Eighteenth Century Agrarian Business

Hanging Herb Garden

2013-03-09T18:00:00.002-08:00

Last weekend I made this hanging herb garden, a great solution for my tiny kitchen which has, oh, about 24" of counter space. At first I'd planned on mounting mason jars to a board which would lean against the wall but on my way to the hardware store it occurred to me to do it this way, which involves less infrastructure and is probably a little easier.

HANGERS

To make the two shown here, you'll need:

6 wide mouth, pint mason jars
100' of cotton cord, #7
scissors, ruler

I find it helps to do make these while the rope hangs. Hang it from a back-of-the-door coat hook, or nail a small nail somewhere about 7' off the ground.

For each 3-plant hanger, you'll cut 3 pieces of cord 14' long and 4 pieces about 15" long (for your stop knots).

Line up the ends of your long cords and fold in half. You should now have 6 lengths of 7' cord.
About an 1.5" from the bend in your cord, create your first stop knot. Mine had about 4-5 loops.
10" from your top stop knot, take two neighbor cords and tie a basic knot. Repeat for each pair.
4" down from the last knot, tie a basic knot between one strand of two neighboring knots. Be sure to be joining two cords that are already close - do not cross over a cord to tie to another cord. See the diagram and photo. Repeat for each pair.
4" down from the last row of knots create another stop knot.

Repeat steps 3-5 twice more to complete one hanger. Repeat all the steps to create your second hanger.

PLANTS

I used mason jars. I've had some hearty herbs in lesser containers so I'm hoping they'll work. I put small rocks at the bottom of each jar, transfered the herbs, adding potting soil when necessary. The nursery didn't have basil starters yet so I'm growing them from seeds. Fingers crossed!

notes

You'll see that mine are different lengths, I started the first hanger with less cord than I needed and adjusted for the second one.

I have no idea what I'm doing with that branch.

How have you grown herbs in your home? Any other small space solutions? Have you done more adventurous macramé?

As it's now been weeks between when I did this and when I'm posting this entry, I'd definitely say put your plants in things meant for plants, not mason jars. What was I thinking?

Naturally Dyed Tea Towels

2013-01-22T23:43:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I made a small batch of tea towels to give to friends and family. And since I'd had in my mind for a while to experiment with dying, I decided to experiment on friends and family.

After the jump you'll find the basic steps for creating a tea towel and what I did to create a gradient on the towels from blueberries and blackberries.

Materials

natural linen (or tea towel appropriate fabric of your choice)

your yardage will depend on how many you want to make. i created 8 from 2 yards of linen.
for one towel, you'll need a piece at least 24"x18.5"

cotton twill tape
sewing machine, thread, scissors...

Make the tea towel

The tea towels are made exactly as I made the dinner napkins in this post, with two exceptions: size and twill loop.

There seems to be no standard size for tea towels, I looked. So I picked a size within the range of sizes I found online that would yield the most towels with my fabric. I also made a more snug hem, doing about a 1/4" on each fold (instead of 1/4" and 1/2" as the napkins are done).

After you have completed folding in the side edges of each side, cut a few inches of cotton twill tape for the loop. You'll cut the ends at a slight angle so that it slips right in under your the hem, pin it in place and do your stitching around the sides. See the top photo of this post for the loop.

Dyeing

Materials

berries, salt, vinegar, water

I am by no means a dyeing professional and it will be clear I didn't even try to be. I read up a bit online, I learned about some options - and then decided on a path, trying to keep things simple.

To make the dye I took blueberries, blackberries, a few pinches of salt and water to cover them an inch or so. I then let it simmer for quite a while. I'd check on it every now and then and smush things up with a masher. When things (arbitrarily to me) seemed like they'd expelled all the color they were going to expel (I don't believe it was more than an hour), I'd strain them through a mesh strainer. Keep the liquid, toss or compost the pulp. I did the two berries separately because I wanted to see the color of the dye they'd make independently (the second photo in this post shows my blackberry test strip, a much pinker hue than blueberries). I used a pint of fresh blackberries and a large bag of frozen blueberries and had a lot of dye left over.

I combined the dyes I'd rendered in a large pot and put it on low heat. I put the towels in a my sink, filled with warm water and a generous splash of vinegar. And then I made the fancy set up you see on the right side of the image below. I draped the towels over a hanger (suspended from my stove's range hood with s-hooks) cliping them in place at each stage of dying.

