Braided Racerback Tank
A sewing pattern? Kind of new territory for me, right? But this project seemed to fold in perfectly with the values that I look for most in my more food-centric projects (satisfying results made from humble elements), I felt I had to share it. And really it’s a stretch to call this a sewing project–...
Step-by-step Making a Braided Racerback Tank From an Old Tshirt
If the overview in my visual sewing pattern is a little too vague for you, don’t worry. Here’s the detailed step-by step to turn an old tshirt into this braided racerback tank. It’s a very simple pattern (just one little seam!), but here I’ve included all the little tips and tricks I’ve figured out on...
Gingerbread block workday #1
This Sunday we officially kicked off the construction of the gingerbread block. We managed to get the walls for the first building in the block cut and sculpted. The lovely Jessika Creedon stopped by to help, and she also took some pictures. So here’s a little eye candy for those of you who are eager...
Block Printed Beer Labels
Block Printed Beer Labels I don’t want you to get the wrong impression– I’m definitely not a master at either homebrewing or printmaking. But, I am pretty darn good at figuring out how to make food and beverages look nice. And after relegating my homebrews to plain brown bottles, (yawn) I decided it was time...
Gingerbread House Basics
Admittedly my gingerbread house is a bit… involved. (I think it was around four evenings to make everything and put it together). But apart from the garlands (made of thyme and pink peppercorns) I used just three base recipes: gingerbread, royal icing and poured sugar. Gingerbread and royal icing are inescapable, the poured sugar is...
Build a Gingerbread Brownstone
I can’t write this post without first making a confession: I have been through both architecture school and pastry school. For a long time I tried to avoid the obvious gingerbread-construction shaped overlap in my fields of study. (I was, I think, afraid of being pigeon-holed into the crafty side of pastry). Sometimes, the shoe...
Creepy Coconut Kiwi Panna Cotta
I’m usually not one for gore. I hate scary movies (almost always). But if there was ever a time for a little gross-out fun it is October. And I’m not such a scrooge that I can’t enjoy a little Halloween silliness. So why not make a good dish, while you’re at it? The elements of...
Popcorn pop-up cards
Popcorn is definitely a rock star in the world of thrifty foods. It’s quick to prepare, it’s super-cheap and (depending on what you add to season it) it can be pretty virtuous in the nutrition front, too. Oh, and it is also delicious. Once you start buying microwave popcorn bags, though, these virtues evaporate. The...
Lacy Chocolate Dessert Bowls
Because chocolate is such a precious ingredient, I always want to make the most of it. And sometimes that means making a dramatic presentation with a small quantity of chocolate. I wanted to make a pretty, delicate chocolate container that was not too difficult (or time consuming) to make and did not require special equipment....
Magnetic Spice Rack
It’s spring cleaning time, everyone! So what better excuse to sort through and organize your spices? Looking for spice storage can be extremely frustrating. (Too big! Not enough jars! Don’t even think of taking up my counter space!) So I schemed up my own more flexible storage system. And it’s sooooo simple: just tins, glue...
Cloth Cooking Bags
Anything that gets a long cooking time can have extra flavors added during that cooking (yes, beans but also soup, or even poached fruit). Veggie and herb trimmings give a huge flavor boost, but their texture is usually rather unpalatable. Wilted, spent cilantro stems: your slimy residue is not welcome in my refried beans, thank...
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