Neat Links

A few links I found this morning that I really enjoyed.

This one uses maps to express different facts and statistics about the world. #10 is my favorite, I just love the graphics and to see how much different countries rely on the internet. #36 is just hilarious!

This link is all about recycling or alternate use of the random items you can find around your house to make life that much easier.

I love the following:

5. I definitely have piles of wires in boxes and around my room that could definitely use a few tricks like this to make things look a bit more organized.

6. This just looks fun. Plus factor: If I don't feel like using all the batter at once it doubles as a storage container. 

7. There are just so many possibilities, you could turn your keys into a fashion statement.

12. I always lose track of the things I loan out. This is a good idea in theory, but I have a feeling that with the amount of photos I take, I'd probably lose track of that too.

18. If I can't see it, chances are I will forget it exists. This is a great solution!

33. This is just genius! 

34. One word: Yum!

36. I love onions, but can't stand cutting them. So curious to see if this actually works!

40. Ninja shirt folding? Nuff said!

If this link doesn't make you smile today, I don't know what will. Cute.

The Ultimate Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies

Discovered this today on Cupcakes and Cashmere's "Links I Love" post. Definitely going to use this as a guide to experiment with some cookie recipes. So excited!! She also posted a part 2 here. Tessa's post is so inspiring. I'd love to try this experimental approach to some other common recipes such as various healthy baking substitute and how they affect taste and texture.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Sweet potatoes, like pumpkin, have become a huge obsession of mine. I'm more than willing to try anything pumpkin or sweet potato (or, to be frank, both combined sound pretty good too!). I also have this huge obsession/love for making homemade Gnocchi. I've already tried making pumpkin gnocchi in the past, which turned out like dessert for dinner, sinful! However, in the past few weeks I've discovered the art of Sweet Potato Gnocchi, placing them at the top of my Gnocchi list (no that doesn't actually exist, but maybe it should...)

I've been incorporating sweet potatoes into my diet for their great lasting energy benefits and as a source of good carbs and fiber, plus, lets face it, they are simply delicious. A while back I was in Trader Joe's and noticed that they started carrying sweet potato gnocchi in their freezer section. Being a gnocchi addict and it being all I will order at Italian restaurants given they are made in house, I have made it a rule that I will no longer buy prepackaged gnocchi when I can easily make them from scratch. Fresh is always better, in my opinion. That being said, I have probably made sweet potato gnocchi using this recipe about 4-5 times within the last month or so. They are a bit time consuming, but definitely worth it, and if you make a large amount you can divide them up and have enough for the rest week. This recipe is just as good cold, topped with a bit of goat cheese, and great for on the go or to take to work.

Goat cheese is a simple topping and very delicious, but they also taste wonderful drizzled lightly with a brown butter sage sauce.

Tips: I chose this recipe for it's simplicity without detracting from flavor, but there were a few things I struggled with initially..

1. Baking the sweet potato to puree/mash. The various sizes of sweet potato can cause hiccups in the process, and may extend the time it takes to make these pillows of joy. I recommend paying attention to the ones you choose when at the store. Try to pick ones similar in size and length so they cook at relatively the same speed. If you choose the longer skinnier potatoes they will cook more thoroughly in a shorter amount of time. I, regrettably, did not do this the first time around. I made the mistake of just grabbing a few, one long and skinny, one fat and short, threw them into the oven on a cookie sheet and ended up checking them every 5-10 mins after the initial 30 for about an extra 20-30 mins because the fatter one just wasn't cooking thoroughly. I still ended up with a half soft, half uncooked potato that made my gnocchi chunky. They still tasted great, flavor-wise in my opinion, but they weren't that pillow-y soft texture you normally expect in a gnocchi. I also don't have a ricer which may have made a huge difference, but if you are careful, in this way, this recipe is completely do-able by hand.

