AfricanKelli

Five bagels a week for three years:                                             $780

Laptop, glasses, USB Port:                                                              $1500

Two trips to Mozambique:                                                             $5000

Finishing a draft of my first novel:                                             Priceless

That’s right. After three years of talking about this goal and grooving through writing floods and droughts, 109,180 words later, my first novel is in the editing phase. Watch out literary world, here I come!

~K

I tried some what successfully last night to replicate those cute heart cutout cupcakes I saw in the April issue of Real Simple. I already blabbed about this once. I thought I’d find a shamrock cookie cutter and use some sort of green jelly to make a dessert fitting for St. Patrick’s Day.

Things didn’t go exactly as planned, but here’s my tutorial nonetheless.

Start with a bunch of big cupcakes with big tops. I’d say fill the cup all the way with batter and cook them a bit longer so you get a big dome of a cupcake top.

Then take a very sharp knife and slice the tops off of your cupcakes. You want to make sure you’ve given the cupcakes ample time (20+ minutes) to cool, or the tops will crumble when you cut them.

Pick out some cute cookie cutters and cut your design in the cupcake top.

Layer the top of your cupcake with jam. I chose orange marmalade and mint apple jelly to go with the St. Patty’s theme.

Dust the cupcake tops with powdered sugar.

Place the cupcake tops gently on top of the jammy cupcakes.

Not exactly like the photo in the magazine, but I’m pleased. I don’t know what I’m going to do with the rest of that green jelly however. Maybe I’ll bake it into cupcakes next time around so people don’t have to see its unappetizing color.

The second platter, made with smaller cupcakes, came out much nicer.

These cupcakes go with today’s lunch of Sheppard’s Pie — a dinner staple in my family. This time I splurged and made the mashed potatoes from scratch. Because, you know, if you are going to spend three hours in the kitchen making cupcakes, you might as well be mashing potatoes too. Funny thing is, I no longer own a potato masher. I’m not sure what happened to it, but these are a bit lumpy this time around because they were done a la fork. Thank goodness anything with this much salt, butter, cream cheese and roasted garlic tastes delish, regardless of its lumpiness.

Yum.

Tomorrow, more green baked goods. Aye, top of the morning to ya!

~K 

“Now Take Your Crafting Out in the World and Kick Some Ass.” That’s how the host of Craftypod signs off her podcast. (A big thanks to Kath for sharing this great creativity resource!) Oh, the joy I am having listening to these interviews with different artists. My favorite so far was with Betsy Greer of Craftivism. I didn’t know about the site before listening to the podcast, but am thoroughly amused. En sum, Betsy promotes activism through craft. She suggests finding your cause and then figuring out how your crafts can go to help it. Activism + crafts = my life. When I’m not blogging and sewing, I’m working in public health and talking about public health and begging people to pay attention to public health.

AfricanKnits was my first attempt at craftivism, which was successful. [I'll be starting up AfricanKnits2.0 later this year when I head to Nicaragua, Mozambique and Bolivia for work. If your cause is helping the health of the poor, please consider the AfricanKnits project. I'll ensure any knitted object you send me will end up in the hands of someone in the developing world who can put it to darn good use. ]

The host of Craftypod, Sister DG, mentioned during this podcast that crafting isn’t just about sitting down and trying to be artsy. It is about environmentalism and individuality. It is a way of using old things for new. It is a way of bucking the system and not going to a big box store for your every need. While I am still guilty of being thoroughly turned on by a great sale at Target, like my new friend Christine, there is a certain joy to creating something from scratch.

I had dinner with my brother yesterday. He mentioned that he’d been speaking of me with one of his friends. My brother and I have a long-standing disagreement over necessity vs. luxury. Where I would like to ride the bus to work to have more time to knit and read, he’d like to drive a Hummer. In the carpool lane. Singing Kanye West. He thinks I’m crazy because I don’t have high speed Internet or cable television at home. Much more to his horror is my lack of TiVo. I tried explaining to him that these things just haven’t been a priority in my life. Having money in savings to drop on a plane ticket, on the other hand, is.  I’m not opposed to television, and would be lying if I said I didn’t watch something every single day. It just isn’t important to me to have so many options. That said, there are two shows in particular I really, really wish I could see on regular TV: Project Runway and the Sopranos.

