saffron: a how to

{the snow has fallen now, for many hours. a blizzard friday conjures up pint-sized adventures like braving the storm to walk the block to the nearest cafe as an antidote to cabin fever. on the way over today, i saw my landlord jogging. outside. amidst the snow. she's fabulous- an older, established woman dedicated to staying healthy rain, shine or blizzard. this was unbelievable at first; the abominable snowman would have been a better hypothesis. when i realized it was her, i exclaimed loudly, 'you are a wild woman, i love you!' and immediately i felt very awkward for,  why on such a quiet day, must such a weird thing be said? i hate when i say awkward things, but it keeps happening.... but anyway, the saffron. all of this snow brings on the craving for a movie with enchiladas. with the enchiladas must come spanish rice. in the pantry at the moment, only white as a bone, japanese rice exists- it's my favorite texture. but, i LOVE the yellow color of spanish rice on my plate- it's very festive. is the best of both worlds possible? just then, i remembered a sample of whole, threaded saffron that i received as a free sample with an order of almond flour (it's a great alternative to flour for those who like baked goods that are delicious and easy and i'm picky about those things.) pulling out the packet from the abyss of the spice drawer, i was puzzled. how did these hairy looking, red, things produce beautiful, sunny  rice? the experiment ensued...}

so, what is saffron, really?

saffron is most often used to naturally tint food a golden color, but it is actually spicy as well. it is popular in Spanish, French and Middle Eastern cultures. records indicate that in Greece it was used as a potent therapeutic drug and herbal remedy. those form the upper class bathed in it and added it to lotions and beauty tonics. it comes from the saffron crocus flower. there are three strands in the center of the flower, that when dried, become the spice strands. (i did think for a split second, i'm going to eat a flower stigma, yum?) 75,000 flowers are needed to make 1 lb. of saffron, hence why the 'designer' price tag.
 

from red strand to yellow rice, a how to:

1. crush the stems
i got my mini mortar and pestle at World Market (haven) for five buckaroo's. a m&p isn't imperative though, since the stems are very fragile and the back a a spoon would probably work just fine.

2) dissolve saffron, dissolve.
     when the saffron is a fine powder, add warm water and let it dissolve for 10 minutes or so.

3)  add & cook
      rice cookers are wonderous, they make fluffy rice every time and it's e a s y. just follow the directions on the bag, adding the 'saffron water' to the amount of water directed. let the saffron water mingle with the rice while cooking.

4.) about 20 minutes later.....
      golden rice ready to embellish any plate!

      ingredients used: rice, water, saffron (it's completely natural and healthy, too)

Recipe ideas for cooking with saffron

Saffron is used in many different cuisines all over the world. In India it is used with rice and some sweets, whilst in France and Spain it is popular in fish-based dishes. Below are a number of recipe ideas for the use of saffron in cooking.

• Use saffron in the French "bouillabaisse", a type of fish stew.
• It is one of the main ingredients of the Spanish paella.
• In Italian cooking it is used in "risotto a la Milanese".
• Use saffron to flavour and colour rice.
• Use in Indian biriyani rice dishes.
• Add to coffee with cardamom for a Middle Eastern hot drink.
• Saffron is a good spice to use with fish, such as cod or halibut, giving it excellent colour and flavour.
• Use for a Scandinavian-style saffron sweet cake.
• Use to flavour ice cream, as they do in India.
• Use in all types of curries.
• Use to make Cornish saffron buns.
• Add to sauces to give it colour and a spicy flavour.
• Add saffron to crab or fishcake mixtures.
• Add to mayonnaise or garlic mayonnaise to give it a different colour.
• Add to soups for a bright colour.
• Saffron is also often partnered with chicken.

happy saffron eating!

make this! homemade citrus salt scrub

More time+Less $= Creativity

 

 (It's funny what happens when you have to watch your fund$. Your mind gets all creative and stuff. Meaning, you just want to make stuff so you don't have to buy it.)

