U-handblog

Tutorial part 2 of 2. How to make your own tofu.

Perhaps it is quite random to find a tofu tutorial on a bag making blog, but random has it's place (and so does home made tofu).  It's easy, it's good for you and it tastes much better.

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Find Part 1 of the tofu tutorial here.  It talks a bit about the ingredients and it tells you where to get the equipment from.

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Ingredients (for 1 block or 1 mould of tofu):

• 1 tspn generously heaped of Gypsum powder
• 0.5 tblsp heaped of cornflour
• 250g of soya beans (soaked in cold water overnight)
• cold water - right, pls read this carefully.  Choose a cup (anyone will do).  For every cup of beans you will need just under 2 cups of water, BUT for the last cup of beans you will need only one and half a cups of water because the other half cup of water will be used to dilute the gypsum and the cornflour - don't worry, this will make more sense in a minute...

How to make tofu

1.   Wash beans (no, not you doggie) - Rinse the soaked soya beans in fresh water and drain well.  Place beans into a big bowl.

Soya beans are soaked.

2.   Blend beans and water -  Get your chosen cup and scoop a cupful of beans into your blender/processor.  Now using the same cup add just under 2 cups (eg. fill cup to 7/8 full) of cold water to the blender and blitz the beans and water thoroughly.  Pour the mixture into a another big bowl. 

Continue in this way until you get to the last cup of beans.  So, put the last cup of beans into the blender and then add one cup (7/8 full) AND another half full cup of water to the blender and blitz.


Blitz the soya beans with your carefully measured water.

3.  Straining the soya milk - I like this bit, it's a good workout for your arms.  Using the muslin bag (that should be supplied with the tofu kit, or just make your own bag) carefully squeeze out every drop you can of milk from the blended soya beans.  You'll get a nice aroma of the soya beans at this stage.  Put the residue to one side.  The bean pulp residue is known as Okara and it's stuffed full of nutrients.  You can make yummy recipes from it too.

Straining the soya milk.  Work those arms!

4.  Heat up the strained soya milk - pour all of the strained soya milk into a large saucepan and bring the milk to just below boiling. Whilst you are waiting put the gypsum and the cornflour into clean big bowl and (using the same cup that you measured the soya beans and water with) add just under half a cup of cold water and mix well.  Place this bowl into the sink for later.

Keep an eye on the pan  of milk, do not let the milk boil over because all of a sudden it will spill over the sides and make an almighty mess (which is a real cow to clean off your cooker).  When the milk just about boils turn off the gas and skim the froth off the top of the milk.

 
Skim that scum!

5.  Right this step all happens quite quickly so read before doing it! - speed is of the essence in this step.  Now that you've skimmed the soya milk; go to the bowl (in the sink) with the gypsum and the cornflour in it.  Give the gypsum mixture another good thorough stir. 

Bring the hot soya milk to the sink and pour the milk into the bowl RAPIDLY AND FROM A HIGH HEIGHT - DO NOT (I REPEAT) DO NOT STIR AT ANY TIME OR THE TOFU WILL BE RUINED. 

Gently skim the top of the poured soya milk.  I say gently because if you do anything that resembles stirring, the soya milk, gypsum and cornflour ingredients will not coagulate and the tofu is a gonner.  Cover the bowl of gypsum and soya milk and set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes.

6.  Prepare the tofu mould - while you're waiting for the soya milk to coagulate prepare the tofu mould in the sink.  Wet the mould and the muslin mould cloths with cold water.  Line the mould with the muslin liners.

Here's my mum lining 2 tofu moulds with muslin.  She always makes 2 blocks at a time because they eat loads and she always gives some away.

7.  Add add the set soya milk to the tofu mould - spoon the coagulated soya milk into the tofu moulds.  You'll see that the soya milk now has a soft blamange texture and some of the water has begun to separate.  Spoon the soya milk stuff into the tofu mould. There should be enough mixture to fill the mould. After filling the moulds fold the muslin over the soya blamange.

Spoon the soft soya into the mould.  All very therapeutic and satisfying isn't it?

8.  Wait for the tofu to set - pop the lid onto the mould and place a nice heavy weight onto the lid.  It's important that you select a heavy weight that will fit into the mould (because the lid needs to sink into the mould as the water leaches out of the tofu). 

