Tortillas

I'm not sure why I've never attempted homemade tortillas before. I don't even think I've looked at a recipe for them before. I didn't think they would be hard or anything, they just were never on my radar.

They're on my radar now!

Homemade tortillas are simply amazing. They're simple to prepare, take minutes to cook, and the resulting taste is like nothing you'll find at the grocery store. I have been converted to the homemade-tortilla side and I can't see myself ever going back.

Rolling it out. Excuse the stripe of pink polish on my thumb!

Cooking in cast iron. I would use a griddle next time.

For the tortillas:

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

A scant 1/2 cup lard or shortening

3/4 to 1 1/4 cup boiling water

Place flour, salt, powder, and lard in a medium bowl without stirring.

Add your boiling water in parts, incorporating it as you go with your hands or a rubber spatula. You want all of the ingredients to incorporate without being too sticky.

Knead the dough with your hands for 5 minutes, then form into a ball. Cover and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.

After the dough has rested, divide into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls. Roll each piece into a thin circle. Heat your pan or griddle to medium heat.

Place a tortilla into your pan or on your griddle. It should begin to bubble within 30 seconds; burst them with your spatula as they form. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Source: Style Me Pretty

A couple notes: I wasn't able to roll out my tortillas as thin as I would have liked; I think the dough was a little bit too dry. Also, in the cast iron skillet, the tortillas barely needed a minute on each side to cook; keep that in mind if you you choose that method.

So, what did my mom and I do with this lovely tortillas? Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa. Yum!

26 x 26 : 4 / 26

Envelope-Style Cushion Covers

If you're just learning how to sew, like I am, this is the perfect first project for you! I used this tutorial from Teal and Lime and am shocked at how simple it was. Four straight lines and voila! You have a completed envelope cushion. I'm not even joking when I say that I whipped out my last cover within 15 minutes.  

Step-by-Step

1. Cut your fabric to size. For a 20" by 20" pillow like I made, cut a rectangle 20.5" by at least 44"; this will result in a small 6" overlap. I wanted a larger overlap, so cut my rectangle 20.5" by 54"; this resulted in approximately a 16" overlap.

2. Hem the short ends by folding them over by 1/2 an inch, and then 1/2 an inch again. Iron and stitch.

Pinned and ready to sew.

3. With the fabric turned right side up, fold over one side to the center. Because I was doing the larger overlap, I folded mine in 16" from the hemmed edge.

Folded over.

4. Fold the other edge over so that your resulting square is 20.5" by 20". Pin the edges and stitch.

Almost there!

5. Once you've stitched both sides, turn the pillow cover inside out and you should now have a 20" by 20" envelope-style pillow cover.

See how simple that was! Now I want to make cushion covers for every person I know and every room in my home! Here are some additional pictures, just for fun.

All four together.

A not-so-great picture of all four, plus my DIY chevron artwork.

20" by 20" cushion covers are all over Etsy for right around $25 dollars, not including the insert or shipping. I made mine for an average of $7.15 PER CUSHION! That's a savings of almost $18. If that alone doesn't encourage you to give these covers a try, I don't know what will.

Goal Update: 20 books by 2014

I know I just updated you guys regarding my reading list, but I did some serious reading over the weekend and managed to cross five (FIVE!!) books off my list. 

1. The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
2. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
3. Lord of the Flies - William Golding 12% completed
4. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling 12% completed
7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Secrets - J.K Rowling
9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
10. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
12. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
13. Lamb - Christopher Moore
14. Moloaka'i - Alan Brennert
15. We Need To Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver
16. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
17. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood - Ann Brashares
18. Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood - Ann Brashares
19. Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood - Ann Brashares
20. Sisterhood Everlasting - Ann Brashares

I finished the first three Sisterhood books on Saturday, reading them one right after the other, and wrapped up the series early Monday morning (like, one-ish!). It's been a long time since a book, or series of books, have grabbed me the way these books did. I find myself already missing the characters, and wishing there were five, ten, TWENTY more books to read so that I knew what was going on in their lives right now. I was apart of the Sisterhood for two glorious days, and now I'm sad it's over.

