Chili Oil

One thing I've fallen in love with while in Thailand is chili oil. Every pizza place we've been to brings it out with the entrees. I add it to almost everything! Pizza, bread, pasta. It's that addictive. This recipe gives your olive oil a kick and a small taste of chili pepper. Chili peppers are mostly spice, but they actually have a great flavor that's often eclipsed by the heat. This oil does a terrific job of extracting that smokey taste from the chili and using it to infuse your oil.

Okay, here's how:

Pick a few nice looking, smaller chili peppers. Be sure they quite spicy. If you're using chilis as hot as mine (authentic Thai Mouse Poop chili - yeah, that's what they're called, but replace poop with something a bit more explicit), only use between 5 and 10, at most. Also, select good quality EVOO. Remember that this is Chili Oil we're making. I'd say about 90% of the flavor relies on the quality of the oil.

Next, heat about 1 - 2 cups oil in a skillet or sauce pan on medium high. Feel free to use more oil in this recipe if you have a larger container you plan to use. Once the oil is nice and hot, maybe even crackling a bit, slice up 3/4 of your chilis, removing most of the seeds, and toss them in the pan. Allow them to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 to 10 mins. Don't let them brown or burn.

Turn off the heat and let the oil rest for 10 to 20 minutes, an hour or more if you plan to store it in anything other than glass. Add the oil, straining out the peppers if you like, to your container (if using glass, be sure it hasn't been stored in an extremely cool place, like the fridge. If so, bring it back up to room temp first). Add the remaining whole chili peppers to your container. Just drop them in the oil. If it's still warm, they will cook a bit. That's okay. But steer clear if you hear popping sounds, because it may burn your skin. Allow it to cool down completely, then add the lid and store it in a cool, dry place. I have no idea how long this oil lasts. I would assume at least a month. If after a few weeks, you begin to see funky growth inside the container or it smells strange, toss it. It's time for a new batch.

Enjoy!

Pioneer Bread

This recipe is ridiculously simple, as far as homemade bread is concerned. I made my own variation of this recipe and call it Pioneer Bread. It tastes so very basic, but delicious, and reminds me of bread recipes of old. So, here you are! Enjoy.

Pioneer Bread

7 c all-purpose flour (8.3 c if using cake flour), plus about 3/4 c for kneading
1 tbsp salt
1-2 tbsp sugar (depending on how sweet, or not, you prefer)
5 tsp dry yeast
3 c warm water
Any herbs or flavorings you'd like (or leave it plain!)

1. Add all your dry ingredients, flour, salt, sugar, and yeast to a bowl. Sift or mix together with a fork.
2. Slowly mix in your warm water, reserving about 1 cup and setting it aside. Once combined, your mixture should be very dry. Now add the remaining water and use your clean hands to mix it all together. At this point, add any herbs or other flavorings and combine with your hands.
3. Add loose flour to a large working area. Place your dough onto the area and gently kneed for about 10 minutes. If the dough starts to become too sticky, add flour as needed. At the end of 10 minutes, the dough should be slightly springy when squeezed. 
4. Roll your dough into a big ball and add it to a large floured bowl. Place a towel or saran wrap over it and move the bowl to a warm part of your house for an hour. I put mine outside in the car.
5. After an hour, the dough should be about twice its original size.  If not, you might need to discard the dough (or use it for something else, like breadsticks) and check your yeast. Now spread a handful of flour onto the pan you will use to bake the bread. I used a cookie sheet, because I wanted my bread to be in an old-fashioned, round shape. You can use a loaf pan just as well. Set the pan aside for a minute.
6. Add more flour to your previous work space.  Remove and kneed your dough just a little more, for about 3-5 minutes. Again, shape it into a ball and place it on/in the pan. Cover it with a towel for another hour in a warm place. Hint: I like to lightly flour the top of my bread at this point, to keep my cute towel from sticking to it :)
7. After the hour is up, preheat your oven (see step #8) and remove the towel from the dough. The dough should have doubled in size again. Gently tuck under the sides of your bread. This will help the dough rise a little more into a round, rustic shape, instead of expanding outward. If using a loaf pan, no tucking needed. 
8. Bake your bread at about 245 degrees Celsius for 10 mins. Then lower the heat to 215 degrees for an additional 20-25 minutes.

We're In!!

Today marks one week that we've been in our new house. We love it! It's less than half the size of the house we moved from, but it's cozy and comfortable.

I'm slowly, but surely achieving my design goals for the house. But, it's moving a bit more slowly, and expensively, than I would've liked. I had no idea it was so difficult to track down nice, decent sized picture frames for under $10 in Chiang Mai...bleh :/ But, we're going one by one, with the hopes of about 6 total before adding it to the wall.

First, the paint. We've decided to paint the entire living room, which is actually quite small with 3 little walls, instead of just painting an accent wall. It'll be a little more like an accent room.

We're good on the glass bottles for now, but I hope to track down a few more of a different variety. Maybe in a month or so, when we're completely unpacked and settled.

