Fall!

I have been so busy with Spelling Bee that I've had no time for blogging. Or projects. The show is going great, however, and this week we received two favorable reviews from local theater folk:

http://bostonartsreview.blogspot.com/2011/10/transforming-bee-by-beverly-creasey.html
http://www.theatermirror.com/JDS25thWINCHESTER.htm


We still have six more shows to do, this week and next. It makes me wonder how people on Broadway do the same show every day for months...or years! It's one thing if you're in the cast of Wicked, but Mary Poppins or Mamma Mia? Good lord! Good thing I'm not a Broadway actress :)

On my way to rehearsal yesterday I stopped in at Wilson's Farm to grab a bite. Could it BE any more fall than this? That's a lot of squash!

I'll return tomorrow to get some freshly made cider donuts hot off the presses!

Musicals, knitting, and a surprising new gadget

It's been a while since my last post. I haven't been doing much in the way of home improvement and crafts, because I have been busy in rehearsals for a community theater production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"!

I play the role of Marcy Park - an overachieving Asian student who is good at everything. Type casting! Just kidding. Sadly, I am not as accomplished as Ms. Park (she's a champion hockey player and can do splits) but I can spell. I was 2nd runner-up in the 1st Annual Juilliard Spelling Bee! (which may have also been the only annual bee).

I haven't been in a show since high school, and everyone else in the cast is much more talented and professional than me, but I hold my own and I'm having a blast. For those of you in the area, you can check us out the first three weekends in October at the Next Door Theater in Winchester, MA. Yes - it's in my hometown. And we now have ONE bar so we can grab a drink after the show!


I did manage to finish two knitting projects this summer - my only non-baby-related projects of the last few years. The first was a cute pair of fingerless gloves for my bestie, so she can wear them while studying in her new PhD program in her new home in Evanston, IL. We are very proud of her, but miss her oodles!

Can you see the little owls in the pattern?

The second project I finished this summer was a real labor of love. I purchased this beautiful silk/merino laceweight wool in Portland, OR, and it was probably the most money I've spent on a single ball of yarn. Actually 2 balls. I started this really pretty stole but had put it on hold for a year or two, and when I picked it back up again, I lost it in a cab! Devastating. Luckily, I had the second skein, and I started over with a whole new pattern. It didn't come out quite as nicely as the original, but it looks really pretty and is surprisingly warm for being so lightweight. The perfect summer wrap!

Rock Island shawl

Finally, the really big news...my dear and wonderful friend Charles who lived with me for a few weeks this summer, surprised me with the most amazing present ever. Actually, it was kind of a barter - in exchange for my beat-up 2001 Honda Civic, he bought me an awesome wireless mic karaoke machine!!!! So I guess I have made some improvements to the condo after all. I will never leave it again.

The song selection is decent, and I plan on buying more song chips to add to the collection (English and Korean!). You are all welcome to the new Do-Mi-Mi Karaoke Lounge!!!

Rockin' out with En Do-gue

Demolition Derby!!!

Last night I tackled a new level of DIY. I tore down a wall!

After the basement flooded, we had a few contractors come by to give us options. They all started with taking down the wall of my storage unit where the water was coming in so the damage could be properly assessed. My neighbor and I decided it would be cathartic to tear down the drywall ourselves - and it saved us $300 in the process. So with the help of some Youtube videos and tools from my handy friend, we single ladies took down that wall all by ourselves!

I was really looking forward to walking into Home Depot like a badass and buying a sledgehammer. But for a small wall, it was really unnecessary. Also, I was kind of afraid that we would sledgehammer right through the wall and the house would come crashing down on us. Instead, we used some pry bars, hammers, and a utility knife.

Tools of the trade

Fran got to take the first shot, since the water and mud from the flooding actually ended up in her living space. Here's me going at the wall:

More fun than spreadsheets

It was pretty awesome! The drywall was pretty easy to take down, especially where it had gotten wet and was already disintegrating. In some places, we were just tearing chunks of it out with our hands. Clean-up was pretty easy too since we had put down a tarp to collect all the pieces. The hardest part was breathing through those masks! Altogether, it took less than an hour to demo and clean up the mess.

And here's the bare wall of our basement foundation. Notice the little pile of dirt? I imagine that is where the flood of mud came pouring through.