I started with the towels (about 3 at a time) nearly submerged. After about 30-40 mins I moved them a third of the way out of the liquid and in another 30 mins or so, only the bottom third in the liquid.

When the towels were done I carefully transported them to the bathroom sink and let cold water run on them (in the direction of the dye, not opposite - you don't want to send dye onto the un-dyed portion) until it started to run clear. In the photo above and right you can see that there is a blueish band at the top - this is a blueberry thing, someone who understands chemistry better may be able to explain it. It mostly faded away after drying.

After they were all dyed, I put them in the dyer to set the color. The color faded a bit, but not too much.

And finally, tied with bows for giving.

If I did this over I'd let them stay in the dye bath longer, maybe another 40 mins or so and I'd do one at a time (if I had far less than 8). Dyeing a few at a time in the pot created a few, though minor, inconsistencies in how the dye penetrated the fabric

I liked that this was a pretty simple project - I want to experiment with other things in the kitchen I can dye with - like turmeric! If you've done natural dying before, I'd love to hear about it!

Hello, again

2012-11-25T20:20:00.000-08:00

You might have noticed recently a new post after a long, long while. My Code for America fellowship has just ended and I made a b-line back to making things. This year has been a whirlwind filled with lots of new friends, experiences, 22+ flights and lots of non-sewing projects.

Elizabeth is taking a break but I'm hoping I can start to get regular-ish again. I can't say how regular, my life could get crazy again (what and where will after CfA be?). But this site is important to me. I believe the best thing about the internet is sharing. If I'm able to share anything helpful, at any frequency, I want to. Also, now that I'm so front-end web development happy these days (and even blog about it now, too), the entire site might just get a big facelift.

But in other, seasonal news, I'm happy that my year has slowed down in time to get excited about the holidays. My boyfriend and I picked up this little tree (above) today (one of our favorite coffee shops in Oakland, Subrosa, is selling them) and I have all kinds of old-fashioned Christmas visions in my head. Handmade paper ornaments, popcorn garland...

Hope the holidays have kicked of great for you and thanks for sticking around!

Tote Re-Do

2012-11-19T21:06:00.002-08:00

I once had a great, large tote. I used it often. After a while grime and grease from toting leftovers rendered the tote too gross to use (despite attempts to launder of course). I finally parted with the bag but I saved the hardware (handles, shoulder strap, d-rings) with the intention of re-creating it. A year or so later and 2 days before leaving for a trip to Argentina I decided, now is the time!

After the jump, illustrations and walk-through galore!

Here's another look at the tote. It's a large tote with handles at the top so that you can tote it or put it on your shoulder. A third of the way down are d-rings so that you can attach a strap. The top third of the bag folds over and you can cary the bag over your shoulder/chest like a messenger.

I'm being intentially vauge on some of the dimensions in the post, I'll leave it up to you to decide how large you want to make your bag. Mine is fairly large (which makes it great for a plane carry-on bag and for biking around with my computer and layers of clothing as is appropriate in San Francisco). The tutorial explains the elements and construction.

Besides the basics (sewing machine, needle, thread..) you'll need:

Notes on materials:

For the exterior, I used a medium-weight waxed cotton. It's gorgeous!
For the interior, I used a basic cotton calico.
To stitch waxed cotton I used a heavy-weight fabric sized needle in my machine and nylon upholstery thread, in black.

Basic Structure

Notes:

The diagram above illustrates the elements of the bag.
When you determine the dimensions you want for the face (pink area) to be, you can generate from that the size of fabric to cut.
WIDTH = body "face" width + 6". Your band width should be the same.
LENGTH = band + body "face" length + 6" + body "face" length + band
Your interior fabric should be the same dimensions of the bag, minus the band. It will sit under the band on the inside.
Make 6 pieces of fabric to be your loops to hold on the d-rings. To do this, measure the flat side of your d-ring (approx. 1" in my case) and double that number, then add on 1/2" for seam allowance. That will serve as your width. Make it at least 24" long. You should have a long rectangle. Fold right-sides together lengthwise and press. Stitch 1/4" from the raw edge down the length of your piece. Then turn right side out and press again, now you've got your tube for d-ring loops. Cut into 6 pieces approximately 3-4" long.

