Zen Craft

Laundry Room and Pig

undergroundarchivist — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 23:50:00 +0000

Today it was very cold…too cold to spend much time outside so we decided to take care of a project that we have been putting off for a while–getting rid of the burgundy color that had exploded all over our laundry room. It was everywhere-the walls, the trim, the door. It made the room very, very dark.

So we decided to go with just a simple white to brighten up the space and make it feel bigger. And what a difference a coat of primer and two coats of paint make.

I also used the parts of the day while we were waiting for the paint to dry to finish the stuffed pig I was making my niece. I will be sending it off to her this week.

The Pantry

undergroundarchivist — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 13:17:51 +0000

The biggest home renovation hanging over our heads after we finished the kitchen was the pantry. We had moved all of our food to the large cabinet in the kitchen and planned to use the old pantry as an “appliance closet” and for bulk items like canned goods, home brew supplies, and coffee roasting supplies. But we needed to gut the old pantry to make this happen. The husband removed the old built in shelving with a sledge hammer and then tore up the dated tile floor. Together, we lay new tile to match what is in the new kitchen. Then we painted it the same pumpkin color as the kitchen and put together our new stainless steel shelving from our favorite store. We finally got all the stuff that has been living in the office loaded back in and, voila, the new pantry is complete.

The New Pantry

Fall Harvest and Canning

undergroundarchivist — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 23:06:19 +0000

It was a busy summer with lots of gardening. As we’ve entered fall it has become time to preserve all those great things that we grew (or that our friends grew). My friend David gave me some tomatoes so that I could make salsa and sauce to my hearts content. Which I did. The salsa tastes very good but looks a little watery. Next time I would use the food processor instead of the Foley food mill to get my liquid. I think it would have better results.

After making salsa based on the number of spicy peppers I had, I still had lots of tomatoes leftover. These ones were used to make tomato sauce. It takes a lot of tomatoes to make a little bit of sauce.

At the same time, I made up a batch of refrigerator pickles-your standard dill variety. This used up the last of our pickling cucumbers from the garden.

And tonight I pulled the last of the carrots from the garden. These I refer to as my teenage mutant ninja carrots. Carrot power!

Click to view slideshow.

Pecan Cheese Balls (Burgers)

undergroundarchivist — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:16:37 +0000

This recipe was given to me by my mother. She made it from a magazine back when my brother and I were kids and she wanted to make us healthier meals and eliminate some red meat. She tricked us into thinking these were the real deal.

I have put my own spin on them and made them into burgers and recently made some at a Fourth of July BBQ where they were met with great enthusiasm. Many people (even those who didn’t eat them) have requested the recipe. So here it is. Sorry there is no picture. I’m making them tomorrow night so maybe I’ll add a picture in then.

Pecan Cheese Balls (Burgers)
Source unknown

2 c. bread crumbs or saltine crumbs (fifty 2 inch crackers)
1 c. shredded Colby cheese (leave out for vegan)
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. sugar (optional-I usually leave it out)
1 c. finely ground pecans
6 eggs (or egg replacer for vegan)
1 Tbsp. wheat germ
2 Tbsp. oil (for pecan balls only)
Tomato sauce (for pecan balls only)

For pecan balls: mix all ingredients except oil and sauce. Shape into 24 1 1/2 inch dough balls. In large skillet with hot oil, cook pecan balls over medium heat for 5 minutes or until golden. Remove with slotted spoon; place in single layer in a 13x9x2″ baking pan. Top with tomato sauce and cover with foil. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until sauce is thick and bubbly. Makes 6 servings.

For pecan burgers: mix all ingredients. Shape into 8-10 patties depending on size and thickness you desire. Cook in oven at 350 for about 30 minutes, on medium on the stove top, or on grill for about 5 minutes each side.

In the Garden

undergroundarchivist — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:31:42 +0000

Had the day off from work today and I spent the morning working in the garden. Mid-June means that the garden is in full bloom. The peas are popping, the broccoli is emerging, and the garlic, onions, and carrots are huge. Even the peppers have flowers on them which is very early for us compared to the last two years. And the avocado finally sprouted indoors. Enjoy some pictures.

Click to view slideshow.

Garden Update

undergroundarchivist — Sun, 23 May 2010 21:07:28 +0000

Saturday was gorgeous and the perfect day to finish up planting in the garden. We spent most of the day digging and sweating and then rewarded ourselves with a trip to the homemade ice cream place in Unity.

Bed One

This bed has garlic, onion, and carrots in it. Not a ton of stuff but lots of the stuff itself.

Bed Two

This bed is full of two types of peas, cucumber, baby broccoli, asparagus and carrots. Most are still seedlings at this point so it doesn’t look as full as it is right now.

Tomatoes

Containers with peppers, pak choi, celery, and squash

More Tomatoes

Around the House

undergroundarchivist — Sun, 16 May 2010 20:03:36 +0000

This weekend the husband did some yard work while I was away at a Rotary obligation. He trimmed a tree that was really hurting our curb appeal and getting in our way when we took the dog out. Here is the before and after.

Before

After

A nice shot of the tulips that have been flourishing in our yard this year.

Tulip

And then today we went for a nice bike ride on the Sugar River Trail. It’s a nice trail but, unfortunately, the ATVs have really dug up the path in places making it a bit difficult to ride at times. We took a brief break by the Sugar River and took a picture.

Sugar River

When we got back we finally got around to replacing the hideous ceiling fan in our bedroom. It looks much sleeker and modern than the previous model.

Before

After

Baking and Canning

undergroundarchivist — Sun, 02 May 2010 21:00:42 +0000

This weekend while the husband was off at reserves, I turned my kitchen into a bake shop and a cannery. I picked a great weekend for it too (note the sarcasm) with temperatures in the 80s both days-uncharacteristically warm for this time of year. My friend Abby came over on Saturday to help me. We had four items scheduled-pizza dough, bagels, spiced blueberry jam, and tomato sauce. We began by getting the sponge for the bagels ready. After that we quickly whipped up the pizza dough, making enough for three 12 ounce pizzas. After a quick trip to the store for some forgotten supplies and a stop at the local diner for some ice cream, we got the tomato sauce bubbling on the stove and began work on the spiced blueberry jam. A quick check on the bagel sponge showed that it had not risen at all in two hours so we put it on the back porch so that it could take advantage of the warm weather. With the tomato sauce and blueberry jam complete and canned, Abby left me to my own bagel devices. I pulled the now successfully risen sponge inside and prepared the rest of the recipe before putting it into the refrigerator to retard overnight.

Spiced Blueberry Jam and Tomato Sauce

This morning, I pulled the dough out of the refrigerator and began the boiling and baking process. I decided to make a variety of flavors including poppy, sesame, salt, everything, and cinnamon sugar. Overall, the weekend was a great success resulting in lots of tasty food.

Boiling the Bagels

Ready for the Oven

Bagels!

Dining Room/Living Room Bonus Photos

undergroundarchivist — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:59:02 +0000

We actually did work on the dining room and living room before working on the kitchen but as soon as we finished we moved in our cabinets and it’s been a mess. So here are some long neglected before and after photos for there as well.

Before

After

Before

After

Kitchen Before and After

undergroundarchivist — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:50:45 +0000

Alright, there is a little touch up needed and a few tiles still need to be cut but I promised these pictures so here we go.

Before

After