I'm just glad I don't have to put the wall back up! I'll leave that to the pros. But if anyone needs a wall taken down, you know who to call!

Weekend of Feasts!

After last week's trials and tribulations, I decided to put it all behind me with two impromptu weekend feasts. On Friday, I was bemoaning the fact that it is almost the end of summer and I had yet to have any lobster. I planned on cooking myself a lobster dinner (even if you're going to eat alone, that doesn't mean you shouldn't eat in style!) but then invited my temp-roomie, his Russian friend and mother, and an old friend from high school that I ran into. Once the eclectic guest list was set, I stopped by the farmer's market during lunch and picked up some corn, potatoes, and a strawberry-rhubarb pie! Charles picked up the lobsters for a steal in Chinatown. And Vlad brought Dark & Stormy's. Here's our feast!

Cooking a lobster dinner basically involves just boiling things - the corn, the potatoes, the crustaceans. All you need is a couple big pots, some tongs, and a strong stomach for mass lobster murder. Eating the lobsters definitely involves more effort!

Thank you for your delicious sacrifice!

Saturday night I cooked a Korean feast for the Greater Boston Karaoke Club (aka my singing college buddies). Our co-President is close to her due date, but we figured we would squeeze in one last meeting and make it easier on her by having it at home. As usual, I went a little overboard with the menu. We had bulgogi (redubbed "white man's delight" by John), LA kalbi (Korean ribs), broiled jogi (yellow croaker, a salty fish), jabchae (vermicelli noodles), doenjang jjigae (fermented bean paste soup), and side dishes galore.

The bulgogi and kalbi were both pre-marinated from H-Mart, but I kicked them up with some extra onions and spices. This was my first time making jabchae since Molly used to always make the jabchae when we ate Korean food, but it wasn't so hard. It's a little labor intensive, but worth the effort! I used this recipe as a guide. I think I did pretty well, although I should really learn how to julienne carrots better!

My favorite Korean dish to make is doenjang jjigae (fermented soy bean paste soup). It is similar to miso soup, but more flavorful than the Japanese version. When I lived in Korea, I developed a real love for this hearty and pungent stew. My recipe probably isn't very authentic, but it is thick and stinky just the way I like it!

Mimi's Gyopo Doenjang Jjigae
2 oz. sam gyup ssal (Korean pork belly)
1 small onion, cubed
1 potato, cubed (I used small new potatoes leftover from the farmer's market)
1 small zucchini, cubed
1 chili pepper, sliced into rounds (green or red)
1 scallion, sliced
firm tofu, about half a block or whatever you can fit in the bowl
2 tablespoons Korean soy bean paste (doenjang)
1 teaspoon Korean chili pepper flakes (gochugaru)
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Saute the pork in a medium pot, preferably a Korean stone pot. Add the onion and garlic. Add doenjang paste, chili pepper flakes, and about 2 cups of water, to fill pot about 2/3 way (remember to leave room for the veggies and tofu!). Make sure the paste is dissolved evenly, bring to a boil. Add potatoes and bring to a boil again. Add zucchini and chilis and let simmer till potatoes are thoroughly cooked. A few minutes before serving, add tofu and green onion.

NOT the Best Week Ever

It hasn't been a very good week in Mimi's DIY-Land. My poor Puppy hasn't been feeling well, my basement flooded, I nicked my car's front bumper (and by "nicked", I mean, I wrenched it off), and got a scope put up my nose - ouch! It was almost ridiculous how crappy my week was, that I almost didn't freak out. Almost.

I'm sure next week will be the second "worstest" week as I try to deal with contractors, mechanics, and the expensive bills they come with. But my brother and my friends have really stepped up to help out, so it's nice to know that I'm not alone. And as bad as it's been, it forces me appreciate the good things I have in my life. So here are the GOOD things that have happened this week.

1. Massachusetts Tax Free Weekend
It's a good thing this weekend is tax-free weekend in MA. Even though I will have to spend $9 zillion on vets, car repair, and basement waterproofing, at least I can do some tax-free shopping.


2. Sick Doggy + Ridiculous Doggy Cape
Poor Puppy has a rash on his back. It actually doesn't seem to bother him, but it bothered me, so I brought him to the vet. She ended up shaving his whole back, leaving him naked and leperous-looking. I felt so bad for the poor guy, that I cut up an old t-shirt and made him a cape to cover up his back. I'm sure that pissed him off even more, but look how cute!