PS. Just a reminder - bold and blue(tiful) means complete!

PPS. I promise I'll be back with some recipes sometime this week. Just trying to figure out what I should make!

Weekly Goal Update: Running (August 19th to 25th)

I ran three days this week: Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. I am super pleased with my weekend runs especially, and am feeling confident that I'll run 5 km before my goal date of September 1st (which just happens to be this Saturday!!).

Thursday's run was not good, not good at all. I didn't feel great before I started but thought to myself, "If anything will make me feel better, it's fresh air and exercise." I was wrong. I managed to run 2.22 km before stopping, but I was extremely unsatisfied with that. I ran an easy route, with almost no incline, and should have been able to get to 3 km at least. However, I felt very dizzy and faint so I figured it was probably best if I walked the remainder.

Saturday's run was so good, for distance at least. I was tired from the get go, probably because my pace was too fast (for me). I really had to push myself to get to the 3.4 km mark, but that is all running (I walked the rest of the way, without the app running in the background). I was really pleased with that.

You guys.  This run is why I'm so confident I'll hit 5 km before Saturday! This is the run that changed my life. This run turned me into a runner. I get it now. I felt so good the entire time. I loved my pace (7 minutes per km is a happy place for me right now) and didn't feel tired at all until the last half kilometer or so (where the picture starts turning red on the left hand side). I think I could have ran further, that's how good I felt, but the hill was just too much for me.

Goal Update: 20 books by 2014

Originally, when I had posted about the books I wanted to read during the last handful of months in the year, I only had a list of 15 books. Thankfully, a bunch of you piped in with books I should add so I'm happy to say my list is finally complete! 

1. The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
2. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
3. Lord of the Flies - William Golding 12% completed
4. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling
7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Secrets - J.K Rowling
9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
10. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
12. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
13. Lamb - Christopher Moore
14. The Book of Negroes - Lawrence Hill Moloka'i - Alan Brennert
15. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hossein We Need To Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver
16. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
17. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood - Ann Brashares
18. Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood - Ann Brashares
19. Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood - Ann Brashares
20. Sisterhood Everlasting - Ann Brashares

*Thanks to Dani for reminding me about the Sisterhood series. It's something I always wanted to read, but kind of always forgot about!

There is my revised and completed list. I'm hoping to read more then twenty books by the end of the year, so the ones I've omitted or traded in for something different are still books I hope to read. If nothing else, I'll include them on my goal for next year!

PS. Books that are bolded and highlighted in blue are books that I have completed. The percentage completed, if included, is as of the day the blog post is published.

What I Love: Running

As a new runner, I did a little bit of research prior to starting to see what my "must-haves" should be. What brand of shoes is the best, what brand of shorts doesn't ride up, what running app is the most helpful. 

I ended up drowning in information and deciding that only I could decide would work best for me. 

Still, I present you a list of things I'm loving that may help you narrow down your search, especially if you're a new runner like I am!

The music: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West (especially "Monster")

A and I are super obsessed with Kanye West right now, and are loving his MBDTF album. We both have our favourite songs, and mine is absolutely "Monster" (but I kind of have a thing for Nicki Minaj, too). The album is full of great songs, great beats, and music that will help you stay pumped up through your entire run (no matter how short it may be!).

The shoes: Nike Free 7.0

via

I have extremely high arches and shoes without proper support often lead to sore knees and an aching back. These shoes provide the support I need while still being light-weight and comfortable. Shoes are definitely personal preference and you should try multiple brands and fits before making a choice, but I would definitely recommend these. 

The shorts: Champion Mesh Shorts with Compression

via

These shorts from Target are absolutely amazing. They don't ride up, they are beyond comfortable, and they are a steal at $16.99. I almost feel guilty sharing them though, because I haven't been able to find them in Canada (I bought them on my most recent cross-border shopping experience with C). If you're looking for running shorts and are planning a trip to our southern neighbours, make sure to pick up a pair (or two!) while you're there. I'm regretting only bringing one pair home!