2. Checking for a done potato. The recipe suggests cooking the potato until soft to the touch. This is also where I went wrong and wound up with potatoes that I couldn't puree by hand. I recommend poking the potatoes a few times with a fork to allow heat to get to the center, and also as a means to check the softness at the center. The first few times I attempted this recipe I pulled out and began peeling and cutting the potatoes because they felt soft only to discover they were still hard in the center. Deceiving.

3. Flour to preference. I wanted to use less flour, but still maintain a dumpling-like texture. I have yet to perfect the whole wheat gnocchi, and until I do I want to try to minimize the amount of white flour I use. I discovered in my most recent and most successful attempt that you really don't need all that much flour. Depending on the amount and size of the potatoes used you can get away with a fairly small amount of flour. This recipe calls for 2 cups of flour with 2 8oz. potatoes. However, in total (flour for dusting and rolling included) I probably used about 1-1 1/4 cups. I added flour in 1/4 cup increments, and as soon as it became workable I used what remained for dusting and rolling, so essentially the outside was floured but the inside remained sticky. I believe this made for a more creamy less dense dumpling, which I quite enjoyed.

4. (Optional) Let them rest in the cold. This most recent batch was made from two potatoes that I had baked the day before, and stuck in the fridge for about a day and a half. This, I believe, made them much more malleable and less stringy. Although this step is optional, I feel it contributed to a softer gnocchi. Being in the cool climate after being in the oven allowed moisture to absorb back into the potato.

The Age Of Photographs

I saw this image on an old post at Cupcakes and Cashmere yesterday. How nice would it be to have a suitcase in your room full of old photos? You could easily prop it open and travel down memory lane whenever you need a little pick-me-up, feel reminiscent, or just want to share some of your favorite moments with a friend.

Why would anyone want a suitcase full of photos? I have a phone for that, and where would I even put it?

I know, I know. The age of technology has all that covered, and compactly stored for your grab and go convenience. Like many things beneficial and convenient, this has a downside. On one hand, it's so easy to snap a photo these days, documenting any and all memories or moments to your heart's content. I can't complain here, I have 3000+ photos on my phone and those are just the ones I've taken within the past 6 months, after I replaced my stolen phone. The other good thing is you always have them with you, right there in that app waiting to be opened and scrolled through. That's just it, though. With photos conveniently stored in a device (you know that one you wouldn't know how to function in society without?), it is far less likely they will ever get printed. Not to mention that with the plethora of social media sites and apps enabling you to share your photos as you are experiencing these moments (which I admit is very handy when you do, say, get your phone stolen), why would you want to waste that precious time these app developers are giving back to you, with every life enhancing app created, getting photos printed? These sites and apps make it far more easy to share those moments with EVERYONE  all at once. Even that one person you met that one time, you know back when you visited that one place... You know, the one you met for like 5 minutes who you'll probably never speak two words to every again, but know everything about every life event they've spammed Facebook with? So, really, why worry about printing and displaying photos at home, right?

I used to have photos printed out and collaged all over my room with a stack of photo albums on my bookshelf. At night as I fell asleep I could glance around my room at my most treasured moments or pick up an album and flip through photos, touching them, holding the moments in my hands. This is hardly the case anymore. Most of the photos on display, totaling at about 5, are from 2007 at best, and those albums? They are packed away in a box somewhere from moving so much within the last 5 years. All of my most recent photos can be found on external hard drives, my phone, or online, keeping me more attached to these devices by day. However, there's just nothing quite like holding that 5x7 glossy photo of past memories you have long forgotten, or flipping through a pile of them for that matter. There's actually something quite nice about holding them, touching the paper, that connects you to the memory more deeply than swiping your finger across a screen. I miss that.

While technology does make certain things about life more conveniently accessible, allowing us more time to spend on other more important things, there are somethings, done the old fashioned way, that just can't be replaced.

And to answer your question about where you would put the suitcase? Good news! That suitcase, that was probably hard to find storage space for and is now awkwardly taking up space in your closet that you would probably rather fill with shoes, can be conveniently put on display as a bedside table. Very trendy these days.. How convenient!