Wait for the tofu to set.  The firmness of the tofu is determined by how long you leave it to set:

• soft and wobbly jelly = approx 3.5 hours
• medium firm = approx 4.5 hours
• firm = 5 or more depending on how firm you want it.

Send in the heavies and leave to set...

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9.  Turn out the tofu from the mould.  Carefully take the tofu out of the mould and free it from it's muslin linings.  This bit is very satisfying. The tofu is ready to cook with or you can store it in a container of cold water in the fridge (for several days if you periodically change the water).  I haven't tried freezing it yet, I never get the chance to.

Ta dah!

Tutorial part 1 of 2. Getting ready to make your own tofu.

Call me psychic or something, but I have a strong sense that you woke up this morning wondering 'how do I go about making my own tofu?'  Did ya?  Did ya?  I bet you did.  I've become a little tofu factory since my mum taught me how to make it 3 months ago.  I now make a couple of blocks every week.

I'm not doing this tute in one go because I have a yucky cold.  Anyways, if tofu is your thing you can go and get the necessary bits and pieces so we can make some together next week (when I'm not feeling so bunnged dupp).

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Find Part 2 of this tutorial here.

Why would you want to make your own tofu anyway?

• It's far superior tasting than the stuff you can buy in the shops and have you ever tried it fresh out of the press?  Yummy!
• Some would say that tofu is really bland, well home made tofu does taste better, but it does essentially taste very mild.  It's what you cook with tofu that counts.  Tofu takes on flavours like a sponge.
• Besides being very low in fat, high in protein and easy to digest, it's super good for you.
• It's as cheap as chips (which at times like these is pretty handy).
• It's as easy as falling out of bed to make, even the little ones can help.
• There are heaps of recipes out there, and here, and there.
• Can't get the kids into tofu?  Try deep frying/baking strips of tofu and making some yummy dips for them to dunk in.

Equipment that you'll need to bring the U-Handblog tofu class:

• a blender
• a whisk
• 2 large mixing bowls
• large saucepan
• a heavy weight for pressing onto the tofu mould (I use a heavy stone wrapped in a plastic bag)
• 250g of soya beans (per block of tofu) see pic below. Try looking in the health/Oriental/Indian food shop.
• 1/2 tblsp of corn starch (per block of tofu)
• 1 heaped tspn gypsum (per block of tofu) Gypsum (is a 100% natural mineral) is a firming agent in the tofu.  Some folks prefer to use stuff called nigari in place of the gypsum, but my mum who has been making tofu for years says that nigari sometimes doesn't work, whereas (for her) gypsum has 100% success rate and I'm not about to argue with my mum.  Gypsum is a fine white powder.  Try looking in the health/Oriental/Indian food shop.  Or you can buy from here.
• a tofu mould, muslin bag (for straining the soya milk) and muslin liner for the mould.  You can buy plastic, metal or wooden versions.  If you can, try to get a traditional wooden version made from cypress wood.  Wood is much nicer to use and the cypress is naturally antiseptic.  It's much easier if you can get your hands on a tofu kit which will include the mould and the muslins.  You can buy kits from here, and here, and here, and here.  If you have a large family keen on tofu you might want to purchase 2 moulds.

Soya beans.  Out of a 2kg bag you can make 8 blocks of tofu.  Pretty good value for money don'tcha think?

Ta da!  I'll post the tofu photo tutorial some time next week.  **UPDATE**  Here it is.

Recipe for Pizza soup

Seeming as Al isn't here I can please myself and eat what I want and that includes soup (which he isn't overly fond of).  There have been other benefits to not having my lovely bloke around, but I best not list them or it might look like I actually prefer not having him here (which, my darling I definitely don't) He he!  Al landed in SA in one piece, his flight was uneventful except for the fact that the guy he sat next to rank body odour (urgh!).  Al is sharing a flat with 2 folks and his room over looks the sea.  Though it is winter  in SA the weather is more like the end of our summer.  He has his first day at the hospital tomorrow, I hope he settles in OK.

So back to the recipe.  I have always been a soup head, thick or thin, hot or cold, summer or winter, soup is good. I love the way that it can be a meal in bowl and you don't have to concentrate too much on your food as you shovel spoon mouthfuls in and at the same time you can read a book/do your crossword/even chat with your sister.

