Cloth Napkins

Want to be uber cool?  Want to save some money?  Do you have a flag?  Want to save the trees (and thereby continue your supply of oxygen)?  Want to call yourself crafty?  Is, 'le sange sur la branche?'  Want to be fancy when you host dinner parties?  Want to use some of those fabric scraps?  Want to travel to the moon with Steve?

Well...if you answered yes to even one of the above questions, then this project is for you!  (And if you caught my not so subtle Eddie Izzard reference, then all the better...and no, although he is an executive transvestite, he really has nothing to do with cloth napkins.)

I made about 100 of these back in November and I will say that making that much will take a considerable amount of time.  However, if you stick to the recipe below, you could have yourself a set of 16 napkins in an afternoon.

Project: Cloth Napkins with Mitered Corners
Time: 6 hours (this is going at a leisurely pace)
Makes: about 16 napkins

Materials Needed:
Cloth (see below)
Coordinating or Contrasting Thread
Sewing Machine
Box of Straight Pins
Rotary Board/Cutting Mat
Rotary Cutter (If you don't have one, just go get one...they are so much better than scissors)
Ruler
Iron
Ironing Board

Cloth:

You can really use scraps you find around the house if that's your fancy.  You want a cloth that is soft, absorbent and washes easily - the most popular choices are cotton and linen.  Do not get some cheap poly blend - you won't be happy with the results (and your grandmother would roll over in her grave!).  My best recommendation is to just go to the fabric store and feel your way towards your napkins to be.  Don't hesitate to buy multiple colors and patterns - this makes everything in your kitchen so much more fun!  There are often great patterns to be found in the quilting fabric section!  Or check out the fabrics on clearance.

Depending on the size of napkin you are making, you will need to get a different amount of cloth.  I have given a breakdown below:

Final Napkin Size          Amount of Fabric Recommended
            17"                              4 yrds (at least 45" width)
            16"                           3 3/4 yrds (at least 36" width)
            15"                           3 1/3 yrds (at least 36" width)

Once you have amassed all of your supplies, you are ready to go...

Step 1: Pre-Wash & Press your Fabric
This will help reduce bleeding later on.  Please be sure that you have pressed all of this newly washed fabric...otherwise, it will be quite a devil to work with!

Step 2: Cutting your Fabric

As you have probably now decided what size napkins you are making, please add 1" to your desired end napkin size for the cutting measurements.  For example, if you want 16" napkins, you will need to cut 17"x17" squares (I have worked this into your yardage requirements).  For the ease of not having to repeat myself a gazillion times, I will be using 16" napkins as my sample size.

If you are familiar with rotary blades and mats, then please make the appropriate measurements to cut all of your fabric to 17"x17" squares.

If you are unfamiliar, you will want to smooth your fabric flat so you can see the measurement lines...I find it best to use a lipped ruler to help secure a straight edge.  When you have made a straight line at the 17" mark, press down firmly on the ruler and run your rotary cutter along its edge to make a complete cut of the fabric. 

Continue doing this until all of your fabric is cut.  See below:

**Hint** A clothing drying rack can be a fantastic place to lay the cut squares if you lack room such as we city dwellers often do.

Step 3: Creating your Seams

This is the major step in the whole project, ironing every edge of your fabric pieces...twice.  Fret not my friend, the end result is well worth it...remember, you are being crafty!  Check out the pictures below for a visual depiction of the process...

With a pre-heated iron (I find that steam works well if you have that function), lay your fabric front/top side facing down.  Using only your fingers, fold and press a seam on one side of the napkin about a 1/4"-1/2".  This step makes it much easier to press with the iron and get a straight seam!  Once you have pressed this side with your fingers, go back over it with the iron.  You have just created your first fold.

Turn the fabric clockwise and perform the same operation on the next side until you have completed all four sides once.

On the same piece of fabric, make a fold that is just slightly wider than the first and press with your fingers.

Go back over the iron and repeat on all four sides.  Make sure to iron the corners well.

Repeat 15 more times!  Make your momma proud and place these into a gentle pile!

Once you have completed the above step, you have a choice to make.  Do you want square corners or mitered corners?  If you want square corners (as seen in the above left-hand picture), then you can continue to Step 5.  Mitered corners, in my opinion, are more fun and fancy...but, do require more work.If you are up for them, then continue to Step 4.

