home ec revisited.

my sewing machine and station

yes, i joined a home ec class but this one is an online one. it's been way too many years since my last school home ec class and this time i'm hoping actually learn some useful crafty things. i have been meaning to use my sewing machine purchased in january and currently collecting dust for some time now(about 7 months to be exact). every time i turn the thing on and attempt to do something i'm instantly distracted, unmotivated and well just so lame. i say this because it's how i feel about quitting on the sewing dream i have, a dream consisting of everyday projects that will turn my world into a handy, crafty heaven! instead i collect all these "projects" i'd like to make one day that are collecting on top of my sewing machine , that i avoid looking at. well, that is hopefully all in the past because home ec has 25 projects for me to learn at my own pace with live chats and friendly support from three crafty ladies and a whole bunch of other home ec dropouts like myself that are attempting to redeem themselves or simply trying to learn new projects. so, here i go...dusting the machine taking a photo of it to post on the home ec flickr group and take off! wish me luck and cross your fingers people, maybe an actual push might help. thanks. let the sewing dream begin...

otsu recipe

for dinner
for lunch...with some rooster sauce!

in japanese otsu means something strange, quaint, stylish, chic,,spicy, witty, tasty, romantic...delicious! the word otsu reminds me of the awesome store and publishing company called little otsu in san francisco. anyhow, i made this recipe yesterday and posted a photo of it on my facebook(i know, pretty lame) and a couple friends commented on how tasty it looked...and it was. another friend asked to share the recipe, so i have. right here! these noodles are slurp-tastic and perfect on a warm day.

this recipe came from 101 cookbooks which i'm really obsessed with:) i made some changes, added extra, omitted, or simply skipped.

otsu recipe (soba noddle salad)

the grated zest of 1 lemon

fresh ginger, cut into a 1-inch cube, peeled, and grated(i usually will freeze any leftover ginger to use later)

1 tablespoon honey

3/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup unseasoned brown-rice vinegar
1/3 cup shoyu sauce (wheat-free soy sauce) or plain soy sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

12 ounces dried soba noodles
12 ounces extra-firm nigari tofu
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, thinly sliced (i used red onion, because that's what i had)
1/2 cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced (or you can cut it into thicker pieces it worked for me)
1 small handful of cilantro sprigs, for garnish (i added extra cilantro because i really like cilantro!)
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds, for garnish(oooops this time, i forgot to toast the seeds, but it worked just fine as well)

in a food processor (or use a blender) process these ingredients until smooth. combine the zest, ginger, honey, cayenne, salt then add the lemon juice, rice vinegar, and shoyu(soy sauce), drizzle in the oils and pulse to combine.

cook the soba noodles in lots of rapidly boiling salted water just until tender, then drain and rinse under cold running water to stop them from cooking.

while the noodles are cooking, drain the tofu, pat it dry, and cut it into rectangles about the size of your thumb (½ inch thick and 1 inch long). cook the tofu in a dry nonstick (or well-seasoned) skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until the pieces are browned on one side( i drizzled some olive oil on my pan). toss gently once or twice, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy. yum!

in a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, the ¼ cup cilantro, the green onions, cucumber, and about ⅔ cup of the dressing( i added all the dressing this time because i really loooove this dressing). then you toss until well combined. you add the tofu and toss again gently. you then serve on a platter, garnished with the cilantro sprigs and the toasted(or untoasted) sesame seeds.

this dish serves a lot of people! it's great to bring to a party, picnic, or as leftovers for lunch the next day. i added some sriracha sauce, because i like things to have a kick no matter what i eat...i'm mexican.

88 was a good year: Big!

1988 was indeed a good year for me. I was about 6 years old, my mom, older sister and I had just moved to california, my niece Karina was born (which meant i sort of got a younger sibling) and the movie Big with Tom Hanks was out. I was absorbing american pop culture and adjusting to all the new turns our little family was taking along with being shoved every movie I had missed while living in Baja right in my round little face. Mary Poppins, Airplane, E.T., Poltergeist, Raiders of the Lost Ark and such turned my sad little doe eyes bright with delight! Anyhow, enter the movie Big with Tom Hanks, introduced to me by my cousin Belinda who just knew that I would really like it being a much more mature little kid. She was right, even at that tender little age, I acknowledged the great acting skills, the magic, the story...the big apartment, no homework, pizza at all hours of the day, the trampoline! It instantly became one of my all time favorites. When finding a VHS copy for a buck recently, I was instantly smitten all over again with one of my all time favorite childhood movies. Back then 30 seemed so old but with 30 being just a few years away, it's safe to say that I'm permanently Big.

the baking machine.

