Sweet Potato Sage Latkes

I came across this suggestion for sweet potato pancakes in Real Simple magazine and had to try it. These latkes are absolutely delicious, require few ingredients, and are so simple to make. I had them warm over a simple baby spinach salad with some gruyere cheese and an oil and vinegar dressing (go easy on the oil though because these latkes are full of oil from the frying process). The crunch of the latke crust with the starchy warm center was a great flavor and texture contrast to the salad. This is a must-try for fall.

Sweet Potato Sage Latkes

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized sweet potato
• 1/2 small yellow onion
• 5-8 leaves fresh sage
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. Grate sweet potato and onion into a bowl (if onion is too difficult to grate, chop it as finely as possible). Finely chop sage and stir into sweet potato-onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil over medium heat in frying pan.

3. Form sweet potato mixture into round discs, about 2" in diameter (this recipe should yield about 10 latkes).

4. Pan-fry sweet potato latkes, working in batches. After about 4 minutes, flip latkes and fry for another 4 minutes on the opposite side. Be sure to leave enough room for flipping. (And if any of them get stuck or break, do not fear. As long as you salt them while they're still hot, these latkes will taste delicious no matter what they look like.)

5. Once the latkes are done, place them on a plate covered with paper towels to absorb the oil. Immediately sprinkle with salt for maximum flavor! Enjoy!

Craft Hope

I know I just posted about craft books, but I hadn't come upon Craft Hope by Jade Sims at that point in time, and this one definitely deserves a mention.

All of the crafts featured in Jade Sims' book make for beautiful and useful products that are in need the whole world over. The very premise of Craft Hope is to craft and give - make these crafts in order to donate them to charities and non-profits that can put them to good use. Alongside the instructions for each craft are suggested charities to whom you can donate the particular craft. And Sims doesn't leave anyone out. The charities included in her book cover a vast and varied array of recipients - domestic, international, children, adults, infants, the hungry, those in need of work, animals, and many, many more.

Her crafts, meanwhile, are inventive and fun. From pillowcase dresses for girls to sewn dolls and dog toys, there is sure to be a craft in here suited to whichever cause is most close to your heart. And the ideas are by no means confined to charitable giving. Many of these are lovely and useful ideas for gift giving and for your own family. Nonetheless, the very idea of putting so much work and love into your creation to then donate it to someone else who may be living on the other side of the globe is refreshingly generous. I love that Sims was able to publish a book that advocated such a noble notion, one that I hope spreads and becomes a hallmark of the lives of many crafters.

For more information, visit the Craft Hope blog or purchase this wonderful and unique craft book here.

Wine Cork Memo Board

If you or anyone you know drinks a whole lot of wine, save those corks! There are innumerable ways to recycle your used wine corks, including cork memo boards (the most simple in my opinion), trivets, picture frames, sewing pin holder, and a whole host of other functions! Just search for wine corks on Etsy, and you'll see how project-worthy these little guys can be. This particular one is a great gift for your favorite wine-o or a nice touch to add to your own kitchen!

To make this Wine Cork Memo Board, I reused an old wooden cutting board as my backing. Large picture frames work well since they come fully equipped for hanging, but anything you can drill a small hole into will do, whether it be scrap wood or a cutting board. Just drill a small hole in the top inch or two of the board, making sure it is perfectly centered from side to side. Then string a strong piece of twine or a leather strip through the hole for hanging.

To make the actual memo board, simply warm up the glue gun. I arranged the corks in a two by two pattern where the orientation of the corks in the row would rotate 90 degrees after every two. Then I used a single cork boarder to finish off the edges. Some other great ideas include a single zig zag orientation where each cork is oriented at a 90 degree angle from its neighbor. Doing straight rows looks nice, as does making a small cork square in the center and lying corks down in larger and larger squares until you reach the edge. There are also plenty of options for borders, should you need one. Using corks is great, but small stones, thin strips of base molding, or plenty of other recycled objects from your house or your yard will work - get creative!

Whatever pattern you choose, lay your corks down before you apply glue! The corks won't stay put too well, but try to get an idea of how they look in this pattern, if you'll have enough, how many will fit in a row, if there will be any overhang or a gap at the edge, etc. It's also important to give some thought to your gluing pattern. If you know that your corks will fit perfectly on the backing with no overhang, then starting from one side and working across may be the best option. But if you have a symmetrical pattern or if you will need to use a border, it will probably be best to start gluing from the center. Try to find the exact center by drawing lines from corner to corner and seeing where they intersect.

