sew darn thrifty!

Havest Time!

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:39:00 +0000

Well, it was a weird summer in Portland to decide to try out gardening. The summer was very mild and it certainly took it's time getting here. Many farms in the area also fell victim to this weird weather pattern and late coming of summer and our typical bountiful northwest produce has been slowed and been a little inconsistent.

My side garden - zuchinni, squash, peppers, and 4 tomato plants. I also have a salad garden - cucumbers, cherry tomato, bannanna pepper, greens, and eggplant in front.

I'm still pleased as punch for the little bit of harvesting I've been able to to do! I've always been loved making recipes with local produce, but there is something so special and wonderful about picking it straight from your front yard and creating a nurishing meal. Overall, my first year as a gardener was a success! I learned quite a bit along the way (mostly about spacing...when the little tag says 2 feet between the plants, it means it) and I'm already dreaming of how I will improve my garden next year.

This is my first little tomato harvest. It was made into a savory tomato-basil jam - details coming tomorrow! Stay tuned!

Fig Jam

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:30:00 +0000

I am in love...with a sandwich. It's a very simple sandwich, but it rocks my world. Bagette + goat cheese + ham + fig jam = absolute perfection. I have not had an easy time finding said fig jam in the grocery store, so I was so excited to see fresh figs at the farm this weekend! I made a tiny batch to start and I cannot wait for fig season to be in full swing over the next few weeks so I can stock up.

Figs are a little fruit that I have not had the good fortune to be able to experience much in my life and now that I have found them, I don't ever want to live without them. They are also just so beautiful. The color inside is so perfect.

5 cups chopped figs (about 2 dozen large figs) - stem and ends removed
1 1/4 package of low sugar pectin
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

You may want to peel your figs for astetics, but I think that is far more fuss than it's worth. Throw your figs into a large pot and mash up a bit with a potato masher. Add your pectin (mixed with 1/2 cup sugar) and bring them to a hard boil (one that cannot be stirred away). Once you are at a good boil, whisk in the rest of the sugar. You can add an extra cup of sugar if you want a sweeter jam - this recipe is really for a more subtle and less sweet blend that I can use in savory things. Bring back to a boil and let boil for one solid minute. Remove from heat. Check for jell with that handy spoon trick I told you about yesterday. Once you have the right consistency, fill up your jars and give them a good 10 minute process in the hot water bath.

Start making yourself some delicious sandwiches or serve with cheese and crackers at your next party!

Lavender-Peach Jam

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:03:00 +0000

Lavender adds such a unique floral sweetness to any dish you put it in and it is just lovely to look at. There is a cute little lavender farm just outside of Portland where I was able to pick a big bunch of lovely purple buds fresh from the feild.

I decided that peaches would be the perfect partner for lavender because they are so sweet, clean, and mild. The flavors in the jam mix perfectly. I like the strong floral umpf that the flowers offer, so I was a little heavy handed with it - but if you are a little shy on florals you can just use tea without adding the buds.

The first step is to make a lavender "tea". Mix 1/2 cup of hot water with 2 tablespoons of lavender buds. Mix over high heat until the mix comes to a boil. Take off the heat and leave to cool completely (30+ minutes). Then drain out the buds to collect a lovely fragrant purple tea.

Next, start work on your peaches. You will want to remove the skins because they can be bitter and chewy. The easiest way to peel peaches is to put them into boiling water for 30 seconds, then drop them into an ice water bath. The skin will rub right off. Once the skin is off, you can dice your peaches and put them into a large pot. Mash your peaches down a bit with a potato masher and turn the heat to medium-high. Add your lemon juice, lavender tea, and buds.

The amount of sugar that you need will depend on which type of pectin you use, so be sure to check that little handy guide that comes inside your pectin box. This recipe is based on using a low sugar pectin formula. The low sugar pectin is always my go-to becuase it produces a solid jell with a sweet flavor without being completely overwhelmed with sugar. It also is availabe just as readily as the traditional high sugar kind. If you are using a regular pectin, you will probably need about 8 cups of sugar.

Take 1/4 cup sugar and stir it into the package of powdered pectin. This will help the pectin to not clump up. Add to the peach mixture and stir well. Bring to a rolling boil - one that you are not able to stir away. Once you are at a good soild boil, add the rest of the sugar and stir. Bring back up to that strong boil and let boil for exactly one minute. Remove from the heat.

To check your jam for consistency, I like to keep a metal spoon in icewater ready. Scoop a bit of the jam and let it cool completely (the freezer can help with that). Once the jam cools, you can make sure it is the jelly consistency that you like. If it is too runny, you can add more pectin and boil for one more minute.

Once you are at the right consistency, you can start filling your jars! Process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath. You can also make this a freezer jam or just make a small batch to enjoy that week (don't worry, it won't last long!) if you don't want to fuss with the canning process.

This jam would make an excellent sweet marinade on meat or just a perfect element for your toast!

Jam Week!

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 03:17:00 +0000

One of my very favorite childhood memories is of making jam. When I was a little girl, my mother and grandmother would take me to pick strawberries in the feilds of Styer Orchards and then we would make huge batches of strawberry jam. That vivid memory of perfect summer days, the sweet smell of cooking berries, and 3 generations together in the kitchen is really what motivated me to learn to make jams on my own. There is something really wonderful and special about connecting to the past and traditions in the form of food.

The process of canning may seem a little intimadating, but it has come a long way since my gradmother's kitchen and it just takes a little practice to master.

The best online resource for any begining jam maker is definitely pickyourown.org...they offer a comprensive step by step guide (with photo of each step) for most basic recipes. They also sell supplies.

Speaking of supplies, in order to start canning, you will need a few basic items. I suggest you start with the essensials at first and then you can add more specialized items to your arsenal from there...

The first thing you need is a canning pot (or "canner") - you can find them online or at most major stores (I've seen them at Fred Meyer & Walmart) for about $25, but I see them constantly at thrift stores and estate sales for a couple of dollars - so it is probably worth keeping an eye out. The canning pots should come with with a wire rack that fits into the bottom to keep your jars from banging together and keep direct heat off the bottom of the jar.

