How Hipsters Make Bread: A Video

Twisted Bread | Volume 4 from Kinfolk on Vimeo.



A Viewer's Guide:


Step 1. Install a distressed wooden table in a dimly lit kitchen.
Step 2. Premeasure ingredients into vintage bowls and cups to make it look like you didn't have to measure anything at all.
Step 3. Get a waif-like woman with nice hands and long hair to mix the ingredients. 
Step 4. Make sure Bon Iver or some other appropriately folksy-but-not-too-hillbilly-band-with-a-banjo is playing in the background.
Step 5. Use two knives to knead the dough. (Using your bare hands is too bourgeois.)
Step 6. Wrap the bread dough on sticks.
Step 7. Gather a few of your closest attractive acquaintances around a campfire. (At least one person has to have a beard, gender optional)
Step 8. Let dough sticks cook for 2-4 hours over open flame.
Step 9. When the evening sky has reached optimal level of "dusk" for photographing your skin complexion, consume bread, but do not appear to enjoy it too much.

But seriously that would be super tasty while camping, wouldn't it? Fresh baked bread? I'm just making fun because I'm jealous that the hipsters thought of it first. And the woman in the video has such attractive hands. But she for real needs to tie back that hair. I don't care how funky your jewelry is, ain't nobody gonna like hair in their bread, lady.

Video by Tiger in a Jar for Kinfolk 

Strawberry Granitas and Other Things Happening in My Life

It's Friday night and in usual Ellie-fashion, I've got a one-way ticket to Party Town.

And by that, we all know I mean a one-way ticket to Finishing My Book and Tucking In Early Town.

But before it gets real crazy up in here, I thought I'd finally get around to posting on here again.

I know, major slack department. 

Well I can explain.

Cliff Notes: Left Texas, moved back to Indiana, got a job.

Longer version (includes better grammar): I love Texas. I really do. I had such a blast while I was down there. I fulfilled my dream of becoming roommates with the lovely and talented Jillian. We basically lived like two old ladies, reading books and watering our plants and it was beautiful. 

But I could not. find. a. job. In a perfect world, I think unemployment suits me. Baking, writing, crafting, knitting, shopping, reading....I'm basically Martha Stewart and I'm not ashamed to admit it. But in a perfect world, money wouldn't be an issue, I wouldn't have a massive case of writer's block, and I wouldn't struggle with anxiety. 

And since this is not a perfect world and those are all very real issues, employment is a necessary part of life.  And since no one was paying me to be Martha Stewart, it was not working out. I sent out resumes and applications and even resorted to cold calling, but nothing was panning out.

So I packed up and moved back to Indiana.  That was one month ago. Less than two weeks after moving back, I had an interview and then a job with a local electrical, plumbing, fabrication and HVAC contractor company. I'm now a plumbing specialist and a certified welder.

Kidding. What do I know about any of that? Nothing. Which is why I answer the phone, update the Facebook page, and do data entry for the purchasing and payroll departments. Occasionally I provide the management team with cupcakes in a blatant attempt to win friends and influence people.

Spoiler alert: it works.

As much as I enjoy feeling like a productive part of society again, it has totally sucked up all my time.  Which is rather inconsiderate, in my opinion. Basically I am gone for most of the daylight hours and when I finally get home, I want nothing more than dinner, a shower, and sleep.  

Which explains the lack of blogging, returning of emails, and general absence from contact with the outside world. 

Unless you happen to need a new water heater. Then I am all about connecting you to the service department. 

ANYWAY, I'm finally getting used to the routine and hopefully will be a bit more attentive to all other areas of life. Such as my blog.

In the meantime (I do have lots of posts planned, wedding stuff, photos from TX, etc), here are some shots of the strawberry granita I made this evening in celebration of it being Friday. 

There are real recipes for this tasty frozen treat, like this one. But my middle name is Victoria which is obviously German for 'lazy', so I just dumped some frozen strawberries and ice cubes in the blender with a bit of sugar and a couple tablespoons of lemon juice. No measuring involved.  I would have added mint, but my plant died due to lack of me remembering I had a mint plant. But you should add mint.

You're welcome. 

Yes, I dipped the rim of the glass in raw sugar purely for this photo. Sorry I'm not sorry.

Good night and Happy Friday, you lovelies.

