Two Interesting Design Contests

05-30-08 gayleart.com blog--I have been looking at graphic design sites and each one has links to others. It is an interesting way to find good design sites. Yesterday while following links I found the an interesting site http://www.threadless.com that has a variety of unique designs on T-shirts. If you are a designer you can enter your designs in their contest.

Another site that has need of designs is http://99designs.com There are many businesses needing designs. The information and payment are listed for each design contest so you can choose any that interest you and enter a design for one or more. The designs are viewed by client and one is selected at end of 7 days. Today I will follow more graphic design links.

Hand Lotion without Mineral Oil

05-28-08 This week I discovered that Suave brand now has a hand lotion without mineral oil in it. It is the lotion with oatmeal and petrolatum in it. For a long time mineral oil has been the standard ingredient in most lotions, even in the expensive ones. It has been difficult to find lotion of average price without mineral oil, so this is a wonderful discovery for me. I don't like mineral oil as it sits on the surface of my hands and could rub off onto the fabrics with which I am working. I like the petrolatum as it is absorbed into the skin. So far there has been no problem using it.

UPDATE 8-4-08
A comment was made that "petrolatum is mineral oil". I was differentiating between greasy oil and an absorbent gel, not the source of the ingredient.

Mineral oil and white petrolatum are not the same. These products might come from same source, but are used differently. I buy lotions with the fewest ingredients. If the list is 1 inch or longer I put the product back on the shelf.

I have researched white petrolatum to see if was healthful for me. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_jelly
White petrolatum is absorbed by my skin and does promote healing for me.

Mineral oil sits on my skin and remains greasy to the touch. Read definition here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_oil
This is an interesting site http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-mineral-oil.htm

These are my opinions. You have to decide for yourself what to use. Everyone has different needs.

Heat Wave Good for Solar Cooking

05-18-08 www.gayleart.com blog-- During the recent heat wave I have been using the solar power to dry and cook my food.

I cut fresh pineapple into pieces about1/4" thick, placed them on mesh-covered rack, and let dry in my garden window that faces south. It only took 2 days to dry the juicy pieces.

Pineapple pieces ready for drying in garden window.


Storing dried pieces from one-half pineapple.


Also, I dried Texas Ranger leaves and blossoms for herb tea.


I baked a vroast(vegetarian roast) in solar oven at 225º-250º for 3 hours. I wrapped vroast in parchment before using foil so as to keep vroast away from aluminum. Also, I fry vacon and boil vsausage.

The vroast is wrapped in foil and ready to be put into solar oven.

I thought all wheat meat(gluten) had to be boiled and learned from reading different websites that it could be baked.
My first roast recipe came from post punk kitchen.
http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=15959&p=1

 This site has a wheat meat roast that uses a broth.
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/hamseitan.htm

This story of the grain roast really inspired me.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/200927_turkey24.html

Easy Strawberry Jam to Make

I have been looking at jam in the stores, but the price, the high fructose corn syrup, and the preservatives stopped me from buying some jam.

So this week I made strawberry jam. I bought strawberries on sale. I chopped up one pound and cooked them in small pan with water to cover bottom of pan. I stirred the fruit, cooking over medium heat, until the juices ran. Then I added one-fourth cup cane juice sugar(beige color), and a teaspoon or so of lemon juice, and cooked jam 2-3 minutes to dissolve the sugar. (The sugar is the preservative so don't try it with fake sugar. I tried it with a sweetener and the jam spoiled.) I poured the jam into a pint jar(saved from store jam use) and let it cool before putting it into the refrigerator. The jam is delicious and lasts a few weeks for me. I wonder why I didn't do this before now. Also, I have made papaya jam and pineapple jam in this same way. Now I can have as many different flavors as I want to enjoy.

For raw jam try putting the firm strawberries into the juicer. To the thick liquid add some sugar. The sugar will dissolve without cooking and jam needs to be eaten within a few days. It was very good.

Using wheat gluten to make wheat meat

I have been working with wheat meat recipes for about a year. I enjoy creating a recipe that has the highest amount of nutrition with lowest amount of calories. I use a small food processor to mix a recipe of this size. For a larger amount I use my Kitchenaid mixer.

This recipe variation I made last might. I do love the flavor of this vacon. I have been frying vacon for breakfast for a few weeks. The patty is delicious in a bun with mustard, lettuce, and tomato.

5-11-08 Bean-Rice Mix for Wheat Meat. I don't care for the word"seitan".
The dry ingredients go first into the processor:
½ cup wheat gluten
½ cup nutritional yeast
¼ cup oat bran
2 Tablespoons toasted masa(corn)
2 Tablespoons garbanzo flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic salt
Opt.-- ¼ teaspoon each of paprika, cumin, allspice, cardamom
Process to mix

In separate dish mix wet ingredients:
2 Tablespoons salty smoke*(liquid smoke mixed with saltwater or soy sauce)
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 -3 Tablespoons water
Should be about 1/3 cup liquid
Pour into processor with dry ingredients and pulse until mixed

Add
½ cup cooked millet or brown rice
½ cup cooked red kidney beans(soft but not mushy, as they will make dough too gooey)

I add these ingredients last as I like the bumpy bits in the patty. The texture is more like a beef burger.
Pulse process until dough is stiff . It will be sticky. Take out and knead the dough adding
2-3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour as needed. My processor is too small for me to add the flour. Knead until dough is stretchy like bread dough.

Form into roll and cut into 8 pieces. I cut roll into same size sections so as to be able to figure the calorie count. Each of these can be formed into a patty and fried like a burger. Fry about 2 min. on each side to brown and then turn as needed to finish cooking. It is not a precise method. I add peanut oil to help brown the patty and enhance flavor.

One of the 8 pieces can be cut into 4 smaller pieces and each piece rolled out to 1/8" thick strip to form "vacon"(bacon). If strip pulls apart roll and fold end to end to exercise the gluten. then roll out. Marinate strips in salty smoke(about 5 min.) before frying.

Fry the strips in lightly greased pan(I use a cast iron skillet), browning on each side. Then add a bit of oil to each strip and fry until crispy. Watch carefully as the oil will cause the vacon to burn. It is a matter of practice. I am still trying to get perfect vacon without burned spots.

I figured out the approximate calorie and protein count. It depends on how much oil you fry the patty or strips in. I use about a teaspoon for 8 strips or 2 patties.
 
Patty=160 calories, 12g. protein Strip=40 calories, 3 protein
Enjoy

This recipe is for your enjoyment only. It is not guaranteed.
See Gayleart.com for bean burger recipe.
*I use salty water as I am allergic to soy products. I get the hives. It is Another reason I make a lot of my own recipes.


 

Recipes will be added soon

 

Now I have enabled the comment tab. There are so many tabs to learn about that I missed this one. No time to sew these last few months as I have to be in the yard doing spring cleaning. Soon it will be too hot to be outside and I will sew again.
Also, I will be adding recipes I have created. The creative process is sew(so) much fun. I create with wheat gluten,
nutritional yeast, beans, rice, nuts, seeds, grains, and fruits and vegetables. You can see that I am a
vegetarian. It is more fun to make "meat" than just to cook meat.
I welcome suggestions for themes for the free geometric designs on my website www.gayleart.com.
Labels: recipes to come, vegetarian