Homemade Pasta

Bluebird Grain Farms now sells freshly milled pasta flour. It is a unique blend of two kinds of Emmer (Farro) Flour. It yields a golden rich, nutty rustic pasta that compliments any sauce. It's delicious, and is now the only kind of pasta flour we use when making pasta at home.

Ingredients:

1.5 C. Bluebird Pasta Flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

- In a food processor, combine flour and salt. Process for 5 seconds.
- In a separate bowl, combine eggs, water and oil.
- With the food processor running, add wet mixture to flour mixture; combine until mixture comes together.
- Lightly flour work surface with more flour (we use Bluebird's bread flour). Knead dough until it is smooth and pliable (30-60 seconds).
- Divide dough into 2 pieces, shape each into a plump disc, then wrap in a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator. Let sit for 20 mins or up to 3 days.
- Bring large pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt and tsp of olive oil.
- On a floured work surface, roll out large rectangle approx 12x20".
- Cut pasta to desired length (we use a pasta cutter).
- Slide dough into boiling water. Boil 2-5 mins until it floats to the surface.
- Drain, and serve with your sauce of choice.

Recycled Fashion

If you were posed with the challenge to make a runway-quality outfit out of trash, what would you make? The possibilities are endless. What materials might you use, how would you assemble your masterpiece, and what style might you choose? Would you use garbage bags? Soda cans, soda can tabs, beer caps, bicycle tubes, flour sacs, coffee filters, newspaper, magazines, CDs, metal scraps, or how about VHS tape? What would you do with this?

Following a community-wide effort to pick up litter alongside Methow Valley roads, Confluence's Trashion Show last night spotlighted diverse and eclectic fashion created using road-side garbage and would-be-waste. More than 150 people turned up for the event. The high school art class spent countless hours fabricating outfits. Local businesses sponsored designers, and Blue Star Coffee Roasters sponsored the People's Choice Award. Cash prizes were given to the top 3 contestants.

Here is some of the fashion that walked the runway:

Recycling can be so much fun!

Rose Petal Sugar Scrub Cubes

I had so much fun making these sugar scrub cubes. Since I don't have any ice cube trays, I searched my house to find something else that could function as a mold. Recycled egg cartons! They worked brilliantly.

These sugar scrub cubes would make a great gift. They are colorful and solid. I use them in the bath. Just squish one between your fingers and massage it into your skin. When you rinse it off, your skin feels silky and smooth.

Ingredients:
1/4 C. Shea butter
1/4 C. coconut oil
1/8 C. glycerin
2 C. white sugar
20 drops food coloring (I used bright pink and red)
10-20 drops rose petal essential oil (or oil of choice)

Directions:
1. In a double boiler, melt Shea butter & coconut oil. Once melted, add glycerin. Stir.
2. In the meantime, place sugar in a bowl. Add food coloring. Mix thoroughly with a pastry blender.
3. Add essential oil to sugar & mix thoroughly.
4. Pour oil mixture into sugar. Using a spatula, mix until sugar becomes a paste.
5. Press sugar paste firmly into egg cartons. Place in the refrigerator until entirely cool.
6. When your sugar cubes are solid, tap cartons gently on bottom. Your cubes should drop out with ease.
Enjoy!

Homemade Vanilla Lillipops

Few goodies are evocative of childhood as these flavorful sweets. Simple to make, natural flavor, delightful candy on a stick. These lollipops are bound to be a hit with the kids, both to make and devour with you.

Ingredients:
12 cinnamon sticks (this time I only had bamboo skewers on hand, and they worked fine)
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. water
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:
- Cut out 12 tinfoil squares and shape them into circles with 1/4" sides (like mini cups with flat bottoms).
- Place lollipop sticks so that one side is laying in the circle.
- In a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, combine sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.
- Cover the saucepan, increase the heat to high. Boil for 1 minute to ash down any sugar crystals.
- Remove the cover and boil syrup for another 5-7 minutes.
- Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and set it on a wire rack (or back of your stove off the heat).
- Let syrup cool for 5 minutes. Add vanilla and stir until thoroughly blended.
- Spoon syrup into each tinfoil circle. Let the lollipops stand until they are completely cool and the candy has hardened.