You also need to select the size and style of jars you want to use. When it comes to jam, I prefer half-pint and 4oz jars. The jam will last for 1 year in the cabinet, but once your jam is opened it has a more limited life in the fridge, so I just think the smaller jars are more practical. I also like that I can make more jars to share with friends. Larger full pint and quart jars are perfect for sauces and veggie canning. You can reuse your jars and the rings year after year as long as you are careful to inspect them for chips or fractures before using. The top lid piece of the jars is the only part that will need to be replaced with each use (it has a rubber gum that assists in the sealing process).

Other tools you need to get started: a nice big pot to make your jam, ladle, and tongs or a jar lifter. Jar lifter tool is really a wonderful thing to own if you are doing any kind of canning. You can use tongs to get the jars out, but the jar lifter will save you a lot of aggrivation and will be well worth the 5 bucks.

Once you get all the basics down, you are ready to start making jam!

This summer, I am working on some non-traditional jams. I will be posting a new recipe each day this week! Welcome to Jam Week!

A simple vertical garden!

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:22:00 +0000

I recently moved into great cute little pink house and it is slowly, but surely starting to feel a lot like home. After living in several duplexes, it is really nice to have a real house with a yard and deck to ourselves. This is the first time I've felt like I really had the space to tackle making a real garden, so I am really excited about that! I've spent a lot of time learning, digging, and shopping for plants lately.

One of my favorite parts of my outdoor space is our vertical herb garden. It is a fantastic space saver and adds a fun element decoration to the patio. It was also really inexpensive to create!

The side of our patio has a metal grate that I really wanted to be able to utilize in some way and dress up just a bit. I had bought some Bygel containers from Ikea to store pens in my craftroom, but I realized that they might actually be exactly what I needed for the patio! The Bygel containers fit perfectly onto the metal grates and they already have 3 holes drilled in the bottom, so they drain well and are perfect for plants! And for 99cents each, this project is super simple and fits any tiny budget! I imagine most people aren't lucky enough to have this grate system in their backyard, but these Ikea gems could be also be used with these rails (as they are in my craft room), fences, or maybe a nice heavy trellis of some kind? You could definitely set this vertical garden up indoors near a window, but just keep in mind that you would need a system to catch the water that drains from your plants.

I have always been really unsuccessful with plants in the past (I always thought I had a "black thumb"), so I am extra delighted that all of my plants seem pretty happy and are growing well! We currently have about 10 types of herbs growing right outside our kitchen door and it has been so wonderful to be able to easily add some freshness into my dishes. I am looking forward to a summer full of trying some new herb recipes.

I also dug a few various small beds for planting veggies. I have about 30 various varieties of vegetables growing around the yard and so far they are mostly all doing quite well! My tomato, peppers, and squash have already started to flower and we are getting harvests of spinach and lettuce any time we need it. The strawberries are slowly, but surely turning from green to juicy red. I am really excited to be growing my own food...it's so empowering and I am surprising myself with how easily I am able to it! I am so excited for summer when my plants start to produce and I can try out some new recipes!

(these photos were taken a couple of weeks ago, and there is already a lot of growth since then)

Oh, hello!!

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:53:00 +0000

This blog is so neglected, but I miss it. I am going to be better about updating. I know I've said that before, but I mean it! I just moved into a cute new PINK house and settled into a new job and now after a few months of chaos, I am setting into domestic bliss and I can't wait to share it!

Stay tuned!!

Soft pretzels in 5 easy steps!

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:52:00 +0000

I love Portland and it is my home now, but the truth is - down in the core of me is an east coast girl. My heart still belongs to east coast cuisine.

Philadelphians eat an average of 20 pounds of pretzels per year per person (the american average is 2 pounds per person) and you can find them for sale on just about every corner or convenience store in the Philadelphia metro area. Clearly pretzels were a staple of my adolescence and I miss them. No, I crave them.

I decided this weekend, it was time to bring my childhood into my kitchen. I have to be honest, I was pretty intimidated by the process involved with making pretzels from scratch - the rising yeast and the boiling mostly - but I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised by how easy they were to make! If I can do it, I have faith that just about anyone can.

Here is the soft pretzel process broken down in a very easy way. 5 simple steps, that is all!

Here is what you need:
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt

Step 1 - Make the dough. Combine warm water, salt, sugar, and yeast. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until the yeast starts to foam a bit. Add the flour and butter. Combine and knead for about 3-5 minutes. If you have a kitchenaid mixer, you can use your dough hook attachment and mix on medium speed or you can do it by hand.

Step 2 - Let it rise. Oil your bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Leave the dough in a warm place for about an hour to rise.

Step 3 - Roll it out. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope and twist together into a pretzel shape. You don't have to actually make a traditional pretzel, you can shape them any way you'd like. I made half the dough into pretzels and the other half into buns. Place the pretzels on pans lined with parchment paper with a brush of oil.

Step 4 - Boil. In a big pot, combine 10 cups of water with 2/3 cup baking soda and bring to a boil. Place each pretzel into the pot, one by one, and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the water with a large flat spatula (if you try to use tongs, it will mess up your pretty shape) and place back on the parchment paper. This step and the baking soda is nessisary to change the PH levels in the pretzel and give them that shiney golden brown color we all love so much.

Step 5 - Bake it. Mix 1 tablespoon of water with one egg yolk to create an eggwash. Brush each one with the wash and sprinkle with pretzel salt.* Bake at 450 degrees for 12-14 minutes until you get a nice golden brown color. Place on a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes.

*I could not find pretzel salt at our grocery store so I used sea salt...which was fine, it gave it a nice salty taste, but I do wish I had the real thing. It makes a difference. If you plan ahead, you can pick some up on amazon for $1.59/lb.

