first I had no stove

Posted on June 17, 2007 by mariko

Now I have no kitchen. I just did the dishes in the bathtub. I’ll try to get a post up tomorrow!

Posted in General | 10 Comments

Rice Ball Central

Posted on June 11, 2007 by mariko

I am still on a rice ball kick, and I now have a tool that makes life much easier–a rice ball mold!

yaki musubi.JPG
A while back I experimented with the rice balls by brushing on a miso paste and broiling them for a bit. It made the rice a bit too crunchy, but I will definitely make the miso paste again. I was inspired to make the paste because I am completely in love with tofu dengaku–grilled tofu with miso paste. You can use the paste on grilled veggies and whatever else you want!

Posted in food | 15 Comments

new duds

Posted on June 8, 2007 by mariko

It’s taken me months, but I finally finished sewing this shirt! Here’s a shot of it in the shade:

new shirt shade.JPG

And a shot in the sun:
new shirt sun.JPG

I used a pattern out of one of my Japanese craft books (Blouse Pants Skirt). The fabric, of course, is from superbuzzy. The directions and diagrams in this book aren’t as detailed as some other Japanese sewing books, so I had to improvise quite a bit. In the book this top is super long and billowy. I shortened it and made the black flat instead of gathered. It feels pretty blousy and maternity-ish with just the front gathered, so I’m glad I made that alteration! Peter didn’t have too many rude comments about it. He did note that it was a “new look” for me and did say something about it resembling maternity clothing. Don’t worry, folks, these eggs are all dried up, so there’s no need for actual maternity clothes around here.

Posted in sewing | 22 Comments

the great brownie experiment continues

Posted on June 7, 2007 by mariko

king arthur brownies.JPG

After I made that last batch of brownies I began thinking I should experiment with different kinds of brownie recipes, just to see how different they are. I ran across a recipe for The Best Fudge Brownies Ever on the back of a sack of King Arthur flour, so I thought I’d give them a shot. They are really different from the supernatural brownies. Whereas the supernatural brownies used melted bittersweet chocolate, brown sugar, and very little flour, the King Arthur ones used cocoa and more flour (big surprise).
They were quite easy to make, and boy, they are black as midnight! I figured they would be fudgy and lovely. Well, they were a little cakier than I like. I really prefer a chewy, dense brownie. Still, they were quite flavorful, and they tasted even better the second day (the chocolate flavor was stronger and fuller). I will keep both this and the supernatural brownie recipe on hand! Further experimentation is on hiatus, since I sold our range on Craig’s List yesterday.
Read on for the recipe …

Continue reading →

Posted in baking | 13 Comments

stuffy love

Posted on June 5, 2007 by mariko

Sock and Glove (Medium).JPG
File this away in the “more stuff I’d like to be making” category. I was pretty excited to receive this review copy, since I am familiar with the original, Japanese version of the book. How genius and crazy is this? Make cute stuff out of old gloves and socks!
Sock and Glove rabbit (Medium).JPG
The English-language version has a U.S. heft to it, whatever that means. I don’t know, it just feels different from the Japanese version. Still, the patterns are very cute and the instructions very straightforward and clear, complete with nicely photographed details.
Check out this cute birdy you can make with an old sock!
Sock and Glove bird (Medium).JPG

And here is a completed glove dog, made for me a couple years ago by Schmee.
schmee bear.JPG
(And yes, Carolyn, I am still planning to make you one. Someday. In a galaxy far, far away. HA HA HA).

