50:

Posted on June 25, 2010 by imadeitso

no, that’s not my age. though i’ve been rocking the grey streak in my hair just to prep myself for attempting to age gracefully. i have nothing against dyeing those greys, but i don’t want to do it to “hide” anything…

grey hairs

no, “50” is about this being my 50th post here. i was curious what others have written about on their 50th post, so i googled “50th blog post” and got all sorts of hits. many have contests, give-aways, profound thoughts and deep insights into some topic or another.

me, i got nothin’.

i have no contests, unless you count moderating the one where 3 kids fight for our 2 beanbag chairs (should’ve really splurged on a 3rd beanbag chair).

i have no give-aways, unless you count my words and photos here. i love writing. i love taking photos. but i know very little about photography. my brother-in-law is a photographer, amongst his many other talents. he takes incredible photos. plus he knows how to process actual film and stuff. if my SD card gives me trouble, i may be tempted to shake it like an etch-a-sketch hoping to put the pixels back in order. but beyond that, i’m stumped. i’m not a photographer, i’m a point-and-shooter. it is so much fun, and i’m learning all the time.

i have no profound thoughts, except what i most often say: “creativity is contagious,” (with “no, we do not eat dirt! spit it out, pteh ptoo yucky!” being in a close second place these days…)

and no deep insights, other than i’ve found that doing what you love, and striving to do it well is as close to a guarantee for personal fulfillment that you can get. since my first post here, i have gotten to know so many of you who do just this. that’s been fun and inspiring, thank you.

but here is what i do have: the luxury of doing what i do. creating, writing, sharing. it really is gravy when i don’t have any of the struggles so many people do around the world: to be safe, to be healthy, to have a home and a life. i have all of that, and a blog :-) where i can write freely. 50 times and counting…

© imadeitso, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to ana at imadeitso.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Posted in pixel shaking, thinking out loud | Tagged | 11 Comments

i'm not sure i should be flaunting this, but…

Posted on June 24, 2010 by imadeitso

after posting my mosaic disaster, a dear reader suggested i submit it to craft fail. it was accepted and posted yesterday. hooray? ;-)

bad crafts make you really appreciate the good ones.

i’ll leave with one last thought here. and it’s something i have struggled with in the past. but i think it’s universal to anyone who creates, artistically or otherwise. i don’t know who to give credit to for this visual, but if you are out there, let me know. i can’t make out the fine print in the bottom-most line…i hope it’s not sponsored by some organization that traps cute bunnies and sells them to a slave ring or something horrible. i’d hate to be spreading their propaganda unknowingly.

do not work free under the guise of good exposure

© imadeitso, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to ana at imadeitso.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Posted in featured!, thinking out loud | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

wordless wednesday (#2)

Posted on June 23, 2010 by imadeitso

water drop on leaf

© imadeitso, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to ana at imadeitso.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Posted in green thumb | Tagged | 7 Comments

woah oregano! or, 16 things to do with too many herbs

Posted on June 22, 2010 by imadeitso

so i have a lot of herbs from my garden right now.

bowl of oregano

and it got me wondering what i could do with it all…

1. wash and tie them up in bunches, hang to dry.

2. share them with neighbours and friends.

3. same as above, but add a recipe using that herb as an ingredient. nice gift for a host or hostess or anyone who likes cooking with fresh ingredients.

herbs bunched and labeled

4. transplant some to a small pot and share with someone who doesn’t have a yard, but who might love fresh herbs on their windowsill.

parsley pot

5. make a fresh pizza, adding whole oregano leaves on top, onions, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and a sprinkling of feta. update! july 20, 2010: you can use the flowers too! like this.

6. google the herb for recipes, and try not to get distracted when you stumble across sites like “herbs gone wild!” and “free marc emery”

washing herbs

7. add them to a marinade for the summer bbq’s.

8. add some to a summer salad.

9. chop some up, add to olive oil and vinegar for a quick salad dressing.

mint and herbs

10. chop some herbs, add a bit of oil and brush the herb mixture onto the top of the loaf before baking. or mix it into the dough.

11. if you don’t make bread, get a breadmaker and make a herb loaf! they are so good!

12. if you don’t want to get a breadmaker or make your own bread and are considering never visiting this site again because who has time to make their own bread for crying out loud… wait! i have a delicious veggie sandwich recipe:

  • your favourite store-bought bread :-)
  • thin slices of zucchini
  • portobello mushroom cap
  • lettuce
  • your favourite fresh herbs
  • plus one slice havarti cheese.

pop it in the oven, open faced til the cheese melts. take it out, place the other slice of bread on top and enjoy! then come back here and visit me again. we’ll forget i ever mentioned the whole bread-making thing, k?

oregano herbs

13. blog about them.

