Playing with Rice

So I suck so badly at cooking rice that my friend gave me a rice cooker for my birthday. So far I've cooked in it three times, one of which was more successful than the others. So let's start with the first try.

*sniff* Ain't it beautiful? 

There it is making fluffy rice. I even went all out with the complicated ways of making rice. I cleaned the rice until the water ran clear, I soaked the rice for 30 minutes, added the right amount of water according to the lines on the inside of the bowl, and pushed the little cook button ^_^

Mom likes bunches of butter in hers.

And here I added tuna and mayo to another bowl.

It was a success ^_^ It was fluffy and awesome. Yays! =D Now for my less successful second try.

I took a can of mixed vegetables and drained the brothy stuff out of it. I added a chicken bullion cube to it and added enough water to make it a cup of water. I nuked it in the microwave until the bullion dissolved. Added the rice and broth to the rice cooker bowl and added water till it was at the little line. Scrambled an egg and lightly stirred it in.

Pushed the cook button and when it got done I let it sit for 15 minutes in the cooker. Buuuuut...

This is after it was stirred after steaming.

While it looks good, the rice wasn't cooked all the way so I dunno. I put it in the fridge and am saving it for fried rice.

My next experiment is prolley gonna stain my bowl forever. Added a can of tomato soup and a can of water to the rice in the bowl. I checked it after it said it was done and it wasn't so I put it on for another go. Checked it after that and while most of the liquid was gone, it still wasn't done and I decided to break the rules and actually stir it. The bottom of the rice was burned so I added 2 of the little rice cups of water to it, stirred it and put it on again. Decided after a little while that tomato stuff prolley wasn't good to mess with in a rice cooker. Added another can of tomato soup, basil, worchestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic salt, italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, american cheese slices, Texas Pete hotsauce, and A1. I know it seems overboard but it was tasteless for a good while. After all of that it was edible, just still a bit strange. I had to stir it the whole time, so the rice wasn't fluffy. It turned out to be tomato goo that was a little over spiced, but that was my fault

Nothing to get excited about, it was meh, it really needed meat in it. But! I figured since it was mostly tomato and cheese and too much spice it would be good on a pizza.

I only put it on half, just in case, cuz I like Totinos and would hate to screw the whole thing.

This was actually pretty good. Much better as a pizza topping with it's over spicyness. Only thing that coulda been better is if it had shredded cheese sprinkled on it. Nom.

Moral: Experimentation requires more research, but the rice by itself was badass.

P.S. This rice cooker is awesome cuz not even one stain after all of that abuse.

Boozin'

I'm dog/house sitting for my bro and he's got bunches of booze. Thought I would try a tiny bit of each and see how I like them. Gonna wait a while between each bit, just in case. (btw, I have permission to do this, so no thinking I'm stealing or anything)

First up is Disaronno on the rocks.
    Poured a bit into a glass of ice. This one is ok, it's way too sweet for me though. There might be other ways to try this where it's not so sweet but I'm ignorant to the ways of booze. Went looking for something to help this drink cuz I would feel bad if I poured it out. It's only a tiny bit but alcohol is not cheap. I found some lemon juice and put a few drops in it and it's better. I think I can finish it now that it's not like drinking syrup. This would prolley be great when mixed with other things and boozes but I'm not gonna waste it by experimenting.

Next up is vodka and orange juice.
   I put a little bit of vodka in a glass of orange juice. I can still taste the vodka, but not bad. There are apparently people who mix it different ways, like putting more vodka than orange juice, stuff like that. I can tell you now, not gonna happen. I have a bad memory of drinking straight vodka and it was disgusting so any time I'm gonna be drinking it, it's gonna hafta be covered up with something. I think if I were to drink a bunch of these (with the tiny amount of alcohol I put in it) I might get drunk a while from now, but since that is not my aim (plus I don't wanna drink a bunch of their orange juice, that stuff is expensive) I'm all good with my glass being the way it is.

This is my last experiment of the night so I'll save it here and come back later.

So my next one is spiced rum.
   I like this stuff but it's a funny sort of drink. I put about a gulp into the bottom of my glass and I've been sipping on it for about an hour. How on earth can anyone get drunk off of this stuff without setting themselves on fire? It's good, don't get me wrong, and would prolley kick ass if mixed with certain things but itty bitty sips is all I take so I don't burn myself.

Next up is a mango Carribean rum
   Smells good, a little sweet but not bad at all. I kinda like this one. Only put a splash in the glass so I can't tell you if a big gulp will burn but it's got a pleasant warming to it and it doesn't smell bad like so many others. I could see myself getting some of this, if I ever have monies to my name again.