I went to college at a liberal environmentally-friendly university. The school is tucked in the shadow of the highest peak in Arizona, surrounded by forest.  I loved being in such a different environment. There were “hippies” galore. I always thought when I grew up, got a job and lead some sort of adult life, I’d be one of those cool Outback Forrester-driving, Birkenstock-wearing women I’d see in town. The ones with gorgeous natural hair, not a lick of makeup, cool, flowing skirts that very well may have been hand sewn, great skin, and a good aura. Women who name their kids Lake and Sage.

Fast forward six years.

Yeah. Not so much.

But I am working on it. I really do want to be more environmentally focused and less excited by a coupon to Banana Republic. I want to be more like Jen, who frankly, is nothing short of amazing. She and her husband recently returned from a long stay in Africa. Her photos from their adventure would make National Geographic blush.

So, crafting, I hope, helps get me back on this track of becoming an earth mama. Because deep down in my soul, past all the superficial baloney that occasionally distracts me, that is who I am. Founding president of Save Our Amazing Planet — SOAP – a club I started as a kid with the goal of saving the rainforest. A girl who wants to climb Kilimanjaro, swap homemade bread recipes on the streets of Paris, and sew and knit as many gifts as possible. Because I can.

(See! I told you. I knit one sweater and I’m already feeling like I can conquer the world! Ay!)

Kelli

Today I’m wearing a new shrug, my first knitted project for me. One of my New Year’s resolutions was to knit a sweater. I previously started a caplet out of Weekend Knitting, but I didn’t like the way it was looking. I figured why waste another two months with a project I wasn’t sure I’d absolutely love? The $65 in cotton ribbon yarn now sits in a dusty heap in my studio. Oy. Those are going to be some expensive washcloths once I get back to that yarn.

Instead, I jumped from sweater to shrug. This is a Martha Stewart Omnimedia influenced craft decision — crafty, but sneaky. Not true to my initial intention of knitting a sweater, but good enough. This shrug, from a Craftster tutorial, knitted up quickly. I was finally able to use the Manos de Uruguay yarn I’ve been hording for nearly a year. This is my favorite yarn of all time hands down. I love the feel and the color.

~K

Sewing: A sneak peak at week two CAOK gifts. This one was mailed off today!

Knitting: A baby bib for Carson. His baptism was Sunday.

Baking: Cornbread. Some spicy (jalapenos), some sweet (raspberry preserves).

Otherwise, I am:

Reading: The Tipping Point. This business book is dragging. I need to drop it and pick up some fluff for a while. I’ve been reading too much nonfiction and I’m losing my verve.

Watching: CBS Comedies. Like an 85-year-old. I love “Two and a Half Men,” “How I met your Mother” and now “The Old New Christine.” Did you watch that show last night? It was great! I love Elaine Benness, even if her name is now Christine.

Listening: To NPR. They are doing a feature each morning this week on Phoenix. Love it.

Dreaming: Of Spring Break. How I wish I was on the beach in Mexico sipping margaritas and applying another coat of sunblock to tanned skin.  Better yet, having the sunblock applied by someone else.  Named Juan. Or Diego.

Cheers,

K

What a weekend! It blurred by in a rush. With our Mardi Gras fundraiser on Saturday and errands yesterday, I woke up begging for another day off this morning. A glimpse from the event:

Aren’t my friends beautiful? These girls are so darn pretty!

And silly. So silly.

And a bit clutsy too. For the second year, this one took a tumble. It was raining and we had an open bar. I’m sure she wasn’t the only one. Thankfully a jeans fairy stepped in and loaned her a dry pair of pants to wear once they got to the event. (on a random side note, don’t you love that piece of art in the background? It was part of the silent auction. It went for $400. Love the colors!) The quote of the night goes to Min, who proudly announced, “Not only do these jeans fit, they are my favorite brand!! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go check my other pants.” Oy, the giggles.

My date, who managed to stay for about an hour. Cody (my brother) didn’t believe me about the open bar until he arrived. He was in heaven.

The full gang, minus Ms. Kacey.

A good time was had by all!

~K

I’m going to try to get this all in to one post, because what a crazy weekend I have planned. I have house guests arriving tonight, a big fundraiser for work tomorrow and a baptism on Sunday. It should be a great weekend with lots of time spent with friends.

