSU567FkUUSI2MLzAMQq-OY8q8qrpBsunwMezhclGLvSI73gvR/s1600/quesadillas+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Zy2oo81uQjOt5v9C9FnhaN_h9y-m9_m2jiaqEvPVGoa2asqaceCokwi7k04aDPIkaUymylvxOOwu3XffAj6kOyIDLhmSU567FkUUSI2MLzAMQq-OY8q8qrpBsunwMezhclGLvSI73gvR/s320/quesadillas+001.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
Today I needed to cook up some chicken that was in the fridge, so with the request from my daughter to have tortilla's for lunch, I decided to make some quesadillas. They were super easy to make, so I figured it would be wonderful to have saved myself the trouble of making lunch tomorrow if I made bento box lunches with the leftovers. Since bentos are so small, I decided to play with the shape a little. I sandwiched my cooked chicken (sauteed in olive oil and sprinkled with seasoning salt) and cheddar cheese between two wheat tortillas and carefully placed it into my skillet. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9jOdTzNNZk8u6-JLhIHeoXvnJWYe5-3kFksrZOYbx9K7tLK6s2pjMX7B4jWrBJc2ym3ynFLNaj_99tNAvYGrr9UAdRa69cZqVQXeFm5_kSRUeMnbsRSMwVfWM86rwiw3c952SlZoPdg2/s1600/quesadillas+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9jOdTzNNZk8u6-JLhIHeoXvnJWYe5-3kFksrZOYbx9K7tLK6s2pjMX7B4jWrBJc2ym3ynFLNaj_99tNAvYGrr9UAdRa69cZqVQXeFm5_kSRUeMnbsRSMwVfWM86rwiw3c952SlZoPdg2/s320/quesadillas+002.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
On medium heat, I lightly browned both sides. I pressed them flat before I flipped them because I wanted to make sure the cheese acted as a sort of glue for keeping it together. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0p7PEug02TI-BHR9l1sF3xD2O8A_SW5F4XRsaD-O36XDgPllcuPux9Sn4GqfyAD4xetJR4SEFKL5y-UBoDg0273OpWBf-JBTVqanxuIO6Kms6xvuthM8wixMaDMPKMfi5Wtb21hbK5_JL/s1600/quesadillas+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0p7PEug02TI-BHR9l1sF3xD2O8A_SW5F4XRsaD-O36XDgPllcuPux9Sn4GqfyAD4xetJR4SEFKL5y-UBoDg0273OpWBf-JBTVqanxuIO6Kms6xvuthM8wixMaDMPKMfi5Wtb21hbK5_JL/s320/quesadillas+005.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
Once they were done, I cut out four circles with a biscuit cutter and sat the circles aside for the bentos. My daughter devoured the rest of the pieces.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKXnqRIKb_i5i0asEZhki7qloV_cz3xRI3wuwn3m2TJgtUC87m29K38P91qjsGjnVMWnjF_RbUfpLqRB-LjJVCLX-OIntSW5S4je7MZStsdLtXZqhyYTrSPvj3pULzDSTO0-U5PPkzicn/s1600/quesadillas+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="279px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKXnqRIKb_i5i0asEZhki7qloV_cz3xRI3wuwn3m2TJgtUC87m29K38P91qjsGjnVMWnjF_RbUfpLqRB-LjJVCLX-OIntSW5S4je7MZStsdLtXZqhyYTrSPvj3pULzDSTO0-U5PPkzicn/s320/quesadillas+006.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bottom tortilla was a bit harder to cut through than the top.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I placed the circles into each bento box and added a container of salsa. These containers were actually easter eggs with neat patterns along the sides. They were food safe and closed decently, keeping the salsa properly contained.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ah615wltLgeojxclj-AITzlu14Jyu3Ad0Q4Ow4gLh7HSFy4RTOUdBBkmh_0x7cYSFkqLVKY9OjPbSChNTihzqd_PSf4BkS4hcXDcjo2i77Ag8mSwq6Sj2RqUTnGIYFzc7ZgkTA_DW0Zq/s1600/quesadillas+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ah615wltLgeojxclj-AITzlu14Jyu3Ad0Q4Ow4gLh7HSFy4RTOUdBBkmh_0x7cYSFkqLVKY9OjPbSChNTihzqd_PSf4BkS4hcXDcjo2i77Ag8mSwq6Sj2RqUTnGIYFzc7ZgkTA_DW0Zq/s320/quesadillas+008.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These eggs had enough space for the right amount of salsa.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Next, I added some containers of sour cream. These don't have tops, so I used dividers to top them.