Maui Me - Just Maui'd

Several years ago when my niece Kari got married in Maui, I did a few designs to put on items for her to give her at her bridal shower. When looking through saved designs, I added it to items in my Cafepress shop.

A couple of days ago, someone emailed me and asked if I could do some tweaking so it said, "Maui Me". I did, and loved it. I thought it would be a fun way for someone to propose. Perhaps a gift containing a "Maui Me" item with tickets to ... where else . . . Maui.

So romantic. The "Maui Me" design has two Anthuriums which look like two entwined hearts with the words "Maui Me".

I love finding new products

It definitely doesn't take a lot to make me happy. Yesterday I was looking for fresh Parmesan cheese in the deli section at my local market. I found this little thing. It's Parmesan cheese that comes with its own grater. I tried it last night and it works. I'm not the new Kraft spokesman, and I don't earn a commission, I just love finding new, handy things and passing the information along. This one scores high on my list. It's easy to use, the grated cheese comes out in even, long, fine strands and it doesn't need any special treatment. There's a little cap that fits on the end to help keep it fresh when it's stored.
The sad thing is that if I were some big Hollywood celeb, whether I wore underwear or not, Kraft would probably send me cases of the cheese grater for endorsing their product. Sigh. That's an entirely different blog for another time.
You can get more information for this nifty gadget at the Kraft website.
Another good 'feature' of this product is that I found out that I've been spelling "parmesan" incorrectly. So, I've learned something new today - and thank goodness for spellcheck.
I guess since you're here, you could go check out my store, bysandra, full of merchandise with designs by me - Sandra. Okay - had to shamelessly promote myself too.

Cook up a Chinese New Year Dinner!

Gung Hay Fat Choy! (Cantonese - may prosperity be with you) Perfect for Chinese New Year, Year of the Pig, which begins on February 18, 2007.
My ancestors were Chinese, but my mother never fixed Chinese food. It was a once a week treat to go to our favorite Chinese Restaurant and have it there. I never thought about just preparing my own. Years ago a cousin came over from Australia to stay a couple of weeks. He bought a wok and would go into Chinatown in L. A. for vegetables to prepare. If he wasn't cooking, we went out to eat - and I believe I earned a big, fat zero as a hostess. He earned a 10 from me though and isn't that what matters? Yes, I'm smiling at that one. Before he went back home, he prepared an entire cassette tape of dishes that are a breeze to prepare.
You can even turn an American dish into Chinese in seconds. Grab your wok ... (I am sooo hoping you know what a wok is and that you haven't grabbed anything else). Put a tad of oil in it. Perhaps peanut oil, but any kind really. Throw in a little soy sauce, green onions, snow peas - whatever vegetables you have and then stir fry lightly. Break an egg or two and stir quickly. Voila - serve with rice and it appears that you have a quick Chinese dish. When we were kids, my mother used to break an egg, add a teaspoon of soy sauce into our Chicken noodle soup so we could have a Chinese/American variation of egg flower soup with noodles.
The other night I whipped up a small Chinese dinner and was so impressed with what I did, that I thought I'd pass along the information. This is just a starter and as you get more comfortable cooking this way, you can add all sorts of dishes. I started with two courses. Chicken Chow Mein and Kung Pao Chicken. Both are chicken dishes, but as I improve, I'll probably do different meats. The Chow Mein would even be a good dish for a Vegan to fix.
Remember my recipes are those that a culinary expert would sniff at - but they work if you want fast, easy and good. I prepared my chicken early in the day. I cut it into chunks and 'steam' it in the microwave. I use a Tupperware microwave pot which has a strainer. I did it all at once and then put it into the refrigerator. It probably would taste a little better if you prepared it in a wok - but this is healthier because you're not using the oil and the fats are draining off of the meat while it cooks.
When I was ready to begin the process, I cooked the rice in my new Aroma rice maker that my daughter in law gave me for Christmas. I had a smaller one but really like the new one. It's a 10 cup with a non-stick inner pan and it actually keeps the rice warm until you're ready to serve it. That's a feature that now that I've used it - couldn't be without and wonder how I did without it in the first place.
Chop up your vegetables and have them ready. You will also need unsalted peanuts. I always buy the party peanuts and then I rinse the salt off of them
Put your wok on the stove with a little oil. I use a Circulon Wok and have never had a problem with anything sticking. If you don't have a non-stick pan, you may have to use a little more oil - but keep it a small amount. Toss in half of the chicken. If you cooked it in the morning then you have very little heating to do with it. Remember that you can add ingredients I don't have or you don't have to use the ones I've suggested. You make this the way you would like it. And don't worry if everything isn't measured exactly. If you overdo or mess up something - it's easy to correct.
Chicken Chow Mein: In addition to the chicken, you'll need a lb. or two of fresh bean sprouts. You can buy them canned, but I think the fresh are so much better. You can buy a bag of them for about $.80 or less per bag. One can of water chestnuts - I buy the sliced, one cup water, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbl. cornstarch and another 1/4 cup water.
Your chicken is heated so now you can stir in the bean sprouts, water chestnuts, water, soy sauce and the bouillon. I don't stir and heat too long because I like the bean sprouts and water chestnuts to remain crispy. Combine the cornstarch with the water and stir till smooth. Pour into the mixture and stir constantly, until the sauce is thickened and clear.
Remove from heat and keep warm in a bowl or microwaveable container. I quickly wash the wok and then start over (I need another wok to do them both together).
Kung Pao Chicken: This one I cheat a tad. I use the Sun-Bird seasoning mix for the Kung Pao. This is available at your local supermarket or you can order them on-line at Grandma Sandi's if you can't find them locally. Again - add a little oil and the chicken. Stir to heat and brown. Then toss in about a cup of peanuts and stir fry until browned. Toss in your green onions - stir and fry again. Then take your mixture from the packet's directions (packet seasoning, sugar, water and soy sauce) and stir and heat until thickened. That's it.
For little extras - you can buy Chow Mein Noodles in a can or you can cut won ton wrappers into strips and fry them until crunchy. A great topping for the Chow Mein. This is all there is to it. Amazing.
Chinese Chicken Salad: I always buy the boneless, skinless chicken breasts to cut up. If it's an extra large package - I just use a third for each of the dishes and then another night, I make up a Chinese Chicken Salad using the remainder. Again, another easy dish but so good. Tear up your lettuce (whichever kind you prefer) and dry it after rinsing. I use a salad spinner which I swear by. I made my salad differently each time I make it. It depends on the ingredients I happen to have on hand. Usually when I've fried some won ton wrappers, I freeze the fried ones I don't use so I'll have them for my salads at a later time.
Some suggestions for your salad are: the chicken (again, good dish for vegans without the meat), sesame seeds, slivered almonds, green onions, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, Chinese snow peas, mandarin oranges and whatever you'd like to try - there are no firm rules.
The dressing:
1/8 cup sesame oil
1/8 cup salad oil
2 tbs. sugar (I've used Splenda and it works)
3 tbs. rice vinegar (I personally think this is the key ingredient)
1/2 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper
Mix well and then pour on your salad. Don't do it ahead of time - do it right before serving.

