The wrap cardigan

Okay, so some of you may know that I love clothes that can be worn multiple ways, like the convertible dress and the two layered wrap skirt. I now have a new love and it's called the wrap cardigan! Apparently, I've been living under a rock because the wrap cardigan has been around for a while but I haven't discovered it until now.

My first glimpse of the wrap cardigan was when one of the blogs I read mentioned the DKNY Cozy. Curious, I went to the DKNY site and watched all the "how to wear" videos and promptly started drooling. Every few days for months, I would look up DKNY Cozy and drool. Yes, I really, really wanted it, but couldn't stomach the high price. Finally, hubby got tired of my constant drooling and convinced me to get it. This will mean many, many days of cheap lunches, but I splurged and got one anyways!

So is it everything I thought it would be? Is it as wonderful and versatile as it looks in the videos? The answer is YES and YES! The fabric is actually quite thin, which it has to be or the wrapping and the tying would get really bulky. The material is a combination of silk and cashmere, providing breathability, comfort and warmth. I am actually surprised at how warm it is, especially when using the wrap look. There are also tons of videos online on how to wear a wrap cardigan, giving ideas on how to wear it other than the ways that the DKNY site showcases.

I can't say as of yet if it was worth the cost, considering I only just got it and don't know how often I'll be wearing it. However, since I got this thing, I haven't stopped playing with it or wearing it. I can actually imagine myself wearing it quite often.
To check out a few of the ways you can wear a wrap cardigan, go here:
http://www.dkny.com/press/ways-to-wear-a-cozy-videos/cozy-one/the-classic-cozy
http://hellokel.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-to-wear-wrap-sweater.html

Pots and pans organizer

Holy cow! I totally want this!
http://www.rev-a-shelf.com/p-174-base-cabinet-pullout-2-tier-cookware-organizer-sink-and-base-accessories.aspx

Cute baby otter!

I love otters! So cute!

http://jezebel.com/5879605/adorable-baby-otter-eats-shrimp-adorably-squeaks-adorably

Folding a fitted sheet

Okay, I've linked to something that had the instructions on how to fold a fitted sheet before, but I think it's worth re-posting in a post of its own. Why? Because I've always had problems folding fitted sheets! They always came out looking like a misshapen mess.

Not anymore! I have successfully made my fitted sheets look nice and neat with these instructions:
http://www.marthastewart.com/268521/fold-a-fitted-sheet?center=276989&gallery=274667&slide=268521

Thank you, Martha Stewart!

Don't go to New Hampshire if you're in an abusive relationship

Don't you just love it when someone gets seriously beat up and the police can't do anything about it? Don't you just love it when you know someone is violent and is probably going to beat you to death and the police can't help you?

http://jezebel.com/5879716/shitty-new-bills-would-make-domestic-abuse-more-difficult-to-prosecute

Nagging

I came across an article on the subject of nagging. However, upon reading it, I felt unhappy with the article. Mostly it said how nagging can kill a marriage and women should just stop doing it and find other ways to get the men to do stuff that the men are already supposed to be doing. Like women don't have enough to worry about and do around the house that we also have to be sensitive to how we ask the men to do their share of the work? Ridiculous! The way I see it, I'll ask nicely once, I'll ask again with an undertone of annoyance and if you still don't get it done, then I have a right to be pissed. Why should I have to be the one to change when the guy isn't doing his sh*t?

In my personal case, my hubby isn't so bad. He will actually automatically do things like take out the garbage and clear the dinner table without my having to ask. So in the end, I have no need to nag. I do have one thing I told myself to nag him about, but I keep forgetting to. Maybe because I'm so unpracticed at nagging, I just suck at it?

In any case, I try to make it a point not to nag. Instead, I'll say it once or twice and then get seriously irritated. When I ask my husband to do stuff, 99 percent of the time, he doesn't do it right away, which annoys me. However, I've learned to be patient. I've also learned that when he's distracted when I ask him to do something and he says he'll do it later, he'll often forget, which will then seriously irritate me... a lot. Most of the time though, I don't nag because there is no need to. My hubby is a pretty good hubby in that sense.

