hanging treasures...

terrariums are most often used to make quaint little homes for succulents and airplants... BUT with a little imagination these little hanging versions can be instantly turned into a stunning table centerpiece or party decoration.

step one:go out and buy yourself a bulk box...or two, or three.
step two:fill them with...
- elements... pebbles, sand, salt, rice
- candy... nerds, marshmallows, conversation hearts, jelly beans
- real or l.e.d tea light candles
- succulents!!
step three:hang them.
- outside... for example: from several different branches of your favorite tree.
- inside... for example: clustered close together & at different lengths above your dining room table


really, the possibilities are endless...


**photos via: botany factory & velocity

catch a whiff...

when it comes to perfume, i've always loved the idea of having a signature scent, but am too fickle a person to dedicate myself (thru good times and bad) to just one scent.

i tend to lean towards scents within the fresh, clean, and slightly floral family. philosophy's baby grace is my base, go-to scent. it's fresh and clean with subtle baby-like smells of powder, pure goodness,and maybe the tiniest hint of desitin. and on top of that, or sometimes on their own, i look for other scents that fit how i'm feeling that day.

i discovered my latest scent as a friend whipped the tiny bottle out of her purse and rolled a small dab on herself to freshen up for a night on the town. i caught a whiff and was instantly sucked into the irresistibly sweet smell of fresh grass, citrus and pear. meet leila lou, she oozes girly and leaves you no choice but to slip into your favorite jumper or dress and head out into the world as the flirty-est, funnest version of yourself.

the biggest bonus, is it smells subtly different yet still amazing on everyone.

A Soy Tofu Making Guide

The principle of making soy tofu is to dissolve protein contained in soybean using water as solvent. Once the protein has dissolved, precipitate it by adding precipitating substance to yield clumps of protein that will be formed soy tofu.

Ingredients:

• 5 kgs Soybean
• Water
• 1 gram Calcium Sulfate (CaSO4)

Equipments:

• Large bucket
• Winnowing stuff
• Filtering cloth
• Mixing cloth
• Mold
• Basket
• Bamboo shelf
• Furnace or stove
• Crusher

Directions:

1. Prepare soybean and wash.
2. Soak it in water for 8 hours (at least 3 liters of water for 1 kg of soybean). Soybeans will inflate when it is soaked;
3. When it's done, wash soybean several times. If the soybean was not too clean, the results the tofu produced will quickly become acid;
4. Crush soybeans, while add warm water little by little until the porridge is formed;
5. Cook the porridge at 70 ~ 80 oC, keep to not jell (the indicator is the presence of small bubbles);
6. Filter the soy porridge and precipitate the rest of water using 1 gramof Calcium Sulfate (CaSO4) or 3 ml of vinegar to 1 quart soy milk, stir slowly.
7. Mold and press the sediment.

Soy Tofu Processing Flow chart

Note:

• The cooking is highly influenced by temperature. 
• Cooking aims to:
• Eliminates the odor of soy.
• Filtering has better yields.
• Note: the heating also influence protein content. The effect of heating can cause damage to proteins, so it must be done with caution.
• Milling with cold water causes the odor of soy can not dissapear, so the soy tofu produced is less preferred.

inspiration icon...martha stewart weddings

oh martha...where do i even begin? you do it all... from tv. to radio. to the web. to your local department store... living. weddings. body+soul. everyday food. and the long gone, but dearly missed, blueprint. all this, plus the countless other projects you have that i failed to mention, are what makes you this month's inspiration icon.

you've built an empire AND done some legit time in the clink, all while holding your head high, looking beautiful (even in an orange jumpsuit), and convincing the masses of us that we CAN make crafts, cook meals, and decorate our lives with as much ease and perfection as you do.

you amaze all of us... but you amaze me most with your wedding magazine. i've been married almost four years and i STILL buy your WEDDING magazine... every. time. it. hits. the. stands.

...but, how could i resist?? the color palettes, d.i.y projects, and recipes go well beyond just helping a girl plan the wedding of her dreams. they serve as a GREAT inspiration source for all of us who are looking for fun ways to entertain. it is a go-to resource, a bible of sorts, to me...so thank you for being such an inspiration icon.

and yes... your picture perfect wedding photospreads send me into a daydreaming tailspin that have me begging my husband to let me go all out and plan anniversary celebrations, for us and our closest friends & family,every five years. he rolls his eyes, but i think it's a go.

MY SWORD AND PLOWSHARE STORY :)

Please Click On This Link And Listen To Melanie Safka Sing

Peace Will Come

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9eYoKwnD1s

Me:  "Reverend Sara,can I talk to you for a minute, please?

I know you're really busy. But I hafta ask you a question,OK?"

Reverend Sara:  "Sure Lisa,ask away. I always have time for questions."

Me:  "Reverend Sara, what's a sword?"

Reverend Sara:  "Hmmm. Gudd question. A sword is a weapon people

used to use a long time ago in battles. They used them for fighting."

Me:  "What's a catapult?"

Reverend Sara:  "Well...  A catapult is a bigger weapon they used to

use in the old days to hurt people with."

Me:  "This is a real important question, Reverend Sara. What's a

gun???"

Reverend Sara:  "That IS a real important question, Lisa. A gun

is a weapon to hurt people with bullets and used to maim and

kill

people and animals."

Me:  "What's a rifle?"

Reverend Sara:  "A rifle is a long gun used to shoot from long distances."

Me:  "What's a handgun, Reverend Sara?"

Reverend Sara: "A handgun is a short gun that isn't so accurate at

long distances."

Me:  "So, Reverend Sara, if long guns are gudd for shooting from

far away, they use them for shooting pretty birds, cute deers and

bears and stuff?"

Reverend Sara:  "Yes, Lisa. You sure are a smart girl."

