Into this:

for $10!

The beauty of this project is that it can be adapted to pretty much any hanging light fixture – and I know a lot of apartments have less than stellar lights begging to be updated. Also, it leaves absolutely NO damage to the apartment – it is held up only by the wired twine wrapped into the chain. So here’s how you can do this.

Supplies:

• Handmade art paper (Check out the Paper Place if you’re in Austin) – $4.50
• Heavy gauge floral wire – $3
• Twine-covered floral wire – $2.50
• Double sided tape – a couple cents worth?

Directions:

1. Take a measuring tape and wrap it around the fixture to figure out how big your shade needs to be. You want it to wrap loosely and add a few inches – paper too close to lightbulbs is a bad idea!
2. Use the measuring tape to figure out about how tall you want the shade to be. You really only need to barely cover the existing fixture – just decide how much you want it to be visible when you get close, the longer it is on bottom, the less the old chandelier will show.
3. Use these measurements when you go to buy supplies. You will need twice the circumference plus a few inches for the heavy gauge floral wire and once the circumference in paper (it’s okay if you have to piece it together). You will only need one package of twine covered wire and double sided tape.
4. When picking out paper, consider how much light you want to show through. You can hold the paper up to the store lights to figure out how opaque it will be. Make sure you pick out a paper that is relatively sturdy – tissue paper will be too delicate. I picked out a sturdy yet slightly transparent marbled paper with an organic look that worked well with the imperfect, slightly crumpled shape. It had a great metallic gold swirl that makes it stand out even when the light is off.
5. Back at home, trim your heavy gauge wire and paper to the desired size – add an extra 2″ to each piece of wire and about an extra inch on each side for the paper. I just needed one piece of paper – cut in half longways. If your paper is too long, make sure your pieces are equal in size, you’ll want your seams to be equally spaced.
   
   (Thanks Mom!)
6. Now to start assembling! Start by making your separate pieces of paper into one long piece. You’ll want a single overlap – so line one narrow end of paper with double sided tape, as close to the edge as you can get. Then press the unfolded second piece over the tape, with the edge of the paper as close to the other edge of the tape as you can get. Repeat this as many times as you need to get one long piece – just don’t close the loop quite yet! You want a strip, not a cylinder.
   
   (see how smooth that is!)
7. Now that you have your shade in one piece, it’s time to add the wire frame. Line one long end of the shade with double sided tape. You want full coverage, leave no gaps, and stop about one inch from the end.
8. Take your first piece of wire and straighten it out as best you can. Fold the edge with the tape over the wire, starting in the middle, and adhere to the other side of the paper. You want this seam on the inside of the shade, so the “good” side of the paper does not have tape on it – you’re wrapping the good side over the wire, taping to the back side. Move out from the center, one side at a time, stopping when you get to the end of the tape.
9. Repeat the process with the other side. Your wired side may be making things difficult, but it will help to weight down each end with something heavy. I used liquor bottles, but you’re free to use books if you want to feel less like a lush.
10. So now you have one long strip, with bendable wire on each long end, and un-assembled short ends. Wrap it up into an open cylinder shape and stand it up. This next part is a little tricky.
11. You want this seam to end up looking exactly like the other seam, the tricky part is that you have the wire ends to deal with. Each wire end needs to slide into the pocket that the other end of that same wire is coming out of, like a little wire handshake. Do this to both the top and bottom wires.
12. Add double sided tape to one of the outside paper edges (stopping before you wrap around to the inside), and delicately press the other paper end on top of it.
13. Add double sided tape to the inside of this seam and make sure there are no gaps.
    
    (Don’t pay attention to the strings on top, that was a failed experiment!)
14. Now you have a shade! Give yourself a high five! Here comes the fun part – the sculptural suspension pieces. Use a razor to cut three small, evenly spaced holes just below the top wire. You only want to use three connecting pieces – it’s the easiest number of supports to use to level the shade.
15. Cut three long pieces of twine-covered wire, long enough to reach from the outside of the shade to the connecting point on the chain, plus some to twist around.
16. Poke one wire through each hole, pulling a few inches of each piece to hang outside of the shade, and the long piece inside it. Pinch the wire to hold the shade in place, and twist the end up all curly-like.
17. This part will really work out best if you have 2 people – one to hold the shade or stand back and tell you about the balance, and one to manipulate the wire.  Start by pulling the long end of each wire into a different loop in the chain.
18. Start pulling each wire, one at a time, to get the shade at about the right height that you want. You’ll want to bend a kink into the wire where it connects to the chain to hold it in that position.
19. Twist the long ends, trying to fill the space – both vertical and horizontal. You want it to look natural, like vines growing up a trellis.
20. When you have it relatively level, you’ll want to turn your attention to the shade again. Smooth out the kinks, working it towards a relatively round shape.
21. The shade will now be a little lopsided again, fix this by bending the wire between the shade and the chain.
22. You’re now basically done – take your twine twisting the twine into an artistic shape and making sure the shade is even.