Construction

Essentially, you'll take your body piece, and place right sides together with the band at the short edge of each end. Place your handle's d-ring through the loop and pin the loops in place in between the two layers and stitch. Do this on both ends. (left illustration)

Since I don't heavy heavy duty industrial machine and was worried about the layers becoming too think to sew through, I did a few things to keep thickness as low as possible. One such thing was to serge the raw edges of the band. (right illustration)

Fold the purse in half, right sides facing. Your bands should be up (not folded down). Folded in half, place your interior fabric over the bottom portion of the bag with the pattern facing out (facing you). Pin and stitch or serve up the left and right sides with your side loops and d-rings pinned in the middle of all the layers. (left illustration)

Next, cut out a 3"x3" square from each bottom corner. This will provide your bag's depth (or bottom).

Pinch the cut out so that the two cut lengths are together - it should start resembling a bag bottom at this point. Stitch or serge this combined raw edge.

Flip the bag right side out, it should like a bag, yay! Fold the band down towards the inside of the bag and pin in place. Top stitch around the bag about a 1/4" from where the band ends on the inside. (right illustration)

That's it - those are the elements and construction of the bag. I'll add, I've been traveling with this bag now for about 5 months - I love it.

Post Fatigue

2012-06-08T17:08:00.001-07:00

I set out over a week ago to write about post on a bag I made. Editing photos, writing and making illustrations has taken forever plus some. I have to take a break from it, whew! So here is a picture from my recent trip to Buenos Aires and the future post's artboard in Illustrator (which has gotten even more complex since this screen shot).

Have a great weekend!

Anatomy of a Try

2012-04-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

I thought since I took the time to make this, I might as well try and get a post out of it.

This is a clutch I made hoping to adjust this one (Which is missing! Where is it? It ran off with at least one cute hankie and one vintage pocket mirror. Sad.) a tad so that it served more as a wallet. It was not a disaster by any means, but it wasn't quite what I wanted:

I forgot to add the ends to the zipper. This isn't critical, many pouches don't include them, but I really, really like them. I more often than not do one completely wrong thing in any project. Usually I catch myself while a seam ripper can still save me. Not this time.
I thought I'd like it with more of the zipper tape exposed. I do not. I also did this weird thing with gold thread at the end as a zipper stop. I wouldn't have tried this if I hadn't done number 1.
I created a divider on the inside, hoping to separate bills from coins and phone. I'm so-so about it. I also intended to have 3 card slots, stacked and side-by-side, 6 in total. I assumed my 7" zipper was long enough for that, it wasn't. (Three isn't so bad actually, I should carry fewer cards.)
It's about 2 inches too tall. This makes it dark inside and hard to read the bills and spot quarters from nickels. Maybe if it were shorter I wouldn't mind the divider as much.

I still really love this gold linen though. And there you have it. Not a disaster. Not a success. A try.

Lemon Pudding Cakes

2012-04-12T13:15:00.001-07:00

I love America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Illustrated, and Cook's Country. I have a mail subscription to Cook's Illustrated, and I tear out and keep probably three-quarters of the recipes in every issue. But I have an online subscription to Cook's Country - which, as far as I can tell, is the simpler, more down-home relative - and if I need a specific recipe, I go there first. Every one I've tried has turned out great, and they tend to be a little less fussy than the ones in Cook's Illustrated.

I've made this lemon pudding cake once before, exactly the way the recipe's written - baked in a single 8x8-inch pan. It's got a creamy, custard-y bottom, with souffle-like cake on top. A little whipped cream balances the tartness really well.

We've been having friends over to enjoy the deck that Allen built, and I thought that individual - and closeable - containers would make this really easy to set out at a party, and easy for guests to serve themselves. It also makes the recipe way more adorable, which is really important.

We also took these over to Allen's parents' house for Easter, and his mom mentioned that she had an old recipe for "lemon cake-top pudding" from her grandmother. We took a look at the recipe, and it looked very much like this one, except with fewer eggs and about one-quarter the lemon juice. Since I found this recipe in the Historic American Recipes section of the CC website, I guess they're true to their word.

