Chicken "Pesto" Pasta

This is NOT your traditional pesto pasta. For starters, it doesn't contain olive oil, basil, or pine nuts. The only thing it really shares with pesto is the color green and the pasta.

This is an Asian-ified version of "pesto" that I created because I was desperate to use the rest of my cilantro before it wilts.

Ingredients
Cilantro (stems and all)
Onion
Ginger
Garlic
Lemongrass
Canola oil
Soy Sauce
Ketchup, just a small squeeze
Salt (just a little, soy sauce will add most of the saltiness) and Pepper

Chicken breast (skinless, boneless), cubed

Throw all except chicken into a food processor and give it a go until it comes together into a yummy paste. Coat chicken breast cubes with sauce, then saute and simmer (in a covered pan) until cooked through. Add cooked thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta. Toss and serve.



It's really delicious.

The Boy topped his with red pepper flakes, and mine with Sriracha.  Seriously.  Can it get better?

Winner: Red Onion Woodworks Giveaway

Congrats to comment #107, Moonlight Micro-Farm who described Camille's boards as "Biomorphic"! You're the winner of this stunning serving tray!

Find similar boards for your kitchen at RedOnionWoodworks Etsy Shop.

Thank you for participating! :)

What to do with 1500 business cards with old info?

Buy a stamp!

Fortunately, I designed my business cards with the location and address at the bottom, so it was easy to just cut off the text from the bottom and stamp the updated info on the back.

With lots of help from expert-cut-off-the-bottom-of-the-card Aparna, this weekend we stamped out (hah!) 1500 outdated business cards to have my Pittsburgh info on them!





It was a labor of love, my friends. Labor of love.

Hubert is 3

Hubert turned 3 two days ago. Time flies. So much so that I just remembered yesterday. So we took pictures.

While I do feel bad that I forgot his birthday, birthdays are not a big deal in my family. I forget my own birthday most of the time. :)

Nonetheless, I love to keep picture records of his age so I can look back on these when he's all grumpy, plump, graying and his bark becomes a muted raspy howl. Awww!



Here are the pictures from his 2nd birthday. I can't find pictures from his 1st birthday, but this is when I first got him! He was just 7 lbs. Now he's a hefty 21 lbs.

Boy do they grow up fast...

Cauliflower Tacos

Is it weird that I've never had cauliflower until this moment?

The Boy mentioned that we should add cauliflower to our diet and mentioned, "it really goes well with turmeric."

And that's all he gave me.

Well, I'll let you in on a secret of mine.

When working with a new food item, I make them into tacos and top them with pico. You can't go wrong with pico. Seriously. Or if I want to make it Asian, wrap it in rice paper with noodles, julienne carrots, cucumber and shredded lettuce. Then dip it in nouc cham.

This meal takes 10 minutes MAX to make. Really!

Ingredients

Cauliflower
Coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
Turmeric
Cumin
Garlic powder
Salt + Pepper

Toss in a bit of oil and stir-fry, lid the pan and cook until tender.
Fill a tortilla with the tender goodness and top with homemade pico de gallo (I love making mine with red onions nowadays).



p.s. A bit of Sriracha and lime juice on top adds that extra oomph. You'll love it.
p.p.s. If you've never had cauliflower, I would describe it as a really buttery version of broccoli.

Together for Japan (UPDATE!)

Last week, I committed to donating 25% of my sales from Friday, March 18 through Sunday, March 20th to Red Cross to help Japan. The Boy agreed to match my donation by 100%. The company The Boy works for, Thomson Reuters, matches 100% of donations by their employees, too! 

As a result, we raised $534 on my end, and with The Boy's match, we totaled $1,068 from our account.

Holy moly, that's a lot of money to exit our bank account in one lump. But it is a tiny fraction of how much Japan has lost, so we are happy to give it.

With Thomson Reuters Foundation match, we were able to raise $2,136 to Red Cross to help Japan! 


A super-special thank you to those who purchased bags to make this possible:

Amy E.
Carolynn B.
Deborah H.
Hikara M.
Elizabeth C.
Jessica S.
Jodi B.
Judy L.
Julie D.
Julie M.
Kristen H.
Laurie P.
Nancy M.
Rachel W.
Rebecca M.
Susan B.



