project small

update-moving the blog

2011-09-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

So i decided to actually have a website for Project Small in addition to all of the other things happening (ie. shop, backyard, patchwork and other projects) more of the same but some new additions too!

from now on check out Project Small blog here:

projectsmallblog.com

from now on all posts will be located on the link above!

a short stop in New Mexico part 2- A tale of 2 chiles

2011-08-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

(welcome to Chimayo...)

(and Hatch!)

Our second day in New Mexico was all about heat, and I am not talking the weather. I have been really looking forward to getting my hands on the amazing chiles of New Mexico for Backyard in a Jar The Hatch chile items were uber-popular last year and let's face it, heat is a big thing and sells well.
The first part of our day was spent heading up north to Chimayo a small village north of Santa Fe. Known for textiles & chiles, it is also a place known for miracles.
The main part of Chimayo consists of a some shops, places to eat, holy areas for prayer/ceremonies, a few chili stands and 2 churches that are worth the drive up itself...i have never seen anything like this-truly beautiful. The interior of one of them, the Chaple of Santo Nino de Atocha was like a Spring garden inside with floating banners of peace, joy, love....branches with ceramic flowers and birds...INCREDIBLE to see in person.

(unfortunately photography was not allowed in either place-you will have to go see inside yourself)

(can you believe this door!)

(got several bags of these...coming soon to you!)

(we also bought this beautiful ristra for my mother whose birthday was on the 10th)

Of course you cannot think "New Mexico chile" and not think Hatch...named after the tiny town in southern New Mexico that grows this hot and popular chile...anyone from this state knows this before they know anything else. Fortunately for us, the time we happened to be in Hatch is right when the harvest begins...we loaded up on over 200# of fresh, dried and powdered varieties of this pepper.

(trying ristras on the spot-she was a little shy)

(a few peppers drying in the sun)

(roasting for a couple from La Puente...i might want to pick one of these up next year)

I focused on green powders from Chimayo and red for Hatch...be sure to look for these and some other canned goodies in the next month!

Our vacation is almost over....

a short stop in New Mexico part 1

2011-08-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

Our trip to 127 may have been a total shotgun ride across the country, but we made it a point to take 5 days traveling home so we could make a few stops, one of which was a few days in New Mexico.
Our first day was spent by and large in Albuquerque where we stopped by some favorites and encountered a few new ones.
Before i go on, i can't help but mention that Gustavo and I we on the constant look-out for Mr. Walter White or Jesse Bateman...we are having some serious Breaking Bad withdraws and none of our hotels seem to be having AMC.

(dear Holiday Inn Express, please work on that!-image from AMC.com)

(otherwise known as...)

Our first stop, literally as soon as we got off I-40 was the popular Chili Addict shop where you can pretty much find anything hot (especially a fantastic collection of out-of-print cook/garden books which of course purchased). Bought a few gifts, some red-chili honey (yowza!) and some things that will make a few great classes in the coming months...

(talk about being overwhelmed with hotness!)

Directly after (mind you we haven't even checked into our room yet) was the NM-uber-popular Blake's Lotaburger. If you haven't been to Blake's, this is basically what you are missing: In-N-Out smothered with NM Hatch green chilies-DELISH! If you are driving though this state (and Blake's is ONLY in NM), it is worth the stop just to try them out-just do it!

(chili fries- tell them you want GREEN CHILI added to the fries or you just get fries with chili...kind of confusing but i know you can do it)

After a quick rest, we headed over to the downtown area. The area very much reminds me of Santa Ana-lots of new businesses coming in owned by young people. Lots of handmade, local food type things coming in. We had a nice meal at a new place called Farina and even better was the cute little shop next door called The Octopus and The Fox where i bought a super cute pillow with the NM flag on it made from old sweaters...they place totally reminded me of my Road Less Traveled Store...

Alas, we didn't run into anyone from Breaking Bad but we still have tomorrow...

127 preserves, tips and next year!

2011-08-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

(a post-127 surprise...hells yes!!!)

One thing that i didn't cover too much but we bought a lot of was preserves. Pretty much every time we saw them we bought. Here's a list of some of the things we are going to be eating once at home:

pickled tomatoes, crab apple jelly, blackberry jam, green tomato ketchup, elderberry jelly, red peach jam, half sour pickles, grape-muscadine jelly, Tennessee moonshine jelly, key lime jelly and sweet potato butter...lots of inspiration.

(i also managed to score a number of old school preserving books and one on smoking seafood Florida Cracker style!)

Tips for the 127 Yard Sale (if you go to previous years HERE and HERE you can get all of the tips for the sale, but as far as new ones):

One thing that i found really useful on this trip was bringing your own canvas bags-we all have them I know but they will get a lot of use out here. Plastic bags are heavily used in the area so if you want to eliminate waste, for sure bring your own.
Saturday was incredibly HOT, more than the other days and what really helped was putting a thin towel in our ice chest that morning and using when it became unbearable-that and freezing a bottle of water in your hotel the night before is a great tip for those who really cannot deal with the heat to well.
NOTES: this is what i am starting to do NOW. Take notes of where exactly you found your favorite vendor (town, park, etc) and what kinds of things you found there-this will help you fine-tune your shopping and cover more ground.
Know where the banks are!: we were starting to run out of cash (most people DO NOT accept checks and yeah right on cards) and Wells Fargo (one of my banks) was nowhere in the area...be prepared.
Set a realistic budget: i went over, i admit and i should have prepared for more, the more i do this trip the more i can get a handle of how much i actually want to do. I will be honest with you, prepare on spending $100 a day (i did not do this)...but for your first time this is perfect i think...of course more is better but do you have the room to carry it all back?? think about that too!
CAST IRON SURPRISE: if you take I-40 from Nashville to Memphis you will cross the Lodge Cast Iron factory store-hells yes! I know you probably have just went through 200 miles of vintage cast iron madness but if you are looking for new, you have to stop here! Located in a South Pittsburg about an hour outside of Nashville, the factory store has this backroom where they have "mistake pieces" or not absolutely perfect quality-WELCOME TO THE GOLD MINE! there is a ton of stuff for basically wholesale (but minus the super expensive shipping). Picked up some Christmas gifts, a wok, grill for our stove...about 15 pieces for less than $150!

(very overwhelmed)

So do you want to do the yard sale, but really would rather spend the $$ going on a tropical vacation and not treasuring hunting in a wet sauna?? don't have the patience to drive across the country just to drive on a hwy for a few hundred miles just to drive back home?? too busy in August to make the sale but want some unique items for you home, business or gift???

We will be doing this trip for as long as I can and would be happy to do some personal shopping for you! If you would like for me to do shopping for you on 127 or another adventure that i go on, please email me at the following email address and i will send you over a form so that you get the items you have always wanted-just for you!...i will even pick you up some cast iron if you need me to (because i am for sure going back there again).
delilahsnell1@gmail.com

127 yard sale: signs from the trip!

2011-08-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about the sale are all of the signs. This has been a part of every trip so far and here is a collection from this year's trip.

(DREAM barn!!)

127 yard sale day 4: Crossville-Chattanooga

2011-08-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

The final day of 127 for us it a 60 mile drive to Chattanooga. During this part of the trip, there are 5 places that i like to stop. But if i had to/running out of $$, there are 2 main places to do business. This is what we did on our finally day.

(the car is officially max-out!)

1. My favorite vendor: we had a few short stops, but really i didnt want to spend any money when i knew that we were getting close to my very favorite vendor on 127-Buck Creek Antiques. I keep forgetting where exactly Buck Creek sets up shop, but i know it from sight so i guess that is the most important thing (we are thinking close to Pikeville).
Every year, i have written about Buck Creek Antiques and just how lovely their displays are. Unlike most of the booths along 127, Buck Creek is not super cluttered or a mishmash of whatevers. These are carefully selected items that have been cleaned, oiled and cared for and set for presentation...treasures are laid on Native American/Mexican blankets and textiles that compliment the colors and story behind each of the items. Not to mention their prices are incredible and they are so friendly-worth the drive.

(an OLD bullet extractor-right below the rolling pin)

(a beautiful tool box with a worn leather handle)

(Buck Creak also carries a select amount to photographs-i LOVED these)

(all sorts of beautiful spurs, axes and knives-very Western in theme)

(tool box, 2 Pepsi boxes, mule shears, scale, kettle holder, cast iron muffin tray and a few other goodies)

2. The second place that we like to go to is at the tail-end of our trip. This part is a little of a windy/curvy drive so if you have folks that get car sick, then you might want to go around this. The Signal Hill area of TN has one big area with about 50 booths and hitting this area on Sunday is perfect: vendors do not want to load up on heavy/bulky items and there is such a great selection that you can score some pretty good deals. Bad thing: you are running out of money and pretty much over the heat, humidity and general being out in the sun for hours on end.

Over the years we have been building up on cute bar items and with the new couch (in a coming post) left us a space to create a bar area in the living room. One thing i have been looking for is a bar cart. This last location we found a perfect one in this Martha Washington sewing table. It was in excellent shape with deep containers on each side for booze or tall items. I guess it was a big thing in the 1920's...we got an incredible deal!

(we also scored a peanut barrel with the price!)

The guy we bought it from was taking a ton of pictures of us-he couldn't believe that we were from California and we were coming out "for THIS??"...taking pictures of our car loaded up with stuff-he thought we were funny.

This is by far the most I have ever had on one trip and I am already planning on more for next year...as i write this post, we are heading into Memphis on the I-40 and back to California...meanwhile i am doing an inventory list and back to work.

In a few hours i will post about the preserves, personal shopping/tips and my favorite signs from 127. i will also post an image of everything out of the car when we unload-should be interesting to see how much we actually fit in here!

127 yard sale day 3: Albany-Crossville

2011-08-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Tennessee!

(Native American-wolf butter churner?? not this time)

(i am still hitting myself for taking a picture of this but NOT BUYING it!)

Saturday was a big shopping day-I bascialy went though my "allowance" and i have yet to visit my favorite vendors (all on the last stretch on Sunday, especially my very favorite vendor)-at least i know now much i SHOULD bring next year.
Met an overly-excited born-again Christian who insisted on giving me a "diploma" and 3 stones (2 with Jesus and 1 red one for his blood?)...very nice but then wanted a hug...sorry but it is WAY too hot and sweaty outside for that, i won't even grab my guys hand! But before i could say no, he was in full embrace-oh well!

While on the trip i have been doing a little personal shopping for a few people. This is something we are definitely going to do for next year (why not make a small business out of our vacation)! Working on the deets and will posting something in the wrap-up about it.
Here are some of the things i picked up for the people who wanted items:

(my friend Karen for her ice cream shop MotherMoo Creamery)

(for my friend Amy-the levels are for me)

(using this at the shop)

(ice block grabber-thingie...ROCKS!)

(this one house had AMAZING finds, we got a ton of stuff-coming up on a Good Food post!!)

Tip #3: Northern TN on 127 DOES NOT have reception for several hours. No calls, no internet, no GPS...nada so plan accordingly.

it was nice to see familiar vendors and how their operations were growing-many had added tents, more BBQ stations, just over more-congrats on growing!!

(this vendor added an area where she was boiling soap on site!)

127 yard sale day 2: Danville- Albany

2011-08-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

I have to say, we are incredibly thankful for the thunderstorms that have been hitting this area b/c it has been taking off a bit of the heat here. Instead of wearing a parka inside a cardboard box in a sauna, we are now in a cardboard box in a sauna...yes it gets that bad!
The 127 yard sale is essentially a weekend, but because it is so large (now over 700 miles) there are people setting up way earlier in the week-even the week before. Friday is now closing the week of shopping!
Tip #2: be prepared for some serious deals starting the actual weekend and even more on Sunday (people DO NOT want to load up a crap-load of stuff after a long weekend-see the above reason why-the heat!)

(this was a HUGE indoor set-up that we went to last year in KY also!)

One thing we have been looking forward to are the Mennonite peeps that are concentrated on the Southern KY part of 127. Forgive my total ignorance, but from what i can tell (and some google help) Mennonites are like the Amish but drive cars and are a little more techno-savvy but you can tell they are private pretty private (but you get this very peaceful way about them-and pretty cool)!
Southern KY has a few areas where you can visit Mennonites and hopefully buy their crafts..last year we bought woven hats and a few baskets- but this year, the one farm we visited has a small blacksmith area where i kind of had a Menno-crush on the group working the booth-bought some iron hooks and a black walnut block, baskets and pies (more to come on that again).

Let me just say that this is the last year we will be going without a trailer. The more that I do this adventure, the more i see where to go, who to buy from and what prices are deals! On our way home i will talk more on the deal part, it really is an art and takes a few years to really understand-but for now...

(a malt milk shaker: didnt know they even existed!!)

(got my blue Ball Jar deal of the weekend-bought over 20!)

(this awesome min-pie deal for mera-mera Evan Kleiman)

My favorite thing about the yard sale are the signs...i have a number of them that will be a separate post in itself!!

127 yard sale day 1: Frankfort-Danville

2011-08-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

Besides the fact that we love Kentucky (friendly people, beautiful drive and great shopping), we started our adventure in Frankfort for 2 reasons: Rick's White Light Diner & ummm must i say-BOURBON COUNTRY?!?! Bourbon Country and all things booze on 127 will be my next post, but for now let's talk the obvious...

(time to wake up to go shopping!!)

Last year, while doing a Yelp! search, we happened upon this tiny, eclectic diner with an incredible owner. Little did we know, that around that time, Guy Fieri (of the uber-popular Diners, Drive-ins and Dives) had recently visited this 15-seat eatery and hence the triple-business after-Rick's is smokin'!

(Rick tellin' it like it is)

We arrived right at 9AM, right when they open and i must say that is the BEST time. Not only do you get to have an amazing breakfast in peace (Cajun Omelette-YUM!), but you can interact with the owner-Rick Paul who is just as delicious is his dishes. Rick's personality is served not only on his plates (all local, sustainable, takes great pride in buying as a source of change), but the diner itself is a total reflection of what you will be getting (Taxi Driver posters mixed with political books, maps, funny stickers, family photos and all things proud of your home).

(why the Oyster Po Boy is pricey-pinche BP!)

After partaking in some AMAZING Bourbon Pie (check out KCRW's Good Food Blog about that), we had many a chuckle with Rick's "if you eat seafood from China, then f-off" and "i hope you don't mind the f-ing cursing...everyone does it so calm the f- down". I can't help but adore this business...the small business is really at war with the Wal-$#its and Sam's Crap...they make up so much of the area we have been through and as a small business owner I will go out of my way to make sure that i can send more people to Rick's-VIVA LA SMALL BUSINESS (i kind of like that saying)!!
So off we went the short stretch to Danville and bought a few goodies on the way:

(cast iron twin bed-heavy as hell but super cute!)

(old-school ironing board)

TIP #1: if you find something a little expensive (like that cute bed), try to find a few other things to buy and negotiate a deal (i ended up buying the ironing board and several wooden mallets and scored a deal for everything).

(i also got this squirrel glass container for a nice price!)

(loved this trash bin-our new recycling container at the Apartment Homestead)

Pre-127 yard sale part 2: shopping list

2011-08-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

(good morning Texas!)

Yesterday was a big day for us. Starting at 3AM we left Santa Ana and headed all the way to Amarillo, TX…about 1000+ miles. Today we have a slightly shorter route to St. Louis, MO (about a 12 hour drive)-tons shorter than yesterday! The reason behind the 2 marathon drives right at the beginning is because I have been wanting to go to an Amish community to look for crafts for the shop-I love the simplicity and skill of the Amish and on last year’s trip I bought several items from the Mennonites that live around Southern KY.

So the drive from Amarillo-St. Louis is not going to have many stops so I figure this would be a good time to get a little shopping list together so I don’t get overwhelmed (which happens after the first stop).

Linens: some of the vintage linens have been doing well at the shop, especially the tea towels with the different years on them…for sure going to hit those up! Also a big hit were some of the larger tablecloths with little embroideries on them. One of my chicas, Erin asked me to find some cute linens as well.

