MyWoodenRobot.org is not completely finished yet (we don’t have a homepage just yet) but the blog is set and you can visit it at MyWoodenRobot.org/blog. Having the blog here was so much fun, but I’m afraid we’re at the end of this chapter and it’s time for a positive change. Thanks for all your support here! Hope to see you at the new address. (A homepage should be up shortly so look out for that!)
I forget the actual percentage of how many people try to loose weight or decide they’ll be healthier for the new year, but it’s high. So why not start out the BDBC with a health related challenge?
This week (and hopefully weeks after this) you’ll need to incorporate some type of fiber into a meal or dish. It could be anything, like your favorite recipe revamped with a fiber twist, a change you made to meals you eat regularly, etc.
Here are a few good sources (there are lots more though!) of fiber to get your mind jogging:
- Oatmeal
- Flax Seeds
- Wheat Flour
- Fiber One
- Brown Rice
The Rules:
Entries must be posted before Sunday, February 10, 11:59 pm.
A photograph, recipe, or some kind of instructions must be posted to prove that you did it.
A short reflection (could just be a sentence!) about the challenge.
Must be a member of Apt 310G to be eligible to win prizes. (Don’t worry, rent is 100% free and it only takes a minute to sign up)
Have fun!
It’s How To Monday, so in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, or beauty in general, why not make your own flower arrangements instead of buying them for usually double the price from large retail flower shops. If you live in the Los Angeles area (although I’m sure your city or town has something similar) there’s a flower mart in Downtown Los Angeles open to the public where you can get a wide variety of flowers at wholesale prices so you can even afford to make a large vase!
This would be a great addition to your home, and also makes a great gift. Here’s a video I found on Video Jug on how to make a simple, but elegant floral arrangement.
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-arrange-flowers-for-a-small-vase
Today marked the very first time I sat through an entire Super Bowl, or any football game. I suppose you have to be the right company to enjoy it, or maybe it’s my new found appreciation for all things. It’s made me think about things that I simply need to do this year including (and in no particular order):
- See at least 3 live sporting events. Tickets can run cheap and I’ve found that even nose bleed sections are just as entertaining…
- Watch a play. Wicked will do this one for me, but I’d also like to see another big production as well as a few other independent plays.
- Witness a monster truck showdown. I got that one after I saw it posted on A Little Pea and I just haven’t gotten my mind off it yet.
- Visit at least 3 new museums. Los Angeles is actually a pretty cultured place if you know where to look.
Enough about the future though. I’m beginning school tomorrow and I have all sorts of mixed feelings. There’s a certain amount of apprehension that comes with school, at least for myself and I haven’t shaken it off yet. It’s getting a little bit better, but my stomach still gets tied up in knots. I’m definitely looking forward to this semester though. I’m taking 2 Journalism classes, one marketing class, and a health class online. Very excited.
And finally, I have a zit on the side of my nose. It hurts. It’s red. And it’s there. (I’m sure the greasy, but tasty, pizza and chips we ate today didn’t help this baby go down…)
Just as I was beginning to loose hope of ever selling an item, I got an email yesterday from another etsy member saying that she ordered a Scrap Journal from the store and just wanted to make sure that I send it to the right address.
I blinked several times, rubbed my eyes, and then starred blankly at the computer screen. Could this be true? Now the order only totaled $3.25 but I don’t think it was the fact that I was going to be $3.25 richer, it was the fact that someone had noticed and felt confident enough in my work to spend their $3.25 at my store. What a day!
I then rushed out to the post office that just opened near the house, the one right across the street from the classy strip club and was greeted by the nicest post office worker I’ve ever encountered. She even offered me pen when I was on the other side of the office filling out the mailer. How attentive.
Yesterday might have been ripped out of the pages of the twilight zone but, I sure enjoyed it. Even if it wasn’t real. (Yes, I had many, many dreams about having already sold an item, I know. It’s sad.) So I can now include myself in the masses that have already sold an item on etsy. yay!
So long scrap journal! We’ll miss you, but we’d much rather have you with a new owner. =]
Now I realize that not everyone has that “special someone” in their lives, but relationships go beyond boyfriends and girlfriends. It’s about human interaction in general. Friendships, Family, and Romantic. So I’m dedicating this month to helping you improve those relationships, or even beginning them!
