Friday, February 26, 2010

Foodie Friday: Homemade Tortillas

I have a confession. I have been lazy lately. I have not been good at menu planning at all. I have been taking the buy and see approach. This isn't good for the budget or supper time in our house. Oh well. Maybe next month will be better. 
I was planning on having chicken, bean, and tomato tortillas the other night. I cooked the chicken. I added the beans and tomatoes and then realized that we didn't have tortillas. I really didn't want to run to the grocery store. I knew that M would be getting home late and didn't want to have to make him go to the grocery store. My friend Google came to the rescue. I searched for homemade tortilla recipes and found this one. Sure it took some extra time, but it didn't involve a trip to the grocery store as I had all the ingredients on hand. 

Ingredients:
-2 cups of all-purpose flour (can make them whole wheat by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white flour)
-1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
-1 teaspoon of salt
-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
-3/4 cups of warm milk

Directions:
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.
Slowly add the warm milk.
Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)
After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. (If you roll out pie crusts you’ll have no problem with this.) Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.
Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.
Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.
While you probably won’t have any leftovers, you can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.
Makes eight tortillas.

While I probably will make these again sometime, I did pick up the big double pack of tortillas from Sams Club the other day. Always be prepared.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Homemade Christmas Gift #6: Pieced Scarf

Since we are nearing the end of winter (if I say that enough spring will surely come, right?), I decided I had better finish up my Christmas gift posts.
I made three of these pieced scarves. Two for gifts to others and one for a gift to myself. I would really like to make a tutorial for these at some point, but I will not make any promises. If you really would like the pattern, I can make arrangements. (My mom created a pattern to sell at the quilt shop that she works at.)
I pieced the top out of five pieces of fabric. Since I used a fleece for the back, I decided not to add any batting. I also decided against quilting the layers together and instead top stitched 1/4 of an inch away from the edge.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Caption Contest

Do you have it in you? 
Are you feeling lucky? 
Did you answer yes? 
Then you should try your penning (or should I say typing) some witty captions for these recent pictures of Little Peachy.

#1)

#2)

#3)

#4)

#5)

#6)

#7)

#8)

#9)

#10)

Here's the fine print:
1. You must leave a comment on my blog. For those of you reading this over at Facebook, just click on this link and then click on the comment link at the bottom of the post. If you don't have a blogger account, make sure and identify yourself. (It is a bit tricky figuring out who anonymous is.)
2. Your comment must be registered by 8 am CST Thursday, February 25th.
3. There may just be something in it for the winner.

Monday, February 22, 2010

The Next Step

I have decided to take my creations to the next level. While I am not yet ready to start a true website or open an Etsy shop, I have decided to go a little more public. I will now be displaying my projects on a Facebook page. I would be delighted to have you stop in.

I mixed several of my nick names and came up with kiki b. omi designs. 


I am very excited to see where this new adventure takes me.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Foodie Friday: Dessert Sushi (Guest Post)




Hi! This is Sarah and Michael, Kristi’s sister and brother-in-law. We live in Japan and are continually impressed by the food we are exposed to here. All food is impressive not only in its taste but also in its presentation. While not up to sushi-chef standards we decided to try our hand at dessert sushi when we had friends over last weekend. We started with a couple of trips to local grocery stores (both American and Japanese style) and a few Google searches.
Here is a picture of our final spread:


While the base of real sushi is rice, we offered a few different bases. A few were simply mini powdered doughnuts cut in half and set up on ends. Some were made with the large marshmallows. Using one box of pound cake mix, we made two loaves that were cut into separate blocks. We also made a few batches of rice crispy treats and a batch of macaroons.

Besides rice most sushi features seafood and seaweed. Ours featured candy, dried fruit and many yards of Fruit by the Foot! Some sushi eaters like a little wasabi on the side; ours featured a little pistachio pudding (with the nuts sifted out before mixing.)

Here are a couple of the easy types:

You guessed it! The sushi on the left was made with Hershey’s chocolate bars broken up into individual pieces topped with mini Swedish Fish. These are the kind of Swedish Fish that come in the bulk 3.5 lb. bag. We used a little frosting to make them stick. The plate on the right is Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls with the ends cut off, cut into thirds.

Onto some of the more detailed types. Starting on the outside we have gummy sharks on top of elongated macaroons. There is also dried mango attached to macaroons with strips of Fruit by the Foot (FBF). The pieces of apricot were cut in half and attached with frosting to the tops of pound cake. It’s a little hard to see in this picture but the apricot pieces with FBF are attached to mini powdered doughnut halves. The ring around the center is made with Twinkies, cut into thirds, wrapped in FBF, with either Yogo Bits (more on those later) or jelly beans stuck in the middle. The center is a true sushi roll. Those also will be explained later.

