It’s been a while since my last post, and here’s where I’ve been.

Behind my new toy

I saved up for this MacBook for a while. A long while. Too long, if you ask me. Now that I have it, I don’t know how I survived all those years without my own laptop. I’ve spent the past two weeks organizing my digital life, which meant transferring files, contacts, music, pictures; syncing all to my phone; downloading applications and trying not to be too crazy organizing all the digital “furniture” in it. It’s kind of felt like I moved homes.

On page 132 of this book

Vickie Howell’s new book on the different personalities that make up the crafting movement across the world, Craft Corps, hit bookshelves today. I had responded to a call for entries about a year ago to submit my profile as a crafter for this project. I thought nothing of it until I got an e-mail later in the year saying the publishers were including my profile. I found out at lunch today that the book was available at Barnes & Noble and I half-skipped to the store the minute I got off work. I was nervous because I know text gets cut in final manuscripts, but E. and I leafed through the pages, and there I was, on page 132! (I wanted to twirl across the book aisles in sheer elation, but I didn’t want to be kicked out of there!)

What’s even more awesome is that my profile comes right after the feature on Denyse Schmidt, who’s my modern quilting heroine. I know she doesn’t know who I am, but following her in a book on crafting feels like we’re sitting next to each other on a park bench.

This book couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve been in the crafting doldrums lately, but reading it has reminded me of something: All I’ve ever really wanted to do is make the most of this chance to live a creative life, be it through something I make in the kitchen or something I put together on my craft table. I’m looking forward to slowly reacquainting myself with my sewing machine, my crochet needles, my jewelry pliers and my yarn and threads. And while I’m at it, my rolling pin, my piping bag, my electric mixer, my cookie cutters! There’s just too much awesome creative energy out there to ignore. I have to celebrate it by joining this big, creative, cool club.

And how have you been, World?

You guys, I was covered in flour and was on my feet all day. I’m tired…but really happy. The Jar Cakes I made for the National Food Bloggers Bake Sale took some time, but they turned out really well, don’t you think?

Some of you may have found your way to my blog after seeing instructions written on a Jar Cake you bought this weekend. Welcome to my patch of the world wide web! You’ll find lots of curly, crafty, delicious ideas here. I hope you have as much fun with them as I have.

If you’re interested in making these Jar Cakes yourself, they aren’t as daunting as you think. The concept’s pretty simple: It’s like making cupcakes, but your cupcake liners are actual mason jars. I’ve taken the guesswork out of cooking times and measurements in making them with two recipes: Swirled Nutella Cupcakes and Blueberry Sour Cream Coffeecakes. They take a dash of patience, but absolutely worth it to make!

Here are the two recipes I used for these Jar Cakes:

SWIRLED NUTELLA CUPCAKES

BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM COFFEECAKES

Note that for the Coffeecakes, I decreased the sugar by half a cup. It comes with a brown sugar streusel, and I thought it would be just as good with a little bit less sugar. (And it is!)

Step #1: BUY THEM JARS.

I found these at Smart & Final for $7.99 a dozen. They’re 1/2-pint mason jars by Kerr.

Step #2: BOIL THEM JARS.

I do this to sterilize them. I boil the rims and lids as well. It’s probably not necessary, but my mother is a nurse and I can already hear her sage’s wisdom about hygiene. (My mother’s voice is part of the running commentary in my head while I’m cooking most times!)

Dry jars, rims, lids.

Step #3: FIRE UP THE OVEN, MAKE YOUR BATTER.

Step #4: GREASE THEM JARS.

I use one or two spritzes of PAM For Baking. That’s all you really need.

Step #5: MANTRA THOSE JARS.

FOR THE NUTELLA CUPCAKES, REMEMBER THIS MANTRA: BATTER, NUTELLA, BATTER, NUTELLA.

If you’re lazy, you can just plop the batter in and put all the Nutella on top. But I did it this way so that when you’re eating the cake, there’s enough Nutella-to-cupcake ratio distributed all throughout. Swirl the Nutella into the batter each time you place a layer of it in the jar.