First things first: Week One CAOK

Several of you have received a small surprise in the mail recently as part of my Calculated Acts of Kindness campaign. This week’s craft was wristlets. I’ve finally mastered my zipper foot. Yippee! Would you believe I’ve owned this sewing machine since 1999 and just last weekend looked at the manual? Ay yi yi. I am a visual learner, so manuals typically do me no good. I need to see someone do what I am trying to learn and mimic it to really truly get it. But, with a bit of trial and error (and booze and swearing) I got it figured out. Voila — le spring wristlet:

Some were filled with chocolates. Others were packed with a mix CD. My favorite is the purple polka dots that I embroidered for Finny. I am so please with how these turned out and even more excited about the week 2 craft I’ve already got planned. [Hint: Think kitchens. Think Martha Stewart. Think fruity and sweet.]

~

This week my girlfriends and I have been discussing our weaknesses. The things we simply cannot live without. Our vices. I’ve nailed mine down to three: tortilla chips — the Lex Luther of my otherwise pretty healthy diet, pedicures and magazines. I just love magazines. Put me in front of a newsstand and I’ll read anything. I spend about an hour or two every week doing just that at the nearby Barnes and Noble. I browse, I read and I purchase a select view. Yesterday afternoon, after going through the most recent Star (K-Fed is apparently ruining Britney, in case you haven’t heard.), Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition (wow), Rachel Ray’s new cooking mag, Cooking Light, and Martha Stewart Kids, I bought my trusty friend — Real Simple. I am never disappointed in this $4 purchase. I look at each page carefully, even the advertisements. I’m always curious to see what advertisers think I’ll be interested in. They are usually so far off the mark it is humorous. The April issue of RS does not disappoint. It is one of the best I’ve read in a long time and I’m only through the first 1/3.

There is a feature on how to easily dress up cupcakes for a more formal event. You know very well how much I love to bake, especially cupcakes. Well, look at these babies:

With the how-to instructions. Love it!

There is also a mention of designer Matthew Sporzynski. He’s the crafty papersmith who makes all of those interesting paper constructions between sections of the magazine. If you’ve read Real Simple in the last two years, you know what I’m talking about. Here’s an example from this month’s issue:

He studied at Parsons and is super talented. I love paper crafts. Can you tell this is made of yellowbook ads? So sweet.

Props to Real Simple. Good work friends. Good work.

While apparently it did rain yesterday for a few brief seconds, not a drop fell in my garden. Or on my car. Or my head, for that matter. The big billowing gray clouds gathered together briefly to shower south Scottsdale, leaving the rest of the jealous Valley in a shriveled envious heap.

Bring it on Mother Nature. Bring it. (I have visions of her saying it back ala Kirsten Dundst/Gabrielle Union ”Oh, it’s been brought!”)

Okay, no more complaining about the fact it has been 140 days since we’ve seen rain. I promise.

~

Moving on to that whole “embracing the sunshine” thing — last weekend I did something remarkably out of character. I stopped at a garage sale. I am one who cringes at the sight of junk. I don’t like it any form. I like to own exactly what I need an not an ounce more. Call me silly. I call it practical for a woman who lives in a tiny home. I’ve even gotten into the habit of pulling items out of my closet when new ones are purchased. It’s all so unAmerican. I know.

Back to the garage sale. It was being held at one of these beautiful homes not far from my grocery store. On my way to purchase the weekly set of five Lean Cuisines, Yoplait yogurts and green gala apples for this week’s lunches, I noticed the sign for the sale. With a crisp $20 burning a hole in my wallet, I pulled into the cul-de-sac and walked around the sale. I was simply shocked by how much of their junk I couldn’t wait to purchase!

I ended up buying a lovely antique picnic basket and an antique end table. For $18. Holy hell, I’ve got to do this more often!

Now I am having dreams of spending the next few weekends frolicking in the near-by park with my picnic basket full of yummy treats, a good book and a knitting project. Oh, the joy of living in an area where it never rains. (See how I’m finding the bright side in this drought? Or, one could say, the silver lining. Har har) I’ve been meaning to take photos of these finds, but it’s been a busy week.

So instead… I’m proposing another AfricanKelli contest. What is your very favorite picnic dessert? Does it come with a good story? Tell me! Comments are open. I’ll decide the winner in one week and send you a care package with the baked good of your desires. Even if this has to go international, I’ll try to make it work. [And unlike other blog contests, ahem, I do send out the prizes I promise!]

My mom has always said food tastes better outside. I’d have to agree. If I were packing a picnic basket today, it would include: a block of Tillamook pepper jack cheese, a crisp green apple, a ripe mango, a great loaf of sourdough bread, smoked turkey — already sliced, a bottle of pinot grigio, a basket of medjool dates and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Yum!

~K