The app: Nike+ Running 

All of the screen shots I post in my update posts are from this app. There are so many things I love about this app: that it shows you the route you've done, that you can play music through it, that it tells you the distance you've ran while you're running, that it remembers your personal bests. I could go on and on, but I do believe it is the best app for runners. Download it now. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Those four things are my favourites of the moment. I'm still looking for a really great running top, but am thinking I may spoil myself with one from Lululemon when I've hit my first goal of running 5 km. 

Goal Update: 26 X 26

I've been updating my original 26 X 26 post with links whenever I complete a recipe, but for those who haven't been checking back I decided to do a quick update.

So far, I have completed 3 out of 26 (well, 27) recipes on my list. I hope to work through at least three more over the next week. I've been very pleased with the recipes so far, and am enjoying stepping out of my comfort zone a little bit. I hope that I'm encouraging you to do the same!

1. pie crust
2. lemon meringue pie
3. puff pastry
4. beef wellington
5. souffle
6. hollandaise
7. jam and/or jelly
8. dill pickles
9. chicken kiev
10. croissants
11. macarons
12. baked Alaska
13. sausage patties
14. New York cheesecake
15. tortillas
16. french bread
17. ricotta cheese
18. donuts (completed: August 16th)
19. marshmallows (completed: August 14th)
20. pudding
21. crock pot roast chicken
22. yogurt
23. sugar cookies with royal icing
24. the perfect vanilla cupcake
25. mozzarella
26. pretzels (completed: August 7th)

Weekly Goal Update: Running (August 12th to 18th)

I ran only two days this week - Monday and Tuesday. I attempted a run with A on Friday morning, but didn't get far after a big breakfast!

Mondays run felt really good, right from the start. I had it in my head that I didn't want to stop running until I hit 2 km and I managed to run for 2.34 km before stopping. I walked up the large hill near the end of my route, but run the rest of the way home. I was very happy with this run.

Tuesdays run was amazing! I managed to run for 2.62 km without stopping, my farthest yet, and also went my farthest distance. I was super proud of myself after that run, and if we hadn't gone camping, I'm confident I would have been over 4 km for the week. 

I'm not too confident that I'll hit 5 km of road running by September 1st (which is only 13 days away), but I'll do my absolute best!!

MIA

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last couple of days. I was off enjoying a lovely weekend camping with A and his family, plus my mom. We went to a new-to-us campground and all really enjoyed it. The gorgeous weather didn't hurt things either! I'm now in Medicine Hat visiting A for a couple days and then back home to do some laundry and get a few more 26x26 items crossed off the list.

I'll be back later with my running update for the last week (hint: I had one great run... but didn't do much else!), but for now here are the only (!!) two pictures I took over the weekend.

My baby girl, Keri, hanging out with me before everyone else was awake.

Coffee and Baileys. The homemade stuff was a hit!

Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Donuts

Whether you eat donuts or doughnuts, you are going to want to make these! The texture reminded me a lot of muffins, but the flavour from the greek yogurt made them really special. 

I spent a full day in Calgary looking for a donut pan, but it's certainly not necessary for the recipe. The batter I had remaining was put into mini muffin tins and baked into muffins - perfection! You could also use a whoopie pie or muffin top pan with similar results. Just adjust the baking time!

(I made these late last night, so didn't have great light for the ingredient picture. Therefore, there isn't one!)

Keeping it real: I filled the donut pan to full, so my donuts don't actually have holes!

For the donuts:

1 cup mashed banana (I needed three)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1/4 cup butter, melted (I used salted)

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Using your electric mixer with the whisk attachment, mix together banana, sugar, and yogurt until combined.

Add melted butter, eggs, and extract. Mix until combined.