Step 4: Making your Mitered Corners
Making mitered corners is a bit like origami and the picture below will really help you out!  You will need your rotary cutting mat and cutter.
NOTE: an evil pack of gnomes broke into my computer and stole the actual pictures for this section...aack!  So, a poor replacement, made with paper is given below...you can blame them!

Laying the napkin flat, top/pattern side down and starting with the first corner of your first napkin, unfold the corner.  You will notice a set of crisscrossing lines - it might even be easiest for you to to get a chalk pencil out and trace over them for the first few corners. (Pictures 1 & 2, starting from top left corner and moving right)

Using your rotary cutter, cut off the triangle of the corner (please note in picture 2 and 3 where that marking is).  You will then use the creased folds, to fold the corner (now a flat edge) of the napkin in about a 1/4" of an inch...work with the fabric here, folks.(Picture 5)

Now, while holding that folded edge in, you also want to fold both layers of sides of your napkin back in, this will create a small fold directly in the corner of the napkin - the mitered edge (Pictures 6 & 7).  The edges of the folds should touch as in the picture below...but, if they do not - no worries...just get them close enough. (Picture 8)

Stick a straight pin through the folds to hold the corner together.

Repeat this on all corners of all of the napkins. (See what I mean by more labor intensive?)

Step 5: Sewing
This step is always the most pleasant for me!

Make sure to get the correct thread on both the main spool and the bobbin.  If you are using several different fabrics/threads, this could mean a few 'costume changes' for the bobbin.

Starting midway down one of the napkin's sides, work your way toward the corner (pulling the pin for mitered corners).  I like to give my corners a little extra support, so I use the 'back' function before turning corners.  To turn the corner, lift you Presser Foot and gently turn the fabric 90 degrees before pushing the presser foot back down again.
Repeat this for each napkin, making sure to reinforce your sewing starting point.

After you have finished each napkin, go back through and snip the loose thread ends.
 

   
Voila - you now have a set of perfectly fantastic and wonderful cloth napkins.  The coolest kid on the block!

 Now...as a note, we use the same napkin for several days.  We find we are not particularly messy eaters.  If you are...you may want to make more napkins. :)

Apologies

Greetings from the other side of the galaxy...or so it would seem, eh?

I have been so far away for the last month and a half - I do apologize.  To those of you who depend on this blog for your social appetite, you must be starving (and stark raving mad).  To those of you who have visited only a few times, you have probably forgotten this lil' corner of the world exists.  And to the rest of you, I expect a detailed 'blog' report by Friday - I want the three paragraph format and you had better have a strong thesis statement!


As we approach a new point in our lives (soon to be condo owners), I have found myself buried in filling boxes with stuff I didn't know I owned and learning more about the politics of FHA loan approvals...and more of the same...filling boxes...endlessly...geesh, I have a lot of stuff.

This move is not only good for me though...it will be good for you too!  Your seemingly endless wait for more recipes and crafty creations is only UHaul away.  Our new place has a whole room dedicated solely to crafting it up...and while the kitchen could use a little sprucing up - it shall not thwart my experimentation in the culinary arts!  I promise the rest of this year will be a good one...so, try and keep up, will ya?

...and now, what you have all been waiting for - how to make _A_KI _ S!

Tortilla Stew (Vegetarian or Vegan)

This is a thick savory stew that is good for a slow Sunday or for that "wow" factor at a dinner party (it never sticks around for long)!

As this stew can be made both vegan and vegetarian, I am going to include both versions below - listed separately...and, yes, they are both amazing!

Vegetarian Tortilla Stew:

Ingredients:
1 (19oz) can green enchilada sauce
1 cup water
1 vegetarian bouillon cube
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp chili powder (increase this if you want to increase the spice factor)
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 (15oz) can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 (16oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups Quorn 'chicken' tenders (or another vegetarian chicken substitute...but, this is the best! Can be found in the frozen food section of your local market)
salt & pepper to taste (probably will not need to much salt, but pepper is nice!)
3/4 package cream cheese
1 bag tortilla chips
shredded cheese & sour cream for topping

Directions:
1. In a large pot, mix the enchilada sauce and water. Heat on low and mix in the bouillon cube until dissolved. Add the garlic powder, chili powder and cumin.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Mix in the beans, tomatoes and corn. Simmer until heated through.
3. Add the Quorn tenders and cook until heated. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Keeping the heat on low, add the cream cheese in chunks until you reach your desired consistency (I usually go for 3/4 to full package). Again, heat until this is back up to a steamy temperature.
5. Pour into bowls and serve topped with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream...yummmm.

