Comfort Food

This recipe is called, "To Die For Blueberry Muffins" and the folks at allrecipes.com weren't lying. I tried it and I love it.

1. Preheat oven to 400 and line muffin pan.

2. Combine 1 1/2 C flour, 1/2 C sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking powder.

3. Mix in measuring cup, 1/3 C vegetable oil, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla and enough milk to equal 1 cup.

4. Add wet mixture to dry and fold in 1 C of blueberries.

5. Fill 12 muffin cups with the mixture evenly. Then top with THIS:

1. Mix 1/2 C white sugar, 1/3 C flour and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Cut in 1/4 C of butter cubed.

Bake for 20 -25 minutes and enjoy!

Infinite Power of Hope

The news coming from Japan is so sad. I cannot even imagine what those families are going through right now and my prayers are with them. I'm going to hug my family a little more today and tell them how much I love and appreciate them. Sometimes all a person can do in the face of tragedy so far away is count their blessings and be grateful for each day we have to make the world a little better!

Thai Chicken in Red Curry

I love Thai food, not as much as Korean food but close. So tonight I threw together some Thai chicken in red curry and it was DELICIOUS! Completely unauthentic, but delicious and easy:

*Heat 2 TBSP cooking oil in a large pot and add:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin and lightly salted

*Cook until the outside of the chicken starts to turn white. Then throw in:

3-4 small potatoes, chopped

*Stir that up until it's nice and hot and add:

2 TBSP or so of Thai red curry paste

*Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, then throw in the:

1 red bell pepper sliced

1/2 green pepper sliced

1 large onion sliced

1 zucchini chopped

1 container of small white mushrooms

*Cook until the color of the veggies get nice and bright. Stir in:

1 can of coconut milk + 1/2 can of water

a couple drops of fish sauce

2 spoonfuls of brown sugar

*Cook on medium heat with the lid on until the potatoes are just done, under 10 minutes and salt to taste. Serve over rice (never use Minute Rice, use a good, authentic, sticky Asian rice) and top with a little cilantro and/or basil and garnish with a lime. It's good, try it!

Canon PowerShot S95 Miniature Effect (Intersection)

So I'm still obsessing over cameras. I know it's a little crazy, but cameras cost a lot of money and I want to make sure I get the just right, perfect one. It's difficult to navigate through all of the various capabilities and gimmicky stuff the companies advertise as must have. I try to see through that stuff and not be a sucker, BUT here is one effect I think I might not be able to live without. It's the "miniature effect" or "time lapse effect". Incredible!!! It makes everything look like a toy and leaves me wanting more. I wish my eyes could see like this all the time.

You got me Canon, you really got me.

March is Looking Good!

Aaaah, February is OVAH and March is so here to stay! Well, at least for 20 something more days. I can't lie, February is my least favorite month of the year. Cold+Dark+a mediocre holiday= a Debbie Downer.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting back outside. There is only so much inside the house a person can take, and my garden beds are looking mighty shabby! St Patrick's Day is way better than Valentine's Day too. I happen to love cabbage, so that helps as well.

The World's Most Typical Person

I saw this earlier and thought, "Huh, go Han Chinese". Asians are typical, very interesting.

Calling All Photographers

One of the best things about blogging is being able to pick the brains of my very creative friends en masse!

We are trying to pick out a new camera for everyday use because our normal camera and video camera are both breaking. Unfortunately, I have no idea what I'm looking for and had no idea how many different kinds of cameras there are. There are TONS by the way! I only know a pretty picture and that's what we want.

So I started emailing people individually and then realized how dumb that was when I could just ask right here. WHAT DO YOU THINK? I want a camera that can take good pictures and records videos all in one. Is there an advantage to the slr's if you're not going to change out the lenses?

Canon Rebel vs. Nikon vs. Sony point and shoot vs. whatever??????

I know, this is a really hard problem to have, right? Please help me.

Goodbye February

Because you were so cold and gross, we had no choice but to stay inside and

make lots of treats,

enjoy fantastic Valentines from sweethearts and friends like this one from Grace's bff "E".... candy ipod with Reese's ear buds (brilliant),

sew a baby quilt,

give and receive cute haircuts,

and spend TONS of time together!!! We'll miss you, but we're ready for Spring now.

(And after all those sweets, stay tuned for "Goodbye Muffintop", coming soon!)

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for this message because I've been struggling lately and needed to hear it. As a mother I'm thankful for the eternal principle of losing ourselves in unselfish service to others. Sometimes I forget and my priorities get messed up and sometimes it's just really hard to be a mom... but I know it's the most important work for me on this earth and I will keep trying!!!

Removable Wallpaper is the Best Idea EVER!!!

I saw this tonight and had to share! Jordan Ferney of "Oh Happy Day (parties and pretty things)" blog put her removable wallpaper to the test and it was indeed removable. Not only that, she has a friend who wants to reuse the pieces in her house. Brilliant!

http://jordanferney.blogspot.com

So So SO Awsomely Bad

For some reason I've had this annoying song in my head all day, so when I got home I thought it'd be funny to look it up on YouTube with the kids. What we saw took our breath away... between the tribal makeup, shirtless guys wearing bow ties and dookie pants, I'm stunned. I wonder what it was like on the set of this type of production. How many people busted out laughing mid, "Ohwayohway"?

I didn't think there was anything worse than Jefferson Starship's "We Built This City", or Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart", "The Safety Dance" or Wilson Phillips in general but I was wrong. Who knew?

