chinese scallion pancakes

Did you do anything to celebrate the Chinese New Year this week? Monday was Chinese New Year and kicked off the Year of the Dragon. Ever since meeting my dear friend, Stacy who is half Chinese, I have loved cooking Chinese dishes and celebrating Chinese New Year. Yesterday we celebrated with a delicious lunch and everyone brought a Chinese dish to share. I made Stacy's fabulous lettuce wraps. Remember them? We also ate dumplings, beef and broccoli, a couple kinds of noodles, and cookies! One of my friends brought scallion pancakes and they were a huge hit!  She followed a recipe from Appetite for China, which is a great blog with many Chinese, as well as other culturally inspired, dishes.

(photo credit: Diana Kuan, Appetite for China)

These Chinese Scallion Pancakes were absolutely delicious. My friend served them warm with some Yoshida's sauce on the side, but they were equally delicious without any sauce. The recipe is as follows, but you will want to visit the original posting over at Appetite for China because she offers step by step photos, which is a huge help in following the recipe.  Enjoy them!

Chinese Scallion Pancake
From: Appetite for China


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (cake flour also works, but lacks elasticity)
1 teaspoon yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water + 1 teaspoon sugar to activate yeast
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped scallions

Sift flour into 2 equal portions into separate bowls. In the first bowl, slowly add the yeast-water, mixing with a spatula, until a dough forms.

In the second bowl, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt into the flour. Slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the boiling hot water while vigorously stirring (this “cooks” the dough.) Add more water and keep stirring until a rough dough forms. (If you accidentally add too much water and the dough is too soft, add a little more flour.) Mix in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Roll the doughs out on a lightly floured surface and knead them together. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 30 to 40 minutes.

On the same floured surface, roll out the risen dough. Form into a 1-inch thick log, and slice into Ping Pong-ball sized segments. With a rolling pin, roll each segment out to 4″ or 5″ circles.

Lightly brush the top of each circle with vegetable oil. Sprinkle over with chopped scallions and the remaining salt.

Roll up the circle, semi-tightly, making sure the scallions stay in place.

Now, roll it again lengthwise until it forms a coiled ball.

Turn the spiral side face-up, then flatten again into a circle with the rolling pin. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining dough until you have a stack of scallion-studded spiral patties. (Whatever you don’t cook immediately can be frozen for future use.)

Heat a flat-bottom skillet on medium high heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Working in batches, pan-fry the pancakes until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Serve warm.

creative kids: crafty essentials deal

Have you heard of the great site called, HauteLook? It's a website with top fashion and lifestyle brands at amazing savings. Each day at 8 AM Pacific, shop new sale events in women's and men's fashion and accessories, beauty, kids' apparel and toys, home décor, and travel getaways at up to 75% off. Membership is free and everyone is welcome!

Right now they have a great deal going on, creative kids: crafty essentials. I thought I would let you know because as crafty as we can all be, sometimes we just don't have time and we want to buy some of those adorable crafts we are always seeing. Visit HauteLook and sign up to be a member (remember, it's free!) You can then click on the top of the page for "all events" and see all the sales. Then scroll down to find the creative kids: crafty essentials sale.

This crafty essentials sale has some great stuff at great prices. Look at just a few of the items you can snag! (But hurry since items may sell out quickly...I know from experience!)

Love these Doodlebugz crayon folders.

And these chalkboard place mats are great if you can't find the time to make one like we did here!

 A crayon tool belt? Awesome!

WallPops! I know my boys would go crazy for the glow in the dark dinos!

 

 

There are so many more things! Go visit HauteLook to check it out! Beware that it's kind of addictive!

valentine subway art {and a frugal candy bowl tip}

I'm just in love with my little family, which makes this an extra sweet time of year! I want to have reminders all over my house so my boys know how much they are loved, and Valentine's decorations do just that. Especially when they're in candy form. ;) And today's money-saving candy bowl tutorial has a bonus--free Valentine subway art!

First, a little money-saving tip when using candy in a table display. I wanted to fill this simple vase with Valentine M&Ms, but at $3.50 a bag, I didn't want to buy more than 2. So I used this little trick to "fill" my vase on a budget.

Supplies:
*Glass vase, bowl, or apothecary jar
*Favorite holiday candy
*Glass cup that will fit inside your glass container with room on all sides
*Optional: ribbons and trinket to dress up your jar

1. Before filling your glass container, place your cup upside down in the center. 

 2. Pour your candy in to fill in the space around and on top of the cup.

3. To dress it up, add decorative ribbon, ric rac, baker's twine, etc. around the center of the container. I also tied on a little mercury glass heart ornament from my Christmas decorations.When it gets closer to Valentine's, I'll remove the cup and let my kids eat the candy. But for a few weeks they know it is strictly decorative (my husband is the only one who doesn't seem to follow that rule--grrr!). 