But what good would a preacher be if he/she wouldn’t live their own word? So in the spirit of Relationship Month, I went through my phone last night and made a phone call to some of my close friends that I seemed to have lost touch with. I’ve always had a hard time returning phone calls, or even picking up the phone, so you have to understand what a big leap this was for me. (I much prefer email…)
I did a little bit of my work for Relationship Month ahead of time by beginning Apartment 310G (which you’re more than welcome to join!) and keeping the growing friendships I’ve aquired online. For once, I actually feel good about nurturing my relationships and I gotta say, it feels so rewarding. 😀
In the spirit of food Friday’s, I decided to look up some interesting, but simple recipes that we can all try. I guess I’ve been in a little bit of a potato mood lately and it may be because Sergio’s family loves to eat baked potatoes (and now I’ve become a big fan). This is a clever and delicious looking twist on it. If you’d like to see the instructional video, visit How to Make Souffle Baked Potatoes at videojug.com.
Ingredients:
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4 large potatoes
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3 1/2 oz grated cheese
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1/2 fl oz olive oil
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a pinch of salt
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a pinch of black pepper
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4 eggs
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1 oz butter
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a few chives
Directions:
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Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (355 degrees F)
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Wash the potatoes, and dry them thoroughly. Dip a part of the kitchen towel in the olive oil and rub it all over the potatoes. Then take a pinch of salt and rub that in too–this will make them crispy. Place the potatoes on a baking tray. This tray is lined with tin foil to make it easier to clean, but you don’t have to do this.
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Using oven gloves, place the potatoes in th eoven on the middle shelf and bake them for about an hour. Check if you are ready by piercing them with a sharp knife. They should be soft all the way through.
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Make sure you have a rack or heat proof board ready. Take the potatoes out of the oven and leave to one side until they are cool enough to handle. Don’t turn the oven off.
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Turn the oven temperature up to 200 degrees C (390 degrees F)
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It’s important that your bowl is clean and dry. Take an egg and carefully crack it, then pass the yolk from one side of the shell to the other. The clear part of the egg will fall into the bowl. Tip the yellow yolk into another bowl. Do this to the 3 other eggs.
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When the potatoes are cool, cut them in half and use a spoon to scoop the insides into a bowl. Keep this skins for later.
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Mash the potato lightly with a fork. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the potato. Mash it in. Add a good pinch of freshly ground peper and a couple of pinches of salt, and keep mashing. Whisk the 4 egg yolks with a fork and stir them into the potato. Finally, mash in the grated cheese. Have a taste, and add a little more salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
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Whisk the egg whites. We are using an electric mixer, but if you don’t have one you can use a hand held whisk, although it might take a long time. The eggs are done when they start to form soft peaks. Add one scoop of egg white to the potato, and mix it in really well to loosen the mixture. Use a cutting and folding action. Add the rest of the egg white one scoop at a time. Don’t mix as much, as you will want to keep it light and fluffy.
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Hold the chives over the bowl and cut them into small lengths. Use the cut and folding action to mix them in.
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Fill the potato skins generously with the mixture and put them on the same baking tray as before. If you have any left over, spoon it into a greased ramekin and place it along side the potatoes. Put them in the oven and bake until the filling is golden and rises up. This will take about 10 minutes.
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Eat them straight away before they sink! They’re great on their own, or try with a few cocktails sausages for a fuller meal.
That’s right, mywoodenrobot.org is almost done. I won’t set deadlines for myself since school will be starting next semester and I have no idea how big the work load will be. The blog is already up so if you want to check it out, you can go to mywoodenrobot.org/blog. I’m really just going through some different designs for a homepage and others, so once that’s all together, you’ll be able to add mywoodenrobot.org to your favorites!
Last night, after a long talk with my friend Sebastian, I decided that MyWoodenRobot should be more organized. In the sense that I follow a schedule of topics I need to blog about on a certain day, month, week, etc. By doing this, both you and me will know exactly what topics I will have to blog about that day and it will kind of force me to learn more instead of whenever I remember.
Here is what I have come up with so far:
How to Mondays – Every Monday, look forward to a how to post about anything from how to apply make up to how to change your car’s oil.
Crafty Wednesdays – Look for a craft related story every Wednesday including interviews, craft instrutions, videos, etc.
Food Fridays – Fridays from now on will have at least one post dedicated to recipes, food, cooking tips, etc.
Bringing Domestic Back Challenge – New challenges will be posted every Friday (here and on Apt310G) to make your life better and more handmade. Frequent participants will recieve prizes!
Every Month (beginning with February) will have a theme that is loosely followed throughout the month. February’s theme, keep with the spirit of Valentine’s Day, will be about Relationships. Not just romantic ones but friendships too!
Of course these are more like a guideline so you won’t only find articles related to that or restricted to the topics on those days or months. Same MyWoodenRobot with a little more added.
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