miso and mayhem

There are so many things I love about not having a day job right now, but topping the list at the moment is the fact that I have a fully equipped kitchen at my fingertips for my "lunch hour". A pot of loose-leaf tea and hearty miso soup... mmmm.

I've loved miso soup ever since a little family-run sushi place opened up across the street from my high school; a bunch of us would go and only a couple of kids would order meals, but the lady would kindly bring tea, salad and soup for all of us. Unfortunately - and unsurprisingly - the restaurant didn't stay open long.

I never bothered learning to make it for myself, though, until recently, when my friend Marissa clocked my terrible diet and took it upon herself to start making me dinners. What she produces is a meal unto itself - more like a chunky stew - and contains a little bit of just about everything she has on hand at the time. It's worlds away from the tiny bowls that accompany your california rolls, but still has that wonderful, salty, cloudy broth that I love. Here's my interpretation; or at least, today's version:

Molotov's Kitchen Sink Miso Soup

• a fistful of chopped broccoli florets
• a 1/4 in slice of red onion, diced
• handful each, cubed green and red bell peppers
• handful spinach leaves (I keep a bag of frozen organic spinach in my freezer for stuff like this)
• 1 1/2 TBL white miso paste
• approx. 1/2 c cubed tofu
• dried seaweed of some description (I couldn't find wakame, which is what I think you're supposed to use, so I bought nori - the sheets of roasted seaweed used to roll sushi - and tore a sheet into 1 in. squares)

Cover the broccoli, onion and peppers with fresh cold water (about 2 cups; adjust according to how much broth you like), add a dash of salt and set to boil. Once boiling, stir in miso paste until completely dissolved; add tofu cubes and continue to boil until vegetables are tender. Add spinach, stir for a few seconds until soft but not slimy; then remove from heat, stir in dried seaweed, and serve. If you like, you can add a dash of of salty ume-boshi vinegar.

Makes one main course serving.

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When the soup has settled and the blogging is complete, today is loose ends day. I cut out a bunch of cute handbags aeons ago and never got around to sewing them - that's getting done today. A few items need alterations, some supplies need sorting, etc. Tomorrow: skirts. And I plan to have the website launched by January 1st!

five surprises

I finally did it, guys. I took the plunge. I decided I couldn't take the corporate life anymore, and I quit. I had no other job lined up, so I thought I would give myself a minimum two-week working vacation to finally start doing what I love - designing and performing. I've now managed to stretch that two weeks into two months, and - after taking a nervous peek at the contents of my wallet - I'm happily/hopefully contemplating a third.

I LOVE working for myself. And, let me tell you: I am working. That part about "vacation"? Not so much. I pretty much even work while I'm sleeping. But I get to watch (well, listen to) movies while I work; I make cool stuff every day; I work when I'm feeling at my most productive, not when someone else tells me I have to; I don't get bored because there's a huge variety of tasks at hand; I am constantly learning and being challenged. I feel motivated to accomplish things. It is amazing.

Now, it's not all sunshine and puppies and rainbows, of course. I find deadlines very helpful in keeping up my motivation, so I've been setting myself timelines dictated by external factors like craft fairs and sales promotions, but I've melted down a couple of times when it came down to the wire. It's all educational, though, and I'm honing my time-management skills. And, well... There is definitely some stress involved in being financially, um, unstable. I've sold a number of my creations, but I have really been supporting myself through an eclectic mix of holiday performance gigs, which will probably dry up shortly, and the kindness of friends and relatives. And - sigh - the inevitable credit card. Somehow, though, I feel less anxious about money now than I did when I had a regular paycheque, and I have more trust in the idea that there will be opportunities when I allow myself to be open to them. It's forcing me to think creatively... and to have gratitude.

I am so lucky to be surrounded by supportive people who are willing to share their time and knowledge and connections with me. I am inspired every day by my friends and community.

So far Etsy has been an amazing resource; not only has it given me a venue for selling my designs, it's also a fabulous way to network with other independent crafters from all over the world, and a seemingly bottomless well of advice on everything from photography to branding to vlogging. You can find my store here, and - very soon - lots more at fivesurprises.com.