He looks like those kids at the pool that have to wear t-shirts because their skin burns so badly. Awwww!

3. Scrabble Magnets
I actually made these last week, but showing them off on the blog is a good thing to happen this week! After my brother moved out all his stuff, I was left with zero fridge magnets. This doesn't sound like a huge deal, but it was actually quite inconvenient. Where to hang my vistor's parking pass? or detailed baby shower planning Excel sheets? or Groupons that I will never redeem?

My solution was to take some old Scrabble tiles (purchased on eBay for just a few bucks). Then with a little Super Glue, I glued on magnets and voila! Educational and fun fridge magnets!

The Michelle Obama magnet is motivation to do push-ups and stay away from the fridge, but the Scrabble magnets are more fun to play with. Magnets, magnets everywhere!

4. Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Sausage

I love when I discover a new recipe to use up my farm share veggies with. I typically am not a big cabbage fan, but we got some in the farm share last week and I had to use it up. My trick to farm share eating is if you don't particularly like a vegetable, a.) foist it upon someone else or b.) cook it with sausage or bacon! Here is my recipe for Stuffed Cabbage Rolls.

1 head of cabbage, remove outer leaves and as much of core as possible

1 package of sweet Italian sausage removed from casings

2 cups cooked rice (I used brown basmati rice)

1 onion, diced

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 can of diced tomatoes

salt, pepper, oregano, fresh herbs

Bring a large pot of water to boil and submerge the entire cabbage head for about 10 minutes. The leaves should be tender and easily removed. Drain and rinse the leaves in cold water and set aside.

Cook the sausage meat, drain oil, and set aside. Saute onions and mushrooms until tender. Combine in a bowl with cooked rice, salt, pepper, and oregano to taste. (You won't need much salt since the sausage will be pretty flavorful).

Lay a cabbage leaf with the spine side down and, depending on the size of the leaf, add 1-2 tbsp of the meat and rice mixture. Roll like an egg roll, burrito, or wrapped food of your culture. I fold the bottom once, fold in the sides, and roll up. Place in a lightly greased baking dish. Cover the rolls with diced tomatoes. (I also added the last of my fresh herbs to the sauce). Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. enjoy!

.

I feel better already! Now the weekend is just a few hours away. The only thing that will break this weekend is the mic that I rock out on at karaoke tomorrow night!

Bookworm Baby Shower

I’ve been pretty quiet on the blog lately, but I have not been slacking on DIY projects. Quite the opposite! For the last few weeks I have been obsessively planning a baby shower for my brilliant and talented author friend (and karaoke club co-president) and I didn’t want to spoil the surprise. But the shower was Sunday so now I can share with you my fun menu and projects. As usual, I forgot to take pictures, but hopefully I’ll get some from the mother- and grandmother-to-be. For now, forgive the poor presentation and half-eaten dishes - at least you know they weren’t inedible!

It was my first time planning a shower, so I went to my trusty and knowledgeable friend, Google, for inspiration. I knew I wanted to do a children’s book theme, since the mom-to-be is a children’s author herself (or is “youth author” the more appropriate term? “age-challenged thought provoker”?) A lot of my inspiration came from Martha Stewart but there were also other great blogs by designers, moms, and crafty DIYers showing off their shower skills. So here’s my contribution to the blogosphere. 

The set-up

The Menu:

For my Bookworm Baby Shower menu, I first thought of some of my favorite books, then “pun-ny” dishes to go with them. (I’m a huge dork). Everything was pretty easy to make (deceptively so) and looked good on a platter (when I had one). There actually wasn’t much cooking involved, and it was low maintenance during the party which made it the perfect party menu. I also tried to keep it relatively healthy...unless you count the NINE different types of cheese used.

Stinky Cheese Man Cheese Platter

Peter Rabbit’s Garden Crudite and Dips

The veggies were arranged in a garden bucket I picked up at the Christmas Tree Shop - my old favorite store from the Cape, now all over "the mainland". I put a plate on top of a coffee can inside so that you didn't have to dig around in the bucket to get at the veggies. I adapted these recipes for the Ranch Dip (used just dill and added more sour cream) and the dairy-free Edamame Dip (used cilantro instead of basil). The carrots are from my farm share! I left a little bit of the tops on the carrots and radishes so it looks like they just came from the garden - just the way Peter Rabbit would like them.

