Chai!

I don't know about you, but I adore tea, especially chai. I have tried so many brands and blends, and one of my favorites was Celestial Seasonings Sweet Coconut Thai Chai. I had bought a box of it at some random cast-off store (don't worry, it wasn't expired) but when it ran out, that was it! Although I did see some online, I can't find it anywhere locally.

When I saw a recipe on Pinterest for homemade chai mix, I re-pinned and eventually made it. I followed the recipe almost exactly, except for the spices. I haven't tried this recipe the way it is written in that link, so I can't compare; however, I do believe my changes may add a little more robust flavor (and perhaps, if I may be so bold, authenticity. I'm really not trying to be a jerk, I promise! I just really depend on that black pepper element in my chai).

my kitchen has the worst lighting!

Here is the recipe, with my changes noted with an asterisk:

• 1 cup dry powdered milk
• 1 cup non-dairy powdered coffee creamer
• 1 cup French Vanilla flavored non-dairy powdered coffee creamer
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea
• 2 tsps. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• *~1/4 to ~1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
• *1 tsp. cardamom (I know the original recipe suggests cardamom, but opted to forego it because of the expense. I bought some cardamom on sale for about $10, so if you really want to add it, just price shop and look for a good deal! I do think it makes a difference!)

Place ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a wire whisk until well blended. Then, using a blender or a food processor, blend small amounts (~1cup) at a time until the mixture becomes a fine powder. (Beware of this process... I had a bit of a dust cloud in my kitchen that would rival a desert sandstorm!)

Pour the well-blended mix into a large air-tight jar ($5 at Ikea) and label as desired... may I suggest Sharpie on Washi tape?

To make your drink, add 3tsp. to a mug of hot water. Enjoy!

 

pic taken at Cedar's house... i love her mugs!

xo
enid

Curry Candied Sweet Potatoes

Happy Holidays! I hope everyone has had an enjoyable time with all of your traditions and loved ones. I certainly have!

This Christmas, I made "my" Curry Candied Sweet Potatoes. I posted a pic onto Instagram and there was some interest in the recipe, so I decided to share here on my blog. I'm not an amazing cook by any means, so when I get something right, I'm extra proud!

To be fair, my recipe is based on one from the Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook, but I have added curry to give it a kick.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6-8 medium sweet potatoes (I prefer raw and uncooked red yams, as opposed to canned yams)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup butter, or margarine, melted
• 1 20oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. sweet curry powder  (you can use up to 1 tsp. depending on how much of the curry flavor you'd like in the dish. I have found that the 1/2 tsp. is plenty for my family members with less-adventurous palates)

1. Wash, peel, and cube sweet potatoes, and place in slow cooker.*
2. Combine remaining ingredients into a bowl, mixing well. Pour over sweet potatoes.
3. Set slow cooker on High, 4 hours.

After about 2 hours, you can start to mash the potatoes with a mashing tool or a fork, then stir occasionally until time is up. The reason that I prefer to delay the mashing is so that the texture of the potatoes remains chunky as opposed to smooth.
*If you prefer a smoother texture, boil the potatoes until soft before placing them in the slow cooker. You can also put the mixture into your standing mixer after it has cooked for a few hours to smooth out the lumps even more.

It is so delicious and unexpected! I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do. And it's extremely easy... I bought all the ingredients at 11am on Christmas morning and had the sweet potatoes on the table at my mother's house by 6pm Christmas evening.

I have been quite busy making a lot of stuff, especially for Christmas gifts, so please bear with me as I get accustomed to blogging more regularly! Also, brooches from my show at the Next Door Gallery will soon be available for purchase online.

Love,
Enid

Brooch the Subject

A while back, I had dabbled in jewelry making. Well, on a few separate occasions: I think the first time was during one summer vacation when I was really sick and had to sit around at home, so I figured out crimping beads and I made necklaces.

The next time was when I was getting ready to have my second child. My first child was born via an unexpected c-section. I did everything I could to avoid it, but once I went into kidney failure, I had no choice. I spent two years researching VBAC. As my due date approached, I felt the urge to create a talisman to wear during the birth. I splurged and bought strands of moonstone, jade, rose quartz, freshwater pearls, and amethysts. I strung them together and added a large mother-of-pearl circle as a pendant. I researched the meanings and powers behind each stone. The name we picked out for our daughter meant "Little Pearl," and her middle name, Diana, represents the goddess of the moon, the hunt, birthing, and the woodlands (all things with which I am rather obsessed!). So each part of the necklace tied in with her name and with the whole journey of childbirth and motherhood.

Four and a half years later, I was invited by a long-time friend and mentor, artist Johanna Hansen, to make some brooches for an art show called "Brooch the Subject" at a Gallery space she rented out. I had seen some of the fascinating brooches she herself had made for previous shows, and said I was definitely interested. I combed through my old jewelry, some of my late grandmother's costume jewelry, and used various vintage findings, fabrics, trims, and charms to make brooches in my own style.

I don't really know what my main aesthetic is, unless there is one all-encompassing term that describes all things woodland critter, lace, nature, death & decay, the beautiful pointlessness of daily monotony, quirk & whimsy, all wrapped up in a bit of a dadaist-little-old-lady package. For example, the above piece is a bit of an homage to autumn... the acorn and leaf signifying the changes in nature; the clothespin is a nod to the chores we must do; the feathers and lace are the link between nature's discard and man-made "stuff"; consider the fact that we tend to cling to our material things and not want to let go, often because we fear we "might" need it at some point in the future, and meanwhile birds can just shed feathers and leave them behind. They know they don't need them, and they know that should they need more, the problem will fix itself.

 I create these things, and ponder the meanings within, and I take yet another step back and chuckle to myself. Isn't this all just a flash in the pan? I have to ask myself... what do we leave behind? Diamonds, pearls, the memory of a mother who dutifully hung the laundry on the line? Do we merely leave our bones to mingle among the flowers?

xo,
E

(To see these brooches and many more, stop by The Next Door Gallery (2963 Beech St, San Diego, CA 92102) during the South Park Winter Walkabout on December 1st, 2012. My brooches will be for sale along with brooches by several other local artists and original one-of-a-kind folk art by Johanna Hansen.)

a little intro...

Hi! My name is Erin Bearden. (Some people call me Enid.) And I make stuff.

I also love many other beautiful and ridiculous things, which is why I created this blog. Also because one of my oldest and dearest friends, Cedar (The Vintage Wife), always tells me I need to start blogging!

Feel free to Like me on Facebook (EnidMakesStuff), and follow me on Twitter and on Instagram (@enidbearden).