____________________________________________________

Vegan Tortilla Stew:

Ingredients:
1 (19oz) can green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup water
1 cube vegan bouillon
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 (15oz) can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup+ frozen corn (can be generous with this)
1 to 2 Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Sausages, pan seared and diced (can be found in the fridge section of a your local natural food store)
salt and pepper, to taste
tortilla chips
1 tub vegan cream cheese (I recommend, Tofutti brand)
vegan shredded cheese & sour cream for topping (I recommend Daiya cheddar-style cheese and Tofutti for the sour cream)

Directions:
1. In a large pot, mix the enchilada sauce and water. Heat on low and mix in the bouillon cube until dissolved. Add the garlic powder, chili powder and cumin.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Mix in the beans, tomato and corn and simmer until heated through.
3. Add the Field Roast and continue to simmer until heated through, adding the salt and pepper to taste. Based on the consistency, you may want to simmer an additional 10-15 minutes on low - you should have a thicker rather than runnier consistency.
4. Keeping the heat on low, add the tub of cream cheese in chunks and mix until incorporated. Heat through one final time making sure you have the desired consistency...remember, this is a stew!
5. Dish into bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, Daiya cheese and sour cream.

I hope you enjoy...I fed the vegan version to a full room of carnists and it was gone before I could get back for seconds...sad face!!

"Chik'n" Noodle Soup (Vegetarian)

Alright, so we're vegetarian...what do we get to eat when we have a cold, huh? I vote this no-chik'n noodle soup...it is home-made and tastes so much better than anything coming from a store! Even if you are not vegetarian, this is just one heck of a good soup!

Vegetarian Tip: Quorn, an English company, makes a great line of faux-meat/protein products that are sold in the vegetarian frozen foods section of most grocery stores (look for the orange box). The "chicken" products are fantastic to work with because they have a good flavor on their own, but will also absorb the flavors they are cooked with to become juicy, tender and tasty morsels that can compliment any meal. Unfortunately, many of their products are not sold in American markets, but my favorite staples include the Quorn tenders, Quorn cutlets and the Quorn roast! Also, these are not suitable for a vegan diet as most, if not all, include egg whites.

"Chik'n" Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots peeled and diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 bay leaf
7.5 cups prepared bouillon water (use enough vegetarian bouillon cubes to match up, for example - if using the Rapunzel brand, you would use 3 cubes (1 cube to 2 cups of water), you can purchase boxed veggie broth...but, I don't recommend it)
salt & pepper to taste (salt content will largely depend on your bouillon cubes, about 2+ tsp pepper)
1 bag of Quorn Tenders (let them thaw somewhat)
3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced (dry isn't going to work for this one)
1/2 lb eggless flat noodles

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and celery and cook until soft...10 to 15 minutes.
2. Add the bay leaf, bouillon broth, salt and pepper to the pot. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Add the Quorn chunks, parsley and noodles and return the soup to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer and leave for 10 minutes or until the noodles are tender.
3. Remove the bay leaf and serve with crackers.

I bet you feel better already!

Mom's Potato Soup (Vegetarian)

This is a classic in my family and never lasts long enough for leftovers!! It requires relatively few ingredients, is not terribly time consuming and anyone can make it (though, I might not advise putting the family dog to the task...)

