It's almost time for another session of Bling Bling jewelry classes, so I've been thinking about what projects I think the kids would like to learn. I've found a bunch of cool fabric jewelry ideas that I think we're going to try, and not just because my supply budget was cut. I want to encourage the students to recycle and refashion their old stuff and thrift store finds, so I'll be taking in stacks of old jeans, vintage t-shirts, and scraps of fabric to see what they come up with.
Here's a round-up of fabric jewelry tutorials on the web:
Fabric Ball Necklace
There's a lot of potential with this idea: use fabric that matches your favorite outfits or go for a monochromatic look. I like the way fabric and metal blend in this necklace, and I think it's easy enough for my middle school students to master. Definitely on my list of projects to try this month.
Fabric Covered Beads Tutorial
I'm actually not sure if I even like the look of these, but maybe in a different fabric, these could be cool. Also, this might be great adorned with rhinestones, since the kids love those. I'll have to try making them to decide if my students would have the patience to try 'em. They don't look all that different, but the author says a few times how time consuming they are, so we'll see.
Lollipop Necklaces
I think these are super cute, but I don't know if the kids would be into them or not. I thought the cupcake necklaces would be a huge success, but I'd say they were 50/50 on whether or not they liked them. Of course, most of the kids want to make gold chains and diamond bling, so it's not exactly the style they like. However... a rhinestone or two might change everything!
Fabric Covered Beads Bracelet
With the right choice of fabrics and paints, these could be a good project. I think we'd make a long necklace out of these instead of bracelets, since I think that style would be good, since a lot of the kids are rockin' an 80s vibe these days. Seriously, am I doomed to forever be in junior high? Haha!
Beaded Fabric Flower Necklace
I love the look on these necklaces, but I'm not sure that the sewing technique is going to work with the kids. However, I think if we used recycled t-shirts (i.e. jersey), we could do the knots from the other tutorials. And sewing the fabric flowers might work okay, but the kids did a great job with the felt flower headbands we made last term. As long as it's an "instant gratification" type project, they'll love it. And the flowers are super cute, so I bet it will be a good project. I'll be making samples soon.
Fabric Flower Bib Necklace
I like the idea of a bib necklace from fabric flowers, and I have a bit of leftover wool felt from last session. I'd definitely leave out the lace, but I like the fact that the students could completely personalize the necklace to suit their style by choosing colors that work for them. I have a huge box of scrap fabric that I couldn't bear to throw away or recycle, so I know I have lots of options.
Another Fabric Bib Necklace
I like this design better, but it's a little advanced. I know some of the students would dig it, others wouldn't want to take the time to add all the details. Still, I love that it incorporates beads and buttons!
DIY "Akela" Necklace
I kinda like the flower technique in this tutorial, though we will not be burning any edges in class, haha! Though that makes me wonder if we could dye the edges using a stamp pad or paint, so will have to try it! Love that the author saw a necklace she liked and didn't want to pay for so made her own. That's the ingenuity I'd love to inspire in my students!
The Good Old Yo-Yo Tutorial
I think this would look cute with some beads sewn in the middle or maybe some rhinestones, cuz the kids love those. Color choice would definitely influence the style factor of the design, too.
Fabric Flower Pin
I love this, but don't know if it would be a good student project. It would be cool to offer up as an "advanced" project though.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
How Not to Make a Sale
I had a table at a craft show yesterday, and one of my favorite things about doing a craft show, other than selling my wares, is that I get to take mini breaks in order to check out the competi--, er, to see what fabulous items are being made by my fellow craftisans. I saw lots of fabulous creations, beautiful jewelry, lovely hand-spun yarn, hand-carved eggs (yes, really!), but what really caught my attention was the booth selling paper. There were huge sheets of hand-colored mulberry paper, Italian paper with golden details, Japanese paper, all sorts of stuff. I bought an envelope full of scrap sized papers early in the day, and since the woman was still setting up when I came the first time, I went back later fully intending on buying several of the large sheets of paper, knowing they would make FABULOUS buttons and jewelry. Well... it didn't happen.
