Making Bread Without a Bread Maker

I wanted to experience what it means to make bread without a bread maker or stand mixer. It really make you appreciate modern life. Here's my story in pictures.

72 Hour Emergency Kit

In light of all the super storms, wild fires, and flooding that happens across the country, I wanted to be prepared in case of an evacuation. I did lots of online research to see what was the best thing to pack in a 72 hour emergency bag. Everyone talks about MREs and you end up on lots of sites that discuss having a hideaway that you bug out to in case society crumbles. I just wanted a pack ready to grab in case of a disaster that forces us to evacuate. It also can serve the same purpose if we get snowed in. It contains three days of food that is ready to eat and does not require heating (though it would be better if it was). There are a few companies that made shelf stable meals that you could eat cold and it wouldn't be the end of the world. I also have protein bars, gum, plastic utensils, paper towels, and energy drink mix. This is my DIY MRE.

Each of us gets one of these bags per day. I packed the whole day's worth in a gallon size bag and labeled it for whose it is. My husband has a dairy allergy so I had to make sure to label which were safe for him. 

When planning emergency food you need to count the calories. These bags hold most of our food, but in the backpack I also included a jar of peanut butter, peanut M&Ms, and a couple cans of pineapple. 

I also used plastic containers to hold a radio (old walkman), batteries, and a battery powered emergency phone charger. Make sure to store the batteries outside of the electronics.

Another container has the first aid kit with a Swiss army knife, matches and other small useful items.

Other things to think about that I don't have in the pictures: I put rolls of toilet paper in gallon sized bags, several packs of handy wipes, extra thermal back warmers that could be useful in a Chicago winter, sterno, sunglasses, copies of important paperwork, my extra state ID, house key, cash, flash lights, and duck tape. I also have gallons of water that we would just have to grab. Currently everything is in one overstuffed incredibly heavy backpack. I think I want to redo things soon, split it into two bags, change some of the food options (also need to switch out based on expiration dates). I also want to add some emergency blankets, rope, gloves, socks, and other things you would be glad of if you left your house in a hurry for several days. Don't forget medications if you take them.

This pack sits on top of my art supply tool chest in my closet along with the gallons of water. I need to get more water because in my building if we loose power, we loose water pressure and no one above the second floor will get water.

I've also started a small supply of food storage for use in the event the city looses power for a week. I watch episodes of certain reality shows set in New York and realized I wanted to be prepared after watching the episode of the aftermath and what it was like in the city for a week afterwards. We don't have a pantry in our kitchen so we have limited space for food. I've started keeping emergency food in my closet. You do what you have to.

Update: I've updated all the food items in the kit. Instead of trying to have food that resembles a meal or MRE, it's loaded with protein bars, apple sauce pouches, beef jerky, turkey snack sticks, a jar of peanut butter and saltines, peanuts and those little chicken salad kits, and dark chocolate bars. It is much lighter now. I still divided up the food in the same gallon zip locks. I want to add some dried or freeze dried fruit still and some emergency blankets. I now have 5 gallons of water stored in my closet with this pack.

Vintage bike love

I love this bike! I walk by it all the time to and from the train. Love the color and the vintage style and of course the wood wine crate as cargo holder.

Taking Donations to a Thrift Store Without a Car

City life without a car means you have to haul it yourself. This is what I do to take donations to a thrift store. I load up one of my giant IKEA bags. Carry it half a mile to the train in the morning with me. Carry it another half a mile to my school and take it to the nearby thrift store on my lunch break. It's a work out! I'm lucky I work close to a thrift store because I don't have any donation drop off points close enough to my home to walk.

Yes, I've tried calling Salvation army for a pick up, but the first time was a Saturday and I stayed home and waited for a call to come open the back door. They never called, so I called and they said not all drivers have phones but I can leave it outside on the day of a pick up. So, next time I left stuff in the alley with a big sign that it was for Salvation Army. This time they did call and I told them where it was, but only one thing of the four I left was still there. So, now I schlep it on the train one load at a time.

Home Tour

Got my loft ready for a condo board meeting and took some pictures after. You can tell we need more lighting and we have a few other changes planned for the near future.

Entry

Kitchen

Entering second bedroom area

(eventually will put a door here)

Second Bedroom

 Living Space

We keep flip flopping where the dining table goes, sometimes it's in this corner, but not this time

Master Bedroom

Bathroom

Butter from a Food Processor

I decided I wanted to make my own butter to go with my homemade bread. It's not hard, but I discovered that it won't save you any money.

Here's what you need: heavy cream, salt, food processor, and a cheese cloth (I tried a dish towel and it was terrible, get a cheese cloth)

Pour in cream.

Add a little salt. I think I did half a teaspoon.

 Turn on food processor and realize that you have a tiny one and take out half the cream. Notice drips.

 Now we are in business. Keep it churning for about 10 minutes.

 At the 5 min mark it looks like whip cream. Keep going.

 The butter will start clumping together and the butter milk separates out.

Place butter in cloth and squeeze out the butter milk.

You are left with fairly equal amounts of butter and butter milk.

2 cups of heavy cream produced just under a cup of butter.

An Elegant Evening Out

My husband and I recently enjoyed a magical evening at the Chicago in White event (inspired by Diner en Blanc). An elegant picnic where everyone wears all white, brings along their own table, and dances to a live jazz band under the stars. The fun part is you don't know where you are going till you meet up with your group.

I made my own white wrap skirt out of a beautiful white satin with a silver brocade design. The simple tablescape included elements from my wedding (the small white vase and the LED light inside it). We ate our gourmet food from Whole Foods off real china and drank from real glasses. To start off the dinner, everyone twirls their white fabric napkins in the air.

The Meet-up

Before the train got more crowded

The table and you can kind of see my skirt

Waving napkins

Tuck in

Everyone puts their tables together in a row, like one long banquet table

Surrounded by city and siting by the river at the Merchandise Mart

Geometric Painting for Bathroom

The bathroom in my loft is stark white. It was done up really spa like when we were house hunting. We moved in and put up a white shower curtain and our set of towels in two colors that don't match the bath mat we had (didn't get the upgrade for the mat when we got married). At best the room felt spartan, at the worst if felt like a bachelor pad. Oh, and the cat box had to go in here too.

I wanted to paint the whole room a warming taupe. My husband disagreed. With family coming to stay for the first time at the end of summer, I knew I had to do something. One of the biggest problems was tying the colors in the room together to each other and also the rest of our loft. After being inspired by another blogger's geometric painting, I decided to do a painting similar to a type of project I would do with my art students. Instead, this time I would keep my lines white by employing painters tape. 

If you saw my painting post, you know I have 13 paint samples leftover from our "great indecision".  I decided to put some of them to good use for m painting. I only had to buy a canvas from my local art supply store, the rest of my supplies included the paint samples and leftover painters tape and or course my own brushes.

I chose four colors: the gray from the TV area and a small accent wall, the deep teal in the entryway, the taupe I wanted for the bathroom, and a muted purple (we love purple).

Tips: Use different thicknesses of tape for interest. Trust your instincts and your eye for your own composition.

The whole process took me just a couple hours.

at the beginning, used a chair for an easel 

just starting to paint

done!

After hanging it in the bathroom, I upgraded the shower curtain to match the taupe in the painting and now even have a matching bathmat. 

before...all white

 Now where the painting is installed, across from the mirror