You’ll need a 1/4 measuring cup and a small ice cream scoop for this step. I did the cupcake layers this way: 1/4 cup batter, 1 scoop Nutella, (swirl), 1/4 cup batter, 1 scoop Nutella, (swirl). I used a chopstick to swirl the Nutella.

It may seem a little laborious, but trust me, reciting the mantra helps. Remember, “Wax on, wax off?” It worked for Mr. Miyagi and Daniel in Karate Kid, it will work for you, too! Mantras will help you kick some kitchen a**!

FOR THE BLUEBERRY COFFEECAKES, YOUR MANTRA IS: BATTER, SUGAR, BATTER, SUGAR.

Use a 1/3 measuring cup and a small ice cream scoop for this step. Layers go: 1/3 cup batter, 1 scoop streusel mix, 1/3 cup batter and 1 scoop streusel mix. Pat down the last streusel mix layer.

Remember: The mantra is your friend.

Step #6: BAKE THEM JARS. (ALWAYS REMEMBER TO WIPE THE INSIDE WALL OF YOUR JARS JUST ABOVE THE BATTER LINE BEFORE YOU PUT THESE IN THE OVEN.)

Cooking times: Nutella Cupcakes = 23-25 minutes / Blueberry Coffeecakes: 55-60 minutes. The toothpick is the final authority on doneness! A couple of crumbs on it means it’s ready.

Look at these beauteous little cakes!

Step #7: STICKER THEM JARS.

I made these round labels on Word and some shipping labels. If you seal these while they’re still hot, the rubber rims actually create a vacuum and not only keep the cakes moist, but extend their shelf life considerably.

Step #8: SPOON THEM JARS.

I wanted those who bought these to be able to eat them right away, so I taped some beribboned (I love that word) spoons to the jars. At the urging of my nurse mother, I covered each of them in cling wrap, for hygiene’s sake.

Step #9: STEP BACK, THROW YOUR APRON IN THE AIR, DANCE A LITTLE JIG—YOU’VE JUST MADE THE DARNDEST CUTEST JAR CAKES!

Almost any cake/cupcake recipe can be used for Jar Cakes. I’ve made some during Christmas with Red Velvet Cake and a layer of frosting on top as gifts. With frosting, you’ll have to wait for the cakes to cool, frost them and seal them. No vacuum in that case, but you won’t need it. With frosting, that cake’s not going to last long!

I hope you have fun trying your hand at these baking gems. I’m here for questions; ask away in the comments section.

Until the our next delicious meeting, stay curly out there!

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Further Reading Into The Art Of Jar Cakes (Reading is fun! You should do it more!)

Wow! I love this idea! Did you invent it? (Uhm, no. Jar Cakes have been around awhile. Read this and this.)

My favorite aunt loves Nutella, but she lives in Romania. Or Japan. Or somewhere far. I wish I could... (…send these Jar Cakes by mail? Why yes, you can! These are popular as gifts to soldiers abroad. Read this.)

What am I going to do with that blasted jar once I’ve eaten the heck out of that cupcake? (I’m glad you’re thinking of recycling! These jars are great for mini terrariums, or you can make these uber cute sewing-kit jars a la Martha Stewart. Crafty, eh?)

What is Nutella, exactly? (You poor child! You’re missing half your life if you haven’t introduced your tummy to this yummy hazelnut-chocolate concoction. Read up on it here.)

The National Food Bloggers Bake Sale is TWO DAYS AWAY! Woot!

WHAT: National Food Bloggers Bake Sale
WHEN: Saturday, April 17, 10:30 am to 1 pm
WHO: ME! I’ll be there from 11:30 am to help sell my Cakes In A Jar, along with baked goods from over 40 other food bloggers in Los Angeles.
WHERE: Morel’s French Bistro at The Grove, 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036
WHY: 100% of proceeds from the bake sale will go to Share Our Strength, whose main focus is ending child hunger in America.

IF YOU CAN GO:
Look for my uber cute Jar Cakes! I’m making Swirled Nutella Cupcakes and Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cakes. Yum!

IF YOU CAN’T GO:
You can donate online at The Girl With A Curl’s page HERE.

Tell people about it by sending them the link above or pointing them to this blog post!