Incidentally, here are the jars I used to bake the cakes in. I searched high and low for half-pint wide-mouth jars that I could use for exactly this type of task - but also for lunches and leftover storage - and I couldn't find them anywhere locally. I know it seems ridiculous to order utilitarian canning jars online, but they're great to have around - I make pudding in them all the time.

Individual Lemon Pudding Cakes
Adapted from Cook's Country
Makes 10 individual cakes. These are best the day they're made, but they're good as leftovers, too - just keep them in the fridge, and heat in the microwave for 15 seconds before serving.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons grated zest and 1/2 cup juice from 4 lemons
5 large eggs, separated, room temperature
1 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature
2 quarts boiling water

whipped cream, recipes follows

Instructions:

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease ten 8-ounce ramekins or wide-mouth half-pint jars.

Whisk flour and cornstarch in bowl; set aside.

Using a clean mixer bowl and whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly add 3/4 cups sugar until whites are firm and glossy, about 2 minutes. Scrape gently into another bowl, and set aside.

Rinse and dry mixer bowl. With mixer on medium-high speed, beat remaining 1/2 cup sugar, butter, and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, until incorporated. Reduce speed to medium-low. Add flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Slowly add milk and lemon juice, mixing until just combined.

Whisk one-third of the egg-white mixture into the batter, then gently fold in remaining whites, one scoop at a time, until well combined.

Place greased ramekins or jars inside two 8x8-inch or 9x13-inch baking dishes, leaving a little space between them, and spoon batter into the ramekins - I used an ice-cream scoop, and found that they took about three scoops each to divide the batter evenly. Carefully place the baking dishes containing the ramekins into the oven and pour boiling water into the baking dishes until water comes halfway up the sides of ramekins.

Bake until the cake tops are slightly golden and edges are beginning to set - about 35-38 minutes. Transfer dishes to a wire rack and let cool about 30 minutes before removing the ramekins from the baking dishes. Serve warm or at room-temperature with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a chilled glass bowl, whip cream with an electric mixer until it begins to thicken. Add confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat until peaks form. Refrigerate.

Alameda Antique Faire

2012-04-05T20:40:00.001-07:00

Hi, all! It's Jessica, and I'm still around. My days have changed, however, and more often than not I'm behind a computer. An important detail is that I'm happily behind a computer. I'm loving the work I'm doing with Code for America and learning as much as I can. I can be found in coffee shops in SF and Oakland or at the fantastic office of ours at CfA. So, while I'm still making things, they contain strings in code more than strings of thread. But, I promise projects from me won't be disappear completely, they'll just happen when they do in this new schedule of mine, and whenever they do, they'll definitely be posted here.

Moving on, I did go out to Alameda, an island just west of Oakland, to visit the antiques fair (or to them, faire). It's the first Sunday of every month. There is an admission to get in, which I thought was a little odd, but if you go around 10 (I know, late by antique market standards) it's just $5. The place is huge and if I weren't on my fellowship salary and basically already in possession of most things I need in my life right now, I would have gone to town. To. Town. I did pick up a couple things, though. I got 7 hankies, because I use hankies. Everyday.

If you're in the area, it's definitely worth a go -- even just for the view of downtown San Francisco.

Below you can see that we're not in Kansas. Oakland has a big port and these giant shipping crate dinosaurs provide the backdrop for rugs, old dressers and Fiestaware.

Dark, Glossy Doors

2012-03-18T07:52:00.003-07:00

I was tempted to just write another post in this vein, and leave it at that. Starting around my third full day of work on this, I started thinking, "This project just wasn't worth doing" (which Allen would have told me that at the beginning, if he'd thought it would make any difference).

Now that I have a few weeks of retrospect, that attitude is starting to change, but I think that's partly because I've blocked out memories of all those hours spent hunched over yet another door, sanding and patching and sanding again. Painting the doors in the hall opened a pain-in-the-ass Pandora's box - we had to paint the backs, too, which of course appear in the bathroom and both bedrooms - so the closet doors in those rooms would also have to be painted, front and back. How can such a small house have nine interior doors?

The doors did need painting, and repair. In all my years of obsessive-compulsively completing DIY projects, our weird little square corridor was the one space that had been ignored completely. The pretty glass doorknobs and the metal plates had been smudged with twelve different shades of white paint, and the trim had yellowed to something resembling Drab Almond.

