Here we are with the first post. I considered doing a welcoming post, but I think I'd rather just jump right in! Such is my nature :).
I've been working away at my bench, and I've added a few new pieces to my shop. After listing the pieces, and taking a look at my Etsy storefront (I always like to lovingly look at the final product of my internet efforts, hehe), I noticed that all of the hand forged sterling silver designs I've done recently feature an oval stone. That was (I THINK) completely accidental. But I do have to ask myself, "Was this a coincidence? Do I have some sort of secret/subconscious obsession with ovals that I was previously unaware of?" I believe the answer is yes to the former, and no to the latter. At least, that's what these ovals would have me think, as they quietly stage their takeover of my storefront. The truth is, I'm way more into trapezoids. But, I digress. Here are my latest pieces!
"Sundrop"Vintage light topaz Swarovski glass gem set in handmade oxidized/gunmetal black fine silver setting with matching sterling chain.
I made this pretty in honor of spring's (impending) arrival. Hoping it will chase away the winter blues the cold weather can bring :).
"Sylvie"Natural Kyanite and sterling silver handmade ring, with brushed oxidized/antiqued patina. Size 6.25.
What can I say, I love me some Kyanite. I'm working on a custom Sylvie ring for one of my customers in a size 4.5, too. Definitely going to work with more Kyanite in the future!
"Elektra"Pendant featuring an electric blue Magnesite cabochon set in a handmade sterling silver filigree/openwork bezel setting. Antiqued, with polished highlights.
Man, I LOVE working with gallery wire (that fancy filigree wire holding the stone in place). It is just too stunning. And, what do you know, this Magnesite cabochon just happens to be my favorite color :). I think I'll be making one of these pendants for myself in the foreseeable future. I can't resist, and there's really no reason to!
"Alexa"Multi strand taupe vegan glass pearl and antiqued silver bracelet.
I love this style. I think it'd make a really gorgeous bridal bracelet. It can be made in quite a variety of colors, too.
So! That concludes my most recent additions. Yesterday, I designed some new drop/dangle earrings - shop listings to come this weekend! They're on the smaller side (averaging about an inch long), perfect for days when you want a little something for your ears but you don't want to go as far as a pair of chandeliers. They're pretty AND comfy. That's the sort of thing I wear most often, although I do respect a pair of large, show stopping earrings. As a jeweler, I hate to admit this, but the fact is that I'm most likely to wear something that I can sleep in. It's true - I am extremely forgetful when it comes to wearing jewelry. If I have to take it off when I go to bed, I probably won't remember to put it back on when I get up!
And now for the promised gluten free, dairy free, egg free banana bread recipe (which could easily be made vegan by substituting another sweetener such as agave nectar for the honey).
I am gluten intolerant, and have various other food allergies, which means that a lot of what's out there for gluten free baked goods aren't really an option for me. And I'm not about to just never eat a cake again in my life. So, I'm constantly trying to find or come up with recipes that not only fit my dietary needs, but TASTE good. Well, I've definitely found it in this banana bread! Like, holy shit, it is truly amazing. I am SO excited to have this in my arsenal. Now, I'm vegetarian, not vegan (used to be) but my meals are largely vegan due to a dairy allergy, with the rare addition of an egg every now and then. I do mean rare, though. I'm VERY picky about where I source my eggs. I need to know, beyond a doubt, that the chickens are being lovingly cared for, and are free to forage for bugs in a pasture as is their nature. None of that "we're going to call this 'free range' but that actually just means that there's an obscenely small door that the 1,000+ chickens can't even find in the warehouse they're essentially trapped in" crap. That means going to small, local farms, talking to the farmers and ascertaining their level of respect for their animals. Most of the time it's just easier to cook without eggs :).
I made some mods to the original recipe, which you can find here. I made substitutions/mods based on what I had around the house.
Here's what I did - I think it came out pretty fuckin' good.
Dry ingredients:
1 cup Brown Rice Flour
1 cup Millet Flour
1 cup Soy Flour
1/3 cup Palm Sugar (this is much easier on my body than cane sugar)
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
2 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3 tiny scoops of Pure Powdered Stevia (you'll know what I mean when I say 'tiny scoops' if you've ever bought a little jar of this) (if you don't want to use stevia, just add a few more teaspoons of palm sugar or cane sugar)
Wet ingredients:
1 (preferably somewhat old, but not rotten) Banana, mashed (next time I would use two, but this time I just had the one and made due)
1 1/2 cups Unsweetened Soymilk (reduce to 1 cup if you're doing two bananas)
3 tablespoons Flax Meal in about 1/2 cup water, given a few minutes to thicken
1/4 cup Honey (for vegan version, use 1/4 cup Agave Nectar instead)
1/4 cup Earth Balance Margarine, melted
1 teaspoon Gluten Free Vanilla Extract
1 cup Brown Rice Flour
1 cup Millet Flour
1 cup Soy Flour
1/3 cup Palm Sugar (this is much easier on my body than cane sugar)
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
2 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3 tiny scoops of Pure Powdered Stevia (you'll know what I mean when I say 'tiny scoops' if you've ever bought a little jar of this) (if you don't want to use stevia, just add a few more teaspoons of palm sugar or cane sugar)
Wet ingredients:
1 (preferably somewhat old, but not rotten) Banana, mashed (next time I would use two, but this time I just had the one and made due)
1 1/2 cups Unsweetened Soymilk (reduce to 1 cup if you're doing two bananas)
3 tablespoons Flax Meal in about 1/2 cup water, given a few minutes to thicken
1/4 cup Honey (for vegan version, use 1/4 cup Agave Nectar instead)
1/4 cup Earth Balance Margarine, melted
1 teaspoon Gluten Free Vanilla Extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. In smaller bowl, combine wet ingredients and mix well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well (you could use a mixer, but I just used a whisk).
Transfer batter to a greased 9x9 pan.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or until center springs back when touched.
I would post photos of this delicious banana bread...but my boyfriend and I ate the whole thing before I got a chance to photograph it :D. Next time!
Well, that was a nice first blog post. Hope y'all (embracing my new Texan status here - just moved to San Antonio a few months ago) enjoyed my ramblings!
With love,
Chelsea.