(like this 1976 towel from etsy seller nine20nine)

Furniture: this time we have an SUV and it is just the 2 of us, so I am going to take advantage of every inch of space and try to get a few larger pieces. One thing I am on the lookout for is a smallish desk for the building materials area of the shop. For sure tater boxes are on the list, people always compliment me on the one I have in the house from my first trip to 127 with my mom.

Canning/preserving items: what a shocker! I want to find old canning books and tools also pickling crocks and lots of old blue Ball jars, those sell really well. I will also be posting or doing videos on other fellow preservers that I meet on 127…there are plenty of canners there!

(from etsy sellers: old bittersweet & victorian gables)

Pie/Soda/Ice Cream goodies: my friend Karen Klemmens of MotherCluck is opening an artisanal ice cream shop called MotherMoo Creamery (LOVE the name right??)…I will be keeping her in mind. I am also going to be doing a few posts for KCRW’s Good Food blog with things that I find/people I meet/things I eat called Disbatches from HWY 127. Last year I bought lots of pie-themed goodies for Good Food host and dear friend Evan Kleiman…mera-mera is getting more goodies this year too!

(Karen: am I on the right track? images from veraviola, inspired journey, and Grandmas Folly)

I also have a few shopping requests so I will be doing some other personal shopping, cross your fingers!

Anything else that might be good to grab?? let me know!

pre-127 yard sale: how to outfit your car for a massive drive

2011-08-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

(currently driving though The Rez)

No, i didn't abandon my blog! Everyday for the past few months i have been feeling horrible about not posting, but the past 3 months have been incredibly busy...a little too busy. Not only have i had my usual Road Less Traveled/jam sales/Patchwork Craft Fairs, but for the past 4 month i have been working on the first ever LA Eat Real Festival. Remember last year i flew out to Oakland to talk about kimchi?? Well, I was hired as the Event Manager for LA, and there went any free time that I had- I wasn't even at the shop the last 8 weeks-it has been nuts/awesome/exhausing in so many words. More on that next week though.

The real point of me starting up with the blog again, and in particular on this day is because:

it's 127 yard sale time again!!!

Yes, as i write this post we are making our way to Kentucky to shop at the largest yard sale in the country. This time around we brought a flip camera to do videos, i am going to take more pictures of the wacky signs and i am going to blog about the trip there and coming back.

How are we able to do this, and work on the various other things that i am a little behind on?? We have outfitted our car (or rather Gustavo's parents SUV) into a mini snack bar/DJ booth and office! By stocking some quality snacks and multiple things to occupy us, we are able to pull 12-17 hour treks without going crazy or eating tons of gas station food.

(the carffice- front seat was electronics, back seat the galley)

THE LONG HAUL CAR TRIP (trips with small kids would probably not find this the best resource)

inverter: we use this one and powered all electronic devices around the clock (it has been super worth it, we use it in the VW all the time)
zip ties/ twisty-ties: something to organize all of the damn wires or you will go crazy, tape, scissors some basic office items (the tape is great for taping papers up on the dashboard to increase the sqft-age of your "desk"
tethering: the whole reason I can work on the go was because we had an internet connection (sometimes slow-but SO MUCH BETTER than nothing!) via the smart phone.
SIRUS: Howard Stern, non-stop 80's music, no commercials, tons of stations-what are you waiting for!
laptop desk: helps for organization and keeping the hot laptop off your legs.
baby/sanitation wipes & paper towels: clean your hands, feet or face before you eat or whenever you are getting that nasty travel grim going on.
a few large paper grocery bags: just start a trash bag as soon as you turn on the engine
The Complete Book of Questions: there is always a conversation that comes from this book.
Food: lots of fruit, hummus/pita, cheeses, cured meats, breads and a good mustard. Your can easily make a sandwich using the top of your cooler as your counter. I also made orzo salad prepackaged in plastic containers (with roasted tomatoes, feta and pepper flakes). of course drinks!
food tools: bottle/wine opener (i always find myself buying these when we stop!), a small cutting board, spreader/cheese/sm bread knife, eating utensils, bring a large mason jar with a plastic lid for the coffee stops too.
driving: leave as early as possible (we left @ 3am), you will make great time and avoid all the traffic...and cruise control makes life easier.

(first purchase: a turquoise necklace and some sweet leather hair ties!)

Tomorrow's post: the stops for the trip and the shopping list

Preserved Lemons-find someone with trees NOW

2011-05-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I helped to celebrate the anniversary of the Hollywood Farmers Market by doing a series of demos on the multi-purpose and fantastic lemon.

So my demos had to do with preserving lemons 3 ways: preserved lemons, limoncello and lemon curd. in a few day i will post on curd, next week limoncello, but for now= PRESERVED LEMONS

PRESERVED LEMONS

*info* preserved lemons are a North African lemon condiment, like a pickle/ like a seasoning...they are not to snack on alone but more for enhancing heartier dishes or ingredients...

3-4 lemons
3-4 t salt
*additions: cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, peppercorns, chili flakes, paprika (all not necessary)

the traditional way of making this is to cut a whole lemon almost down to the core, but leave it whole. this is traditional, BUT hard to fit in a jar and you wont use the whole thing so i like to...
wash and cut the lemon into segments, think 6...you dont want it too thin but not a whole lemon-experiment with cuts. see here:

for every lemon, you want about 1tsp of salt, sprinkled around the lemon so that there is salt (PLEASE USE SALT w/out iodine-NASTY). and get a clean jar (canning not necessary) and mush the crap out of it. you will notice, especially after a few hours that there is a ton of juice. the salt really helps to pull the liquid out of the lemons and hopefully you will have enough to have the brine cover the lemon bits.

Wait till the end of the day, smashing down what you have, if you don't have enough liquid, add some from a spare lemon. Let this lit (with the lid ON, you dont want bugs or dust) on the counter for a month, mixing to make sure the salt and lemons get nice and friendly with each other. after a month-put it in the fridge.

(this is a batch made with chili flakes and is about 9 months old-perfect!)

so at this point you notice that you have a jar of soft lemon peels-the "fruit" part has fallen off...seems at a loss but this it GOOD. but dont go eating it like popcorn...here are a few basic ways to use it
*note* use preserved lemons like you would a condiment that you want lemonly-salt added to.

(new batch on right, 9-month old on left)

OLIVES DEVINE: mix with a number of cured olives, just a wedge will do, just mix well
QUINOA: add to cooking water of quinoa
FISH: rub a wedge on fish while cooking

farmers' market contest: May 2011

2011-05-09T06:05:00.000-07:00

oh boy do I feel like a loser...here i am quack-quack about, "i'm a gonna blog everyday for New's Years resolution-BS" and what do i do? take a month off here and there...depressing! (cute soundtrack-PLEASE play while continuing to read)

But I will promise this because this past week i turned 35 (on Cinco-DeLilah of course!)...which to me is like a real-time number-that's for some reason a real adult age...I don't feel a day over 28, but who knows, i can't even keep a regular blog schedule.
Back to the promise AND the contest- i need to post a few things this week b/c i told people today @ the Hollywood FM that i would (and other people) so this is what I promise to do this week:

1. post a recipe on how to make preserved lemons
2. post on how to make lemon curd-yes you CAN (but you should eat it fresh)
3. a CSA recipe
4. what the funk i have been up to and why i haven't been posting...

as for the contest: be the first to post on this blog and win (i will ship if you are not in the area) 1 VEDA salt (organic celery salt) and one Citron Pepper package (great on good ole bagels and cream cheese).

CONTEST MAY 2011

This actress, was once on a BIG TV (in the past 5 years) show and pretty hilarious movie. Known as a B-, but i could not tell, she was super sweet as she came up to me probably enjoying Mother's Day in peace (not really, i guess there where like 3 people taking pictures). Despite all of this, she asked me about trying the lemon curd-it had been sitting out for hours, so i said, "hells no!"...after offering a recipe she said she had one at home-she was making it later that day (laughing sweetly)...pretty nice if you ask me!

Cultured butter

2011-03-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

While i was at Expo West a few weeks ago, i was fortunate to meet the great folks of Straus Creamery. I am a big fan of their dairy products using them for all of the cheese classes-LOVE their glass containers (great for my various booze projects) and the quality is amazing. At the Expo, i was going on-and-on about my love for them and they hooked me up with a few coupons which I recently used to make butter.

(Straus containers make EXCELLENT containers for bitters!)

I used to make butter by shaking cream in a little jar with a few pinches of salt, but this time I wanted to use my KitchenAid to save my arms and make a little more than a single serving (although jar churning is a great project for kids). I also wanted to experiment making the "European-style" butter, also known as cultured butter which has a more complex flavor with a hint of tang and just simply, a more intense butter flavor. I for sure recommend taking the extra step to make this kind of butter once you have made quick butter.

(thick, creamy and ready to churn)

What Happens When You Make Butter...

Butter is the fat of milk or cream. Agitation of the cream or churning, separates the milk fats from the liquid part of the cream (buttermilk). The more you churn, the more the fats try to connect with other fats until you have large particles that can be brought together by hand. Some people call butter, "an overwhipped-whipped cream", and they are pretty much right. There are a number of ways that you can churn butter: a jar, Cuisenart, old-school butter churner (expensive but mucho cute factor), or in my case the Kitchenaid.

(getting there...)

European-style cultured butter is not as widely available however, and if you do find it, can be a little pricey (at least as far as butter goes). Making it yourself is simple, flavorful and pretty inexpensive, especially since you can use the leftover buttermilk to make other yummy things like bread!

(whipped cream stage: almost there...)

CULTURED BUTTER

1c. organic cream (I used 2c. and I ended up with almost 2c. butter!)
1t yogurt culture

Let the cream sit for an hour in a bowl and cover with a towel. Add 1t culture (some people add yogurt-try it!) and mix. Let it sit out to develop for 10-14hrs, the cream should start to thicken on top (still covering). If you cannot mix right away, put it in the fridge. Once you are ready to churn, make sure the cream is around 60F. Add to mixer and put a towel on top (you will thank me later) and keep checking on it, in less than 5 minutes you will see the fat develop.

(we've got butter!)

(buttermilk mess: keep your eyes on the mixer!)

Once there is enough of the butter formed, strain the butter from the liquid (make sure to keep the liquid) and work the butter over and over, you will see more buttermilk released, allow to drain for 10 minutes.

(first stage draining)

After the first draining, rinse the butter over cold water while mashing/squeezing the butter. The fat will stay, but the liquid will come out. Once you feel you have enough liquid removed from the butter, wrap in plastic and store in the fridge. I like to separate the butter in 1/2 adding salt to one batch and leaving the other plain. The fat of the butter will make it last much longer than cream if you keep it cold and wrap it well (plus it won't adopt certain fridge flavors!)

(second stage straining)

Now that I am into cultured butter I am going to try clotted cream, ghee and I have already started looking into some cute butter molds!

CSA cooking: blackened tilapia tacos w/ hot mexi pickles

2011-03-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

basket inventory: 2 bags of strawberries (lasting approximately 20 minutes), chard, radish, carrots, limes, lettuce, kale, beets, leeks, oranges, blood oranges, kumquats, avocados

We have had some frozen tilapia in the freezer for a little bit and i thought that we might use those with a few of the CSA items to make something super yummy-fish tacos! This is a great recipe, not only is it incredibly good (like double-take-did-I-just-make-this), but it used a number of things from the basket and is pretty quick to make (you might need about 1 hr prep for the veg). The following recipe is good for 2 people pigging out or 4 people w/ an appetizer. What is also great about making the pickles is that you can enjoy them for the next few months in the fridge.

BLACKENED TILAPIA TACOS with HOT MEXI-PICKLES and FREESTYLE SALSA
(for the pickles)

#1 carrots, radish or combination of sliced (we had about #3 total)
1-2 white onions sliced (if you like onions then do 2)
4 jalapeno peppers sliced
4 cloves garlic smashed
brine: a mix of 1c water and 2 c vinegar (add more vinegar if you need more liquid)
1T ea: salt & black peppercorns

While slicing the carrots and radish, start cooking the onions and peppers in a pot with some olive oil. Add the carrots and radish and cook for a few minutes more. Add s & p, garlic and over with brine. Simmer for 10 minutes. Store in a glass container in the fridge where it will keep for a month and then some.

(pouring the veg in to marinate & stuffing the leftovers in canning jars for the fridge)

(for the salsa)
NOTE: freestyle means i used whatever crap i had left over in the fridge you dont have to do this and buy your own

minced: 1 red onion, 4 cloves garlic, 4 tomatoes/cucmbers, 1 jalapeno or other peppers (we added 2 Hungarian peppers) and mix together in a bowl.
squeeze the juice of 2 limes and 1T salt

(for the tacos)

3-4 fillets of tilapia defrosted
olive oil
3T grill seasoning (i used something my sister made me for Christmas)
corn tortillas (you can use flour, just don't let me find out)
a mix of chard, kale and lettuce shredded
toppings: cheese, avocado slices, sour cream, cilantro

Wash the fish and toss with oil and seasoning, let it marinate for a 5-10 minutes. Preheat a skillet on the stove over medium heat, add the oil and then the fish, turning after 2 minutes. Warm the tortillas on a comal or another skillet. Assemble the tacos with fish, add shredded greens, top with freestyle salsa, top with avo, add a few pickles (i like them on the side) and whatever else you have.

uber-clean sink

2011-03-20T05:27:00.000-07:00

People always ask me at the shop, "what do you clean with?"

(this is it: baking soda, lemon juice, scrubber/old toothbrush, Modern Mermaids, vinegar & dish soap)

i think i have written about this in the past but just recently I was reading the popular LA-based Urban Homestead/DIY living blog Root Simple about sink cleaning. Normally I have had a stainless steel sink, where I have only used baking soda and water to make a homemade "soft scrub", with a few drops of tea tree for added smelly/antiseptic goodness.
Now that we are in our new apartment Homestead, the sink is a bit older and it is porcelain-you can for sure see a lot more stains! I was inspired by the Root Simple post on the "soft scrub" mix but with lemon-brills! Baking soda combo is great on its own, but with lemon juice-talk about hit of natural bleach power!

(sink before: cute but worn)

(after: pearly white!)

(look at the stains being lifted by some small elbow grease on my part)

I decided to take this on our new-but-getting-a-beating stove...check-check.
Just wipe with a wet cloth and DONE, so cheap and so simple!

Expo West 2011

2011-03-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the big natural products convention Expo West at the Anaheim Convention Center. For 6 years, I have been braving the crowds, getting goodies and seeing lots of new items that will be making their way into you local natural/alt grocery store. Here are the my faves, tips and other things that I have noticed at the show (in addition to some items we will carry in the shop soon)!

FAVES:

BEST OF SHOW: the Ecotensil: a biodegradable, foldable spoon that is seriously brilliant...already vendors at EW are using them. Mark my word, you will see this somewhere within the year.

mushroom kits: you know i am all about the mushies in the Apartment Homestead...well they are now coming to our shop! In a few weeks you can buy your own mushroom growing kits!! Made from old coffee grounds and in recycled packaging, after you grow you mushies-the whole thing composts! Give it a few weeks but they will be in the shop very soon.
Fentimans: this soda company has FABULOUS "tonics" seville/mandarin orange or burdock/dandelion brews anyone??-very yummy!
Dehydrators, yogurt makers and more: found a local carrier of cool dehydrators, soymilk makers and this cool grain/bean cooker...all coming soon!
awesome kitchen gear: i found this incredible sponge maker AND we will be getting dehydrators, grain mills and cookers in the next few months-LOVED it!

prickly pear juice: LOVED this and uber yummy.
Fresh Ginger Ale: had a great talk with owner Bruce Cost who seems to be totally into all things ginger-i want his book!