After trying the sugar scrub previously, I went for the 100% pure and simple citrus salt scrub this time around. I LOVE it. It's super hydrating, bright and fresh with the orange and lemon pureed right in. Slap a ribbon around it's neck and VOILA! a gift.

To get the recipe from the Petite Elephant blog, click HERE and let me know if you try any of the DIY gifts to give or for yourself!

Life in LoDo: Fabric Bliss

The days are here. If I dream of having Christmas placemats- I can sew some! If it's a baby blanket I want to make and give- I can sew one! When I feel like some new curtains- sew them, I can! Thanks to my 1970's Signature Deluxe Automatic sewing machine. Gifted to me from AMC's Grandma Kathy. She is gorgeous. In fact, with her periwinkle and cream metal she reminds me of a Vespa scooter.

photo courtesy of: http://tain0s.deviantart.com/art/The-Blue-Vespa-94281616

Barbara

One evening, AMC came home from Colorado Springs with handed down gifts to me from his Grandma and Dad. In the trunk there was a sewing machine case and a vacuum cleaner. Every housewife's dream! (are they trying to tell me something?) Freaking ecstatic! The vacuum works like a dream and from what I could tell, so did the sewing machine (her name is Barbara, Barb for short.)Yesterday, I got out some swanky flannel fabric and got ready to sew away. I tinkered with things, attempting to wind a bobbin and realized, I needed a little help, a little confidence, a little how-to. Then I remembered seeing a place called Fabric Bliss in the art district just a stone's throw from our loft. I gave the store a ring, gave her a rundown; gorgeous old machine, think it works fine just need a little info on what these dials mean and how to thread the thread, and so forth. The lady on the phone said bring her on in and she'd give her a lookover.

Score!

One of the best parts of Barbara is that she's composed of all metal. There is not one speck of plastic on her, that I can see. You know what I'm going to say, "they just don't make things like this anymore!" All that metal makes her durable and HEAVY. Getting her down the elevator and into the trunk made me feel like I was working for something.

Arriving to Fabric Bliss, I realized that the lady on the phone was the owner, Aurora Sisneros. She is so cool. Just one look around her store and you know it's true. She's cool AND she is a true crafter. She knows her stuff AND how to teach too. Aurora fell right in love with Barbara when I heaved her onto her front desk counter and told me what every dial does, how to thread a bobbin and why we even have a bobbin in the first place. Right there, on the spot, she gave me a very well articulated class on sewing machine 101. With confidence that I was about to go home and sew, I mosied around her store for a few minutes, in awe that a place like this exists. Bolts and bolts of modern fabric (no run of the mill stuff only here!) a wall of gorgeous yarn for knitting and, in the back of the store is a classroom with machines to work on. They teach everything from how to use a sewing machine for the first time, to modern quilting. Or, you can rent a machine by the hour and work on your own project.

I don't feel so alone in the world anymore. There are young crafters out there, a whole bunch of them. And, thanks to Fabric Bliss, (website HERE) "a modern fabric store, sewing studio, and knit lounge located in the heart of the Santa Fe Arts District in Denver, Colorado" we have a place to hang! Thanks Aurora!

The Art of Bathing

The Art of Bathing I learned in Japan. At the grocery store, I'd stand in the bodywash/shampoo/conditioner aisle for a good long bit, opening every single container to smell them. They were so different than any other that I'd, well, smelled. It was as if they took raspberries and oranges and squeezed  the fruit juice directly into the bottle. And it lathered so well. Ah. what I wouldn't do for a bath in my tub there, with my pink, striped shower curtain.

The Art of Bathing in Japan is a big part of culture there, from what I experienced.
On weekends, with family and friends, people often visit an onsen, which is best described as a nature's hot tub.  Because it springs from the ground, there are minerals that are reported to be relaxing and healing. Usually hotels are attached to the onsen so people relax in their room, eat traditional fare and go back and forth to the onsen waters.

