Pensive Frog

Thanks for the encouraging comments on my sourdough experiment! So far, I’ve fed the beast twice, and it has about 8 bubbles on the surface. Hmm. Not looking good. In other news, I’m tempted by these soy candles recommended by Danny at Simply Green. They sell candles in dozens of [...]

A few summers ago, I tried my hand at sourdough bread making. I used the instructions found here on making a sourdough culture from the local environment. Yes, I harness the power of lax housekeeping for breadmaking! Give it a try yourself - mix a little flour and water in a bowl [...]

I’m not sure how long this has been available, but here’s a list of the stores going in at the Northgate Mall expansion here in Seattle. Looks like the rumors of an H&M moving in may have been unfounded (boo!).
But hooray, a Bed Bath & Beyond!
Can you smell that? [...]

You can always count on Trader Joe’s for new food opportunities. Yesterday I bought a bag of their chile-spiced mango. Here’s what traderjoesfan has to say about them. Here’s my review:
These things are OK. They are a little too sweet for me - the package says the mango is sweetened, so [...]

Since I don’t really have time to write quality posts for you these days (sorry, adoring fan!) the only proper thing to do is to pass the buck to other bloggers. David Lebovitz just posted a wonderful piece on lessons he learned at Illy espresso camp (ok, Universita del Caffe). I’ve been making [...]

1. Recipe for a quick lunch: Drain a can of black beans and puree with cilantro, cayenne, and lime juice. Spread the goo on a tortilla with some cheddar and microwave. Hey, it’s a burrito!
2. Recipe for a successful black and tan: Use a glass with straight sides. [...]

I discovered a tasty cocktail a few nights ago, and I thought I’d share it with you! It’s a little twist on the classic gimlet, and I call it the Gin Giant. And yes, this would be fabulous on St. Patrick’s Day. Or any day you’ve bought 5 pounds of limes at [...]

So I’ve finally upgraded to the latest version of WordPress! Among other things (like giving myself the power to leave comments), there is a new spam prevention mechanism that I hope will be easier for everyone to use. There is math involved, but if I can do it, you can too. A [...]

I figured that my ugly curling finger gap (no, it’s not a medical condition) might be cured by using a flat stitch pattern around the slit. I settled on a seed stitch.

Now it really looks like a frog, but the gap is much less… gappy.

Awww, how cute.

Garh! This gap is too gappy too, [...]

Here’s some historical perspective for you, i.e., the birth of the Peekaboo Mittens! I actually came up with the design after attempting to make some truly horrible convertible mittens. I used the Debbie Bliss Flip-top mittens pattern from the Winter 2006 Interweave Knits subscriber-only patterns website (that’s a mouthful). There’s no schematic [...]

It’s been a while since I’ve posted about something grody, so the time is ripe for a link to pseudo-cannibalistic Japanese dinners! Apparently you go to a restaurant, where a life-size “body” is served up. You dig in with your cutlery, and eat what you find inside. Um, ew. If [...]

When I wrote about that casserole contest a few weeks ago, I may have downplayed my excitement at the prospect of winning a prize. But the fancy macaroni and cheese prevailed, and I took home the ribbon for… drumroll please… Most Pretentious Casserole! Hooray!

This was really a great recipe, the only change I [...]

Toot toot toot!
That’s the sound of my own horn tooting, because I’m about to tell you that I make the best lasagne in town.
First, I start with some fresh egg pasta - made all fancy with minced fresh sage.

Then I make a nice rosemary-infused bechamel.

Layer it all up with spicy tomato sauce, mozzarella, and chopped [...]

Ever since I read (on Not Martha) that pink grapefruit Mentos were available at the University Village Bartells, I scooted on over there to grab myself a roll or two. First, it took me ages to find them because for some reason, Bartells stocks Mentos in three different places. And as the adage [...]