The first annual National Food Bloggers Bake Sale, part of the Great American Bake Sale, will be held on April 17. Organized by Gaby Dalkin of WhatsGabyCooking.com, food bloggers from across the country will unite to support the cause by holding bake sales in their states. Readers will have the opportunity to taste the baked goods from their favorite food blogs at each state’s bake sale location.

Funds raised through Great American Bake Sale support Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger in America. Nearly 17 million—almost one in four—children in America face hunger. Despite the good efforts of governments, private-sector institutions and everyday Americans, millions of our children still don’t have daily access to the nutritious meals they need to live active, healthy lives.

Food bloggers are holding bake sales in locations across the U.S. this weekend. To find one in your area, go HERE.

So, we made some ribs, y’all. REALLY good ribs. I mean, ribs you’d take a bullet for.

But it’s not like we woke up one day and said, “Hmmm, slow roasting some pork in the oven for two hours sounds like a mighty fine idea!” I’ve never made ribs. Whole cuts of raw meat scare me! So it wasn’t actually my first choice of dish to make on a Saturday.

It’s these cupcakes’ fault!

Southern Girl Desserts is a fairly new in town. I had an awesome Groupon for them and wanted to sample their famous Sweet Potato Pie cupcakes (far left, below).

We got some lemon ones and red velvet ones as well. (How can you NOT?) Since the cupcakes were mostly southern flavors, I thought…well, now, maybe I should make a southern-style dinner too? Because you know, if I didn’t, what’s the point, then? (Really, I was just looking for an excuse to cook and decided to blame the innocent cupcakes.)

Sweet-salty-tangy barbecue sounded really southern, and really good. Except, you know, I didn’t want to do chicken. Been there, cooked that. Having never made ribs before and not having a grill, along with the fact that I hadn’t had pork in forever, I decided to follow my gut and decided on ribs. I remember my Mama Del (I know that sounds southern, too, but she’s actually my very Filipino godmother) making ribs in the oven. Could I do it? I wanted to do it!

First off, I stared the ribs down.

That is a LOT (scary amount) of pork (about four pounds total). I didn’t quite know what to do, but the Internets said to prep the huge hunk o’ pork by removing the membrane on the bony side, working the tip of a knife under it and pulling/peeling the membrane off. Which I did, with furrowed brows and an iron will. (I didn’t take pictures because I had busy, porky hands!)

I preheated the oven to 300 degrees. Next, I prepared a spice rub: ¾ c. light brown sugar + 1 tsp. paprika + 1 tbsp. garlic powder + ½ tsp. red pepper flakes, mixed all together.

I also had some Liquid Smoke on hand, and put that all over the ribs. It gives them that classic hickory barbecue flavor.

I then rubbed the spice mix all over.

On two sheets of foil (shiny side out), we laid the seasoned rack of ribs, covered with another two sheets of foil, and crimped the whole package tightly. (E. is now an expert foil crimper!) After wrapping the other rack the same way, we placed both on a cookie sheet.

Those foil packets went into the oven for two to two and a half hours. And let me tell you, if you make these ribs, those will be the most torturous hours of your life! Smoky, sweet, spicy barbecue smells come wafting out of your kitchen, invading your nostrils, forcing you to do random things like watch bad TV, twirl around or drink copious amounts of water just so you could get your mind off what’s baking in the oven.

After two+ hours, you can check and see if the meat has shrunk from the edges of the bones. The Fork Test always works: if it flakes easily, it’s done!

Cut the ribs into portions of about two to three pieces each. Brush some of your favorite barbecue sauce on top of each piece. Broil for about one to two minutes on each side, or do what we did and just stick them back into your oven after you’ve cranked it up to 400 degrees while you’re brushing them. Heat through and serve! I made some biscuits and succotash to go with these.

These are the BEST, MOST AWESOMEST ribs I’ve ever eaten, and all the credit goes to THIS recipe. You won’t try ribs any other way.  They’re so flavorful and tender, I had to eat some of mine with a fork because they just fell off the bone!

I felt so grown up after making these ribs. Maybe it’s because it’s always been something my parents have made. These will be perfect in the summer with some fresh corn on the cob. And the next time I make these, I won’t even use the cupcake excuse!

Hope you find time in these warming months to give this recipe a try, with or without some red velvet cupcakes to finish off your meal.