Some screenshots of the donation:

Giveaway: Red Onion Woodworks

Well, I told you I would have a nice surprise for you today. :)

Meet Camille. She is a woodcrafter and owner of Red Onion Woodworks, where you can find beautiful one-of-a-kind wooden cutting boards and serving trays. I've been eyeing these for a few months and plan to have one in my kitchen very soon!

She has been generous enough to provide an amazingly-crafted serving tray ($90 value) to giveaway to one of my readers -- lucky you!

Camille of RedOnionWoodworks

Tell us about yourself!
I live in a tiny cabin in the woods of Western Oregon with my husband and our two small children. We share 25 acres of property with a blue-heeler dog, two lazy cats, two dairy goats, a flock of chickens, and a whole lot of wildlife that moves in and out of the area. It’s pretty quiet out here, but it’s a great place to raise kids.

I earned a BA in geoscience, but during my late teens and early twenties, I spent about as much time working on an organic vegetable farm as studying. Being in college and working on a farm simultaneously helped me cultivate a love for language and critical thinking as well as an appreciation for hard physical labor. My Mexican coworkers taught me Spanish while weeding and harvesting vegetables, so I can speak if pretty fluently with an Oaxacan hillbilly accent. This helped me write some awfully good reports on volcanology of southern Mexico because I could read papers published in Spanish.

The older I get, the more I enjoy learning and trying new things. I bought a DSLR camera this winter, and after reading a couple library books about photography, I’m having a ball experimenting with all its settings and options. I make a lot of chévre and mozzarella with fresh goat milk, and my goal for this spring is to produce a decent cheddar cheese. I’m also planning on taking a screen-printing class in the near future, so I can gift Red Onion Woodworks T-shirts to all my friends and family.


How did you get started?
I never in my wildest dreams thought I would grow up to be a woodcrafter or a small business owner. After college, my husband’s parents offered me a job apprenticing in their custom woodworking shop. It was WAY out of my comfort zone, but they were patient with me and took the time to explain all tasks with quality control and safety in mind. I learned the basics Karate-Kid style, doing repetitive, seemingly mindless small jobs, but after a year or so, I came to realize that I actually knew a whole lot and was comfortable with a variety of tools and techniques.

My father in law kicked me out of the shop when I was five months pregnant with my first child because he heard some vaguely substantiated rumors about noise from shop equipment causing hearing loss in unborn babies. I was really excited to become a parent, but it was sad to abandon both my newfound love of woodworking and the working world in general. I spent the better part of three years being “just” a stay-at-home mom to my son (now 3) and eventually my daughter (now 1 ½). I loved being at home with my kids, but I craved the intellectual, social, and physical stimulation that I had known in previous jobs.

My husband, a natural-born entrepreneur unlike me, encouraged me to start my own business where I could work on a flexible schedule and create product that I was proud of. It took a lot of planning, tool purchasing, and soul searching, but I could tell right in from beginning that it wasn’t a mistake. Now trying to maintain a balance between work and family can be a challenge, but I couldn't be happier about the success of my business.


How does your lifestyle cater to your craft?
Where I live and whom I know makes my business possible because I need beautiful wood to make beautiful wood products. In the Northwest, conifers and red alder dominate the commercial timber market. Bigleaf maple harvested in industrial logging operations is mostly sold for paper pulp or pallet stock. The wood that I prefer to use in my projects is incredibly beautiful because of its wild grain, but it has little value to large timber companies. My husband and I have a number of connections with local foresters and loggers, and through them, we are able to have burls, crotches, and irregular chunks of wood set aside. We’ve also partnered with a small sawmill operator and family friend who, along with my husband, mills these logs and pieces into lumber. The journey from standing tree to mill to shop is usually dozens of miles, not hundreds or thousands like the things people buy at big box stores.

Essentially all the furniture in our tiny house is either made by us or handed down from a couple generations of woodworkers. You can take a virtual tour on my FB page, and it becomes immediately apparent that I have a personal affection for natural edged shelving, twiggy drawer pulls, or really anything that brings a bit of nature into my home, my kitchen, and my busy life. I’m looking forward to branching out my range of products in the future to include home accessories like some of these things that I’ve made for myself.