For now, here's an exterior of our new, little house :)

Goals on Paper

Ok, I know. Three posts in one day. But I feel like I have to get my goals for decorating the new house down before we're there. Once I get inside a space, I'm overwhelmed by the possibilities and never seem to get ahold of my initial inspiration. Here are the first four goals that are a must to accomplish just after moving in. Many more little details to follow, I'm sure.

1. Potted Plants around the Exterior

Basically the exact look I have in mind.

Our new house is adorable and all, but it has a small, awkward concreted section in the front. It's a bit too small to be used as a patio. So my plan is to do like many of my Thai neighbors and take indigenous local plants and use it in the front of the house.

2. Decorate with Glasses

Some of the glasses I have on hand look just like these.

Before we left the States, after throwing out, selling and giving away almost everything we owned, I found that I had a fixation with colored glass bottles and the like. So, we accrued a small collection from West Elm that remained with my parents and sister (which they are currently using for decor themselves).

For now, I've found that my best bet in Chiang Mai is to recycle wine, liquor and beer bottles of various colors and sizes. While doing so, I stumbled across a unique idea of using them as candlestick holders, which create a nice look. I'll share those pics soon. For now, I need to find a few smaller bottles and get my hands on some blues.

 3. Accent Wall

Not necessarily the color I would choose, but the accent wall does a lot for tying this room together.

Okay, while I am definitely a fan of classic and simple, I'm not into the hospital look for a home. Which is exactly what our new house looks like! There is an overabundance of white, and with the particular layout of the home, it's too much. I don't always advocate accent walls, but since our intentions are to be in this place for one year, I don't want to do too much damage. What color? I'm thinking blue is safe, but finding a large, comfy, decent colored rug has been really difficult for me since we arrived. I'm talking been-to-every-store-with-a-rug-three-and-four-times-over difficult. So, as strange as it may sound, I think I may allow the right rug to dictate that color choice, as well as the style/color of new throw pillows. I also plan for those almost immediately. Nice, clean throw pillows do a lot for my comfort level in a new place.

4. Picture Frames Galor

I would LOVE to achieve anything like this with frames in the new house. But what to put in them? Hmmm...

I'm planning to acquire several picture frames in the next month or so, from all around town, and use them in the living room of the new house. Probably on one of the remaining white walls adjacent to the accent wall I hope for. This might get a bit pricey, especially if I'm looking for anything more unique than your basic 4 by 6 or 8 by 10. But I have a few ideas of where to start. We shall see about that.

The First Phase

So, today my husband and I live in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We teach in an international school, mostly designed for Christian missionaries' children from all around Asia. It has been such a challenge, but one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It's a precious experience to see the impact one can have on a single life. Also, a very humbling one. We have been blessed!

We've been here for a year and plan to stay just one more. For our second year, we will be moving to a different house. Currently, as I'm typing I have a terrific view of various boxes piled to the rim with books, clothing, shoes and other items scattered across the living room floor. John, my husband, is in the States visiting family and friends and returns this Thursday. In the meantime, my job is to pack as much of everything I can into boxes and prepare them for the move. Yikes! Not fun, especially solo. But sort of satisfying to stop and see all the work you've accomplished alone from time to time.

So, why do I consider this the first phase of my simplistic evolution? Well, I don't really. I think I've been moving in this direction for years now. This is just a really huge move for us. We decided we want a smaller house with less responsibilities. One that suites our lifestyle. So we move from a decent sized three-bedroom home, where we entertained guests very easily, to a tighter, more quaint abode. I am looking forward to it greatly, though! I think this is a bit more true to the way we live as a couple, where less is more. This will be our yearly move, as I call it. We just celebrated our third anniversary in April, and again this June/July we are relocating, as we have each year of our marriage. We will again next year. Hopefully soon after, a more permanent residence awaits us.

Our current, rather large house. Moving on to a new situation in a few short days.

John arrives late, late on Thursday evening and then we have one day for jet lag recovery (from a 25 hour + travel itinerary) and then we're off to make endless trips to the new house and back again. That gives us a solid two days to relocate. Wish me luck.

I hope to have pictures of the new house posted soon, along with a few creative decorating ideas.

Growing Wiser

As I write this, I'm very aware of the time that passes more and more quickly with each year. I sound like a grey-headed woman in her rocking chair on the front porch. I'm only in my late twenties, but I have reached the portion of my life where most of my dreams are no longer set in some far off place decades from now. In my mind, they are played out in the near future. They're of the down-to-earth sort I remember my parents having - installing hardwood floors, owning a small piece of property in the mountains, retiring with money in the bank. I recall thinking, Whoa, don't get too crazy Dad. You might bust an artery.

With each passing season I see myself, with these smaller, more attainable dreams. They actually excite me more and seem richer and deeper than those of years passed. That's why this blog is called Idealistically Simple. If I could explain myself today and the goals I have for the future, I think this would be the necessary description. My plan is to chronicle my life as it evolves with my changing dreams, desires and tastes, hopefully only getting better with time. Feel free to use and share any ideas you find here with anyone, anywhere you like.

Enjoy!

Ashley