Mochi Success! Well, Sort of..

So I have been working on mochi  for the past several weeks now and finally achieved success worth showing off!  It only took three times to get it right...sort of.  

 That means that it has the same taste and co9nsistencey as the professional ones,  but I still have to work on the presentation.   I already have ideas how to fix that with my next batch.    These guys were filled with peanut butter because I like that better than the traditional red bean paste.   ( besides,  I JUST figured out how to make the mochi,   I didn't feel like tackling red bean paste!)  So it is Tuesday, and Cheryl and I made a special Trip to Iowa City to do some errands and make some major purchases. 

  We decided that the stockings need an upgrade in their picture quality and we have been taking pictures with the best camera we could afford.   It's not bad,  but it is quite limiting in its quality and focus.  Hopefully,  you will see a better quality in my blog postings as well.   ( perhaps I'll be able to capture that Butterfly egg next time!  )  Other than that,  

 Cheryl and I have been working on Stockings and hopefully will get some posted online this week or at least begin to chip away at the pictures.  Oh!  And before I forget,   We have a couple of new Animes!    Black Butler 2 and Antique Bakery!   

We finished Antique last night and will begin with black butler tonight.   Antique is not bad,  but the MAnga is MUCH better....so to truly appreciate the anime,  read the manga first.....the character development is better, more fun, and there are several story arcs that are left out in the 12 episode anime.... but it is still a fun time.   Check it out!   

Origami Mouse, Elephant, Drancing Crane, And Crazy Neighbor part 2....And really cool beetle.

So Here we are again,  It has been forever since I have last posted but now that the scoring season is letting go a little,  We now have some time off.   I still might not be able to blog as often as I would like,  but it is nice to have some time off.    Anyway,   there is much that happens between posts,  And since I have to sqeeze it all into one,   here we go:

So first lets get some of the origami out of the way.  I figured I have made over $100 from my co workers as they "donate" money  for their favorite foldings.    ( I don't ask them for anything,  they just leave me money!)  So, between the paper and the money,  I have been motivated more and more to continue pushing the limits of my skill.  ( granted,  I'm not the best there is ...yet) So I was rather proud of the way the last couple sculptures turned out.   The paper is differant, as well as the technique. I also had a wet folded cat that I was pretty proud of.  but the picture did not turn out very well.  

 

 

So, In addition,  we had a small flood....again,   a really scary beetle showed up that Cheryl was happy to share with me.  Luckily we were able to capture it before it ate the cat or got in Cheryls hair, and let it go.   Hats off to Cheryl!  After the initial shock,  she was able to overcome her fear and throw a used plastic container over it while I stood on a chair and barked orders between screams! So we let him go and everything eventually got back to normal.  

And the there is the neighbor.   At least she is consistant.   The neighbor upstairs parked in "her" spot ( crazy neighbor's spot) and crazy was able to send the message to  upstairs as well.   I know this is confusing,   so lets use the nick names Cheryl and I have provided for each neighbor.   "The Tickler" Is the upstairs neighbor who owns the black car.    "Flea Bait"  Is the Crazy Neighbor who owns the white car and thinks she owns the first parking slot.    No!  She is not handicaped in any way.....she just really wants that spot and gets upset,  Equally mind you,   when anyone parks there.   So I'm sure she will continue to park extra close to anyone who violates the unwritten rule.   What fun!  

Other than that,  Cheryl and I are planning on taking a little break from scoring for a week and work on stockings instead.   Scoring will kick back up after that so we should be back on the clock then.   Until then,  it is time to rest our brain and work on our ultimate plan to take over the world! 

So Much to Blog about, so Little time to Blog.

So, Where do I begin?   It has been a while since my last post and I just have not had the time to log on and post anything.  But stuff still manages to happen that is fascinating.  So first I will start with my origami.   I have recently had the opportunity to use the largest sheets of paper I have ever created....Not counting the tyvek.  This paper was old and rather brittle,  but I discovered that with wet folding, it comes ALIVE!   It was the most fun to work with as it held its shape well as I folded it into the dragon you see here.   I folded this dragon several times with the three sheets I could make.  It was a big hit at the ACT! 

Additionally,  I have been working on some other sculptures,   like  lobster, banana slug, and F15 eagle.   I also found a really great brown paper and folded a large scorpion.   The sheet of paper was 20 inches square!   This was probably the best scorpion I have folded to date.   It still could be improved on,  but the paper just started to rip as I was making my final touches on it.  

Additionally,  Just a small addition of something rather cool.   I was watching a sulphur butterfly when she dropped down in front of me and laid an egg on a clover leaf.  My crappy camera could not focus  well enough to take a decent picture, but, thankfully,  someone online who had a better camera was able to capture a true close up of the egg.   It was pretty cool, and it is the first time I have ever seen an actual butterfly egg.  