Add dry ingredients to the batter and mix until just under incorporated (to prevent over mixing when adding the chocolate). Fold in chocolate chips.

Grease your donut pan and fill each donut mold 3/4 full of batter (I overfilled mine, resulting in the lack of holes).

Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before eating.

Adapted from: Janie's Kitchen

26 x 26 : 3 / 26

Homemade Baileys

On Tuesday, I posted this picture in my "day in the life" post. Did anyone guess what I had made with those ingredients?

HOMEMADE BAILEYS!!

I've made homemade Baileys in the past, and thought it would both a great blog post and a great addition to our camping trip. It is extremely simple to whip together and the results are fantastic; basically chocolate milk with some whisky thrown in!

For the Baileys:

5-ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped (I used Hershey's, because in my small town that is high-quality!)

1 1/2 cups Irish whiskey (I used Canadian, because it was all I had.)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can evaporated milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups heavy cream (I used coffee cream, because my grocery store didn't have heavy cream in stock. I know...)

1/4 tsp. instant coffee

Melt chocolate in the microwave, stirring until totally smooth. Add to a large bowl and whisk in a couple tablespoons of whiskey, stirring until combined (it may separate, but that's okay). Whisk in the condensed and evaporated milks until combined and smooth, then whisk in the remaining whiskey, cream, extract, and instant coffee (the coffee and chocolate may not dissolve at first, but will as they sit).

Pour mixture into a large bottle and refrigerate until cold. Shake or stir every so often to help the instant coffee and chocolate dissolve. It is so much better after it sits for at least one day.

Source: How Sweet Eats

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

Marshmallows always seemed so daunting (and messy!) to me. Sugar syrup, gelatin, blooming? Ain't no body got time for that.

But in reality, it takes almost no time at all and the results are divine (this coming from a girl who doesn't even really like marshmallows). They will be perfect in s'mores while camping this weekend!

Ingredients

Marshmallows: salt, vanilla bean, vanilla extract, gelatin, light corn syrup, water, granulated sugar 

Coating: icing sugar, cornstarch

Sugar syrup.

Pouring the syrup into the bloomed gelatin.

After whipping for ten minutes.

All cut and ready to go.

For the marshmallows:

1 cup cold water, divided

3 packets gelatin

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (optional)

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

Place 1/2 cup of the water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface to soften. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan with a candy thermometer attached combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, sugar, corn syrup, seeds scraped from the vanilla bean, and salt. Cook over medium heat until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F. When this temperature is reached, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat.

With the whisk attachment on the mixer moving at low speed, slowly add the syrup to the bowl with the gelatin in a drizzle along the side of the bowl. Once all the syrup has been added, increase mixer speed to high and whip for 12-15 minutes, or until the mixer is thick and lukewarm. Blend in the vanilla extract during the final minute.

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and whisk to blend. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch pan. Coat the bottom and sides of the pan with the sugar/cornstarch mixture, reserving the rest. Once the marshmallow mixture is finished whipping, use a lightly greased spatula to spread it into an even layer in the prepared pan. Sprinkle a layer of the sugar mixture over the top to coat lightly. Let stand uncovered for four hours or up to overnight.

Remove the marshmallow slab to a cutting board. Cut into desired shape with a pizza cutter or cookie cutter (dipped into sugar mixture to prevent sticking). Add the marshmallows to a zip-top bag with the remaining sugar mixture (adding more confectioners' sugar if necessary) and shake to coat.

Source: Annies Eats, via Alton Brown

26x26 : 2 / 26

Sarasota Lemonade

In the summer, there is nothing that I like better then a glass of Barefoot Moscato with frozen berries to help keep it cool. It is just so refreshing and delicious.

Well, there was nothing better until I tried this recipe!

It is so simple, but so incredibly tasty. I made up a large batch to take camping with me this weekend, but I'm starting to wonder if there will even be any left by Thursday!