Once you have the whole process thought out, start gluing! I glued about two at a time, gave them a firm press, and then went on to the next two. It's imperative that you get the corks down as quickly as you can once the glue has been applied - it dries fast! And if you are having trouble getting any of the corks to stick to the backing, try applying glue to the sides of the corks surrounding it so the cork is glued on all sides and sure to stay put.

Despite the lengthy instructions, this is really a quite simple project, it only requires a little forethought and lots of wine. My cutting board backing measured about 14" by 10" and I needed 95 corks to completely fill it. And though it may take a while to collect as many wine corks as you need, asking friends and family to save them can help speed up the process. Many craft stores also carry pre-packaged wine corks too, though I prefer reusing old ones for the sheer joy of recycling and the interesting stains and shapes that you'll see.

Have fun and, if you're making this project for someone else, don't forget to supply them with push pins too!

Rosemary Gruyere Bison Sliders

On my recent trip to New York City, I ate the most delicious burger I have ever tasted at 5 Napkin Burger in Hell's Kitchen. I ordered the original, which was a 10 oz. freshly ground chuck burger with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese, and a rosemary aioli to finish it off - absolutely amazing. I decided to try to make my own adaptation of this juicy, flavorful, one-of-a-kind burger, this time using bison for a leaner choice and making slider-size burgers.

Rosemary Gruyere Bison Sliders

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 lb ground bison
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into rings
• 10 mini sandwich rolls
• 1/2 cup gruyere cheese
• 3 Tbsp Rosemary Aioli (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and rosemary. Cook about 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to let garlic burn! Set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, heat other 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and season with salt. Cook until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

3. Combine cooled garlic and rosemary, bison, and panko bread crumbs in a bowl until well mixed (if mixture is overly wet, add more panko bread crumbs). Season with salt and pepper.

4. Form small slider-sized patties (recipe should make yield about ten 1.5"-2" diameter patties).

5. Grill patties until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Melt a slice of gruyere cheese on each burger during last 1-2 minutes of the cooking process.

6. Spread rosemary aioli on rolls, then add burgers and top with cooked onions. Enjoy!

Rosemary Aioli

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced

Directions

1. Combine ingredients. Mix well and enjoy on sandwiches, burgers, and paninis.

Some More Leaf Stamping

With fall coming, I find myself incorporating a leaf motif into everything I can think of around my house. Though I've done a bunch of leaf stamping projects with paper (see this post to learn how!), I've spread my horizons to other materials. Here's a sampling of what I've come up with. These are all projects that make great gifts and can be made seasonal or design-scheme appropriate by altering the type, color, and pattern of leaves used.

Leaf Border Table Cloth

My backyard isn't a very attractive space. Living in a townhouse, I've got a narrow rectangle of grass, bordered on either side by chain link fence, with an alley running parallel to the house. Nonetheless, I love to be outside (especially when my neighbor's air condition isn't running) and will take as many opportunities as I can to spend time on the concrete slab in back of my house that serves as a patio. Unfortunately, even the furniture back there is unappealing - a modge podge of mismatched hand-me-downs that only add to the ugliness. But I found a way to mask the obvious fact that the dirty white picnic table does not match the evergreen chairs surrounding it. First, a neutral colored table cloth. Then, a forest green leaf motif pressed all around the bottom. This was a great (and quick!) way to give an otherwise boring tablecloth some personality, while matching it to the chairs surrounding the table and providing some semblance of color continuity. Though I used fabric paint, acrylics would work as well. Printing the leaves all over the table cloth or just where it lies flat on the surface of the table are some other options for this simple project.

Leaf Detail Placemats

Sometimes a bare dining room table just needs a little something to spruce it up when not in use. And sometimes it can be difficult to find placemats that both match your dining room colors and suit your style. This is where you get to be creative. Store-bought placemats can easily be given a little oomph by pressing leaves or using other stamp and/or stencil painting techniques. I used relatively plain placemats, then pressed a few leaves along one side in autumnal colors for the coming season. You could make placemats for every time of year by pressing evergreen leaves on a set for the winter and using floral stencil designs come spring and summertime. If you find some nice striped placemats, printing a large leaf in the center over the striped pattern would be a great way to further personalize or season-alize your table top decor.

Leaf Patterned Glass Plates

This idea was actually my mother's. She loved all the leaf-pressing I had been doing and, while shopping one day, picked up a glass plate and thought I should try to do some leaf printing on the glass. I headed out to Ikea, bought some glass salad plates (only $0.99 a piece!) and headed to work. This is a project that requires acrylic paint with some sort of sealant (an aerosol spray on acrylic sealant works best) or otherwise a paint that works on glass - though I would still recommend some sort of protective coating because of the wear and tear and stress of using and washing. I did the printing on the bottom of the plate so the design will be visible when the plate is in use but no paint ever touches the food. For variations on this project, try using a single leaf per plate, using multiple colors on one plate, or printing only on the flat base or only on the upturned sides for added visual interest.