TRENDS:

love more culture: there was a great collection of products from Mexico as well as more Korean-grouped booths...lots of global!

salts n/ spice: a number of salts of all different flavors (see a fave above) and more spices coming out.
probiotics and more cultures: greek yogurt is happening along with kefir...i am sure there is more on the supplement area, but i didnt make it to that area.
agave: you are going to see a lot of agave!
*NEW* you are kind of an a$$: Giovanni Cosmetics-after watching a staff person give out a number of samples to an exhibitor, I asked if I (a buyer, who is a fan, recommends and buys from) could have a sample of something new or a shampoo (which I now USED TO LOVE). I basically had to give an interview deeming myself a small 2" sample. I left before i could get it. Sorry Giovanni, you just lost a fan-DOUCHES.

and finally, for those who want to go in 2012...

TIPS:

if you can, take a taxi to the show, especially if you have a group of people. Meet somewhere where you have free parking or you can even meet at the parking next to our shop, we are SUPER close to the convention. you will save yourself waiting in massive traffic for parking, paying for parking and saving your feet because you will be doing lots of walking! if you split the cab with 3+ people, you spend about $10 round trip, less if you have more people.
speaking of walking: this isn't a fashion show, leave the heels at home!
the outer part of the convention (the booths against the walls and the first few isles/booths in) is where you will see the "new" people who are just starting out...lots of good stuff here. also....
the lower level of the convention: is where you will see all the indie and really new peeps-VERY MUCH worth it.

other great finds:

(BEST BOOTH and ATTITUDE: Hugo Naturals )

(local chica Deanna with Simple Peace making a debut)

(at the same booth were this wooden ties)

(zero cal, vegan, gluten-free and shelf stabilized noodles)

farmers' market AND Expo West contest: March 2011

2011-03-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

(Fabio is NOT the answer)

This past weekend I was at the big Natural Products Expo (aka Expo West aka lots of processed foods) in Anaheim as well as the Hollywood Farmers' Market. At each location I noticed 2 famous faces, each guess wins you a bottle of my homemade bitters.

1. EXPO WEST: This is a hard one, unless you watch Bravo...unless you watch The Real Housewives of______ and Millionaire Matchmaker (and yes I do partake in this bad TV from time to time).

2. HOLLYWOOD FM: I usually don't care about what movie star/actress this-and-that, but i really wanted to ask this one what is was like to work with 2 of my total crushes (who just happened to win academy awards within the past 3 years (including this year).

farmers' market contest: Feb 2011

2011-02-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

**SOLVED: the person is Vincent Gallo**
congrats anon! I will be at the market again next month and will post another contest soon!

Sunday was a beautiful day...more on that to come, but while we were at the Hollywood Farmers' Market, I noticed a famous face. Guess correctly on this blog and we will ship you a jar of fresh Blood Orange-Passion Jam, which I must admit is absolutely INCREDIBLE!! for sure entering it in the fair-that good!

FEBRUARY 2011:
This actor/director/"artist" with a temper was seen patiently waiting in line for a hot food vendor at the market...

affordable art: embroidery!

2011-02-08T06:39:00.000-08:00

We just had a blogging class at the shop last week which was taught by Fern Richardson of Life on the Balcony-lots of great tips and, "oh that makes sense" moments. One of the things she brought up was the Wordless Wednesday deal that some bloggers do, they just post pictures. I think i am going to start doing that with the art posts (albeit with a few words for links).
Anyways...embroidery awesomeness.....

(little sasquatch)

(laura amiss)

(mary's granddaughter)-LOVE THIS

(woodroots)

(holiday art)

(twigs and lace)

(neawear)

(wall work)

DIY canning rack: what to do with leftover canning rings

2011-02-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

As an avid food preserver, one thing I always end up with is a boat-load of canning rings-I usually have a bag of them somewhere in the house or in the root cellar. Of course I use them, but it seems like there are always more than I started with, kind of like the sock getting lost in the dryer deal except I end up 3 socks instead of 1.

(part of our class on Sunday-WORK it chicas!)

I have been trying to figure out what to do with the extras. For sure I am thinking of a window display and a few other projects (which I will for sure post about), but one was the perfect solution to a dilemma in this past weekend's canning class-a canning rack!
The traditional rack, one that you might acquire when purchasing a canning package looks like this:

Yes it works, but if you happen to use the cute little 4oz jars like I do you will realize that the rings in the rack are WAY to big and the jars just fall out making the rack pointless. There are newer versions of racks that solve this problem like this one below:

(PS you can buy all of this at Canning Pantry)

I happen to have 3 old-school racks and 1 new-school and occasionally there has been a situation where we have to process 2 canners at one time (and they happen to all be the cute little jar dudes). What do you do?? Whip out those leftover canning rings!

DIY canning rack:

You'll need 8-10 canning rings (just depends on how big the pot is) and 10-15 twisty ties or rubber bands.

Lay them out tops up and arrange them in the best possible way that allows you to fit as many in the pot as possible without curling up. Fasten the twisty-deal or rubber band until they are snug. Fit into the pot and slowly add your jars in with a jar holder so that they balance on the rings...proceed with canning!

NOTE: make sure that you remove the ties and dry the rings after, the bands will break from the heat and the ties/metal of the rings will rust and now you have rusty rings-and I have no idea what to do with those!

(wham)

(bam)

(thank you ma'am)

(PS: this jam turned out BEYOND INCREDIBLE already sourcing to sell!!)

Winter at the Hollywood Farmers' Market

2011-02-01T09:26:00.000-08:00

Over a week ago, we were able to visit and do the table at the Hollywood Farmers' Market...I still can't believe it has been over 2 months since I have been able to sit at the table, time really is flying! It was wonderful to see all the familiar faces (although everyone has been working overtime with the whole BS situ with the Film School)-but it was a joy to be out in the market.
So yes I did happen to see James Van Der Beek, looking normal with the fam, but WAY MORE important was the baby goat from Soledad-10 days old...she was the star of the market the entire time-crowds non stop!

(yeah, she fell asleep in my arms!!)

This time we brought our neighbors Jack and August, they had a blast and even went to Amoeba and brought back this classic Lee Perry album...all I have to say is better not bring it to our house or you will never see it again!

I sat at the MFP table and hung out with Kevin, Master Gardener (dearly missed!!) for a few hours and tried to catch up on everything that has been happening for over 2 months...I can't believe it has been that long. Eventually we closed up and we were able to go shopping...

(root veggies galore)

McGrath Farms always has incredible produce (in the center ring of the market). They usually have a few items that you cannot find anywhere else. As we walked by, I noticed something EXTRA special: Ghost Peppers. If you are into heat, the ghost is known as the hottest pepper on the planet (think habanero x 10...I still can't imagine that). We had to pick up some for another canning creation.

(some lady got mad at me for taking so many!)

I am also big on the prepared food of the Hollywood FM-while I am usually a breakfast burrito gal, I have recently fallen in love with the Caribbean creations at Flava- I am down for beans, rice and plantains any day/all day, but she also as a mean chicken dish (from what I hear) that is not only cheap but way good!

(PS the hot sauce on the counter is hot but UBER good!)

(fixin's with hot sauce-I had 2 orders)

I am hoping to make a regular stop at the market this year every 1st Sunday of the month pending a class or lecture. Either way, you have to check out he Farmers Kitchen where Ernie has made a number of yummy preserves from the farmers who do this market. He is also heading the LA MFP program after 10 years (yours truly will be teaching the first class on food safety)- to apply for one of the 15 spots, click here- go Ernie!!!!

food preservation workshops (and one more!): FEBRUARY 2011

2011-01-31T08:55:00.000-08:00

A few things are happening in OC and LA in the next few months-below is a list. I am also going to list a few of things that are happening @ the shop that might be interesting as well.

2/5 (11-1): vinegar, yogurt and kombucha, Orange County (with Ernie) @ RLT
2/6 (11-2): Canning Class, Orange County @ RLT
2/12 (11-3): Citrus Class @ Kazi's urban farm in Altadena with Evan Kleiman-SOLD OUT!
2/20 (11-2): Fermentation series @ UCC (perfect if you live in Santa Monica)
2/26 (11-2): Cheese 101, Orange County @ RLT
2/27 (11-2): Pizza, Start to Finish (crust, sauce, cheese), Orange County @ RLT

**We also have a great workshop this THURSDAY at the shop on blogging. If you want to start a blog or like most of us: have one but don't know what the funk to do with it-this will get you ready to work your magic. Fern Richardson of Life on The Balcony (if you are into gardening, check it out!) will hand out advice, up n' downs and how proper planning, content and mojo can make something incredible (like for Fern a book deal)! Contact me directly or call the shop (714.836.8727) and leave a message with your info and we will make room for y'alls.

a new work philosophy

2011-01-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

NOTE: if you have read part of this before I am sorry, I didn't meant to hit publish, but I guess I did and walked away (I thought i just saved to finish later)!

My friend Chef Anahita Naderi recently posted this story on Facebook:

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican fishing village...
A tourist complimented the local fishermen on the quality of their fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

“Not very long." they answered in unison.

"Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?"

The fishermen explained that their small catches were sufficient to meet their needs and those of their families.

"But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"We sleep late, fish a little, play with our children,
and take siestas with our wives. In the evenings, we go into the village to see our friends, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. We have a full life."

The tourist interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard (a consultant?) and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."

"And after that?"

"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers.
Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant.

You can then leave this little village and move to
Mexico City, Los Angeles , or even New York City !

From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."

"How long would that take?"

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years." replied the tourist.

"And after that?"

"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting," answered the tourist, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the fishermen.
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings enjoying your friends."

"With all due respect sir, but that's exactly what we are doing now. So what's the point wasting twenty-five years?" asked the Mexicans.

And the moral of this story is: Know where you're going in life....you may already be there.

So what does this mean about little ole me??

As many who are close to me know, I work like a dog-never stopping. Maybe it's in the genes, maybe it was because I am an only child, maybe I am simply a task person. Point is: I love to work and have projects/goals/things to work on all the time...I am not going to fight it, in fact I embrace it-A LOT.
Things are always happening, but in the few years, the projects have taken up so much that I find myself working 14-20 hour days/7 days/months at a time-very little time for "siestas" and such.
I have 3 main things that i love to do right now: run my shop, do Patchwork with Nicole and work on my preserving adventures/classes/product and by shear luck-all of them work really well together (in fact make each other stronger)!!
...but something has to give or I am going to start missing out on some of the things I also like to do (like have people over, garden, spend time with Marge, this blog, ceramics, travel...).
In trying to pay attention to those needs and one of my resolutions but also having everything I love I decided last month to do something about it: I pulled a Honey I Shrunk the Store and moved back into the original space where I started my business.
Over the past weeks, we have been getting a boat-load of calls and emails, mostly along the lines of, "WHAT happened ?!?!" or, "Did you close???!!!"...well no we didn't, still here and still doing everything the same (albeit no clothing or baby items-leave that to the fabulous Belly Sprout). If you had to boil it down to a few things...
1. I am doing WAY too many things: I teach classes and lecture (at my shop and beyond almost every week), I co-run an arts/crafts fair that is doing more every year (that I sell at), volunteer my time, have a life in addition to...
2. my love of food found an outlet: I found something that incorporates a little of what I have always wanted to be (educator/foodie/cooking/small-indie biz/out-doors/MAKING STUFF/people/celebrating local) in my new biz Backyard In A Jar-my preserving biz that I really want to make a go of this year. I have to try.
3. 5 year itch and stretch: I have had my shop for 5 years (yeah I know!!) after this time, I better KNOW what works and what doesn't. What works is knowing EXACTLY what sells and what doesn't. Guess what? I need less space to sell it and I can use every square inch to yield more use than a larger space...seems obvious to me (and less energy, cleaning, upkeep...)

(a more open counter with classes and store info right in front!)

4. focus woman! If I want to stick to my resolutions and do all the things I want to do, there needs to be simplicity...when I look at myself, my home, food, belongings, BLOG, the environment I have to think:: SMALL and EFFICIENT...if there is too much waste then eliminate it-right??
When this- #4 (and 1-3) finally dawned upon me in November, I had that feeling of the whole slap your head deal-except I wanted to do it for real, like really f-ing hard. Why wait and really make a resolution to be better no matter what a reality! Personally, I have never felt better!

(back to basics: it just FEELS cozier!)

I'm Back in Ceramics Again! (my Aerosmith version)

2011-01-26T09:12:00.000-08:00

This past week was the first ceramics class of 2011 and with a new edition: mamcita!
One of my Christmas gifts to my mother was a beginners set of ceramics tools and a class with me and the Avanti Cafe crew.
When I was thinking about posting on our class the first thing I thought of was Aerosmith's I'm Back in the Saddle, awesome song, but i changed the words with ceramics and was giggling. Was totally meant to be because while mama and I we cruising in the Jam Van to Avanti, guess what came on!!!

I have to say that the VW bus is the absolute BEST vehicle of choice when going to a ceramics class in Huntington Beach. We have exactly one speaker behind a seat that plays classic rock, solar Christmas lights for looking cool when we drive down PCH and plenty of room for chatting and hanging out/eating/putting up our tired a$$es.

(Mark made one too many plates and got in trouble, it was quite funny!)

My jam n' cheese plates did really well a last year's Patchwork Shows and I have spent the past month looking at new ideas of expanding my "not your regular Pottery Barn BS" line. Yes I know that I am no Heath Ceramics, but people are digging my items so I decided to expand to make a few new things in this season of classes...

salt pigs: love the salt, make salt mixes so why not make containers

(yeah i wish i could do this!)

butter crocks: French-style, this might not happen for a little unless I can channel a pros ability on the wheel (any local ceramic artists reading this-i will buy/trade from you instead!)

(again, a girl can dream!)

garlic mashers: little plates with big rings for smashing garlic-I think i can do it!

(love this idea from Natalie Bonney-UK)

soup bowls: my first day back I threw 4 big bowls-would be perfect for soup and stews
spoon rests: or aka "soup bowl that collapsed on the wheel"-recycling!

Mamacita (as the group calls her-I just call her mom), is excited too. She got the "ceramics 101 talk" last week and is now feverishly working on her ideas.

We will see what I can actually do, if you have some other ideas of what you would like to see-let me know!

CSA cooking: artichoke-leek dip

2011-01-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

basket inventory: kale, lettuce varieties, spring onions, leeks, mandarins, oranges, limes, baby beets, sprouts, arugula, rosemary, lemon, macadamia nuts (hells-to-the-yes!)

(of course in La Chamba pottery-available you know where!)

Spinach-artichoke dip: been there, done that...I think we all have at one point or another over the past 15 years. In wanting to do something different with leeks this week, I decided to make a play on this uber-yummy dip that is perfect for parties, brunch or in our case us and the neighbors watching The Real Housewives of Atlanta (Nene is getting a little cray-cray isn't she??)

WAY YUMMY ARTICHOKE-LEEK DIP

3 large leeks, white and light green parts sliced (i added spring onions too b/c they were in the basket this week)
a few pats of butter or olive oil
1-2 packages of light cream cheese (do 2 packages if making it for a larger group), softened
1 small package of goat cheese, softened
1/4 c milk (I used almond milk)
juice of 1/2 a lemon (opt)
1 can of art hearts in water (not oil!)
parmesan cheese (to top the dip)
a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce (opt)
salt and pepper

In a food processor, combine the soft cheeses adding milk to help with the mixing and lemon juice (opt), add a few spoonfuls of the soft leaks, hot sauce, salt and pepper and pulse.

Drain the hearts and chop. Add to the pan with the leaks, mix and then add the soft cheese mix and combine well (don't you just hate a bite of all one flavor?). Adjust hot sauce, salt and pepper flavors and add to an oven-proof dish (I did a little spray of oil, just in case) and top with parm. Put in the oven for 20 minutes or until the top is browned a little.

farmers' market contest: Jan 2011

2011-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

So missed going to Hollywood-the crazy holiday season and patchwork kept me away for more than 2 months!! Yesterday however, I was able to sit at the table and do a few hours (and see Kevin-missed you!) and the 88 degree weather was as ridiculous as a Southern CA Winter could get...but enough about the weather and on with the blind! The first person to post the correct answer on this blog will get a jar of GHOST JELLY (yes a jelly made from the hottest pepper on the planet!)