The Giving Brie

Who knew something as delicious as baked brie was so easy to make! I took a wheel of brie, sprinkled some brown sugar and cinnamon on it, and wrapped it up in some pastry dough. Popped it in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes, et voila! The Giving Brie! served with green apples. (Awesome name credit goes to Cara).

Goldi-lox Bites 

I made up this recipe, but I don't think it's anything groundbreaking or original - cucumber rounds topped with creme fraiche, a little smoked salmon, and some capers.

Greens, Eggs, and Ham Strata and Vegetarian Green, Eggs, No Ham Strata

Strata is like a savory bread pudding, perfect for brunch parties because you can make it the night before and just put in the oven right before guests come. It's cheezy, eggy, and satisfying. I adapted the recipe from here, although you can really make it with any veggies and meat you have on hand. I made mine with collard greens from my farm share and really good thick-cut bacon. The veggie version used swiss chard and a farm share summer squash. And the secret to the deliciosity? I used 4 kinds of cheese! Shredded swiss-gruyere combo, grated parmesan and grated pecorino romano. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Very Hungry Caterpillar Tea Sandwiches 

Yes. Those are sandwiches arranged in the shape of a caterpillar. He has a tomato head, blueberry eyes, and cucumber mouth. The tea sandwiches are traditional cucumber and curry chicken salad. I learned the secret to cuke sandwiches is to butter both sides of the bread to protect them from getting soggy. Then I added a layer of whipped cream cheese mixed with dill, then very thinly sliced cukes. Also, before you assemble the sandwiches, you should lightly salt the cukes and let sit for 30 minutes, then pat off the water. This leaches out the water so your sammiches don't get too soggy. 

The curried chicken sandwiches were courtesy of Ms. Stewart. I had never poached chicken before and it came out tender and juicy. I added a bit more curry and turmeric to make it really yellow.

I used Pepperidge Farm "Very Thin" Sandwich Bread. Perfect for tea sandwiches! It comes in white and wheat.

Blueberries for Sal-ad

I loved this book as a kid, but apparently no one else knows it unless they grew up in New England (it takes place in Maine). Anyway, it made for a lovely salad - mixed greens, real Maine blueberries, feta cheese (because the mommy is Greek!), and a simple vinaigrette made with fancy ingredients I have on hand and never use (because I hate salad) - white balsamic vinegar, grapeseed oil, whole seed mustard, a touch of honey, and salt and pepper.

Goodnight Moon Pies

Yum yum yummmmyyyyy! These were delicious and easy to bake, although sadly people were so full from the other stuff they didn't have much room for dessert. There is some internet debate about what a moon pie actually is. Southerners say it is a specific brand of cookie from the south, with graham cracker cookies, marshmallow filling, and covered in chocolate. Others use "moon pie" interchangeably with "whoopie pies", which are cakier, creme filled, sandwiched desserts from New England. Or maybe Amish country. But whatever. They're awesome. I used this recipe from Gourmet, but there is also a whole cookbook with recipes for different flavored cakes and frostings, including a salted caramel cream. Droooollllll.

And don't you love that cake stand?

Winnie the Pooh’s Greek Honey Delights

 

I can't take credit for these beauties - homemade baklava from Eleni's mom (a.k.a. Yia Yia). The whole reason I agreed to do this shower was to have some of these! Nostimo!

Zuckerman's Farm Fruit salad

Fruit salad...in the shape of a bassinet. Very cute, and solved the problem of not having enough serving dishes! Instructions for carving the watermelon can be found here (very easy, btw!)

James & the Giant Peach Cocktails

Mom-osas (non-alcoholic mimosas)

Whipped up a batch of bellinis (white peach puree and prosecco) and non-alcoholic "mom-osas" - orange juice with sparkling cidar. Good deal note: I got the Ikea glasses 6 for $4.99, as opposed to buying a bag of plastic ones from iParty for $25!

One thing I did realize hosting this party – I need to invest in some serving utensils. We were serving cake with rice paddles and scooping strata with an ice cream scooper. This is one of the problems of single homeownership – you don’t get to register for all the servingware you need to throw a fabulous party like Martha Stewart.