Mom's Potato Soup

Ingredients:
5 pounds russet or golden potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 stick butter
2 cups milk (might need a tad more, I recommend 1% or 2%)
salt & pepper to taste (we are very liberal with both)

Equipment:
potato peeler
pressure cooker
potato masher
blender stick (optional)

Directions:
1. Place the peeled and cubed potatoes in the pressure cooker. Top with the onion and fill with the amount of water required by your pressure cooker (usually either 1 or 2 cups water...PLEASE check the directions, we don't want anyone's house to explode, eh?). Secure the lid and add the 'top hat'.
2. Turn the heat on high. When the sh-sh-sh-sh-sh dance begins with the toggle hat on top (about 20 minutes), turn the heat down to medium and set a timer for 10 minutes. (The sh-sh-sh-sh dance should still happen, just not as intensely.)
3. When the timer does its thing, drain the water and return to the stovetop (burner should be off at this point). Add the stick of butter and attack the pot with the potato masher...I like to call this part - 5 minute arms. When the butter is completely incorporated and the potatoes are creamy, begin adding the milk until you reach your desired consistency. (I love thick soup, so I usually only add around 2 cups.). Add salt and pepper to taste - it is probably at least a tbsp of salt and about that for pepper as well. If you are not sure...add in increments and taste test!
4. At this point, you have two options - reheat the soup or puree for a creamier consistency. If the second, whip out that blender stick and work to get a smooth consistency. If no blender stick, proceed to step 5.
5. Turn the burner on to medium low to bring the soup back to a proper level of warmth. Keep an eye on things and stir occasionally...you don't want to scald the botton. Re-heating shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.
6. Spoon into bowls and serve! We usually serve with slices of cheddar and fresh french bread. I like to break-up the cheddar and drop it in so I can find tasty bits of cheese amidst my creamy soup.

Bon Appetit!

Living in Loo's Life...

...it was nearly a month ago that my last post went up, . Alas, Loo-life has recently become slightly busier but not all for bad reasons. I look back and remember that this last month has been filled with adventures...the least of which include, of course, food!

In the short version of a recap, we went to a fantastic dinner party where a friend sliced off the top of a bottle of champagne with a sword in honor of our engagement...another friend moved in with her boyfriend (lots and lots and lots of flights of stairs)!...I started a different job - much improved upon my initial jump back into the world of suits, I now have my own office with a view...I sent my fiancee on a scavenger hunt to locate his engagement ring (guys with engagement rings are totally hot!)...and last but not least, we have decided to buy a condo/house in Salem and I have spent a considerable amount of time researching.

Other than that, I think the remainder of my free time has been spent decanting from work, cooking and going to sleep at obsurdly early hours - some would swear I am a 50 year old woman stuck in a 26 year old body! And I have a personal vendetta out to the tv executive who though 10pm was a good time slot for Project Runway...how unfair!

In other news, we have decided to push the wedding to 2011 as both my fiancee and I have absolutely no intention of letting a wedding ceremony rule our lives and run us into a frenzy...in the end, all we really want is a super fun party with our favorite people. Which to us can only mean a few things - victorian garb, a castle, amazing food and steampunk! I look forward to many hours of project-time creating fun additions to wow our guests! And if anyone knows any good vegan/vegetarian caterers in the Boston area...shout it out!

The first PROJECT post will be up soon (cloth napkins); however, in the meantime, I am going to post 3 great soup/stew recipes. I know we are coming to the end of the cold/rainy season - so try these soon! Don't forget to post comments if you try a recipe out...

And lastly, whether you're a vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, carnist or just plain human - I really recommend reading, "Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows: An Introduction into Carnism, " by Melanie Joy. She takes a refreshing look at the age old debate between those who don't eat meat and those who do - her attempt is to create a line of communication between the various categories of consumption so that while we may all have different ways of approaching what we eat, we can all understand each other in a better way.

I bid you adieu for now and leave you with these recipes...

Easy Biscuits (Vegan)

As the name intimates...these are easy biscuits. You probably have the ingredients lying around the house (well, maybe just in the kitchen cupboards) and it doesn't require any sort of cooking finesse!

This is from a book that I unfortunately don't have the title to...sorry, folks! I borrowed it from a friend and made a few photocopies but forgot to write down the name...

Easy Biscuits:
2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 margarine or vegetable shortening (I use vegan butter sticks) at room temperature
3/4 to 1 cup sour soy milk (soy milk + 1 tsp vinegar)

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, sift (yes...get out that sifter!!) together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the margarine and sour milk and mix together gently until "just mixed." (If you want, you can cut in the margarine and sour milk by holding to knifes together until is fairly well mixed...or just get your hands dirty!)

