Sholeh Zard (Persian Rice pudding)

Among the next few post will be some traditional Persian foods. These are what I call "debatable" recipes. Between my paternal and maternal grandparents alone you can come up with 85 varieties. I always wondered why these recipes are so special and I figured out the hard way. By the time you decide which recipe your going to go with, which family member your going to let down, and finally figure it out on your own, it really becomes your own recipe. Let's take this recipe for instance, Sholeh Zard. One of my favorites! 

Steak with mushroom cream sauce and baked sweet potatoes

So I sometimes get a crazy idea for a recipe and try my best to put it on a plate. I only have one issue, I NEVER write down what I did. A few weeks go by and my brother walks into the kitchen and goes "Can you make that steak and mushroom thingy with the sweet potatoes?" That only gets him the puzzled look of "I wish I knew how I had made that" Well I tried this recipe again and it came out perfect. Well kinda. Ill explain later.  

Up-cycled Pallet Planter

First of all I'd like to dedicate this first tutorial to my father. Today, June 1st, was the four year anniversary of his passing. I wouldn't be sitting at this computer now writing this blog if it weren't for him. I will always follow my dreams, no matter how intangible they may seem at times, because of him. I know he will laugh when I fall and push me back up when I need it. So in his memory here is a beautiful and fun tutorial on how to brighten up your back yard, patio or any other outdoor area. 

My Addiction, My Life and My Inspiration

So let me start my saying my addiction is perfectly normal! Ok maybe not in your world but it is in mine :) Ive always been addicted to crafting. I opened a business when I was 19 because I loved hand crafting soaps and bath products so much! I love to make things better, prettier and get more use out of junk. StumbleUpon fed into that addiction. Since Dec. 2010 I have accumulated about 1960 favorites. I'd like to blame my cousins from Atlanta and New York for introducing me to this madness. It started out as a way to look at cool pictures and funny videos. I took the time to look around the site and its an amazing resource. Since Ive been using StumbleUpon I have been inspired to do many projects and cook amazing dishes. 

I have been unemployed for quite a while now and doing projects and cooking keeps my sanity in check. I hope that this blog will keep me on track with my projects. This blog consists of things I have found through StumbleUpon as well as projects and recipes I have come up with on my own. I also hope to open an Etsy account for all of the things I make. I have seen so many people make a living off of what they make with their own two hands and I find it so liberating. I can only hope to get to that point some day! 

Now for my inspiration! Creatively figuring things out has been something I learned from my father. My fathers motto was something like "Figure out how to fix it yourself and you'll never have to pay another person to do anything for you again" Both me and my brother have learned to do a lot for ourselves. My father was a sort of jack-of-all-trades and we loved to learn everything from him. Any problem people would encounter he was the first person everyone called. I have to say that ever since he passed Ive noticed I get those phone calls now and it really warms my heart and I'm honored :) My brother is my IT guy. I would have probably electrocuted, blown up and set fire to may things if it weren't for him. You will see in my up coming posts about how he fixes a lot of things!!!! And last but not least my mother. If it weren't for her I would probably leave about 30% of my projects  incomplete. She's always pushed us to finish what we've started whether or not we were happy with the results. I think she just figured the faster we finish the faster the mess would be out of her kitchen, garage, living room, backyard, bedroom, driveway, bathroom, Etc.  :) But in all honesty she has put up with a lot and I'm not sure I could do it! My first project I hope to post is her Mothers day gift. Speaking of which I should go finish, considering Mothers day was last week! 

I hope you enjoy my blog, my crazy life, and my addiction!  

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