I should mention that when I told my coworkers of my planned pretzel adventures, several of them asked me if I would also be making a fancy mustard dipping sauce. NO. I certainly will not be making a fancy sauce. I am from Philly dudes, I got myself a jar of CHEESE WHIZ for the side! Seriously, if you want an authentic Philadelphia experience, you should try it. Don't knock it till you try it.

Also, while I was pondering this whole plan, I was also reminded on one of my favorite sandwiches. Mike's Drive In is a cute little burger joint in the Sellwood neighborhoood that features sandwiches on pretzel rolls and there is just something about those buns that just elevates the simple sandwich to a whole new place of amazing for me, so I decided to make a few pretzel rolls at home. Instead of rolling and shaping 3 of my dough pieces, I simply rolled them into a slightly flattened ball. I can't wait to make these into sandwiches for lunch this week!

summer squash & zucchini lattice tart

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:27:00 +0000

This beautiful savory tart was adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. I made this for a Fourth of July BBQ and have been meaning to write up the recipe for awhile now. This is not really a particularly complicated tart to make. It really looks much more labor intensive than it is. The squash and zucchini for this particular tart were courtesy of Heather Q's garden.

Here is what you need:
1 sheet of puff pastry (or pie dough would also work!) - thawed
2 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow squash
1 medium onion
1 large egg
1/4 cup of cream
1/2 cup goat cheese
1/2 cup feta cheese

Start by laying out your pastry crust on a tart pan and pressing up the sides. If you don't have a tart pan, you can also use a pie pan and only fill to about half way if you're using a pie pan. Poke a few holes in the bottom to help it ventilate and stay flat in the pan. Prebake the crust in a 375 degree oven for 7-10 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool a bit.

Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to collect a few long thin strips of the zucchini and the squash...you want enough of each to be able to lay flat across the top of the tart pan. Once you have your strips, pat them off between two paper towels and put aside. Chop the remaining squash and zucchini as well as the onion. Sauté the chopped veggies (not the strips) in oil and salt and pepper to taste for about 5-7 minutes until softened. Take the vegetables off the heat and mix the goat cheese and feta in until everything is well blended. Transfer this mixture to the crust. Whisk the egg into the cream and pour over the vegetable mixture.

Now, you can either make an open face tart and just throw it in the oven now if you don't want to fuss with the lattice top, but I think the beauty of the lattice top makes it completely worth the effort! To make the lattice, you will do it just like you would a pie (see this link for instructions) and squash has your horizontal stripes and the zucchini as your vertical stripes. Once you weave them, you will get this lovely effect. I obviously didn't have perfect shape and length on all the strips, but it's easy to overlap strips and just make it work. Brush the top with olive oil.

Loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

honey roasted plums!

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:06:00 +0000

Yesterday was farmer's market day! Well, I guess every day is usually farmer's market day somewhere in Portland when it's summertime, but I love to stop at the market next to overlook park on my way home from work. This is just the perfect time of year for the market and there is so much in season. I bought some fresh eggplants, cucumber, zuchinni blossoms, plums, and some other wonderful bounty so I can cook up a storm in the next few days.

Last night, I made some amazing honey roasted plums that I cannot seem to get enough of...

This addiction to the honey roasted plums started last summer when Summer made a post on her blog that rocked my world. A very simple way to make late summer plums into a masterpeice. I reworked her recipe a little to fit what I had in the cabinet and combined 6oz of honey + 2 tablespoons of butter + 1 tablespoon of lemon juice + 1 teaspoon of vanilla + 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. The almond extract helps to work with the vanilla to make the plum flavor pop.

I also made a really basic cream cheese topping

4 ounces of cream cheese (1/2 package)
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar (or to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Just combine all these things in a blender (or you can use a stick blender) for a few moments until the cream starts to froth and thicken. i make this topping all the time because it is so basic and so wonderful. It also makes perfect side for dipping fruit (like strawberries!) or adding to sweet crepes.

new tattoos = home made cat & dog treats!

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:03:00 +0000

Last week, I got a pair of new tattoos that I am really excited about. They are the paw prints of two of my favorite things in the world : my cat (Milo) and dog (Ellie). In honor of my new tattoos, I thought it might be time for a pet themed blog post!

My pets are my kids and as much as I love to bake special treats for my loved ones, sometimes it is also nice to bake some little treats for my furry loves. Also, most comerical pet foods and treats are made from sub-standard ingredients and a lot of chemical fillers and perservatives that are not exactly the best things for our pets to be eating, so it's nice to make something and know exactly what you are feeding your animals.

Peanut Butter and Parsley Dog Treats

The addition of parsely in this is completely optional. I added it because I happened to have it on hand and parsely is a safe natural breath freshener and my dog has some STINK breath, so I figured it was worth throwing in there!

2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Mix all your ingredients with a wooden spoon in a medium mixing bowl. Roll the dough out to about 1/4" thickness and cut the treats out to a size that fits your dog. I used a tiny little heart cookie cutter because I have a 7 pound min pin with a tiny mouth, but you can use a bigger cookie cutter or just cut a few rectangles out for a more no fuss approach. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until brown.

Tuna & Nori Cat Treats

My cat's favorite thing in the entire world is nori (seaweed). I buy little boxes full of nori strips at the asian market and he goes comepletely insane for them, so I decided to attempt to make treats using nori. You can skip the nori part if you don't have it readily accessable.

6 ounce can of tuna - undrained
1/3 cup nori (dried seaweed)
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Tear your nori up into tiny peices or pulse it in the blender for a moment. Combine all your ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with a spoon untill well blended. The dough for these is rather gooey, so I suggest using a silpad or spraying your pan with oil before you bake. You can roll these out and cut them up, or just grab little balls and flatten them as you might with people cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until brown.

I won't lie to you, Milo the cat is a picky eater, so he was not super pleased with these. I think he just perfers his nori straight up and he has never been too fond of crunchy little treats of any kind, but I think most normal cats would go gah gah for these!

