12 mediums -12 projects -12 months

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I love to craft, and subsequently have a lot of stuff
hanging around my house for crafting. This year in an attempt to clean out my stock
a bit, and get better at sharing my crafting adventures with you I’m going to
start a new project. I know this might seem a little crazy since I am also
planning a wedding this year, and just started house hunting but I’m doing it anyway, and I have tied a few of
the projects in with the wedding as well so it might make things a bit easier.

Here is my list of materials in no apparent order. Each month I
will create something using one of the mediums and post about it. I got the original idea here. I might do a
how to, a quick blurb about how it turned out or a link to the tutorial I used,
depending on the project. Notice that there are more than 12 mediums. I also reserve the right to change or add mediums to the list.

Yes this project description is broad, and has lots of easy outs. There are reasons for that. This is my first time tackling a large project like this, and I’m not sure what ideas I will come up with as the months go on. I want this project (like NaNoWriMo) to help me broaden and play with my creativity. I hope to learn a lot, and get into more creative habits. I’m super stoked about this project and have already started on a few of the bigger projects, mainly because I couldn’t contain myself. I cannot wait to share them all with you.

Something you may notice is that I’m starting this project in February, which is not the actual start of the year, but it’s my birthday month so I’m going to do this in my year, I hope to have all these projects finished by my birthday next year.

I think one small project a month is totally doable, and a
great way to carve out some alone/artistic time throughout the year. Wish me
luck and keep your eye out for Monday’s post with the very first project!

Do you have any crafting goals for this year? or anything you think that would interest me? I’m looking for ideas!!!!

7 Dumpling fillings and Wonton Soup with Vegetables Recipe

By Jessica

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Chinese New Year is next week and while we have already celebrated New Years a few weeks ago why not throw another celebration just because. I am a true believer that get-togethers are the thing that gets most people through the dark winter months.

I absolutely love the concept of throwing a dumpling party having friends get together and make stuff is always a plus in my book! Aside from the lamb and pumpkin, vegetarian and dipping sauce in the aforementioned link here a bunch more awesome dumpling fillings:

The cool part about a dumpling party is that there is about a million ways to serve dumplings. They can be steamed, pan fried, deep fried,
baked or boiled, so there is something to suit everyone. While I love fired dumplings, especially dipped in duck sauce I especially love wonton soup.

Typically when you order wonton soup from the usual Asian take out service you get a flavorful broth packed with dumplings, and a few chives on top. For this recipe I wanted a few more vegetables involved, because um I love them?

The result was pretty much heaven. I suggest making this, even if you don’t throw the party. It’s worth all of the effort to hand wrap all those wontons!

Wonton Soup with Vegetables (Serves 6)

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp ground ginger

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 carrot julienned

¼ cup peas

2 baby bok choy

3 green onions, sliced thin

About 36-40 wontons (I used this recipe)

Heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger
and sauté for 1 minute. Add the broth and carrots and bring to a simmer,
cooking for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the peas, bok choy, and green onions until
well combined and cook for an additional minute. Gently stir in wontons and
cook for another 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Valentines Dinner for Two

By Jessica

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So as it turns out Chuck and I may or may not have waited too
long to get reservations anywhere for valentines (read: I am super indecisive).
So we are probably going to just stay in. Don’t worry I will talk him into taking
me out another night, since I have an amazing new dress sitting unworn in my closet.

Over the years I have written about a number of our “date
night menus”, there is this in depth one from 2013, and this compilation of 5 recipes (Gluten free, chicken main course, beef main course, Seafood, and
Vegetarian) just from Valentines. This time around I went a little lighter. I just
chose recipes that we are loving/craving right now and went with those. Now all
that needs to be done is to find a nice bottle of wine and some candles.