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCUDPLfNE7GUd8sigimd-8sDeDXODQgVASWoxQF5-SmY-ZyAaMQTI_ObINC9w8JIhjfHhTmoQVUMoRQbNMgklcCkd2GZpoW26h3neMHsafZvo6waROcfoD4h6JM7H9N9FdUKdk_Sw9H5V/s1600/quesadillas+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCUDPLfNE7GUd8sigimd-8sDeDXODQgVASWoxQF5-SmY-ZyAaMQTI_ObINC9w8JIhjfHhTmoQVUMoRQbNMgklcCkd2GZpoW26h3neMHsafZvo6waROcfoD4h6JM7H9N9FdUKdk_Sw9H5V/s320/quesadillas+010.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sour cream on the top edges helps the divider sheets stick on. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I finished the boxes with some sliced cucumbers. Both bento boxes turned out beautifully!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0aPKNQiAhzso3P_nPRpRTYCG4-FsOgeYe4rEEB0XdCJ5DZsZLfNMEdwbGQBbmL7Bi0L1YQlEPB7BrHDdq1dwCftP3L5pgD2JHFJbJfWffGOSja57RSDAJfdK4iJ_KO_laKGp5HsJU4Ar/s1600/quesadillas+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0aPKNQiAhzso3P_nPRpRTYCG4-FsOgeYe4rEEB0XdCJ5DZsZLfNMEdwbGQBbmL7Bi0L1YQlEPB7BrHDdq1dwCftP3L5pgD2JHFJbJfWffGOSja57RSDAJfdK4iJ_KO_laKGp5HsJU4Ar/s320/quesadillas+011.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think my daughter can have the elephant one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtn8blpP8DNfyYQXVEPqAuTuCMp60AoEo6yhVbjgTEstevpkoaSiSGHo1P6-cNEf35363q-CA4MUmANP8FWhgoOFxiwV0-TerM0Pxmy2hqsgI-kSnJA4b3hDZwiKiQPjgVpYWJuuXsugY/s1600/quesadillas+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtn8blpP8DNfyYQXVEPqAuTuCMp60AoEo6yhVbjgTEstevpkoaSiSGHo1P6-cNEf35363q-CA4MUmANP8FWhgoOFxiwV0-TerM0Pxmy2hqsgI-kSnJA4b3hDZwiKiQPjgVpYWJuuXsugY/s320/quesadillas+012.JPG" width="280px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This cute bear one will be mine tomorrow!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-66984403967296329022011-06-30T00:00:00.000-07:002011-07-06T03:01:04.846-07:00Dim Sum Dumplings...Mmmmm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYAfWFBFB7_2Pl_nm_ULfm1pBbA5qTK6qsfdj7SuWM06oIqoz0bjPc5YHP-kOYki5gUzfUzBaOqqJBTdtqaiMjV1MfYM3Vc9HvDvCNwtpwRKeZocd1rsKPA1yqS-M2VEsfS90JpPTdFT2/s1600/Dim+sum+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYAfWFBFB7_2Pl_nm_ULfm1pBbA5qTK6qsfdj7SuWM06oIqoz0bjPc5YHP-kOYki5gUzfUzBaOqqJBTdtqaiMjV1MfYM3Vc9HvDvCNwtpwRKeZocd1rsKPA1yqS-M2VEsfS90JpPTdFT2/s320/Dim+sum+013.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I decided to try making dim sum dumplings. Now, I had never eaten a dumpling like that before, but after watching the video I posted much earlier in another post, I was curious. The recipe for dim sum wrappers in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Asian-Dumplings-Mastering-Spring-Samosas/dp/1580089755/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308767448&sr=1-2"><u>Asian Dumplings</u> by Andrea Nguyen and Penny De Los Santos</a> was easy enough to follow, so I whipped up a batch. I ended up with 16 wrappers. For the filling, I used a few things I had on hand and ended up with some delicious dumplings.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Asian-Dumplings-Mastering-Spring-Samosas/dp/1580089755/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308767448&sr=1-2"><img border="0" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-tDi0Mri0cwiqYptJLYfR6tKZ9T9rXgr5dc6dNn0v67BEPhkBgA6Q9B4Io8AV6zv6ArI4S1thr6GyxbaUn-nmv0Do-HCY8N1KcpZJhly2zs-3dFe5fcCna7aWALHIILcvRA2AKtc4R_A/s1600/51JpfMxHt0L__BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once I made the wrappers, which was really quick using my food processor, I rolled it into a rope and cut pieces of it out. With each piece, I rolled a ball, flattened it a bit with my palm, and stuck it into my tortilla press sandwiched between two sheets of a cut up Ziploc bag. They pressed out beautifully and easily.