This is a made-up soup, but it probably is just a version of a tomato soup. It really does taste like pizza, minus the doughy base.  You probably have the ingredients for it right now (which beats going to the boring grocery store).  Oh and it's very low in fat, but it fills you up (woo what is this black magic soup?)  Also this soup is a good way to con the kids into eating their veggies - I've yet to meet a child who didn't love pizza...

Lisa's Pizza Soup  (enough for 4)

You will need:

• 1 x can of plum tomatoes - the larger sized can
• 1 x can of red kidney beans or whatever beans you like - the larger sized can
• 1 x pepper - red or yellow if you have 'em (they're sweeter)
• 1 x med - large onion
• as many garlic cloves as desired.   I LOVE garlic so use fooouuurrrr large cloves in this soup
• big pinch of mixed herbs
• A good glug of olive or veg oil
• half a chicken or veg stock cube
• salt and pepper, and a pinch of sugar (though you shouldn't need sugar if your veggies are ripe)
• Large handful of cooked meat leftovers (with fat removed) that you might have hanging around in your fridge; ham, bacon, chicken, chorizo sausage, roast beef, whatever, this soup isn't fussy.
• vegetarian folks can of course load up on different veggies in place of the meat
• good splash of Tabasco (or equivalent) sauce will give the soup a nice little kick (optional)
• any sort of melty stringy cheese (the stringier the better, kids love the stringy stuff).  I'm quite partial to Gruyere myself.

Putting the soup together

1. Cut up all of your veggies quite small and to roughly the same size.  Mince the garlic.
2. Heat a good splash of olive oil in a med saucepan and throw in all of the cut up veggies and garlic. Cook gently without colouring for 10 mins.
3. Drain and rinse the beans.  Add beans to the pan and cook all gently for a further 5 mins. Add a little water if things are getting a bit dry.
4. Add the half of stock cube to the pan.  Mush it up so it melts into the mixture.
5. Tip the tomatoes into the pan and break them up with your spoon.  Fill can full of water and add to the pan.
6. Add meat leftovers and a few splashes of Tabaso to taste (if using).  Give everything stir.  Mmm smelling yummy!  Turn heat down to a simmer, partly cover with lid, and cook for a further 15 - 20 mins.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Hopefully your onion and pepper were sweet, if not you might need a small pinch of sugar in the soup.  Add a big pinch of mixed herbs.
8. Ladle into soup bowls and grate some stringy cheese on top.  If you have guests coming around pop a basil leaf or two on top.   If you're on your lonesome forget the basil, get your spoon out, and pick up where you left off with Oscar & Lucinda.  Ah bliss!

I'm not too hot at food photography, besides most tomato based soups look pretty much the same don't they?  So how about a nice pic of Ralph Feinnes instead?  :)

Simple origami Lily Flower tutorial

Because I enjoyed my visit to Kew Gardens so much I thought it would be nice to post a origami flower tutorial.  One of my first craft loves was origami.  I find it a really pleasant way to unwind it's also very useful; the amount of times I've used a spot of origami to keep little ones amused when it was raining outside, or given my mum a bunch of paper folded flowers as a pressie (when I was broke), and in a moment of madness I even asked Al if he would like to be engaged to me by writing the proposal inside a paper folded rose (which he now stores in his keepsake box.)

Here is a tutorial for one of my favourite flowers.  It's not hard to do even if you haven't done any paper folding before.  There's just a fair few steps because you have to repeat some of the steps 8 times, but I think it's worth it and you'll have this flower folded in under 15 minutes flat :)

NB: For my easy peasy origami lidded box tutorial click here.

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Here are two Lilies I folded earlier.  The paper is coloured on one side and white on the other which gives a nice stripe effect down the centre of the petals.
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1. Start with a square of  paper - I suggest NO smaller than 20cm or it will be too fiddly for first timers. Fold the paper in half both ways diagonally and horizontally and vertically to make a star as in the pic below.  Ensure all of your creases are sharp and precises as possible by running finger nail along each crease for every step of this model.

Fold a star shape in the paper.  Note how precise the lines are.  It's important to take your time in being precise and fussy when folding origami.

2.   Now fold the paper (right side out) into a triangle and using the creaselines as a guide begin to push one of the sides in as shown below...

Push one of the sides into the centre of the triangle and repeat with the other side. The result is shown below. 

View from top.  Push both sides into the centre, this will be the result.