Pumpkin British Style Crumpet French Toast

Trader Joe's has these British Style Crumpets that always look so soft and airy, I just want to open the bag and eat them before I even make it to the register. The little air pockets sparked an intriguing idea, how well would these taste prepared as French Toast? So, yesterday while I was making pumpkin muffins and food to take to work for the week, I thought I would try them out. I had a ton of left over pumpkin purée and this made for a perfect way to use some of it up. Needless to say they turned out amazing, like dessert for breakfast. They are about 185 calories per slice, a perfect, deliciously lite way to start the morning.

Ingredients:

Trader Joe's British Style Crumpets

2 egg whites

1 whole egg

1/2 cup Libby's Pumpkin Pie Filling

1/2 cup Almond Breeze 

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Pinch of salt

How to:

In a bowl mix egg whites, whole egg, almond milk, pumpkin purée, and seasonings. Place crumpets in mixture and let sit for 30 mins, flip and let sit for an additional 30 mins, this really allows the favors to soak in. Cook at low to medium heat on a skillet using a small amount of butter to lightly grease the pan. These are very flavorful, needing minimal maple syrup, however add as desired.

Baking substition graphics are pretty handy

I'm trying to build a small reference folder for food substitutions and thought I'd share some pretty neat graphics and tables I find very useful.

From picklee.com

This one from lifehacker.com!

Lists and Labels

Lately, I have been completely absorbed in an overwhelming whirlwind of inspired thought. From embarking on a Camino de Santiago to portrait painting to learning to play the guitar, violin, and Cajon drum to being a professional photographer to getting an MS in Nutrition/Health Education to becoming a crafter/seamstress making anything and everything to also becoming a pastry chef with a personal training certification. The list could go on, I'm sure, but I'd rather not get any more obnoxious than I already have. This has been my main struggle in life, finding one avenue and committing to it. I have so many interests, but I never know where to start. Each of them takes much time and money to thoroughly explore, and, well, what if I pick the wrong one? I've tried starting one, but, in doing so, I always find myself with urges to try another, losing interest in the one I've started. A wondering eye of sorts. I'm discovering that its balance I lack. When I'm overwhelmed I procrastinate, shut down, and waste time doing none of the things I'm interested in. Please note: I understand that most of what I listed are hobbies and I'm sure you are saying to yourself, "You can do all those things recreationally (not a word, google?.. oh well, it is now :)), I don't really get your dilemma.."

It's not necessarily that I feel I'm in a dilemma, but rather feeling unfocused. Most of what I listed are just aspiring hobbies, but wouldn't it be nice if I could figure out a way to incorporate them all into a career? That way I don't feel like finding my path, career-wise, is taking so much away from also pursuing what makes me most happy.

Who am I? What do I want to be? Two questions I face, as most twenties somethings graduating college usually do, constantly by friends and family interested in what I plan to do after graduation.

I really don't like to label myself. When someone calls me an artist because I like to paint and draw, I shyly say sure, but I feel like a fake. When someone asks if I'm a photographer because they learn I have shot a few weddings I blush and say no not really. I don't dedicate my life to these activities like an Artist has to in order to be successful. How can I put myself in the same category as someone who eats, sleeps, and breaths painting and creating when I pick up a brush every 4-6 months or so? But it's not just feeling that I can't compare when I don't dedicate the same amount of efforts, it's also that I feel that my interests are constantly changing and evolving. One minute I feel really creative, inspired to paint, the next I couldn't feel less interested and more intrigued by something else.

I may never be one for labels, but someday I will be able to say I'm someone who has completed a marathon, exercises religiously, paints often, likes to craft, enjoys encouraging people to eat better, bakes regularly, experiments with recipes, can express herself through music and dance, can make her own clothes, and travels frequently. For now, I'm just figuring out how I can happily make a living, surviving in this workaholic money driven society.

I think I need to make more lists...