Now for the free Valentine's subway art! This free (for a limited time) Valentines Day subway art comes again from our friend Lori of SisterSecrets. You may remember the Christmas subway art she offered to our readers last month--isn't she sweet? It's now in her Etsy shop. You can get the Valentine's subway art printable here while it's free! And for more fun stuff (like her Abundant Life printable subway art), check out the Sister Secrets Etsy shop!

You may notice I kept my Christmas table runner out (doilies are totally Valentines, right?) and even reused the frame from the Christmas subway art. I'm all about making it easy! But I did make a new paper pennant bunting to hang across the front that matches the colors in the printable. Love it! Thanks, Lori!

santa's little helper {welcome baby}

Look what Santa brought me for Christmas!

 Introducing Jonas Christian, the newest little birdie baby.

 Arrived on Santa's sleigh December 24th at 7 lbs. 11 oz.

Best Christmas present ever! 

I took a little maternity leave, but I'm itching to get crafting again. Many thanks to dear Jessica and friends like Shelley and Erin for giving me the chance to stay in bed until 10am, ignore my e-mail, and stare at that little face during the last month. It has been heavenly. But it's time to start showering regularly and getting out of my pajamas before the kids get home from school (at least that's what my husband tells me). So new tutorials and projects are coming soon. . . Until then, I have a few things to keep you busy.

First, here are a few of our past baby tutorials that have come in handy for me so far:

Diaper Change Cone

Easy Knit Baby Hat

Wet Bag

Nursing Cover

Welcome Baby Pattern Sale

To celebrate baby (and get me back in gear), all baby crochet patterns in my Ravelry shop are 25% off now through January 31st. I love that at Ravelry you can instantly download the patterns you purchase, instead of waiting for me to e-mail them to you.

And if you're gearing up for Valentine's day, we've added a love day round up link at the top of the page featuring some of our past projects.

I'm still up all night, typing blog posts with one hand, and sneaking in projects between naps, so be patient with me, but it's great to be back!

ribbons and bows oh my! giveaway winner

Thanks for entering our ribbons and bows oh my! kit giveaway. You all had such great comments about your favorite ribbons. The winner of the bow making kit is...

sawstrunk

Congrats! You will be able to make some gorgeous bows now. We have passed your email onto the sponsor, so they will be contacting you. Enjoy!

no-sew pointed bow tie {tutorial}

Today we are featuring another fabulous tutorial from my dear friend Erin's blog, Lovesome. Go visit her and see all the other amazing things she is dreaming up!

It seems bow ties have taken over the wardrobes of men, babies, and boys these days, doesn't it? I must admit this trend has been a favorite of mine for quite some time now, and I love the pointed bow ties I'm seeing in all the old movies and shows I have been watching lately (downton abbey, anyone?).

With all the bow ties I see all over blogs I thought it would be fun to switch it up a bit and try something different.
Enter: the pointed bow tie. 

It often gets forgotten, and I think it's a great nod to men's (and boys') fashion from decades and even centuries ago. Making it out of felt not only makes these babies a breeze to whip up, but it also modernizes and adds a touch of whimsy, not to mention makes these the perfect fall accessory for the guy in your life (or girl, I would wear it too, and it would make an adorable hair bow).


supplies:
all you need is some felt (i bought sheets of felt at Michaels for $.20 each)
scissors
hot glue gun (this could also be easily hand-stitched)
the length and width of your felt depends on how big you want your bow tie to be. mine was 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, with a smaller strip that is about 1/2 inch wide and 2 1/2- 3 inches long. my little guy is one and this size is perfect for him, and i think he'll be able to wear this size for a few years. (i like smaller, more proportional bowties, but if you like them bigger just make your strips larger.)

how to:

1. cut one end of the longer felt strip into a point. lay the felt strip on a flat surface and bring the pointed side across the strip about 2/3 of the way.
2. turn the pointed side over and bring it back across the other side until it touches the edge.
3. adjust the point if you need to, it can touch the edge or hang over a bit, whatever you like.

4. scrunch the middle of the felt together, making it look like a bow.
5. wrap the smaller felt piece around the middle of the bow where you scrunched it, with the ends meeting in the back.
6. turn the bow around and dab some hot glue in the center of the bow, then fold the top end down over the glue. glue down the remaining flap, making sure the bow is tight and secure.
and then have fun with them!