The first time I went back, I waited for five minutes as the woman talked with the customer in line in front of me. She was showing the woman samples, but didn't say that they were samples not for sale until the woman chose a few that she wanted. Doh! I knew what I wanted within a minute of being there: a gorgeous sheet of Italian paper with a tarot deck on it perfectly sized for pendants. So, fine, she was making a sale, but the woman had already chosen her paper when I got there and was waiting for the seller to write up the receipt and wrap the paper. Instead of finishing what she was doing when I got there, she started talking to another customer and by the time she came back with the receipt book, I'd already spent 10 minutes away from my booth.
So I left, waited until the booth looked clear, since I could sorta see it from mine, then I went back. That's how much I wanted the paper! I said what I wanted, asked how much it was, and said, "Yes, I'll take that." Fifteen minutes later, seriously, the woman had finally got the paper, it was right there in front of me, then she started talking to another customer just as another lady showed up. I waited patiently for a few more minutes, then I got pissed and left. It sucked, because I really wanted the paper, but her dawdling was taking time away from me being at my booth. Nick watches the booth when I'm not there, sure, but my job as an artist is to promote my work and let the people buying my work be able to say they bought it directly from me. (In case you are wondering if the woman was dealing with non-vendor customers before vendors, you should know that all of the people there were vendors, since we all had vendor tags.)
The thing about this woman was that she didn't handle the situation right. If it were me and I were busy, I'd smile, apologize for taking a while, and do my best to be efficient and fast at handling sales. If I were in the middle of something when another person showed up, I'd smile, say hello, and tell them that I'd be finished in a minute. If she'd done that, I would have stayed longer. This woman did none of those things. She didn't say hello, apologize for taking a while, or in any way acknowledge that her being slow was messing me up. She kept interrupting herself by stopping one task to start another and in the meantime, lost a sale. (I bet I wasn't the only sale she lost yesterday, too.)
The other thing that this woman did was actually something she didn't do: she didn't have any prices marked. That was bad for two reasons. One, customers don't want to have to ask how much something costs. I know I rarely ask; instead, I assume if the price isn't marked, it's more than I want to pay. Two, every single customer who wanted to know the price had to ask her, and since she didn't know the prices off-hand, she had to look everything up individually. Not good.
I know the price of every single item in my booth, and in case I forget or Nick doesn't know the price of something new, I have a clipboard with a single sheet that has everything listed with a good description and price. (That's how I do my inventory, too). I know what I have and how much it costs. The only time I have to look for something is if someone requests a specific design or color that I think I might have in my inventory.
For instance, I sold a San Francisco bottle opener yesterday because when the girl was looking, I said, "If you don't see what you want, I have a whole bag back here of designs that didn't fit on the table." She came back, looked through the bag, found just what she wanted, and was delighted that I let her look through my inventory. I was delighted to make a sale, because yesterday's sale was pretty slow, and that was early in the day when I was still concerned about making my money back.
Another thing that slowed her up was that she didn't include the sales tax in the prices. I mean, come on, you know you are charging sales tax at this event; why wouldn't you figure out your prices to include the sale tax? Who wants to do all that extra math? Just tack it on to the price and figure out what you owe the state at the end of the sale. You might pay a couple extra bucks at the end of the day, but not aggravating your customers is totally worth it. Plus, do you really want to deal with all that small change?
All of my items are priced at whole dollar amounts and sales tax is figured into the price. I don't want to deal with a pocket full of quarters so I don't price anything to include small coins. If I really needed to sell an item at $1.25 and didn't think anyone would pay $2, I'd just sell it for $1 and make up that 25 cents with another item. Some items can absorb a little extra (i.e. sell at a higher profit) than others so I play with the numbers to work it out. Why not?
I suppose it was good that the paper seller did everything wrong, but it helped me see that I do a lot of things right. So even though it was a pretty slow sales day, I still felt like I was doing the best I could to make it a good day. Since I made back my money and same, I'm happy. Every sale is a great learning experience, no matter how much money I make, and since I have enough money to get home from Pennsylvania now, I'm happy. :)
Oh, one last thing about how not to make a sale: don't let a bad sales day show on your face. I know it's hard. You've been there all day, you haven't made enough money to cover your expenses. You're tired. You're cranky. You just want to go home and crawl into bed. But let's think for a second: does your next customer want to stop and chat with a gloomy gus? Hell no! I'm slightly ashamed to admit this (okay, not shamed at all), but one of my favorite things about the end of a craft sale is looking around at all of the vendors and trying to see who had a bad day just by the look on their faces.