And  lastly,   I guess there was an incident at the place where we work.   I guess ( I'm only reflection on the rumor)  Someone came into the first floor of the building with a vest filled with sticks of dynamite...or road flares....not sure about the details.   Anyway,  they evacuated the first floor just in case until security was able to remove the man.   It was ok though,  Cheryl and I work on the second floor,   so they did not have to evacuate us.     And so it has been that Cheryl and I have been spending our weekends at ACT scoring and have had little energy to do much else at the end of each day.    I guess we will have a break coming up in the next couple of weeks,   but in the mean time,  we will continue to make as much money as we can and I will try to squeeze a posting in when I can.....and continue with the origami...it is the only thing I have the energy to do..I will have to post a later blog entry about how the Mochi making has been coming.   At this moment,   Two failures in the kitchen....but at least the results have been edible.  I think I'm getting closer to success though.  We shall see.

More Origami, Crazy Neighbors, and Cool Things about Wellman

With me posting only once a week,  I have to be careful to try not to overfill each posting.    SoooooWhere to begin.    I guess with the Crazy neighbor who is very possessive about her parking spot.    At first,   there was no reason for concern.  But when I decided to park in the top slot  ( when she was gone for several weeks.....it was empty)  she decided to take a not so passive aggressive approach to getting her spot back.   This is how I know it is malicious.....she ALWAYS parks this closed to the driver side....even when I back into the spot.!  How am I to get into my car???!  ( Notice the space she COULD park in)   So,   She is old,  single, and very particular.....much like my mother used to be....So   I decided I don't want to be there when she snaps.   (My mother used to stand in the aisle of the church if someone sat in our front row seat...!  Thanks Mom!)   I now park down by the tree. 

Anyway,  I have been working on several Origami sculptures recently.  Just as when I was a wood carver,   everyone would give me wood....Now that I fold paper....people are giving me various types of paper to play with.   So of the stuff is not very good,,  but others are pretty cool!   I can't wait to see what i can do with them!

And finally:  There is so little in Wellman to show off that when we DO find something,  we have to take a picture.  

 This is of a tulip tree.   The only tulip trees I have ever seen where white.   But this one was green/yellow with a orange band.    Pretty cool!  

 So Cheryl and I decided to take a walk and snap a few pics.  

 

Hope everyone is having a great summer so far.  We continue to trudge along at ACT while working on stockings on the weekend.  Perhaps I'll have better origami to show off as the summer progresses and I get to use the latest paper.  We shall see!

Making Mochi...My latest Culinary Challenge!

 So what is next?   After conquering the Gyoza mystery,  I'm now up for another Adventure in the kitchen!  This time  MOCHI!   Also known as a japanese Rice Cake,  Mochi is made from Pounded Rice flour and steamed, baked, grilled, and aparently, even microwaved!  

 I don't know if I will find the guys it takes to pound it,  but I think I can find the processed glutinous rice flour that is required.....Or maybe enlist Cheryl and make my own.   We shall see..    Having little to post lately,   this is all I got...and so I shall post my results when I have some of the gooey cakes to show off.....Get ready for FUN!

More stockings, Cats and How to MAKE Gyoza....

So I finally did it!   I decided to find out just how to make Gyoza.   It is so simple that I cant believe it!   Anyway, It is very fun stuffing those little wraps with the stuff.   The recipe I followed is fairly simple and easy to add things to or take away.   I 've already added fish instead of turkey/pork.  

Anyway,  it calls for ( and the proportions can be switched up to your liking)  1 cup cabbage, 1/2 cup of onions, 1 cup pork/ or chicken/ or turkey/or fish,  1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp vegetable oil,   any spices to your taste.....I like garlic and hot mustard.    I have substituted chives for the onions,  olive oil for the vegetable oil, horse radish for the other spices...and the list goes on.   

  Take the mixture and blend it up to a almost pate'    and fill the dumplings.   Dip your finger in water to make sure the one side will stick to the other and fold them like this....easy!  You can fry them or steam them .   

I have become addicted!    

Other than that,   we continue working at ACT on the MCAT and GMAT while doing stockings on the weekend.   Today we worked on some raccoon stockings.   We were planning on having this week off, but the GMAT asked for volunteers and we signed up.   It was one of those things where we need to do the stockings, but need the money now, more.   So,  my posts have been getting more and more infrequent.   

 But with only weekends, and the help of one of the shop cats,   we should have things to post...a little at least.   Hope everyone is having a great week/or month....depending on how often I post stuff.   We shall see.