Another Blog Link... Slipcover How To

I've tried making slipcovers and they turned out OK.... alright, maybe way less than OK, but this is why I love blogging so much. I'm not in a place in my life right now where I can take "real" sewing classes, so I rely on my generous blogging friends (they have no idea who I am) to show me how things are done.

"Be Different Act Normal" posted this link to a slipcover tutorial on her blog and I watched the first video. FANTASTIC!!! I've sewn piping before, but used the wrong pressure foot and it looked terrible. Now I know! I've got four dining chairs and a settee to cover, and by the end of this series, I'll be more prepared. Thanks Lori AGAIN!!!

www.bedifferentactnormal.com/2011/02/slipcover-tutorial-series.html

Enter to Win a....

...Shabby Apple dress! Go to the "From An Igloo" blog to enter. You just have to pick your favorite of the three. It's a fabulous blog by the way, posting some of the cutest sewing and craft ideas! Go now guys. http://www.fromanigloo.blogspot.com/

You should also check out the actual Shabby Apple Blog... http://blog.shabbyapple.com/ to find lots of beautiful dresses, shoes, bags, etc. Think "toned down Anthropology"... modest and more reasonably priced! I like the middle one the best, with a little more sleeve. I just saw a cute pair of pumps that are begging me to take them home as well!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

AMAZING!!!

I want to be like these guys.

Year of the Rabbit

I'm a rabbit, so 2011 is my year! Happy Korean New Year.

Rabbits are private individuals who would rather work behind the scenes than in the spotlight. The rabbit is not a recluse however, he is reasonably friendly and enjoys the company of a group of friends. He would like to be part of the gang rather than the leader of it. The rabbit is keen and plays close attention to what is going on around him. The rabbit is one of the most stylish of the Chinese animal signs and finds interest in different cultures. Rabbits also like artistic ventures. CHARACTERISTICS: keen, wise, fragile, tranquil, serene, considerate, fashionable, sneaky, obsessive...

Baby it's Cold Outside

We've had more snow this winter than any other Tennessee winter I can remember, but it doesn't even compare to what's going on up north!!! Phewee, I'm ready for Spring! I can't wait to get out in the garden and start planting.

Hoddeok

Hoddeok is a Korean dessert that I make for my family a lot. It's a traditional street food that is so simple to make and kids absolutely love it! It's kind of like a doughnut/sweet pancake/beignet type dessert. Here's what you do:

Place one cup of warm water in a bowl and add: 2 TBSP white sugar, 2 tsp yeast, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp vegetable oil. Stir until it's completely dissolved. Add 2 C of all purpose flour and mix it until there are no dry spots. Cover it with plastic wrap and a lid, and let it rise for one hour. Dough will be very sticky. Then punch it down and let it rise again for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, put 1/2 C brown sugar, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and a handful of walnuts into a food processor. Pulse until it's all chopped up and mixed well.

Heat a couple of TBSP of vegetable oil in a pan on medium heat. Flour your hands and counter, then separate the dough into 8 parts. Flatten one of the dough balls in your hand and place a heaping spoonful of the brown sugar mixture into the middle. Then pull the sides together and seal the top so the filling is all enclosed. Then place the dough, with the sealed side down in the warm, well oiled pan.

Fry for a couple of minutes and then turn over. At this point you'll use your spatula to flatten the dough ball completely. Cook for a couple of more minutes and flip it again. Then cover with a lid for a couple of minutes. Remove it from the pan and put it on a plate with paper towels to get the excess oil off. Serve warm/hot, whatever you can stand!

The outside is crispy, the dough is chewy and the center has turned into a lovely nutty syrup. You can change out the filling too if you'd like. Nutella is delicious as a filling with some powdered sugar on top, or you can go savory and fill it with cheese! The ultimate comfort food!!!

For a video tutorial, go here:

www.maangchi.com/recipe/hoddeok

This is my favorite website for Korean recipes. They always turn out well, using simple, easy to find ingredients, especially if you have a local Asian grocery. Enjoy, and let me know if you tried it!

UPDATE: You can cook this without a filling and just drizzle honey on top when it's hot. I tried it and it's good!

Happy February

I don't decorate for Valentine's Day. I do, however, get the biggest kick out of making new cards for my kid's class parties. Last year I made the cards that have a picture of your child holding out a lollipop and they were huge hits. I've made the fortune cookies and the lollipop flowers too.

I really like these red hot gift baggies with the picture. It looks easy! The custom candy bar wrapper is pretty cute too.

Click on the MSL link on my sidebar for these instructions and much much MORE!!!

A Quick Fix

Like most people, we have (had) one of those bathroom mirrors downstairs that's stuck with glue on the wall. It has no frame and just looks unfinished, so we wanted to either A.Put a frame on it or B.Replace it. We decided on plan B because we already have an extra mirror to hang over the sink. The trouble is, taking the existing mirror down without breaking it into a million pieces is some sketchy business.

Well, I saw this tip on HGTV.com years ago and Scott and I decided to put it to the test today... and holy guacamole, it worked!!! -Take medium gage picture hanging wire and slide it behind the glued on mirror. With one person on one side, and you on the other, alternately pull each side so the wire saws right through the glue. This will save your wall and this will save the mirror. It took maybe 20 minutes.

(PS. Neither one of these pictures is my bathroom! I wish.)