It's mean, I guess, but seriously, I should not be able to look at your face and know you aren't happy with your day. Smile a little! This one girl had such a dour look on her face that I wouldn't stop there to look at her stuff because she didn't look friendly. Smile at me, say hello, and at the very least, I'll smile and say hello back. Most likely, I'll spend a little longer looking at your booth and compliment you on something I love. I probably won't buy anything, I rarely do, but I won't say I love it unless I do.
The first time I went back, I waited for five minutes as the woman talked with the customer in line in front of me. She was showing the woman samples, but didn't say that they were samples not for sale until the woman chose a few that she wanted. Doh! I knew what I wanted within a minute of being there: a gorgeous sheet of Italian paper with a tarot deck on it perfectly sized for pendants. So, fine, she was making a sale, but the woman had already chosen her paper when I got there and was waiting for the seller to write up the receipt and wrap the paper. Instead of finishing what she was doing when I got there, she started talking to another customer and by the time she came back with the receipt book, I'd already spent 10 minutes away from my booth.
So I left, waited until the booth looked clear, since I could sorta see it from mine, then I went back. That's how much I wanted the paper! I said what I wanted, asked how much it was, and said, "Yes, I'll take that." Fifteen minutes later, seriously, the woman had finally got the paper, it was right there in front of me, then she started talking to another customer just as another lady showed up. I waited patiently for a few more minutes, then I got pissed and left. It sucked, because I really wanted the paper, but her dawdling was taking time away from me being at my booth. Nick watches the booth when I'm not there, sure, but my job as an artist is to promote my work and let the people buying my work be able to say they bought it directly from me. (In case you are wondering if the woman was dealing with non-vendor customers before vendors, you should know that all of the people there were vendors, since we all had vendor tags.)
The thing about this woman was that she didn't handle the situation right. If it were me and I were busy, I'd smile, apologize for taking a while, and do my best to be efficient and fast at handling sales. If I were in the middle of something when another person showed up, I'd smile, say hello, and tell them that I'd be finished in a minute. If she'd done that, I would have stayed longer. This woman did none of those things. She didn't say hello, apologize for taking a while, or in any way acknowledge that her being slow was messing me up. She kept interrupting herself by stopping one task to start another and in the meantime, lost a sale. (I bet I wasn't the only sale she lost yesterday, too.)
The other thing that this woman did was actually something she didn't do: she didn't have any prices marked. That was bad for two reasons. One, customers don't want to have to ask how much something costs. I know I rarely ask; instead, I assume if the price isn't marked, it's more than I want to pay. Two, every single customer who wanted to know the price had to ask her, and since she didn't know the prices off-hand, she had to look everything up individually. Not good.
I know the price of every single item in my booth, and in case I forget or Nick doesn't know the price of something new, I have a clipboard with a single sheet that has everything listed with a good description and price. (That's how I do my inventory, too). I know what I have and how much it costs. The only time I have to look for something is if someone requests a specific design or color that I think I might have in my inventory.
For instance, I sold a San Francisco bottle opener yesterday because when the girl was looking, I said, "If you don't see what you want, I have a whole bag back here of designs that didn't fit on the table." She came back, looked through the bag, found just what she wanted, and was delighted that I let her look through my inventory. I was delighted to make a sale, because yesterday's sale was pretty slow, and that was early in the day when I was still concerned about making my money back.
Another thing that slowed her up was that she didn't include the sales tax in the prices. I mean, come on, you know you are charging sales tax at this event; why wouldn't you figure out your prices to include the sale tax? Who wants to do all that extra math? Just tack it on to the price and figure out what you owe the state at the end of the sale. You might pay a couple extra bucks at the end of the day, but not aggravating your customers is totally worth it. Plus, do you really want to deal with all that small change?
All of my items are priced at whole dollar amounts and sales tax is figured into the price. I don't want to deal with a pocket full of quarters so I don't price anything to include small coins. If I really needed to sell an item at $1.25 and didn't think anyone would pay $2, I'd just sell it for $1 and make up that 25 cents with another item. Some items can absorb a little extra (i.e. sell at a higher profit) than others so I play with the numbers to work it out. Why not?