We’ll start with the four corners on this plate. We were able to find a few bags of the “Sea Life” mix by Swedish Fish (dolphins, starfish, sea horses, and blowfish). These are atop a regular pan of Rice Crispy treats (RCT), cut into appropriate sized blocks or macaroons. We also have marshmallows wrapped in FBF and the mini bulk Swedish fish attached to smaller bits of RCT. There is a little more dried mango here too. This time it’s attached to pound cake pieces.


The last two on this plate we’ll explain in a little more depth. First of all the “shrimp.” These are really candy orange slices. Here is how we turned them into shrimp:






The center sushis are supposed to look like roe sushi. First we made a little cup with a half marshmallow, wrapped in FBF. Then with a dab of frosting we added either half jelly beans or orange Yogos Bits. 
These mostly feature the same ideas with the addition of the actual rolls. We made these in the same way you make a real sushi roll, just with some substitutions. First we made a half batch of RCT. It was a half batch so it didn’t harden too soon. We greased a piece of plastic wrap and made a thin layer out of just part of the batch. It was about 8”x8”. Then we laid gummy worms, licorice, and other bits of candy in a row parallel to one edge. We rolled it like a sushi roll and cut it into slices when it had hardened. For one roll we sprinkled chocolate sprinkles on the plastic wrap before making the roll and filled it with white and milk chocolate chips.

In the end, I’d say we went a little overboard! We are still eating some after taking a few plates each to treat our co-workers the next day. But it was a lot of fun creating these. Kristi is the real baker in the family. This was more like a craft project for us!

Thanks Sarah and Mike! I just wish that we could give you a hand in finishing some of these off. They look yummy!!!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Double Fisting It


"Hmmm, which pacifier should I chose? Should I go with that other baby's or mine?"


"Let's just see what this one feels like in the old mouth."


"And mine . . ."


"And back to hers."


"You're lucky, kid, I'm going to stick with mine, for now."

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Valentine's Day Love

Here are the Valentine's Little Peachy shared with her playgroup buddies.




I simply wrapped scrapbook paper around an animal cracker box. 
Then I added a printed message strip and the initial of the recipient. Super easy and cute.


















I mailed these lovebird hand-towels off to two lovebirds in my family. (They made it safely all the way to Japan.)

















As long as I was making lovebirds, I added one to the front of this onesie.
handmade projects

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

You've Come a Long Way, Baby: 9 Months

Last Wednesday Little Peachy turned 9 months old. She and I celebrated with the stomach flu. (I wouldn't recommend it.) Now that we are just battling colds, I decided it was high time I got her nine month post written and her nine month chair picture taken.

It is hard to believe that Peachy has been "out" for as many months as she was "in."  (It is crazy what a fickle friend time can be. The nine months I was pregnant and waiting to meet our little one dragged on and on. The nine months since I first laid eyes on Peachy have flown by and I don't see it slowing down any time soon.)

I can't help but marvel at the transformation that has taken place in those 18 months. Peachy has gone from the size of the tip of a pen to 20 pounds. She has gone from one single cell to a jabbering, scooting little girl. Watching her develop before our eyes is truly an indescribable experience. I can't help but think of the Bible passage, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

At Nine Months Little Peachy:
-is very proficient in the army crawl. It is pretty crazy to see how fast and how far she can go while scooting around on her tummy. She has conquered many terrains, but has not yet crossed the carpet/laminate floor divide from our living room to our kitchen. It is like a invisible wall for her. And although she hasn't attempted to go by the stairs, a baby gate will soon be installed.
-loves anything that is new. If she hasn't seen it before, she needs to test it out. Unfortunately this often means things that are not meant for babies. She will quickly scoot across a room once she lays eyes on a cord or other interesting item.
-no longer sleeps in a swaddle. A few weeks after our Christmas vacation, we stopped swaddling. It was obviously time as she usually sleeps 12 hours straight at night without us needing to go in to her room. It amuses me that the little girl who hated tummy time often ends up sleeping on her tummy.
-is very determined. It is amazing how much physical strength the little string bean has when she has her mind set on something. Unfortunately she lets us know when we stand in her way.
-is getting more and more vocal. Our little girl is turning into a jabberer. I love hearing her little voice, especially when she is "singing."
-has five teeth. She has three in the middle of the bottom and one on each side of the top. I don't think that she is working on any others right now, but it is hard to tell. She is not a big fan of me poking around in her mouth.
-hates getting her face washed and nose wiped. Be prepared for a fight when you near her face with a washcloth, Kleenex, or bulb syringe.
-is a lovable sweetheart how is the joy of my life.