Jan 2011
This actor is primarily known for his TV work. In particular he is known for this popular late 90's-early 2000's show which also starred an actress that is known more for her marriage (?) than work.

a quick adventure in San Diego

2011-01-23T11:02:00.000-08:00

You would think January would be a little bit more relaxing because it is after the holiday season. Unfortunately, it doesn't really work that way over here.
January and February is filled with a great deal of work prepping for the next crazy-busy season for me with is April-May when sales are usually back from the slum of after holiday, people are out more and most of all PATCHWORK SEASON!
Nicole and I have a few meetings over the holiday break and talked about 2011 Patch ideas and growth for our little Indie Arts and Crafts Festival that seems to be growing and gaining a good following.
So what did we discuss?? Two new possible locations for the coming year and this past weekend we headed over to sunny San Diego for a crazy tour of of the area to brainstorm ideas. Below are some goodies I found on my mini-work-break.

(a nice Gastropub with slow service)

Friday night we tried out recently reviewed gastropub Jayne's in Hillcrest. British-themed and UBER cute inside. I had a nice cocktail, a concoction of lemon juice and bitters and really tasty fish n' ships. Only problem: the service was super slow, with only a few tables full, it shouldn't have taken over 10 minutes for out drinks.

The next day we started out early. During our drive, we stopped at the Little Italy FM (Mercato)-a busy market and for sure worth the visit if you are in the area on Saturdays. While we were there I bought little Marge a new hemp leash and collar from local artist Julia of Handmade Green-I also got a hat and coffee (first picture).

(Handmade Green also did Patchwork last Fall in Long Beach)

(i bought something like this from her at the LB show)

We also went to Ocean Beach were we stopped by the Ocean Beach Organic Food Co-op. There we bought a pint of local honey, cocktail citrus (??) matcha power (for a new salt possibly!) and these really cool responsibly-sourced FSC gloves (BTW I am going to be doing a post of new things I have found at the grocery soon). It would be great to have a co-op in Orange County, funny b/c that is what I initially wanted my store to be way back when!

(goodies from the co-op)

STRANGE part of the trip: at one point we ended up in South Park and walked into this cute craft shop called The Grove. First thing when you walk in are a bunch of cook books-YES, so we start looking at them. I notice on the shelf our friend Jaime Wood's Wicca Cookbook, which was recently revised for its 20 year anni. It was just then that i remembered that I had given Jaime my Wild Sage Jelly recipe for that book. Opened the book and BOOM-there i am!

(hells-to-the-yeah! my recipe, thank you Jaime-now go buy it and read page 55!)

So after a yummy champs and elderberry flower cocktail (YUM and must make), we rested up for a quick trip back home and then to Hollywood FM-never a dull moment.

quick pickled peppers

2011-01-20T13:01:00.000-08:00

We have a few pepper plants sitting in front of the Apartment Homestead-habaneros, jalapenos, serranos and cherry (my favorite) and while I was watering yesterday I noticed that they were all bustin' out-when did that happen?
My usual next step would be to harvest them for Fire or Green Heat Jelly, but I already had several pounds in the fridge that I was going to can in the next few days. The fact that I had about a quart of peppers seemed obvious-pickle them!

(check out my little habby plant!)

(a small collection from the porch)

I love me some pickled peppers-I dig the tart and the vinegar cuts some of the heat, especially from the uber-hot ones. Basic fridge pickled peppers last a long time too. The past batch I made was 4 months old when we finally finished it. I love these in salad, sandwiches and on an appetizer platter with a bunch of other goodies-and don't throw out the pickle juice-its great in dressings (or in a cocktail).

QUICK PICKLED PEPPERS

2 c mixed peppers (i have mixed but you can use whatever you can tolerate)
1 c water
1 c cider vinegar
large squirt (1-2T) agave
2T salt
2 bay leaves
2 T coriander seeds
3 cloves garlic, peeled (actually like to use more than this, as many as you can fit in the jar, then you get hot garlic too!)
2 T black peppercorns

Wash the peppers, take a sharp knife and stab them a few times so the brine can permeate the whole pepper. You can keep them whole or slice them like the ones you see in the store. I say do whole, strips and slices, that way you have more of a selection to choose from! Pack into a quart jar.

(i added some mustard too!)

In a non-reactive pot, combine all the other ingredients and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Pour over the peppers and allow to cool on the table. Once cool, move in the fridge. You can start eating them tomorrow, but honestly they taste WAY better in a week or month!

(I like to use these old-school juice containers that we picked up on 127)

affordable art: canning!

2011-01-19T09:30:00.000-08:00

i'm surprised it took me this long to post something like this...

(from VgoT, available at the shop of course!)

(Old School Stationers deserve their own blog post-check out their VW bus print!)

(YES YES YES- we are getting this soon people!!!-Bespoke Uprising Textiles)

Canning is in full-swing and what better way to celebrate the love of things in jars with art!
ETSY has a number of great things promoting jar-love and you don't need to do more than step into your kitchen. Jars are everywhere, and you don't need to be a preserver to appreciate the simplicity of the basic glass/ceramic piece.
Go-go vintage: I don't want to sound Three Amigos, but there is a plethora of jar beauty available at your local thrift store/fair. Yes, i do the 127 craziness, but estate sales, ESTY, and neighborhood shops have a number of things that is art suspended in time. i love the old-school blue mason jars, we picked up a number of them on 127 and not only do we sell them at the shop, i also have them in the kitchen and living room as decor (occasionally putting flowers in them but they really look great alone).

(the easiest way to go is Ebay is you live in So Cal)

(tea towels, prints and bags with a canning diagram from Girls Can Tell-COMIN' SOON!!)

(H is for Handmade has this great post on different things you can do-but I LOVE this idea)

(the Ball stamp from Sugar Skullz is sweet-Santa, are you listening??)

(Nicole made me a solar lamp for Christmas, these kind of remind me of them)

(love this modern canning print from Ollibird)

more Industrial Folk-Sale

2011-01-18T11:07:00.000-08:00

(i would love this for the office)

One of my favorite things are the old metal objects turned new. We actually have a welding class at the shop a few times a year and it is quite popular-I have been meaning to take it because there are a number of things that I have been inspired by. Put The Steel Fork on that list.
Pennsylvania couple Ben and Kate have taken their love of food, agriculture and recycling creating a line of home-grown design goods that are simple and fun-totally Industrial Folk-Sale. I am going to see if they do wholesale so i can get some of the signs and spoon/fork hangers in the shop, but if you can't wait-check them out here.

(i love this chalkboard-how cute would this be in the kitchen?)

(they have a number of animals, but i love the red antlers on the moose)

(love this for aprons and towels)

(not cheap but soooo special!)

adventures with Evan Kleiman, Kazi and a citrus class!

2011-01-17T08:28:00.000-08:00

The typical Friday is not really the end of the week but the prepping for what i like to call the "short week" (aka the weekend). I usually try to finish the weeks work and prep for classes and events that happen in the next 2 days with an evening cocktail at the computer to make me feel like i am having a night on the town!

(BEWARE: awesome Friday ahead...)

This past Friday was a little different though. I met Evan Kleiman (aka: mera-mera) at Union Station for a little trip to her dear friend Kazi's home in Altadena to check out her AMAZING urban farm and work on an upcoming class.

(starting the day)

We happened to arrive a little early so Gustavo and i decided to take a little trip to Olvera Street to grab a snack and check out some cute potential presents. I've heard that this landmark area might be demolished -WHAT A SHAME, can anyone tell me more about this???

(this place served the first taquito in LA-yummers!)

(bright guitars and a ceramic rooster that i want to buy for the front porch)

After a short walk through the gorgeous Union Station that seemed untouched by time (albeit without the constant cell phone usage all around), Evan pulled up to pick me up with her co-pilot Paco, sitting on her lap ready for an adventure. Paco is her 7yr-old little white fluff-ball of cuteness (i forgot the breed-a stray that is mixed with cuteness is all you need to know), that immediately came to my lap as we took off to Altadena.
Evan has told me about Kazi and her incredible home and as we pulled up to the door, i felt the excitement that reminded me of the times i walked up to the home of Beekeeper Kelly's home: i KNEW i was in a special place. Then off i went for a wonderful backyard tour....

(Evan checkin' out the dehydrator that killz it!)

Kazi's home is filled with more wonder that baffles the mind-not only is she a classical musician, but a chica of astounding knowledge and passion of food that is like opening an encyclopedia called, "everything i wanted to know about an creative urban farm but never had the balls to think about what i could do". i probably seemed like a ghost, because the entire time i was in total amazement and could hardly speak (except from the occasional "holy shazzbah" spinkled with, "what is this!" every 10 minutes).
Kazi took me on a tour of her MANY fruit trees (we are talking at LEAST 15 different citrus, not to mention the rest), 30+ birds (that Paco loved to chase), herbs and a dehydrator that would Shaq-style-smack-down whatever you might have at home-Kazi even roasts her own coffee-HELLO!

(finger lime: my new fave citrus-MUST HAVE)

(Paco workin' it with the birds-they didn't like him too much!)

(yeah, this is PART of the yard in winter...for realz!!)

Kazi also made us an incredible lunch (fresh eggs and bread-every thing from scratch yo) and topped it off with farm-fresh soda and preserves from her trip to Oregon-what a woman. While i was in the restroom i also spotted a signed autograph from Frank Sinatra as well as sheet music from past performances-again, what a woman!

(yummers x3: our lunch)

during all of this bliss we managed to hash out our upcoming class on citrus ON FEBRUARY 12TH 11-3:30 at her home. totally worth the drive if you are in Southern CA. Kazi will be teaching marmalade, Evan will be making a yummy lunch and i will be teaching citrus spice/herb applications (and booze). if you are interested, here's the info:

Citrus Celebration and Class at Altadena Urban Farm
Join Evan Kleiman and her friends, urban farmer, Kazi Pitelka and master preserver Delilah Snell at Kazi’s urban farm in Altadena. We’ll walk through the orchard and try 10+ varieties of in season fruit as Kazi shares her breadth of knowledge of Citrus. Then we move to the kitchen to make learn a basic Marmalade Recipe, a Citrus Liquer and dry Spice Mixtures. Includes lunch.
Saturday, February 12 from 11-3:30.
Location: disclosed upon registration
Cost: $130
To RSVP, please contact Delilah Snell
delilahsnell@yahoo.com
714.836.8727

what a great friday.....

(had margs @ gabbis in Orange after in the Jam Van, then back to work!)

geranium syrup=some good mojitos tonight??

2011-01-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

My friends Linnea and Dave told me that they had some geranium plant for me to use-i have been wanting to use geranium for a while to make a few things. my two plants, while they are getting bigger are certainly not enough to make jelly, liquor, scented sugar and syrup without stripping them bare.

YOWZA-i ended up getting an entire trash bag full of the stuff that left this wonderful scent in the store and house...so first things first...
i made 2 bouquets in old mason jars, one for the house and one for the shop. not only do i get to have the fragrance of the plant for a little bit longer, but keeping geranium in some water prolongs the plant so i can use as much of it as possible.

(just another Thursday night: cleaning and sorting geranium plants!)

For the longest time i have been wanting to turn this plant into a cocktail-type ingredient, i haven't really seen it on any menu (tell me if i am wrong) and anyone who has a geranium knows that once it is established, it grows like crazy (hence the trash bag present). The first two things that came to mind were sugar and sugar.

SCENTED GERANIUM SUGAR

handful of large geranium leaves
1 large mason jar (quart)
2 cups of sugar (or whatever you need to fill the jar)

Quickly sterilize the jar by pouring some hot boiling water with a shot of vinegar in the jar (or a run through the dishwasher) and dry it. Line the bottom of the jar with a few leaves and cover with 1" of sugar, tamp the sugar down with a spoon to start releasing the oils from the plant. keep alternating geranium with sugar until you reach the top. Attach the lid, and leave in a sunny place on the counter for a few weeks. Check and shake the sugar every day or so until you can smell/taste the geranium on the sugar. Filter the leaves out after a few weeks and store in the pantry.

GERANIUM SYRUP

2 c water
2 c sugar
1 c washed geranium leaves

Dissolve the sugar in a large pot under medium heat while washing the leaves.

Add the leaves to the sugar mix and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Strain the leaves and bring the mix to a boil again for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool and pour into cute jars.

(bottles from Ikea, $1 store down the street and the nice lemonade @ Trader Joes)

I have to let the syrups cool before i can use them, but i am planning on making geranium mojitos tonight when our friend mike comes over so i will be posting about that and a few other things i make!

2011 resolutions: late is better than never!

2011-01-13T08:12:00.000-08:00

Another year, another chapter in the book that is life.
The holidays are now over and in the past few weeks, i have been working on what i like to call, "the foundation" for the coming year (more to come on that in a blog post soon). A few weeks ago it hit me that in 2011 i will turn 35, which to me seems like a REAL NUMBER-ain't no child anymore... i seriously feel 29/30...35 seems like a few years away still. I guess i have to get a grip on reality because the music that i have grown up with is now hitting the Classic Rock radio stations...

(not my era, but i wish!)

so i have been thinking about what i want out of 2011...

What immediately comes to mind is Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong singing Tenderly..if you haven't heard it, i BEG you to listen (hopefully with earphones). This song brings tears to my eyes every time-not only because you have two jazz masters that have the most amazing chemistry but Tenderly is all about moments, like a DH Lawrence scene where time stands still and you can notice everything.

So sitting here and listening to Ella and Louis and thinking about 2011...

1. make a go at a second biz: my jammy-jam side project Backyard In A Jar has been growing. people seem to like what i am can do and heck, let's see what can happen! I am going to spend more time in the kitchen and build a website for it. We recently restored a VW bus to do sales (a future post) and i have a few ideas of what to do...you only live once so why not!

(what do you think of the new label-courtesy of Nicole!!?)

2. Patchwork: my niece and i have been growing our little Indie Arts & Craft fair and we have something special...i really want to dedicate more time to this great event and to her-she is so talented and this event has become such a wonderful thing for us and our friends...i love you niecey!

3. a well-organized machine: unfortunately, in order to do all of these things and run a store, i really have to make it a dedicated and serious objective to be organized and run a fine-tuned life...not so Ella/Louis/DH Lawrence-ish, but i dearly love all of these things and they work so well together! this month i am making a goal to organize all 3 of my computers and piles and paperwork so that i can spend the rest of 2011 doing the things that really matter and not stress that i can't find something or am so behind that i can't enjoy what i have. i also need to create a weekly and monthly schedule that i can actually stick to to make sure i have everything working.
4. time out for the things/people i love: i started the year off hosting my family for what will hopefully be an annual Family Jam (more to come on that!!), and i want to spend more time loving the people and things that brought me to today. i also want to spend more time in my ceramics class and screen printing!

(more time for you too Marge!)

5. blog you mo-fo'! finally, i want to dedicate myself more to my blog...i had an interview yesterday and when i heard the reporter say, "yes i read your blog" and realized that i hadn't updated in almost a month...i started apologizing and promising to do more. what's funny is that everyday i am thinking of things to write, but never post...i have lists of things to post and never do-what's wrong with me!?!

well here's to a wonderful and adventure-filled 2011 and to more posting and sharing-cheers!

ceramics with a side of screen printing

2010-12-17T07:08:00.000-08:00

when i was in high school, i used to be in ceramics class and LOVED every minute of it-i was pretty good on the wheel and made a number of cups, bowls and art work depicting the funny inside jokes i had with my friends...such good memories.
over the years, i have been wanting to go back into the studio, but either had zero time, scheduling conflict or no money for classes.

(kombucha on tap with Mark-a quick drink before class)

my friends at Avanti Cafe have been trying to get me into their ceramics class in Huntington Beach which is very affordable and if i just rearrange my schedule, i could do it. after a year of asking me, i finally got my act together and started taking classes every tuesday for the past few months.
Our instructor Matt is a super nice fellow who teaches computer art stuffs, ceramics and painting/drawing...really funny and one day had scissors screened onto his pants, when i asked where he got them he replied, "i screen printed them in the next room".
AWESOME...

Matt recently made me a screen of a mason jar, and last week showed Mark and I what to do with it....

(attaching the screen)

(Mark spreading fabric ink over the mason jar screen)

(the original drawing-turned into screen-into cuteness on a dress!)

