30by30: 2.) New Recipe: Crackers for Bentos

The July Daring Baker's Challenge was to experiment with making crackers. I'd never made savory crackers before and I've never made things frozen as logs and cut up in coins to bake. Here's the recipe that I used:

Cheddar, Rosemary and Walnut Icebox Crackers (form into a log and slice):

Servings: Approximately 48 crackers

Ingredients

1 stick butter, well softened
2¼ cups grated aged Tillamook jalapeno cheddar cheese, firmly packed
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary

Directions:

1. Combine butter, rosemary and cheese in a stand mixer and beat well (can also be done by hand)
2. Add the flour, salt and nuts and stir to combine
3. Form the dough into two tight logs and wrap with cling film
4. Chill for at least an hour and up to several days. The log can be frozen at this point for several months.
5. Heat the oven to moderate 325°F
6. Slice a log into 5mm (1/5 inch) coins and place on a parchment lined baking sheet
7. Bake about 10 minutes until golden brown
8. Store in an airtight container and eat within three days
9. Try this recipe with different cheeses, nuts (or no nuts), and spices. Get creative!

30by30: 8.) Calligraphy postcards and seasonal haiku

In 2009, when I began studying chanoyu (the Japanese Tea Ceremony, or the Way of Tea), I started out taking an introductory class with my Sensai that covered many grab bag basics of Japanese culture. One of the things that we tried our hands at was calligraphy. Samurai would study tea and calligraphy as a means to attain balance along with their martial arts study. My Sensai took Calligraphy lessons in Kyoto and he said that you could never truely know a stroke until you wrote it 1,000 times. Thus, 1,000 ichis was born for her (or writing the word "one" 1,000 times!).

Sensai had a wonderful idea that I am copying. For four years (from 2002-2005), she focused on one word to learn in calligraphy. She would practice and practice the strokes of that one word and then, after she felt that she had mastered it, she would send a postcard to everyone with the calligraphy on the front in that beautiful black ink on a white notecard. On the back would be written the word in hiragana, it's essence in English and also a corresponding seasonal haiku or zen phrase written on the back. I don't plan on sending them to people. Not until I get some practice and I think doing the ones from 2000 will be a good starting point. By the end, Sensai was sending them to 75 people and she said it was getting out of control. I don't have the money or the patience to commit to that right now.

I thought this would be great fun if I went back to the start of the Millenium with the year 2000, I know (13 years! What am I thinking?) and do one for each month. I've already picked out each word and haiku for the last 13 years (I stayed up until 2 am doing it) and I'm really excited to get started. I know this isn't something you learn in a day and it will really feel more for me like DRAWING rather then writing, but I think it will be great fun to see the development from 2000 to 2012 and onward from there.

It's the spirit of the art that counts, not its masterpiece. The new themes are announced by the Imperial family each year at the utakai hajime, the annual New Year's poetry selection.

2012: Shore (kishi)
2011: Leaf (ha)
2010: Light (hikari)
2009: Life (sei)
2008: Fire (hi)
2007: The Moon (tsuki)
2006: Smile (emi)
2005: Walking (ayumi)
2004: Happiness
2003: Town
2002: Spring
2001: Herbaceous Plants
2000: Time

30by30: Extra Credit #4 Sit in front of my own gas fireplace COMPLETED

We completed the renovations to our fireplace. Here are the before and after pictures. We already had gas installed in the house, so we called All Pipe Systems to come in and lay additional pipe and run it down the wall. Small 6 in x 6 in hole to patch up on the backside, facing the kitchen. However, the fireplace tray and black lava rock look really sharp. We used some black heat-resistant spray paint to clean up the fire box. I think it looks great and will be fabulous in winter when we need it also for it's value as a heater. Right now it creates a wonderful calming mood in our space.

Before

                                                                          After

30by30: 2.) En Papillote (asparagus)

Pretty decent side dish. One comment is that it needs more oil or I just need to bake it for longer. The asparagus was a little too crisp for my liking.

30by30: 2.) Roly Poly Rolled sandwich inspiration

Today I made my very own version of my favorite rolled sandwich from Roly Poly. It has Tuna and BBQ sauce and here is how you can do it at home.

Ingredients:
Albacore Tuna
Tortilla
Cooked Bacon
Sauted onions
Half a small avocado
Thinly sliced cheese of your choice
BBQ sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
Mayo or Sour Cream or combo

Directions
Drain tuna. Feed tuna water to your cat if you have one. They will love you for it. Then add BBQ sauce, mayo and sour cream to tuna and stir. Salt and Pepper to taste. Place the cheese in a half of the the tortilla, making sure to spread to about 1/2 inch from all edges. Then take half of tuna and spread it in a log in the middle of your tortilla. Add bacon, onions and avocado near tuna. Fold sandwich in thirds and cook on skillet until it is crispy. (Use low setting so it doesn't burn). Cut sandwich in half. Sandwich may drip, which is totally normal. This is a perfect size for one person and I heart it very much!

30by30: 18.) Flower arrangement

Dahlias, lilies, and filler :)