I woke up at 6:30 am to stand in line at the Apple Store in Century City with E. so he could get his new toy. So far, so cool! Though this new-fangled thing isn’t mine, I’m hoping to borrow it from time to time to look up recipes and craft projects on the fly, hee. E.’s already installed the Epicurious app–and all the hi-def recipes on it are inspiring!
Happy weekend!

April 17 is your date with sweetness!

I’ll be part of the National Food Bloggers Great American Bake Sale on Saturday, April 17, from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. It’s going to be at Morel’s at The Grove, 189 The Grove Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90036. I’m volunteering to sell some yummy things from 11:45 am to 2:30 pm, so come by then if you can!

This bake sale is spearheaded by Gaby of What’s Gaby Cooking, and there are going to be around 40 awesome, passionate, fun food bloggers selling their most delicious stuff, from sweet to savory. Funds generated will benefit Share Our Strength, an organization dedicated to ending child hunger in America.

Other bake sales are all happening on the same date all over the country. To find out about what you can do for the National Food Bloggers Bake Sale in your city, head over HERE for contact information for your area.

To find out more about Share Our Strength and their cause, HERE’s their website, with lots of information about many ways you can help.

I’ll be blogging about what I’m contributing to be sold at the event, and I’m VERY excited about it all—the baking, the packaging, the volunteering and the chance to meet fellow food-crazed writers.

One of my wishes for 2010 back in January was, “Give back.” The fact that I’m getting the chance to do so by doing something I love makes me immeasurably happy. Now, where did I stash my piping bag?

I’ll be sure to keep you posted on all the deliciousness!

I’ve been on the lookout for a good cupcake carrier to replace the one I have. I’ve discovered that there are many new ones out there—and wondering if any of you have had any experience with them?

I’ve had this Oneida 24-Count Cupcake Carrier for over two years now. What I love about it is that you use the bottom as an actual pan to bake 12 cupcakes, and then slip a plastic shelf on top of it that holds another 12 for traveling.  Though I give it nothing but good reviews, it has seen its share of cupcakes, and the plastic second shelf is now sagging a bit from all that cupcake-y weight it’s had to bear. Another thing about it is that there’s no way to really store it efficiently—it takes up a lot of room on the shelf.

I’ve been patiently trolling the Internets and found these interesting-looking options. So now, I bring you, the Super Awesome Big List Of Cool Cupcake Carriers. Which one should I get, you think?

Progressive International Collapsible Cupcake and Cake Carrier - $24.70 approx
Why I ♥ It: Dual use (round cakes and cupcakes), collapsible for easy storage

Martha Stewart Cupcake Carrier - $24.99 approx
Why I ♥ It: Dual use (cookies/cookie bars/brownies and cupcakes), looks sturdy

Baker’s Sto N’ Go Container - $24.95 approx
Why I ♥ It: Many uses (cookies/cookie bars/brownies and cupcakes, and even cereal and dry foodstuff when upright), though I’m not sure if the shelves would sag after a while. It even has trays for deviled eggs!

Cupcake Courier - $29.79 approx
Why I ♥ It: It’s the only one that carries 36 cupcakes at once; adjustable for smaller amount. Comes in blue sky, petal pink, lemongrass and saffron yellow.

Wilton Ultimate 3-In-1 Cake Caddy - $19.99 approx
Why I ♥ It: Triple use! A 9×13 cake, 12 cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes.

These individual carriers are all kinds of cute, too! These have special grooves that hold each cupcake, so they stay in place even if the carrier is turned upside down. Perfect for lunch boxes!

Go Go Cupcake Holders - $6.99 approx for a twin pack

Cup-A-Cake Single Cupcake Carriers - $5.75 each approx

Are you having a sweet week so far? I hope so! If not, it’s going to get sweeter…come back tomorrow for some yummy, exciting news!

So, I discovered two cake-centric wines this week. What an odd coincidence. I DO like wine, though I’m not a sommelier in training by a shot. But bumping into these made me think about how cute it would be to have a dessert-and-wine nightcap/fete with friends. You know, I could make a layered chocolate cake or vanilla cupcakes to go with these. Or even make cakes with these IN them. Oy. Alcohol and sugar. My baker’s brain is exploding.

