My Craft Essentials, part 1 - Cutting Tools

It is very easy to clutter my drawer with all the cool crafting tools that are available on the market. So I am writing a blog series about the things (or what I think are essentials) I cannot do without and why, starting with cutting tools. And here is the list:

1. Pairs of scissors 

Yes, pairs! I like to use different scissors for the different materials I cut. I have one pair for ribbons, one pair for paper and another pair for general purpose. The brands I trust are Fiskars and Tonic Studios' Tim Holtz scissors. If you have two pairs of the same color, tie a ribbon at one of the scissors' handles to differentiate the two. Or, get a different style or color. Tim Holtz scissors have a narrow point, making them perfect for those intricate cuts.
Tip: Clean your scissors after every use. And, if you often use your general purpose scissors to cut something sticky, don't forget to clean them every so often with water and soap to clean off the glue excess. Here is some more information from Fiskars.

2. X-Acto knife and cutting mat
Some cuts are so meticulous. An X-Acto knife is perfect for those. To use the X-Acto knife you need a cutting mat underneath to protect your surface and your knife. The mat is self healing and it comes with a measuring grid for precise cutting.

3. Guillotine paper trimmer
I love this trimmer! It's a paper crafter must have! This heavy duty trimmer cuts up to several pieces of papers at a time. The cut is always clean and being able to cut so many papers at one time saves a lot of time. It also comes with a measuring grid to help you get the perfect cut. What's not to love?

4. Portable paper trimmer
Again, the brand I trust is Fiskars. Their customer service is exceptional! I own the SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer. This light weight trimmer has a 12" cut length and a self-leveling swing-out arm extending to 15". When you tuck the swing-out arm in, you'll get a 6 1/4" x 12" base to work with. It doesn't take much storing space, it is light weight and it cuts perfectly! You do need to change the blade cartridge occasionally though.

5. Paper punches
A helpful tool to add a little character to your project. Paper punches come in different styles, shapes and designs. And I simply cannot get enough of these.

Hi! My name is Linda and I am a craft addict.

Since I posted my first blog about cards here, I have fallen deeper in love with paper crafting. I was never really serious about it until 7 months ago when I started making my own Christmas cards. And I have to say, paper crafting is very addictive! So for you readers out there, be prepared to spend a LOT of time and money if you decide to start this hobby. Trust me, there's no way back once you started! :)

Over the past year and a half I have learnt some new techniques and have been introduced to several awesome machines. To be honest, what I know now is only the tip of the paper crafting iceberg. There are TONS of media and applications you can use, mix and match. The possibilities are SERIOUSLY endless. Here is a sample You Tube video posted by Scrap Time Videos featuring one of my favorite designers and crafters, Tim Holtz. Isn't he amazing? And look at what he created! Isn't it beautiful? I can't wait to be as professional as he is!

So, in order to push myself to be more creative and productive, I will try to post at least 2 cards tutorials every month. Let's see what I come up with.

Till then.

Baking: 2nd Attempt; Brazilian Cheese Puffs - Pao De Queijo

The last time I made my Pao De Queijo I used the Gold Medal All Purpose Flour because I didn't have any tapioca flour. It turned out pretty good but it missed the puffiness. This time I baked some using tapioca flour and it turned out perfect!  


Ingredients:

1 cup of milk/water

1/2 cup of butter

1 tsp salt

2 cups of tapioca flour

1 cup powder Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

Method:

1. Boil milk/water, butter and salt. Set aside.

2. Slowly add tapioca flour then cheese to the mix. Keep mixing it until a dough is formed. Add the 2 eggs in and mix it thoroughly. Make small balls. 

3. Preheat your oven to 300-350F and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Note: When you mix tapioca to the boiling milk/water, it will form a gooey dough that looks pretty much like glue. Don't worry about the look. Keep mixing until the dough is formed. 

Martabak-part II

On my first post on Martabak, I introduced the meat/savory recipe. If you missed it, please click here. This time I am introducing the sweet one. It is pretty much like a pancake, only it is Indonesian style. I call it Indonesian Sweet Pancake.


Ingredients:

4.5 cups of flour 
2 eggs
0.5 cup of sugar 
3 cups of milk
1 tsp baking powder
a dash of vanilla
a dash of salt
1tsp of baking soda


Extra Ingredients:
Chocolate sprinkles/ chocolate syrup
Condensed milk
Finely grated roast peanuts


Method:
1. Mix all ingredients but baking soda and the extras. Set aside and let it sit for about 45 minutes to an hour.