I suppose it was good that the paper seller did everything wrong, but it helped me see that I do a lot of things right. So even though it was a pretty slow sales day, I still felt like I was doing the best I could to make it a good day. Since I made back my money and same, I'm happy. Every sale is a great learning experience, no matter how much money I make, and since I have enough money to get home from Pennsylvania now, I'm happy. :)
Oh, one last thing about how not to make a sale: don't let a bad sales day show on your face. I know it's hard. You've been there all day, you haven't made enough money to cover your expenses. You're tired. You're cranky. You just want to go home and crawl into bed. But let's think for a second: does your next customer want to stop and chat with a gloomy gus? Hell no! I'm slightly ashamed to admit this (okay, not shamed at all), but one of my favorite things about the end of a craft sale is looking around at all of the vendors and trying to see who had a bad day just by the look on their faces.
It's mean, I guess, but seriously, I should not be able to look at your face and know you aren't happy with your day. Smile a little! This one girl had such a dour look on her face that I wouldn't stop there to look at her stuff because she didn't look friendly. Smile at me, say hello, and at the very least, I'll smile and say hello back. Most likely, I'll spend a little longer looking at your booth and compliment you on something I love. I probably won't buy anything, I rarely do, but I won't say I love it unless I do.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Art Journal Video by ComfortableShoesStudio
Wow. I was so fascinated by the process of this journal page, and the music is great, too.
I'm more complex than that art journal by Leslie C. Herger.
Awesomeness.
In other news, I am in Tarrs, Pennsylvania, pretty worn out from a full day of driving yesterday. Literally. We left at 9:30 am, stopped for a short visit at my sister's place in Lebanon, PA, then got to my mom's by 10:30 PM.
I can't find my art journal, which leads me to think I left it back in Rhode Island, but luckily, I brought the newly folded pages for the 16-page Teesha Moore journal with me to finish. I did the binding on my journal this morning and painted all the pages, which was so fun that I decided I'd probably need another journal just like it while I'm here... only to discover that, apparently, Fabriano Hot Press watercolor paper is IMPOSSIBLE to buy in this area. I called the one place I thought might have it; no luck. I can probably get it in Pittsburgh, but that's a 45 minute drive from here, and we are so broke it's not even funny. We'll be lucky to have enough money to get back from our vacation.
What sucks about being broke is that I have been working so hard for the past two months! Unfortunately, one of the places I work for hasn't paid me yet for two months of classes plus nearly $1000 in supplies paid for out of pocket. Another place owes me for a one day seminar plus supplies. I'm not complaining, not really, because I know how it goes with organizations such as the one I've been working with... but I'm bummed because I've been looking forward to this vacation for months.
We'll be in Pittsburgh on Friday for Rick and Melissa's wedding, and again on Sunday for Crafts N'At (here's hoping I make gas money home!), so maybe I can find the Utrecht in town (probably in Oakland? But I haven't checked yet) if I'm running out of journal space by then, but definitely won't be making a trip to Pittsburgh before that. (Was really hoping to go to Ribfest since my friends' band Lovebettie is playing, but we just can't swing it, cash-wise.)
Still, even though I can't find a $4 sheet of watercolor paper, I'm soooo happy that I made the new journal Thursday night and tossed it in my bag or I'd be altering one of the many books in my mom's house... and she might not be happy about it. Or maybe she wouldn't mind, but I didn't bring my giant bucket o' gesso either... haha! Must dash... art awaits!
I'm more complex than that art journal by Leslie C. Herger.
Awesomeness.
In other news, I am in Tarrs, Pennsylvania, pretty worn out from a full day of driving yesterday. Literally. We left at 9:30 am, stopped for a short visit at my sister's place in Lebanon, PA, then got to my mom's by 10:30 PM.
I can't find my art journal, which leads me to think I left it back in Rhode Island, but luckily, I brought the newly folded pages for the 16-page Teesha Moore journal with me to finish. I did the binding on my journal this morning and painted all the pages, which was so fun that I decided I'd probably need another journal just like it while I'm here... only to discover that, apparently, Fabriano Hot Press watercolor paper is IMPOSSIBLE to buy in this area. I called the one place I thought might have it; no luck. I can probably get it in Pittsburgh, but that's a 45 minute drive from here, and we are so broke it's not even funny. We'll be lucky to have enough money to get back from our vacation.