3. Spoon into lighlty oiled muffin tins or roll out and cut with biscuit/cookie cutters and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. If you are going for the roll out method, spread some flour on the surface (and on your rolling pin) and roll the dough until it is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, the biscuits will rise during cooking. If you don't have cookie cutters, take a butter knife and you can make all sorts of fantastical and fun shapes for your biscuits! If spooning into the muffin tins, there should be enough to fill 6 tins (not full) to make 6 biscuits.

4. Bake for 12-18 minutes.

You can slather the tops with butter and jam or dip these into a sumptious soup. Or serve at a dinner party with a nice dip and vegetables.

Loo-ish Ways...

This is going to be a rather short post because I became aware today that I have not stopped moving since last Wednesday night...and even that was only a few hours of peace.

Thursday - work.
Thursday night - I made peanut butter cookies, dark chocolate brownies, boiled potatoes, prepared a salad, prepared for an interview (a whole other story), signed health insurance information for my job, watched Project Runway...whew.

Friday, after a long and grueling day working for the man, I met with my very good friend Morgan for a long session of, "catch up on each others lives." She moved to NYC a few years ago and we are those two gals that can sit on the phone with each other for hours at a time...there is never enough Morgan time. We spent the evening eating at Diva, a great Indian restaurant in Davis Square. If you go there, which I recommend that you do, order several different breads for the table - they do a fantastic job with them. My favorites include their classic garlic naan and the punjabi paratha (both vegetarian, though neither vegan).

Saturday morning, I found myself trying to relax. It started off calmy enough with a candid documentary on North Korea. However as I was ever-so-casually browsing Craigslist, I came upon a posting for a simple yet sturdy kitchen table for $30. I have been looking for a great craft table and this was it! So, without hesitation, we headed off to Kingston, MA - about a 45 minute drive from our place. The seller, a guy named Terry, was a very friendly smiley guy in a one-piece coverall...you couldn't help buy like him immediately! Turns out, he only wanted $20 for the table since we weren't taking the chairs.

But, I digress (and this post is suddenly growing curiously long)...we barely made it back to the house (and barely got the table inside) before we were back out again to Jamaica Plain to meet with Bllu, Eric's sister for her birthday dinner. She has a two year-old named Mairead, so meals out are always a stressful affair! After dinner we headed back to their place and chatted...then back home and straight into bed - I was exhausted!

Sunday morning, try as I might, I just couldn't sleep in very late! I made our grocery list and then we both tackled the apartment - scrubbing, disinfecting, wiping, sweeping, mopping, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Then...off to the store.

At this point, I saw Eric grabbing his camera and thought to myself, "gosh, that's strange...we're only going to Whole Foods and it is not that entertaining." Oh, Loo. He mentioned that there was a tower at the Fellsway he had been wanting to take a picture of for a long while but he never remembers. He is working on an online comic, The Parallels, so I thought he might need a reference picture because it was a cold and very, very windy day...not strolling or hiking weather!
We get to the park and there are no directions to the tower, so, using perfectly good logic, we just start heading up. To my delight, there were dogs all around - what a wonderful sight! We climbed up but could still not make out where we should head for the tower...we had stepped out onto this huge rock formation on the side of the hill overlooking the dog field below and I was scanning the sky for a tower-like protrusion from the trees. I glance back toward Eric only to find him missing! I looked down and to my never-ending delight, found him down on the knee with the most sincere look of love upon his face. My heart stopped - because I had imagined this moment so many times before - and a huge smile began to spread across my face. I will never recall the specific words he said to me because all I really heard was, "I choose you," and the silly babble coming out of my mouth was a jumbled and repetitive and resounding, 'yes!'

It doesn't change anything about our relationship...but it lets me know - in that deep sort of way - that someone has found me so special that they are willing to spend the rest of their life with my silly loo-ish ways.

RECIPE: Crimson Velveteen Cupcakes (Vegan)

Wait, wait, wait...come on back here!

This recipe may be vegan but once you put these tasty little morsels in your mouth I promise that both you and your mouth will be instant converts and your friends will never even know the dairy is missing.

This recipe comes from one of my favorite dessert recipe books and from two of my favorite vegan chefs - Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. These uber cool chicks hail from Brooklyn and have been cooking and baking up a fury on their online cooking show - The Post Punk Kitchen - since 2003. They are also the authors of the famed, "Veganomicon." (you need to say it in the movie announcer voice...really)

This particular recipes is from, "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World," which is packed with a ton of other tasty cakey treats.

