Lava Lamp: how to make a dinner party unforgettable with DYI Lava Lamp.

Sixty and seventies styles are making a comeback. From wide lapels, hip huggers, and bell bottoms. A favorite of mine was laying back and listening to the Doors and watch the side lava lamp bubble away!  This year dinner time has become more entertainment time, including tapping into throwback science! Who doesn’t love a little science along with your favorite vino and dessert?

In fairness we do have a family of nerds- microbiologists, biologists,  mathematicians, chemists, and engineers typically surround our table, so science topics are pretty much the norm.  Add in a couple of bottles of wine, and we soon find ourselves making lava lamps like school kids!

Homemade lava lamps are actually pretty simple to make and you can save the mixture and use it again!

Experiment Time:

  • Fill your wine glass or jar about 1/2 full of water.
  • Add your oil so there are about 2 inches left at the top (don’t want it to spill over)
  • Add in your food coloring and glow in the dark powder if you wish.
  • Break your Alka Seltzer tablets in quarters and add one at a time. (if using baking soda, put the baking soda in before you add the water, and then add about a tablespoon of lemon juice)

Now sit back and enjoy the show.  

If you used the glow-in-the-dark powder, turn off the lights or use a flashlight behind the glass and still turn out the lights.  Throw on some vinyl and you are going back in time!

  • Kung Pao Chicken-a quick and tasty way to end the week.

    Kung Pao Chicken

    Easy week-night dish with just the right amount of heat. This Szechuan meal is a one-pan meal (other than the rice). Loaded with veggies, but room for plenty more.
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 6 People
    Calories 375 kcal

    Equipment

    • cast iron pan or wok
    • rice cooker

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 Tbsp Avacodo Oil
    • 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs best but breasts work
    • 4 each Scallions (chopped fine) chopped fine
    • 1 Tbsp Ginger Fresh chopeed, ground bottled or freeze dried
    • 2 Tbsp Szechuan Style Pepper Blend
    • 2 Tbsp Roasted Red Pepper Thai Paste
    • 1 tsp Garlic 2 cloves fresh, or use bottled
    • 2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
    • 4 Tbsp Vegan Soy Sauce
    • 1 small Water Melon Radish Sliced
    • 4 tsp sugar
    • 1 small Red Pepper Sliced
    • 2 tsp Sweet Rice Flour
    • 2 Tbsp Chopped Roasted Peanuts
    • 6 Cups Cooked Jasmin Rice

    Instructions
     

    • Prep all your veggies: this dish cooks quick. Dice your red pepper, slice the radish and chop the green onion (save some green onion for garnish)
    • Prior to cooking, season the Chicken with the Szechuan Pepper
    • Heat 2/3 Avacado oil https://amzn.to/3ed2erM in a large cast iron pan or wok https://amzn.to/3ed2erM over high heat until sizzles with a little splash of water. Avacado has a high flash point, so can withstand the high heat. Add chicken, cook well on all sides to get a good brown, about 3-5 minutes on each side. Lower the heat, and remove the chicken (we will add back in shortly).
    • Return pan to high heat; add remaining tablespoon of Avacado oil. Add most of scallions, red pepper, radish, ginger, Thai Sauce and garlic; stir-fry until fragrant, around 30 seconds to a minute.
    • Return chicken to pan; stir to coat chicken. Stir in vinegar, soy sauce and rice flour . Mix together, and cook for about 1 minute. Add the peanuts, and toss to combine. Garnish with remaining scallions. Serve immediately over rice.

    Notes

    Keyword chinese, kung pao, szechuan chicken
  • Craft Shows: when should you just buy that beautiful craft or try and make it.

    Craft Show Mistakes

    When to Buy or Make

    Craft shows can be a wonderful place to find gifts and one of a kind treasures or a money pit for crafters.

    Craft| kraft |noun

    1.  an activity involving skill in making things by hand.

              Verb [with object] exercise skill in making (something).

    I like to consider myself a crafter, or better yet an artisan. Unfortunately, that means I think I can make anything or recreate anything.  And typically, I would say I can, with enough investment and/or money as well as time.  Rarely can we make a quality product on the first try.

