Sunday, March 23, 2014

Visions of Etsy Danced in Her Head



About two weeks ago I got the idea to start seriously looking into opening an Etsy shop. This idea has been lurking in the back of my mind for quite a while now, but I have never been able to focus on what I would actually want to sell or taken time to get a solid action plan off the ground.  

Over the last year I have seen friends open Etsy shops and heard examples of people crafting all year and just selling at Christmas, for instance. Some of these stories have convinced me that Etsy is something I can do, and not some far out, unattainable goal.

With the Etsy selling model I can spend a relatively small amount of money creating a few items to have on hand, and if they sell, great, I'll continue making. If items don't sell, I will have nice gifts for birthdays and Christmas. I can't go wrong. 

Before you start raising eyebrows, the point of my starting an Etsy shop is not to get out of the traditional workforce, but to have fun and see what comes of it. 

I will be putting a lot of groundwork into this, and I'm almost looking at it like applying to a job you know you won't get. That sounds a little pessimistic, but hear me out. When you apply for a job that is a far reach, you still have to put time and effort into updating your resume, asking for references, and writing the perfect cover letter to highlight skills and qualities the employer is looking for. All that work takes time, and though you will probably not get the job, you do all you can to shrink the margin as much as possible. 

In the last few years the Etsy marketplace has grown enormously, making for stiff competition. Going into this, I am not looking to make a full time income, but I do want to be able to sell something. In order to sell I have to take the shop seriously. I will write a business plan, spend time marketing the shop via social media, follow pricing equations, and create items that I will be proud to sell. I plan to treat the shop like a part time job, and dedicate a no excuses number of hours each week to it's upkeep and maintenance. 

Be on the looking for a new blog and updates about these ideas in my head. This blog might be sparse until then, as I'll be focusing a lot of my time figuring out the world of Etsy. My current goal is to give myself about two months of prep time and then "open shop". 

Perhaps you are wondering exactly what I will be making? I'll give more details later as I finalize what I want to make, but the primary craft will be sewing. 

Friday, March 21, 2014

Soft Pretzel Heaven


Let me tell you, these soft pretzels are life changing.

I ate two in a row and had to force myself to stop before I accidentally polished all of them off.

Rumor has it, that somewhere on a road in Pennsylvania there is a woman who sells the world's best soft pretzels. She sells them out of the trunk of her car. My mom and aunt would always rave about these pretzels and would grab a couple every time they went to visit my grandmother. They knew the habit of this woman and could predict with shocking accuracy  if she would be selling pretzels that day based on how cloudy it was.

Since I was off getting a college education during most of what we'll call the Pretzel Phase I never actually saw this woman, thus keeping her in the category of myth and legend for the rest of my life. I think maybe one time I got to try a pretzel. Mom and Aunt Judy would sometimes bring extra pretzels home to freeze. That's how good they were. And I think it was one of these thawed pretzels that I got to sample.

Now I do not remember the exact taste of these legendary soft pretzels, but I would be so bold as to say that these pretzels rival those of pretzel lady. Only Mom and Aunt Judy can be the real judges of that.

The dough is easy to work with (not super sticky) and the taste is a little sweeter than the average soft pretzel. All good things in my book!

Ingredients: Water, active dry yeast, white sugar, flour, vegetable oil, baking soda, salt, and butter.

1. Start off by pouring 1 1/4 cups warm water over 1 tsp of white sugar and 4 tsp of active dry yeast. Just let this sit and get foamy while you mix the dry ingredients.

Side note: When I'm working with yeast I usually test the water for a good temperature by turning on the tap until the water is hot but not scalding. This is not the most scientific method, but it works for me. Water that is too hot kills the yeast, too cool and you'll be waiting forever for dough to rise.

2. Next, throw together 5 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 1 tsp of salt.

3. Make a hole in the center of your flour mixture and add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and that yeast water mixture from the beginning. Mix components together and add another tablespoon of water or so if the mixture seems too dry. Knead the dough for a couple minutes until it has a smooth, even consistency.

4. Roll the dough into a ball and toss it in an oiled bowl. Roll the ball around once so it is covered in oil. I usually just spray a bowl with Pam. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and let it hang out and rise for about an hour. An oven or microwave turned off is a good place. Read a book, watch an episode of your favorite show, or make a quilt in the mean time.

6. Come back to your dough and get really excited when you find it has actually risen.

7. Pre-heat your oven to 450, and dissolve 1/2 cup of baking soda into 4 cups of warm water.

8 Divide your dough into 12 pieces and roll each piece into a rope. Then twist it into a pretzel shape. Or your initial.

9. One at a time using your hands dip the pretzels into the baking soda/water mixture and put them on a baking sheet. The baking soda mixture gives pretzel that rich brown color. Don't skip this step.

10. Sprinkle some kosher salt on the pretzels and bake them for 8 minutes.

11. Melt about 1/2 stick of butter and using a pastry brush, cover the fronts and backs of the pretzels in a little butter.

I've halved this recipe successfully to make 6 pretzels. But why stop there, invite some friends over and enjoy 12 pretzels together.

Here is the link to the original recipe.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Aaaaaand we're back!

Hey there blog-land.

I apologize for the extended absence. I'm still here!

What has been going on with me lately? 
  •  I've read some new books
  •  For a while there work was on a weird schedule. Some evening tasks, some travel. I thrive on routine and find it difficult to do normal things if I don't get home at the same time every day. 
  •  I turned a quarter century old
  •  Weekends have been fun filled with lots of adventuring and time with new friends

Lately, I have been getting into the groove and have really been enjoying Florida life. Not that I was miserable before or anything, but in my last few moves I have found that it takes about a year for me to feel comfortable and at home in a new place. 

Who knows the exact formula for how this works, I think it has something to do with becoming comfortable with new traffic patterns, not needing a GPS to get around, finding and becoming part of a new church, and having a group of friends locally. 

This whole process could probably happen faster were I a bit more proactive. I could have jumped in with both feet, joined groups immediately, and invited people over for dinner or movie nights much sooner. For me, these steps are not always easy. I like to say that I enjoy having new friends, but I do not always enjoy making new friends. I wish I could get past that awkward stage of not knowing someone else's sense of humor and views, or wondering if they will understand your sarcasm, or even wondering if there is anything you have in common. 

Whenever and wherever we move next I think I will push myself to find community more quickly. Though I have to say, it is a relief to know that we are parked in the same place for several years. I love being able to put down some roots. And to be honest, I think it would be sad to leave a place that I wouldn't miss. 

Here's to contentment with life!