Monday, February 15, 2010

New Hobby

I don't knit. I don't crochet. I haven't had any intention of adding a new hobby to my already extensive list. I already have more fabric than time, more stamps than days, and more scrapbook paper than hours in the day. I always thought that I would save yarn arts until M and I are old and gray and snowbound in our mountain cabin. I always thought that until . . .


First of all, the full sized version everyone is sporting in Vancouver are so fun. But then to take those and shrink them into these. SO MUCH FUN.

I better find a way to sneak more minutes into my day.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

As Promised

We are nearing the end of a wonderful weekend. Having my parents here was great. (They must have tired Peachy out as she went down for a nap an hour and a half ago and is still sleeping. Is she in bed for the night? Should we wake her up to put her back to bed? Will she wake up in the middle of the night and think that it is morning? I guess we'll see.) We are thoroughly enjoying the Olympics. I don't plan on getting much done for the next few weeks other than enjoying the games.
I have been working on a little project in connection with my crafts. I am not quite ready to unveil it just yet, but I am really excited about it. I will make sure to let you know when I am ready.
Tonight I put the finishing touches on Peachy's Valentine's for her playgroup friends tomorrow. It is fun to be able to live vicariously through her.
Peachy and I are over the stomach flu and now just battling colds. M avoided the stomach flu, but seems to have picked up our cold. Definitely the less of the two evils.
So, we were all able to enjoy the snack spread for the opening ceremonies. (Well, all except Peachy, she was already in bed by the time the festivities began.) And now through the magic of the internet, you too can enjoy the spread!!

We had dip, pretzels, chips and salsa, hummus and pitas, cheese and crackers, heart shaped brownies, and sliders. All of the yumminess was washed down with your choice of beer, wine, or water.
The final picture is of roasted chick peas. They are easy to make, yummy, and fairly good for you.
1. Rinse and pat dry chick peas.
2. Spray baking pan with cooking spray.
3. Season with garlic powder, season salt, curry powder, and chili powder.
4. Bake at 375 for 30 - 35 minutes, shaking the pan every ten minutes.
I hope that you had a good weekend as well.

Friday, February 12, 2010

The Olympics Are Coming

(Foodie Friday will be temporarily postponed this week. The stomach flu hit our house and no cooking has been done. The good news is that Peachy and I seem to be over the worst of it and M hasn't gotten it, yet. I am hoping to post some of our Opening Ceremony snack recipes tomorrow.)

The Olympics are a big deal in my family. As M likes to say, "The Olympics are Kristi's sport." I can watch the most mundane of winter sports as long as they are part of the Olympics. I love the personal stories that are brought out when so many athletes from so many varied cultures all come together. Needless to say, I am way looking forward to the Opening Ceremonies tonight.

M made the Opening Ceremonies all the more special when he proposed to me while we were watching the Athens Opening Ceremony in 2004. So, now it is somewhat of a tradition in our family to have snacks and watch the Opening Ceremonies. (I had a great snack spread the night of our engagement thanks to a Tastefully Simple party I had hosted during the week.)

Tonight my parents happen to be coming to visit, so I am planning an extra yummy snacky/supper in honor of the Games.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Awesome Argile


I recently made this onesie and shoe set for a family member to give as a baby shower gift.


I was excited to make little boy shoes. It took a little modification from the pattern I had, but I am very happy with how they turned out.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Weekend Miscellani

M took two half days off at the end of last week so that we could hit the road. We loaded up the van and hit the road for his parents' house. We managed to make the five hour trip without stopping!! When I handed Peachy off to grandma, we realized she had soaked through her diaper. Oops! M hit the ski hills all day Friday while Peachy and I hung out with grandma and grandpa. I even got a few of the craft projects I brought along completed!


Saturday found us heading to visit with some of our friends who live about an hour away from M's hometown. They welcomed their first little one about 3 months after Peachy. It was fun to see the two of them together. Their little guy is about the same size as Peachy, so she had to show him who was boss.
The drive home last night was a bit rough, but once again we made it. After seeing cars in the ditch, cars rolled over, and cars that crashed into guard rails, I marvel once again at the Lord's guiding hand over us.

This little treat was waiting on our porch when we pulled into the driveway! Unfortunately I might have to postpone my plans for its contents as Peachy seems to have woken up under the weather.