Back to Basics: A Stamper's Toolkit

Last night, I finally caught up with a ton of thank you notes that I have been forgetting to write for some time--that and paying all of the bills and dumping out the nineteen pounds of receipts and napkins I've been carrying around in my diaper bag. I used to be so on top of things like that but with a baby and a new house, things have been left on the back burner far past their boiling point.

Stamps above: Assemble On the Table Stamp Set, Assemble Mr. Bradley Stemke Polar Bear, Exercising People from Paper Source, Typewriter from Black Ink Boston, Winter Tree, Happy Whale, and Polka Dotted Grid from Impress Rubber Stamps, Date Stamp from Knock Knock, and Calligraphed Return Address from Kathryn Murray Calligraphy

That's no excuse, though, so last night I gathered a few cards and got to work! I always like to do a little something cute or fun on any note that I send. When time is of the essence, I usually end up writing the return address on the back of the envelope, and in the usual area on the front upper left-hand corner, I like to use fun rubber stamp.

Oh my. This opened a can of worms that I wasn't actually prepared for. I use plastic bins for my stamps because they wipe down easily, and by the time I found the rubber stamp that I was looking for, my bin wouldn't even close. Any true crafter has trouble admitting when it's time to throw things away, right? I think I may have about 5 or 6 ink pads that are completely dry that are hanging on for dear life in that bin. Sorting that bin out is most definitely a project for another day, but we thought up a quick list for those of you who are in the mood to get back to basics when it comes to rubber stamping crafts. See below to create (or pare down) your stamper's toolkit.

• Your favorite wood, rubber, or acrylic stamps
• Ink pads: dye or pigment (our favorites are Hero Arts and Colorbox)
• Baby wipes
• Fabric or paper
• Test sheets to blot on
• Washi tape for masking
• An iron, if you will be heat setting
• A heat tool, to dry ink
• Embossing powder
• A lino block, pencil, precision knife and speedball cutter if you will be creating your own stamp
• A solid surface and/or cutting mat for stability

What else do you keep in your kit? 

Recipe: Adventures in Allergen-Free Baked Falafel!

At a wedding this weekend, I had the most delicious falafel. I have to admit that I have never had it before! However, later that night, I felt the effects of my food allergies. I was surprised that chickpeas would cause me allergy issues, but upon further investigation, I discovered raw garlic, wheat flour and canola oil in the ingredients! Dagnabbit. So, I prepared my own version of baked, allergen-free falafel. It turned out pretty well! See below for my recipe:

Ingredients:
• One 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• One clove of garlic, minced (or a few shakes of garlic powder if you're sensitive to it, like me!)
• 1 tablespoons of fresh or dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons coconut or almond flour
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin or chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (for those sensitive to corn, I make my own blend of baking powder using a 2:1 ratio of Cream of Tartar and Baking Soda)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine all of your ingredients into a food processor or high-powered blender. Purée ingredients until you have a smooth, paste. On a cookie sheet, spread parchment paper or drizzle olive oil to create a non-stick surface. Spoon small, cookie-dough sized balls (about the size of a ping pong ball) onto the sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Flip the falafels, then bake for 10-15 more minutes on the other side. Serve with Paleo Tzaziki sauce (see below for recipe)! Yummm.

Ingredients for Paleo Tzaziki sauce:
• 1 cup cucumber, seeded and shredded
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk or cream (canned)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed (or a few shakes of garlic powder if you are sensitive to it)
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Allergen-Free Coconut Banana Bread: Free of Gluten, Sugar, Grains, Dairy, Eggs, Nuts and Soy

I will never stop craving the beauty that is wheat artisan bread, dipped in salty olive oil with a side of cheese. Oh my. In the meantime, while I'm still chained to this allergen diet, I found a way to make an egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, nut-free, AND soy-free bread. Phew. That is a mouthful. I adjusted a recipe that I found here on Gutsy to be dairy and egg free. Here's how to follow my version:


Ingredients:
• 1 Cup sifted Coconut Flour
• 3 very ripe bananas
• 4 flax eggs (or regular eggs if you aren't avoiding them) I detail this process below.
• 6 tablespoons of melted coconut oil (or butter if you aren't avoiding it)
• 5 tablespoons raw honey
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Smash up your riped bananas until they are a smooth consistency.
Add your liquid ingredients: coconut oil, flax eggs, raw honey and vanilla and stir minimally.
In a separate bowl, add your dry ingredients together: sifted coconut flour, baking
soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir gently together, then add the dry ingredients to the wet.
With a wooden spoon, stir all ingredients together until nicely blended. Don't over-stir.
Spread your mixture into a greased or parchment-lined bread pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 300°. After removing from the oven, let the bread sit in the pan on the stove for 15 additional minutes.
Serve with your favorite spread or salted olive oil.
The reason my bread is so flat is because of the flax eggs in a wide bread pan. A mini bread pan would probably have been a better choice if I had had one. Here's how to make a flax egg:

Ingredients:
• One small mixing bowl
• A small whisk
• 1 tablespoon of Flaxseed Meal seed to 3 tablespoons of water. So for 4 flax eggs, you will need 4 tablespoons of Flaxseed meal and 3/4 cup of water (that's 12 tablespoons).