Anyways, here's Jezebel's take on the article, which includes a link to the original article:
http://jezebel.com/5879258/naggy-anti+nagging-article-nags-women-to-stop-nagging

Making popcorn in a wok

I totally love my wok, but I've never used it to make popcorn. Today, I just found out that I CAN make popcorn in a wok as well! Oh joy!
http://lifehacker.com/5878294/make-popcorn-in-your-wok

Update:
I have now tried making popcorn in my wok and am very pleased! My first attempt came out a little on the burnt side, so I'll have to be careful going forward. Yay!

Roll, instead of fold, your towels

If space in your linen closet is tight, consider rolling your towels instead of folding them.
http://lifehacker.com/5878369/roll-your-towels-instead-of-folding-them-to-save-space-and-de+clutter-your-linen-closet

If ever you need a mason jar shaker

This might be useful for sprinkling baking soda or washing soda into a tub to clean it. I'm sure there are a myriad of other uses for this little tip:
http://plathsadventures.com/2011/09/26/a-thrift-store-find-and-a-canning-jar-tip/

sickening

If you are still wondering if it's true that there is growing inequality between the rich and everyone else, check this out:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/nyregion/chefs-butlers-and-marble-baths-not-your-average-hospital-room.html?src=me&ref=general

Keep a cake fresh with bread

Found this tip online on how to keep a cake moist and fresh by placing a slice of bread on top. Seems pretty cool. I generally don't leave my cakes out overnight, but if I do, I'll try to keep this tip in mind:

http://bakedbree.com/wess-birthday-cake

Possible reason for bee colony collapse?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2012/01/04/bees-being-turned-into-zombies-by-parasite-115875-23677687/

This sounds really horrible. Poor honey bees.

Chocolate filled beignets

Something wonderful happens when you add chocolate to an already decadently sweet pastry. It becomes even more delicious and decadent! Luckily, I have been making these in small batches of two per person, or you can bet we would have eaten more!

So in a previous post, I made beignets. Today, I made beignets filled with chocolate. Just roll out some brioche dough and cut to size. Then fill with semisweet morsels, seal them like packages, then fry 'em up! They are ready when brown on both sides. Yum!

You can find a great recipe for brioche dough in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Great book!

Beignets

I first had beignets in New Orleans at the famous Cafe Du Monde. If you're ever in New Orleans, you have to have the Beignets with the Cafe Au Lait. Their coffee is a brew of coffee with chicory, which I think is a kind of nut, but I could be wrong.

In any case, the beignets were incredible! They were delicious, light and fried. What's not to love? Ever after, no beignet I had elsewhere could measure up. So I was very intrigued when I saw that you can make beignets at home by frying up some brioche dough. I found this in the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (my new favorite book!).

So yesterday, I made some brioche dough to chill overnight in the fridge. This morning, hubby ground up some raw sugar in our mortar and pestle to make powdered sugar while I rolled out a small amount of dough and cut them into 2 inch squares. While letting the squares rise and rest for 20 minutes (they didn't rise very much), I heated up oil in my wok. I was a little worried that the beignets wouldn't come out fluffy since they didn't rise much, but after slipping them into the hot oil, they puffed up nicely! I let them lightly brown on each side before draining and sprinkling with the powdered sugar and serving.

They were better than most I've ever had, though probably still not as good as Cafe Du Monde's! Hubby approved of this new food experiment and whole-heartedly thinks I should make more. Success! I would post pictures, but we ate them all. :-(

You can find the brioche dough recipe here:
http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/2008/09/24/brioche-dough-recipe-and-all-of-its-wonderful-uses
The post also includes links to other goody bread yummies you can make with brioche dough.

Cool housekeeping ideas

My favorites are storing sheets in their own pillow cases, using baby powder to get beach sand off, how to neatly fold a fitted sheet (always did have issues with this one!), and storing holiday decorations in egg cartons.