    Recently a dear friend visited from Hawaii.  As a house warming gift she gave me a beautiful board with resin waves (the Hawaii theme).  The artist is Marr Artworks on Oahu and can be found on Etsy, Marr Artworks.  My friend knows my crafting passion, and has been the recipient of many a ware from my studio, so she says “you can make one like it”.  And the wheels started to turn.

    How hard can resin craft be.  Now I won’t be giving you a video tutorial, or step by step instructions on how to fail at making a resin board.  Like most crafts today, just go to YouTube and you can find a lot of instructions with detailed tutorials if you want to give it a try.  Now don’t get me wrong, if you are a creator, and love to try new crafts, please give this one a try.  Just don’t expect to have the same outcome as the board from Marr Artworks.

    The real question is, when do you just buy the item and enjoy the artwork, and go down the rabbit hole.  If you have a craft room that looks like mine, it is full of past craft supplies, that makes you wonder when you had time to do them all.

    As I have spent many a Sunday, at our local Farmer’s Market, I can say some of my jewelry and wire crafts (quartz necklace) were quite popular locally. That said, I would sometimes see a piece of jewelry or other item I became enthralled with only to spend hundreds of dollars on supplies and hours recreating, only to find I didn’t love the process.  I may have come close to making the item, but should have just bought the damn necklace and returned to what I love making.

    Below is a list of items I purchased for my poor attempt at recreating the lovely art board.  Note, they are links to amazon, but that is where I got the items to give this a go.  I won’t give the prices but a total of what I spent vs. just buying the board for $45 from Marr Artworks, @marrarrworks. 

    List of items purchased:

    Dr Craft’s Resin

    Resin Pigment 20 Colors

    Resin Disposal Cups and Sticks

    Set of two Bamboo Cutting Boards  

    Rough edge cutting board from Home Goods ($7.99).  

    I had plastic cups for leveling (see one of the many videos), painters tape (the blue kind) and a hot air gun from my embossing days.  Even with the items I had, my experiment cost me close to $100.

    Notably, my white was pearl, and so didn’t get the white.  I put way to much epoxy on, wasting a lot of material. and used too many colors.

    I think I will try again, but won’t be selling them any time soon.  I will stick to my coffee scoops and jewelry.  Hopefully I will see you at the Wheeler Farm Sunday Market in Utah, and show off some of my art!

    Now we are back to the question: should you buy or make.  In this instance, epoxy is really not my thing, I would just buy!  Come back soon to see some of the tie dye.  That one I chose it as passion (all my family and friends can attest), and hope you would like a item or two.

    Please go to Marr Artworks and order one of their pieces, they are beautiful!

  • Your feet don’t need to hurt: three ways to pain free walking.

    Certain things we take for granite; breathing, sun rises, electricity, and walking about.  Unfortunately, sometimes life gets in the way. In this case, an over strained ligament from toes to foot.  Geez- getting older can be a literal pain.  So what to do? Not walking or doing Jazzercise isn’t an option! So a little curative ice water, purple  Ninjas and a new pair of Tenni’s will fix you right up.

    Healthy Feet

    lead to joy

    A little stretching everyday goes a long way in preventing plantar fasciitis

    • Best hack for foot pain is to rub your foot daily on a frozen water bottle.  An epsom salt bath will help with swelling! The next step is to get rid of old shoes, and get a pair that are designed to support your feet. Below are top  shoes for foot health identified by Women’s Health Magazine in 2021.

    Best Walking Shoe with Arch Support:  Asics Dynaflyte 3

    Best Cushioned Walking Shoe:Hoka One One Bondi 7 

    Best Walking Shoes for Wide Feet: Asics Gel-Contend 5

    Best Value Walking Shoes: Ryka Devotion Plus 2 Walking Shoe

    Best Travel Walking Shoe: Adidas Edge Lux Clima

  • Get out the Boots- it will be hiking time soon! Love the Mountains!