Layer Cake

Farmed from vineyards in Napa Valley, California (Cabernet Sauvignon); Puglia, Italy (Primitivo); Mendoza, Argentina (Malbec)  and South Australia (Shiraz). Brainchild of vintner Jayson Woodbridge, whose inspiration for the line was supposedly his grandfather (as you can probably already tell, I’m a bit of a sucker for family histories): “My old grandfather made and enjoyed wine for 80 years. He told me the soils in which the vines lived were a layer cake. He said the wine if properly made, was like a delicious cake layered with fruit, mocha and chocolate, hints of spice and rich, always rich. ‘Never pass up a good layer cake,” he would say.”

He has a blog with recipes for food pairings for his wines HERE. (Braised Lamb Shanks and Shiraz? Sign me up for that!)

Cupcake Wine

I actually saw these in Costco. Crafted in Monterey along California’s Central Coast, winemaker Adam Richardson has developed nine flavor profiles for the company, including: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Sirah, Dry Riesling, Malbec, Blanc de Blanc Chardonnay and a Rose Pinot Noir, which intrigues me even more because it’s such a pretty pink color in the bottle!

The company’s website has a great recipes section as well, full of interesting cupcake recipes that pair well with their wines. And by interesting I mean Lemon and Rosemary Cupcakes with Toasted Hazelnuts that’s supposedly perfect with their Riesling. There’s also Chipotle Chocolate Cupcakes with Maple Glazed Bacon for the Cabernet Sauvignon. Goodness. Bacon cupcakes and wine. The world has gone mad.

You’ve probably figured out that none of these taste like the baked goods they’re named after. But the idea of a themed nightcap is so delicious, I just may have to do it one of these days!

I’ve lost my crafting mojo!

I don’t know where it’s gone. I suspect it’s enjoying a mai tai on a beach in Aruba while getting its nails done. Wherever it is, I’m ticked off that I wasn’t invited! I haven’t had the creative energy to sew, crochet or make jewelry in the past weeks. My stash of new fabric given to me as Christmas gifts over the holidays sits forlornly in a bin. My sewing machine is dying to make something that I get the feeling it runs itself during the day when I’m not at home, just for the heck of it.

I’m amazed professional crafters who do creative work everyday. I suppose if I were immersed in it, it would be easier. I know this because when I’m on a roll, ideas come hurtling at me and I have to duck sometimes so they don’t whack me on the head! But stopping and starting these periods of crafty creativity is challenging, especially with a full-time job and people to cook for. I’m just hoping I get a chance to start crafting again—and soon—because I miss building quilt blocks and just working with my hands and making stuff.

To parch the dry valley of creativity that I’m faced with, I’m constantly looking through photos of old projects. I came across my Flickr set of photos taken at the Road To California Quilt Show a couple of months ago. I realized I haven’t shared these inspiring photos, and now taking the time to do so to try and get the creative rivers flowing again. And if you have a tip or two about getting over Quilter’s Block, do let me know! (I’ve just decided that “Quilter’s Block” is now my all-time favorite pun!)

I went to the Quilt Show with my mom (who was giddy with excitement and running around like it was a big birthday party). While there, I got the chance to meet the talented Latifah of the LA Modern Quilt Guild and we had fun ogling all the insanely beautiful handiwork on display. While most of the designs were more traditional, I still admired all the hard work that went into them, and even spied a modern quilt or two among them.

I hope you’re inspired by these, as much as I want to be inspired by them!

Is this redundant, or is this redundant? Someone made a brilliant quilt of mini quilts on display at a quilt show, with people looking at them. I waited for the two women in front of it for more funny redundance. Haha.

Wow. Alfred Hitchcock and The Birds immortalized in cloth and thread. My goodness, this lady had lots of time on her hands.

Well, applique me! I’ve always wanted to try this, but I’m horrible at needle-turning. My mom’s a pro. I try it and fail miserably. My flowers become stars or unidentifiable blobs! Obviously, I didn’t inherit the needle-turning gene.

This quilt gets my stamp of approval for cuteness. Pun intended.

The first thought I had when I saw this ice-creamy wonder was one word: “Really?” Quilters are craaaazzzy!