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxCvb-KEUzQj8RblgU-01M2qQjlci8pFv9PpZq4JgJ0OjGJtowLcAC6NfMItTPDG33XXGSVbJiO-4twwB-oWGLtk7PBv8k2gfOEuhsyIGIHiiTUG76-ABY8gzn-XmUrVaNd9rDJYH-3t_/s1600/Dim+sum+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxCvb-KEUzQj8RblgU-01M2qQjlci8pFv9PpZq4JgJ0OjGJtowLcAC6NfMItTPDG33XXGSVbJiO-4twwB-oWGLtk7PBv8k2gfOEuhsyIGIHiiTUG76-ABY8gzn-XmUrVaNd9rDJYH-3t_/s320/Dim+sum+005.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squish!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdITRAm05klWRpFsvOArPdXl5dbVyXg8XKxCcBRHzCFMdKgGDgTiiOwPLg7wKje-TwzNBIb0zxPML-X_V4aa6N6bncyVql0t8TT5fwAmG8ymxnnb9MGYb4ai8_U_6AsmNhtlXx5XmOt5xA/s1600/Dim+sum+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="279px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdITRAm05klWRpFsvOArPdXl5dbVyXg8XKxCcBRHzCFMdKgGDgTiiOwPLg7wKje-TwzNBIb0zxPML-X_V4aa6N6bncyVql0t8TT5fwAmG8ymxnnb9MGYb4ai8_U_6AsmNhtlXx5XmOt5xA/s320/Dim+sum+003.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect circles every time!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Once the wrapper was pressed, I removed it from the plastic and filled it with a teaspoon of filling. Then, I folded the wrapper in half and pressed the dough together to make a crescent shape.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8C8mEYXh4OkJcdOh4gBpIUTgkgQfv8QFPVccHka7yb1VphvGgkS1ELzgMyTA-1pgP9A-weP51cSuxxQfbsyc7AQJpgs48PZa2XGOOptBVh1h8wAorHv5C2lTF7iya1noM-HaEOHW-sjG/s1600/Dim+sum+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8C8mEYXh4OkJcdOh4gBpIUTgkgQfv8QFPVccHka7yb1VphvGgkS1ELzgMyTA-1pgP9A-weP51cSuxxQfbsyc7AQJpgs48PZa2XGOOptBVh1h8wAorHv5C2lTF7iya1noM-HaEOHW-sjG/s320/Dim+sum+009.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPYXe7Y1kJoirNfIx6lZ7ncYAJtPry7VikD1_gGOzdxg9ZorAfBm2pVwInBL1qemf3sGYRx_VtlxiFJilLIYnM6niwQux0KFVzV_ouKgAKsr_1Z5xFsIfHv4trOnkUu9acBqokW3_NPov/s1600/Dim+sum+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPYXe7Y1kJoirNfIx6lZ7ncYAJtPry7VikD1_gGOzdxg9ZorAfBm2pVwInBL1qemf3sGYRx_VtlxiFJilLIYnM6niwQux0KFVzV_ouKgAKsr_1Z5xFsIfHv4trOnkUu9acBqokW3_NPov/s320/Dim+sum+006.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The seam, once the dumpling is pressed into a crescent.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Once it was pressed together, I worked on pinching it to create the fanned edge. It made the dumplings look so pretty!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZ5XOwn6WcqGnVNBNRsQD-KxkdnT_xjhBjGcZU2CXJs1aGBboOZtlKb8caRudmH9SyognJXcBkJ1r9Lyx8BrbcmYUPB_1RNWOOajfNAX_CsGYKj1lzsgeN2oK2Feh_KLca2Y7GeCuPZCP/s1600/Dim+sum+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZ5XOwn6WcqGnVNBNRsQD-KxkdnT_xjhBjGcZU2CXJs1aGBboOZtlKb8caRudmH9SyognJXcBkJ1r9Lyx8BrbcmYUPB_1RNWOOajfNAX_CsGYKj1lzsgeN2oK2Feh_KLca2Y7GeCuPZCP/s320/Dim+sum+007.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working on the pleats from right to left.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzCNBzsH_QppZZ-DIY-Wh_sGgn-cAeDMxlK4JTlZ4oC_8OzyZ47BZbYuL-yzgKUAWvEifWe4rhaz-TAHFNWx4qLCPSgYUHMlyD-m6zJNxNG_Lcmf6E_-_FioOh0VSDgg2wn8RLsnEGkFx/s1600/Dim+sum+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzCNBzsH_QppZZ-DIY-Wh_sGgn-cAeDMxlK4JTlZ4oC_8OzyZ47BZbYuL-yzgKUAWvEifWe4rhaz-TAHFNWx4qLCPSgYUHMlyD-m6zJNxNG_Lcmf6E_-_FioOh0VSDgg2wn8RLsnEGkFx/s320/Dim+sum+004.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ta da!