This experience is one I miss most about Japanese life and one that I have brought back with me. Recently, I've been really into finding natural body oils and washes.  The key is natural. So many body products contain aluminum, parabens and other gross stuff that our skin has to soak up. So, I've been on the hunt for some absolutely natural goods. I found a recipe for sugar scrub on this rad blog and made it. And loved it. It's true, just olive oil, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla extract (optional, for scent).

what's so cool about it. the olive oil is incredibly moisturizing. You don't even have to put on lotion after (even in Colorado!) yet you aren't greasy at all. package them up and they're great gifts!
what i'll try next time: sunflower seed oil may be just as pure, without quite so strong a smell. And, I'll experiment with essential oils too.

p.s. with the pink striped shower curtain in mind, I thought a facebook album may have a picture of my cute, tiny little apartment in Sendai, Japan. I found a few!

my air conditioner garden

just remembered how smart things were for space. The sink faucet just cranked over to be the bath faucet to fill the tub.

there she is, the kitchen. (all of it.)  And there were 6 of us for Thanksgiving????

Cheers to Hot Toddy's!

A snowstorm day and the day after are some of the wonders of Colorado that I like most. The day with snow falling naturally beckons everyone to take a little break. To go only where is needed or really sought after, eliminating unnecessary activity. We seem to have more time. It's feels to me as though thoughts and ideas are whizzing all around with the snowflakes, and by slowing down we have a chance to be aware of them.

The day after the snow storm, the sky is as clear blue as can be imagined. Things are refreshed and clean. Getting out and about, around town is something exciting again because we remember that yesterday it wasn't exactly an option.

On a late morning walk to the bank today I started thinking about the weekend plans, and how I'd like to go to the Botanic Gardens trail of lights. During the season, they string lights through what seems every living thing in the garden. You and your companions walk along the paths that are lit up so beautifully, just like a winter wonderland.

The guy in the bank just happened to say he was going to the opening night of the trail of lights on Saturday, and that he'd be making hot toddy's to bring in a thermos. And that sounded fun, except I wasn't exactly sure what ingredients were in a hot toddy in the first place. So, after doing a little research, here is what I found. This is the recipe I'll be using to try this season:

photo found at marthastewartliving.com via pinterest

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 fluid ounces boiling water
• 1 1/2 fluid ounces whiskey
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 slice lemon
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg

Directions 

Pour the honey, boiling water, and whiskey into a mug. Spice it with the cloves and cinnamon, and put in the slice of lemon. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes so the flavors can mingle, then sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg before serving.

There are many recipes out there to try, and unlimited ways to serve them too. Cheers!

                                                                              

                                                                                  Source: google.com via Alice on Pinterest

                                                                  Source: versesfrommykitchen.blogspot.com via bringingupboys on Pinterest

                                                                                Source: thekitchn.com via Annie on Pinterest

cover letter.

Dear Martha Stewart Living and/or Better Homes and Gardens,  
Just in case you're looking to start 2012 off with a little project, I was thinking today how it'd be really fun to work together.  Because, here's the deal:

1. Sugar cookie dough is in my fridge hardening as we speak. #domesticdiva
2. Working from home would rock.
3. I'm a real fan and have been since I was a young girl when my Mom kept your magazines on the coffee table.
4. I live in LoDo, Denver and it's a happenin' spot.
5. I like to blog and use social media. quite a bit.
6. I have aspirations to make peppermint meringues this season. #challenge.
7. Making things look beautiful is an addiction.
8. So is taking pictures of beautiful things and writing about them.
9. Revamping this vanity room was how I spent my Sunday (these things are found fun.)
10. it'd be fun, eh?

But seriously, this is how a good chunk of the last day of vacation before work was spent. Ever since seeing my friend Mayu's vanity, back in 2006  in Japan, I decided that I too, would always like to have a 'getting ready zone.' And this is the current version.