(Matt explaining to Mark about photoshop for his screen)

i brought in a few items that had stains on them o i could cover them up with cute mason jars!

(already wore this to work!)

(going to wear this to work!)

next up: Backyard In A Jar aprons, tea towels and Road Less Traveled staff tees and other merch! Coming in 2011

and i do do ceramics in this class :)

CSA cooking: moroccan-style lentil soup

2010-12-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

basket inventory: lettuces, dandelion greens, limes, orange, cilantro, celery, carrots, spaghetti squash, guava, sprouts

I used to make this yummy vegan soup all the time and the cilantro in the basket was the perfect opportunity to make it again. this makes a good deal of coup so it is great for a party!

MOROCCAN-STYLE LENTIL SOUP

1 lg onion sliced thin
bunch of carrots, chopped
1 stack celery, chopped
3 T chopped parsley
olive oil
seasonings: 1t pepper, salt and tumeric each, 1/8t cinnamon, dash of cayenne
28 oz can of crushed toms
that can of toms filled with water or stock x 2 1/2
1c dried lentils
2T chopped cilantro
1T tom paste
lemon

Saute the onion, carrots and celery in a stock pot until the onions have browned a little, add the parsley and seasonings and mix well. add the lentils, toms, water/stock and bring to a boil. cover and simmer for 20-30 min or until the lentils are done. add the rest and season to taste. garnish with lemon slices or juice some in.

cheap ways to stay warm

2010-12-14T08:46:00.000-08:00

Our little apartment homestead is located in a 1907 farmhouse that has been cut up into a few apartments with lots of character and cuteness abound. What we don't have in our place is decent heating...homes in those days didn't have double-pane windows, foam insulation or some of the other cool things that are out on the market.
We do have a heater, but i must admit, i am a little scared to use it...

(if you know how to fix this, come on over-i will pay you back in jam!)

I am a spoiled Southern Californian-I know that already, but i am telling you it has been seriously COLD a few nights (like 30 degrees!!) and I have to wear 2 pairs of leggings, fuzzy socks, and a long scarf that i wrap around my neck and then over my head...and i sleep with all of this on hugging Marge for warmth.
Part of the problem with our house being so cold is that the windows are not the best (but they look cute!) and each of our doors have HUGE gaps on the bottom.

(the kitchen-you should see the other door!)

Our wonderful neighbor Lea saw us freezing our a$$es off and she made these cute draft dodgers for us-her place is covered in them, she even has them on the windows-believe me this simple project made a huge difference.

(check out the FABRIC!!!)

(Lea's window-cute right!)

Our other neighbors Jack and August also gave us this great heater (about $30 @ your local hardware store) and we set it up by the living room door so if any cold air came in, it got zapped with the heater. The oil-filled heater is actually pretty great-it is inexpensive, uses little energy (compared to some of the electric ones-they end up costing you big time), you can roll it around easily (i have it right in front of me when at my desk), and having one at each entrance of our living room heats our home nicely.

I am going to do a you-tube of Lea making a draft dodger next week, but in the meantime, here are 2 links to making one of your own.
of course Martha making a draft dodger-and it probably matches everything!
Simple Green Frugal Co-op's version

ABOUT OIL-FILLED HEATERS: according to one site, the oil never needs to be replaced. If your heater is no longer working, there might have been a leak in the heater. the link above also has a number of heaters to choose from.

Dear Santa....

2010-12-13T09:48:00.000-08:00

Leave it to a work-a-holic to see Christmas and New Year's as a to-do list.
I am not sorry about though, New Year's is all about planning and seeing what i want to do in the coming year and Christmas is asking for things so i can do some of that stuff after New Year's...makes sense to me!

(KitchenAid mixy-do)-i want to make more bread.

(pasta do-hicky)-see bread reason

(juicer-deal)-i have been wanting one of these for years, we juice dozens of citrus a week, can you believe we do this all by hand??

(cheese making stuff)-i have been making simple cheeses but now its time to really make some cheese!!

(shoes)-i love these super cute Coach shoes...yes i know they are leather but i wear these things for YEARS and they look good with just about everything. they kind of remind me of school teacher shoes.

(Cuisinart)-i have had a blender/cuisinart deal for 10 years, and it is so beyond getto that i have to put a pillow over it when i turn it on-it is that loud. time for a new one (i am really hoping for this, i cannot bear to make pesto in that thing again).

(book)-Cory, who teaches the bread classes here at the shop brought this book over a while ago-it has EVERYTHING that you need to know about food, a total encyclopedia and is great for further learning.

(little table)-Coleman makes these UBER-cute tables that pack into a suitcase, perfect for the Jam Van (wait i havent even talked about that have i??)

i also want more ceramic classes-wait i haven't talked about that either...eek, i know i have been behind on the posts...how do you get a Christmas gift for doing more blog posts??

Steve Buscemi & kitchen crap: why I love Boardwalk Empire

2010-12-12T08:49:00.000-08:00

(hot and hotter)

Last week we saw the season finale of HBO's latest series, Boardwalk Empire a drama set in 1920s Prohibition-era Atlantic City. I really like this show, and not just for the Buscemi-factor (huge crushers!!)-it has been a staple Sunday night TV event for our little neighborhood since True Blood ended.
Maybe it is my whole fascination with food preservation-aka what peeps did a lot of during this time as well as my love for old-school kitchen and home items (127 yard sale anyone?), but Boardwalk Empire is very much playing into the Mad Men-style of incorporating period pieces. Not a show goes by without gorgeous 1920 dresses (already looking for outfits!), the wonderful billboards/branding ideas and entertainment venues/acts seen on the show, BUT I have taken note of the attention to kitchen and home goods that the show stages.
Women were by and large homemakers during this time and they made every use of food-the Trader Joes/Whole Foods/even a fridge was not commonplace during this time. People really had to, "make do with what they had" and it was the women who made up America's great fabric that made sure that the family/people could eat. Boardwalk Empire touches on this idea and the topic of how people eat every so often throughout its first season...this is what i noticed:

(Tin Man-love this character...and check out the pickled eggs in back of him!!)

Probably one of the first things that made me want to create this post were the pickled eggs at the brothel in Chicago. Personally, I am not too into pickled eggs, but i do see a SERIOUS comeback this coming year. I have 2 similar glass crocks that i bought at Mexican grocery stores that are perfect for juice/punch/fermenting-LOVE and you will see this from the Jam Van in 2011 (see an upcoming post on the Future of Jam).

One episode opened with one of the female characters (Margaret Schroeder/Kelly Macdonald) making Irish soda bread, i really loved this scene because she mixed the flour in an old (hopefully vintage!) ceramic mixing bowl with a hand-powered mixer and sifter. Making bread by hand is coming back BIG TIME and the quiet scene of Mrs. Schroeder waking at the break of day to have fresh bread is the touch stone of what you have to do to have "basic" fresh food.

(very much like this-found it on Procks Crocks)

One thing that is present is how people actually COOKED aka, the stove. Like the image below, people has to light under a flat plate looking deal to heat a kettle...

A few times during the season, characters had to make eggs or other items. Cast iron was the norm not the $60-100 + item that we can now buy at our local gourmet supply store. I am a BIG fan of the cast iron and i toast all bread and other goodness straight from the pan-no toaster needed-plus it looks timeless like the little black dress...

(image from Cast Iron Cooking)

(this is just a pickling crock that i saw in the background of an episode-SO needed for old school fermentation)

I recently heard that Boardwalk will be picked up for a second season so will be posting more on what other cool items i find as well as other preserving items that i see on TV.

creative x-mas tree alternatives

2010-12-09T11:01:00.000-08:00

having a retail shop has its many perks and non. probably the most obvious NON is the fact that the "holidays" has a totally different meaning than most folks. this is my "crunch-time" where i am completely and utterly busy with sales, calls, making product and whatever else. Nov & Dec will see no planning of the feast, decking the halls, writing cards and shopping for gifts (one perk is that i can shop in 2 sec at my store however!) and especially DECORATING. after spending 10 hours decorating the shop for the holidays, i have little time let alone passion for doing the same thing at home.

(it doesn't always have to be this...)

i am probably not alone in this feeling of wanting to do the bare minimum of holiday cheer at the apartment homestead-2010 holiday time seems to have surprised many and the recession doesn't make the best environment for dishing out extra funds for only a few weeks of decor. my neighbor Lea made this TOTALLY AWESOME tree, that sparked this post on creative x-mas tree alternatives:

(a ladder, tinsel and light=SUPER CUTE!)

(Ready Made has this cute idea in their latest issue)

(cardboard tree-so cute right!)

(Apartment Therapy has this great idea, perfect for the dining table)

(i love this idea from Homemade grits-and you can use your cards for ornaments!)

(another idea for the photographer in the house)

(at the shop i made a tree from discarded drawers and wine crates-star from old frames)

(BONUS: felt tree project from Thompson Family Life)

affordable art: blue bicicletta

2010-12-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

do you love??
yes i do.

I adore these pieces from Davis, CA artist Nicole Docimo, all in black & white. so clean and simple....they remind me of papercuts that i love so much too. and as we all know, black & white goes with just about any decor and color scheme too-perfect!
Originals cost around 150 (a deal!), and you can get small and large prints for under 25....but there are also cards (last picture) and these ADORABLE pins that would be cute on a blazer or on your laptop bag.

Blue Bicicletta has prints that focus on the geometric patterns, fun images matched with meaningful phrases and nature (line the food/veggie series)...but there are also a few of these anatomy-type images, like the one below that i really love...maybe it is the biology chica in me.

Don't worry, all this will be coming soon to The Road Less Traveled!!!! we have the pins, holiday cards, posters and even bags that say, "eat well and slowly"-LOVE!!!

You can read about Nicole and Blue Bicicletta on her blog, where you can see new images and inspiration.

CSA cooking: easy-peasy roasted squash soup

2010-12-03T07:14:00.000-08:00

basket inventory: arugula, dandelion greens, squash, oranges, limes, dill, cilantro, micro radishes, celery, a few different kinds of lettuce, tomatoes

it has been SUPER cold in So Cal, which means in "real world" terms: warmish days with dry-cold-around 40/50 F desert nights...for us this is "almost freezing you a$$ off" weather (it does get a little bit colder). when you live in a 100-year old farmhouse/convert to apt home (heating post coming up!), eating warm foods REALLY helps not only because you are ingesting warm goodness but your kitchen gets a boost of heat from cooking! i made this soup from saving leftover acorn squashes from the past few weeks for our big ANTM finale (so this will feed 6-8 people).

EASY-PEASY ROASTED SQUASH SOUP

2 lg squash or 4-6 little acorn dudes, skinned and cut into chunks
1 lg onion chopped
5 cloves smashed
2 T rosemary
olive oil
4c veggie or meat stock (or water or water with a big scoop of Better Than Bouillion)
salt, pepper or Tabasco or any other seasoning you are a favie of...
*opt* TOPPING: arugula/dandie greens, oil and seasoning-SEE NOTE on topping

heat the oven to 400. trim and cube the squash and dress lightly with oil and salt. cover with the rosemary (or thyme or both!). roast for 45min or until the squash can be cut like butta!
in a stockpot, saute the onion and garlic in oil, dump the squash (herbs, oil and all the mess from the pan) into the pot and saute for a few minutes more. add the water/stock. blend or use immersion blender (new favie) and blend until it is the way you like it (if it gets really thick, add more water/stock). once the consistency you like, season with S&P to taste.
TOPPING: wash and rough chop the greens and with a little oil, saute in a pan (you can add seasoning, but not necessary), until wilted. add to soup- the bitterness of the greens is totally cut by the sweetness of the squash and vice-versa.

CSA cooking: 2 easy passion fruit cocktails

2010-11-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

basket inventory: yellow wax beans, oranges, apples, eggplant, 3 kinds of lettuce, chard, onions, squash, arugula, guava

(yes, that's all you need)

although we didn't receive passion this week, Morning Song Farm usually hooks us up with some yummy passion fruit which i was completely oblivious to how wonderful it was until i joined a CSA-boy have i been missing out!

i am lucky enough to know someone who has a boatload of passion fruit (and those who have passion fruit know that the vines go CRAZY-much like grapes), and i am allowed to pick from them. recently, most of the passion fruit that i've gathered has gone to making a beautiful jelly that you will be able to pick up at this month's Patchwork Shows, but what do you do when you have less than 10?
you make cocktails of course!
i am all about the cheap and tasty and one of my most favorite things to drink is the UBER-cheap these recipes for sure embrace this.
right now, i am totally in love with the $5 cava/champs from Fresh and Easy. great for cooking, preserves (coming in dec) and cocktails, buy over 6 and receive %10 off-hell of a deal and tastes really good (my mom just bought a case after having some cocktails here)! this is my take on a mimosa with a little somethin'-somethin'

PASSOSA

tall glass
ice
1-2 passion fruit
one super juicy orange or even grapefruit
champs, cava or some other sparkly deal (even non-alchy!)

yep, that's it and is REALLY good! juice the whole citrus, scoop out the passion fruit (seeds and all-totally OK), add some ice and fill the rest with bubbly. mix, down (because you will) and repeat.

the next drink has been a crowd favorite and just as easy and cheap-sangria. when having larger events and have passion fruit i always make this.

EASY PASSION SANGRIA

1 gal, cheap a** sangria/burgundy/red wine, like the Carlo Rossi one below
1/2 c. Triple Sec
fruit: a few citrus (1/2 in rings other 1/2 juiced), apples (diced), or whatever you fancy
5-10 passion fruit insides
ice
champs/cava/clear soda

(just $5 at your local booze seller)

mix all together and put in one of those big honker glass deals that you see at Mexican grocery stores (a worthy investment!)

farmers' market sighting contest: october 2010

2010-10-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

it has been a few months since i have been able to work the MFP table in Hollywood-i miss being there.
fellow MFP, Ernie is now the chef @ the farmer's kitchen-congrats and so well deserved!! in just one week, he has already been bustin' out preserves and new menu items (like awesome enchiladas).

this weekend, right when i came in a happened to pass Alice Waters leaving the market, i had to do a double-take because i wasnt so sure that it was really her-she always seems to visit h-wood when in town.
but this weekend i happened to see 2 actors at the market: one right after Alice and one at the end when i was shopping with friends - both already mentioned here in this blog before. correct answers get a jar of Bloody Mary mix strait from the market-i can ship for those who can't make it to the shop!!

ACTOR 1: married with child(ren), was seen looking for hot food-his recent film, despite over a year build up (or is it a "performance piece"), was/is a dud. hopefully his brother's film, just out now is a hit.

ACTOR 2: total shocker that i saw him-yes i know he is no longer taping with this HIT TV show in Hawaii anymore, but i was still surprised that i saw him. and yes he is a very, "dark" character....total hot piece BTW.

CSA cooking: savory butters

2010-10-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

basket inventory: baby carrots, red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, cantaloupe, yellow chard, yellow pear tomatoes, green beans, oranges, dill, cilantro, parsley, basil

big fan of ReadyMade Mag (i think that is pretty obvious), and i of course get their email newsletter. in this week's newsletter, there was a little ditty on compound butters aka flavoring butters with a number of seasonings/herbs/fruits/etc... to get rich, complex, fatty goodness slivers that will gourmet-up just about anything you put it on.

this weeks CSA basket was a perfect challenge to make butters with all of the herbs we had!
Each recipe follows the same procedure: 1 stick of butter softened, dice the crap out of your ingredients and mix very well into the butter (you can also use a food processor for everything), either keep in a glass jar, or for longer storage, roll into logs in plastic wrap and keep in the freezer. cut slices as you need them-the possibilities are endless.