One mistake I made in this recipe was not grinding my flax meal. I used the Bob's Red Mill Flaxseed Meal in a hurry which should be further ground into a powder in a coffee grinder or grain mill.

Instructions: After measuring your tablespoons of flax meal, add the water slowly while stirring with the whisk gently. Put your bowl of "eggs" in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. It should set nicely to create an egg-like consistency, which will act as your binder. Enjoy!

Calling all Allergy Nerds!! A New Blog Project

If you happened to read my little entry about the ridiculous diet I'm on in response to an allergy diagnosis, and are at all interested in the comings and goings of a dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, corn-free, egg-free, (definitely not dork-free) nutbar then put The Itch Factor on your reader and come along.

To keep the Assemble blog free of live pumpkin seed bars, seaweed extract (just kidding) and crazy detox concoctions (Emily might kill me), I started this project as a journal for my own medical usage, and as a way to cope with the lack of cheese, bread and wine in my life. I'll be offering up good recipes I've discovered for allergen free food, tips from my own trial and errors and most likely a tiny bit of whining. Hope you follow along! -Andie

Washington DC + Virginia Farmer's Market: A Pictorial Retrospective

I had a little vacation this last weekend to Virginia and DC to meet the brand new (and only) baby in our family: Kyle Marshall. While we were there, we detoured to all of the must-see sites including the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the American History Museum at the Smithsonian. We got to see Julia Child's kitchen--my main goal for the museum stop!--Lincoln's top hat, and so much more. As a kid, I saw all of these sites (the ones that are old at least), but it was so much more amazing seeing all of them as an adult. Then a quick trip to a local, Virginia Farmer's Market and it was back home. Enjoy the East Coast photos!

Those Girls: Do You Exercise?

Everyone is different. I get that. And I realize that I am a slim person, and some might think I have no room to talk. However, I am very unlike certain (albeit, awesome) bloggers who have had several children and eat pizza and burgers nearly every day (it seems) and still seem to be drop-dead gorgeously thin. There's nothing wrong with this--it's just luck of the draw. I have a hunch that this is why people don't like Gwyneth Paltrow (my personal favorite).


Photo from our Instagram
However, there is something to be said about taking our lives into our own hands. I know so many people who are fantastic at managing their careers and home lives, yet exercise is just not a priority, and they feel it. A sluggishness sets in when we aren't moving our bodies as they were made to. I have been that person for the past three months. My huge amount of work and my comfy couch and the Seattle rain and "I have a headache" are all great excuses for why I shouldn't go running: but I will tell you this--once I get back in the habit of daily runs, I am unstoppable. I never felt better than I did the few weeks before my wedding. I was running three miles nearly every day, eating like a champ (lots of veggies and lean meats), drinking tons of water and taking vitamins. I will say that it was totally easy. It wasn't hard, and that's the annoying part. I was down seven pounds from where I am now, and had gained a crazy amount of muscle. All of that muscle has turned to wine and cheese by this point. And why is it that I just can't seem to get out there? Why do we fight against things that will make us feel great?

Running is not for everyone. A lot of my best friends are Yoga masters, and I will tell you right now: I will never go to a Yoga class with you. I have gotten up early a few times to try Yoga out and I always find myself asleep on the floor with carpet lines in my face. It's too relaxing--I need some pick up and go (thank you, MIA and Kanye for running with me). Some people respond really well to kickboxing, or walking, or swimming. You have to find your niche--and the exercise that you can do and not dread. Dread is not helping anyone. Speaking of--with summer coming, you know you'd rather be eating and moving and feeling the way you want to.

And ps., I hate this too: but sugar is your enemy. Sugar is my enemy. Sugar is what makes you want to sit instead of move. Some people get their sugar from their coffee, or bread, or wine (ahem, me), or donuts, or fruit cocktail disguising itself as healthy. Regardless. Cut that out--I'll try too.

I'm starting back now (as of right this second)--maybe not on my wedding crazy-lady-routine, but definitely on a regular schedule again. Want to come with me?

To My Hometown Heroes

I ♥ you, Boston.
Photo by Andie Powers//taken in Boston, Massachusetts, 2011

From Scratch to Success: Starting Your Own Creative Small Business

We've got some fun news for all of you crafters, entrepreneurs, business-minded readers, and those who are just plain curious about options: Andie is teaching an online workshop with Go Mighty & Skillshare on starting up your own business. From Scratch to Success: Starting Your Own Creative Small Business will help you on your way to writing a comprehensive business plan, plus give you some solid tips for discovering your business's true road to success. Plus it's only 20 bucks, and you can watch the videos at your leisure!


Oh and here's the best part--one lucky student will win a $500 grant towards developing their business, as well as a business consultation with Andie at the end of the sessions. Pretty great incentive, right? Click the link here, or the screenshot below to go to the sign-up page. Yay!

Easter Weekend in Seattle: A Pictorial