The Goddess of Fabric Design and Fun (not me) Friday, October 26, 2007

My my my, i have discovered a lady who has rocked my crafting world. I was in my sewing class last night and i bought the wrong buttons so i had to race out into Fabric Depot to get the big buttons and BAM shopping cart full of gorgeous fabrics and purse patterns. I am still not sure if this was an intentional ploy to lure innocent shoppers into buying more more more but i was sucked in like a freaking sponge. I then spent the next 30 minutes (did i mention that i was in the middle of a class and getting buttons) picking out patterns for things i didn’t know if I could recreate. $57 later, i had 4 new buttons and 3 new patterns!!

The culprit is Amy Butler. I have officially decided that I want to live inside her website. I want to cover my floors, walls, ceilings and body with her patterns and designs. She can do no wrong.

so if you think i am obsessing about such silliness, go look for yourself!

Italian Harvest Dinner Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Last night my friend Kaatje and I went to In Good Taste for a dinner class. It was perfect. Although i have never had a bad class there, this one stood out as truly perfect. I am hosting a dinner party in a few weeks and plan to recreate the meal for them.

the Gnudi are little dumplings made from Ricotta cheese instead of typical potato dumplings and are so light and fluffy. They are also 100 times easier to make. We talked our chefs into frying a couple up to see what would happen and they were GREAT too!

we also had wonderful wines and great tips on where to get ingredients. Did you know Trader Joes has the best Buffalo Mozz? who knew? This was also the first time i have truly enjoyed a beet. YUM!

here is our menu;

 

Bruschetta with Ricotta, Oven Roasted Tomatoes, Olives and Arugula

Crusty Italian bread toasted with olive oil and garlic & topped with fresh Ricotta cheese, sweet oven-dried cherry tomatoes, olives and arugula

Shaved Fennel and Endive Salad

with Burrata Cheese

Belgian endive, celery and fennel paired with lemon and luscious cow’s milk cheese

Ricotta Gnudi with Wild Mushroom

and Truffle Sauce

A specialty in Florence, gnudi are creamy feather-light dumplings made from fresh ricotta cheese topped here with a wild mushroom sauce

Roasted Game Hens

with Thyme, Balsamic and Honey

Succulent guinea or game hens marinated in honey, balsamic, fresh thyme and red onion and roasted to perfection

Roasted Beet Farrotto

with Pomegranate and Parmesan

Farrato is a similar preparation to risotto but using farro or wheat berries instead of Arborio rice. Here we toss roasted beets in pomegranate molasses and then add them to our farrotto creating a beautiful accompaniment to the roasted hens

Almond Crusted Fig Crostata

with Honey Mascarpone Cream

 

 

MY LIBRARY CARD Saturday, October 20, 2007

I feel like I am 9. That is when i got my first library card and i went in, picked out books and they just gave them to me. I was dumbfounded. After that day i spent hours in the library, making it a daily ritual. After college, I lost my card. I just go to Powells and by used books for anything i am interested in. And now i have lots of great books but less money. But today, i went back to the library. I got a new card and found 4 books to prepare me for my trip to Costa Rica, 3 gorgeous brand new, spines haven’t even been cracked cookbooks and i have 2 books on hold that will just come to me one day. There is an entire chapter on Brussel Sprouts in one and an explanation about Costa Rican hot springs and mud baths in another. I got that same sparkly feeling i had at 9 when they slid them across the smooth counter and smiled telling me they were due back in 3 weeks. All for the price of happiness.

if i find any good recipes i will pass them on, promise.

Sore Muscles and a Sleepy Garden Wednesday, October 17, 2007

 

 

Last Spring, Middle of Summer,  Last Week
Thank god we had some nice weather finally! I went out and cleaned up the garden for the winter season. I am planting more Kale and we will see what happens to the brussel sprout (singular) but everything else is piled like a mountain. All i keep thinking was Where are my chickens when i need them!

I also have a green house this year and want to see what i cant grow in there this winter. i would love to have lettuce and herbs at the least. My friend Stacey gave me a heating pad so i want to experiment with it. Cleaning out the green house will be the next big project. i also have to figure out what to do with my pile. i think a new compost pile will do the trick.

Ghosts and Pumpkins Monday, October 15, 2007

 lollipop ghosts

What a great weekend! I got my Halloween fix with paper mache and the infamous Sauvies Island pumpkin patch. I got to hang out  with my dear little Mieke for the weekend. When I was little I used to cover my lollipops at Halloween with tissues and hang them from the trees outside. They are still charming to me and who doesn’t want a lollipop ghost?

 I’m covered in glue!

We also made paper mache ghosts and i was pleasantly surprised  at how easy they are and how fun they were to make! we just covered a balloon in crumpled white strips of tissue and when they dried, I hung them up with a little copper wire. I also discovered that if i hang them over a heat vent they move and i caught them a couple of times out of the corner of my eye and freaked myself out….pretty good!

 BOO!

How It All Begins Thursday, October 11, 2007

I initially decided to get chickens for their poop. The eggs were just a fabulous bonus. I have a nice little vegetable garden and I thought a few chickens to scratch around in the spring and fall would be handy. Now it is a full blown obsession. My new friend GW has enchanted me with the wonders of chicken ownership. We found an old store counter at the Rebuilders Center in Portland and are going to make a chicken paradise.

I can not wait.
I have visions of tiny little chicks snuggled into my apron pockets to keep warm where they will safely get to know the other critter in the house.

I have decided to name them Gladys, Jennie and Sadie after my grandmothers. They were incredible women who all had a chicken or 2 in their lives.

bits and pieces Thursday, October 11, 2007

Most of the time I feel like a little girl , trying to be quiet but trembling with delight to see what new discoveries lie in wait, my fascinations also needed a place to sit patiently, anticipating their grand entrance into the world.