VALENCIA ORANGE, SHALLOT AND PERUVIAN SALT

2T orange zest
2T minced shallot
1t salt

CILANTRO, THAI CHILI WITH LIME

2T minced cilantro
1-2 small chilies
1t lime zest

BLUE CHEESE WITH GARLIC AND PARSLEY

1T blue cheese
2 cloves garlic minced (or more)
2T minced parsley

SIMPLE SWEET BUTTER

1-2T honey (like Backyard Bees local honey)
2 T orange zest OR raspberries OR smashed macadamia nuts (we are not getting them for a few more months i think, but a girl can think ahead)

canning and preserving classes-October 2010

2010-09-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

lots and lots of classes all over the place for the holidays...this is the perfect time to learn how to preserve food while making some awesome gifts for the holidays! i have organized the classes by location, but check them all out because some of them are really unique and worth the drive.

*ANGELI CAFFE w/ Evan Kleiman*
-The Art of Fermentation 10/24, 11-2PM: Join Evan Kleiman & Master Preserver Delilah Snell on a trip through traditional fermented foods from all over the world.
Learn about the history, science and techniques that make traditional sauerkraut, Korean kimichi, New York-style Clausen pickles, fermented tea tonics and more.
In addition to recipes, hands-on preparation, take-home starters and snacks, Evan will demonstrate how fermented foods can be incorporated into savory meals like Choucroute Garni. Email me for info on this class.

*SANTA ANA @ The Road Less Traveled Store*
-Pickle party 10/3, 10-3PM: relish, chutney, fermented, quick, spicy...a little of each, plus small meal while we explore the tangy-side of preserves.
-A Season in Jars 10/9, 10-1PM: home food preservation basics.
-Fermentation 1, 10/23, 10-noon: kraut & kimchi making.
-Fermentation 2, 10/9, 10-noon: yogurt, vinegars and kombucha *taught by Chef Ernie Miller
-Foraged Foods: 10/30, 10-2: learn to make acorn bread and preserves from the wild!
to RSVP, CLICK HERE

*SANTA MONICA @ The Urban Craft Center*
-Autumn in a Jar 10/17, 10-1 *THIS CLASS IS SOLD OUT*

*HOLLYWOOD @ The Farmers' Market*
Note: I am in the center of the market available to answer questions, this will not be a class but rather discussion time/problem solving.
-all dates are 9AM-12:30PM : 10/3, 10/31 (maybe in costume!), 12/19

affordable art: roosters!

2010-09-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

(just the feet!- by Liz Scott, a local gal!)

(art by Erica Harris)

having chickens are becoming a pretty big thing these days, the eggs really can't be beat and they make great pets (my guy used to have one when he was young and always speaks fondly of her)...
unfortunately, here at the apartment homestead, chickens are not an option-there simply isn't enough room to fit them (and there are 3 wandering cats in the complex)-we simply need a yard for this.
but that doesn't mean that we can't celebrate chickens or the rooster which most people around here don't have b/c of the noise-though i actually like it a lot it's a better alarm clock than some screeching bell.

(super cute and country paper cuts by Rural Pearl)

so to compensate, we have brought the rooster indoors with art. we have a few items most of our rooster/chicken art is in the kitchen, some from friends shops and others that we picked up on 127. I love the mix of old-school with new-school rooster art, they really compliment each other!

(this poster from VGoT is available at the shop!)

(i LOVE this collage idea from Sparklepants Industries-a great project to do with children too!)

(we used this flower pot with a rooster on it as a paper towel holder)

(this is one of my favorite prints-very modern and so Industrial Folk-sale!-by Brigittes Haus)

(this fave print of ours was purchased at an art show at Avanti Cafe)

A Tale of Two Book Lovers in a Small Space

2010-09-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

so when a journalist and an English-Philosophy major live together, one thing is certain-a lot of books!

(YIKES!)

as much as i love them, i did NOT want to go the IKEA route with this venture...i think if you go over 30% IKEA pieces in the home, it ends up looking like the showroom. so how do you manage 12 bookshelves of books??

over the years, I am starting to realize that my personal style is a cross between country/flea market mixed with industrial minimalist tendencies and a large scoop of cheap....i guess you can call it Industrial Folk-sale? hopefully this will help me figure something out.

i LOVE this piece from Nobody & Co called the Bibliochase-gotta love the Italians. if i had the money i would buy this in a heartbeat! but the idea of storage and function is quite interesting....

(me want, me want now!)

(this ain't bad either...)

while looking for some inspiration, i stumbled upon this article in Design Sponge where this couple used galvanized steel shelving for their books-LOVE this idea and totally Industrial Folk-sale!

(boring now, but not in a little!)

most local hardware stores have these deals (now in jet black) for around $70 a pop, that is just as much or less than one you would find anywhere else-save a flea market/yard sale. they come in 6' and 4' so there is a little diversity as well. but the one thing that makes this option perfect for us is the strength of the shelving-these shelves were meant for tires, tools and a crap-load of garage stuff...they can FOR SURE handle dictionaries, Thoreau, Art Spiegelman, Romantic poetry, the histories of various foods and a stereo-bring it!

i used the upper shelves of the cases to showcase some of our fave books, similar collections, tall colored glass and other cute pieces that softened up the hardness of the garage shelves.

(a 1/2' gap in the corner makes 2 of them fit quite nicely)

now, all was not completely solved with this solution. for sure the double stacking of books solved at least 8 of the 12 bookshelves, but we still had to put about 20 cases of books in a large storage area in the bedroom and gustavo had to take some of his Orange County books (nerd!) to work.
one of the great things about the new kitchen was that it had its own closet/pantry which i turned into my little canning room. in there, i store all of my canning, cookbooks, canning pots and jars-perfectly out of the way and really easy to see what items i have-i love showing this little room off!

(nerd!!)

(a few more images...)

Shiitake Happens

2010-09-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

(ready to shroom!)

with the move and catch-up with work i have had to delay my time with the my new little toy that i recently acquired in Oakland-a Shiitake mushroom brick!

i have been wanting to get something going in the ole root cellar and over the past month i had been doing random research on how to start, maintain and grown my own little edible fungi garden. well the foodie gods were listening to my pleas because when i was in Oakland talking kimchi, i happened to find Far West Fungi, a retailer of delectable shrooms and more importantly-kits!

with a little over a week after bringing it home, i finally brought it out and started my garden-which happens to be about a 1 ft block of fungi goodness...although not too appetizing at first.

the plastic bag acted as a great miniature damp environment-perfect for the babies to start growing. i kept my "shroom bag" on top of the fridge where i could check on it everyday (too much moisture creates the blue-green-grey fungus, otherwise known as "no es bueno") and it was a great topic of conversation to people visiting.
nothing really happened the first few weeks, and honestly i was starting to think that i had a dud, when all of a sudden-little shiitake bumps started to form!

(week 2)

(week 3)

literally within the week, those "bumps" grew into a dozen shiitake shrooms that i harvested and put into a paper bag so they wouldnt get moldy.

i tried to start another batch right after but i guess the shiitake gods where finished with me and the "no es bueno" gods infested my kit and i had to say goodbye....you don't want to mess with them!

(see that blue-green stuff? time to go bye-bye)

with the dozen or so mushrooms, i ended up making this incredible soup, which was kind of like a super-sized miso soup with all the fixin's (very similar to my Sick Soup recipe) and it was INCREDIBLE!

i did eat the mushrooms first before anyone else-heck it was my first mushroom experience and i didnt want to poison anyone! but i am now totally into growing my own and will be doing this a lot more!

the new, slightly bigger apartment homestead

2010-09-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

(one of my niece Nicole's pieces and a photo my father took of me-happy baby!)

dang.
the nice thing about moving: everything is nice and "orderly", a feeling of starting over, total inspiration everywhere you turn, a reason to have people over...
the bad thing about moving: being behind on everything else that DOESNT have to do with the move-like blogging for starters...

yes it is quite apparent that i have taken a quasi-break from writing-i actually have several snippets of posts, but i havent managed to hit the "publish" button for a few weeks. the new place has literally zapped some much needed blogging time, along with some other things that i will be sharing over the next week-i am now back in the game as they say.

(before: living and bedroom)

(after: living room)

(before: kitchen)

(after: this is the first thing people compliment on-the fact that more than 3 people can be in here at the same time!)

without a doubt, i absolutely LOVE our new place, just across the way in another 100 year-old farmhouse. unlike our last place, it is about double the size and only a few steps up instead of 20...great for moving!
i have finally situated the last of our things-the larger space has given us many bonuses but also some challenges that on a budget of extreme proportions has come out quite nicely.
i will be taking the next few months to talk about cheap solutions to challenges (like my soda crate light) in the new place as well as the new garden and food projects that are already happening.

(Sweet Pea testing out the new bedroom-yep, it's comfy)

(after many years, i finally get to use my father's desk-my fave spot in the house)

one of the best things about the move however was that our apartment has become this sort of "hangout" for our little neighborhood. almost every day, we will have spontaneous visits from friends & neighbors for dinner, cocktails and on certain nights, really bad TV-moving has really brought our little community together. we also receive a number of compliments from the neighbors on the "life" in the area-something as simple as plants and happy curtains have made a difference and encouraged interest in starting gardens...can't wait to see what happens next!

cheap lights: soda crate lamp

2010-09-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

a bigger place means some more room and unfortunately more things. i am really trying to make it be as little and as cheap as possible though, limiting it to the things we REALLY need.-i am going to post over the next 2 months of solutions and projects that i have been working on that tries to accomplish these things.

one of the first things i noticed we needed was lighting in the living room, it has a dark corner and unlike our previous place, no ceiling lights, so we will need some sort of lighting solution to have proper light during the evening.
at first i was going to buy a few of those paper lanterns from IKEA, but . however, will searching the site GreenUpGrader, i saw this post on furniture from old shopping carts which got me thinking...

(furniture from Shelton Davis via GreenUpGrader)

i few weeks ago, i wrote about the Pop Shoppe bottles that we had. well, i also had a bright red plastic crate that some of them came in-what a cute lamp that would be right! then i remembered that several months ago i saved an image (i forgot where-sorry!) of this sweet light:

so now i know EXACTLY what i want to do!

-first thing was to was salvage the crate-it was very dirty and needed a little TLC.
-now the light part...again IKEA to the rescue. they have these great light attachments that are really made for the paper lanterns, but i brought the crate in one evening and checked it out-and it fits!
- i think the hardest part of this project was figuring out the how to make it balance without looking all rickety and cheap...i want it to look sturdy not junky. while looking through some things from the move, i realized that i had this awesome little kit from-yes-IKEA, that was filled with little do-dads for speaker wires, home entertainment organizing (PS: this is a mist-have staple for any home).

(this +)

(this equals...)

-a couple ties and secures, proper hanging with the help of friends in the perfect dark corner and BAM!

total cost= $5

an afternoon in Oakland making kimchi

2010-08-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

*side note, lots of spelling mistakes, wrote this in the airport bar and dead-tired!

(that's me-and this blog posted for all to see)

hell week...1/2 way through.
After a grueling week of preparing for the OC Foodie Fest on Sat (while packing the house for the 75ft move), and unloading from that event-i finally got my but in bed (after packing a few more boxes) around midnight.
i can tell i am getting old because i feel like i ran 10 miles this morning @ 5AM...recovery is not what it used to be.

i gave little marge a kiss goodbye while it was still dark...she was still deep under the covers trying to make up for the extra warmth that just left her. i could here the thump-thump-thump of her tail as i neared her..love that! and so i headed to Oakland where i was to do a talk on kimchi.

(seriously gorg produce)

i have to admit i was a little nervous...not too familiar with Oakland and i knew that i needed to purchase the essential veggies for my talk...with only a few hours to go before my lecture i needed a few hours for my cabbage to shrink= need to work FAST. i also wasnt sure on the protocol on Korean pickling salt & chili flakes for carry-on baggage.
luckily for those interested in making kimchi while on vacation-i can attest to the fact that you are perfectly safe to carry on the various kimchi dry ingredients on a plane (plus as one friend put it, you might want to make something out of peanuts or pretzels-especially on the longer flights-they get a little boring at times).
luck was in my favor today, as i had a straight 40 min ride on the BART to a 10 block walk to the Eat Real Festival...on the way i passed though Chinatown where i was able to pick up cheap a** veggies/garlic/ginger for less than $4.

(i bough a sweet shiitake kit from this guy-next is the dang salt!)

i spent most of the time at this DIY, food celebration at the Urban Homesteading Section where chickens hung out in cute coops, local growers displayed beautiful produce (please mail me that gorg baby corn!) and a few preservers where selling their delights. i was able to snack on some AWESOME multi-seed-extra-cheesy-crispy goodness bread sticks that i am going to figure out how to make if it takes the rest of my life. i also talked to a mushroom dude who had this truffle salt-that i SWEAR on my airport margarita i could eat out of my hand (PS it is $24 and if you don't like it send it to me and i will buy it from you-after i slap you silly).

so expecting 5 people for kimchi and when i saw a literal CROWD at first i thought, "oh they must be wanting to talk to the cheese person/ they must need shade/they are giving out a free car here..."...but no- the peeps want to know kimchi and they want to know now! i kind of got stressed for a little because i didnt think i had enough info to to fill my time! right when i was thinking all of this an older gentleman, Stuart came up expressing how much he loved kimchi and how he couldnt wait to learn how....and the stress left and all i thought was...f-yeah i'm in Oakland and people are stoked for kimchi!

(Bay Area is for sures into preservation-can they now wake OC the f- up?!)

so after a long winded intro, here is my recipe for kimchi that i told you i would have on this blog. if you have any questions, please email me and i will help you out-can't wait for next year.

(the finished product, now it needs to ferment)

BASIC KIMCHI RECIPE
*this is the BASIC recipe, you can go crazy, use this as your jumping point*

1 head napa cabbage
1/2 c salt (no iodine!)
6c fresh water
3 tbsp garlic OR MORE/LESS
3 tbsp chili flake OR MORE/LESS
3 tbsp scallions OR MORE/LESS
3 tbsp ginger...you see what i am saying????

-cut the cabbage in 1/2 length wise, gently wash.
-dissolve the salt in water and place in a large bowl. place the cabbage and submerge least 2-6 hours (a plate might help with the submerge part.
-mix other "flavor components" in a large bowl, wear gloves if you are sensitive to chili.
-drain the cabbage, taste for saltiness & squeeze dry. the cabbage should be soft.
-mix everything together and pack into a glass jar, pack down, cover and allow to ferment on the counter for a few days until it is at the flavor you desire. place in fridge after-it should last a month

other goodness to add: leeks, carrots, radish, daikon, asian pear, burdock root….

if you were at the event and saw me, please let me know what you think and if you want to see me again next year!

our little place gets a little bigger

2010-08-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

(the new kitchen: perfect for the person who is getting more and more into food!)

so instead of talking about my garden expansion plans and where next to find a square inch to plant something we have made the decision to move-about 50ft way.

(before the move: let's see how we fit 8+ bookshelves in here!)

now i know that this blog is all about small: small space living/gardening, local cooking, cheap but tasty eating, etc...why am i moving into a bigger place? Currently, we live in about 500 sqft, which is actually quite perfect for us, i really love our little homestead and the privacy that allows having the corner, upstairs apartment...people are quite amazed that i have taught a number of canning classes and even had over 10 people over for dinner (still trying to find out how we fit them all!)

(i will miss sunlight in the morning here-the new one will have less light)

(can you believe that we fit 12 people for our LOST dinners in here?!?)

Moving for sure is not going to be easy, this week in particular is going to be very tough. We basically have to complete our move in the next week, but there are a number of "non-typical workweek" things. not only do i have to do my normal work at the shop (thank goodness we are only open noon-5 for august-this has saved my sanity), i have been asked to visit the Glen Ivy Spa for a consultation, canning class in Irvine, OC Foodie Fest-where we will be running a mini-patchwork (and selling), AND i will be flying to Oakland for a demo on kimchi at the Eat Real Festival....yeah just a little busy this week.

so why are we making life harder for ourselves?

despite the bad timing, we felt that we should take advantage of the fact that a slightly large place is open right next to us. we have spent the past 2 years building on our little community of businesses and friends (several have now moved onto the block/building) and it would be a shame to have to leave it b/c we need a little more room-preparing ahead of time means that we can stay in one area for several years-putting more time and energy helping it grow.

another big incentive has to do with all of the canning, preserving and classes that have been taking off. while i still can do everything that i normally do in the shoebox, it would be nice to have actual space to work on recipes, class ideas and other food ideas without having to do a massive reorganization project with pots and canners hanging out on the porch until it is their time at the stove.