2. When you are ready to cook, add baking soda to the dough and heat a little margarine/butter on a non-stick pan on a low heat. Add a ladle or 2 to the pan, enough to fill 1/3 of it or to cover your pan. You don't want too much dough on the pan because baking soda helps rises the dough. The thicker the dough, the harder it is to cook without burning the bottom of your sweet pancake. 


3. Wait until bubbles are formed, add a little sugar if you want it to be sweeter and cover the pan. 


4. Check regularly until your dough is dry. Brush a little margarine/butter, add the extra ingredients and your sweet pancake is ready to be served.

No Child Left Behind Act

This act was first proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office in 2001 and it is about time to reform this act! Obama was spot on when he announced the plan to reform the act earlier this year. It is no secret that America is falling behind in lots of aspects, especially in Education. According to the blueprint for reform, 10 countries have passed America in college completion and I personally think that this is an embarrassing fact for a country who once claimed to be the greatest.

I come from Indonesia, a third world country, whose ongoing issues include poverty, education and unemployment. Having spent years in third, second and first world countries, I know what it is like to have the majority of the population uneducated. People are narrow minded, easily provoked and they believe in everything. There is no discernment because they simply do not know how and what to discern. 

It aggravates me when I hear Rick Santorum comment on the act. Quoting from Washington Wire, dated January 7, 2012, Santorum said “They’re not ready to go to [college.] They don’t want to go to college. They don’t need to go to college. I was so outraged that the President of the United States [said] every student should go to college.”

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against homeschooling. I believe every kid has to be pushed to reach their potential and go to college, or at least to vocational schools. Yes, I said... PUSHED! Some people are naturally lazy. With no incentive and stimulation, some people will be happy being just a mediocre - which is not good enough to be the greatest. Imagine a country built on mediocre people and compare it to a country built on knowledge thirsty, skillful and thriving people. Who do you think will be better? Of course, the education system in America has to improve too. America has lots of potential, lots of great colleges at its disposal. It is just a shame to not utilize them.

I came across an essay on the time management, written by Manish Rajkoomar that reads: People, who made effective usage of time at their disposal, got the best from time. But those who forgot the value of time found to their utter dismay that it was harsh on them later. And on the next paragraph he wrote: Time can be spent wisely or foolishly. The choice is ours and so are its consequences.

Read that quote again and change the word "time" to "knowledge!"

Sources:

1. http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/publication_pg2.html#part2
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_World https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/id.html
3. http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/01/07/santorum-all-students-shouldnt-be-pushed-to-go-to-college/ 
4. http://www.publishyourarticles.org/knowledge-hub/essay/an-essay-on-the-time-management.html

Auxiliary at Florida Fish Memorial Hospital

Since Jan 24, I am officially an auxiliary at the Ambulatory Services Clinic, Florida Fish Memorial Hospital or AMSURG as they call it. Even though this job pays me nothing, it gives me the chance to meet new people, make new friends and network. And if I don't end up working at the hospital, at least I could use this experience as a reference. So... YAY for my first work experience in the States!

Honestly speaking, working in a hospital gives me the shivers. Let's admit it, no body wants to hear an "Oops" in a hospital. And AMSURG deals with pre-op, operation and recovery for out-patient and in-patient, so you can imagine how nervous I could be on my first day. Even though I knew I would only be assisting the receptionist, a wrong click in the computer could lead to fatality.  But thank heaven, my first day was not bad at all. It was quite the opposite. And I sure was thankful for a quiet Tuesday and a nice receptionist who taught me everything I needed to know to start with.

My schedule is 3 days a week, Monday to Wednesday, 8 to 4. And for now, all I have to do is check in pre-op and surgery patients, answer phone calls, update family members on the surgery's result and prepare some charts.

I've got the feeling that this is the start of something good - a wonderful and a fruitful year!

4 Perkara!

Terkadang kita terburu - buru memvonis dan melukai perasaan orang yang ada di hadapan kita. Namun hendaklah kita ingat, ada 4 perkara yang kalau sudah terjadi tidak bisa diperbaiki:

1. Tidak mungkin kita menarik kembali batu yang kita jatuhkan atau terjatuh atau terlempar.

2. Tidak mungkin kita menarik kembali kosa kata atau kalimat yang telah kita ucapkan.

3. Tidak mungkin kita menarik kembali peluang yang terlah berlalu dan hilang.

4. Tidak mungkin kita mengambil kembali waktu, umur dan masa muda yang telah berlalu.

Oleh karena itu kenalilah dan ketahuilah dengan baik bagaimana kita harus bertindak dalam 4 hal ini!