Made with bamboo skewers

- Wrap each lollipop in plastic wrap; secure below the ribbon.

Made with cinnamon sticks

Moroccan Chickpea & Potato Soup

Susan made a fantastic soup tonight, simple yet flavorful. Served with squash bread rolls, salad and Sparkling Panakam, this soup was a hit among both adults and children.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1.5 C. dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
10-12 C. water
One 3-inch piece Kombu
4 large carrots, diced
5 red potatoes, diced
1/2 C. tomato paste
1/4 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp salt
1/2 C. fresh parsley, chopped
1 C. yogurt
1 C. slivered almonds, gently toasted
1/2 C. fresh green onions, chopped
1 C. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
- In large Dutch oven, heat olive oil, add onions and saute for 5 mins. Add garlic and spices; saute for one more minute.
- Drain chickpeas and rinse well. Add beans and fresh water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for 35 mins.
- Add carrots and potatoes. Stir. Simmer for another 20 mins, or until vegetables are tender and chickpeas entirely cooked.
- Remove Kombu from pot. Add tomato paste, lemon juice, sea salt and parsley. Simmer for a couple more minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with  yogurt, almonds, green onions and cilantro.

Sparkling Panakam

This is a (non-alcoholic) refreshing, zesty spring or summer drink. It is a wonderful way to incorporate fresh ginger into your meal. This was a hit during one of our weekly soup nights.

Ingredients:
1/4 C. fine grain natural cane sugar
2 tsp ground fresh ginger
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp fine grain sea salt
4 C. sparkling water, chilled
Ice cubes

Directions:
- In a pitcher, stir together sugar, ginger, cardamom, lime juice, and a splash of sparkling water. The result will the a thick paste. Stir until lumps have dissolved.
- Add more water, a little at a time, stirring continuously. Take it slowly since the mixture becomes fizzy.
- Serve with ice cubes.

Lavender Body Butter

I got sunburned today while turning soil for my tomato bed. Since I finished my aloe moisturizer this morning, I realized I didn't have anything to sooth my sore skin. So, I "whipped up" this simple, relaxing, and rejuvenating lavender body butter.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp Coconut oil

1.5 Tbsp Olive oil

2 Tbsp. Beeswax

1 Tsp. Honey

3 Tbsp. Aloe Vera gel

2 Tsp. Lanolin

10 drops Lavender essential oil

1 Vitamin E capsule

Directions:

- In double boiler over medium-high, heat oils, beeswax and honey.

- In a separate double boiler over medium-high, heat aloe. Once melted, mix into beeswax mixture. Stir.

- Add lanolin & stir.

- Once mixture has melted, turn heat to low. Stir in Vitamin E and essential oil. Whip until smooth.

- Pour into small glass jars and let cool before covering.

Cutting Glass Wine Bottles

In honor of Earth Day, I wanted to do a project involving recycling, so I brought home a case of empty wine bottles from our art opening last night to make little planters like this:

Uncommon Goods

It took me several tries to get this glass cutting down, and my cuts are still jagged. If you're looking for a cleaner cut, try the boiling water method, or perhaps try using a dremel tool.

Materials Needed:
Recycled wine bottles
Cotton String
Acetone
Bucket of COLD water
Matches or lighter
Sand paper

Directions:
Be careful. There is an obvious burn risk with this project. Be sure to wear goggles and gloves. In any case, here's the tutorial.

1. Fill bucket with cold water.
2. Soak the string in acetone and wrap it around the bottle several times.
3. Light the string on fire and rotate the bottle so that all sides are heated evenly.
4. When the acetone is about to burn out, place the bottle in the water. It should split where your string was.
5. Sand down rough edges.