DesignScene

I'm thrilled to announce that the iPad app David has been working on for months, DesignScene, went on sale in the App Store today. The app was the brainchild of our friend, Roger, who approached David about helping bring the idea to fruition. You can read more about the process here on Roger's blog.

Of course I'm biased, but I totally think you should go buy the app. The very reasonable price of $3.99 will help to offset the cost of buying the iPad you'll need to use it! Go watch the video Roger put together and see if you don't agree!

Undo

I have a cold. Before that I had bronchitis, and in between there might have been a bit of excess (sugar, wine, fat) going on. What you see above is my antidote to all that; a little elixer known my way as Chia Juice.

Chia is the yoga instructor extraordinaire who introduced me to this wonderful cure-all, and I've never been able to exactly match her recipe. I use all the same ingredients, but the taste is never quite the same. That said, it still tastes yummy and works miracles. It's great to sip while working out, or just when you're feeling depleted. And right now, I feel just a wee bit depleted.

Once again, I've got no real measurements for you. It's one of those things you just have to do by trial and error. This recipe makes a concentrate, and a little goes a long way. You can store the concentrate in the fridge for a few weeks.

Chia Juice
Hibiscus flowers (or hibiscus tea)
Ginger root
Good quality salt (Chia uses a rock of pink, Himalayan salt)
Fresh lemon (or lime) juice (I heart Meyer lemons)
Agave to taste

• Steep hibiscus flowers (or tea) with fresh ginger slices in boiling water to make a concentrated tea. In a separate container, dissolve salt in water (if you're using a large rock, you can just use room temperature water and let it dissolve over time, otherwise use hot). Allow both to cool.
• Mix some salt water into the tea, keeping in mind that it will be very salty, but not undrinkable. This is your concentrate.
• When you're ready to drink it, pour a small amount into a glass. Add fresh lemon juice and fill the rest with water. Add a touch of agave to taste. You will probably need to adjust the flavor balance a few times to get just the right salty/sweet/sour balance.

Enjoy!

Sweetness

Happy holidays, everyone! See you in 2011.

December 5, 2010

Happy Birthday, Dad. You are missed.

Catching up: link love edition

Oh, hello there! Seems like forever since I've posted! There's been so much I've wanted to share with you all, but life got in the way. Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are some things I've been finding fabulous lately:

Gena, over at Choosing Raw, posted a recipe for Vegan Carrot Raisin Bran Muffins a while back. No, they're not raw, but they do manage to be super nutrient-dense while still tasting like dessert! I added one-half cup millet for some crunch and subbed maple syrup for the brown rice syrup. Yum!

This red lentil curry has become my go-to recipe of late. A big pot lasts for days and is so nice on these cold, almost-winer nights. I've made this with both red and green curry paste. I prefer the red, but it works either way. I also subbed diced tomatoes for the puree, just to give it a little more texture. You can also add in some other veggies, of course.

Have you seen Out of Sight, the animated short about how a blind girl sees the world? Truly beautiful.

I've just discovered That Artist Woman and she is blowing my mind with the awesome art projects she creates for her classroom. This is one that parents of kids of all ages should bookmark and visit regularly. I'm planning on making these snowmen with Anna in a few weeks.

I love getting things in the mail, especially little surprise packages. That's why I'm psyched to be participating in the Holiday Ornament Exchange over at BluPenny. You make 3 ornaments, you get three ornaments, from other artists/crafters around the world. There are a couple days left to register so go sign up!

Lastly, I've been through a plethora of cough medicines lately, from homeopathic to herbal to Western, including a horrible experience with codeine (migraine-sufferers beware!). The one med that finally worked was a prescription for Benzonatate (generic for Tessalon Perle). I'm not saying it's for everyone, but I had one hellacious cough, and this med quieted it down without weird side effects. (May you never need it!)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I'm planning on trying some new veg recipes, which I'll post next week. XO.

Local color

We in Portland are having a gorgeous week. Those of us who have been here a while know that this is probably the last gorgeous week until February, when we'll get another week-long reprieve from the gloom. But the beauty of these weeks sustains me, season after season, year after year.

Oh, the cuteness

Just a quick post to say finally (FINALLY) my Etsy shop is stocked again. I'm still sewing away and making more cuteness daily, but I wanted to let you know the drought is over! Stop by and have a look. And please, if you like what you see, mark my shop as one of your “Favorites” on Etsy. It will help send more eyeballs my way.

Only 55 days 'til Christmas! Just sayin'.