Vegan Tip: When buying white sugar, make sure to look for vegan sugar...not a bad idea even if you are vegetarian. Many white sugar refineries use bone char (charcoal made from animal bone) during processing making it less suitable for those of us with a vegan/vegetarian diet. You can find a pretty good list of some confirmed safe and un-safe companies here. Also, Whole Foods Market sells vegan white sugar at a reasonable price.

Environmental Tip: While paper liners can be fun for muffins/cupcakes, re-usable plastic liners save you money, reduce random trips to the store and provide a fantastic way to cut down on your paper consumption. I currently have a set of Wilton liners which are resilient little buggers! There are a lot of brands and a lot of styles so go get some...

And now on to the fun part...

Crimson Velveteen Cupcakes with Old Fashioned Velvet Icing:
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cooling/Icing Time: 1-2 hours

Ingredients:
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder (dutch pressed or regular)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil (can substitute safflower/sunflower)
2 tbsp food coloring (or a good chunk of solid paste color)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 tsp chocolate extract (I have never found this, but it has not been missed in my recipe)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle. (Should be frothy.)
3. Sift (yes, it's worth it) the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and mix.
4. Add the oil, food coloring, chocolate extract (if using) and almond extract to the curdled soy milk. Whisk well to combine. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing just until large lumps disappear (do not overmix).
5. Fill cupcake liners about two-thirds of the way full as these cupcakes will rise fairly high. Place in hot oven and bake for 18-20 minutes until done, but be sure not to overbake. Let cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Old Fashioned Velveteen Icing:
It is extremely important to completely cool the cooked flour mixture before beating in the shortening and margarine. An electric mixer can be a necessary tool to get the right consistency.
You can work on this while your cupcakes on cooling. Because a portion of this icing needs to cool in the refrigerator, it is not a bad idea to begin when your cupcakes come out of the oven.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup soy milk
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening (can get vegan at Whole Foods Market)
1/4 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance - Soy Garden is a good brand)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup superfine or castor sugar

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the flour and soy milk. Stir constantly until the mixture starts to thicken and has a puddinglike consistency, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and press plastic wrap onto the top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Allow mixture to cool completely before the next step. (as you might guess, this is very important...a warm pudding/custard might melt the fats in the next step)
2. Cream together the shortening, margarine, vanilla and sugar...then beat in the cold custard. Beat with electric mixer for 4 to 6 minutes; frosting should become lighter in color and have a very creamy texture, similar to thick whipped cream. Frost on cooled cupcakes, refrigerate for 15-20 minutes before serving.



If you make changes to this recipe with good results, please post in the comments section.

The Loo Forecast...

Extended Weather Forecast: Snow
Extended Loo Forecast: Grumpy

So, I do live in New England and, yes, I chose to live here. It really is a beautiful place - rolling green hills, lots of trees, access to the ocean, access to great architecture, access to river-side bike rides, access to history - just NOT in the winter...and winter has been here 100 days too long!

I would normally spend a snowy winter weekday curled up on the couch reading a book. No concern about the thousands of commuters crawling, digging and sliding their way to work. But, as you know, my life has recently changed and while I welcome the larger paycheck, I loathe the fact that tomorrow I will find myself along with those thousands of Boston commuters trudging my way through the freezing, wet, mushy snow to the steamy hot confines of the 'T' where I will weave my way under the streets of Boston and on to eight hours in the stiff and unwieldy chairs of the training room at my new job.

I dream of warmer days. I dream of the weekend. And most of all, I dream of life without the 'American' work week...a life with more focus on our lives rather than units of production. I dream of a crafty existence...

RECIPE: Three Cheese Baked Ziti (Vegetarian)

This three-cheese ziti is easy to make and super delicious. Pairs well with yummy homemade garlic bread!

Vegetarian Tip: Check your cheeses to make sure the product does not contain rennet. While sometimes derived from vegetable sources (it will say!), rennet is typically produced from the stomach of cows. You can read more here (if you have the, eh, stomach for it): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennet.

If you make changes to the recipe with good results, please post in the comments section!