What sucks about being broke is that I have been working so hard for the past two months! Unfortunately, one of the places I work for hasn't paid me yet for two months of classes plus nearly $1000 in supplies paid for out of pocket. Another place owes me for a one day seminar plus supplies. I'm not complaining, not really, because I know how it goes with organizations such as the one I've been working with... but I'm bummed because I've been looking forward to this vacation for months.
We'll be in Pittsburgh on Friday for Rick and Melissa's wedding, and again on Sunday for Crafts N'At (here's hoping I make gas money home!), so maybe I can find the Utrecht in town (probably in Oakland? But I haven't checked yet) if I'm running out of journal space by then, but definitely won't be making a trip to Pittsburgh before that. (Was really hoping to go to Ribfest since my friends' band Lovebettie is playing, but we just can't swing it, cash-wise.)
Still, even though I can't find a $4 sheet of watercolor paper, I'm soooo happy that I made the new journal Thursday night and tossed it in my bag or I'd be altering one of the many books in my mom's house... and she might not be happy about it. Or maybe she wouldn't mind, but I didn't bring my giant bucket o' gesso either... haha! Must dash... art awaits!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Treasuries Featuring Literary Tease Round Up
Etsy treasuries are a fabulous way to see what's available on Etsy in bite-size chunks. Treasuries always have a theme and the potential to make it to the front page of Etsy. Since I've been featured in some Etsy treasuries lately, I thought I should post links to the treasures here!
(Note: I posted this blog yesterday & today I found out that I have another item listed in a treasury. Hope you don't mind the edit to add it!)
That's Not a Milk Mustache: Features my She is Effusive silly pocket mirror.
Glamourous French Kiss Hollywood Style: Features my Audrey Hepburn pendant
Glitz n Giggles: Features my Putting on the Glitz pocket mirror.
Katie Company featured my vintage typewriter button on her blog.
Fashion Designer At Work: Features my Coco Chanel pocket mirror.
Snarky Snark Snicker Snort: Features one of my sarcastic magnets on a card.
Road Trip!: Features my Los Angeles Pocket Mirror.
Carole Ann of connect the dots crafts interviewed me for her My Creative Friend series.
Coconut and Key Lime Delight: This is a treasury that I curated to share the love. This doesn't feature any of my own items, but instead a bunch of items that I thought were wonderful.
(Note: I posted this blog yesterday & today I found out that I have another item listed in a treasury. Hope you don't mind the edit to add it!)
That's Not a Milk Mustache: Features my She is Effusive silly pocket mirror.
Glamourous French Kiss Hollywood Style: Features my Audrey Hepburn pendant
Glitz n Giggles: Features my Putting on the Glitz pocket mirror.
Katie Company featured my vintage typewriter button on her blog.
Fashion Designer At Work: Features my Coco Chanel pocket mirror.
Snarky Snark Snicker Snort: Features one of my sarcastic magnets on a card.
Road Trip!: Features my Los Angeles Pocket Mirror.
Carole Ann of connect the dots crafts interviewed me for her My Creative Friend series.
Coconut and Key Lime Delight: This is a treasury that I curated to share the love. This doesn't feature any of my own items, but instead a bunch of items that I thought were wonderful.
Monday, August 16, 2010
My Etsy Wishlist
If only I were rich...
There are so many lovely things that I'd love to buy on etsy, but here's a small sample of my wishlist for the CraftGossip.com giveaway:
1000 Artist Trading Cards $7
This destash goodie is a book that I'd flip through when I was feeling uninspired. Also, it would make a great book to take to class to inspire my students' collage art buttons and other projects!
Made-to-Order ATC Stamp $7.99
I never remember to sign and date my work, so this stamp would remind me to do it. Plus, it's just cool to have a personalized stamp!
Rubberstamping ATCs Book $10.00
Love the idea of an ATC "recipe" book. Very inspiring!
ATC Blanks $13.00
Well, if I'm going to be looking at all these inspiring books about ATCs, I might as well plan on making my own!
Grandpa is a Proud Man $2
This vintage photograph has been in my favorites for months. Not really sure why I haven't bought it yet. Love it though!
Antique Postcard $4.50
Another old photograph that I like. I can just see me adding little word bubbles to show what they are thinking.
Another Antique Postcard $4
Again, sarcastic comments must be added to this photograph!
Paper Pack $10
Love the look of this paper assortment. And the seller's local! Hurray!