Read more about Camille in her Featured Seller article on Etsy!






The Prize!
This bigleaf maple serving tray is one of a kind. It features a contoured natural edge and a truly organic shape. The bronzed faces are alive with seemingly three-dimensional ripples of figure, and a large knot provides an asymmetrical focal point. A few cracks lace the wood because of compression that occurred during the drying process, but they will add character to this perfectly rustic server. It measures approximately 20” x 12” x 5/8”, $90 value


Enter the Giveaway (up to 3 entries!)
1. Visit RedOnionWoodworks and comment with ONE (or more) WORD(S) that best describes her boards. I encourage you to be original with what word you choose. :)

Extra entries!
2. Like her Facebook Page and come back and leave a comment saying you did so. If you're already a fan, just comment again letting us know!
3. Share this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook and come back and leave a comment with a link!

Giveaway ends Sunday, March 27, 2011 at 11:59PM EST. 

Chicken Noodle Soup

I'm really happy, ya'll.

Yesterday I was heartbroken while following all the updates with Japan. Now I feel we're making a difference! All thanks to you for supporting me in this fundraiser to donate to Japan. Every little bit that each one of us can do goes a long way.

If you missed yesterday's post, I'm donating 25% of my sales this weekend to American Red Cross. The Boy is matching 100% of my donation so together we'll donate 50% of my sales (since we share a bank account, hehe).

So far we've raised $224.50 on my end, totaling $449 donation including The Boy's contribution! It's only Saturday afternoon, so we still have 1.5 days left to raise more!

Now to the more fun stuff -- that Chicken Noodle Soup recipe I promised.

I will now admit that I am a huge advocate of using every part of everything you buy. When I was a much bigger meat eater, I used to roast whole chickens, and I would cut out the back bone so that I could lay the chicken flat on a roasting pan. I saved all those backbones in a freezer zip top bag for special occasions like this where I can make my own chicken stock. And nothing makes for a better stock than lots of bones.

Side note: I also save all the shells from shrimp because it's going to make a yummy stock for seafood gumbo. Just sayin'. 

I made this chicken stock by simply boiling chicken bones + 1/2 diced red onion + miso paste (it tastes so good!) + rock sugar + black pepper corns for 1.5 hours and skim off all the crud that accumulates on top in the meantime.  Strain out all the solids until you're left with a densely flavored, relatively clear broth.

I intentionally left out some of the vegetables that are supposed to go into a stock because I use those in the actual recipe and I don't want to throw away soggy celery and carrots.

Ingredients
2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 Red Onion, diced
Celery, bundle, diced
Carrots, a bundle, diced
Wide Egg Noodles, I get the cholesterol-free kind

Boil chicken breasts in stock until still a bit pink inside (I know, it's weird, but it'll guarantee you moist chicken cubes in your soup come serving time).

Remove chicken, cube the same size as your other vegetables, set aside until the end.

Cook celery, carrots, onion and noodle. Mine were done at the same time, but check your noodle cooking time to make sure you won't overcook your veggies. In the last 8 minutes, add the cubed chicken and then serve. Chicken will be fully cooked and still moist.




Super simple recipe for warm soup belly.

And if you really liked this comfort food, boy do I have a surprise for you on Monday! You'll have the chance to win a somethin' somethin' that will make your kitchen experience amazing.

That's all I'm telling you.

Come by on Monday to find out more. :)

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

Love,
Jenny

Together for Japan

Today, I was going to post my recipe for chicken noodle soup.  The meal I go to for something comforting. But as I continue to read the news on Japan, I can't feel comfortable until I find a way to help Japan.

The only thing that I can do is to donate money.

I will donate 25% of my sales this weekend (Friday, 18th through Sunday, 20th) to American Red Cross to support their disaster relief efforts to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific.

The Boy will match 100% of what we raise this weekend.

You can also donate directly to Red Cross by texting REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

That face. So cute. I feel bad that I put that heavy plush headband on him. It's meant for female humans, but it was only for a few minutes. :)

Mod Industrial Vacation

I really like orange and gray together.   I think it has a modern industrial feel, which I really like.  Something about the warmth of orange next to a cool gray that makes a great combo.  There's some yellow in this print which makes it feel even more summery.