A Few of My Favorite Craft Books

I realized that I haven't had too many posts about crafting lately and that's because I've been doing a whole lot of leaf-pressing projects (which I already blogged about here) and Christmas decorations (yes, I am aware it is barely even September which is why I'm saving posts about these projects for another month or two).

Recently I have, however, found some great crafting books from my local library that I think are worth sharing. It's tough when half the books you pull out are extremely dated or a bit more in the vein of conventional, traditional crafts, but I've found a few that fit my style. (I could add some great Christmas books, but I'll hold off on that one too!)

Home Paper Scissors by Patricia Zapata

This is probably my favorite of them all because Patricia's ideas are realistic, beautiful, and most importantly of all, totally home-worthy (I've already completed a few of her projects for decorating my own place). You can visit Patricia's site here for more great paper crafting ideas or to follow her inspiring blog!

Decorating with Papercraft by Clare Youngs

Similar to Zapata's concept, Decorating with Papercraft is all about using paper to spruce up your home. Youngs' book demonstrates how much of an impact pattern can have on personalizing these pieces. Her colorful choices of paper are what make her final products so compelling, proving that with the right color and pattern any of these projects could fit in perfectly at your own home. I especially like her full sets of directions on making a Japanese-bound notebooks and cardstock Chinese carry-out cartons.

The Big-Ass Book of Crafts by Mark Montano

Montano covers everything in this book that totals in at over 300 pages. At home artwork, alternative window treatments, innovative lighting, one of a kind gifts, do it yourself furniture, and even homemade body products are all included. And he covers all range of styles with his projects, from outdoorsy to artsy fartsy to modern, there is bound to be at least a project or two in here to fit anyone's taste.

The Paper Bride by Esther K. Smith

I've been doing a lot of wedding research lately, especially for inspiration concerning invitations and such so I was really drawn to this book (notice a trend with the papercrafting thing?). Esther has plenty of ideas for the actual wedding as well as cherishing those memories made along the way. Her ideas are often fueled by vintage finds and collage techniques, so I find her style completely relatable. But even if that aesthetic isn't quite your cup of tea and even if you don't have a wedding in the works, The Paper Bride is chock-full of great paper projects for any event, party, or holiday that can serve as points of inspiration for a final product more personalized to your own taste.

And, though I didn't include any of her books, I've got to hand it to Martha Stewart - that woman knows how to craft. Her books, magazines, and website are chock-full of great craft ideas that are sure to inspire even the most stumped of crafters, and they are likely to be carried at even the smallest of libraries.

A Visit from the Goon Squad

I recently picked up A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan on account of its high recommendation by the New York Times book review. At first, I couldn't really tell what I was getting myself into; constant narrative changes make it difficult to initially figure out where the plot really lies, as no one character is our primary narrator for more than a single chapter. However it becomes clear that the characters we meet in the first two chapters, Sasha and Bennie, are the threads which tie the entire novel together.

Egan jumps seamlessly across time, narrative perspective, and stylistic form to tell Sasha and Bennie's story. Though we initially meet Sasha as a kleptomaniac in her mid-thirties working for Bennie's record company, the stories that function to reveal these characters' pasts and futures are told through the experience of people near and far: Bennie's high school bandmates, his ex-wife, Sasha's uncle, a man with whom Sasha went on an uninspiring date, her college best friend. The lives of these supporting characters could stand as short stories in themselves. By including them, however, Egan forces her readers to piece together the events leading up to the final page. Though she takes us back and forth in time through a constantly changing set of eyes, Egan does so in an eloquent and subtle way, all the while effortlessly revealing the larger picture by reeling you in. If nothing else, this book is a beautiful display of Egan's ability to craft a story, this one centering around time and music and the connections that lead us wherever we go.

Rustic Caprese Panzanella Salad

An uber-generous gardener neighbor of mine has a table in front of her house that she constantly replenishes with her latest harvests for the rest of the street to share. Being unemployed and relatively poor, I take full advantage of her charity. Tomatoes are abundant and, along with the overwhelming volume of basil in my own backyard, I found I had the perfect ingredients for a modified Caprese Panzanella.

I've never actually had panzanella, only seen it on other foodie blogs, so I am not claiming this to be in any way, shape, or form an authentic or traditional panzanella. And I didn't have any fresh milk mozzarella on a hand, so I used some of the cheaper stuff. But I think the salad is delicious nonetheless!