Make Your Own Cards Kit $5
From the same seller. More lovely papers.
Woodland Stash Pack $12
OMG the fabric in this little kit is SO cute!
ICE Resin Kit $24
I hated resin when my roommate's experiment left my craft space unusable for three days, but I hear this stuff is the best and low odor. I'll never buy it myself, but I'd love to try it.
Total - $99.49
There are so many lovely things that I'd love to buy on etsy, but here's a small sample of my wishlist for the CraftGossip.com giveaway:
1000 Artist Trading Cards $7
This destash goodie is a book that I'd flip through when I was feeling uninspired. Also, it would make a great book to take to class to inspire my students' collage art buttons and other projects!
Made-to-Order ATC Stamp $7.99
I never remember to sign and date my work, so this stamp would remind me to do it. Plus, it's just cool to have a personalized stamp!
Rubberstamping ATCs Book $10.00
Love the idea of an ATC "recipe" book. Very inspiring!
ATC Blanks $13.00
Well, if I'm going to be looking at all these inspiring books about ATCs, I might as well plan on making my own!
Grandpa is a Proud Man $2
This vintage photograph has been in my favorites for months. Not really sure why I haven't bought it yet. Love it though!
Antique Postcard $4.50
Another old photograph that I like. I can just see me adding little word bubbles to show what they are thinking.
Another Antique Postcard $4
Again, sarcastic comments must be added to this photograph!
Paper Pack $10
Love the look of this paper assortment. And the seller's local! Hurray!
Make Your Own Cards Kit $5
From the same seller. More lovely papers.
Woodland Stash Pack $12
OMG the fabric in this little kit is SO cute!
ICE Resin Kit $24
I hated resin when my roommate's experiment left my craft space unusable for three days, but I hear this stuff is the best and low odor. I'll never buy it myself, but I'd love to try it.
Total - $99.49
For the Love of Cheese (Vegan-style)
I'm intrigued with vegan eating, and lately I'm interested in raw food, but if there's one thing that I missed when I was experimenting with eating vegan full-time, it was cheese. I know it's not the best thing for me to eat, especially in excess, but I love the creamy, dreamy yum of cheese. So when I started reading a cookbook (The Conscious Cook) that included a recipe for cashew cheese, I had to try it, especially since I had all of the "important" ingredients on hand. I had to soak 2 cups of cashews overnight, blend them with a probiotic water mix, sit the mixture in a warm place overnight, and when I woke up, I had cheese. Sorta.
When I first tried the mixture, I thought it was okay, but nothing great. Then I added the seasonings, and wow! Now it's this delicious creamy goodness that I had to force myself to put in the fridge so I didn't keep eating spoonfuls of it. Delicious. For dinner, I'm already planning stuffed shells... if the cheese lasts that long.
Here are some other vegan cheese and related recipes that I want to try:
Raw Vegan Cheese
This looks like it has a creamy texture very similar to my favorite goat cheese. Wheat berries are an ingredient I've never experimented with before, but I know I can get them in the bulk bins at the Whole Foods near me.
Truffled Cashew Cheese
This sounds heavenly! This site also details the general process for making cashew cheese as well.
Cashew Cheddar Cheese
This blog entry includes details on how to make some delicious-looking vegan nachos. This would be a good alternative for anyone who doesn't like nutritional yeast "cheese" sauce or wants to mix it up a bit. Agar flakes can be purchased at a specialty grocery store, like Whole Foods, near the Asian foods.
Smoky Vegan Lasagna
Nick loves lasagna, so maybe he'd be willing to try the cashew cheese if I layered it in a lasagna? I tried to get him to try to the cashew cheese this morning, but he refused, saying it scared me. No worries. More for me. :)
The Other Side Dip
In this middle of this article, there's a dip recipe that sounds pretty good. I'm already thinking of all the different dips I could make using the cashew cheese as a base. Mmm....
Flat Bread Crackers
Here are some raw flat bread crackers to go with all that cheese you'll be whipping up after reading this entry. All you need are a few ingredients and a dehydrator. I haven't tried these yet, but I'm sure I will.
Raw Food Recipes
A huge list of raw vegan recipes, from cheese to dips to burgers. Sounds good to me!
If you've tried any of these recipes or you have any to share, please let me know!
