Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Super Hip Knotted Headband for Fall

I'm really into hats and all kinds of headgear, especially for Fall and Winter. But I can't justify spending money on new hats every year because my old ones are still perfectly fine and keep me warm. I've actually never been a huge headband person because it just seems like a waste. You're losing all your body heat through the top of your head! You've gotta lock that shit down. But a couple weeks ago I was walking to work and really, really wished I had something to cover my ears with as they were freezing but the rest of my head felt pretty comfortable. And that's where the headband comes in. I finally understand.
I think I mostly had a bias against them because in my childhood I always wore them like a regular hair band by bringing it down below my chin and then lifting it back up and pushing all my hair back with it. For some reason, up until about a month ago, I believed this was still the only way you could possibly wear one. Obviously I was wrong, and now I am the proud owner and creator of this little beauty.
I've mostly seen this style on ladies way cooler than me. They've probably moved on by now but I just finally have my cool knotted headband and I'm gonna wear the hell out of it. Or at least on those few days out of the year that you don't need a whole hat but you do need something.
Anyways, I found the pattern here. It is extremely easy and I finished it basically in an afternoon while watching Bridesmaids. The best. I highly recommend making this because all you'll have to buy is 1 skein of yarn. The one I bought was about $3 and I still have almost the entire skein. So essentially this cost me less than a dollar. Mmhmm.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Pad Thai for Poor People who like Thai food

Hey everybody. Haven't posted a single thing in almost two months. Great job on my part. Whatever guys, crafting in the summer kind of sucks. It's just too hot. So get over it.
So, I decided that since I'm terrible I should at least post for you one of the most impressive meals I can make. And I can't make many impressive meals. In fact, pad Thai is the only one. But seriously guys, it is delicious and surprisingly cheap to make. It's actually our go to meal if we have no food in the house (which is often).
So, you are going to need:


  • 1/2 package medium rice noodles
  • 1/3 cup half full of ketchup, half full of Sriracha Chili Sauce (the stuff that makes everything taste good)
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • A pile of sugar (I've never actually measured it. I just measure it to taste. But you will need a lot of it so that the Sriracha doesn't burn your face off. I actually recently found the perfect amount by accidentally spilling a shit ton of sugar in there so...try that.)
  • 1 egg
  • Some kind of vegetables, I usually have onions and green peppers around so I just use those but if you're not poor you could also use some green onions and bean sprouts. 
  • Your choice of chicken, shrimp or tofu
  • Crushed peanuts (optional but fantastic)
This makes about 3-4 servings by the way so adjust as you need.

Step 1: Put the noodles in a big bowl and pour super hot water over them. Set aside to soften.
Step 2: Cook your chicken/shrimp/tofu in a bit of oil in your wok. (A deep pan will work too)
Step 3: Add your chopped vegetables to wok and let cook a few minutes.
Step 4: Scramble egg and add to wok. Should be mostly cooked when you add sauce.
Step 5: Mix together ketchup/sriracha, fish sauce, lime juice, water and sugar in a small bowl. Add to wok and allow to heat for a few minutes. It will be very watery but it will all soak into the noodles.
Step 6: Remove the now softened noodles from the water and add to the wok. Now basically just keep cooking it all until the noodles are soft. If you run out of sauce but the noodles are still hard just keep adding water. Keep an eye on this as the noodles will quickly burn.
Step 7: Sprinkle your crushed peanuts on top and some cilantro or lime slices as a garnish if you're really trying to impress somebody. Enjoy!

And there you have it a tasty, seemingly fancy meal that is actually super cheap. I don't have a picture of mine for you because I just devoured it and then thought about posting this recipe but here's a picture of some pad Thai that looks way nicer than mine anyway. Yours won't look this good.