So whether you're spending your vacation at the beach or in the city, this Traveler is sure to satisfy your spring break and summer vacation need to be hands-free. :)

Also available in a more flowery print.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

A bought a pint of blueberries for some juice concoctions, but then, I thought about baking them into something instead. Blueberry muffins are one of my favorites. Since I already knew a recipe for Banana muffins, I just added blueberries to my Banana Coconut Walnut Muffins (minus the coconut and walnuts).

I reduced the amount of sugar to 0.5 cup from 0.75 cup since these bananas were extra ripe. I was feeling extra indulgent, so I used oil. 0.33 cup of it. Added a couple handfuls of blueberries at the end.

Ingredients
Makes 12 cupcake-sized muffins

1.5 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
0.5 teaspoon salt
0.5 cup white sugar
0.33 cup oil
4 large, ripe bananas
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Splash of organic vanilla soy milk
Blueberries, a few handfuls

Mix and pour into non-stick cupcake baking pan, and bake for 20-25 mins at 350 F.



I really like how the blueberries explode inside the muffins. When you break the muffin in half, it's all gooey with goodness.

Tofu Dumplings

Since I've been hanging out with Aparna, I've become more drawn to vegetarian cuisine. She's vegetarian and introduced me to this amazing world of tofu. Yes, I'm Asian, I should know tofu. But I never knew how versatile it was until Aparna showed me all the different ways I can cook with it and how it's essentially a nice sponge for all flavors.

Now, I have to admit, the texture of chicken and pork doesn't sit too well with me and I prefer the texture of tofu. So overall, good choice for me because:

1. Tofu is cholesterol-free
2. Tofu is really cheap
3. Tofu doesn't require a lot/any cooking time

Overall, winner protein source!





Ingredients

Firm tofu, drained, crumbled
Ginger
Garlic
Coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)

Hoison Sauce
Sesame Oil

Mix all ingredients.
Dip your fingers in water and wet wonton wrappers
Pile a spoonful of filling onto each square
Fold in half and press to seal
Keep them moist with a damp paper towel on top while you work

Place, one at a time, in bowling water and remove when they float to the top
I place a max of 6 in my big bowl of water at a time to prevent sticking

Serve with soy sauce with a bit of sweet chili sauce

It's heavenly.

You can indulge a little and pan-fry these little guys, or make them in a yummy broth for dumpling soup, but I like them plain and dipped.




This past weekend, we had a vegetarian dinner where Aparna and I prepared asparagus sushi rolls, these dumplings and miso soup. To be honest, I think our guys barely noticed that there wasn't a single piece of meat in the entire dinner.

Enjoy!

Fried Rice

Yesterday, The Boy texted me letting me know that he was eating at Ichiban with some co-workers and having shrimp hibachi! Torture me more, why don't you! I love hibachi restaurants. I love the onion volcano and the sweet knife skills.

So I decided to make my own fried rice. It's not the same as the one in the hibachi places, and I don't have awesome knife skills, but at $0.65 per serving, I'd say it's a winner. :)





I love making fried rice because it's a throw-everything-in-the-pan-at-the-right-time kind of dish and clean up is super easy.

Ingredients
Serves 4

Onion, diced
Ginger, diced
Garlic, diced

Asparagus
Carrots

4 Eggs
2 Cups Rice, cooked, I use Jasmine

Soy Sauce
Salt and Pepper

I  use a stainless steel pan so the little brown bits that stick to the bottom add a nice crunch to the dish. Yummy yum yum. You can use a non-stick wok for this, but you may miss out on the crunchy goodness.

Sweat onion, ginger and garlic.
Add asparagus. I tend to under cook my vegetables because I like them super crispy.
Move veggies aside and break 4 eggs into the pan. Break the yolks and cook like scrambled eggs.
I added carrots in later because I like them extra crunchy, but you can cook it with the asparagus.
Add cooked rice and douse in soy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.



Happy Weekend! :)

The Things We Do....

Cute, isn't he? Well!

Remember when he had some kidney stones removed?  He's been on a special diet since then that will dissolve any remaining crystals that may have formed and after 3 months on that diet, I have to submit a urine sample so that the vet can assess what food he will be on to prevent future formations of any stones.