10 Lovely Things

 1 The flower section at Whole Foods. Yes, I'll take one of everything please.

2 Road signs that make me laugh and think "only in Texas..."

"Your fences need to be horse high, pig tight, and bull strong."

 3 Food trucks in Austin

4 The way the evening sun shines through the backs of the leaves

5 The weather: 95° in April...whew!

6 Brisket tacos. Tex Mex cuisine at its finest.

7 Jilly's glee over her enormous shaved ice

8 Fried cookie dough stand. In reality I think this is gross but I love how unabashedly American it is. "We've got cookie dough and a deep fryer and we're not ashamed." Stand up y'all, we're pledging our allegiance to the United States of Terrible Food Choices.

9 Car shows. I don't appreciate cars myself but I love how enthusiastic other people are about their vehicles. 

(it was so hot my cell phone camera lens fogged up)

 10 And as always....Texas sunsets

DIY: Hand-Stamped Invitations

As you may or may not know, my little sister recently got engaged. I am so excited for her! Without getting all mushy, just let me say her fiancé is one lucky guy and I fully support this union. And you know I'll be writing all about it as events unfold.

The wedding date is coming up fast: they will be married this July in San Antonio, Texas. As her maid of honor (yes, thank you, please hold your applause), I have jumped right into the planning of things, starting with a wedding shower in our hometown next month. 

And because I never do anything the easy way, I decided to hand make the invitations. Most of the products I used came from my new favorite store, Paper Source.

Materials (full list at the end of the post):

 Blank invitation:

 Envelope liners are a bit frivolous but I just love that pop of purple.

I cut regular white card stock down to place card size to make a small insert that lists the places Eva is registered. Emily Post probably would not approve but I figure if people are going to get gifts, it doesn't hurt to herd them in the right direction. I'd rather be a bit gauche than have Eva end up with six tea kettles.

I used a small sponge dauber dipped in water to seal the envelopes. I hate the taste of envelope glue and am secretly afraid that it's poison. I really don't want to die that way.

Now all that's left is to put them in the mail! I'm kind of proud of them though, so I might have trouble letting go. It was a fun project and I am fully available to make invitations for anyone else with a party coming up soon. Seriously.

Product List

Stamps:

Happily Ever After banner stamp

For Date Time Place stamp

Lovebird clear stamps (from a set from Hobby Lobby)

Sponge dauber

Ink:

ColorBox Dye Ink in Deep Grape

LePen in Brown

Paper: 

A2 scallop cards in luxe white

A2 envelopes in paper bag

A2 envelope liners in beet

Plain white cardstock (from Michael's)

Lately

reading...
I just finished Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran. If you're at all interested in classical history this is a fascinating (if fictional) portrayal of some key players during a tumultuous time in the history of Egypt and Rome. I promise the book is much more thrilling than how I just described it.

Source

listening...
It's been so lovely outside lately that it makes me want to smile and dance. So I put together a little springtime playlist on 8tracks.

It's Spring! from ellievator88 on 8tracks.

making...
a baby blanket. I don't know if you've noticed, but SO many people be having babies lately! Anyway I figure, what better way to use my newly-found knitting skills?

loving...
PaperSource. For all your stationary/paper/gift-giving needs. High-quality & eco-friendly. It's official, I've turned into a raging craft monster. Seriously, I can't stop making stuff. I either need to open an Etsy store or a job. Preferably a job.
Anyway, I'm almost finished making invitations for a bridal shower with PaperSource products but more on those later.

trying...
new recipes.
You guys, Jillian is a culinary wizard. I have become quite spoiled by her cooking. Unfortunately for her, the inducement for me to relieve her of this nightly task is very low. I can bake cakes and cookies like it ain't no thang but making real meals is a problem. I have managed a handful of times to overcome my qualms about my lack of skills to put a meal on the table, however. I have been craving fish lately (weird, who does that?) and since she's not a huge fan I figured I'd better make it myself if I really wanted it. So last night we had pan fried tilapia and it was quite delicious  . I used this recipe and I highly recommend it. Easy and quick and it was the least fish-tasting fish I've ever made.
Also I made these yesterday. Just in case the fish turned out awful and I needed in some way to reassure myself (and Jillian) that I can still make magic in the kitchen.

Source

Turns out I still can. They are amazing. But unlike the fish, not doctor recommended. 

watching...

It's a dog that looks like a cotton ball when it's sleeping. It's so cute, I can't stand it. I only watch it like six times a day. 

You're welcome.