447 and Kiva.org

So the semester has ended, except for a final I have to grade once I get back from Akron, OH, which means I get to send Jee Jee (ARC) all the items I've crocheted for her during the semester.

Items:
-5 pairs of socks
-1 hat
-2 earwarmers (one is very small)
-1 cowl
-13 scarves

Now my total is 447 items donated since 2009.

So now to some of my thoughts (if you aren't interested in my life as a grad student, you can skip down to the next section on Kiva.org):

An update on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship: I didn't get it :D. I didn't want it since I don't want a PhD at this time and getting the NSF GRFP would have forced me into one. I'm still uncertain what I want to do in life. Now that I'm actually moving on my master thesis research (the reason why I'm in Akron), I feel better about paleontology. However, even though I'm enjoying it, I still can't see a future in paleontology for me. I think I still want to get a masters in chemistry and work in industry for a bit and then decide if it is something I want to continue with. A non sequitur, but I like teaching. I really enjoyed TAing GEO 404C Plate Tectonics and Earth History. In fact, I liked teaching more than I liked doing work for my thesis this semester. Meh. I guess we shall just let time tell...

Now to Kiva.org.

If you can't tell already (which actually you may not have been able to tell), I LOVE Kiva.org. To date, I've made 32 loans to 28 countries. Kiva is a microfinancing charity, in which lenders can loan as little as $25 to people all over the world (specifically in 64 countries). Usually, the people are in developing countries, although Kiva does have loans in the US. This is how the process works:

• The borrower requests a small loan (from as low as $150 to as high as $6,500, although the US loans can be up to $10,000) from a micofinancing institution (MFI) in their home country.
• The MFI disperses funds to the borrower and sends the loan information to Kiva, which then places the loan online.
• Lenders (ordinary people, like you and me) from around the world lend as little as $25 to any of the 300 to 3,000 loans listed at any given time (there are usually just a few hundred around the 17th of each month and usually a few thousand around the 14-15th of each month for reasons I will explain later).
• Your and my money is used to backfill the loan that has already been distributed to the borrower. This takes the risk of the loan off the MFI and onto you, which helps the MFI continue to provide more loans to be people who are looking to improve their qualities of life.
• The borrower repays the loan as set by the schedule of the MFI. The money first goes to the MFI and then to Kiva and then to you.
• The money arrives back in your account on the 15th of each month (everyone relends the money to new loans then so that's why there are so many listed prior to this date and so few after). You can relend the money to your heart's content or withdraw it.
• Kiva costs nothing to sign up or to use ever (of course not including the money you lend). If you follow this link, http://www.kiva.org/invitedby/feliciakulp you (and me) can get a free $25 loan to a listed loan of your choosing (this money will be repaid to Kiva, not you or me).

Now I don't want to scare you with the "takes the risk of the loan off the MFI and onto you" part. I have never had a loan that ended with a loss. Although I have had a few loans that were delinquent (a late repayment), they always picked it up during the next month's repayment. Overall, lending on Kiva is very low risk and in the process, you are helping someone improve their life, help send their children to school, help expand their business so now they can hire additional employees and in turn improve their lives, and so on.

To help give you an idea of what your money can help do, here are some details about some of the loans that I have contributed to:

• Countries: Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tajikistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United States, and Zambia (28 total)
• I've donated to women, men, groups of one gender, groups of both genders, married people, single people, old, young, widows, widowers, mothers, fathers, a Palestinian refugee
• Some are taxi drivers or wives of taxi drivers, some work in motorcycle or car repair shops, some are farmers, some sell food and other general supplies, some are artisans and make clothes and jewelry, some wish to make improvements to their home or even just build one
• To see a full list of my loans: http://www.kiva.org/lender/feliciakulp
• Also if you are a Nerdfighter, the Kiva Nerdfighter team

Recently, I received an update from one of my loans (Made, Indonesia; jewelry artisan). Using the funds from the loan he requested, he has made the jewelry that has been listed on NOVICA and is available for purchase. Now, I'm not trying to promote him, but I am trying to give you the sense the the money that is lent to people through Kiva really does produce results and can true help their lives.

Peace.

425

Old Ellicott City

During winter break, I went home for a month. It felt so good to see Maryland, my Maryland again. Walking the hills of Old Ellicott City and Oella, it seemed that I had never left, their 300 years of life still soldiering on after a flood and a train derailment since my departure. Also, while I was home, I crocheted, having not had the chance to do so since arriving in Texas. Below are the items I donated to ARC in December and January, bringing my total to 425 items donated since 2009.

Items donated:
-2 hats
-7 earwarmers

-2 pairs of adult mittens
-1 pair of child mittens
-2 pairs of socks (pictured twice)
-13 scarves (includes 3 cowls)

2 Shy of 400

So I'm now in Austin, Texas, getting ready for graduate school to start. Moving 1500 miles from my home, I was limited by what I could fit into my car. Unfortunately, that meant that I had to use up my entire stash of yarn before I left, which is mostly in these blankets (they each use 3 strings of yarn at one time). With these items that I'm donating to ARC, I am now 2 items shy of 400 items donated. 

Items:
-15 pairs of socks
-3 pairs of booties
-1 cat bed
-5 cat/dog mats

-5 baby blankets

Cheers!

Decadent Strawberry Fudge Recipe

This is my favorite stove-made fudge to make. Although I've never tried it (because I don't like chocolate), I've been told it tastes a bit like strawberry sherbet. 

