on-hand modern

I made a dress

From a pattern in this Japanese craft book which I bought from a lovely Etsy seller here.

Forgive me for tooting my own horn, but I consider this a major achievement for three reasons:

1) I don't really know how to sew.

2) I rarely sew for myself.

3) Patterns make me angry. A lot.

I know it may seem counterintuitive to sew from a pattern that's written in a foreign (to you) language when most of the patterns that *are* written in your language seem foreign enough, but the experience was surprisingly painless. I made the whole dress in just one weekend.

A lot of pictures helped:

Here's a shot of what the dress was supposed to look like, a cross between these two views:

And here's how it actually came out (that's my production assistant tugging on it at the bottom) :

I am sort of meh about how it looks on *me*. I think I need some sassy boots. Or legwarmers. Or maybe just some calf exercises. Eh.

Still, it is a dress. It accommodates my growing girth. It is (attention K:) finished. And after three washings it is only falling apart in one place thankyouverymuch.

Cook a Story: Stone Soup

Chances are you know the story of Stone Soup. It is an old English folktale, retold in many different ways, about a hungry traveler who uses a "magic" stone to trick some miserly villagers into sharing their food with him.

We have read lots of different versions (including this one by Marcia Brown that won a Caldecott Medal in 1947) but I think our favorite (so far) is "The Real Story of Stone Soup" by Ying Chang Compestine. It is hilarious and fun and, unlike other versions, actually incorporates the stone as a useful element in making the soup.

(In the absence of a proper pot, three resourceful Chinese brothers make soup by digging a hole in the sand, lining it with plantain leaves, filling it with water, and bringing the water to a boil using three hot rocks they have heated in a fire. Brilliant.)

As you might imagine, I love the use of on-hand ingredients in this story, so of course, the kids and I made our own Stone Soup:

Ingredients:

1 well-chosen stone + whatever we had in the fridge/cupboard...

Olive oil
Onion
Celery
Carrots
Potatoes
Garlic
Basil
Double-strength beef broth
Barley
Spinach
Salt and pepper
Milk

K liked it, Liv declared it "not her favorite", and Asher refused to touch it (aside from a few half-hearted licks of the stone itself, presumably for comparison's sake in relation to the countless other rocks he's undoubtedly tasted).

Still, this endeavor was more about the creative process than the end result, and, as the kids had a lot of fun experimenting (newsflash: six-year-olds actually like peeling potatoes) I consider it a success.

Baby, it's cold inside

Two weeks ago I was in Phoenix, enjoying T-shirt and flip-flop weather on a weekend getaway with my sisters. Two days ago my children were climbing trees in the backyard sans shoes and coats. But today I am reminded that despite my best efforts to delude myself into thinking otherwise, it is definitely still winter. The tip-off, you ask? Forty-eight (48!) degree temperatures. Ahem, inside the house.

Yeah, the furnace died. The latest in a string of household casualties this season.

A new one is coming. Meanwhile, I thought this picture of the garland Liv made and strung in her room seemed appropriate:

I thought about posting a downloadable template for the snowflakes, but my fingers have officially reached popsicle status. Sorry.

Sigh. If only I had a Snuggie.

Sweets With My Sweetie: a photo essay

Happy Valentine's Day!

If you had a cardboard box...

what would *you* do with it?

(Comments + photos welcome.)

It's a condiment! It's a salad! It's delicious.

Free breakfast today?

See, ordinarily, I'd be the first in line. Alas, not much is really hitting the spot these days food-wise, if you know what I mean. Fortunately, there's this:

which K (dear man) has made for me twice in the last couple of weeks. It's my mom's secret recipe for pico de gallo and, man, this stuff is good. I could eat it by the spoonful. (Seriously--I know it's pictured with a chip, but, really--totally unnecessary.) So tasty and fresh and really unique among other picos I've tried (I think it's the radishes?) I defy anyone not to love it.

Mom's Ultimate Pico De Gallo

5-6 roma tomatoes
1 cucumber
8-10 radishes
1-2 jalapenos, seeded
1 bunch of cilantro
a few green onions
juice of 1-2 limes
kosher salt

I think that's everything?

All quantities are approximate and you're meant to vary them to taste--less cilantro if you're not a fan (I happen to love the stuff), more jalapenos (or just leave the seeds in) if you like it spicy. Chop it up fine and even the kids will eat it. Which is either a good or a bad thing (yay! they're eating tomatoes. sigh...I have to share) depending on how you look at it.