Salad: Greens w/ Honey Mustard Dressing

Soup: Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Main: Scallop & Bacon Carbonara

Desert: Homemade Icecream & Brownies

How We Meal Plan

By Jessica

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I have been planning meals for as long as I have even kind of lived on my own. I hate not knowing what to cook when I get home from work; especially this time of year when it’s cold and dark, and incredibly hard to stay motivated to eat healthy. It also helps us save money and since we are officially on the house hunt that is a big deal.

There are a few basic steps to how I meal plan:

Check the fridge, freezer and pantry – what do we already have in the house?What needs to be eaten right away? etc.
Check the sales – I keep track of the basic prices of things like meat, produce and bread. If there is nothing good I might try to use up our freezer & pantry stock. I make a habit of buying things when they are “super-sale” and storing them for times when there are no sales or I have a special craving. Those items are typically whole chickens, turkey, and lamb. We haven’t been buying beef lately because we have a large back stock of venison.
Plan the meals – what do we want to eat (based on 1 & 2) for breakfast lunch and dinner this week?
Check the recipes – I need to know all of the ingredients necessary to make each meal. It also helps to know how in depth the recipe is. If there is a lot involved I know not to plan it on a day that’s going to be tough at work. Being kind to yourself is incredibly important.
Compile the ingredient list – I usually skip this step now, but if you are new to meal planning write down every single item with the quantity of what you need for all of your meals.
Compile the Grocery List – Now I compare the ingredients that are on the ingredient list to what we have on hand. I cross those off and am left with just the groceries that we need for that week.

Here is a sample meal plan from last week:

Breakfasts

Egg Sandwiches & Fruit smoothies

Lunches

Leftovers, yogurt, cheese sticks, hummus & carrots, hummus sandwiches,
tuna

Snacks

veggie chips, toasted chickpeas, cheese sticks, hummus &
carrots, Banana Muffins, mixed nuts

Dinners

M – Lamb & Leek Sheppard’s Pie

T – 20 Minute Chicken Noodle Soup

W – Maple Salmon with Butternut & Spinach Risotto

TH – Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup

F – Homemade Pizza

Sat – Fridge Clean out (Finish all leftovers)

Sun – Roast Chicken

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Smoked Gouda

By Jessica

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This is a quick and easy recipe for roasted red pepper soup with a toast and smoked Gouda topping.

Recently my friend Amanda and I went to The Whistling Tea Kettle in Troy, NY for a relaxing brunch. The Kettle is one of my favorite places. They have a wide array of amazing loose leaf tea as well as a wonderful menu of tea sandwiches, salads, tea breads, paninis, soups and more.

On this particular trip I ordered the roasted red pepper soup with smoked Gouda alone with a panini. You guys that soup was to die for! Like absolutely amazing. I knew that when I got home I had to recreate it.

On this particular day last weekend I decided to make this soup myself. I knew it would be super warming and comforting on this frosty weekend, but I wanted to dress it up a bit. I added beans, toast and even more cheese to the original recipe. I thought topping it with toast, cheese and putting it under the broiler, much like French onion soup would be an amazing touch. Well let me just tell you, I’m a genius and it was the best idea ever.

While these additions definitely made it heartier I think this would still make more of a starter than a full meal. I think the strong flavor can be overpowering if it’s broken up with a nice sandwich or a salad.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Smoked Gouda

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 2 Servings

Ingredients

½ tsp olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 (8 oz) jar roasted red peppers
½ cup vegetable broth
½ cup cannelloni beans, drained
4 oz of cheese, separated
2 slices of French bread, toasted

Instructions

In a small sauce pan saute the shallot over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes.
Drain the red peppers and place them in a blender with the shallots and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pan.
Add vegetable broth, half of the cheese and the beans stir to combine. Cook until the cheese has melted and transfer to 2 oven safe bowls.
Top with bread and cheese and place under the broiler for 5-6 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Red Pepper & Sriracha Chicken Kabobs

4 Cheese Red Pepper Dip

Smoked Cheddar Mac & Cheese

12 mediums -12 projects -12 months

There are a few basic steps to how I meal plan:

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