Inspired by spaces like these and these, I realized that dark, glossy paint on its myriad doors could give this no-man's-land some kind of identity, even kind of a tailored sophistication. And with something other than Lowe's white on the nice old wood doors, it would seem considered, intentional - as if we'd actually given the space some thought and done something with it.

I was determined to use gloss oil paint on the doors, which was probably my downfall, as far as the project time and cost went. Oil paint is much more expensive than latex, and takes many more coats for decent coverage - but it's also more durable and has a nice, hard, enamel finish that I love on doors and trim. It seems permanent, and it looks better.

So I resolved to do it "the right way" - sanding, oil paint, the whole thing. I pulled the doors off their rusted, seven-decades-old hinges, took off the doorknobs, placed the first door on sawhorses, and made a huge mistake.

Whatever you do, don't use a belt sander on latex paint. The belt sander I tried out on the first door ripped up all eighteen-or-so layers of latex and lead paint, leaving a jagged, thick border around it. Unless you plan on spending three days on each door to sand off every single bit of old paint, use an orbital sander with 150-grit paper to just smooth out the imperfections. Don't worry - you'll still spend a few hours on every door.

While you sand, use a brush to sweep away all the balled-up clumps of paint every couple of minutes; otherwise they'll wind up under your sander and reattach themselves to the door.

Where it was necessary to fill in screw holes or areas where the paint had dimpled or chipped, I used gesso. I brushed the thick primer on, let it dry for a few hours while I worked on another door, and then came back to the gesso'd patch to sand it smooth and sometimes apply another coat.

I never got a perfectly smooth finish. The doors look like they've been here since the forties, and I'm fine with that. If perfect is what you're going for, hire somebody.

The guy at Sherwin Williams assured me I didn't need to prime the latex before applying the oil - though you would have to prime the other way around. We went with Sherwin Williams' Urbane Bronze in All-Surface Interior Oil Enamel, which has a good bit of brown and green in it. I used a cheap, foam mini-roller to paint on about four - sometimes five! - coats per side, letting the doors dry about six hours between coats. I thinned the gooey paint with a tiny bit of mineral spirits.

We really liked the color - except in the bathroom, where the blue morning light gave the brownish-gray a decidedly Army-green cast, especially next to the black and white tiles. UGH. So we bought a pint of Iron Ore, a true dark gray with almost no other tints, and I rolled on two coats to the inside of those two doors.

I also used stripper, a putty knife, and lots of steel wool to take off all the overpainting from the door knobs and plates. We replaced the two sets of rusted hinges from the bathroom doors, but reused all the others.

DONE, finally. I'm not sure that I'd ever recommend anyone doing this nine doors at a time - my single-minded devotion to finishing these all in one go kept us without a bathroom door for several days - and I am not that kind of person.

But I do love the end result.

Altering Jeans: Original Hem

2012-02-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

Having a few alterations you can do yourself is a pretty valuable asset. Even having fake alteration assets is great, like how I take in sides, along the entire length, of a pair of pants or a skirt; I'm mostly guessing but it usually turns out good enough. But being able to properly take in a hem, is on the top of the altering-assets list. In this post I talked about taking in the hem of skirts with a blind stitch, and today taking in jeans using the original hem. There is such a difference in using the original hem versus creating a new hem on your own -- you're never going to get your new hem to look like the manufactured hem and, I think, that's quiet distracting and you might as well walk around in pants too-long. Plus, it's so easy to use the original. Tutorial after the jump!

On these pants I actually took in both the hem and sides to turn them from too-long-bootcut to just-right-skinnies, but I'm just going to talk about the hem in this post.

CUT & PLACE

Cut off the original hem giving yourself a generous 1/4" or 1/2" from the stitching. Using a seam ripper, take out the outside pant seam so that your hem piece is one long piece (no longer a tube).

Next, cut your pants to the length you'd like them. Your final leg-length will be where you do your stitching plus the length of the original hem (a half inch or so), keep this in mind.

Using a seam ripper again, take out a couple inches of the outside pant seam (on the right side of the photo above).