Three Cheese Baked Ziti (Vegetarian):
Prep Time: 20 mintues
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb penne rigata pasta
1 25-oz jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I use the Whole Foods 365 Brand Tomato & Eggplant)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp of basil (can use dry or fresh, we use dried in the winter)
sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, combine 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce (not the whole jar, folks), ricotta cheese, Parmesan and basil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Allow the cooked pasta to cool for 5 minutes, then toss with the cheese & sauce mixture.
4. Spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce on the bottom of a square (8x8, 9x9) baking dish. Pour the pasta mixture into the dish and drizzle the remaining sauce over the top.
5. Top with mozzarella cheese (don't be shy) and bake uncovered, until the top is golden brown and bubbly...about 30 minutes.
6. Serve immediately!

Bon Appetit!

The Wooden Spooner Attacks

It is at the end of one journey that I find myself beginning another. I suppose someone once said that, "all good things must come to an end." I am not sure who said it or to what end it meant to them (and I am clearly too lazy to look it up), but I do know that it does seem to be an adequate description for at least part of my current circumstances.

For the last seven months I have enjoyed a rare experience - unemployment with a solid weekly paycheck - time for bike rides and long walks, time to try new recipes, time to make costumes, time to host parties, time to host out-of-town guests, time to travel, time to sleep-in and time, even occasionally, to be bored - free time to do with as I pleased without the care of a 9 to 5 and some pudgy boss looking over my shoulder (could you fix that TPS report?).

While this time has passed swiftly, I did not spent it idly. My boyfriend and I spent the summer exploring the streets and surrounding areas of Boston on our bikes as we adjusted to life living together (aka me re-arranging things every week). We won free tickets to Old Sturbridge Village and thus explored rural town life of the 1830s and met Carl the rooster (he looked a bit peckish...ooh). I spent a gazillion hours making a corset (my first real sewing project and a most arduous task I assure you) for my halloween costume and nearly as much time on the phone with my mom as she managed the task of sewing the rest of our period-accurate victorian looks. I found myself in Salem on more than one occassion but also managed to get out of the state and head to NYC for a visit with my very dear friend Morgan. My sister came to visit in October and we staged a crazy Halloween inspired potluck (witch fingers, bloody eyeballs...good wholesome food)...only a few short weeks later, my mom was here for a Thanksgiving visit. I chopped my hair short and discovered the delight of pixie bangs and went on an annual wine tour with my dear friends Rose and Susan. I handmade 90 cloth napkins, 64 hand-stamped tile coasters and 16 hand-stamped trivets in the course of 2 weeks. In Oklahoma for the holidays, I helped do a faux finish paint job and challenged my mom to our annual Iron Chef Doughty competition (yes, we're nerdy!). January found me in need of a slower pace as well as the need to file for an extension on my unemployment benefits and, let's be honest, it was time to start the real hunt for a new job.

Amidst this time as an 'unemployed', I rediscovered myself. You see, I was once a very creative individual but my time with my previous employer stamped it out of me in a most viscious manner - sales. Sales where your salary depends on your ability to convince other people to do something they may not want to do - something that screams (to most of us) to run away. While I did my best to help my clients make the decision they wanted, I still knew the shortcomings of the product I was selling and sadly even I would push a sale. This tore at the very essence of who I am (or was) and eventually found me slinking and slumping into a habitual sludge of boring and very uncreative activities. When the company announced a voluntary layoff program with severance included it took but the space of a breath for me to realize the path I would take. If you would like to imagine the smile on my face (or rather in my mind), think of the Cheshire Cat...

So, it has been with this gift of unemployment that I have found myself again in touch with the Lora I knew growing up - the girl tirelessly in pursuit of doing creative things. Today, I find myself again acting the creative soldier...BAM-BAM-BAM-WAZAAAA.

I have spent the last 28 Sundays calling the unemployment line for my weekly check and I have but one last call to make - for my time to re-enter the workforce is at hand and life is about to get a lot more repetitive. BUT, I refuse to let go of this refound link with my creative juices and will dedicate my extra hours to as many creative endeavors as possible.

My blog will be my voice for these passions; my blog will be a way for me to remember to the very tips of my toes (very cold toes at the moment) who I am and what I am capable of - my blog will be a way for me to share my essence with you. In it you will find recipes and craft projects along with product suggestions and reviews and as always the random meanderings of my mind.

Fasten your Quidditch goggles and enjoy the ride...