simpletruths

mine

I have a small wrist. 

But when i finished this one it just happened to fit perfectly.

 

Plus that's one of my favorites buttons from my stash.

Seventh Generation Green Cleaning

via www.gogreenstreet.com

I'm entering a contest to win this! I know - How cool would it be if I won?!

One reason I'm so excited to enter is that our local Target recently stopped selling all Seventh Generation products. I know - rude. They still sell Method which is cool, but SG was the only brand that had 100% recycled material paper towels. Because really - cutting down trees just to wipe up some spilled juice is a waste of so many resources it's not even funny.

In the absence of recycled paper towels we've been using more cloth - which I realize is better all around. But I almost felt that that buying the SG paper towels was my little way of saying "Yes, please, keep stocking these." Because literally they were the ONLY recycled ones - way off at the very end of the paper goods section...right before you got to the vacuum display.

Anyhow - everyone keep your fingers crossed for me.

And people in The Bay - where can I get SG products now that Elephant Pharmacy is gone and the San Leandro Target lost it's mind? Before you answer that I should tell you that yes there's a Walmart nearby and no, I don't shop there - so that is not an option.

oh, and if you follow this link you can go enter the contest too, if you want too. but I'm adding that information in really small type so you don't mess up my chances :)

End of April WIPs

 

The beginnings of a large earring request. 

 

More bracelets. All I need to do is find the perfect buttons. 

This is the beginnings of a necklace idea that's been bouncing around in my head for a while now. 

 

Green rings on a chain.

 

Headband? Bracelet? Should I make one of each?

Recycled T-Shirt necklace (extra long). I just put this in the store.  

The colors of this one remind me of orange sorbet - yummm.
 

   

Earth Day special order

I got a pretty cool custom order and it's ready just in time for Earth Day.

These are 100% cotton rounds that will be used to replace disposable cotton rounds. They get softer with use and you can just toss them in the laundry at the end of the week with everything else - although they'd probably have a better chance of not getting lost if you put them into a mesh bag or even in a pillow case.

 

I'm thinking about making more and offering them in sets of 8 or so. They can be used for makeup removal, toner application...anything you use cotton balls/rounds for. 

 

 There's even the possibility of making larger cotton rounds for face cleansing.  

What do you think? Would you be willing to stop buying disposable cotton rounds or cotton balls with these reusable ones - or something like it? 

It was only 1 Tablespoon

and this is how green the muffins turned out.

Love it.

I just wanted to post another picture of my pretty matcha green tea muffins.
 

Matcha Green Tea muffins + recipe

I've finally done it!

Before I tell you what I've done I must first tell you how I got here.  For a couple of years Trader Joe's carried this yummy green tea muffin mix that I bought 2 and 3 boxes at a time.  It was delicious and they made the perfect snacks - a little something sweet but very uncomplicated. 

Then one day they were gone.  

Gone.

Gone.

From every Trader Joe's in the greater SF Bay Area (yes - I've been to most of them...I really like Trader Joe's).

My green tea muffin love affair morphed into a mission to  make my own green tea muffins.  I steeped tea bags in water 3, 4 and 5 at a time, I steeped them in milk;  I've cut open tea bags, crushed tea leaves.  Every time I ended up with boring, plain muffins.  They were never bad muffins - but very little  green tea flavor actually made it through.

Then, this past weekend I had an afternoon to myself (sans husband and child - woo hoo) and I went to the store.  But not just any store, Berkeley Bowl - West (which will need it's own post after I've more thoroughly vetted the 'new' establishment). For now just know that their bulk foods section is phenomenal.  So much so that I wished I had a need for spelt and tapioca flour just so I could open the bins.

(back to the muffins)

Off in a lonely corner was a large jar of bright green Matcha Green Tea powder - the one thing I'd been missing from all of my attempts at the elusive green tea muffin.  I left the store with about 1/4 cup of bright green powder.  If you look up how expensive Matcha is, you'll understand what I only committed myself to about $2 worth.

Then I came home and made these:

 

(This is also my attempt at using parchment paper as muffin cups - nothing exciting to report about that.  I'm pretty anti-muffin liner in general, they just get in the way.)