Well, today's the day that he needs to switch food and I called the vet to ask about the procedure for submitting the urine sample.

"Oh, just place a pan or dish under there?
While he's peeing?
Uh huh.
I see.
I can come get a sample collection there.
Okay.
Oh, it's really small?
I'll likely get peed on?
Okay.
Thanks..."

Hang up.

I glance at Hubert and he's jumping and whining waiting for his morning food, walk and potty. Not a worry in the world in that little brain.

To make things a little more complicated, it was snowing outside (Again! Mid-March!), like a blizzard. And I think Hubert was a little uncomfortable that I was crowding around his junk while he peed. But it wasn't as bad as I expected. Thank god for cheap little IKEA containers and zip top bags.  I got some weird looks as I was walking to the vet holding a bag with a container full of urine.

Then I get a nice bill of $40 for lab work fees.

All before my morning coffee.

So I treated myself to a fat free cappuccino from the coffee machine in the lobby of my apartment. Yummmm.

There are also boxes of donuts on Fridays. I paused for a second and thought about it. Then I passed.

Victory!

Shrimp and Scallop Diablo Pasta

Taken with Samsung Epic 4G phone

Last night, The Boy requested some seafood pasta in a spicy red sauce for dinner.  I was hesitant, for two reasons:

1.) I rarely make red sauces because I get red splatters on whatever I'm wearing while I cook. Every. Single. Time.
2.) I'm not a big fan of anything pasta related. Maybe due to reason #1.

I also don't usually stock chiles in my fridge, sooo I go to my best friends Sriracha and Sweet Chili Sauce for some kick. :)

Ingredients
Serves 2 for dinner and 2 for next day's lunch :)

Shrimp
Scallop

4 Vine Tomatoes, diced
1/2 Mango, diced
1/2 Red Onion, diced
1 chunk Ginger, diced
2 cloves Garlic, diced
Wine, just a splash, pick your favorite (I used a red wine, 2008 Argentinian Malbec)
Cilantro, handful chopped
Sriracha
Sweet chili sauce
Salt and Pepper
Lime Juice

Sweat onion, garlic, ginger in a pan.
Add tomatoes and let it simmer and thicken.
Add mango, sriracha, sweet chili sauce.
Add wine, salt, pepper, lime juice to taste.

The mango and sweet chili sauce will balance out the acidity of the tomatoes, but I still had to add some sugar at the end because I prefer sweet over sour. It may be an Asian thing.

Stir in shrimp and scallop and let it simmer until seafood is tender (don't overcook, otherwise you'll end up with seafood rubber!). I placed a lid on my pan to trap in the moisture. The scallop and shrimp will release some yummy juices and thin out the sauce to perfection.

Top with chopped cilantro.

Serve on a bed of pasta.

Enjoy!

Sunset

Taken with Samsung Epic 4G phone

Isn't this romantic? :)

The Last Few Steps

The last few steps of making a bag to prepare for shipping is to install hardware and straps, cut loose threads, run the lint roller inside to pick up any threads and leather pieces that stick during the making.

The bag is then gently folded, placed into a bag (a plastic one) with my business card and taped shut to keep dry in transit to its final destination, wherever in the world that may be.

It is then placed into a USPS Priority box with a label addressed to its new owner. And off they go to the front desk of my apartment to be picked up by the mailman in the afternoon. 

These last few steps are the most fun, I have to say.  It's when hours of hard work come to a close and I'm ready to let go of the bag to its owner.

Good stuff.

Snow in March?

Taken with Samsung Epic 4G phone

The Boy and I celebrated our 2nd year anniversary this weekend. When we get married, does that mean we replace our anniversary with our wedding anniversary instead of our dating anniversary? Or do you celebrate both? Or neither?

We went to our favorite sushi place, Plum and finally saw The Fighter. Great movie.

As The Boy said of Christian Bale's performance, "he can verbally berate me on a movie set anytime if he puts on a performance like that."

He's my favorite actor, and this performance secured it for good.

Did I mention that it SNOWED this weekend? It's March!