Jangan sia - siakan peliang baik yang ada di hadapanmu!

Jangan terburu - buru memvonis orang lain!

* All credit goes to my friend Salina R. Thanks for sharing, dear! *

Operasi Rahang

Jadi ingat kata seorang teman yang selalu nyeletuk "Operasi Rahang" sewaktu ada teman lain yang asal bicara, entah itu merendahkan orang lain atau bergosip ria; katanya: "Operasi Rahang! Ganti aja ama rahang si guk guk sana!"
Memang benar sepertinya, lebih baik ganti rahang... entah dengan rahang apa atau dengan rahang siapa, yang penting berhenti dari kebiasaan asal bicara. Maaf kalo perkataan ini terhitung kasar. Tapi saya tidak bisa menyangkal kalo saya setuju sekali dengan perkataannya. Rahang si guk guk biasanya dipakai, selain untuk makan dan minum, ya... untuk menggonggong bukan hal lainnya. 
Yuk refleksi diri...

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.Watch your words, for they become actions.Watch your actions, for they become habits.Watch your habits, for they become character.Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. 

Author Unknown

Terjadilah Menurut Perkataanmu!

"Linda...sombong yah... ke rumahku ga mau, ke rumahnya mau. Rumahku jelek yah." 

"Linda... sudah banyak teman yah sekarang, lupa yah sama aku..."

Halaaah...dangdut banget sih. Rasanya ingin ku jawab "Iya, memang Linda itu sombong. Berteman pilih - pilih, apalagi kalo sudah banyak teman baru, yang lama lupa."

Dua kalimat yang tidak masuk akal dan yang belum pernah aku dengar sampai beberapa bulan terakhir. Kalo ditelaah, sebenarnya berteman itu dengan si tuan rumah, atau dengan rumahnya? Dan lagi... lupa? teman - teman dari SD dulu pun aku masih ingat. Memang mungkin tidak sering berbincang di forum media sosial atau melalui telefon, tetapi tidak dilupakan. 

Jadi kalo memang ada yang beranggapan seperti dua kalimat di atas... yah dari lubuk hatiku terdalam aku ucapakan... "Biarlah terjadi menurut perkataanmu!" 

SAMPAH!

Dari beberapa hal yang sulit dicari, mungkin teman atau sahabat adalah salah satu dari beberapa hal tersebut. Ada yang bilang "Lin, berteman jangan pilih - pilih, siapa tahu nanti kamu butuh bantuannya". Ada juga yang bilang "Kalau mau maju dan berkembang, kamu harus berada di lingkungan orang - orang yang sependapat". Yang mana yang benar... terserah anda yang menilai. 

Saya pribadi cenderung memilih untuk berada di lingkungan orang yang mau maju dan berkembang dengan alasan mereka yang mau maju tidak punya (atau mungkin punya sedikit) waktu untuk bergosip atau bahkan menjelekkan orang lain. Bahasan - bahasan atau topik topik yang dibicarakan sifatnya akan lebih membangun daripada menjatuhkan. Hidup ini TERLALU singkat. Masih banyak yang bisa dipelajari, masih banyak potensi diri yang bisa digali dan dibina. Omongan - omongan SAMPAH seperti bergosip atau menjelekkan orang lain rasanya tidak membangun potensi dari segi mana pun. Kalau dipikir, apa sih untungnya menghabiskan waktu bergosip, entah itu menyebarkan atau mendengarkan..., yang ada nantinya meracuni diri sendiri dengan hal - hal yang belum tentu benar adanya. 

Berdasarkan renungan di atas, saya menolak mendengarkan celotehan SAMPAH! 

Happy New Year!

It is difficult to live in the present, ridiculous to live in the future, and impossible to live in the past. Nothing is as far away as one minute ago. ~ Jim Bishop

Let's live 2012 to the fullest, friends. Make every second count! 

And if anyone asked me what my new year's resolution is, it'd be: to tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time. ~ James Agate. 

Merry Christmas!