Posted in other crafting | 10 Comments

scrub

Posted on June 4, 2007 by mariko

Stop the presses! I actually made something!

tawashi.JPG
All right, so it’s just a little crocheted scrubbie, but since I don’t really know how to crochet, and I don’t really know how to decipher Japanese crochet diagrams, it WAS somewhat of an accomplishment. I keep forgetting to use it when I wash dishes, so I am unsure of its effectiveness. The pattern is from this book.
I also baked the delicious Rhubarb Blueberry Crumble from Amy‘s mailorder.
rhuberry.JPG
I find it difficult to say “rhubarb blueberry” so I’ve just started calling it “rhuberry.” I think I needed more tart rhubarb, but other than that it was very tasty. All of Amy’s recipes are splendid. I need to get all my baking in, since I am going to be without a kitchen for the entire summer beginning this Saturday. We’re remodeling. It’ll be chaotic, but I already live in chaos, and this means I don’t have to cook, so I can’t complain.

Posted in other crafting | 12 Comments

put a lid on it

Posted on June 1, 2007 by mariko

Here’s Action Hero with her cute new bucket hat:

Melissa bucket hat.JPG
She made it with some superbuzzy fabric! I have grand plans for my stockpile of superbuzzy fabrics, but I just haven’t had the time (or energy) to do much sewing. And speaking of superbuzzy fabrics, some of you clever people have noticed that we just added some new ones, including some fairy tale canvas: Jack and the Beanstalk, a Russian folktale featuring “kolobok,” which apparently translates to “flattened dough ball,” according to my Russian literature scholar buddy Alice, and Wizard of Oz (okay, so not technically a fairy tale … ). We also have fabric from Puti de Pome. It might look mellow and muted online, but in person the stuff is really sweet and adorable. Okay, I’ve got scads more fabrics itching to get on the shelves, so I have my work cut out for me!

Posted in zip | 6 Comments

A lov.li weekend

Posted on May 31, 2007 by mariko

lovli.jpg
If you are in Portland, OR, you might want to check out the Lov.li Fair this Sunday. It is going to be a crafting extravaganza: you can shop (more than 30 vendors will be selling their crafts), craft (there will be some hands-on crafting tables), socialize, and eat and drink! This is a 21-and-over event, so all you youngsters have to stay home, sorry. The Lov.li Fair will be held at RonTom’s at 600 E Burnside from 11am-4pm on Sunday, June 3. See ya there!

Posted in other crafting | 7 Comments

calf girdle

Posted on May 29, 2007 by mariko

Since we moved to Portland, I have been all about knee-high socks. In fact, this winter I think I wore knee-high socks on a daily basis. They are so toasty and comfy! Back in high school (in Portland, too, so maybe there’s a connection?) I had a favorite pair of Nike tube socks. I actually had those until a couple years ago, when the foot sections finally disintegrated.

running socks.JPG
Nowadays I am a big fan of compression socks. I got some nice ones at Nordstrom’s, and they keep my hefty calves intact. Taking things a step further, I recently bought some running compression socks by Oxysox (I bought mine from Revel Sports–super quick service and free shipping!). I got black, hoping for a slimming effect, but I know that is impossible with my ample calves. Yes, they look ridiculous and make my already short legs look even shorter and stubbier, but they feel great! They keep the muscles warm and supposedly improve circulation, and my calves did feel pretty good after a run in them. Now if only they made whole body suits out of this stuff …

Posted in General | 12 Comments

supernatural brownies

Posted on May 24, 2007 by mariko

chocolate for brownies.JPG
The other day I decided I just needed to have some baked chocolate treats. I had cut out a recipe for Supernatural Brownies, so I gave them a try. You know about the whole brownie debate–chewy vs fudgy vs cakey and all that. I prefer my brownies to be chewy and dense. The Supernatural Brownies were supposed to be the great equalizer of brownies, the perfect blend of ultra dense and crumbly or something.
I forgot to take a photo of the finished product. Suffice it to say that they were quite delicious. They were very chocolatey (I chose to use the chocolates pictured above. I had some Hershey’s baking chocolate on hand as well, but it had a lower cacao content, and I thought I’d go for dark dark dark with the first batch) and flavorful. They had a nice chew, but I’m thinking I like my brownies even chewier (guess I’ll just have to experiment some more!).
Read on for the recipe …

Continue reading →

Posted in baking | 21 Comments