I'm still perfecting the recipe but here's the general idea:

• 1 2/3 cu flour (I did 1 cup all purpose and 2/3  whole wheat)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 TBS Matcha (I'm going to use more next time - I love green tea)
• 1/3 cu sugar + a little bit of agave syrup  (I think I'm going to use brown sugar next time)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup milk (I used soy)I'm going to add maybe 1/4 cup of walnuts next time

Preheat oven to 350

Mix flours, salt, baking powder, matcha, sugar in med bowl.

Mix egg, butter, milk, and agave in a smaller bowl and then add it to the dry ingredients.

Bake for 20 min. 

Enjoy!!

I'll be making these over the next few weeks with some variations until I've found my perfect muffin. I'm planning on adding a handful or so of walnuts; using brown sugar and/or honey (note - if you replace all of a dry sugar with a wet sugar like honey or agave then you should reduce the amount of milk you use). I'm also going to increase the proportion of whole wheat  to all-purpose flour. Some recipes I looked at used as much as 1 full cup of sugar which would have been way too sweet for me - but you do what works for you.

I'll let you know how they work out.

 

I Can't Complain

I love living in the Bay Area.  A friend of mine was recently visiting after having moved away some 5 years ago and we were reflecting on what a different type of place the bay area is and how much she misses the 'feel' of the Bay. 

Which is why I'm still here.  

 

Don't get me wrong, I love traveling, and there have been places I've gone to that have tempted me to stay - but I always come back :)

It's not a perfect place, but it's our home 
 

Modernist Dollhouses The New York Times | Apartment Therapy Ohdeedoh

via www.ohdeedoh.com

I never had a doll house growing up - I never really wanted one. At least until now. If I could furnish it like this...
Can you imagine having a tiny house that you could actually afford to remodel over and over? And I bet I'd finally get those cafe curtains sewn if the windows were only 3" across.

Handmade Prettiness

via decor8blog.com

I'm not sure if it's because I am, for the first time, the out-numbered gender in my own home, but since having little Mr. I've become more comfortable with my 'girlness.'

True, it may also be that I'm wearing more skirts and dresses because my hips still haven' slimmed down quite enough to fit back into all of my prepregnancy pants; that's another post.

Maybe it's that we've bought a house, and I want to us to be surrounded by things that are indicative of who we are - and not succumb to the ikea nesting instinct.  

Whatever the reason, it's also almost humorously different from Jr. High and High School when I was staunchly against anything seeming "girly." A neighbor once told me the fuchsia shirt I was wearing was a nice color on me. I don't think I ever wore that shirt again. I didn't want to look good in pink. ick. I wore boots, heavy stomping boots, all the time, my prom date said I looked funny with lipstick on.

But here I am, mommy, with my garden, and my crochet, and my high heels - but were it not for my earlier rebellion would I do 30 non-girl push-ups each morning (oh yea! I'm up to thirty in a row)? Would I prefer mowing the lawn to washing dishes...who knows.

ANYWAY - all of that to say
  The Homeade Home by Sania Pell is full of so much handmade prettiness.

That is all.

Lighten my load

 

From long locs to a short crop - doing my Fonzie imitation (does anyone even remember who The Fonz was anymore?)

A little corner of my life

Mr. Man helped me with my photo recycled T-shirt photos recently and I just love the little glimpse of our life that's in this pic.

 

That door on the far left is painted with chalk board paint. It's one of the first things I did after we finished unpacking...or at least decided we were done unpacking.  

 That hat on the doorknob is my backyard hat.  Sometimes Isaiah doesn't like to wear his hat when we go in the backyard, but if mommy is wearing her hat then he's a little more agreeable (occasionally). Truly, the hat is great because we don't have much shade back there and wearing sunglasses while mowing or whatever just doesn't work.

That little stick leaning against the door frame is the top part of Isaiah's broom. He likes to 'help' sweep. 

And the big wooden cabinet is actually used as our pantry right now.  It was going to be my craft closet until we realized how little cabinet space out kitchen has.  The pantry houses tea, baking necessities  baking powder/soda, flours, bittersweet chocolate chips,and various nuts; dried fruit, canned goods, wine, and more tea. Our cookbooks sit on top.

           

Afroed & Fab: Afro Barbie!!!

via afroedandfab.blogspot.com

 I've never seen a Barbie like this. I'm turning 32 in a month and I sooo want one!