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I lined a cookie sheet with foil, sprayed it with nonstick spray and placed half of the dumplings on it and then in the freezer. The other half were laid out on a plate covered in foil sprayed with nonstick spray until they were fried up. This dough stuck to the plate...which is something I figured out after I transferred the dumpling in the picture above! I added some oil to the pan and fried the dumplings, turning them to each side as they browned on the other. A plate with paper towels laid on top was waiting for me to rest the finished dumplings on. After that, they were ready to be eaten! Mmmm.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUcto1ufOKLmPW0AWx4-DXteqtJbxNXoO3YDyKBpnnoGp-TtICi3CMg6XxxOwRayEPcDHrEFb-EmWfbLoS_lZRpseluzKZwUvIeZIHBTlJQ6mpJKMLkGvFofpbv6jyAE8IL2qSJ9huXG4/s1600/Dim+sum+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUcto1ufOKLmPW0AWx4-DXteqtJbxNXoO3YDyKBpnnoGp-TtICi3CMg6XxxOwRayEPcDHrEFb-EmWfbLoS_lZRpseluzKZwUvIeZIHBTlJQ6mpJKMLkGvFofpbv6jyAE8IL2qSJ9huXG4/s320/Dim+sum+011.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I served these with rice and made my first ever egg drop soup!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCohs6PUn4KBRaQMG5p4BtKrvEcNqwn95xtA5W5s5ekdmHhgqs6XqXOmHwAqDRJd5mCLsQeM6hB7sUaHBg6qG0U-XpOu2pYyTQ6q7C9M_scvJdjQgT9ARZwirMwlBTCM3uU-pJ6mEW0WoI/s1600/Dim+sum+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCohs6PUn4KBRaQMG5p4BtKrvEcNqwn95xtA5W5s5ekdmHhgqs6XqXOmHwAqDRJd5mCLsQeM6hB7sUaHBg6qG0U-XpOu2pYyTQ6q7C9M_scvJdjQgT9ARZwirMwlBTCM3uU-pJ6mEW0WoI/s320/Dim+sum+014.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
Oh, and since I had a couple of extra dumplings left over after dinner, I made some bentos up for lunch the next day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxZkeABfAuI3xsrNoWkUU3PbtGX4_bZMWENR1lkiJe5E74P35krLn9MgnOvIQK6Jv1P-0Toa4tlCN3UwVq4MmnvlDJMnaA6COxllpzYNZTaC0Ha87b0bTwOZs72yaAHMt6iaT9-ihknxE/s1600/Dim+sum+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxZkeABfAuI3xsrNoWkUU3PbtGX4_bZMWENR1lkiJe5E74P35krLn9MgnOvIQK6Jv1P-0Toa4tlCN3UwVq4MmnvlDJMnaA6COxllpzYNZTaC0Ha87b0bTwOZs72yaAHMt6iaT9-ihknxE/s320/Dim+sum+016.JPG" width="318px" /></a></div><br />
The filling was made with the following ingredients in the taste as you go method of cooking:<br />
Ground beef 1lb<br />
Shredded carrot<br />
Shredded zucchini<br />
Finely chopped onion<br />
Finely chopped garlic<br />
Frozen peas<br />
Frozen corn<br />
Extra virgin olive oil (to saute in)<br />
Sesame seed oil (added to the EVOO)<br />
Salt<br />
Pepper<br />
Worcestershire sauce<br />
Soy sauce<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-29895215619103121052011-06-23T00:00:00.000-07:002011-06-23T00:00:06.437-07:00Homemade Tortillas Made EasyI bought a tortilla press from amazon.com, and decided to give handmade tortillas a whirl. I originally got the press to make dim sum, but I figured it would be fun to use it for its intended purpose as well. Surprisingly, there are only two ingredients for making them: masa and warm water! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIAYArLbk1z9MlCXL2jB5JARVVDJOiwU5lgqditOAbXN5t74KuGPzQNxPPLY3HvWKiyNIGeTaM_jwAkvNsR8XTTejTBm5_k-Qc8QfAGbr90U5wJH9GZxBTI7QuBaHCdZAqHvTd9KjAEVtl/s1600/Summer+Karnival+etc+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIAYArLbk1z9MlCXL2jB5JARVVDJOiwU5lgqditOAbXN5t74KuGPzQNxPPLY3HvWKiyNIGeTaM_jwAkvNsR8XTTejTBm5_k-Qc8QfAGbr90U5wJH9GZxBTI7QuBaHCdZAqHvTd9KjAEVtl/s320/Summer+Karnival+etc+002.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