Ingredients

Two bottles of your favourite Moscato (I used Barefoot), Sprite, pink lemonade concentrate

Not pictured: frozen strawberries and raspberries

For the lemonade:

2 bottles of Moscato (I used Barefoot)

1 bottle of Sprite

1 can of pink lemonade concentrate, thawed

Frozen berries (I used strawberries and raspberries)

Combine the wine and concentrate in a large pitcher or bottle (I used an empty Simply Lemonade bottle, for easy transportation). If you are serving the lemonade immediately, also combine the Sprite.

Add a couple handfuls of frozen berries and give the mixture a stir or shake.

To serve, put a small handful of frozen berries at the bottom of the glass and top with the lemonade.

If you want to make this in advance, do not add the Sprite as it will go flat. To serve, just pour lemonade into a glass with frozen berries and top with Sprite. 

I dare you not to get addicted!

Source: The Pampered Jes

Note: It is so much better the second day, after it's had time to sit. Yum!

A day in the life of the unemployed!

Yesterday was my first day in the ranks of the unemployed. When I announced that I had quit my job, a lot of people jokingly asked me what a stay-at-home-wife such as myself was going to do to occupy my time (other then boozey lunches and online shopping).

I present to you, the highlights of my day.

Pinterest and tea.

Taught myself how to do a sock bun, using this tutorial.

Went for a run.

Fixed the door jamb on the front door.

Hung out with the pups.

Dropped off some recycling.

Went for lunch with my mom.

Got money back because of a botched eyebrow waxing.

Made chicken in the crock pot. (This is a 26x26 recipe, but I haven't perfected it enough to share just yet!)

Discovered my new favourite drink, recipe coming later today!

Used these ingredients to make something delicious - any guesses?

Pretty glamorous right?! I will admit, I did have a nap in there somewhere too. Plans today include painting and baking, with another nap thrown in (I hope!).

Weekly Goal Update: Running (August 5th to 11th)

I ran three times this week - Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I was away during the weekend and had grand plans to run while in Calgary, but hotel beds make it difficult to start early in the morning (even if they are uncomfortable!).

A disclaimer: I live on top of a mountain, and I don't think there is a single flat street to be found in town. I feel like I get a small pass for having to run uphill for multiple portions of my run! I'm confident that I wouldn't have to stop and walk as much, if at all, if I were running in say... Saskatchewan!

Mondays run was kind of a mess, which I expected as it was my first time out. I ran 1.34 km without stopping and had to walk twice.

Tuesdays run was a little bit better. I did the same route, but backwards and it was a little bit easier. I ran 1.38 km without stopping and only had to walk once, up the really big hill near the end of my route. I improved my pace by 0.03 seconds.

Wednesdays run included a new route, with more uphill sections (though they were smaller). I ran 1.39 km without stopping, and only had to walk once (though I did walk for awhile). I improved my pace significantly, but I would say the increase of downhill sections (to counter the uphill) helped with that.

All in all, I'm very pleased that I managed to get out three times during the week. My goal is to get out six of the seven days, but would be happy with at least four. 

I bought more fabric.

Ack! It's looking like fabric might be my newest online shopping addiction. If sewing ends up being something that I really enjoy, I can see there being a lot of fabric purchases in my future!

This time I ordered two yards from Hawthorne Threads. I really liked their selection and was really happy with the shipping costs, and I am really looking forward to seeing what the shipping time is like. I am extremely anxious to receive the fabric, so hopefully it won't be too long!

The fabric that I ordered this time is for the tote bags I want to attempt. I figured if I got enough for four totes, I should have a really great bag by the fourth try! I love my choices online, and hope that they're just as awesome in person.

Violet Craft - Waterfront Park - Flight in White

Dear Stella - Ikebana - Traditional Ikat in Charcoal

(my absolute favourite pick so far!)

French Bull - Raj - Painted Dandelion in Blue

Amy Butler - Love - Water Bouquet in Midnight

I seriously could not love these fabrics more, and can't wait to see how they translate into tote bags. I'll be taking custom orders in a couple of months! (I'm totally kidding!)