To turn it into a bow tie I usually thread elastic through the center of the back of the bow tie, but if you don't have room you could glue elastic to it or sew/glue it to a pin or clip.

million dollar muffins

My friend, Jamie recently shared a muffin recipe that is delicious! I am always looking for healthy, easy breakfast ideas to grab on the many mornings that we are racing out the door. These muffins are the perfect solution and can even freeze well if you want to make them in batches to pull out later. Enjoy!

Million Dollar Muffins 

1 C all-purpose flour
1 C whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 C sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 T flaxseed meal, mixed with 3 T. water
1/4 C oil
1/4 C applesauce
1/2 C undrained, crushed pineapple
1/2 C raisins
2 C shredded carrots
 

 Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. Combine egg, flaxseed mixture, oil and applesauce in another bowl, and remaining ingredients in another bowl. Add the wet to the dry, and then the rest. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. These muffins stick so it is much better if you use muffin cups. 

flirty aprons {winter sale}

Some fun Valentine's posts are coming soon, but until then, enjoy this 30% off coupon for the Scarlet Blossom Apron TODAY ONLY (1/18/12) at Flirty Aprons! The coupon code is SCARLET30.
You could be baking up some sweet treats in this for Valentine's day!

This is one of Flirty Aprons' cutest and most popular aprons, perfect to brighten up your winter kitchen. Enjoy!

ribbons and bows oh my! kit giveaway

We are excited to offer you a great giveaway today! Ribbons and Bows Oh My! has been one of our loyal sponsors for quite some time and we love featuring their amazing products. They always have such an array of fabulous products for any crafting endeavor. From ribbons, to paper, to hardware, to many trims, you really can find anything you need!

Ribbons and Bows Oh My! has a great new kit available.

The beginner bow making kit helps you make beautiful bows without any stress. The kit includes:

Bow Making DVD tutorial

4 No Bow No Go Templates
10 yards of 3/8 in. solid grosgrain
5 yards of 5/8 in. solid grosgrain
10 yards of 7/8 in. solid grosgrain
10 yards of 1.5 in. solid grosgrain
one spool of solid tulle
5 single prong clips
5 double prong clips
5 60mm French clips

You can click here to see a sneak peak of the DVD that is included in the kit.

How great is that? And you have a chance to win one of these fabulous kits! All you need to do is visit Ribbons and Bows Oh My! and find your favorite ribbon. Then come back and leave us a comment telling us what it is. Easy, peasy! This giveaway will end on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 11:59 pm PT.

my 2012 beauty resolutions

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/

It's 2012 and it's a New Year! I have come up with a few different resolutions this year. A couple resolutions I made are beauty related. The first one is washing my face every night (and hopefully morning too). Sometimes I feel so lazy at night and just climb hurriedly into bed leaving all the dirt and grime on my face to fester while I sleep. I know it is important for your pores to be clean before you go to sleep.

My dermatologist recommended the Clean and Clear 3 in 1 exfoliating face wash to me and I have really liked it. I like how fresh and exfoliated my face feels after I use it, and it also helps fight acne breakouts.

Another beauty resolution I have is to use a moisturizer on my face and neck every day. I want to keep my skin hydrated and looking healthy. I have heard that people often forget to include the neck area but it also need to be moisturized. I try to pick a moisturizer that isn't too heavy so it won't contribute to acne breakouts. There are many great brands and choices out there. Neutrogena is one of my favorites.

I also have some resolutions to play more with my makeup. I usually put on the same make-up every day, in the same order. I usually only change eye shadow colors. This year I hope to try some trends and play around with my regimen. It's so fun to experiment and see what I like!
What are your resolutions this year? Do you have any beauty related resolutions? I would love to hear them!

heart-warmer tutorial {and a printable!}

One of my dearest friends, Erin recently moved away. I have been so sad and I miss her! Luckily, her move is only temporary, but I still miss our regular dinners out together and takeout lunches at one of our houses. She is such a great friend and I want to be just like her when I grow up. She has way too much creativity and amazing-ness for one person. She made these adorable heart-warmers on her blog, Lovesome (you must go check it out!) and is sharing them with us today! These are the perfect gift for a friend or someone you love. I will be using this to keep me warm and fuzzy while Erin is away.

i've been seeing the sweetest little hand-warmers surfacing around the web lately. what a sweet idea and a great way to keep your hands and the hands of those you love warm on chilly mornings. all you have to do is heat it up in the microwave and drop it in your pocket or mittens. they are so easy and so much cuter (and cheaper!) than those little warming packets you can buy at the grocery store. plus, they are reusable. cute, easy, practical, and environmentally friendly, what more can you ask for?