The weather changes so much here in Pittsburgh that I finally added a weather widget to the main page of my phone just so I know how I should dress every morning. One day it's sunny and 60s and the next its 20s and snowing. I guess boxing up the winter coats isn't such a great idea, yet. :)

Lemongrass Shrimp and Scallop

We've been on a seafood craze. I think it was the fill-your-freezer sale event at our grocery store that made us buy many many pounds of scallop, shrimp, salmon and cod that our freezer is completely packed and we can't buy anything else until we eat all the seafood.

I ain't complainin'! :)


Ingredients
Scallop
Shrimp

Lemongrass
Garlic
Ginger
Cilantro

Hoison Sauce
Soy Sauce

Mix, stirfry and serve with rice. Yums!

They Draw & Cook

Images from They Draw & Cook

Tofu McMuffin by Vanessa Brown

Banana Crumb Muffins by Alison Kuczwara

Vegetable Stock by Nate Padavick

I think I found my jackpot for recipes.

I love cooking and I love drawing. If you appreciate either or both, you will definitely love this website, They Draw & Cook. You can find cool recipes illustrated by artists from around the world.

So much for being productive in the studio today... ;)

My Future Sister

Photography by OnSite Minnesota Photography

I've always wanted an older sister. Well, that's not true. I never knew what life would be like with a sister until we moved to Pittsburgh and live 1 mile from The Boy's older brother, who has a beautiful wife, Aparna, who will be my sister.

I grew up with an older brother. I thought Barbies were meant for fighting Ninja Turtles, dancing was for wussies, and pink was for girls. I thought I was supposed to save my allowance so I could buy the newest video game. I thought winning a burping contest was THE greatest achievement.

Okay. I exaggerate. Or do I? You get the point.

Then, I met Aparna. She has become a great older sister to me. She's showing me the ropes on how to be an Indian bride and what it takes to be a Nemlekar -- my future name!

Side note: Isn't it great I don't have to change my business name? I get to keep the N!

She's an attorney by day (and into some nights), a workout partner by night, farmer's market/theater goer by weekend, science geek, Apple lover, and a wedding-planning-crafter by times in between when we talk about how we're going to decorate for The Boy and my wedding. We're like the same person --except she's a lawyer and I'm a designer. Details.

It's all so fun and girly and perfect that she has become my big sister just in time to help me with an important transition in my life. :)

Did I also mention that she's gorgeous?

p.s. This doesn't mean older brothers aren't great. But I think Chris (my brother) can only nod his head for so long as I talk about fashion, cooking and home decor before he goes, "Jenny, shut up. I'm trying to beat this boss!"

Seaweed and Beet

I bought some seaweed salad from the grocery store yesterday and never got around to it after finishing my sushi. So for lunch today, I'm enjoying some seaweed salad and beet salad. I learned this nice preparation for a beet salad from The Boy's mom, consisting of sliced beets, plain yogurt, onion, tomato and I forgot what spices.

Since I'm lactose intolerant, I typically don't have a lot of yogurt on hand, so I used avocado for creaminess. I love it!

Ingredients

Beets, canned, diced
Avocado, diced
Onion, diced
Tomato, diced
Lime juice

Salt
Pepper

Stir together and serve!

Thinking back, I will add chopped cilantro to my next serving of beet salad.

Aztec III

I can't get enough of this distressed two-tone brown with a super soft hand. It beckons me every time - and apparently you, too as it seems to sell out pretty quickly once I get a bag made for the shop.

Here's the third of those gorgeous distressed browns. Available in really limited quantity as I could only get one hide.

I really want to make this in The Mini and let it sit in the shop for a while before I decide to keep one for myself since I missed the previous two opportunities to have an Aztec Brown bag. But then I feel guilty and selfish. So I'll just leave these awesomely gorgeous leathers to someone else who will love and care for them.

By the way, my future SIL asked me if I feel protective of my bags once I let them go to their new set of shoulders.

I do RIGHT after I make the bag, but once it's shipped, I can let it go. I spend a few hours with each bag and I start to feel like I worked so hard to finally get the finished product that I can't help but give it a little hug before I package it and ship it off to its new home. So if you smell my perfume on the bag, it may be because I gave it a little goodbye hug.

*sigh*