Now we have tropical banana Carribean rum
   Smells fruity (imagine that) Not bad. This would probably be best mixed with something else. There is one more flavored rum they have and I'm thinking the three flavors would prolley work really well together. The mango one is better cuz this one is just a little over the edge making it a bit too sweet. It still has the pleasant warmth that the mango had without the burn of the spiced rum. These two also had pretty good aftertastes, that's always a plus. ^_^

Last of the rums...at least I think so, I haven't really gone snooping too deeply, is coconut carribean rum
   Smells similar to the banana rum for some reason. Maybe it's just a general tropically smell? This one is alright, not as good as the mango. I'm harping on that mango aren't I? =D It seems that there is a more alchoholly taste to this one. Could take or leave this one really. I've had a lot worse though, so in perspective, it's really not bad. That damn mango ruined me for the night it seems. Maybe I should mix a spoon of all three of these together?

Last one for the night (I've had about an hour between each of these, in case you were wondering) Mixed a teaspoon of the three tropical rums together.
   Smells fruity with the scent of alcohol. Maybe I shoulda added half a teaspoon of the coconut instead of the full spoon? When mixed together though, it's not bad. Kind of a general fruitiness with alcohol. Still got a little warmth to it, not bad though. I'll say one last time (for the night) I promise. I would prefer the mango by itself, mixed with the other two kinda drowns it's taste into a vague fruit being.

Off for the night. Maybe tomorrow I'll try some of the kahluas? I'm off to down a glass of water to make up for lost liquid from this.

I've had normal Kahlua so I'm not gonna do that one. It tastes like coffee. I hate coffee but I like Kahlua, go figure. Doubt you could become drunk off of this stuff but hey, I'm not an alcoholic who is gonna try.

So first up we have peppermint mocha Kahlua.
   Isn't mocha just another way to say coffee? Kahlua by it's definition is coffee flavored. I dunno, anyways. This is really good. I am fond of mint (except wintergreen, bleck!) so I'm into this one. I mixed it with milk btw. Never had straight Kahlua, don't think I'd like it, but you never know. So yeah, this gets the Tonna seal of approval. It's not alcoholly and it's like minty chocolate, nummy.

Next up is a pumpkin spice cream liquor thing.
   It's not Kahlua but it's close enough. I tried a sip with no milk and gagged. It's way too strong and just, dayum. Added to milk it's really good. Just tastes pumpkin spicey with no alcohol. This one is good too.

He has more but I'ma stop for now. It was fun, thanks for coming along for the ride ^_^

Yarn Ends Have Much Love

For a while I've been tying yarn ends together. Whenever I make something and I have to weave in ends I save what is left over and tie it into a ball. Why?

 That's why.

I think it looks bad ass, and to be honest, I don't really care if other people don't like it. This one is for me. It's gonna take forever since I only add, at the most, a couple of inches every color change or project.

After I've added a row.

At least I have color in my life ^_^

It's bumpy and full of knots but I don't care. It's a special project just for me. I think it's a great idea and it's technically recycling and I love it. And if you don't, I honestly couldn't care less. If you do think it's cool, awesome ^_^ It's small right now, but it'll grow over time. I'm also saving the little bitty pieces that are too small to tie together for fluffy stuffing if I ever make a doll.

Purple and Black Scarf for the Gilgameshy one.

I made a purple and black scarf for my friend Gilgamesh.

 

His favorite color is purple so in order for it to not look too girly I added black as well. Unfortunately my camera won't pick up the reds in the purple and make it kinda blue in the pics. It's the amethyst yarn that they sell at Wal-mart. I don't have wool or anything really warm so I'm hoping that the two strands will make this warm. I'm worried about it being scratchy due to the acrylic, but that's all I've got. I think after he washes it, it will be softer. It's kinda wide as well so it can protect his face against the northern cold. It's between 5 1/2 and 6 feet long. He's a tall guy so I'm hoping it's long enough.

If anyone is interested, the pattern that I based this off of is here -> Super Fast Scarf

Hope he likes it ^_^ It makes me happy to make things that get used and, hopefully, loved.

Cinnamon Toasted Doughnuts

A friend of mine gave me some expired doughnuts from the gas station where she works (so awesome btw) and I've been nomming them and wondering what kinds of stuff I can do with them. Unfortunately I'm almost out of them now that this thought has occurred to me, but anyways. I cut some doughnuts in half and lightly buttered them.

(Since they were old they cut easily)

I threw them in a pan heated to med.

And sat back and smelled the sweet smell of burning. Seriously, I had forgotten about the fact that sugar burns like crazy....oops. I left them on for a minute or so and dusted them with cinnamon once they were plated. 

I figured they had enough sugar on them so I didn't add more. The burned parts are sugar, I promise. Besides having a slightly burned taste (I have no idea why, honestly) these were pretty good. Slight crunch to them from the butter and pan cooking, which was nice, just wish I could figure out a way for the sugar not to burn.

Moral: Burning rings of sugar are a go.

Bama Pursey Thing

So I've been commissioned to make a bigger wristlet with an Alabama theme. I'm still working on it, but here's what I have so far.

