Ch ch ch chia

Posted on June 12, 2009 by mariko

chia spice cookies.jpg
In my first experiment with chia gel, I made these molasses spice cookies using chia gel instead of oil. Chia gel is made from chia seeds, which are supposed to be a superfood, packed with antioxidants, low in fat, and, you know, just generally super awesome. Now, those of you who know me know I am all about baked goods, and I do not like “healthful” substitutions. If I’m going to have a sweet treat, I want it to be processed and refined and white.
chia gel.jpg
So, I did not get chia seeds for trick baking. I was influenced to give them a try after reading about what an amazing endurance food they are in the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. This book talks about the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, who are incredible runners. I highly recommend this book, though I suppose it’d be more interesting if you are a runner and into the whole barefoot/natural running phenomenon (remember my toe spreaders?).
Anyway, chia gel can be used as a substitute for oil and butter and can be added to food as an extender or to pack in some extra nutrients. Years ago I had a pumpkin cake made with chia gel, and I don’t remember it tasting weird or anything. I suspected that maybe cookies made with chia gel might be a little odd, and I was right. The recipe I used is for a chewy molasses spice cookie. Instead, I got a cakey, spongey cookie (I did add a tad more flour than was called for, though, because the dough seemed very soft). For those concerned with texture, this might be an issue, but you know, the flavor is there. I decided they would benefit from some icing, so there you go.
Read on for the recipe …

Continue reading →

Posted in baking | 9 Comments

a shirr thing

Posted on June 10, 2009 by mariko

shirred dress_512x768.jpg
Oh my gawd, I made something else! I know, it is hard to believe. I have been wanting to make this sundress by Heather Ross for a couple years, and I finally got around to it. The pattern is free (!), easy (!), and gives you the opportunity to try shirring by machine.
I used some fabric from my stash and shirred away. The technique is really pretty simple, though I think I might need to make my stitch length longer in the future. I kind of want to shirr everything now, which might be dangerous. Anyway, I cut out the dress pattern in small, but it looked pretty darn small, so I added about an inch and probably would not have suffered had I added even more. So, beware of sizing if you make this dress. It’s a fun dress, but I have to confess that the shirred section is too itchy to go without an undergarment, and I am not accustomed to such a snug fit. I guess a baggy shirred bodice would look kind of silly, though, wouldn’t it?

Posted in sewing | 16 Comments

Fake smock top

Posted on June 8, 2009 by mariko

pseudo smock top_512x768.jpg
I know, I know, try not to die from shock, but I did indeed finally sew something.
smock top pattern_1024x682.jpg
When I was in Japan in April, I picked up this cute pattern by Yoko Nogi for a simple top. I didn’t look at it very carefully, though, because if I had, I would have noticed that it was a child’s pattern. Now, maybe Sally can fit into child-size clothing, but alas, I cannot.
smocking progress.jpg
So, armed with very little knowledge, despite having taken a patternmaking class, I attempted to upsize the pattern. I even made a muslin! However, fitting continues to be a growth area for me, because the top is a bit on the large side. I can still wear it, though. Another challenge arose with the smocked section. The directions say something about gathering the fabric by machine then smocking it and removing the gathered stitches, but hello, have you ever tried smocking something that was erratically gathered by machine? I couldn’t manage it, so I just stitched down the gathered part then added some decorative stitching so it looks kind of smocked if you have 20/200 vision and stand a quarter mile away.
Anyway, it was fun to get back to the ol’ sewing machine, and I’ve even started on my next summer garment. I know. Try not to get overly excited now, ya hear?

Posted in sewing | 8 Comments

Seam tracers!

Posted on June 5, 2009 by mariko


Seam tracers!, originally uploaded by super eggplant.

I got some more Japanese pattern books during my trip to Japan, so I have some patterns to trace. Seam allowances aren’t included in Japanese patterns, so I got some of these clever little seam tracers from Clotilde. They come in 1/4″ and 5/8″. I usually like to use 3/8″ seams, but what can you do. I guess you could be clever like Action Hero Melissa and just tape two pencils together.

I take a lot of photos with my iPhone and upload them to flickr. So, now I’m thinking I should just blog those photos from flickr with my iPhone. I can’t figure out a simple way to do this, and it doesn’t appear the mobile flickr site has that capability. Anyway, if I figure it out (and please comment if you have suggestions), I’ll probably be blogging more frequently about the usual useless stuff!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Fruit enchiladas

Posted on June 2, 2009 by mariko


Fruit enchiladas, originally uploaded by super eggplant.

Sam and Dave were just here in Portland, and we were lucky enough to have some very fine meals with them. They actually met in culinary school, so they are no food slouches, but neither are they snobs! While we were enjoying a super nice meal at Simpatica, Sam told me about a delicious dessert that involved pop ‘n fresh crescent rolls and Mountain Dew. TELL ME MORE.

I was so eager to try the recipe that I just googled it instead of waiting for Sam to return home from her vacation and send me the recipe. I guess I am impatient that way.

FRUIT ENCHILADAS (recipe cobbled together from various google hits)

2 Granny Smith apples OR 4 peaches, peeled & quartered OR canned fruit (I used 3 Granny Smith apples and blueberries)
2 cans crescent rolls (I used the low-fat kind. Why? I have no clue)
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar (use less for sweeter fruit. I guess you can also use brown sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
10 ounces or a can of Mountain Dew (I used Sprite because of the caffeine factor, but I wonder if the enchiladas would really get a person wired?)
Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F.