Makeup Basics

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:34:00 +0000

For a long time, I had no interest in makeup. I felt like it was something people wore because of shame or to hide their flaws and feel shame, but I have recently made a new relationship with makeup and I want to share that with you. Makeup is about art and color and enhancing the things you love about yourself.

I do not think anyone should be made to feel like wearing makeup is the only thing that will ever make them "enough", but I do think if you want to wear makeup for yourself and no one else, then you should do it and not worry about the "right" and "wrong" ways to do it.

In the past year or so, I've done a lot or research to unlock the mystery of makeup application. I've read countless blogs, tutorials, and product reviews...and it is kind of complicated when you have so many different products on the market and you are trying to separate a good ad campaign from the product. My make up collection has become vast and honestly a little out of control and I have tried the dollar store brands and the high end pricey brands and I have learned a few things that I would like to share with you.

Decide what kind of things you want to achieve with makeup. Set some goals and decide what you like and don't like. If you don't like wearing mascara or putting it on, then don't buy it...sure, it's an "essential" to most people, but it is worthless if it doesn't make you feel good and you can always change your mind and try it out later. Don't let other people's rules about make up (including mine!) dictate your experience.

Here are a few of basic things I live by when it comes to make up:

+If you are going dramatic, try to pick either the eye or lip...doing both can be overwhelming. it's nice to do a subtle eye with a dramatic red or bright pink lip or a dramatic colored eye with a glossy simple lip.

+There are a few drugstore things that you don't have to spend a fortune on and then there are some items that are worth the extra money. I will try to go over a few of those things in upcoming posts. Always trust your gut, only buy what fits your budget that you think is really worth it, but also don't be afraid to splurge a little on yourself!

+A makeup collection takes time to build, don't get frustrated or break the bank all in one week. Pick a few things you want to learn about and collect those things over time. I personally decided to start with eyes...I wanted to master the eye make up first, so I collected a whole bunch of shadow colors to play with, then liners, mascaras...then I moved to learning about other things like new lip products and face products. It was a gradual process for me.

+Shop the sales! Drug store brands have a lot to offer and usually there are weekly specials like buy one get one free and that is a great time to try some things out.

+If you are not used to wearing makeup, bright colors might scare you at first and that is ok. The colors probably do not look bad on you, it can just be weird do see them on your face at first, so give yourself some time to get used them before you decide you hate them. And if you decide bright colors are not your thing, that is ok too...neutral colors can be used to make your face pop in different ways and really enhance the things you love about yourself.

+Makeup is not permanent. Take some time on a causal night in a fool around with it. It's easy to clean off.

+Get yourself the right tools. Brushes really are just as important as the products you are using...maybe even more important in a lot of cases. If you want to make some fancy eye shadow magic, it's just like a painting, you need some brushes that will make the look. They don't need to be fancy brushes, just get yourself a cheap set and learn about which brushes work best for which looks.

I am not sure if this is very interesting to any of you because it's not exactly the kind of thing I normally write about, but I would like to make a short series of posts in the next few weeks about make up tips, thrifty tricks, and general information. Is there anything in particular you are dying to know about?

I have not left you!!

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:05:00 +0000

I did not forget about this blog, I promise. I've been thinking about it. It's just been such an overwhelming summer. Good overwhelming, but overwhelming nonetheless.

I spent a lot of time making a new zine! 2 actually. The zine is a lot like this blog, so I maybe that is why I have not had the energy to update this blog AND write a zine. The first zine is called "New Wave Domesticity" and it is full of of recipes, tips on pie making, craft projects, how to can, how to remove stains, and lots of other nerdy domestic-ness. The other zine was a collection of cupcake recipes and it is called "Cute as a Cupcake". The zines debuted at the Portland Zine Symposium which was lovely. I will have both of these up for sale online in the next few weeks, I just have a busy summer in store!

Other wonderful things in the past two months:

+Portland is amazing in summer. It's full of so many events and sunny day plans. I have a lot of photos and things I will slowly be uploading. Lots of wonderful food and crafts that I will be updating and sharing with you soon!

+I got a promotion! Starting in Septemeber, I will be the "Cultural Director" at my work. This basically means planning events for my lovely coworkers, maintaining the office, working on in office and customer facing campaigns, and lots of other things. It's kind of a dream job and I am so excited to start!

+Our kickball season just ended! It has been a total blast playing sports and drinking beer with my awesome friends and coworkers. I have often been really apprehensive about team sports (I haven't really played anything since

+I bought my tickets to Philadelphia for next month! I will be taking my best friend, Katy, home with me to visit my family and eat a ton of east coast foods that I have been missing like crazy! A much needed vacation in on the horizon.

+I have so many more updates coming soon! <3

sweet and savory grilling! grilled asparagus and peaches.

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:59:00 +0000

it's officially summer in portand. i don't care that the sostice is not until late june. the sun is shining, i have sunburn, and everything feels like summer, so it's summer! i've been busy trying to take care of things around the house before i get to caught up in the summertime. this much needed 3-day memorial day was spent going to yard sales and cleaning house mostly, but we also made a lovely dinner on our tiny grill.

here are two super simple grill recipes we used yesterday and they both turned out wonderfully. if you do not have a grill, these would be great in the oven as well. you would just want to cook them at about 400 degrees and check in on them every few minutes since they are both fast cookers.

grilled asparagus

1/2 bundle of asparagus
marinade:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)

combine marinade ingredients in a jar and shake.
trim & wash your asparagus and the skewer through the thick part of the stem (you don't need to use a skewer, but it just makes it a lot easier to flip them and make sure they don't fall into the grill). i put about 10 spears per skewer and that seemed ideal.
lay asparagus skewers on aluminum foil (a little more than twice the length of the asparagus - about the length of a cookie sheet) pour half the marinade onto the first skewer. flip and make sure all the spears are coated. wrap the foil around the asparagus and refrigerate for about 30-60 minutes before grilling. grill each side for about 3-5 minutes until the asparagus gets tender.

and

grilled vanilla peaches

2-4 ripe peaches
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
vanilla ice cream (optional)

wash and cut the peaches in half or quarters. remove the pits.
in a small bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon, almond extract, and vanilla. rub this mixture onto the peaches and coat on all sides. put the peaches on a piece of aluminum foil cut side down and curl up the sides a bit to avoid sugary syrup dripping all over your grill. put the foil and peaches on to the grill and allow to cook covered for about 3-4 minutes until the sugar melts and starts to caramelize. using tongs, remove the peaches from the foil and place directly on the grill for about 4-5 more minutes until desired tenderness. they turned out amazing! so easy, nothing too fancy involved, but they are just such a lovely treat for a cookout! you can eat these right off the grill, but i thought they were especially good with some ice cream on top!