    Mountain Escape

    Time to Hit the Trails

    Spring is in the air, which means it is almost time to hang up the skis and break out the boots.

    From the Rockies to the Smokies, mountain trails provide a little peace, quiet and a little fresh air.  Each area has it’s own beauty as well as pitfalls.  Best advice to give, is know the hike rating, have plenty of water on hand, and have good boots (or in the case of my husband in his younger days, a good pair of Birks)! 

    Smoky Mountains

    Loved our trip to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg TN. If you ever have the chance, rent a house from Timber Tops Cabin Rentals. Beautiful cabins located in the Smokies, and close to both Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Do a little research and plan your hikes before taking one of Gatlinburg's legendary Moonshine Tours! Can't wait for the pandemic to ease, and we will be back in Tennessee!

    Our favorite hiking is only half-hour or less away.  We are fortunate to call the Wasatch range of the Western Rockies home.  We can literally be on a mountain in ten minutes with any range of hike within a half hour.  If you are looking for an app, I would suggest the All Trails App, ranks the hikes, gives you the map of the hike and tips on terrain.  A local start-up in Utah has created TREK DECK- a deck of cards with 52 local hikes all ready mapped out and tested for you!  

    Above is a photo of a hike we took while visiting Zurich.  Actually, any place we go, we are able to find a hike, walk or trek, to appreciate the natural beauty of the place we are visiting.  Not only is it a nice break from the bustle of travel, but you meet some great people along the way!  

    Well spring is almost here, and the trails are calling!  

  • Meet Freya the Shy Kitten-Learning to Love

    Freya

    No Longer Shy

    Took her a few weeks, but she has now settled in and learning to love her human and fur baby family. She has come along way from her lonely shelter days.

    My daughter decided another little one was needed in the house.  Not sure why, but she was on the hunt.  Finding a rescue anything during the pandemic was no easy task.  Interviews were standard, along with demonstrating you were equipped to rescue a little life that needed a bit of care.

    After a couple of weeks of disappointment, she got the call, and off to the shelter in Park City she went.  There she met Freya.  A twice abandoned kitten, for of all things, being too shy.  Well it was love at first site- if initially a one way affair.

    Lounging About

    Once home, we realized we had our work cut out for us.  She was really, and I mean, really shy.  Her comfort zone was under the bed, in the middle, where no one could get her.  After a few days of patiently laying by the bed, and loving her from a far, we realized a bolder approach was needed.  She was happy as could be to sleep in the middle of the floor, under the bed, with someone in the room.  No human interaction needed- but we knew she could change.

    So- we moved the bed- lovingly carried her down stairs, and introduced her to the Fur Baby Clan (Tonks, Stark, Solo and Libby).  That was all it took.  Off she went, and the play time began.  Following their lead, she began to play, and interact with her humans.  Her little cross eyes, sometime meant she would run into them, but no harm no foul.  

    The best part, was when she started to talk.  Cat’s don’t talk to each other as adults, just to their mom.  However, they do learn to talk to their humans.  At first it was a growl, but soon turned into a MEEWISH sound.  She hasn’t mastered the classic MEOW, but the little MEW will do!  

  • Watching Sundance Films

    Being from Salt Lake City, the Sundance Film Festival is a staple family activity. In the past 10 years, the festival has become a bit big and in many cases expensive.  One good outcome from 2020, is that the festival is officially virtual and you can attend what you want.  

    Yesterday, we were fortunate to watch a preview of one of the showcased films, ” Life In a Day”, by Kevin Macdonald.  In 2011, he showcased, “Life In a Day”, 2010, and now we get to experience July 25, 2020, from around the world.

    Where were you on July 25, 2020; inside, isolated, alone in the wilderness?  The film showcases what thousands of our fellow humans were doing around the world.  From giving birth to kite flying, playing with pet rats, and of course, dealing with COVID-19.

    If you have never been able to go to Sundance, this film is a great example of innovative film making.  The film will be released on Saturday, February 6, 2021, on youtube, for free! 

about

Christina- learning to reinvent myself in the second 50 years of my life through travel, financial exploration and just plain being fearless. Join me?

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