Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Inspired by Sushi



Once you decide on your occupation you must emmerse yourself in your work.
You have to fall in love with your work.
Never complain about your job.
You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill.
that's the secret to success and is the key to being regarded honorably.
-Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Vegetarian Barley Soup- Carrot, chickpea, tomato

If you follow me on instagram (kayemkay), you make have seen this lovely soup a few weeks back. It is the only soup which I have followed a recipe for each time I make it. I rebel against recipes for most cooking adventures, using taste and smell as my guides, but this is a healthy and filling soup recipe that I have used again and again. Also, you can make meat eaters happy by browning some stewed beef with the carrots and celery. (Only brown for 5 minutes still, it will cook through when it boiling.)

Ingredients:

3 cups veg. broth
1 cup carrot juice
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup minced celery
1/2 cup barley
1 15oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

In a large pot on med-high heat, add oil and saute carrots and celery for 5 minutes.
Add broth, carrot juice, barley and beans and bring the pot to a boil.
Stir and set to simmer, covered for 30 minutes.
Add tomato sauce, and spices and return to a boil.
Boil for 15 minutes, uncovered, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat and stir in vinegar. Taste and season to your liking (I add parsley and rosemary as well).

I also like to thicken this soup by putting 3-4 ladles of soup in the blender, then adding it back in.


xo!

Customer Appreciation- Deanna

Deanna asked me to customize my heart cut out dress for her to wear to her cousins wedding and I'm so happy she did! I love this orange paisley fabric and am tempted to make this for myself for the autumn.


Thanks so much for sending along a photo, Deanna. You look fantastic!

xo!

Monday, September 3, 2012

Happy Labor Day


I finally got around to baking that chocolate avocado cake I've been hearing about. I found the recipe on Joy's blog and didn't modify it at all. It was super easy, even for a beginner baker, like me.
Because I'm not vegan, I would definitely swap out the avocado icing for my favorite cream cheese icing. Thing is, the icing really tastes like sweet avocados where the cake just tastes like a regular dense cake. So, unless you're vegan, I say skip this icing and make your favorite one instead. You can still dye it green if you want. ;)


It's definitely a recipe to make for a party. This is certainly no boring chocolate cake!



Dust Boogies

source
I went on another frenzy of getting my act together today. I even dusted the top of the frames that hang on the wall. I mean, who does that?

It is a sad truth that I am allergic to dust (rather, dust mites, I learned) and that I create an awful lot of dust everyday.

Once, in ninth grade, I went on a weekend church retreat where we made apple butter. Basically, to do this you take turns stirring a witches cauldron full of apple sauce for over 24 hours. At the end of which, you blow your nose and the soot is all that comes out. And you think you might die of lung cancer on the spot because that has to be the equivalent of at least a million cigarettes... You're a tad anxious.

Well, risking the graphic mental image that I actually have mucous (sorry, i do.) I blew my nose today after cleaning and it reminded me of that retreat. Hahaha. And you thought you wanted to get to know me.

Anyway, my office is clean again and it feels SO good.

xoxo,
Kasey

Saturday, September 1, 2012

DIY Handmade Labels


A little over a month ago, I read a post from a fellow handmade clothing blogger, Teaka where she had an ADORABLE handmade label. After a bit of back and forth for figuring out how to make it sturdy, I gave it a try.

When I first purchased labels, I did it with the help of a Swedish friend through a website that only ships to Sweden. She was just days away from going home when we ordered and so the timing was perfect. It, of course, no longer is. Ha.

They were efficient, but not terribly attractive and not at all in line with my brand. So, it was time for an overhaul. And I am soooooo pleased with the results.

If you are a handmade gift giver, this is such a cute idea for the upcoming holidays.

I purchased acrylic craft paint, a customized rubber stamp and twill tape. Search your craft store's scrapbooking section to find cute labels that read "handmade" or make your own stamp from premade letters and a stamp block.

To make the labels:
First, use a foam brush to lightly dab the paint onto your stamp. Make sure to use as little paint as needed to cover so that you don't get gobs of it on your stamp.
Press on the twill tape and repaint stamp for each label.
Once dry, use an iron to heat-set the paint.
Snip labels apart with pinking shears to limit fraying.
When attaching, it's important to sew all the way around the label because your label won't unravel past the stitch.