Sewing!

I have my first sewing class tonight. I've been curious about learning to sew for a while now. I love to knit, so I figure this is right up my alley. A friend of mine was interested too so we are taking it together. Our projects will be: a pair of pajama pants and two pillows - one with a zipper. I'm really excited. I would love to be able to make simple skirts for myself or dresses.

My aunt sewed her own dress for our wedding and it was stunning. She used a raw silk material. The color was a light minty green. She looked incredible.

She made this dress. Gorgeous.

She was actually the person that married us. I loved that the time she spent sewing that dress together was full of thoughts of our wedding. Like our marriage is sewn right into the fabric of that lovely dress. I feel that way about knitting. I have a friend who is expecting a baby next month, and I just knit her a baby sweater. Really, every stitch of the way you have that new little person in mind. Even if it isn't forefront in your mind, you know that whole time I'm knitting Baby XO a sweater right now. So many things about knitting feel like a meditation to me, I'm curious to see if sewing feels that same way.

That being said, I'm sure my first project, Fashion-Forward Pajama Pants, will not be a practice in meditation. It has the potential to be a practice in hair pulling. But greatness takes time my friends!

Clean Simply

One of my living simply goals was to figure out how to clean my house without drenching it in toxic chemicals. Most of the time after I clean my bathroom, I've got a headache and my skin smells heavily of bleach which I can't help but think is NOT GOOD! Our forefathers (or more like foremothers) cleaned house without 409, so why can't I? Plus buying cleaning product for the kitchen, bathroom, windows, and dusting can add up at $3-4 a bottle.

So I set out to learn the secrets of my ancestors - a clean house without killing myself (perhaps literally). 

Turns out, this is really the easiest thing ever. I did a quick Google search and found a zillion websites with a zillion different formulas. I picked the All-Purpose cleaner and whipped it up using ingredients I already had in the house in about 5 minutes. No big secret here, no ancient ancestral recipe - just stuff around the house.

Here's what I did and the website I used:

All-Purpose Cleaner Formula
1/2 cup of vinegar
1/4 cup of baking soda
1/2 gallon of water

Instructions: Mix together.

Brilliant, huh? To top it off, baking soda is about $1 and vinegar $2, and you can get multiple batches out of one purchase of these ingredients. Read - CHEAP!

Once I had my new fandangled cleaner, I was inspired to clean my refrigerator (hurrah another benefit of homemade cleaner!). I wish I had taken a picture of the fridge because it was gleaming - sparkling! Since then, I've cleaned the entire stove (pulled off knobs and all). I have to admit when you look closely on the glass front of the oven, there are some streaks, but nothing life-threatening.

 I also don't worry about kneading or rolling out pizza dough directly on my counter since I know there aren't any toxic chemicals that will get absorbed. Some of you might be concerned about germs or bacteria...me, not so much. I'm of the general mind that germs only make your immune system stronger. (Granted, we don't cook meat at our house, and I haven't used the home-cleaner in the bathroom yet. Those bacteria scare me more!)

 All to say that taking a step back and discovering a simple new answer to a daily task feels good. It feels empowering to choose your own method, even if it's as small of a decision as how you will clean your house. When I pull out that spray bottle to wipe down my counter after washing the dishes, I give myself a teeny little pat on the back and feel a bit of pride.

The Land of Domestica

I think I'm in a major nesting phase right now. Honestly, it may not be a "phase" so much as a part of me I'm discovering as I enter into my 30's.

I recently read the book Radical Homemakers and was riveted and inspired. I love the idea of simplifying life and really taking joy in the everyday tasks of running a house.

As a life-long learner (a.k.a, uber-geek), I'm finding this new world fascinating. I don't know squat about how to maintain my own indoor herb garden (more on that fiasco another time), or making my own cleaning products or making bread, but I'm learning. And I'm enjoying it! Yes, I know I can go to Trader Joe's and get a perfectly lovely loaf of bread, but what a challenge to try to work it out yourself (still working on it...). And what a thrill it is when you succeed! It really can be the smallest things that give you that feeling of accomplishment.

When I was in my 20's I lived in a small town in France for a year. When I first arrived, I spoke textbook French, which is to say not much. If I had a successful transaction at the bank, then at the post office and then at the grocery, I would come home feeling as if I had conquered the world! I'm finding this new foreign land of domestic skills just as intriguing, challenging and rewarding.

Stay tuned for my most successful project yet later this week.

The Classic Brownie

What better way to begin this journey of living simply than cooking up a good 'ol batch of brownies?

I decided to attempt making brownies from scratch for a friend's bridal shower. And, I discovered, making them from scratch isn't that complicated at all. I assumed since box brownies are the norm that homeade brownies must be complex and frustrating. I'm finding there are a lot of foods that I've always purchased at the store when, in reality, they are amazingly simple to make at home.

In fact, I am 31-years-old and never, in my life, do I recall making brownies from anything but a box. We always got a Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker box, added an egg and some oil and voila! While the steps seem simple, I don't think there's anything simple about the ingredients list for these old-school classics.

To be clear, I'm not knocking Betty or Duncan. This was a rare and precious treat at my house growing up. My mom and I would whip up a batch of them and leave them on the counter covered all night. In the morning, I would lean in to take a sniff of that chocolatey-goodness, reach out my grubby little hand to take one for breakfast, expecting to hear a stern "uh-uh, not for breakfast!" Evidently, brownies were a weakness for my mother too. Instead of slapping away my hand, she would reach in and help herself to one of the perfectly chewy morsels. I remember loving that my mom stopped being a parent for those few bites. She couldn't resist the temptation herself and so we were on equal footing giggling like the true chocolate-fiends we were, age be damned!

OK, on with it! Here is the recipe from Cook's Illustrated with some pics I took along the way. Funny thing is I didn't actually get a picture of the FINAL product (whoops!) I'll just have to make them again, won't I?

Enjoy and feel free to indulge again tomorrow morning…

Recipe:

1 cup pecans or walnuts (4 ounces), chopped medium (optional) *I didn't do the nuts.
1 1/4 cups plain cake flour (5 ounces) *Evidently the flour should be cake flour. That's important!
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into six 1-inch pieces
2 1/4 cups sugar (15 3/4 ounces)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13- by 9-inch baking dish, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and, if using extra-wide foil, fold lengthwise to 12-inch width; fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. If using nuts, spread nuts evenly on rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Whisk to combine flour, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside.

4. Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. (Alternatively, in microwave, heat butter and chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl on high for 45 seconds, then stir and heat for 30 seconds more. Stir again, and, if necessary, repeat in 15-second increments; do not let chocolate burn.) When chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar. Add eggs one at time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, folding with rubber spatula until batter is completely smooth and homogeneous.

5. Transfer batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Sprinkle toasted nuts (if using) evenly over batter and bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of brownies comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan by lifting foil overhang. Cut brownies into 2-inch squares and serve. (Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)