I’m in love with these modernesque reverse-appliqued circles and squares, all done in solids. I hope to work with organic cotton solids on a quilt I’m making as a gift to some friends who are getting married.Wish me luck!

Life is sad without buttons. You can never have too many!

There’s more awesome handiwork on my Flickr set for the Quilt Show HERE.

I’m crossing my fingers that I get back to crafting soon—you’ll be the first to know when the drought ends! In the meantime, I hope you’re sipping cosmos with your creativity and having a blast.

Spring started yesterday.

Fall remains to be my favorite time of year, followed by winter. But I have to admit the enthusiasm of people around me about longer, sunnier days is catching. I’m thinking about the produce that’s soon to fill local farmers’ markets and the season-appropriate recipes I’ll get to try my hand at. These are on my list!

Clockwise from the top are Smitten Kitchen’s Artichokes Braised in Lemon and Olive Oil, a recreation of Avocado Toast by Cafe Gitane in New York, a classic Salad Nicoise and Fried Squash Blossoms. Yum!

Also, the warmer weather and drier days signal my annual breadmaking musings, when I start thinking about all the wonderful homemade bread I can attempt to make. I say “attempt” because I always tell myself to start considering the exploration of all things bready this time of year, but I always forget. This year, however, I want to make a solid effort. I got myself a copy of Beard on Bread, which was my mom’s breadmaking bible when we were kids. Maybe this time I’ll actually turn out a roll or two!

Happy Monday, all.

Some of my cousins and me with our awesome Lola Pinang, taken about six years ago.

When someone changes your life, you write about them.

We received news Sunday night that my grandmother, Lola Pin, passed away in Bacolod, a city in the Visayas region of the Philippines. She was 93. I lived with Lola and my grandfather for four years while I went to high school, and their house was a compass for all of us as we grew up and moved away. Living with them were the happiest years of my young life, and they were influential in how I found my way to the kitchen, because it was Lola Pin who started my love for cooking.

My mom flew home last night. I couldn’t join her, but she asked me to write something about Lola. I don’t know if this will be read at her funeral on Sunday, but I wrote it anyway. Putting this together wasn’t easy. It was difficult because my grandmother was awesome, and I had many stories about her and I didn’t know where to start. It was difficult because I was far away, and writing this made me remember home, and for the first time in many years I felt very, very homesick. But knowing that I was doing this for one of the best people in my life allowed me to just sit down, find the words and write.

And so, here we go. Thank you, Lola, for everything.

———————————-

One of Mama’s favorite quotes is something author Amy Tan said in one of her novels: “A mother is where all things begin.”

This is how I feel about Lola Pin. If I go back through my histories to remember who I am, where it was I came from, who it was who set in motion the stories of my life, I would have to say it was my grandmother.

Though her early life as a farmer’s daughter made college seem inaccessible, her tenacity earned her a degree in nursing. She was the only one among her siblings to complete her studies. Just for this, especially this, I can’t thank her enough. Even if she gave up her career later on to raise five daughters, the fact that she sought and worked for that education despite the circumstances of her time made me want to do it myself. I learned to value my own education because I was, and continue to be, the granddaughter of a hardworking, educated woman. It was by her example that I can write these words today, and in the way I can.

I learned so much from Lola, but the most significant thing she taught me was how to show people I loved them through the simple act of preparing a good meal. She made food with so much love that her dishes not only fed the eyes–they filled the stomach, warmed the heart and brought people together. It was by sitting quietly at the kitchen table and watching her as she worked that I learned not just how to cook, but how to cook lovingly.

I remember thinking once, as I watched her wrap some candy she had just made from fresh pineapple and sugar, how much my hands look like hers. I used to look at Mama’s hands, too, and noticed how we all have the same hands. When I’m daunted by anything in life these days, from something as simple as a new recipe or something deeper and bigger than I am, I look at my hands and remember that I inherited them from a woman who could whip egg whites into dreamy, magical meringues purely by will, and THEN I know I can do ANYTHING.