Hook - 00 (double zero)
Yarn - Worsted Medium 4 in crimson and white
Finished dimensions - 7in X 5in

There should be 22 stitches on each row. Don't forget to count these.

ch 23
1. sk st, sc in next st, sc across, ch 1
2.-35. sc across, ch 1
36. sc in back loop only ch 1
37.-70. sc across, ch 1
71.  sc in back loops only, ch 1
72.-77. sc across, ch 1
78. sc 5, ch 3, sk 3, sc 6, ch 3, sk 3, sc 5, ch 1
79. sc across (when you come to the holes just sc into them instead of each chain) ch 1
80.-81. sc across, ch 1
82. sc across, finish off.

Then I put detail on it, attached buttons, stitched it together and I'm currently waiting to see if I need to put a short or a long strap on it. I'm also wondering if I should put white stripes on the edge of the flap, it looks a little plain to me.

(My rows were straight until I did that A, but it still looks awesome to me ^_^)

So far I have timed it at taking me a little over 5 hours and I haven't even started on the strap yet.
I have no idea if the lady's phone is gonna fit in it cuz I'm just kinda guesstimating it as I go.

Also, it's my first time doing the surface slip stitch thing but I like it. If anyone is interested I got it from here -> Surface Slip Stitching

I'll prolley update when I finish this.

P.S. I gotta say, I'm proud of that A ^_^ Roll Tide baby! And if anyone is interested the original pattern for the mini wristlet is here -> Mini Wristlet Pattern

If anyone makes this, let me know if I've messed up on anything.

Update

Started 2am Monday October 15th 2012
Finished 7pm Tuesday October 16th 2012
Was paid 5$ for materials
Total Time - 6 hours

Mini Wristlet Pattern

A friend of mine wants a mini wristlet. Just big enough for her phone, credit cards, and some folded up money. I'm just gonna hafta wing this one and make it up as I go. Here's hoping my internet doesn't crash or something in the middle of it cuz I'm writing it here as I make it up. Also, dis is my first time trying to make and publish a pattern. Go with me here.

K so....this is a list for what I am using, you can use whatever you want but the results will probably differ.

Yarn  - Medium Worsted 4 (I'm using Red Heart super saver in Zebra)
Hook - 00 (That's right, double zero. I want this thing tight!)
2 buttons

You will also probably need a yarn needle and scissors, but then again, if you just break the yarn and weave it in with your hook, you won't need either. Up to you really ^_^ (Also, if you aren't using a double zero you might need a ruler, or you could go to iruler.net. It should be about 3in wide and, when folded, be about 5in...I think, we'll see)


The stitches you need to know for this are the chain stitch (ch) and the single crochet (sc), nothing complicated. This is gonna be really tight so nothing gets through in case she has to put change into it or something. That being said, it's prolley gonna be a massive pain in the butt to make this, be prepared for a battle.

Also, make sure you count your stitches. This is important. I don't normally count after every single row unless it's a long one that I really wouldn't wanna do again. But with this I count every 2 or 3 rows. If your counting gets off, you need to fix it or you are gonna have a really funky looking case that veers off to one side or is crooked. There should be 15 stitches on every row.


    Chain 16
1.  Single crochet (sc) into the stitch 1 away from where your hook is. (skip a stitch)
           SC into every stitch across, chain (ch) 1, turn.
2.-26 . SC into every stitch across, ch 1, turn
           (Crochet a little tight if you can, if the hook doesn't make it tight anyways.)
      

(Make sure to go through both loops)

27.   SC across in back loop only, ch 1.

 (Don't know if you can see it here but the back loop crocheting makes a foldy seam place.

 (For those who aren't using 00 it's 5in plus the seam row)

28. Keep going.

 

(Cuddles says, "You can do it!)

28.-53. SC into every stitch across, ch 1, turn

54. SC across in front loops only coming up from underneath, ch 1 (If you aren't using 00 just make sure that it folds over to make a flap on the correct side)

55.-57. SC across, ch 1

58. SC 3, ch 3, skip (sk) 3, SC 3, ch 3, sk 3, SC 3, ch1 ( you should have 2 holes now)

59. SC across, ch 1 When you get to the holes from the previous row just go straight through the holes instead of through each ch. 

60. SC across, ch 1.

61. SC across, finish off.

(Huh, look at that. I totally didn't plan it but it came out to be a foot. Gotta love iruler.net)

Now attach your buttons to match up with your holes. I added mine after the 4th stitch from each side, but it all depends on your buttons and how you want to do it.

(Hmm, that's a little dark so how about this?)

Now how to sew up the sides? Hmm...I don't like how the sc looks for closing sides. Basically you can do this however you feel like it. I think I'm gonna try whip stitching. Let's see how this goes.

Now for the strap

    ch 61, sk next stitch, SC in each stitch. Use the ends to attach the ring together and to the body. Don't let it twist.

 (Hmm...I'm still not good at that whip stitching thing. I went up and then back down the sides)

(I put some money, my ipod, and my drivers license in there...I don't have a cell phone T_T. Also, there's proof that I've been uploading this as I go.)

Shadow and Stupid say, "It's time to rest."

P.S. Anyone who uses this pattern, please let me know how it goes. It's my first time so I mighta screwed up somewhere. Have fun and happy crocheting ^_^