I followed the recipe on the bag of masa, and made the dough. Then, I divided it into twelve balls. With each ball, I flattened it a bit with my palm. A Ziploc bag, the edges cut off, makes a great non-stick surface (also blissfully food safe) to place your patty, sandwiched on the top and bottom of it. I had an oops moment and forgot to slip the plastic on top of the patty before I pressed the tortilla, and it stuck to the press!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveRRZBPj9BtJaXEWM6Tapj5YToxlsF9QMRYc8Cqd8nAinls1mVYLgGrpOzoepGvSJbnSDIS0sXfqRHWScnCHCEDdXpq6oqU2wVVD399OUASWHfKULzPpaBwGFt3Dsb13WtMMmQLJk6dTk/s1600/Summer+Karnival+etc+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveRRZBPj9BtJaXEWM6Tapj5YToxlsF9QMRYc8Cqd8nAinls1mVYLgGrpOzoepGvSJbnSDIS0sXfqRHWScnCHCEDdXpq6oqU2wVVD399OUASWHfKULzPpaBwGFt3Dsb13WtMMmQLJk6dTk/s320/Summer+Karnival+etc+004.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
It's helpful to put the patty slightly off-center. The tortilla press works surprisingly well to flatten out your corn tortillas. Once pressed, the tortilla is gently removed and heated on a griddle at 475-500 degrees, 30 seconds on each side, till it reaches the desired finish. I like mine to puff a little, so I flip it one extra time, for an additional 10 seconds. My griddle isn't that hot, so I had to use a nonstick skillet on the stove top, set on high.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZ8Yo_B4Rf1oGG5AzwaFGZ8PHkGRd7jVLE2E0c38-M6v803dMxxOLdD8if0Jpe8kYYtEcrvoU7F3k86-GWFLCjaJaehyphenhyphenoWJMoNWQeIeMz1uiHeadGr5l9c8UJV3Z3RqApJ-hr5gnRYZIQ/s1600/Summer+Karnival+etc+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZ8Yo_B4Rf1oGG5AzwaFGZ8PHkGRd7jVLE2E0c38-M6v803dMxxOLdD8if0Jpe8kYYtEcrvoU7F3k86-GWFLCjaJaehyphenhyphenoWJMoNWQeIeMz1uiHeadGr5l9c8UJV3Z3RqApJ-hr5gnRYZIQ/s320/Summer+Karnival+etc+003.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
I have to say, I have never been a huge fan of the corn tortilla, but wow, these are good! They are completely different than store bought tortillas, and taste like heaven.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglr4K8ox2sxOmSwh2D4tQlYuq0iGWpK69v8yFOyiebQgj8B7v_ckEi6rf7-mno2b_gvqQ1PMjTfChsEVnS_4TcCBe34b4HlkYe7vC6y995CQ8-Br9FrfSVjpNfbWdlUdx2TOsCZebqpBw/s1600/Summer+Karnival+etc+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglr4K8ox2sxOmSwh2D4tQlYuq0iGWpK69v8yFOyiebQgj8B7v_ckEi6rf7-mno2b_gvqQ1PMjTfChsEVnS_4TcCBe34b4HlkYe7vC6y995CQ8-Br9FrfSVjpNfbWdlUdx2TOsCZebqpBw/s320/Summer+Karnival+etc+005.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-15151731184797386162011-06-17T08:19:00.000-07:002011-06-17T08:19:47.004-07:00A Classic Golightly MomentMy big thing lately is trying some hairstyles from this amazing book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Hairstyling-Step---Step-Techniques/dp/0981663915/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308321059&sr=1-1"><u>Vintage Hairstyling</u> by Lauren Rennells</a>. I must say, she wrote a fantastic book, and it inspires me to try some fun tangents of my own with retro styling. I am still learning, so the process so far has been fairly slow and at times almost more frustrating than it seems to be worth it. Still, I am having fun in the process. Really, the biggest draw for me is that I am hankering for yet another makeover, and I just don't have it in me to make a drastic change such as cutting my hair or choosing a new hair color. This book provides me with lots of new styles to try out, which are temporary. Believe me, temporary is good for me. I get makeover madness about every four months or so, and I hardly ever stick with a new look once I've acheived it. At least I know I'm not the only one who does that!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Hairstyling-Step---Step-Techniques/dp/0981663915/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308321059&sr=1-1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqG6PWFHUFuSRjfRrbi3TzOvXDBn_W_rn-NkRAjYYGuJ4V_mJomq2Ih_K6D0AUQoau8RdAcQLEhZbbOJeKixsG0n9ORTZCCGxbWA22MXc75cRPQM6-mq0xbDTCm4hPGy35VtOLdPVdv4h/s1600/51nolxXwVHL__SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Golightly is pictured second from the top.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