Me:  "Now this is another important question. What are handguns for?

Animals always run away, and you can only

hit things close up with a

handgun?

Are handguns designed to kill other people, Reverend Sara,

ARE they???"

Reverend Sara:  "Yes, Lisa, yes they are. They're only designed for

killing

other people.

People practice target shooting,

but besides hitting fake targets their only purpose is to kill people."

Me: "OH MY GOD!!! [And I cried for awhile when we talked...]. That's horrible."

Now You Should Click On This Link And Listen To Melanie Sing

Beautiful People

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJRvYg_JZmI

Me:  "What's a missile, Reverend Sara?"

Reverend Sara:  "A missile is a rocket designed to carry bombs."

Me:  "Yamean like to hit buildings and stuff?"

Reverend Sara:  "Yes, Lisa."

Me:  "ONO!!! WHY!!! Oh my. That's horrible."

Me:  "Reverend Sara, what's a nuclear bomb?"

Reverend Sara:  "A nuclear bomb is the worst thing ever invented.

It's a bomb so strong it destroyed two whole cities in an instant.

One was called Hiroshima and the other was called Nagasaki.

Hundreds of thousands died right away,

and thousands and thousands suffered for years

all burnt and stuff with broken bones,

cancer and worse until they finally died.

Old people, kids, women, men, children, even the cats and dogs died!

All the buildings were destroyed.

It was a huge disaster.

The worst nightmare ever!!!"

Reverend Sara:  "War is horrible. And just a sin. Violence is NEVER the answer,

Lisa."

Me:  "Never. It's always the problem at home too. And so nuclear war

must be the worst kind of war. It's horrible."

Reverend Sara:  "I love you sooooo much, Lisa. You are so gentle,

kind, loving, considerate and thoughtful.

You are beautiful, too.

I pray that you never see any war, like I had to.

I pray that all violence ends today.

I especially pray that nuclear war never happens again!"

Me:  "Me too! I pray that too!!! We prayed together! Yippee!"

Reverend Sara:  "Promise me you'll always work for peace, Lisa? Please?"

Me:  "I already do. I am right now."

Reverend Sara:  "What a smart girl, you really are. You ARE

working for peace right now. Who sent you into my office just now?

Me:  "Jesus."

Me:  "A plowshare is the metallic blade of the plows of old. The remainder

of the plow was almost exclusively made of wood.

The notion that swords should be melted and

the molten metal converted

into plowshares

is symbolic

of

the

peace

movement personified by Christ

and still relevant,

even more so today than

when Jesus walked,

Reverend Sara.

Me[again]:  "And it means you should use your sermons to preach for peace.

Huh? Right?"

Reverend Sara:  "Yes, Lisa, you're right.

Me:  "How come you never give sermons about ending war

and anti-nuclear bombs, and stuff?  Why??? How come? Please start. OK?"

Here's Another Song Sung By Melanie, This One's A Song She Sang At A Place Called Woodstock

Candles in the Rain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=530Hqoamf3Q

Reverend Sara:  "Well, Lisa, sometimes people in church don't

want to hear these things,

and I hafta tell them what I think they CAN hear."

Me:  "Do you mean what you think they CAN hear, Reverend Sara, or

what you think they WANT to hear?

I think we need to hear about Jesus, and Unconditional Love,

justice, equality, ending war, non-violence, and understanding ALL the time.

I think Jesus said a lot that was hard for people to hear but He said it anyway.

I think he stood up for his convec...   cinvi...  how do you say it??  His convictions!

I think you should say Jesus, name and the word 'love' a whole lot more in

church, and not just on Sunday mornings.

And I think you should tell people on Sunday mornings just like you just

told me about Hiroshima and Nagasaki just now!!!"

Me:  "Saying the truth and standing up against violence is the only

way to end it once and for all. Then everybody will be happy.

Me:  "I KNOW that if you preach more about ending war and violence

and if you talk about Jesus and Love a lot more on Sunday mornings and

the rest of the time that I'll sure be happier!!!  :-D"

Reverend Sara:  "Jesus certainly did send you! What a gudd girl.

And what a great little messenger.

I will spend my sermon next Sunday talking about war, guns,

nuclear bombs, Love and I will say Jesus' name a lot more often.

I promise.

I'm sorry."

Me:  "That's OK, Reverend Sara. I love you."

And Reverend Sara and me, we hugged and hugged and hugged!!!

The End

For Now

Soybean Processing as Raw Materials for Food Products

Nuts and seeds such as soybean, peanut, winged bean seeds, koro, and coconut are very important in our life as food source of vegetable protein and fats. Amino acid contained in its protein is not complete as animal protein. The addition of other ingredients such as sesame, corn or groats are very good for maintaining the balance of amino acids.

Nuts and tubers are easy to be exposed to mold (aflatoxin) and so quicly to become withered and rotten. To overcome this problem, those materials need to be preserved. Processing these raw materials can be food products such as chips, tofu, tempeh, and beverages such as soybean milk or powder.

Soybean contains 35% protein, even in the superior varieties protein content can reach 40-43%. Compared with rice, maize, cassava flour, green beans, meat, fresh fish, and eggs, soybeans have a higher protein content, nearly matching the levels of dried skim milk protein.

When one is not allowed or must not eat meat or other animal protein source, protein needs by 55 grams per day can be fulfilled with foods derived from the 157.14 grams of soy.

Soybeans can be processed into: tempeh, tempeh crisps, soy tofu, soy ketchup, soy milk, and others. The processing of soybeans into a variety of food in general is a quite simple process, and the equipments and tools used are commonly used in the household, except parer, grinder, and mold.

By: Harry S.

xoxo

love.

love big.

love unconditionally.

from my heart to yours. happy valentimes day.