Sunday, September 29, 2013

Salsa Caliente.. DE LA TERRE

Take two of my experimentation with salsa making.  The first batch was a little sweet, now I'm going for hot.  Caliente ay ay ay. I also attempted to make a smaller batch, as I'm still in the experimental phase, if it turns out bad I won't have 6 jars if it.
I started with 3 tomatoes De La Terre (from my garden) and one bell pepper.
One onion.
Two hot perrers, one super hot pepper (on the left, brown in color, smoky in flavor) and one red jalapeƱo pepper. I took out most of he seeds but left a few.
One can (6 oz) tomato paste, a sprinkle of cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, and salt.
Less than 1/4 cup of brown sugar and white sugar combined.
Put it all in a pot with 6 oz of white vinegar.  Brought it to a boil and simmered it for one to two hours, until everything looked cooked and it got to the right thickness.

FYI peppers were so hot that when cooking you could feel the hotness in the air.  Definitely open windows and get some good ventilation.  
The final result, hot, smoky, and sweet.  I was worried that it would be too hot since my eyes were basically burning while it was cooking.  It has a nice kick while still being edible.  My next attempt will have no sugar, just mas caliente. 

Be Bold.

peace&love
Rebecca





Salsa DE LA TERRE

My tomato plant has exploded with tomatoes so I was scrambling for some recipes.  My Aunt makes this great salsa that is sweet and delicious.  I thought I'de give it a try.
 The main ingredients.
3 cups Tomatoes 
3 cups Peppers
 3 cups Onions
3 cloves Garlic
 1 cup Sugar 
15 oz Tomato Paste
3 cups White Vinegar 
1 1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
Bring to a boil and cook for an hour
It's salsa time! 
This recipe turned out very sweet.  For my next attempt I will cut down on the sugar and add some heat!

There's nothing better than eating something that you made with your own hands 
with ingredients that you grew in your own garden.  
A salsa that truly is de la terre (from the earth).

peace&love
Rebecca

Friday, September 27, 2013

To Bake or Not To Bake

Make dinner, do homework, or bake a cake.. I think you know the answer.  This was my second attempt at a cake made from scratch.  It took a little longer, had much more difficult steps, but it was well worth it.  This may be the most delicious cake ever!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease your cake pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream ..

12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) Butter at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

Mix on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.  Lower the speed to medium, add..

2 extra large eggs, at room temperature, one at a time
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
In separate bowl, sift..

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup good cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
In another bowl whisk together..

1 cup buttermilk, shaken at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons brewed coffee
On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternatively in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture.  Mix only until blended.  Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.  Divide your batter between your cake pans- use any extra to make some cupcakes.  
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Let cool for 10-15 minutes and then remove to cooling rack to completely cool.
Salted Caramel

1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, kosher or sea

1. Combine the sugar, water, and the corn syrup in a large saucepan and stir with wooden spoon over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
2. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
3. After 3 minutes, remove lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to boil.
4. Do not stir from this point on, but instead swirl the liquid around the pan so that the caramel doesn't burn.
5. Continue to cook until caramel turns an even amber color then remove from heat and let stand for 30 seconds.
6. ** Be Careful Here** Pour the heavy cream into the mixture.  The mixture will bubble up significantly and is very hot.
7. Stir the mixture, again being careful.  Add the butter, lemon juice, and salt.  Stir until combined.
8. Measure 1 cup into Pyrex measuring cup.  Stirring occasionally, allow to cool until thick like molasses and warm to the touch, 20 minutes.  Save any extra in a sealed container in the refrigerator. 
Salted Caramel Frosting

2 sticks butter at room temperature
8 ounces of cream cheese
3-4 cups sifted powder sugar
1 cup salted caramel

1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.
2. Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar into the butter/cream cheese mixture and beat to combine.
3. Add 1 cup of the salted caramel and beat to combine.
4. Add additional powdered sugar until the frosting is the sweetness and consistency you desire.
Enjoy!

This recipe may look daunting, it is a lot of steps and does take longer than a box of cake, but it is well worth it!  It is the moistest, richest chocolate cake I have ever eaten and it is perfectly complimented with the salted caramel frosting!

The original recipe can be found here. And it was originally adapted from Ina Garten.

Try Something New.

peace&love
Rebecca



Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Transformation of a Wall Treatment

Start with a blank wall.

Plan it, measure it, sketch it (in chalk). 


Paint it.








This was a challenging and exciting project.  The pattern was based on the textile for the sofa so it was a great piece of inspiration.  I love the curves and straight lines, the balance each other nicely.

Be Bold in your Designs.

peace&love
Rebecca



Friday, September 20, 2013

To Render a Room

The step by step coloring process to my dream bathroom.




 There was a little bit of cutting and pasting (the original cut and paste).

Who wouldn't want to be surrounded by banana leaves in the bathroom?!

Be Bold.

peace&love
Rebecca


Thursday, September 19, 2013

Weaving is Fun.. Day Five

More close ups of the weaving experimentation.  Today I experimented with stacking yarns together, making a thin yarn thicker.  Also blending yarns together to get more variation in colors. There are no filters on these pictures so you can experience the true colors.  Enjoy!



Hemming the end and voila!  The final textile!

Now I'm looking forward to my next project with more intricate and planned out patterns.

Be Bold.

peace&love
Rebecca




Monday, September 16, 2013

Weaving is Fun.. Day Four

the weave.. playing with patterns






get in the rythm
go with the flow
see what is created

Be Bold

peace&love
Rebecca




Thursday, September 12, 2013

Weaving is Fun.. Day Three

Now comes the fun part.

After tying the threads to the breast beam it's time to weave in the heading.  The heading secures and evens out the threads.  It is commonly strips of rags or toilet paper.


Wind the bobbin with the weft threads.  I experimented with threads that varied in thickness and color.  The bobbin goes in the boat shuttle.  The shuttle shoots through the shed (the opening) and depending on what harnesses are pressed, different patterns will start to appear.


Tabby, Basket 
2/2 Twill, Reverse 2/2 Twill
1/3 Twill, Reverse 1/3 Twill 
3/1 Twill, Reverse 3/1 Twill



Experimenting with different thread thickness and color, and weave patterns, hopefully I can come up with some pretty cool stuff, and something that's never been done before!

Be Bold in your Designs

peace&love
Rebecca

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Rendering.. Playing with Color

Playing with colored pencils.

Playing with markers.
Slowly it comes together.  Stay tuned for the final product.

peace&love
Rebecca