When I first tried the mixture, I thought it was okay, but nothing great. Then I added the seasonings, and wow! Now it's this delicious creamy goodness that I had to force myself to put in the fridge so I didn't keep eating spoonfuls of it. Delicious. For dinner, I'm already planning stuffed shells... if the cheese lasts that long.
Here are some other vegan cheese and related recipes that I want to try:
Raw Vegan Cheese
This looks like it has a creamy texture very similar to my favorite goat cheese. Wheat berries are an ingredient I've never experimented with before, but I know I can get them in the bulk bins at the Whole Foods near me.
Truffled Cashew Cheese
This sounds heavenly! This site also details the general process for making cashew cheese as well.
Cashew Cheddar Cheese
This blog entry includes details on how to make some delicious-looking vegan nachos. This would be a good alternative for anyone who doesn't like nutritional yeast "cheese" sauce or wants to mix it up a bit. Agar flakes can be purchased at a specialty grocery store, like Whole Foods, near the Asian foods.
Smoky Vegan Lasagna
Nick loves lasagna, so maybe he'd be willing to try the cashew cheese if I layered it in a lasagna? I tried to get him to try to the cashew cheese this morning, but he refused, saying it scared me. No worries. More for me. :)
The Other Side Dip
In this middle of this article, there's a dip recipe that sounds pretty good. I'm already thinking of all the different dips I could make using the cashew cheese as a base. Mmm....
Flat Bread Crackers
Here are some raw flat bread crackers to go with all that cheese you'll be whipping up after reading this entry. All you need are a few ingredients and a dehydrator. I haven't tried these yet, but I'm sure I will.
Raw Food Recipes
A huge list of raw vegan recipes, from cheese to dips to burgers. Sounds good to me!
If you've tried any of these recipes or you have any to share, please let me know!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Yummy Simple Foods - Kale Chips & Oven Roasted Corn
Sometimes, I just don't feel like cooking, so I end up eating stuff that's bad for me because it's easy and fast. So I've been working lately to build up a repertoire of delicious, fast, and easy dishes. Here's are two of my all-time favorites:
First, kale chips. OMG, do I love kale chips. My sister, Fiona, introduced me to Kale chips, and I have to admit, they didn't sound that great, but if my sister was raving about them, I figured I ought to at least give them a try. The first time I made them, I wasn't that impressed. For one thing, they were way too salty, which, I found out later, came from a typo in the original recipe that I used. Ugh. All, they were kind of, well, weird, but I decided to try them again, and I've finally come up with a "recipe" that's really yummy.
Oven-Roasted Kale Chips
Preheat your oven to 350 d. F.
1 bunch fresh kale, any kind will work, but I like the curly kind
Tear the kale off the stems and into smallish pieces, maybe 1 - 2 inches big? They will shrink a lot when you cook them, so don't be afraid to keep 'em on the larger side. Put the kale pieces into a large bowl or pot.
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. vinegar (any kind, I've used balsamic and white)
Drizzle the oil and vinegar over the torn kale. I'll confess: I never measure, so use more or less as needed. Use your hands to get in there and smear the kale with the oil and vinegar. Try to make sure that every leaf is covered. You'll be able to feel when it's all mixed right.
Lightly spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray. (Not necessary if you have non-stick pans, but I don't). Spread the kale mixture evenly all over the pan. It really doesn't matter if the leaves overlap a bit.
1/2 t. salt
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
Sprinkle the tray of kale with salt and nooch (nutritional yeast) to taste. If you don't have nooch, it's totally optional, but it really makes the chips taste awesome. You can buy nutritional yeast in the bulk foods section at most Whole Foods. It's about $8 a pound, but you only need a small amount. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, turn with a spatula or tongs, and return to the oven for 8 - 10 more minutes. Depending on your oven, you might want to start checking the tray after 15 minutes. The kale will shrivel up and when you touch it, it will be crunchy. You want to stop cooking when most of the kale is crunchy, being careful not to let it burn or turn too brown. I tend to have some non-crunchy pieces, but I think they taste delicious and don't worry about it too much.
Here are some additional recipes for flavoring your kale chips. I haven't tried any of these yet, but I definitely will sometime soon. These all call for dehydrating the chips instead of doing them in the oven, but I'm going to stick with the oven method, just add the new flavors.