7 things

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:50:00 +0000

i was tagged by the lovely jen at classic catastrophe, so here it goes!

the rules are simple. you're supposed to link to the person who tagged you and write 7 things about yourself...

01. i go through phases. for a few weeks, i will be really into home decorating, then a few weeks of zines, or a few weeks of crafts and sewing. i always love all these things, but i just get super fixated and stoked on certain things one or two at a time and then move on and move back to them eventually. this leads to a lot of unfinished projects sometimes.

02. i love my pets. a lot...in a kind of nerdy way. i am really not interested in the whole baby thing, so the dog and cat are my kids and i kind of treat them as such.

03. i have lived in 3 states: pennsylvania, new jersey, and oregon. i've been in portland for almost 6 years and i am completely in love with the city i live in. one of my biggest dreams is to be able to purchase a house here.

04. bryan and i have been dating for almost 3 years. it's my longest relationship to date and i'm still really smitten. we live together in a cute duplex in northeast portland with previously mentioned dog and cat that we treat like children.

05. i started a kickball team at work and i am pretty excited about it. we are called the "ruby death squad" and our season starts in late june. i'm mostly excited for matching outfits.

06. i have always dreamed of writing a book. i don't think now is the right time for me to actively work on that, but i hope to be a published author in my lifetime.

07. i cannot stand fashion ponchos. i think they were an awful, awful trend and i like to think of them as my fashion nemesis.

Then tag 7 people and let them know so they can write 7 things. 7 people I would love to learn more about:

01. Amanda @ Amanda Kenney
02. Jen @ Saving Cents in the City
03. Krissy @ Pony Boy Press
04. Anelnina @ Angelnina's Cottage
05. Bryan @ Draw Damn you
06. Nikey Robo @ Fashion Ration
07. Summer @ Design is Mine

roasted tomatillo salsa verde!

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:00:00 +0000

tomatillos are the cutest things ever. they are little tiny green tomatoes wrapped in leaves. i found mine at a winco supermarket, but if you have trouble finding them in the supermarket, you may want to try a mexican market if you have one in your area. i have always wanted to do something with tomitillos, but they are a bit intimidating to me for some reason, but a flickr contact gave me this recipe and i needed to try it. this was actually a super easy salsa to make and it is so good! it's a very mild salsa, but it's easy to pump up the spice with a hotter pepper. and i have a passionate love for cilantro, so anything with a mess of cilantro involved and i am totally sold.

roasted tomatillo salsa verde

1/2 pound tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 tablespoon sugar
2 jalapeno or serrano peppers (i used one because i am a wuss, but adjust to the heat you'd like) - stemmed, seeded, and chopped

broiler to high. remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. cut in half and place cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet. cut peppers and place on baking sheet as well. roast in the broiler for about 4-6 minutes untill skins start to blacken. once they are roasted, allow them to cool for a few moments and place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until ingredients are chopped and nicely mixed up together. add salt to taste and cool in the fridge before serving.

makes about 3 cups

i plan on trying out a few more recipes for salsa verde to see if i can get a high enough acidity for safe canning and storage but still keep the fresh flavor. more on that soon.

veggie empanadas!

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:38:00 +0000

a few weeks ago, my coworker brought these little gems in for a potluck and i knew i needed to make them again. there was never really an official "recipe" for this so i did my best to document it as i made it...

vegetarian empanadas!

1 package of puff pastry (available in the freezer section)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped peppers (i used a combination of green, red, and a bit of serrano)
1/4 cup corn
1/4 cup cilantro
1 can black beans
1/4 cup of salsa or enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup shredded cheese

preheat oven to 400 degrees.
heat oil in a large skillet. add onions, garlic, and peppers and saute for about 5 minutes until onions are translucent. add corn, salsa, cilantro, and dry spices and simmer on low for about 5 more minutes. allow mixture to cool. add the cheese once the mix is cooled (basically you want to let the cheese melt in the oven instead of in the pan).
follow directions on the puff pastry box to thaw (probably about 40 minutes on the counter). once the pastry is thawed, roll it out on a floured surface to about 1/8". use a cookie cutter or a glass to cut little circles out of both sheets of puff pastry. add about a tablespoon of the filling to the center of each circle. rub a bit of water around the inner edges to help the sides stick and press with a fork around the edge to seal. prick the top a few times with a fork or toothpick to vent.
place the empanadas on a non-stick baking sheet and brush with egg wash (1 egg mixed with about a tablespoon of water). bake for about 10-20 minutes until brown.
makes about 9 small circle empanadas.

these came or really tasty and they were also adorable. next time i would make the pastry from scratch (though they may not be as flaky and puffy) , but i was making these for a friend's birthday party and i just wasn't feeling like all the fuss of making pastry dough too. shortcuts can be wonderful & yummy friends.

the bins

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Sun, 03 May 2009 19:00:00 +0000

something strange has happened to me. i have been posting to this blog for 2 months now and i realized that i have never even mentioned the bins. i tend shop there pretty often and i get a lot of great gems. i've been a little obsessed with it every since i first visited portland in 2002.