Enjoy!
http://angelaadkins.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/25-clever-ideas-to-make-life-easier/

Momofuku cookies

During the holiday season, I had the good luck to try some of Momofuku's cookies. I had the Compost cookie and the Corn cookie... and they were one of the most delicious cookies I have ever eaten! They were rather large, so when I got them, I had planned to eat only half of a cookie and save the rest for later. Needless to say, I scarfed it all down! I couldn't stop myself! They were sooooooo good!

Then recently, I came across this recipe:
http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2010/02/momofuku_milk_bars_compost_cookie_recipe.html
Holy cow! I can't believe you can make these yourself!
You can better your butter I am going to be trying this recipe out!

Pre-K

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/18/nyregion/underground-pre-k-groups-often-illegal-abound-in-new-york.html?pagewanted=1&ref=nyregion

Apparently, the woman in the above article is freaking out about her kid "falling behind" when entering kindergarten. So to her, preschool is a must. Personally, I think she needs to chill. Why? Because kids learn fast when they're young. Many parents who cite the benefits of Pre-K don't talk about how the kids learn a lot of stuff, but say that the benefits mainly lie in the children picking up social skills in a classroom setting and helps with separation anxiety before reaching kindergarten. Okay, I can see that, but is it worth paying thousands of dollars for? Not sure.

Parents in NYC and around the country seem to have, at times, lost their collective minds. I am constantly getting the feeling, when I read such articles, that if I don't do everything just right and rob my kids of any free play, then I will have failed to give my child every chance to do well in life. Everything is about applying pressure on yourself as a parent to get the kids into the BEST schools at age two through college. The constant feeling of you-can't-EVER-screw-up-EVER attitude induces the kind of stress that can give you ulcers and keep you up at night.

Schools aren't even about educating the kids anymore. At least not to the parents. To the parent under high pressure (and in turn applying high pressure to their children), school is about getting good grades to get into good schools to get good money. At the heart of it, is almost seems like the attitude of these parents is, "Who cares if the kids learn anything? As long as they end up rich and give me plenty of bragging rights, I'll be proud!" I am sure that is not true of most parents who want the best schools for their kids, but these articles in the NYTimes are giving the impression that NYC parents are a bit insane with too much money to burn.

Baked eggs, shirred eggs

I recently discovered the deliciousness of baked eggs, otherwise known as shirred eggs. It is simple, yummy, customizable and great with toast points. Perfect for an easy breakfast that can be made in a toaster oven.

All it takes is cracking an egg into an oven-proof cup or ramekin, adding a tablespoon of cream or milk to keep the egg from drying out and then baking it to the desired consistency. Bake longer for a firmer texture and shorter for a runnier texture. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper or whatever bits of cheese you have lying around before placing in the oven for flavor.

My favorite way of making shirred eggs is to preheat my toaster oven to 375 degrees F, crack an egg into a ramekin, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and back for at least 10 minutes. I bake until the whites are just set, but still a bit jiggly. If you like your eggs less runny, you may have to bake for another 5 minutes or so. When you take them out, the ramekins are hot to touch to I usually let it rest for 5 minutes. I usually can't wait longer than that to start digging in with a toast point or spoon!

New cutting board

I needed a new cutting board and got this one:

It is made of end grain acacia wood, which is supposedly a sustainable wood. I chose an end grain board because I read that it doesn't dull knives as quickly and it is sort of "self healing." This is because when you slice down, the blade goes between the fibers of the board, I guess it is like slicing into a bundle of skewers or something. Anyway, I have used it for a couple of days now and I am loving it! I have yet to see a knife mark on it and slicing on it is very smooth. After every use, I wash it with warm, soapy water. Then I dry it with a towel and apply a wood cream, which is just a combination of mineral oil and beeswax. The cream helps to keep moisture from seeping into the wood and also deepens the color and makes it look prettier. In any case, I am hoping this board will last me longer than my old plastic one did.

Wow, some people definitely put in effort to be nice!

http://helenair.com/news/local/state-and-regional/return-of-helps-restore-christmas-spirit-for-billings-woman/article_d8e5f4fe-254f-11e1-9d66-0019bb2963f4.html