My Little Round Christmas Rainbow Bon Bons

A little bottle of vanilla extract in my pantry reminded me of the bon bons I used to make when I was little. Only then, I used rum essence instead of vanilla extract. Mmhm... I love rum! I love the smell, the taste and even more when it is mixed in to my bon bon dough. This bon bon is so easy to make and tasty. All you need is: 

1. Graham Cracker *
2. Condensed milk
3. Vanilla extract or rum extract
4. Rainbow sprinkles 

* You can use any other sweet cracker. Regal brand biscuit is what I used when I was little.

There is really no measurement needed, it all depends on how many bon bons you want to make and how sweet you want them to be. This time, I used 1/4 of my Nabisco Honey Maid Graham Cracker 4 Pack Value Box.

Method:

1. Finely crush the cracker or grind it with your food processor. Set aside in a mixing bowl.
2. Add some condensed milk and mix it together until dough is formed. 
3. Add a dash of vanilla or extract, depending on your preference. Mix it thoroughly. 
4. Form a round shape (I used a tablespoon as my measurement and rolled the dough in my palm).
5. Roll the rounded dough in sprinkles. If the sprinkles do not stick to the dough, add a little milk, enough to cover the outside part of your rounded dough.
6. Put it in the refrigerator for 30 minute before serving. 

Enjoy!

Martabak (Indonesian meat pie/wrap)

One of my favorite late night snacks in Jakarta is Martabak. A simple street food, cooked to order, good for your evening/mid night snack or even as an appetizer. The stalls are usually very noticeable with the many chicken and duck eggs covering 1/3 of their glass.

There are 2 choices when it comes to ordering a portion, the meat/savory or the sweet. I love both of them but this time, I am introducing the meat martabak, which is cooked ground beef and eggs, wrapped in a thin dough and deep fried. I always ordered it with duck eggs, but since I don't have duck eggs, I'll use chicken eggs.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef
5 finely chopped scallions and shallots
5 large eggs
1 tsp of nutmeg (or coriander)
1 tsp of salt
Oil to deep fry

Wrapper:
Spring roll wrapper

Side of Pickled diced cucumber:
1 cucumber
1 carrot
Shallot
Thai chilli
Water
Sugar
Vinegar
Salt

Brown sauce:
2 tbs soy sauce and water
1 tbs ketchup
1 tbs chilli sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp tamarind

Martabak:

1. Heat 1 tbs of oil in a pan and add shallot, fry until fragrant. Add scallions then beef, season with nutmeg and salt. Discard excess fat. 
2. In a another bowl, mix the beef mixture with eggs (I usually add in a dash of salt, not too much, you don't want it to be too salty).
3. Fill each spring roll with 2 tbs of the mixture and fold to form a rectangle shape. Deep fry, 4 minutes each side or until brown. Don't forget to hold your spatula against your martabak so it stays the same shape.

Pickled diced cucumber:

1. Peel and cut cucumber in half, remove seeds and dice.
2. Peel carrot and dice.
3. Clean shallot, cut in to small pieces, do not dice.
4. Clean Thai chili.
5. Put all ingredients in a bowl, add in 1/2 - 1 cup of water and 1 tsp of sugar, vinegar and salt or enough to give it a sweet and sour yet tasty taste.

NOTE: It will be soupy but we do not usually drink the soup. It is just to give taste to the cucumber and carrot.

Brown sauce: 

1. mix all the ingredients together.

It looks complicated but it really isn't. The whole process should take no longer than an hour, but it depends on how many martabak you are frying.

Baking: 1st Attempt; Brazilian Cheese Puffs - Pao De Queijo

What do you do when you crave for something but it is not common in the area where you live? I'd suggest you turn to the "Almighty Google". Yes, type whatever you need; recipes, information... anything! 


This time I am craving for Pao De Queijo. I was introduced to these amazingly yummy cheese puffs by my dear Brazilian friend whom I met in Shanghai. It is so easy to make. All I need is Pao De Queijo powder, some water and a few eggs.  Mix them altogether, round it up and bake. With this mission of searching for the powder in my head, I roamed around some grocery stores but had no success. So what did I do next? GOOGLED it!  I found a recipe that I like and here it is (with a little twist to call it my own)


Ingredients:
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of butter
1 tsp salt
2 cups of tapioca flour
1 cup powder Parmesan cheese
2 eggs


Method:
1. Boil milk, butter and salt. Set aside.
2. Slowly add tapioca flour then cheese to the mix. Keep mixing it until a dough is formed. Add the 2 eggs in and mix it thoroughly. Make small balls. 
3. Preheat your oven to 350F and bake for 20-25 minutes.