After searching through the book, I came across the Golightly style . Like many people, I have always admired Holly Golightly's style in <em>Breakfast at Tiffany's, </em>so I figured it would be fun to give her signature hairstyle a try. I recently bought some hot curlers because it's a tool mentioned in the book, so I brought them out and used them for this hairstyle. I burned my fingers. I did it again and again. My verdict: it's totally not worth the trouble. However, it did give my hair the body and slight curl at the ends that I needed to pull this off.<br />
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Next, I sectioned off my hair like the books said to, and after about six failed attempts at my small victory rolls, I decided that I needed to alter the part in my hair to pull it off. Success! Really, the victory rolls were the most difficult to pull together, and after that, the whole thing came together beautifully, and scream free. Naturally, I can't reveal all of the steps to complete this style, since I am not a thief, but I can show you how my hair turned out!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFEah7vBfm9OETLvRJDm_eOsK4SSJKIITPUJURCtOMvBaJcoFlZ4zxvD7AJtsTcMSBfqP0x5YkI-h6FcOyY1sa20G-vgADAbR-OQtEebLECnpqPhiNoAe_GS5FiYF3URPUynOHboidh-y/s1600/hair+005+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFEah7vBfm9OETLvRJDm_eOsK4SSJKIITPUJURCtOMvBaJcoFlZ4zxvD7AJtsTcMSBfqP0x5YkI-h6FcOyY1sa20G-vgADAbR-OQtEebLECnpqPhiNoAe_GS5FiYF3URPUynOHboidh-y/s320/hair+005+copy.jpg" width="273px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It doesn't look exactly the same in the front because I have bangs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAx989jorE5O9VDuCfzcJ2ty6QDKhXPllTGS98QbNEOY9SlBA6B8s22f4YRN_M5IPG6jicyg_QygxoYwtPSC_P5CM5ZSaBV9gzSGFvus5FHu1ZocxaBdPUQwcLbHGtacIrP6hK6RTtHGp/s1600/hair+006+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAx989jorE5O9VDuCfzcJ2ty6QDKhXPllTGS98QbNEOY9SlBA6B8s22f4YRN_M5IPG6jicyg_QygxoYwtPSC_P5CM5ZSaBV9gzSGFvus5FHu1ZocxaBdPUQwcLbHGtacIrP6hK6RTtHGp/s320/hair+006+copy.jpg" width="319px" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPWS9_AQdJix2el5hlZu3gjnrIOra_Xr2A7uS7-TgUQKqPpNufq2cOxxAbwXx0sU2VSqi81f8M7CvqPcgWPZbP0uQynmcdkEcbt4LRYwOBM4p2nKQQ-QNLpHVcNKNqoZhvIICFAfiXHX6/s1600/hair+011+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPWS9_AQdJix2el5hlZu3gjnrIOra_Xr2A7uS7-TgUQKqPpNufq2cOxxAbwXx0sU2VSqi81f8M7CvqPcgWPZbP0uQynmcdkEcbt4LRYwOBM4p2nKQQ-QNLpHVcNKNqoZhvIICFAfiXHX6/s320/hair+011+copy.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That loop sticking out at the back is just one of the curls pinned down.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBmk9fCjqBWtSuYcvK5nZILp0w5JXazyUuz04-llo4KvztjxTySmYWS8NYaHsH7fGmXhM68GWPTnjDekDMf3Rb8o2cogkelipB9-yxUfO4obSJl8mGa50KuElLHMlTz9q0tArlSNTj_Uz/s1600/hair+010+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBmk9fCjqBWtSuYcvK5nZILp0w5JXazyUuz04-llo4KvztjxTySmYWS8NYaHsH7fGmXhM68GWPTnjDekDMf3Rb8o2cogkelipB9-yxUfO4obSJl8mGa50KuElLHMlTz9q0tArlSNTj_Uz/s320/hair+010+copy.jpg" width="309px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bottom half has a french twist to it. Pretty.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375117714079418480.post-44194504618309753912011-05-21T23:14:00.000-07:002011-05-21T23:14:36.344-07:00ReKindled. Forgive the Pun.When the Kindle first came out, I knew that eventually, we'd all have one. I love paper books, and I will never give them up completely, but I'm not so naive as to think they will always be the preferred medium for books. When the Kindle was first developed, I was resistant, swearing that I'd never have one, but it didn't really matter, anyway; they were expensive and constantly out of stock, and there weren't many e-books available. Now that you can get a Kindle or a reasonable knock-off for under $200 and nearly any book, newspaper, or magazine in an electronic format, I can foresee the end of the paper book era, and I find that I'm not so resistant to move along with the tide of the rest of the world.<br />