making one is so simple, and while a sewing machine makes them faster, it is not necessary to use one. in fact, it was so easy that i didn't even take any pictures during the process.

here's how you do it:
1. cut two of the same shape out felt (two hearts, two stars. etc.). make sure they are the same size.
2. sew the pieces together leaving about half-an-inch open.
3. using a funnel, fill the shape with rice through the unsewn opening.
4. hand-stitch the opening closed.
voila! done! so easy and so sweet, right?
i found that about 25 seconds in the microwave is perfect, but you might want to try out a few different cooking times, depending on the size of your warmer. (make sure no metal accidentally gets shoved in the warmer, you don't want any explosions in the microwave!)

i made a cute little tag to add to mine, turning it into the perfect little gift or party favor.
do you want some, too? download your own here.
enjoy!

silverware drapery hooks

I am always amazed at how many clever things people come up with. Check out this awesome idea from our friend, Shelley.

Did you know you can use silverware to make drapery hooks? Yep. Here's my bathroom. It seriously needed some color and I found a bag of silverware at Goodwill for $4. I didn't even come close to using it all. Score!

First you'll need to choose the pieces you want. Then using a metal drill bit, drill holes that will fit your screws in the blade of the knife, or the handle of the spoon or fork. Bend them to make the hooks. Sorry there isn't any pictures of the drilling part. Kinda hard to take pictures and drill at the same time.

 Mark the corners to make sure they are placed evenly. Drill in place.

 

I had some super long sheer drapes and used them to drape on my hooks.

 

 

 Simple and easy! I love it! Thanks for sharing your creative mind with us, Shelley.

lilac lane giveaway winner

Thanks for entering our Lilac Lane giveaway! The lucky winner of their choice of three patterns from the shop is...

sewVery who said, 

"I'd love to own the Cherished Girl's Dress Pattern, the Joy bag pattern, and the Cherished for Dolls dress pattern. Sew Cute!"

Congrats! We have passed your email onto the sponsor so she will be contacting you.

my love affair {with tofu}

Tofu? Yep. You read that right. My mouth (er, I mean typing fingers) really said I have a love affair with tofu. My sister was surprised when I told her on the phone the other night too. I heard something like, "Jess who ARE you?"

It all started a few months ago on a weekend trip to Portland. I had an amazing rice bowl from a food stand there and it had garlic-fried tofu in it. I.Loved.It. I was shocked. I have always thought of tofu as this weird, eery, rubbery substance that nobody really enjoyed. Until I ate it. And enjoyed it.

Then came my trip to Trader Joes to buy some tofu to cook with at home. I made a delicious dinner that we all enjoyed. My boys even ate the tofu. They didn't say they loved it, but they ate it!

I bought firm (you can also do extra firm) because I read that it holds it shape if you want to pan fry it. And that's what I did. I cut the tofu into squares and I put a little olive oil in a pan with some minced garlic and fried the tofu until the sides got brown and crisped.

Then I cooked some noodles. I used capellini because I wanted a thin noodle, but you could use spaghetti or a rice noodle, or anything you want. Then I made a peanut sauce using Yoshida's sauce mixed with peanut butter, but you could also use one of my favorite peanut sauce recipes, found HERE.

Then I mixed it all together and topped it with broccoli slaw, green onions, and cilantro. You could add anything you want and make it your own!

It was delish, and I will be making it again! Next on my list of tofu recipes to try is this...

A dairy free chocolate pie made with silken tofu! I can really get on board for that! This is an Alton Brown recipe and it packs some serious nutritional punch with all the protein!

Alton Brown's Dairy-Free Chocolate Pie
(From www.doctoroz.com)

Ingredients
Makes 8 servings
13 oz semisweet chocolate chips  
1/3 cup coffee liqueur (you can use other flavors if you prefer)
1 tsp vanilla extract    
1 lb silken tofu  
1 tbsp honey     
1 (9-in) prepared chocolate wafer crust (store-bought is fine)

Directions
Place enough water in the bottom of a 4-quart saucepan to come 1 inch up the sides. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Place the chocolate chips and liqueur in a medium metal mixing bowl, set over the simmering water, and stir with a rubber or silicone spatula until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Combine the tofu, chocolate mixture, and honey in a blender or food processor and spin until smooth (about 1 minute).
 Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until the filling sets firm.

Yum! So, tell me...what are your thoughts? Have you ever tried tofu? Do you like it or hate it? Maybe you want to try it again now that you have some recipes?

This post was sponsored by Yorkshire Linen – purveyors of quality cheap curtains.