It isn’t lost to me that we enjoyed Lola for as long as we did because of Tita Mitz, Tita Amy, Tita Else and Tita Hot who took care of her in her last years in the house in Eroreco. Without their attention, patience and care, I wouldn’t have had the chance to crack jokes with Lola the last time I saw her about two years ago. Thank you to everyone who helped make Lola comfortable. You gave us the gift of being able to come home to her when we could.

A couple of days ago, my cousin Honey e-mailed Lola’s death certificate to me. One section lists her occupation. It reads: “Housewife.” And boy, was she ever. As a housewife who set the bar high for all others, she lived a full, delicious life and nourished all of us with it.

One of my biggest joys is when people tell me, “That was yummy,” after eating something I’ve made. But my proudest moments, however, are after a particularly challenging cooking experiment, when I’ve spent hours of labor rolling out delicate cookies, working with tricky batter or successfully turning out a cake, from start to finish. My heart swells when I step back and show Mama my work, and she smiles and says, “Baw, daw si Lola mo gid ikaw…..you’re JUST like your grandmother.”

In case you find yourself twiddling your thumbs this weekend, I have an easy craft project to cure your Idlehands-itis.

I made this simple Lemon Green Tea Sugar Scrub in no time and with very little elbow grease. It smells fresh and rings in spring with citrusy goodness. Best of all, it isn’t gloopy like other sugar scrubs and is perfect as a homemade gift.

It’s adapted from Mark Montano’s Big-A** Book Of Crafts. (I don’t swear much, not even in writing! So you can just deal with the asterisks, haha!) It uses easy-to-find ingredients, most of which are probably already in your pantry. (In fact, this scrub is so natural it’s edible! If you’re stuck in your bathroom during a nuclear fallout you can probably eat this. But let’s just hope you use this for vanity’s sake, not survival!)

You’ll need:

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Epsom salt
10 teaspoons olive oil (I used one marked “Light” on the bottle so it wouldn’t have a strong smell)
2 teaspoons honey (the darker, the better!)
3 green tea bags
1 lemon to zest (organic preferred)

Zest your lemon and set aside.

Combine the sugar and Epsom salt in a large mixing bowl. Tear open your green tea bags and mix the now-loose tea right in. Add the olive oil, mix in, then add the honey. This is actually efficient because the sugar-salt-tea mixture is able to break down the thick honey, plus the leftover olive oil in your measuring spoon allows the honey to slide right out.

Somewhere in the middle of all this mixing and stirring, you have to laugh when you catch the honey bear and your zester exchanging pleasantries/flirting. Haha!

Add the lemon zest last.

What you get is this awesome, all-natural potion of good things that has exfoliating and moisturizing powers.

If you were to give this as a gift, take a beautiful container (mine has a matching small scoop)…

…and fill it with your homemade scrub. (By the way, I had to double the recipe above to make enough for my glass jar.)

Finish off with a handwritten label and some lovely baker’s twine. (I got mine from Odette and her pretty Etsy shop.)

Package in wrapping tissue as a sweet, homemade gift—this one went to E.’s mom for her birthday (though I liked it so much I’m making a batch for myself)!

Yay, Friday! Have a fun, crafty weekend, all.

—

Further Reading Into The Art Of Sugarscrubology (or other stuff to learn because, you know, learning is sexy)

Mark Montano’s Big A** Book of Crafts (with free links to other crafty ideas)

Sugar scrubs are cool. (And good for you!)

What is Epsom salt? (Because I sure as heck didn’t know!)

Why is darker honey better?

“I want to get a flirty zester like yours to keep my whisk company.”

“That glass jar is fabulous! Where did you get it?”

Martha Stewart pre-cut tags are cute beyond words. Because she’s a genius.

You need this Baker’s Twine from the Packages & Strings Etsy shop in your life. Trust me.

Dear Person Who I Don’t Know Who’s Going To Get My Scarf,

As I packed the red scarf I made for you through Craft Hope to be sent off to The Orphan Foundation, I was hopeful. Hopeful for you, because you’re going out into the world, and with something I made to warm you through the journey. When you’re in college learning about many things in life that matter, know that a lot of love went into the double-crochet stitches that make up this scarf.

I don’t know you, but I know you’re cool. Because the scarf you’re getting is magical. With it you can be and do anything.

Now go be awesome with your cool, new, magical red scarf.

Yours In Yarn,

J.