I stole these photos from the SF Food Wars page.

A month of planning, testing, eating, mixing, freezing, baking and competing have finally ended. I am left with oven burn marks on my hands and forearms, sleep deprived(have since recovered) and with plenty of flour, some left over butter, and everything else to bake a pie or two. The SF Food Wars' Pie or Die competition came and went and somehow I made it through. Team gypsycab(#13) fed 200 and some pie eaters, some of which came back for seconds and a few asked me to share my crust recipe. Bourbon? Oh I like bourbon! Was the ongoing reply to my bourbon and peach hand pies, although a few stayed away completely because of the bourbon content...and the bourbon and peach reduction squirted on top of each little pie piece! Anyhow, we(el esposo and I) found a friendly face among the crowd a good friend of ours miss Jeannine Giordan came by to support us and Jeannie Choe who is the founder/creater of sf food wars, and to eat pie of course. People really got creative with their pie creations, I only sampled a few but it was a nice array of sweetness. So, 20 pies later the winners were announced, one team won (twice) and poof! all done. We packed our gypsycab sign and leftover pie bones and headed to Kiji for some superb sushi intake. Did I mention it was windy as heck? Yet very sunny with rolling clouds, a perfect san francisco day I must say.

search for: gypsy cab

This morning right before I flew out the door to run errands, I had a moment to brainstorm and gather ideas for some decorations. The SF Food Wars Pie or Die competition is this sunday and well, it feels like I'm going to die. While not literally, it sure feels like a heap of trouble. In addition to baking small hand pies for 230+ people I have to decorate the area where I'll be competing from. Yikes! Team gypsycab(my team name for this competition) sure needs some help right about now. So, back to this morning's brainstorming session...I searched for images of gypsy cabs in hopes of obtaining some inspiration to create a name banner but didn't find a whole lot, and then suddenly came across the two photos above. About a year ago I posted some items on my Etsy shop(gypsycab vintage) and sold several perfectly wonderful vintage goodies, among them was a darling white purse. It turns out that the gal who purchased this purse shared her purchase on her blog along with other pre-loved items that completed a very fashionable outfit. I'm glad that "the white purse" found a very glam home and lives on in full fabulousness, as it was saved from a sad life in a dark closet! No, I have not began or finished my banner or have any decorating ideas, perhaps the search for all things gypsy cab has just begun.

p.s. Dear world....If I ever attempt to compete at anything ever again, I sure hope that someone would please hold me back and tie me down. I. will. go. die. now. thanks.

one tired girl

With the bustle and hustle of everyday life, we often find ourselves revving up on stimulants of sorts to get through our days. Coffee is an absolute must for me every morning and even though I've tried to ditch it, somehow I keep having my hot cup of joe come morning time. Besides that I pretty much don't rev up on any other energy boosters, well, perhaps the occasional sugary snack. Which takes me to a place in search for alternatives for my much needed energy. It goes like this....My body is searching for: the adequate strength and vitality needed to sustain my physical and mental daily activities, HELP! So with a little self talk I grabbed a bottle of daily vitamins, and supplements, a ginkgo tea(for memory, clarity and alertness), healthy meals, and lots of water. How about a long hot bath, some mindless t.v. and even a really good book at the end of the day? Throw in some exercise with my dog and plenty of rest, I should be good. But did I mention I picked up another part-time job and entered myself into a pie contest? This should be interesting!

a hymn for eva

This beautiful hymn was written for baby Evangeline Simone. Amongst discussions regarding business, conflicts, and frustrations, she always grounds everyone around her. Specifically taming her father and uncle.

at least we have her

to bring us back to earth.

and vacate our minds from unearthly things like business and lawyers.

at least we have her to love the sky and trees

and remind us all we were once too, sweet little peas.

and much later, at last when we finally have the chance

we will thank her and praise her for that gracious reminder

she, without knowledge or expectation, bestows on us each day.

when we have forgotten everything and have nothing good to say

and we fight with our brothers and our wives and ourselves.

and we will sing evangeline thank you for being born

eva eva evangeline, thank you for that day.

written by a very proud uncle, David Vogel.