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My acceptance of the evolving world of print comes as a bit of a surprise for me. I have been resistant in so many other aspects of change in our literature and language. I am emphatic about proper spelling and grammar, even in text messages, even on Facebook. Just thinking about replacing entire words with their singular vowel sound horrifies me; I can't even joke about it without having minute tics (lol, u so crzy!!!1!) I don't read vampire novels (although I did read the first two books of the Twilight series, sue me) and I tend to shy away from anything that becomes too popular (see my post about Oprah Book Club books.) I suppose the difference between e-books and text speak (omg!) is the presence of logic. I love books, but even more than that, I love reading. A Kindle might not have the same feel or smell as a hardcover copy of my favorite book, but the content of that book is there, and that's what matters. The Kindle and other such e-readers take my favorite thing and make it more compact, more portable, more accessible. How can I be completely opposed to that? <br />
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I had an extra bit of money this weekend and almost bought myself a Kindle, but I decided to wait a while longer and put that money into my savings account. I couldn't justify the cost, even though they have become considerably more affordable. Right now, I read in one of two places: at home, or in my car (not while driving, of course.) It is not a problem for me to just grab a book and toss it in my bag before I head out the door. I also get most of my books from the library, and though I know that some e-books are available to be borrowed in the same way, I know myself well. I would take that Kindle and work fast to fill it up, spending money on books that I plan to read "someday." Right now, I buy books that matter to me, or books I absolutely have to read, but cannot get from my library. It's the only way I can keep my already massive book collection under control. Perhaps the biggest factor in my current lack of an e-reader is my propensity for dropping expensive electronics into water. I recently lost my BlackBerry this way, and I don't think I would be able to survive the heartbreak of such an accident with a Kindle.<br />
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So, no Kindle for me, not yet, anyway. Maybe I can talk myself into it in a year or two. My sister and blog co-author, Jen, just got one for Mother's Day, and I know she loves hers. I have to wonder if she'll continue to buy hardcovers or paperbacks, or if she'll just download them from now on. I wonder if it makes any difference at all, if I'm just being sickly sentimental. Is there enough love for paper books to keep them around much longer, or will they go the way of typewriters and become a whimsical collectible with no real relevance? Mp3s did not destroy music, and I know that e-readers will not destroy literature, but I can't help but worry about losing books. Maybe that's why I'm still reluctant to buy a Kindle: I'm hoping to keep books alive for just a little while longer.Jennifer and Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04596079634967283309noreply@blogger.com1