perhaps i need to explain, if you are not from portland, then "the bins" not immediately strike a chord with you. "the bins" is a term lovingly given to the goodwill outlet centers. goodwill stores essentially are always trying to turn over their stock so that there is always room for new items, so after about 6 weeks, they remove the items from the store and send them to the outlet for their last chance to be sold before they are recycled, turned to industrial rags, sent overseas, or sold to salvage brokers.

the glory of the outlet is that the clothes and housewares items are sold by the pound. one pound is $1.59. glass is .39 per pound. this price is for less than 10 pounds, however there is a bulk discount, so the more you buy, the cheaper it is per pound. the items are not neatly sorted and laid out for you, so there is a little bit of work that needs to be done to cash in on such a great deal. the items are dumped into huge movable plastic bins and laid out in aisles. each aisle is changed out ever few hours to constantly cycle the stock. usually a bin is filled with like items because that is how it came from the store, but not necessarily. there are textile bins, shoes, books, and "hard good bins" (aka everything else). there is also a section for bikes and furniture that are individually price (but priced cheaply and they are marked down in price each day they do not sell) the textile bins are not really any collection of a certain size or style, so little girls dresses are mixed right in with men's jackets. this just basically means you are in for a hunt.

i don't think my love of the bins comes out of my frugality so much as it comes from my love of a treasure hunt. there is something intoxicating about not knowing what you will find there (and the added bonus that it will cost next to nothing when you find it!). it does take some effort and you really need to be in a certain mood to be able to put in the energy, but i find the pay off to be worth it. there are actually a lot of people in portland that make their living by going to the bins and scoring amazing things for little money (the 50+ pound discount is much to their advantage) and then reselling the items. these people can be a little intense and get a bit wild when new stuff comes out.

portland is not the only place with a goodwill outlet. check this list for some places near you.

here are some quick tips if you decide to check out "the bins":

+ you might consider gloves if you are germphobic. remember that this is a collection of other people's donations and there could be some "undesirables". just proceed with caution. also, sometimes glass and things can break when they get thrown around on trucks and loaded into the bins or sharp edges can poke out, so be mindful before you throw your hands into the housewares sections.

+i tend to take the "take now, think later" approach for efficiency. if i find someone that looks mildly ok, i will throw it in the cart. then, after i'm done shopping, i stop and take a moment to carefully go through everything and check for stains or holds, make sure it would actually fit, and of course ask the important question "do i REALLY need this?"

+that being said...i won't lie, i am a totally scavenger. i do my best around the edges of the store or close to the registers because of other people doing the "take now think later" approach. someone else may have found some really cute things but realized they were not their size or they just didn't have a place for them, so they tend to leave a discard pile of some pretty awesome things.

+leave the kids at home. i see a lot of...umm...let's go with "disappointing" parenting going on at the bins. if your child can reach up and stick their hands into the bins, they might not really realize what they are grabbing at and could end up getting hurt. it's a pretty consuming shopping experience, so it seems it is just really hard to shop and also keep your attention to the children. i don't even want to tell you how many times i have seen a child grab something from a bin that has been who knows where and stick it in their mouth. gross. it is definitely a great place to get toys and clothes for your kids on a tight budget, but it is probably best not to take them on the trip.

+oxyclean is a gift from the heavens. seriously. get some at target and it will change your perspective on what is a salvageable item and what might be trash. i just got a cute pink vintage dress there on friday, but it had a little dinge to it (which just happens to a lot of vintage clothes) and i soaked it in the sink with oxyclean for an hour then threw it in the wash...now it is just as lovely and bright as they day it was purchased 40 years ago!

so, now that you know what the bins is...let me show you my amazing find from friday...

BEST BELT BUCKLE EVER for $1.50! much love to katy for bringing it to my attention! she rules. it needs to be attached to a new, longer belt but wow! so amazing and perfect! i also got a lovely dress, some fabric, a cake plate, some books on canning, and a few other gems...but this crafty belt buckle is one of my favorite finds to date.

$5 meals: easy chickpea curry

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Sun, 03 May 2009 05:11:00 +0000

easy chickpea curry

1 tablespoon vegetable oil - .10

2 cloves of garlic - .10

1/2 medium onion finely chopped - .50

1 15oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)- drained and rinsed - $1

2 diced ripe tomatoes or 1 15oz can diced tomatoes - $1

1/2 head of cauliflower - chopped - 1/2 @ $1.50 = .75

1 red or yellow pepper - diced - .50

1-2 tablespoons curry powder (i used yellow, but use any kind you like) - .50

1/2 cup water - negligible

salt and pepper to taste - negligible

total = $4.45 makes 4 servings ($1.11 per serving)

heat oil in a large pot and add onion and garlic and saute until translucent. this should take about 5 minutes.

add cauliflower, pepper, and curry and saute for another 2-3 minutes.

add water, chickpeas, and tomatoes. simmer for about 15 minutes

ok, i admit, this might be a more like a $6 meal because it is best served over some basmati rice. but it's still very cost effective at less than $2 per serving and it's really delicious and filling!

some freebie tips for the day.

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:22:00 +0000

things are tight for everyone these days. every little bit helps and i love a useful freebie, so here are a few i recently signed up for...

sign up for bath and body works email list and get a coupon for a free travel sized item. they also send some good coupons for freebies on the mailing list, so it's worth getting. just this past weekend, i got a free $8 lemon pomegranate lip conditioner (which i love) when i spent $1.50 on a lovely scented hand sanitizer.

sephora sends you a free birthday item if you are on their email list. i'm not sure exactly what, but might be worth signing up.

free reusable totebag when you make a pledge to sustain yourself.

bzzagent is this fun thing my friend krissy shared with me. you basically sign up and they will occasionally send you some free items and ask you to review them and pass out coupons if you are interested in them. it is an interesting site that works on the basis of word of mouth marketing.

also, if you shop at safeway, i really think this site is neat because it lets you add coupons directly to your club card rather than printing them and having to keep track of a million little slips of paper. i really want to be better at coupons, but i am just don't often have the energy to do it and i find it makes me by a lot of things i don't need.