Preparation – 10 minutes

Cooking – 20 minutes

Cooling Time – 3 hours to Overnight

Yields – 24 servings (2 pieces per serving)

Ingredients:

·      2 ½ cups granulated sugar

·      ⅔ cup (5 oz. can) evaporated milk

·      ½ cup (1 stick) butter

·      2 cups (11-12 oz. package) white chocolate chips

·      1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow crème (or fluff)

·      1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·      ½ teaspoon imitation strawberry extract

·      3 drops of red food coloring

Directions:

Cooking Preparation – Line a 9" x 13" baking dish with foil, extending over the edges of the dish.

Cooking – Combine the sugar, evaporated milk, and butter in a heavy-duty saucepan. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, making sure that the bottom of the thermometer does not touch the bottom of the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to boil at a moderate, steady rate without stirring until the thermometer reaches 238°F (softball stage), about 15 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a steady boil. Once the mixture has reached softball stage, remove from heat. Stir in the chocolate chips, marshmallow crème, vanilla, and strawberry extract until the mixture is well combined. Add the 3 drops of food coloring and stir until the color is swirled, not completely uniform. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan. Cool until firm (3 hours to overnight).

Final Preparation – Lift the foil from the pan. Remove the foil. Cut into 1-inch square pieces. Store tightly covered.

Cheers!

369 and Meeting Jee Jee

Last night I met Jee Jee Kim, the amazing woman in charge of ARC, the charity I support. She is easily the sweetest person I have ever met and you can tell that she is truly sincere in everything she does. I am honored to support her charity and hopefully I can continue to do so when I move to Texas.

Last night I also donated 45 items to ARC, bring the total to 369 items donated since 2009. The breakdown of the 45 follows:


-1 baby rattle
-1 baby blanket
-1 cat bed
-6 hats
-7 earwarmers
-13 pairs of mittens (one is not pictured)
-7 pairs of booties
-3 pairs of socks
-1 pair of long (knee-ish high) socks
-1 enfant pinafore
-2 scarves

-A camera and a snail

Quick and Easy Fudge Recipe

I want to try something a little different and share a recipe I love making. Since I don't like chocolate, I can only go by the words of my friends, but they swear by my fudge. It always disappears soon after I reveal it to them. The recipe is easily adaptable and adjustable to different tastes. I'm going to give you the variation of the recipe that my friends seem to like the most. 

Dark Chocolate and Orange Zest Fudge

Time: a few minutes

Rest time: a few hours to overnight

Makes about 20 1" x 1" pieces

Ingredients:

One 10 or 11 oz. package of dark chocolate chips (either size will work)

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (one 14 oz. can is actually 1 and 1/3 cup)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The zest of a medium orange (about a tablespoon, although you can decrease this for a milder taste)

Line an 8" x 8" pan with aluminum foil such that you can later easily lift the foil (with the fudge) out of the pan. Combine all ingredients into a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for one minute. Use a spatula to stir all ingredients to combine. If not all of the chocolate has melted, put the bowl back into the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until all the chocolate has melted (I've never had to put it in for anything more than 1 minute 30 seconds total. Usually, the chocolate has melted with the first minute.). Quickly pour the fudge into the prepared pan and spread it out with a spatula to an even layer. Let stand on the counter for a few hours (3-4 or so) or overnight (I prefer this option) to let it set up. Once it has set up, lift the foil out of the pan. Use a knife (doesn't need to be sharp; a butter knife would work) to cut pieces. Enjoy!

Tips:

• I would advise against putting the fudge in the fridge in order to hasten hardening. When I have done this, it has resulted in a fudge that is almost too hard to cut. Also, I would be concerned about condensation possibly forming on the fudge, which would not be a good thing.
• A pizza cutter also works very well for cutting pieces.
• If you decide to use white chocolate chips for this recipe, use a little LESS sweetened condensed milk. Don't fill the 1/3 cup all the way to the top. It has been my experience in the past that using all 2/3 cup produces fudge that will not harden up.
• Since one can of sweetened condensed milk is double what you need, why not make two batches of fudge!

Variations on the recipe:

• You can swap the dark chocolate for milk or semisweet chips and ditch the zest for plain chocolate fudge.
• Lightly roasting about a cup of almond slivers and using white chocolate chips gives a nice nutty variation to the recipe. 

Use your imagination for more variations. Cheers!  :)

324 Donated Items!!

Life has been busy lately, with finishing graduate applications and the last fall semester of my undergraduate career not to mention the massive holiday rush on etsy. But since that has calmed down, I've had a bit of time to do some charity crocheting. Here are the spoils of my labor of love.


But I'd like to say some more things. One: If you are a bit of a math nerd (no shame in that :3) and tallied my donations from this and the last post, you'll find that it comes to 323. I converted my paper tally of my donations into an excel one and in doing so, discovered that my donations were actually 324. So I basically discovered that I can't count. All my 5s on the calc and stat AP exams and calc III in college have failed me. *hangs head*


Two: Crocheting for the next several months may be difficult given the amount of work I put on myself for this last spring semester. *sad panda*

Donated Items:
-1 baby blanket (the white one since in previous pictures)
-4 bibs
-3 earwarmers
-1 cat bed and cat mat
-2 stuffed animals
-7 pairs of mittens
-1 pair of booties
-4 scarves
-13 hats
-6 10" x 10" squares for a blanket

Also seen here are the four items my mom donated to ARC.


Cheers!