Peel and slice apples into wedges. Unfold the crescent rolls. Place an apple wedge onto the wide part of a crescent roll and roll up. Place in a 13×9″ baking dish. Repeat. I also included a couple blueberries with the apple wedge. After I squished all the rolls into the pan, I had leftover wedges and blueberries, so I chopped up the apple and scattered them and the leftover blueberries on top.

In a pan, melt together the butter, sugar, and vanilla. Do not boil it or caramelize it. Just heat it so the sugar melts. Pour the concoction over the rolls. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Pour the soda over the rolls.

Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream. Yummers.

Posted in Uncategorized | 22 Comments

hot socks

Posted on May 28, 2009 by mariko

toe spreaders_1024x682.jpg
I am a fan of socks. In fact, even in the heat of summer I generally wear socks. I have been trying to collect more short, ped-style socks so that I don’t look quite as ridiculous wearing socks with shoes in the summer, and really, there is no better place to get weird yet highly specialized socks than Japan (I realize the socks above are not summer socks, and yes, I am wearing weird toe spreaders. For more info on those, see below**).
IMG_0970_1024x682.jpg
I am also quite fond of toe socks, and now I have a medical reason for wearing them (again, see below**). Some of my friends are physically repulsed by toe socks. I’m not sure why. Anyway, these toe socks are great because you can wear them with cute little flats.
IMG_0971_1024x682.jpg
Aren’t these cute? They have some nice embellishment in the toe region. I guess you’re supposed to wear them with little skimmers so the embellished portion is visible. I don’t think I have any footwear that fits the bill, but I thought the socks were cute.
IMG_0972_1024x682.jpg
My friend Yumi gave me these. Aren’t they crazy? I couldn’t really figure out if I was supposed to tie the bow in the front or the back. Does it matter? I guess I could do some sort of criss cross pattern up my enormous calves, too. Yeah, that’d look great.
IMG_0973_1024x682.jpg
These are most likely the craziest! They are designed for a very specific style of sandal, don’t you think? I thought I had some sandals that fit this configuration, but I was wrong. Oh well, they are still pretty cool socks.
**Toe spreaders and toe socks: I have a new podiatrist (he has a bit of a cult following here in Portland) who is all about getting our feet back to their natural state. This means NO high heels or shoes that squish your toes together. This also means encouraging toe spread and strengthening the feet. I have gotten rid of my orthotics and my motion-control running shoes and am now training in racing flats! It actually makes a lot of sense, and I look forward to trying some barefoot activities. In the meantime, though, I’ll stick with my weird Japanese socks!

Posted in General | 36 Comments

Thinking about sewing

Posted on May 23, 2009 by mariko


Nani Iro knit, originally uploaded by super eggplant.

Hi guys. I have turned into such a pathetic blogger! And really, I haven’t been knitting or sewing at all (though I did hem a bunch of skirts the other day. That counts, doesn’t it?). In the evenings I tend to just sprawl on the sofa and doze while the TV is on. But, perhaps things will change.

I got this Nani Iro knit fabric in Nagasaki. It’s the only piece of fabric I purchased during my recent trip to Japan! Now I need to decide what to make. I think it’d be most suited to a long-sleeve shirt, since it’s double layered and all. Any suggestions for style? I think I want to keep it pretty simple so that I can wear it for years and years and years!

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

you say flip flops

Posted on May 6, 2009 by mariko

IMG_0902_1024x682.jpg
So clearly my trip to Japan didn’t motivate me to actually start blogging or making stuff again, but what can you do. I did make something in Japan, as you can see. Apparently fashioning one’s own zori (aka flip flops and THONGS, as we used to call them back in the day) is a popular crafting pasttime in the land of the rising sun, so who am I to argue? When in Rome (or Japan, in this case), right?
IMG_0899_1024x682.jpg
There were lots of craft books with zori designs, but I opted for a handy, all-inclusive kit. I decided to make it in Japan, since the instructions were in Japanese, and my mother and aunt were right there to assist. They were so “helpful,” however, that at one point I had to tell them to STOP TALKING so that my pea-sized brain could figure out what was going on. The zori aren’t that difficult to make. The most time-consuming (and frustrating) part was turning the straps inside out, but hey, I just made my mother do it!
You can easily make these without a kit. You just need some rope for the basic structure and fabric strips. Mine came out a little defective looking, but then, my feet are a bit on the defective side, so I reckon it’s all good.

Posted in other crafting | 15 Comments

I’m back

Posted on April 28, 2009 by mariko


Dog beds in Japan, originally uploaded by super eggplant.

Still working on getting unpacked and caught up with things. My mother and I had a great trip and got to explore some new places, including Nagasaki and Busan, South Korea (where we went nuts over BB Cream). I never tire of visiting Japan. Don’t know when I’ll get back there next, but right now the 2011 Tokyo Marathon is in my mind. Anyone want to join me?

Posted in Uncategorized | 11 Comments

See ya in a few

Posted on April 7, 2009 by mariko


Matcha latte, originally uploaded by super eggplant.

Okay, kids, I am outta here for a couple of weeks! I’m heading to the land of my ancestors (with a little detour to South Korea). I won’t be blogging or e-mailing or twittering or anything. Hmm, so what WILL I do? I’m sure I’ll come up with something.

Posted in Uncategorized | 12 Comments