vegan peach cupcakes with mango frosting

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:10:00 +0000

i purposefully used an almost identical recipe for the mango cupcakes for simplicity sake. you can easily whip up a double batch of unflavored batter and then seperate add the diffrent purees into the mix. i loved that these came out with a really strong, not too sweet mango taste.

vegan peach cupcakes
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (don't worry about the smell, it bakes off)
1 cup of soymilk (flavored if you want...i used vanilla)
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup peach nectar
1/2 cup peach puree (i just used canned because it is not peach season)

preheat the oven to 350ºF.
put the cider vinegar into a small bowl and add the soymilk. whisk well. the mixture will start to thicken up or curdle (i know that sounds weird and gross and i was nervous, but trust me, this will work!)
stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder & soda and salt.
mix the oil, peach nectar, and vanilla extract into the bowl containing the soymilk and vinegar and then slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend.
add peach puree and continue to blend.
scoop into cupcake wrappers. these will puff up a lot...more than most of the non-vegan cupcakes i make do. past vegan recipes i've made have ended up pretty flat, so as a caution i filled the wrappers almost to the top and got a really puffy dome top...so depending on what you are going for about 3/4 full is great.
bake for 20 - 25 minutes until starting to brown.

vegan mango frosting
1 cup (2 stick) vegan butter - room temperature
2-3 cups powdered sugar
puree of two fresh ripe mangos

bring cream cheese and butter to room temperature and beat together until creamy. add the mango puree.
add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until desired sweetness and texture.
again, the puree will effect your ability to get a really stiff frosting, but i really think that nice strong mango flavor that came from using two mangos was worth a kind of goopey frosting.

my coworkers seemed to really love these as well as the strawberry ones. i think the key to this was using fresh mango, ripe in the frosting. you could try it with canned or frozen, but i cannot promise the same effect and delicious-ness.

vegan strawberry cupcakes and strawberry buttercream frosting

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:50:00 +0000

i really just wanted to go for the whole orange and pink work color scheme for the cupcakes i was making, so the logical choice to me for pink was strawberry since i have been dying to try my hand at strawberry buttercream. two of my coworkers are vegan. i am not a very good vegan baker, but i am working on it. it's important to me that if i am going to make something for work, hopefully it is something everyone will have the opportunity to enjoy. so, this is more adventures in vegan baking...

the first step before you do anything else is to cop up a pint of strawberries (about 8oz) and add about 3/4 cup of sugar to them. let them sit in the fridge mixed into the sugar for at least 20 minutes (overnight is good too) so then can absorb the sugars and make a strawberry simple syrup. then mash them by hand or throw them into a blender. you will then use this puree for both the cake and the frosting.

vegan strawberry cupcakes
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (don't worry about the smell, it bakes off)
1 cup of soymilk (flavored if you want...i used vanilla)
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup strawberry nectar
1/2 cup mashed strawberries

preheat the oven to 350ºF.
put the cider vinegar into a small bowl and add the soymilk. whisk well. the mixture will start to thicken up or curdle (i know that sounds weird and gross and i was nervous, but trust me, this will work!)
stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder & soda and salt.
mix the oil, strawberry nectar, and vanilla extract into the bowl containing the soymilk and vinegar and then slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend.
add strawberry puree and continue to blend.
scoop into cupcake wrappers. these will puff up a lot...more than most of the non-vegan cupcakes i make do. past vegan recipes i've made have ended up pretty flat, so as a caution i filled the wrappers almost to the top and got a really puffy dome top...so depending on what you are going for about 3/4 full is great.
bake for 20 - 25 minutes until starting to brown.

vegan strawberry frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter - room temperature
6 oz softened vegan cream cheese
2-3 cups powdered sugar

bring cream cheese and butter to room temperature and beat together until creamy. add 1/2 cup strawberry puree.
add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until desired sweetness and texture.
you may want to add more puree to get a stronger flavor. i ended up using at least a cup i think, but it made for less firm frosting, so if you are concerned with having the frosting be able to be piped on, you may want to go easy on the puree. if you want to thin things out, just use some of the strawberry nectar. if you do not care to make this vegan, just use real butter and cream cheese...the effect is the same.

i was really happy with the results! i am not going to tell you that i think my vegan cupcakes are 100% as good as my cupcakes with egg and all the things i am used to using...there is definitely a different texture involved, but i think these were pretty darn good. i will absolutely make some version of the strawberry cupcake again in the next few months once it is officially strawberry season!

secretary's day!

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:13:00 +0000

so, i work for a really great company. we are a virtual receptionist company with about 35 women and one man. it's not a flashy job and at times it can drive me insane and wears me out, but they do their best to try to make the best of it and make it different than a call center and make i a really positive place to work which is really wonderful. i love my coworkers wholeheartedly and it's good to work in a place that i feel some love when i walk into it.

yesterday, april 22nd was secretary's day and since we work in an office full of secretaries, i helped organized a cute retro tea party potluck at work. it was completely adorable and eveyone in the office was sort of glowing with delight today. we asked people to dress up like old fashioned secrataries, rented a cute silver tea service, and decorated the conference room. i made this little banner and spent tuesday night baking cupcakes for hours and hours.

our work colors are orange and pink, so i made vegan mango cupcakes and vegan strawberry cupcakes. recipes coming next.

tooth pain and a lovely weekend.