3.  Ensure that the open edges of the shape are facing away from you and then take one of the sides and fold into the centre crease line as shown below...

Fold one of the side edges into the center creaseline and repeat with the other side edge and you will get the result shown below...

Now flip the model over, repeat with the other 2 side edges and unfold all of the edges again and you will get the result shown below...

As you can see we have just been making creaselines that will serve as guide for the next step.

4.  Take one of the folded side edges and slip your index finger into it as shown in the pic below...

That scar is the result of a small argument (that I lost) with my olfa cutter - we suffer for our art!  Slip your finger into the side edge/flap (or whatever you want to call it) and using the creaselines as guide press the flap down so that you get what looks like a kite with a white tip as shown below...

Now repeat the previous step with the other 3 flaps and you will get the result as shown below...

Result.  Notice how there are 8 'pages/sides' to the model; some of the 'pages' look like the picture above (with white tip) and other pages look like the pic below...

and others look like this (plain with no white tip) I'm just mentioning the difference in the way the pages look because it's important for the following steps.

5.  Ensure the a 'white tip' page is facing up and fold the shape in half by bringing the bottom tip and the top tip together as shown below...

Fold shape in half and make a sharp crease and unfold.  We have just made a crease line for later on.

6.  Ensuring you have the kite shape with the white tip facing upwards, take one of the top half side edges and (precisely) fold it into the centre crease line as shown below...

Fold the side edge into the centre crease as shown, repeat with the other side, and open out again and you will get the result as shown below...

Result. As you can see we have made creaselines for a triangle.  We are going to use these lines for the next step.

7. Follow the steps CLOCKWISE from top left in the pic below...

Clockwise from top left:  slip your finger into the top edge of the pocket (pic 1) and using the side creaslines as a guide pull the lip of it all the way down (pic 2),  ensure everything is aligned on the centre creasline (pic 3),  push the small resulting triangle upward on the creasline as shown (pic 4).

Repeat the whole of step 7 for the other 3 sides (with white tips).

8. Nearly there! Ensure you have a plain side (with no folds or flaps etc. on it) facing up and the open  tip open edges are facing away from you. Follow the steps CLOCKWISE from top left in the pic below...

    
Clockwise from top left:  plain side is facing up and the open tip ends are facing away from you (pic 1), precisely fold one of the side edges into the centre creaseline and repeat with the other side (pic 2),  repeat with step with the other 3 PLAIN sides (pic 3),  this should be the result (pic 4).

9.  Pick up the model with the side facing you (as in pic 4 of the previous step) and pull one of the petals downwards as shown in the pic below...

As you pull the petal down you'll notice it will only go so far downwards, at the point where it will go no further make a crease at the base of the petal.  Flip the model over and repeat on the other side.  Open out and repeat for the remaining 2 petals.

10. Grab a pencil or ruler and curl the edge of the petals to make things even more pretty as shown below.

Curl the petals under with a pencil or ruler and you're done!

Woo pretty! 

If you give this flower a try I'd love if you could pop photos of your finished lilies into the Tutorial Flickr :)

SUPER Easy Ironing Board Cover Tutorial

If you'd like to see my (license free) Handbag Patterns please look here.

Thanks for your ironing board cover (IBC) tutorial requests. Calling this a tutorial might be pushing it slightly as it is outrageously easy, but then, really easy is really good right?  This one is for everyone who asked for it (especially Ian, because I love it when fellas drop in for a read).

You won't need to make a casing, obtain cord for ties, or even thread a cord for the casing (which is fantastic for lazy busy ol' me) because we are going to use the casing from the old IBC. Of course, in order to follow this tutorial the casing on your old IBC will need to be intact.  If it isn't you will need to make a cover with all new casing - and if that's the case check out Anna's IBC tutorial where she shows you how to start from scratch and not be lazy like me (and hers is a funky orange 70's number).

My old IBC removed from it's frame.  The old cover has gooey fusible interfacing adhesive all over it, (I'm always getting that stuff on the flipping ironing board), and anyways this cover isn't very good looking.  I'm keeping the fleece padding, it's worn in the middle, but I can do something about that.

'Well hello there pretty thing, let's slip and slide together...!"   Here's my travel iron getting fresh with the new IBC.  The fabric is some Kaffe Fasset which I've had in my stash for ages.  Perhaps it's a little extravagant, but ironing is so tedious that a cheerful IBC might just make it a bit more bearable...perhaps not.