I didn't have tapioca flour so i used the Gold Medal All Purpose Flour. I am not sure if this could alter the taste and texture but I used it anyway. My Pao De Queijo didn't turn out as puffy as how I remember it, but it was still very tasty. I shall make it again with tapioca flour. Stay tuned for updates on my journey to making the perfect Pao De Queijo!

I Carry Your Heart With Me, by: E. E. Cummings

i carry your heart with me
(i carry it in my heart)
i am never without it
(anywhere i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling)


i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)
i want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart


i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

- I love you, Brandon K. Russ. 

I carry your heart, I carry it in my heart!-

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Cards

I have to admit, one of the good things about not having a job is having the liberty to explore new hobbies. And in the spirit of that liberty, I tapped in to my inner artist and channeled it through colorful papers and fancy shapes, also known as scrapbooking. I don't know how I caught the scrapbook bug. I used to hate dealing with scissors. I hate cutting lines and could never cut straight lines straight - My mom and sister can attest to that. 

So, I started with making a birthday card. My first goal is to be able to cut straight lines. And here is the result:

When straight lines bore me, I play with my curvy scissors. And I came up with this:

The flowers and butterflies are from American Girl Craft Paper Posies pad.


Seriously, who knew cutting papers, folding and mixing and matching colors could be so much fun. 

Home Sick

So, I have been posting status updates related to my home country on Facebook this week. I guess this whole thing started after watching 2 episodes of Amazing Race that were filmed in Jogjakarta, Java Island, Indonesia. Seeing the rice fields, clips of the way of life in that city, the famous Borobudur Temple and hearing the sounds of traditional Indonesian instruments, gamelan, has made me miss home. I have lived in four countries so far and never have I thought that I would miss home as much as I do now. It is official, I am home sick! And guess what, this is the first time that I have felt this feeling and let me tell you, this feeling sucks!

The question I am asking myself is “why now? It is obviously not my first time away from home!”. Looking back, I realize that I have always had the liberty to commute, good friends and a job. I was in my element, so to say.

Life in Florida, U.S.A. is a bit different. It is not too hard to cope but I do miss the freedom of being independent. Not having a car is not a problem, it is more to not having easy access to public transportation. Not having any job or income is not a problem either because there is always something I can do around my house. My biggest problem, I think, is not having friends by my side and the food that I am familiar with. Yes, I have made new friends but they are not physically reachable and yes, there is an Asian Supermarket 45 minutes away from home where I can find a lot of Asian cooking ingredients but there is always an ingredient missing. Sigh. Lucky me, I am not fussy with food. :)

In my case, Joni Mitchell is right. She once sang “You don’t know what you got till it’s gone”. I have taken things for granted. Back then, everything was so easy to get, to reach and to have. Now that I am far away from all those comforts, I have to say, I really miss them.

It is true that we don’t know what we’ve got until it is gone, but we don’t know what we’ve been missing until it arrives.

Mini Mushroom, Tomato and Bacon Quiches

I was trying to cook something with no wheat for breakfast and Quiche came to mind. I thought it'd be complicated but it turned out to be easy.

Ingredients:
- 8 pieces of bacon
- 8 oz of mushroom, sliced
- 2 big tomatoes, cut in little cubes
- 5 eggs, 3 egg white
- 1/4 cup of spring onion
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 tbs of oil
- Salt and pepper

Method:
1. Cook bacon until it is rather crispy or according to your preference. Set aside in a bowl.
2. Heat a large nonstick cooking pot over med heat. Add oil and sliced mushroom. Cook until golden brown, 6-7 minutes. Add cooked mushroom to the bacon. Let cool for about 5 minutes before you add the spring onion, tomatoes and pepper.
3. Whisk eggs, white eggs and milk in another bowl.
4. Pour the eggs mixture to muffin tin that is already coated with cooking spray. 5. Add the bacon mixture to each cup.
6. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake until the tops are turning just beginning to brown, ±25 minutes. Let cool.
7. Serve and enjoy!
 
Note:
* If you don't have a muffin tin, you can substitute it with any oven safe glass bake ware.
* You can substitute sausage for bacon or with any other vegetable you prefer.