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:39:00 +0000

i'm sorry i haven't updated this in awhile. it's not that i've forgotten about you. it's just that i got my wisdom teeth pulled about a week and a half ago and it turned into a nightmare of epic proportions. dry socket is one of the most painful things i've ever experienced and i don't wish it on anyone. i haven't really been eating and i spend a solid week completely doped up on pain killers watching a crazy about of tv and not being productive at all. i'm starting to feel better finally and starting to reclaim my life. it's spring and i am ready to be outside and enjoy the sun.

this past weekend was the first time i had been out in quite awhile and i was still not 100%, but it was really good to get out and see friends.

katy, jay, and i went to "oregon's largest garage sale" at the expo center on saturday which was essentially one big flea market of my dreams. the one thing about portland that i do not love is that there are no flea markets. i miss the east coast flea market mornings of walking up early with my mom and walking around for hours finding new and old treasures among miles of overflowing tables. this was kind of a throw back to that and it was really amazing. i came home with some amazing things.

vintage kitchenware is really a soft spot for me and i have been on the hunt for a few pieces for serving. i managed to get this lovely russian serving bowl for $2, a set of two pyrex mixing bowls for $1.50, a pink spouted thermos for $2, a silver 2 tier serving tray for 50 cents, and two adorable vintage aprons for 50cents each. smitten kitchen.

i also have been getting more into jewelry as of late. i bought two gold necklaces. one is a big albatross (or maybe a seagull?) and it's a little out of control, but i like it for $3. the other was just a simple red & black geometric design that i think will be lovely with some of my favorite dresses ($1). my absolute favorite jewelry find of the day though was this darling pink umbrella necklace...

it was probably meant for a baby, but when you live in a city known for the rain, the icon of an umbrella takes a new meaning close to your heart. and it's pink. i am in love, excellent use of $4 and i can't wait for wear it out.

i also got some other little trinkets and gifts for friends while i was there, but the long and short of it is that whoever put this event together is wonderful and deserves my thank yous and i cannot wait for it to happen again. i didn't get to spend as much time as i might have dreamed there because i was sick, but it was still great. ANNNND! there was a pet expo there the same day in a different building so it was wonderful to be able to bring ellie and let her socialize with other dogs. i picked up some great little treats and toys for her. she even got a couple of new little shirts this weekend...more on that soon.

i am so glad it is garage sale season again.

sunday brunch

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 07:46:00 +0000

i had a few of my favorite people over for a sunday brunch. breakfast food is some of my favorite foods to make because they are so simple, but i don't often have time to cook any real breakfast during the week (i live on frozen waffles and veggie sausage at work).

here is what i made:

apple cinnamon waffles

start by dicing up 3 apples (i like ambrosia, honey crisp, or gala...but any variety you like is fine!) and adding them to a small saucepan with 1 tablespoon of butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon or so of cinnamon. cook on medium for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. set aside.

make the waffle batter:
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup of your apple mixture

heat waffle iron. combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and spices. set aside. combine milk, egg, butter, apple and vanilla. add dry ingredients. stir until well moistened, but still lumpy. pour about 1/2 cup onto greased, hot waffle iron. bake until brown and crisp. serve with syrup and apple mixture as topping.

veggie & gouda mini quiches

you can make these with or without a crust. i used a bit of homemade pie crust that i froze after mini pie making, but you can also use frozen store bought crust. i rolled the crust to about 1/4" and laid into greased muffin tins. i pre-baked the crusts for about 10 minutes @ 400 degrees. then, follow the instructions below...

4 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
vegetables! you can really use anything you have on hand (i used 3 stalks of asparagus, 2 mushrooms, a bit of chopped spinach, broccoli, and some diced onion)
1 clove pressed or chopped garlic
large handful of grated cheese (i used smoked gouda, but you can use just about any cheese)
about a tablespoon of flour
salt & pepper
preheat oven to 350ºf. saute your veggies together just a bit until they soften, then set aside. in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, herbs of your choice, grated cheddar, and flour. grease a muffin tin with butter...like really, grease it really well or they will be a mess to get out. add a small layer of sauteed vegetables to the bottom of each cup and then drizzle egg mixture over each muffin cup, fill almost to the edge. bake for about 20-30 minutes. this will make about 5-6 mini quiche.

simple biscuits with vegan mushroom gravy

basic biscuits
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup milk
mix dry ingredients. put oil in measuring cup and add milk. do not stir. add to dry ingredients.mix lightly to moisten ingredients and knead one or two times to form ball. roll out to about 1/2" thick. cut into 2" biscuits. bake on an ungreased pan at 475F for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. note: these were pretty dry, i wouldn't make this for a stand alone biscuit, but they were just fine as an quick and easy mate to gravy!
& top with...

vegan mushroom gravy
8 oz mushrooms, sliced (any kind of mushroom will do)
1/4 C sliced onions
1-1/2 tablespoons oil
1/2 C white flour
2 tablespoons oil
4 cups stock or soy milk
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
lightly sauté the sliced mushrooms and onions in the 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. in another pan, combine and bubble the flour and 2 tablespoons oil over low heat for one minute. whisk in the stock or soy milk, along with the soy sauce and black pepper. cook until thickened, whisk out any lumps. stir in the mushrooms and onions. you can serve it up just like that, but i like to get the emulsion blender out and blend the mushrooms down a bit for a better flavor and consistency.

spring.

noreply@blogger.com (sarah swingset) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:30:00 +0000

spring is peeking it's head into my life just a little. things around town are starting to bloom just a bit and i am getting excited for the way this city comes alive in the spring as if out of a rainy winter hibernation. spring is just taking it's time and playing the game it always does with alternating between beautiful sunshine to rainy miserable every few hours. i like to think that if portland weather was my boyfriend, we would probably have to break up because of it's instability. but still, i love the city i live in and a love the sunny days we've been having these past few weekends. it makes me hopeful and excited.

we went to the hoyt arboretum last weekend just to escape the city for just a little while and it was really lovely. in almost 6 years living in portland, i cannot belive i had never been there. it's a beautiful place to spend a day and it's totally free and easy to get to on the max.

spring is bringing new excitement. i'm looking forward to day trips to the coast, garage sale weekends, picnics in the park, farmers markets, fresh flowers, sunshine, and all those little sweet things i have been missing.

also, this week, i picked up "cooking outside the box: easy, seasonal, organic"
by keith abel on clearance rack at barnes and noble this past week and i have to say that i am kind of enchanted. i've been looking for a good seasonal cookbook and i am smitten with the recipes and whimsy photography. i can't wait to try some things out. and yes, i did just nerd out over a cookbook.