You’re done! You just turned your ugly chandelier into a beautiful work of art! I wish I had a better camera to truly capture how cool this looks, it really was a great project that transformed the dining room. The light is now soft and inviting, and we have a great conversation piece.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/3 tsp baking soda
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons rum (optional)
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 medium Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn apples (any sweet, firm variety will do) – peeled, cored, and diced in 1/3 inch cubes
• 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans

Glaze Ingredients:

• 4 oz 1% fat Greek Yogurt (or drain plain yogurt with no preservatives or thickeners overnight in cheesecloth)
• 1/2 tbs vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup powdered sugar (measured, then sifted)
• pecan halves (for decoration)

Directions:

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°, then prepare 2 cupcake pans with liners.
2. Whisk first 7 ingredients in medium bowl.
3. Using electric mixer, beat the butter and yogurt in a large bowl until fluffy and smooth.
4. Add both sugars and beat until smooth.
5. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Beat in vanilla, then bourbon, if desired.
7. Add flour mixture to egg mixture in 3 additions alternately with applesauce in 2 additions, beating until blended after each addition.
8. Stir in apples and pecans.
9. Ladle the batter into the cupcake pan, filling each mold about 1/2 inch from the top of the liner.
10. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted into center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 22 minutes.
11. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 15 minutes.

Yogurt Glaze Directions:

1. Beat yogurt and vanilla with an electric mixer in a small bowl until smooth
2. Sift in powdered sugar one cup at a time.
3. Keep adding powdered sugar until the glaze thickens and reaches the sweetness you prefer.
4. Put the glaze in the refrigerator while you finish baking the cupcakes and letting them cool, for at least 30 minutes.
5. Use a small spatula to spread each cupcake with about a tablespoon of glaze, then immediately press a single pecan half on top.
6. After the cupcakes have cooled completely, transfer to the refrigerator until 1 hour before serving. The yogurt glaze will spoil if left at room temperature too long (but ours made it at least 4 hours without any trouble).

I realize you’re probably tired of me talking about yogurt, but bear with me here. Yogurt keeps the scones moist, and gives a rich flavor without the need for large amounts of butter. It’s also convenient for us, given that it’s not uncommon for us to have plenty of yogurt in the house, but no milk.

And in case any of you have been making your own, I got the best results of all time this past week using Costco’s Kirkland 1% milk and Stonyfield plain yogurt (not Greek style) as a starter. It was thick, creamy, even a little glossy in texture.

But back to scones. Here’s a recipe that charmed us this late Saturday morning, a comfort food for a grey rainy day.

Cinnamon Pecan Scones

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 heaping teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon all-spice
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4-1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.
2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly.
3. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, honey, egg, and butter. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.
4. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just moistened.
5. Fold in pecans.
6. Drop heaping spoonfuls at least 1″ apart onto greased baking sheet.
7. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until they are lightly browned on top.

Serve with apple or pear preserves for extra Autumnal flavor.

So it started out over at Epicurious, when I was looking for a recipe that would make use of a small container of jalepeno cilantro goat cheese I picked up at the Austin Farmers Market. Except that I impatiently ate all that goat cheese before getting around to this, and had to pick up more at the HEB. In typical fashion, we spiced it up, cut out a little of the cheese and meat, and went a little heavier on the veggies. This really is a quick one-dish meal, good for a pre-run carb loading (or so Kim tells me), and has a nice comfort food feel to it.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 – 1/2 pound diced cooked ham
• 2 cups orzo
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• half a bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, sliced thinly
• 1 serrano pepper, minced
• 5 oz herbed goat cheese, roughly chopped or crumbled.
• olive oil
• salt

Directions:

1. Sauté garlic in about a tablespoon of olive oil for a few minutes, then add in orzo. Stir to toast dry orzo.
2. Pour in liquids, salt to preference, and cook according to orzo directions.
3. Meanwhile, sauté ham, serrano peppers, and green onions in a skillet.
4. Adjust your oven rack to the top level, and turn the broiler on high.
5. When orzo is done, drain and reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
6. Toss orzo, cooking liquid, sautéd ingredients, and goat cheese. Stir util goat cheese is melted and evenly distributed.
7. Press mixture into a shallow, lightly greased baking pan.
8. Put under broiler and cook until the top layer begins to brown.
9. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about self-reliance. The characteristic that drives do-it-yourselfers to get up and do instead of paying someone else to do so. Even if it takes you 10x longer. The characteristic that drives people to do it themselves, when the only other option is to not have it done.

