07 December 2006
Crafty odds and ends. I made this book wrap the other day, out of some of the left over woolen flannel I used for the leaf garland. The ribbon wraps around the button for closure, so it can fit books of varying sizes, and it has a little pocket inside for a pen (see here). Love that leafy Rowan fabric.
Speaking of Rowan fabric, I've been working on a set of hotpads (nearly done, but for the hand stitching of the bias tape -- blah). I used to subscribe to the Cotton Patch's Kaffe Fassett fabric club (which included other Rowan designers), so I would get a selection of 9"x11" swatches when a new design would come out. Since my hotpads are 7"x7", I was left with lots of strips, which I cut down to make this:
Obviously influenced by Lyn's scrap bag. I like hers much better, of course; I'm not very good at just letting things happen, which is pretty crucial to the look of the project. I wish I would have cut the strips narrower now, but it's still a cute little basket-type bag, perfect for a small crochet project on the go.
Lastly, I really liked the tofu tiger Jennifer made for her son the other day. Turns out when you're an adult, you have to cut your food into fun shapes yourself. My tofu medallions:
I was tempted to use a bunny cookie cutter or a deer-shaped one or a cutter meant for gingerbread men. But. . . it just seems weird (especially the gingerbread cut out!). So medallions it is. Dipped in soy sauce and fried in sesame oil, like I always do. This tofu was much different from what I used to buy in the UK, though. Very dense and almost rubbery. In the UK I'd buy Cauldron's organic tofu, so maybe I need to look for organic tofu here to find the lighter stuff I'm used to. I wouldn't say it's an issue of firmness so much as density. . . if that makes sense. Any tofu brand recommendations?
Thank you to everybody who left interesting comments on the last post. I'm always excited when I learn things (as anybody who's around me when I read an interesting book will know -- I tend to relay every fact as I absorb it!), and nutrition knowledge is no different. What's more, it's so easy to make a positive change to your lifestyle, but you don't really realize it until you've started. If you ever want to know more about the changes I've made to the way I eat and exercise, please do not hesitate to e-mail me -- I can go on for hours on the topic!
That bag is adorable! I really admire your work.
posted by rhea at December 7, 2006 10:43 PM
the book cover is really lovely. was it simple to make?
that woollen flannel is to *die for! :0)
posted by vera at December 8, 2006 08:10 AM
I like the bag and book wrap, but the thing that most caught my eye were the tofu medallions. Those look so good, I could just... but it's late, and I think eating after a certain hour is supposed to be bad for you.
I've never gotten the hang of frying up tofu - I might just be buying the wrong kind, but I get the extra-firm and it tends to break up in the pan. Maybe I'm just poking it too much, or the pan isn't hot enough, I'm not sure. I just get very envious when I see yummy-looking tofu, because mine usually just looks like mush.
posted by jessie at December 10, 2006 05:07 AM
i recommend buying tofu in bulk, if you're not already. the prepackaged stuff is very rubbery and doesn't have a pleasing texture. I buy it in bulk from my local health food store or a nearby grocery store and find that it's fluffier and less processed feeling. my favorite tofu dish is a baked affair inspired by Cooking Light magazine. Take some veggie broth, soy sauce, hot sauce, a smidge of sesame oil and what have you - mix in a baking dish. add cubed tofu and bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes until it's lovely and crispy on the outside. oh so yummy on short grain brown rice.
posted by mandy at December 11, 2006 03:40 PM
this is a back-door solution to the tofu problem--and one you probably already know--but freezing tofu drastically changes its texture. once you've defrosted it and drained the liquid, it ends up much drier and more porous--less slippery and rubbery and more like something you'd like to eat.
posted by katie at December 11, 2006 03:47 PM