If any of this looks too difficult - I'm sure it's because of the way I wrote it. Writing this was much harder than doing it.
Have a Happy Chinese New Year!
Mandarin: Xin Nian Kuai Le!

Year of the Pig design is available on a huge selection of products at my cafepress bysandra shop.

Designed with love ...

When my sons were young, my mother made the two youngest each a bunny suit for Halloween. One bunny was pink and the other was blue. They loved wearing their suits to create plays starring bunnies and even wanted to wear them as their jammies. Since they'd grow out of them fairly fast, I let them wear them anytime they wanted to, as long as they'd been thrown in the washer (the bunny suits, not the boys) often.

A few years ago I was sitting doodling my little bunnies in a sketch book. I loved the way they were turning out because they really looked like the boys did. As I was drawing, the phrase, "I love some bunnies" kept going through my head. I had no plans for the sketch, it was just for me. A few years ago when I began to create designs for t-shirts and other items, I came across the sketch again. I re-did it on the computer and changed the line to "Some bunny loves you". It's an all year around design but especially nice at Valentine's Day and also at Easter.

The design isn't "just" a design to me, but a bit of nostalgia. I lost one of my bunnies so it became a very special design to me. I ordered it for myself on a large mug and it definitely brings a smile when it's the mug I reach for.

You just never know where that next idea will come from ... or why. "Some Bunny" is available on a large selection of items.

Ladybug - Ladybug ...

Keep your daughters out of the garden if you think they're too young to marry! In central Europe, when a ladybird (ladybug in the U.S.) walks across the hand of a young maiden, it's believed that she'll marry within the year. Considered to stand for good luck, if a ladybug touches you, it means you may have a wish. But, if you kill a ladybug, it's said that you'll have bad luck. The lady beetle (as scientists prefer to call them) is one of the friends of your garden. It's favorite food is aphids. The ladybug hybernates all winter and then mates in the spring. They lay their eggs near an aphid colony - which to the ladybug is like moving across the street from McDonalds.
Coccinellidae is the scientific name for this family of beetles. I prefer "ladybugs". Easier to spell and to say.

If your garden is lacking in ladybugs, they can be purchased at most nurseries.

This design as well as other ladybug designs is available on t-shirts as well as items for the home and great as gifts at my shop

J'aimerais avoir un chat

"I wish I had a cat". I just like the way the lettering looked and figure there are a lot of people who do wish they had a cat. Or another cat. It's not that I don't like cats - it's that I have two huge dogs who like things just the way they are. Baby the Bullmastiff would get along very well with a kitty around the house. LuLu the Rottweiler isn't crazy about them.

I had my last cat Tigger for about 17 years. He weighed 26 lbs. and really had the characteristics of a dog, rather than a cat. We didn't begin as friends. He was my son's cat, and I had a cockatiel that I worried he'd get. We surely became best friends though.

I have a lot of dog designs in my shop so I thought it was about time to include something with a cat on it.

Blogging doesn't come naturally to me. I rarely think I have anything to say that would be of interest to anyone else. I seem to express myself better when I'm creating designs to reflect what I'm thinking about, feeling or just an idea that's popped in my head. While trying to figure out how I want my blog to be, I instead designed some blog items.

But - this is it - last day I'm going to whine about how difficult it is. I definitely can identify with my "Blogaphobic" design.


Blogging Designs

That's it for today. I don't want to tax my brain. As Arnold once said, "I'll be back".