In the past year, I’ve learned to sew (really sew, not the straight lines I used to barely squeek out). I’ve learned to make cereal, yogurt, bread, pizza. I’ve learned to chop my own onions, broccoli, carrot, and garlic instead of buying them already prepared. I’ve learned how to mix up my own tub scrub and toilet cleaner.

I’ve learned these things because this year we’ve had tough choices to make. There hasn’t been enough for everything. But there has been enough.

And I’ve learned that I am enough. For myself, for my husband, for life. I have what it takes.

There are some things that I will be happy when I can pay for someone else to take care of. I’ve never been skilled at pedicures and really miss dry cleaning sometimes. But for a lot of these things, being forced to take care of it myself has really made me wonder why I ever paid for it in the first place. Seriously, do you guys know how easy it is to chop broccoli?? And homemade pizza dough really puts the frozen pizzas to shame. I don’t often miss the meals out much because we enjoy our home cooked dinners even more (but I absolutely miss Friday happy hours).

I do hope I remember these lessons. I hope I can hold on to this self-reliance, even when it is not so completely necessary. And I hope that if I ever get so busy that I don’t have time to chop broccoli, I remember to take a step back and make sure that the things making me so busy are truly worth it.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound chicken, cut into small pieces
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red potato, cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2-4 tablespoons curry (we use a mixture of curry powder and hot curry paste)
• 1 can coconut milk (light is fine)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
• 3 tbs sugar
• vegetable oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Pour about a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet on medium heat. Add the curry paste and powder, stir slowly for a few minutes – until the curry is aromatic and the texture is even. Do not rush this process – it is what makes the curry taste so good!
2. Add the onion and sauté until translucent.
3. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, making sure to coat the pieces with the curry oil.
4. Add the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes or so – until you are able to cut the potatoes with your cooking utensil.
5. Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Salt really brings out the flavor of the curry – if you don’t use enough, you will only taste heat.
   
6. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. The dish is done when the potatoes are cooked through and the sauce is thick. If you are having a hard time getting the sauce thick enough, you can leave the lid off for a few minutes.
   

Serve over rice, with a slightly sweet white wine. I am sure you could also add frozen peas to this dish to get in your green vegetables for the day, I’d put them in when the potatoes had been cooking for a few minutes already.

Yesterday I ended up on Chow.com checking out a video series called “You’re Doing it All Wrong”, where experts demonstrate how to do simple things the best way possible. I didn’t expect too much, but I did learn a few things. Check out this video on combining pasta and sauce:

We tried it tonight and the results really did improve! I used the technique on some rotini with tomato sauce, beef, onion, and parmesan – using a tablespoon of butter at the creaming stage – and it was noticably different. The pasta really seemed to absorb more of the sauce, the sauce was thicker, the cheese more evenly distributed. In my opinion, worth the extra steps.

So you never know when you’ll learn something you didn’t even know you needed. The other videos in the series are pretty good too – some (muddling) more informative than others (grilled cheese), but I picked up a few good tips from all the ones I watched.

We saw many sights, and spent even more time catching up with family and good friends.

It took 2.5 weeks for me to finally be ready to be home again, and to be ready to be back at work again. Notable, however, is the fact that I am actually ready to be back at work again. I think that’s why vacation is so important – when you’re in your daily grind, it’s easy to only see all the things you wish were different, being away makes you realize the things that you enjoy enough to keep doing.

So we’re back, and I’m neck deep in laundry and making recipe plans for the week. One the menu is all the things we missed while we’re away – pasta, spicy peppers, curry, and pizza. As wonderful as it is to go on culinary adventures, I am happy to return to my own kitchen and get back on the creative side of the plate.

And I’ll leave you with one picture from our adventures – on the Seine, after many hours of sun had left gold in our hair and freckles on my nose.

We don’t like our drinks too sweet around here. We like them well-balanced, smooth, and potent. Here’s our twist on the classic mojito.

Brown Sugar Mango Mojitos

Take 4-5 leaves of fresh mint and drop in the bottom of a small juice glass or highball. Add a pinch of brown sugar and squeeze in the juice of a quarter of a fresh lime. Take a blunt object (end of a rolling pin, wooden spoon, pestel) and muddle these three ingredients. Pour in 1.5-2 ounces of mango rum (Tropic Isle Palms was a great inexpensive and smooth choice with a natural fruit flavor). Add a splash of club soda, a few ice cubes, and drop in another lime wedge. Drink on the patio, with friends.