I've been really into the subtle sweetness and slight bite of red onion lately, and paired with the balsamic dressing, it's a real flavor hit! There's a touch of red pepper for some vegetable crunch and I added in some regular salad greens and sprouts for a bit more color and oomph. Since this is a rustic salad, most of the measurements are mere approximations and completely subject to change according to your taste preferences. Make it your own and enjoy!

Rustic Caprese Panzanella Salad

Ingredients

• 3-4 medium to large tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 bunches of fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 3/4 cups mixed salad greens
• 1/2 cup whole mozzarella cheese, chopped into bite-size pieces (for easier chopping, pop the cheese in the freezer for 5-8 minutes)
• 1 cup chopped toasted bread (something crusty is best, I used a homemade sourdough)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Combine tomatoes, onion, basil, red pepper, salad greens, mozzarella cheese, and bread in large bowl.

2. Add olive oil and balsamic and toss to coat. Add more oil and vinegar as needed.

3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Etsy Woodgrain Treasury

I was at first confused, then excited, and ultimately very flattered to find myself included in an Etsy treasury this morning! I wasn't exactly sure what a treasury was, but I did a little research and learned that they are member-curated shopping gallerys on Etsy and items featured in these galleries are usually grouped by some common theme or idea. GrievousAngelDesigns compiled a treasury this morning that was all about woodgrain and included one of my cards among her picks! Just wanted to share this exciting news because who doesn't love to have their work acknowledged, especially in the mammoth online community that is Etsy!

Butternut Squash Barley Risotto

This cool weather has got me itching for fall. And, with the help of some butternut squash soup I tracked down in the back of my cabinet, I created a warm dish full of autumnal flavor. I was kind of making the recipe up as I went along, so my measurements may be a bit off. But if you pay close attention to the risotto and taste frequently throughout the cooking process, this dish should turn out deliciously!

Butternut Squash Barley Risotto with Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 cups butternut squash soup (I used V8 brand)
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• small bunch sage (about 15 leaves)
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Combine soup and stock in small pot and warm over low heat. Give occasional stirs to mix.

2. Heat olive oil in small pan. Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper, and cook in olive oil.*

3. In large sauce pan, toast barley over medium heat for 2 minutes. Once fragrant, add chopped garlic and about 1/2 cup of soup-stock mixture. Stir barley until liquid is fully evaporated, then add another 1/2 cup of liquid. Continue to repeat this process over medium to medium-low heat, stirring constantly and adjusting heat to prevent burning.

4. When chicken is done cooking, remove from heat.

5. Just before the final 1/2 of liquid is about to be added to the barley risotto mixture, add chicken, cinnamon, and finely chopped sage.

6. Mix in Parmesan cheese until fully incorporated.

7. Season with salt and pepper to taste** and serve with sprinkling of Parmesan over top. Enjoy!

Notes

*This dish can easily be made vegetarian by substituting or completely doing away with the chicken and chicken stock. Some potential delicious chicken alternatives include sweet potato, tofu, butternut squash, or anything else you desire!

**Be sure to taste before adding salt as both soup and stock are high in salt content.

Hand-Pressed Paper

I've always been fascinated by letterpress and all sorts of screen printing. I came across this pseudo-stamp leaf technique and had to try it. The results are gorgeous and one-of-a-kind while the process is unbelievably simple. And the materials are things you can already find around your house and your yard.

Materials

Assorted leaves (not too dry)
Paper or cards for printing
Acrylic paint
Wide, flat paintbrush

Magazine or scrap paper for pressing

Process

1. First you'll need to figure out the look of your final product. Do you want a print of a single leaf or multiple leaves making a new pattern? Will it be monochromatic or will you use multiple colors in your design?

2. Once you've got an idea in mind, turn your leaf (or leaves) over to the back side and apply a thin layer of paint. Using the underside/backside of the leaves will make your print more textured and clear.

3. Place the leaf paint-side-down on your paper. Put the magazine or scrap paper over top of the leaf and press firmly.

4. Peel back and repeat the process until you achieve the desired affect. You should be able to get two prints out of each coat of paint (apply

paint, press once, then press again). The second print will be a bit fainter, but applying too much paint will sacrifice the finer details of the print.

Some fun variations on this project include, using seasonal colors or different types of leaves for certain times throughout the year. Evergreens in reds, greens, and golds are more holiday appropriate while sticking with a green and yellow palette is more spring-approriate.

Here are a few of my results :

Until I Find You

I've been working on another John Irving lately, and this one clocked in at over two weeks to read (although it was over 800 pages long). But don't let the length deter you! It might take a bit of time, you may need a break here and there, but completing this novel is truly rewarding and not as arduous as it may first seem.