14. freeze herbs, especially those with a higher water content (basil, for example, which takes a longer time to air dry and can sometimes get moldy before drying). wash and remove from stems, placing leaves spread out on a cookie tray. freeze on tray, then transfer them to an airtight container for use throughout the year. freezing them individually rather than bunches helps keep them from sticking together.

15. make a puree and freeze: add herbs to a food processor and add water until it resembles a paste in consistency. pour into ice cube tray and freeze. pop out frozen cubes and place in air-tight container in freezer. use the frozen cubes of herbs in stews and sauces.

chives herbs

16. eat them fresh, as soon as possible. if you have little ones (children, not herbs), you may be amazed at how much they will eat “green stuff” if you let them pick the herbs themselves.

those are just some ideas. can you add to my list? i’d love to have more suggestions…

fresh herbs

update: more ideas from all of you!

17. make a basil pesto.  you can freeze extra portions. there are lots of recipes online.

18. Make flavoured vinegars.

19. Make Tart Basil Jelly with variations using cilantro and mint.

20. Use up some mint in mojitos!

21. bundle sprigs of rosemary, thyme, etc. and bind them onto a wooden skewer or chopstick, and use it as a herbal basting brush. (yum! love this!)

22. make herbal butter by adding fresh herbs, salt and pepper to butter.

23. make herb infused oils. Good for sautes and salads.

24. let the herbs go to seed in your garden.  save and replant, or share those seeds for the next season.

25.  freeze herbs in ice cubes and serve with drinks for something a little different.

26.  got another idea? share it in the comments section below and i’ll add them here.

sincere thanks to the following readers for sharing ideas #17 and on…

shannan, laura, jenny, denise, patty and halima.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

i shared this post with jami and her readers at an oregon cottage.  thanks again jami!

~ana

© imadeitso, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to ana at imadeitso.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Posted in green thumb, ideas & inspiration, in the kitchen | Tagged , , , , , | 30 Comments

recipe: whole wheat pancakes that actually taste good.

Posted on June 20, 2010 by imadeitso

this is the recipe i use to make pancakes for the family.  it’s a large batch, enough to feed 4 or 5 people. leftovers are put in the freezer, and reheated by popping them into the toaster.

why label the obvious? :)

but first, the recipe.

ingredients:

ingredients for delicious whole wheat pancakes

it’s a really simple recipe…

a few notes:

  • the trick here is using “best for bread” whole wheat flour. this happened by fluke, when i ran out of the usual whole wheat flour and resorted to using my bread machine flour instead. the result was the fluffiest pancakes ever!
  • if you have a sweet tooth, you’ll want to add 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar or honey to this recipe, or just slather on the syrup afterwards. i don’t like overly sweet pancakes, and find that the applesauce gives it just that little bit of yum.
  • in most of my baking, i replace oil with applesauce, in exact proportions. if you don’t have applesauce or want to use oil, just use a 1/2 cup of cooking oil above (you’ll probably then want to add 1 or 2 tablespoons sugar or honey as well to make up for the sweetness).

applesauce replaces oil in most baking

directions:

1. pre-heat a non-stick griddle to medium-high heat (or if you are using a regular frying pan, lightly grease it and have it ready to use once the batter is done).

2. using a fork, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. make a well in the center of the flour, and set aside.

dry ingredients for pancake in large bowl

3. beat the eggs in another bowl, and to it add the applesauce and milk. mix til combined.

4. add the wet ingredients to the “well” created with the flour mixture, and combine gently with a spoon or rubber spatula until all the flour is moistened. don’t over-mix. i love seeing the little bubbles rising out of the batter. this is good, it will make things fluffy! i try to use the batter right away.

5. pour the batter onto the griddle to whatever size. they’re ready to flip when they are covered in bubbles…

bubbles rise, other side...

6. once both sides are golden,

fluffy golden whole wheat pancakes

…try not to eat them before placing them in a dish to serve.

vintage dish full of fluffy pancakes

that’s it! they are fluffy and delicious.

now, when i want to do something a little different, i grab a squeeze bottle and fill it with batter. cut the tip so that the thick batter can squeeze through…

squeeze bottle full of batter

and i use it to write out some letters or draw a doodle on my griddle…

writing letters out of pancake batter

(i’m a bit of a nerd [and also captain obvious, with that last statement {sorry}] and i write my letters backwards so when i flip the pancakes, they are written the right way with the pretty side up)

happy father’s day :-)

"dad" pancake

writing letters out of batter. it’s kinda fun. and hard to stop once you get going.

i made it so pancakes

by the way, i’ll share the recipe for that red homemade goodness on the heart pancake soon. it’s easy, i promise! any guesses what it might be?

© imadeitso, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to ana at imadeitso.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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