Smokey BBQ Kale Chips & Tomato Tahini Kale Chips.
I'm totally eating a bowl of kale chips as I write this entry. Yum-um!
Another favorite of mine is oven-roasted corn. Since the oven was already hot from today's batch of kale chips, I decided to make corn to go with dinner tonight. Oven-roasted corn is probably the easiest recipe ever.
You need:
Fresh ears of corn, enough to serve whoever's coming for dinner
Oh, yeah, that's it.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the fresh corn husks in the oven, directly on the rack. There's absolutely no need to pre-husk the corn or remove the silks before cooking. Just chuck 'em right in the oven, wander away for 30 minutes (perhaps to work on your blog, like I'm doing), and go back to the most succulent, mouth-watering corn you've ever had. No need for butter. No need for anything. Just peel back the husk to use as a handle, remove the silks, and eat. Oh my gawd.
(If you really must put something on your corn, check out this recipe to Mexican Street Corn from America's Test Kitchen. It is amazingly good. I saw it on the show and had to try it the next day for dinner. Wow!)
First, kale chips. OMG, do I love kale chips. My sister, Fiona, introduced me to Kale chips, and I have to admit, they didn't sound that great, but if my sister was raving about them, I figured I ought to at least give them a try. The first time I made them, I wasn't that impressed. For one thing, they were way too salty, which, I found out later, came from a typo in the original recipe that I used. Ugh. All, they were kind of, well, weird, but I decided to try them again, and I've finally come up with a "recipe" that's really yummy.
Oven-Roasted Kale Chips
Preheat your oven to 350 d. F.
1 bunch fresh kale, any kind will work, but I like the curly kind
Tear the kale off the stems and into smallish pieces, maybe 1 - 2 inches big? They will shrink a lot when you cook them, so don't be afraid to keep 'em on the larger side. Put the kale pieces into a large bowl or pot.
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. vinegar (any kind, I've used balsamic and white)
Drizzle the oil and vinegar over the torn kale. I'll confess: I never measure, so use more or less as needed. Use your hands to get in there and smear the kale with the oil and vinegar. Try to make sure that every leaf is covered. You'll be able to feel when it's all mixed right.
Lightly spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray. (Not necessary if you have non-stick pans, but I don't). Spread the kale mixture evenly all over the pan. It really doesn't matter if the leaves overlap a bit.
1/2 t. salt
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
Sprinkle the tray of kale with salt and nooch (nutritional yeast) to taste. If you don't have nooch, it's totally optional, but it really makes the chips taste awesome. You can buy nutritional yeast in the bulk foods section at most Whole Foods. It's about $8 a pound, but you only need a small amount. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, turn with a spatula or tongs, and return to the oven for 8 - 10 more minutes. Depending on your oven, you might want to start checking the tray after 15 minutes. The kale will shrivel up and when you touch it, it will be crunchy. You want to stop cooking when most of the kale is crunchy, being careful not to let it burn or turn too brown. I tend to have some non-crunchy pieces, but I think they taste delicious and don't worry about it too much.
Here are some additional recipes for flavoring your kale chips. I haven't tried any of these yet, but I definitely will sometime soon. These all call for dehydrating the chips instead of doing them in the oven, but I'm going to stick with the oven method, just add the new flavors.
Smokey BBQ Kale Chips & Tomato Tahini Kale Chips.
I'm totally eating a bowl of kale chips as I write this entry. Yum-um!
Another favorite of mine is oven-roasted corn. Since the oven was already hot from today's batch of kale chips, I decided to make corn to go with dinner tonight. Oven-roasted corn is probably the easiest recipe ever.
You need:
Fresh ears of corn, enough to serve whoever's coming for dinner
Oh, yeah, that's it.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the fresh corn husks in the oven, directly on the rack. There's absolutely no need to pre-husk the corn or remove the silks before cooking. Just chuck 'em right in the oven, wander away for 30 minutes (perhaps to work on your blog, like I'm doing), and go back to the most succulent, mouth-watering corn you've ever had. No need for butter. No need for anything. Just peel back the husk to use as a handle, remove the silks, and eat. Oh my gawd.
(If you really must put something on your corn, check out this recipe to Mexican Street Corn from America's Test Kitchen. It is amazingly good. I saw it on the show and had to try it the next day for dinner. Wow!)
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