Until I Find You covers the life and times of Jack Burns, a boy raised by his mother Alice, a tattoo artist who drags Jack around the North Sea and the Baltic in search of his womanizing father, William. When Alice settles down with Jack in Canada, the young boy is shaped by the various schools he attends, as well as his experiences with women both young and old (though mostly old) as he travels through adolescence. But as Jack grows older and more distant from Alice, he discovers that all was never as it seemed. The course of his life takes him places both high and low, as he is forced to retrace his steps through the North Sea and the Baltic to understand the reality that shaped his childhood and his family.

An absorbing, well-woven story that only a novelist as gifted as John Irving could tell, Until I Find You is never what it seems at first (even the title takes on different meanings at different points) and everything last sentence is purposefully constructed and full of great import.

Indian Spiced Chai Tea

In January of 2008, I spent three weeks in Pune, India on a study abroad trip and one of the things I have missed most from my trip is the chai tea. Everywhere you went you were offered a small cup of this warm, creamy, delicious drink and nothing you can buy at Starbucks or any coffee shop really compares. I've been scouring the internet for different takes on homemade chai and created an adaptation of them all that comes pretty close to what I've been missing so much.

At Home Indian Chai Tea

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 8 cardamom pods
• 8 whole cloves
• 1/4 inch stem of ginger, thinly sliced
• 4 tsp Darjeeling Tea (or other black tea) leaves (about 3 tea bags)
• 1 cup milk (the richer, the better)
• 2 Tbsp sugar (or more if desired)
• Vanilla extract, chocolate syrups, coffee flavorings, etc. (optional)

Directions

1. Put water, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger into a pot and bring to a boil.

2. Then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

3. Add the tea and allow to infuse for recommended brewing time (usually 3-5 minutes).

4. Remove tea and spices.

5. Add milk and heat on high until just about to boil. Then reduce heat, and add sugar and any additional syrups, extracts, or flavorings (though these extras will sacrifice the authentic Indian-ness of the tea - but in all honesty, I added a little cinnamon).

6. Give a stir and serve warm or chilled! (Makes about 2 cups)

New Items in the Etsy Shop!

I've slowly been rebuilding my Etsy shop and taking time to get even more into the crafting community and the card-making process. Granted, I'm a Christmas freak so I'm making more holiday cards than anything else (I know, it's not even September yet), but those more seasonally-appropriate cards are making their way into the Nosce Te Ipsum shop and here are just a few of them.

Paper Mobile

Home, Paper, Scissors by Patricia Zapata is a great source of low-cost, high-style, eco-friendly home decorating projects. From paper bowls and recipe binders to ways to jazz up string lights and candle covers, Zapata's book is at the very least a great source of creative inspiration for the DIY decorator.

One of my personal favorite projects was the paper mobile. I had a lonely corner in my dining room, a creative urge, and a copy of Zapata's book - the perfect recipe for a decorating project! My paper mobile just adds a little interest and beauty to an otherwise obscure corner in my home, and the process is quite simple.

All that you need to make this mobile are:

• An embroidery hoop or similar circular object
• Paper
• Glass beads (as small as you can find them)
• Fishing line
• Sewing needle
• Scissors
• Circular object for tracing (approximately 2" in diameter)
• Glue or tape (optional)

1. First, you'll need to cut out the circles for the mobile. It's best to figure out how many strands and how many circles per strand you would like so you make the correct amount. Between 45 and 60 is usually a good amount.
2. Use the base of a round cup or other circular object to trace and cut out the circles. Something with a 2" diameter is best.
3. Once all the circle have been cut, fold each one in half, and then in half again. Unfold the quarters and poke a hole in the very center of the circle (the center will be easy to identify once you have folded the circle into quarters).
4. To create the strands, string the fishing line through the circles individually and, after stringing each paper circle, tie a glass bead onto the line to prevent the circle from sliding to the bottom of the strand. The distance between paper circles is entirely up to you but keep in mind how many strands you have, how many circles will be on each strand, the height from which the mobile will be hung, etc.
5. Once the strands have been strung, tie them to the embroidery hook. It may be easiest to lay them all out around the hoop in a sun formation to ensure even placement. Once tied to the embroidery hook, the strands can be better secured with a dot of craft glue or a small strip of tape.
6. Now that the mobile itself is complete, you'll need to find a way to suspend it. Three to four pieces of fishing line of equal length can be evenly spaced and tied to the hoop, then tied in one knot at the top for easy hanging.

And you can make some great variations by changing up the color of the paper. Using different brightly colored or patterned paper circles would be great for a kid's bedroom, while using lights and whites could make for a more calming and subtle mobile in a bathroom or master bedroom.