(one of 2 wooden prep areas-and i am getting a prep counter for dining!)

this kitchen also has 3 special things:

-a massive closet, which i think used to be the old laundry room (like the other place, it was once a farmhouse from the early 1900's), this is going to be my new canning closet where i can keep all of my books, canners and cases of jars.

-the space is also enclosed form the rest of the apt with a separate entrance, which means a little privacy when i need it.

-there are 2 large wooden prep stations which is PERFECT for bread making and pastas, something that i have been working on a little bit, but has been difficult because i have a tiny amount of space to work.

i will post the after pictures next wed-wish me luck!

affordble art: Fréya Art & Design

2010-08-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

LOVE

that is all i have to say about these absolutely wonderful prints from Fréya. Each of these prints look like they could have been block prints, but are actually the work of a graphic artist on the computer. Besides the playful images of food, animals, boats and other things that look like a playful dream, i really love the print styles...can they make it into a font??

(theme of my life!)

Fréya also makes adorable wedding and baby announcements-can you image how cute they would be!?! Just make sure that if you do order customs that you plan well in advance, she is based out of London. Prints run about $75 max and you can also swap up cards for $5, just go on her site and check out the rest.

TOMATO CANNING CLASS: mucho mas with Evan Kleiman

2010-08-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

On the heels of our awesome pie filling class, Evan Kleiman and I are back at it to celebrate the oh-so-yummy and versatile tomato. If you haven't noticed already, tomatoes are overflowing at local farmers' markets and the next month is the perfect time to capture the complex deliciousness so that you can savor them in the winter.
This class will focus on canning tomatoes in 2 ways: canning whole tomatoes (from a selection of heirloom varieties) and making a simple tomato sauce with hints of garlic that can be the perfect base for, you guessed it - PIZZA!
Evan Kleiman will be teaching students on how to make a fabulous pizza crust so you can impress your friends with a pie fit for the gods, it doesn't get any better than this!
Students will learn the basics of home food preservation, hands-on preparation, recipes, canned goods to take home and of course yummy tomato snacks while we work. RSVP now because we are already getting full!

$100 per person

Saturday, September 11 from 11-2pm

Angeli Caffe: 7274 Melrose

to register email or call Delilah Snell

delilahsnell@yahoo.com

714.836.8727

OC fair 2010: joy, tears, and lessons learned for next year

2010-08-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

The OC Fair ends this weekend and before we left for 127 yard sale, we went to see how some of my entries in preserves turned out.
I was a little nervous. I didn't get to prepare the way i wanted to-Patchwork got the best of me and I had very little time to make anything. Fortunately, I had most of the items i submitted still left over from sales, so i managed to just barely turn in my items (missed 2 entries though).

We decided to take an evening with our friends Adriana from Anarchy in the Garden and her hubs Hector and partake in some fair. I was lucky that friends saw my outcome before i could go, so most of the butterflies where gone by the time we got to the tent. Big note on displays: OC Fair stepped it up this year-no white boring room with ugly white displays...lots of decor and interest...looked pretty sweet and in the small corner you could see my 2 little jars of Basil and Habanero Jelly with their tiny awards! BIG shout out to Melanie Harvey who got mucho praises and awards on her beef jerky-STUD!

(a frosty margie next to my prized jellies)

(part of the "much better" display for preserves, can they work on the fair logo now??)

As i become older, i have done less of the "up-side down- make you dizzy and have a headache" rides (plus they always seem like the screws are almost ready to pop out!) and more of the things that i used to think were boring.
Over the years, i have come to enjoy the photography exhibits. There is so much local talent out there, maybe one of these days i will have the nerve to put something in-there is definitely A LOT more competition in this field than the preserves!

(this was my Best of Show photo)

We happened to go on one of the smaller roller coasters though, something pretty tame for us oldies-but-goodies. Our thrill-seeking days were mostly spent on the ground, shaking our heads in how sick we would get if we were on them.

(just watched from below-i am a little afraid of heights-OK a lot!)

One of my favorite places at the fair is the farm animal section-of course we did the petting area and saw a number of cute babies. My faves were the 2 week-old pigs that were hiding under their mama's warm belly-one hidden under the straw too!

(LOVE the petting section)

Part of what the fair is most known for is the the various fried foods that are only available at the fair (and thank goodness!). The Heart Attack Cafe had popular items like deep-fried oreos, veggies and even a stick of butter (heard it was nast-surprising no??) We ended up sharing fresh tater chips and fried mozzarella-which was awesome because of the marinara sauce, spanakopita, chili fries and of course a few margies (not a fair without). All was pretty decent, but i would love to see a vegan/strong vegetarian presence at the fair-i think they would kill it!

(Heart Attack Cafe had deep-fried butter!)

We happened to spend a good amount of time at the garden/ag area as well, the garden section was really given a face-lift this year and there were rows upon rows of veggies on display-very impressive. One of my favorite groups, the Rare Fruit Growers of Orange County where also present with what seemed like 30 types of avocados...i am seriously wanting to hang with this crowd!
Adriana, a Master Gardener, found her peeps the OC MFP's and had some chat time, but alas no one even heard of the Master Food Preserver Program...maybe in 10 years we can have a presence at the fair.
I did manage to talk to some of the gardeners about doing a class with them in the future and registering for the MFG program in 2011.

(cutie-pie pigglies)

Now that i have actually gone through the process of submitting entries to the fair, i am a little less scared. some ideas for next year:
- preserves: peach-hab jam, pluot preserves, squash pickles and a hot relish
- heat: i am going to expand on the hab jelly success and work on another pepper jelly
- dried: kale or collard chips
- jellies: i have 2 unusual ideas that i am working on, i should have them for sale during the holiday shows.
-veggies or fruits: the fair does weekly judging on ag products, even if you don't win, you receive free entry with the submission, Adriana and I already talked about doing this for next year-i love this as a fun project to do together!
...and if i am lucky, maybe a photo!

127 yard sale wrap-up: tips and signs from the sale

2010-08-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

So as we head back home to California, fully-packed car and probably a few added pounds on the ole' waistline from all the fried foods, i have to say we had a pretty good trip (albeit short)!

Learned some new things on this trip and i wanted to shared in case you or someone you know whats to do the sale sometime:

pack a hand sanitizer or better yet, baby wipes-the dirt and shopping and heat...you'll thank yourself later.
one way people know you are from out of town: using too many syllables when saying the towns you have been to/going to. take out a few or just limit everything to one (practice makes perfect!)
Tennessee seems to be the best for shopping and deals, but Kentucky the best for food and adventure-gotta thank Ricks White Light Diner and bourbon for that!
buy linens for packing and ask local businesses for boxes: saves you $ and you get to keep the packing material too!
if you are driving, be prepared to find something big and having to move stuff around. we had this great rack on top with a bag-thingie that collapsed where we put out bags and boxed items in...PS: dont pack to much for the trip-this isnt a fashion show-you can look good when you get home!
Holiday Inn Express: such a good deal for what you get. i am all for the small hotels (Jordan Motel in Jamestown is awesome), but if you want all the basic necessities for a decent price-AND need free, fast internet, this can't be beat. they also have a pool, washing machines, and the rooms are super cold (oh and they have HBO in case you are a fan of True Blood and don't want to miss)....they are in MOST locations on 127-but not all.
lastly: if you do visit any of the places on 127 sale or not, try to do a review on Yelp-most places have 1 review if any at all and it could really help other out of towners figuring things out.
to see my other tips from last year, click HERE

One of the many things i like from the trip are the cute signs i see while we travel, some funky, some homemade, but all as unique and fun as this trip is to me, here are some of my favorites:

(this is actually a doormat, now at our house!)

Can't wait till next year!

127 yard sale day 4: Crossville-Nashville

2010-08-08T17:39:00.000-07:00

Today was the final day of shopping on Route 127 and boy were the deals hoppin'! Last year, my mother and i didn't shop the last day, we didnt have any room in the luggage and we had to spend the whole day driving to Birmingham to make our plane back home.

(next year we are doing the wish list on the car!)

We missed out last year, there are some serious deals! At every fair that we stopped at there were at least 2 vendors that were pulling the 50% off sales for the last final hours-time to move fast!

The whole time i have been also looking for this one particular vendor that i bought an old book (now worth $300) and a gorgeous rolling pin from-best rolling pin that i have seen on this trip and the last. We ended up finding them at one of our last stops and i had a long talk with Buck Creek Antiques. This time i got their card, where on the bottom said, "When you love what you're doing~ it shows"- I love this booth because out of everyone else i have seen-this vendor has incredible merchandising and you can just tell that they really takes care of the items-no rust or dirt on a single thing! Of course we bought stuff!

There were also a few other things that even now, not even 24 hours later i wish i picked up: old canning tools including a few pot racks that i actually needed, 2 beautiful copper laddels and a PERFECT lime green kettle, with a filer and paper filters...some other things...

so long 127 for now...i will be posting tips and fave photos tomorrow!

127 yard sale day 3: Albany-Crossville, TN

2010-08-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning marked the 1/2 way point for our shopping adventure and you can tell because the car was getting pretty packed! One thing that was helpful was that our hotel was next to a florist and the owner was really sweet and let me take boxes to pack our belongings, this definitely helps with stacking breakables and allowing us to have more room for more stuff!

(taking everything out to start organizing)

Another thing that was helpful was and a good note if you decide to do 127 is to buy a few of the several lovely linens, napkins or other embroidery goodies at the sales-they make great packing material and i took full advantage of them as you see below:

(one of the packed boxes)

Unfortunately, i dont have any grand reports of breakfast foods for Albany-there weren't too many choices and we needed the internet so we went to McYucks, i had only coffee and ate local peaches-but you have to go where the internet is sometimes (our hotel didnt have any)!
So off we went, out of Kentucky and into Tennessee. We stopped by a few sale points that my mom and i had went to the year before but really didn't see too much until we entered Tennessee where we stopped at a large sale that we had also visited last year where i bought a cute table, a large embroidered table cloth for my jam booth and this cute pink coat with faux fur among other things.

(green cast iron braces, have no idea what to use them for but LOVE them!)

This part of the trip had a great deal of traffic, lots of large sales on both sides of the road where people are crossing. We managed to spend part of it taking pictures of signs (a later post) and we picked up this AWESOME Mexican bar caddy-super cute!

The super hot weather has died down a little, which has been nice-still sweating as soon as we get out of the car, but not dropping dead. Just one more day left of 127, and we head for home!

127 yard sale day 2: Danville-Albany

2010-08-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

(loved this booth: salt box, metal cake container and an egg basket-score 1)

today was the first full day of shopping and i was super excited to find treasures and surprises in Kentucky. we got a quick boost of energy to start our day at the popular chain (but not franchised as we found out later), Cracker Barrel where i had catfish, poached eggs and raspberry lemonade. Cracker Barrel is actually pretty good for a chain-service is always friendly and prompt, decent breakfast for a good price and they offer slightly so "non-fried" options and vegetarian-i can most certainly say that i am not used to this much fried food.

with a full belly, we headed out south on 127 to our next destination Albany, 80 miles away. now normally, this would only take about 2 hours but this weekend, it could take up to 10-so one thing you need to be careful about is making sure you keep track of time so that you don't end up driving in the dark (really dangerous, so don't do it).
for this particular trip, i am trying to focus my shopping a little more than last year (easier said than done) to things for the kitchen, small furniture items and vintage canning items.
one thing you have to keep in mind about this trip is that you can't get too excited too early-of course i didn't listen to my own advice and found a number of cute things for fabulous prices.

(awesome little kid's desk with chalk board)

(i didn't buy this doll, but i loved it in the chair)

(sweet book with tin-types!)

one thing that i didn't notice but noticed a lot this time was the large Mennonite population in the Kentucky area. a few of the larger markets had crafts from local Mennonite's and we were able to pick up a few beautiful objects like baskets, sun hats (you'll see them at the shop) and homemade noodles!

(gorgeous baskets and noodles)

(me with one of the beautiful hats that many of the men wore)

i was also on the look-out for vintage pie items for Evan, who gave me a little list of things to look for-girl, we have some great stuff for you!!-here's a peak.

lastly, we happened to come by a camping area that i remembered going to last year, where i saw an awesome cast iron bottling contraption....well guess what-the 2 guys with 5 teeth were still there are they still had it! they even remembered me-we ended up buying it and an old-school coffee grinder from them.

it looks like we are going to need a trailer soon, we still have 2 days!!

127 yard sale day 1: Frankfort-Danville

2010-08-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

after settling into Frankfort last night, we started our first day of our 127 yard sale adventure relaxing and taking advantage of the fact that there was only 50 miles between Frankfort and our next stop, Danville.
Kentucky is a the nation's biggest producer of bourbon and to celebrate, we decided to visit one of the several distilleries in the area-but not before breakfast.
using Yelp, we wanted to find a a place that showed us how great the region was-let me tell you, we found that place!
Rick's White Light Diner, may sound kind of "what the heck is that?" by name, but if you are in the Frankfort area this is a MUST DO-and be prepared to wait in line, this place was just aired on Guy Fiere's Dinners Dive-ins and Dives...we were lucky to make it right when this was about to break loose.

(rick off to the left, telling another story-totally funny!!)

(eggs bene-can't resist-also had Crawfish Pie)

(Guy was here!)

We stepped into the tiny diner, sitting about 20 and could feel the on-coming madness, eclectic with stickers, Madonna's Nude Photo book on the register, movie posters (Scarface and Taxi Driver anyone) and a number of odds and ends that so much reflected the owner/chef/cook/entertainment Rick who was cursing up a storm, telling stories and making fun of us Californians. Rick alone is a gem and a master at the grill making the diner's meals on a grill about 2 ft wide with tickets held by old clothes pins. Best part of my meal besides everything-the beer with an orange slice in it-which i now call the Kentucky Mimosa-totally awesome & highly recommended by Rick-heck i am on vacation!

(the barrel run is a short track to wheel barrels to a huge house where it is to age for up to 9 years!)

Next was a trip to bourbon country-we decided to visit the Woodford Reserve Distillery, a little off 127, but totally worth it. This premium bourbon is made at the oldest operating bourbon distillery in the nation and for $5 you can get an amazing tour with, you guessed it-samples. we bought some bourbon of course and some smoked bourbon salt (to some goodness later with).

(fermenting the booze)

(copper chambers- these were amazing to see up close-it was super hot hot here!)

(barrels resting, there was a little cat hanging out there too!)

with only 15 miles left to go until we hit Danville, we stopped at a few sale areas. one of which i was able to pick up an old canning book and saw some old-school canning items. Unfortunately, it was EXTREMELY hot. note: if you are not into sweating, humidity or being in hell-this was so extreme in heat...hopefully it will die down a little (we were told it will, just a little).

(i got a couple of goodies from this booth, including a sweet bottle opener)

major shopping tomorrow!

pie class with Evan Kleiman-an update to working with a rockin' chica

2010-08-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

(gone in 60 seconds: Evan's tomato n' gruyere cheese pie)

so this past weekend i had a canning class with Evan Kleiman-queen-of-pies, Good Food host and so much more on pie filling and pie crusts at her restaurant Angeli Caffe.
have to admit-the nerves where a runnin' though me realizing that i was going to be teaching canning this and that with a woman who is, in so many words-a "mera-mera" of culinary So Cal and then some....there were lots of, "please don't f-up this...put your A-game on" type thoughts going through my head for sure!

(starting the workshop with a quick talk on basic canning)

but as soon as i walked into Angeli on Saturday morning i felt at total ease-something that is automatic with Evan. she is a woman with charm and a great energy that you feel like you are coming into her home. Only an hour after arriving, we were met with our 8 students-pretty amazing seeing that we only started promoting the class a little over a week before.

(Evan teaching pie crusts)

I started out the workshop talking about canning while Evan blanched peaches for filling. After the filling was made and we loaded the jars Evan taught the students how to make 2 different kinds of pie crust and everyone made little pies made in jelly jars that they could put in the oven later (see above).