Here’s How I put it all together

Shopping list (as if you were shopping and not using your own stash fabrics)

• 100% cotton fabric (quilt to medium weight works best) about 3" (8cm) wider and longer than your old IBC.
• Some heavy-ish weight 100% cotton furnishing (home dec. weight) fabric about 3" (8cm) wider and longer than your old IBC.
  

 NB: all seam allowances are 1cm (3/8”) unless otherwise stated. Pattern includes 1cm seam allowance.

1. Remove IBC and padding from ironing board - IMPORTANT: do not cut the ties or the casing, we need to keep them in one piece for later.  Smooth out the IBC completely flat and press (heh! now you've no ironing board to press the IBC on: you can use a towel on the table).

2.   Mark a 1" margin all around the IBC -  measure 1" (2.5cm) from the outer edge of the casing all around the IBC.

Measure & mark a 1" (2.5cm) margin all around the old IBC.

3.  Cut the 1" (2.5cm) margin off from the old IBC -  be careful NOT to make the first incision from the outer edge of the IBC.  Keep the precious margin for later.

Make the first incision straight into the 1" (2.5cm) margin.  Don't cut through the casing and string.

4. Cut out the new IBC fabric - lay  the old IBC (minus the margin you've just cut off) onto your new IBC fabric and using the old IBC as a guide cut out the new IBC plus a 1" (2.5cm) margin.  Set aside the old IBC, you're done with it now.

Snip snip all around the old IBC adding a 1" (2.5cm) margin.

5.  Pin the 1" (2.5cm) margin (with casing and tie) of the old IBC to the new IBC fabric - bring the right sides (and raw edges) of the margin and the new IBC fabric together.   Match the position of the flat edge and pointed ends (of the IBC) on the margin to the new IBC as best as you can - it doesn't have to be exact as all of this will be on the underside). 

Start pinning the two fabrics together at the flat end (or bottom end) of the IBC working your way up evenly on both sides (in other words do not pin one side to the pointed end before doing the other side).  Stop pinning before you reach the tip (see pic below).

I have stopped pinning just before the tip and there doesn't appear to be enough old IBC margin for the new IBC fabric.  That's OK; it's all part of the plan Stan.

I have made a pen mark at the approx centre of the tip of the new IBC.  I have also made a corresponding centre mark on the tip of the old IBC margin.  I'm am now going to pin the 2 centre points together and continue pinning the margin to the new IBC fabric....

...as you pin the margin to the new IBC you'll notice that the new IBC fabric ruffles up (can you say 'ruffles' up?  Maybe it should be 'bunches' up...achh. You know what I mean).   Ruffling up is OK, just keep the ruffles reasonably equal in size and be generous with the pins.

6.  Stitch the margin to the new IBC fabric - I would suggest no less than a 1cm (3/8") seam allowance, and stitch on the margin side, it's easier.

If you have a stitch on your sewing machine (like the one that my scissors are pointing to) use that because it does a straight stitch and a zig-zag all in one go which is handy because it stitches fabrics and prevents the raw edges from fraying at the same time.  Use a short length stitch for strength (because the margin is going to take a lot of tension from having the ties pulled taut in side the casing) with a wide zig-zag.
   
If you don't have a stitch like this on your sewing machine just sew using a short length straight stitch and then go over the raw edges with a zig-zag stitch.

7.  Cut furnishing fabric to fit ironing board frame - this heavyish fabric will bulk up the old ironing board padding and will prevent the grid of the frame coming through on my ironing  (which is sooo annoying!)

Use your ironing board as a guide and cut around with approx 2cm extra.

8.  Assemble your brand spanking new ironing board - righty, starting from the bottom: lay the new IBC wrong side up, then the old padding, then the furnishing fabric piece, and finally the ironing board frame on the table.  Jiggle the layers around until all is even.   Pull the ties until your fingers go white, tie into a bow, and you're all done.  I bet you can't wait to attack that mountain of ironing now...hmm... perhaps you can.

One new IBC using old casing and ties; clever eh?

I hope you enjoy giving this tutorial a go, if you do I'd really love to see a pic of it in the new "Bags made from my tutorials' Flickr group.  I'll be checking it regular!