The Décor:

The main piece of décor was a banner I made (inspired by Kojo Designs’ blog http://kojodesigns.blogspot.com/2010/10/storybook-baby-shower.html). Before the shower, I asked all the guests to submit their favorite children’s book. I then downloaded and printed out the book covers, glued them to colorful card stock, and sewed them to a blue satin ribbon. I was happy to find that my mom’s sewing machine still works (albeit a bit dusty) and the seam is sturdy enough that Eleni can use the banner in her nursery. During the party, we also had Eleni guess who picked which book – I think she got most of them right!

Banner in Progress

Brightening up my bare walls!

I picked up some flowers at Trader Joe’s on a whim and made my first flower arrangements. I think they came out pretty nicely!

Eleni’s friend Tiffany (and my co-bridesmaid at her wedding) came early to help set up. She also brought onesies and fabric markers for the guests to draw on for personalized onesies. Some of them came out very artfully! Of course, I don’t have pictures of the finished products, but they look cute hanging from the mantel.

We also played a Greek name game, where you had to match the Greek name with its proper definition. However I did not include my favorite name that I came across during my research: “Ptoophagos”, meaning “glutton of Poon (in Boetia)”. Watch out future Baby Boy Do-Clooney. That could be your name!

Party Favors

I got to indulge my new chalkboard paint obsession with the party favors. I picked up these mugs at the Christmas Tree Shop for only $0.89, and with the help of some friends, painted a strip for writing people's names on. I filled the mugs with a bookworm bookmark, some gummy worms, chocolate, and tea bags. Cheap and cheerful!

Thank Yous

Despite the title of this blog, I didn't do this all by myself. I have to thank my friends who helped me cook, clean, and decorate the place for the party. And of course, I have to thank Eleni and John for having this baby and letting me throw him a shower!

Let Them Eat Cake! Off a Tiered Cake Stand

A few months ago, I had a craving for cucumber sandwiches which then made me want to have an afternoon tea party. Then I decided I needed to have a tiered cake stand to serve all my cute tea sandwiches, scones, and cakes. And of course, being ME, I had to make it a DIY project.

I did some research on the internet and found this tutorial on how to make a cake stand with a plate and a candlestick. I like the idea of using repurposed materials, but I was nervous about drilling a hole in the middle of a ceramic plate. Would it explode in my face? blinding and maiming me forever? Power tools scare me. Ideally, I envision myself as a bold, independent woman capable of making anything from the most delicate lace baby sweater to the sturdiest coffee table. And I did make a coffee table once in a woodworking class at the Boston Center for Adult Education. But it was terrifying! Table saws are terrifying. Power tools are terrifying. I don't even like electric toothbrushes. And not to put down my DIY mentors online, but a lot of them have these great projects, but they send their husbands out to do the power tool work (except for this amazing woman  who builds all her own furniture and puts up tutorials so you can too). Is that really Doing It Yourself? As a single woman and a single homeowner, I am faced with doing the scary stuff alone. But don't feel too bad for me! Because now I have conquered my fear of the power drill. I gots drill skillz.

There are other online tutorials where you can glue the parts together, but of course I liked how it looked the harder way. Luckily, I found some extra support from an Etsy store, Teatime Creations, that sells special drill bits, hardware and step-by-step instructions. So i took the plunge and bought the kit.

It was really easy. The hardest part was measuring the center of the plate to drill. Other than that, it just took a steady hand and lots of patience. I tested out my drill skills on a plate that I bought at Boomerang's in Central Square for $1. (Actually, I bought two for 50 cents, but one of them broke in transit).

There's a hole in this plate!

 Then I disassembled a candlestick that I bought for $1 in Brooklyn. There is a long screw holding all the pieces together, so I unscrewed it and then reassembled it with the plate in the middle.
 

Candlestick Cake Stand #1

After my first successful plate drilling attempt, I went out and bought three more plates. Here's the first one:

Here you can see how I marked up the plate with masking tape. I found it easier to mark the center of the plate on the tape, that way there weren't little dots all over the plate where my center measurement was off. Then I stacked a few more pieces of tape around the center so the drill bit wouldn't jump around on the ceramic. The bowl in the corner is filled with cold water to cool the drill bit every few minutes because it gets very hot!

The Finished Product!

And here's the finished product! After drilling the three plates, I just had to screw in the hardware and it was done. Super easy, super not-scary.

Time to eat cakes and sandwiches! Cheerio!