(the finished product was a quart of organic peach pie filling for each student)

Even though we were both a little tired, the day ended up being really wonderful and has inspired us to do another workshop on tomatoes (will be posting about this next week)! Most of all, it has been really great to work with someone so inspiring...

CSA cooking: cucumber-basil mojitos

2010-07-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

basket inventory: lettuce (2 kinds), oranges, carrots, grapefruit, limes (YES!), cucumbers, basil, strawberries, green beans, watermelon, squash

(basically this and a few more items)

so it is Summer and what better way to embrace it than with a cool and refreshing drink made from the cool cucumber. lots of high-end eateries are making cucumber drinks, spare the $10/drink price tag and make your own for $10/gallon! typically, mojitos are made with mint-we didnt have any, so i thought of the next logical thing we had-basil! it was actually pretty good and i made it recently for a canning class at the house.

CUCUMBER-BASIL MOJITOS
(serves 4-5 drinks)

1 c cucumbers, chopped (i like to have them pretty well chilled)
1/4 c agave nectar (sugar will work too, but agave mixes so much better!)
1/4 c fresh lime juice
4-5 basil leaves (you can add more depending on the type, but start small them add more)
2 c ice cold water
1 c sparkling water (or you can omit the agave and add ginger ale or some other sweetened seltzery bev)
3/4-1c rum (i tend to add a lot of ice so i add more rum)
garnishes: sliced cucs, basil, limes (have a little of each to help people balance the flavors)

blend the cucs with the chilled water well and strain to get the chunky stuff out, pour into a pitcher.

muddle the basil and a little agave and lime juice well. pour into the cuc pitcher and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well, adjust.

fill glasses with ice, pour into cup and garnish-enjoy!

cleaning the tub-what works

2010-07-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

so with everything else that is going on, we still have to do regular house-stuff...the one thing i normally argue about is the dang tub...who wants to clean it-yeah, not me!
Santa Ana has some serious hard-water and "OCD-delilah" wants it UBER-clean, military-style to be exact. only problem is that when you want to get rid of the "gunky" stuff, you might have to resort to foul smelling nastiness...do you really want that going into our water-no thank you!
here are some of the things i use to have a happy, healthy and above CLEAN tub:

Ecover: LOVE this company-nothing beats them, their limescale remover is the best thing out and really does work.

scrubbing items: seriously and old toothbrush does the trick-it gets the small spots and you are recycling! i also use walnut sponges from Natural Value...we usually sell them and i must say people order them by the case-they are that good!

ZIP-IT: use this regularly this cheap and tiny gizmo gets the gross stuff that can cause a serious drain problem before it event thinks of happening. SO WORTH the few bucks (we sell em too but so does your local hardware store).

AFM Safecoat: cannot say enough about this pioneering company that was one of the first to create low/zero-odor products-get their grout sealer- it will help if the grout wasn't sealed before and can save you scrub time.

Cream Scrubs: Ecover makes some great cream scrubs that are great for the tub itself...or make it yourself. here's a great recipe from Natural Home Magazine (love!)

1 cup baking soda, in a medium sized mixing bowl
1/2 cup liquid castile soap
5-10 drops of antibacterial essential oil, such as lavender, tea tree or rosemary
mix everything until it makes a nice paste, make a bunch for later and use water to re-hydrate the mixture

PS: a little spray bottle of water and tea tree oil is great to freshen the tub and to keep it anti fungal.

Makin' Pie-SPECIAL PIE CLASS IN LA with Evan Kleiman and me!

2010-07-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago i talked about my class for culinary "mera-mera" Evan Kleiman at the house-hot damn the lady is great! Evan, as those who are familiar with her/her show (PS if you don't-you need to download that shiz on your MP3 ASAP), is a big-time pie chica, starting last year, she has been on the make for pie everything...the woman has made pie a everyday last Summer-talk about skillz!

(this time it will be peaches, nectarines and apricots!)

well, in the spirit of her Pie-A-Day Summer, on July 31st, Evan Kleiman and i will be teaching a class at beloved Angeli Caffe on pies. know how to make the BEST ever crust EVER from the chica-with-the-mostest and learn how to can the filling (make and take it home y'all) so you can make it for future bragging rights...because, believe me-you do NOT want to miss this.

(the location-Angeli Caffe)

(mera-mera Evan Kleiman)

(woman in action)

space is limited to 15 people so you must RSVP fast. students will take home their own pie filling, eat samples and maybe a little surprise from yours truly too!

Makin’ Pie workshop

Join KCRW Good Food host and Angeli Caffe owner Evan Kleiman for a special workshop celebrating the beloved pie! A toast to Kleiman’s popular Pie-A-Day Summer series, she alongside Master Food Preserver Delilah Snell will teach how to make the tastiest pie to eat now or to savor later.

Held at Angeli Caffe, the workshop will start with a mouth-watering tutorial on the perfect pie crust, then a hands-on canning session of summer stone-fruits pie filling. Students will learn the art of home-food preservation and take home their own pie filling. Recipes and samples will be included-not to be missed!

$100 per person

Saturday, July 31st, 11-1:30PM

Angeli Caffe: 7274 Melrose

to register email or call Delilah Snell

delilahsnell@yahoo.com

714.836.8727

the 127 yard sale: here we come!

2010-07-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

finally got me a ticket for the 127 yard sale.
if you haven't heard of it or watched a Fine Living Network/HGTV show during August, the 127 yard sale is the largest yard sale in the US.
how large?? how about over 600 miles large-this thing is from Alabama to Michigan (even longer than last year!), don't even try to challenge it-this one has you beat!

(just a blurry map of all the treasures that will be found!)

last year, i braved the heat, humidity and crowds with my mom. we flew to Birmingham AL and started where the the route starts in Gadsden, AL (note: finding the actual start is not as easy as it sounds!)...we drove over 300 miles to Lexington, KY and learned a lot along the way (like you dont need to drive that much of the route for starters), this year, we are planning something a little different-i also have some tips and some things to look out for b/c i am a little more organized this time around...like....
-staying in places with internet-checking first to see if they have it (dont assume)
-realizing that you may not have an ice cold beer at the end of the day so stock up before hand and bring it with you
- make a list of what you might be looking for and be focused
-make sure you download a boat-load of good radio-cause you might not like what you hear

This year, i am meeting my man who is driving from CA in a Yukon where we will get a trailer. knowing that i had the best deals in Kentucky and Tennessee i am flying into Louisville and from there we will head to Frankfort where we will head south to Chattanooga- our stops include:
Frankfort, KY
Danville, KY
Crossville, TN (this is going to be a long haul day)
Chattanooga, TN

Special note: if you are thinking about making this trip, please, please call to see if there are available rooms where you plan to spend the night-RESERVE the room!! several of the smaller towns we wanted to stay in (like the Jordan Motel in Jamestown) were sold out...some places didnt have a single room in town available-save yourself the 50 mile detour and reserve one NOW or just stay in bigger cities and dont travel as far.

this year, i will be bring a few different cameras to take a collection of pictures of the awesome signs that make up this route. i will be posting some of them on my facebook page when i get a chance.
any suggestions of what to look for??

IKEA goodness

2010-07-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

love me some IKEA. as far as big-box retailers, they seem to be the best one out there-they treat the employees pretty well, quit on the formaldehyde years ago, recycle and were one of the first big-guys that started charging for bags (should have been $1 though, not $0.05). i always suggest my customers to go there if on a tight budget (just dont over-do it, too much IKEA is well, too much IKEA-you gotta mix it with other stuff).
when i first opened the store and was doing a majority of the build-out (about 8 months), i spent a good amount of time there (that and the Depot, salvage yards & flea markets) ...i was quite familiar with the products. over the years i only go a few times and up until last week when i had to pick up another coffee press.

again, IKEA has come out with some pretty neat items, great for the person with a small space or a little imagination.

BYGEL- magnetic knife rack: i have a larger version of this at home for all of my knives, but i HAD to get this cuter, small version and at $2.50 (you get 2 of them), i figured that i could find something to do with them. i actually used them to hold larger scissors that could not fit in the drawer!

KROGEN- pot hangie thing: huge fan of these, but unless you score on one at a flea/yard sale, they can be costly. This version is only $25 and attaches to the ceiling.

BEKVAM-spice rack: yes pretty ordinary, but with some cute bright color this could be super cute and it was only $4!

GLASORT KULLE-bedding: i just thought this we super inspirational to make as a quilt or wall hanging yourself

OSTLIG-plant helper: always expanding on the garden supplies, this trellis is a heck of a lot prettier than the traditional ones...very English garden!

HAVET-chair/bed deal: this is a great idea and so perfect for the person who has zero room, but might have company. what i love most is that it has wheels so you can move it around anywhere...awesome for the loft or bachie-pad, make your own cover from an extra sheet set that you can use with the bed conversion and you dont even have to clean up as quickly when guests leave!- 250 is not really that bad when you think of how many things this can be (mobile comfy chair, bed, and a long bench...even in a pinch a couch if up against a wall with big comfy pillows!)

dont get me started on AS-IS section-LOTS of ideas there!

bottle project

2010-07-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

over a year ago, Nicole and i went to a customers parent's house who were in so many words hoarders. on about 3 acres of land they had amassed a number of odds and ends, mostly outside that had seen better days...but you never know what you will find.
besides a few metal goodies, we happened upon several pretty glass bottles and light fixtures that needed a bit of TLC-but they had potential, so i did what i do with most things i have ideas with: put them in the garage until i get sick of them and give them to someone else b/c i am too busy to do that "project" i was supposed to do with them.
not this time though. one of the gems that i found happened to be a case of these adorable soda bottles from The PoP Shoppe, a Canadian soda company that i thought was gone, but as you can see even has a Twitter account.
so i now have a case or so of these adorable bottles and i am trying to kind a way to make them into something functional...i would love some advice, here are some of the things i have been looking into.

-tiki torch: how adorable are these tiki torches, found this idea in a link from ReadyMade Magazine (of course)

-Design Sponge also had this super cute plant holder idea-SO INTO IT-but i must say i would rather use "not-as-cute" bottles for this project (attn: Anarchy-i see an idea for a workshop on tiny gardens!!!)

-drinking glasses: one of the first things that i bought for the shop were these cute glasses from Green Glass from various beer bottles-i have always wanted to make them myself from the other cool bottles i see out there-this might be a good option.

-a long time ago, i made a bottle tree in my garden in Irvine, this might be a great thing to have in Santa Ana too.

-but what i am leaning towards is making bird feeders from the bottle kind of like this one although i am looking at a few other examples.

i would LOVE any other suggestions or links...to be continued...

Farmers' Market sighting contest-4th of July 2010

2010-07-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

for the 4th, there were plenty of people, many which i have seen before but one in particular got my attention b/c i haven't seen this famous face before. the first person to post the correct answer on the blog will receive a jar of fresh peach-habanero jam-SUPER yummy!
*note: i will ship if you are not in the area*

This "brother and sister" duo are not brother and sister-they are married in real life and were seen strolling market.

we did it-part 2: Patchwork Long Beach-June 2010

2010-07-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

on Monday, June 28th Nicole and i stood in the parking lot of the apartment homestead hugging each other. although it was not like out hugs of youth when we would giggle and tickle and fall to the ground laughing, it was a "better than that" hug filled with inspiration, gratitude, exhaustion, appreciation and so much more (no tears...no tears, hold it together girl!!!!!)
after a back-breaking month of work we had just completed our 2nd Long Beach Patchwork event, where we saw RECORD crowds at Marine Park...at times, i took peeks at the seriously crowded walkways and i was kind of amazed...the event was more than a success. what was even more amazing were the number of friends, strangers and vendors who simply came up to say, "thank you for doing this"... how completely gratifying and uplifting.

(Anarchy in the Garden- Adriana f-ing ROCKED her booth)

our dearest thanks to friends, sponsors and volunteers who have not only been vital to making a wonderful community event, but also for our growing friendship which is the best part of the job.

We Love LB: we love you and look forward to many more events and times together-can you move to SA so we can hang out more often?? :)
Anarchy in the Garden: had the best booth with gardening lectures, Adriana seriously brought her A-game!
Makers League of LB: Heather and her hubs Eric had the 2nd best booth with DIY projects and some serious cuteness.
food: Piaggio on Wheels, Tropical Shaved Ice and Fresh Fries were the nicest people and were rewarded with LONG lines for the entire day.
volunteers: every single one of our volunteers are just great people-they are the work behind Patchwork so make sure you give them a big thank you when you see them during the holiday shows (they are wearing green aprons with Patchwork logos!)
music: Deanna/Baby D really brought in the tunes, powered by solar, even with a hurting back :(
City of LB: for working with us to have a great community event
vendors: new and old-the support and help make Patchwork something that will "rock the kasbah" for more events to come (which we are planning so exciting holiday events already-cant wait!!)

here are some images of the day.

(cutest ever???-yeah i know!!!)

( Graham Street Press workin' it Patchwork-style!!)

(Bike valet-yes this is the only craft fair with bike valet in So-Cal-SUPER popular in LB)

(Shortnin Bread was incredible)

(Poster List-super nice and loved that he didnt need to drive far)

(Lana-the BEST-so great she is going to head the volunteers!)

(mas y mas crowds...)

Most of all: thank you to Niecy Nicole, a woman who is so much more than random. there is love that is more than words can say.

if you are wondering about more patchwork/craft fairs: i will be posting about more patch updates in the late Summer, for now- just relax and enjoy the warm weather!

root cellar decor-what the heck is that??

2010-06-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

now most people wouldn't think about how to decorate a cellar. thinking back to when root cellars were a real necessity (not something that a food preserver junkie makes when her 5ft kitchen is maxed-out), they were basically a room, like some of the images below:

functional with a hint of scary? yes
cute? oh hells no!
just because it is a storage room doesn't mean that it has to look boring-i mean you are going to spend a little bit of time there, you might as well make it look kind of cool right?
the nice thing about a project like this is that you can get all kinds of crazy decorating and making things fun-its not like you are entertaining royalty in there!
my friend Diana, had the great idea of making a chalkboard to keep track of stuff in there-SO much cuter than a clipboard and pen!! i had a thin piece of wood in the storage room at the shop, i slapped on a few coats of chalkboard paint and DONE-we attached it to the door....how cute it that.

(looking at this makes me realize that i forgot to date the cabbage!)

color was really important too-who wants to look at dirty old wood and concrete? i had some zero-VOC bright green paint from AFM Safecoat in enamel that was a mis-tint, talk about perfect for the door! i used some bright red paint (that i was going to use for our couch, but was too lazy to sand) to paint a huge heart on the door-you know, because food is all about love.
i also had these old window frames-some in our bedroom, but i still had a few extra. we painted one with the bright green paint and hung it up on the entrance to remind you to duck your head when entering. at first we were going to paint it red, but that seemed too much like a, "don't enter" sign...green seemed like a better choice.

the chalkboard idea led to another decoration: root-cellar graffiti! the upper part of the cellar is old dark wood. i used the while chalk to make these cute wheat leaves on the corners and to label the sections of the area-SO MUCH CUTER than the Sharpie i was using before!

lastly, i used old frames that my neighbor was going to throw out to decorate some of the areas. in the center of the frame i either chalked a picture or nailed canning items in.

(always got to have a little Marge representin'-thanks Bonnin Designs!)

the last thing that i need to do is weather-strip the doors for the "uninvited guests" and then you have what i like to call :

"easy, breezy, beautiful...root cellar"

(yes i watch WAY TOO much ANTM)

affordable art: treasure frey

2010-06-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

hooked on etsy-and this is why.
etsy allows you to find some really wonderful and affordable artists like Treasure Frey who has these whimsical and intelligent watercolors that have prints that allow you to have amazing works in a crazy recession. these images so remind me of childhood favorite books where you can stare at the images and hear the story without reading them. plus she is in LA!

(so needs to be on a shirt)

(Where The Wild Things Are, Where the Sidewalk Ends anyone??)

Here is her ETSY shop for buying!