Pin the hem onto the pant leg right sides together (your pants should be right-side out) and raw edges on the same side. Match your pant's and hem's outside and inside seams. We will be stitching just below the stitching on the original hem so make sure that when you place it onto the pant leg that it is at this new stitch postion, plus the length of the original hem, that you want your new pant-length to be. Hopefully the picture makes clearer what my words fail to explain.

STITCH

With your sewing machine, stitch as close to the fold of the inside seam as shown in the photo above.

At this point, if you want, you can finish the raw edges by trimming them and serging or zig-zag stitching. Not doing so won't really change the success of the alteration.

When you've finished this, turn the pants inside-out and stitch back over the side-seam you opened earlier.

Finished pants with both legs altered and my feet no longer bare. Please let me know if I did a terrible job at explaining this.

Etching Glass

2012-02-08T10:46:00.000-08:00

At left: our glass cocktail shaker with etched monogram. Right: Taylor's gift, and us as young woodland varmints.

This post is specifically about a gift for my brother, which he hasn't yet received. But, given that he'd never be caught dead reading this blog, I think it's safe to go ahead and post.

I am and always will be a Stevens, even though I'm also a Morris now. "Team Stevens" happened on day when I talked my brother into letting me go on a run with him, and then our dad asked if he could join us, and then we all forced our mother to come along. It just felt so silly and all-American, going out for a brisk jog with one's whole family. Obviously, Team Stevens was a thing that needed a logo, and once that logo was created, it needed to be on everything. I think I had patches made at some point.

When my brother turned 21, I wanted to put the logo on a beer mug for him, but I couldn't find a company that would custom-etch glass products in such short runs - as in, one. Then I discovered etching cream. It's cheap, it's easy, and it allows you to customize glassware at home. I bought it at Sam Flax, but you can also buy it at Amazon, where the product description reads: "NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CLEANING GLASSES!"http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

My brother broke his beer mug in his last move, and he asked that I make him a new one. The process is as simple as this:

1. Create your image. You can draw it or use whatever computer program you want - you just need to be able to print it out and trace it. I've used Word in the past, just to print a single 72-point M.

2. Trace your image onto a small piece of clear contact film. (It's really called contact paper. But it's not paper - so in this blog, it is henceforth known as contact film.) I found rolls of contact film in Target's home organization section, alongside decorative shelf-liner paper.

3. Peel off the backing paper, and stick the contact film to your glass. Smooth out any bubbles, and rub the film to make sure it adheres evenly.

4. Use an Exacto knife to carefully cut out your image. Try not to actually score the glass; only use as much pressure as you need to cut through the film. As much as possible, keep your cuts smooth and fluid, rather than short and choppy. Peel off the image itself, so you're left with a negative of the image.

5. Using a cheap paintbrush, brush on a thick coat of etching cream. Leave it on as long as the container's instructions indicate - mine called for five minutes. Rinse carefully with water, and pat dry lightly with a paper towel, ensuring that you don't pull up any of the contact film. (I find that you get a deeper, more even etch by applying the etching cream twice. You'll never be able to cut a stencil exactly the same way twice, so be very careful to leave the film on when you rinse the first time - if it's adhered evenly to the glass, the water shouldn't be a problem.)

6. Finally, apply your etching cream again, wait the prescribed time, and rinse off. This time, you can remove the contact paper and reward yourself with a beer.

Pretty-Good-For-You Apple Crisp

2012-01-28T16:29:00.000-08:00

Some otherwise completely sane people believe that every dish presents an opportunity to ruthlessly cut fat, salt, and calories. That's not me. While it would be recklessly dishonest of me to say that I do everything in moderation, I believe that a cook has a duty to aim for the sublime, and if transcendence is achieved with a stick of butter, then try to limit yourself to a few bites.

That being said, I’m always glad to find a healthy recipe that delivers on more than just fiber, and I’ve found that Cook’s Country – the sister publication of Cook’s Illustrated, and published by public TV's America’s Test Kitchen – actually has some pretty great ones.

Most of the excess calories in a fruit pie or cobbler are delivered by a buttery, sugary crust, and it just can't be made healthy. A whole-wheat, low-fat pastry dough is an abomination that none should endeavor to eat. The pastry part of this apple crisp is rolled oats, a few pecans, a sneaky secret ingredient, and a little bit of butter and sugar. It’s delicious and satisfying. (And begs for you to keep in mind that two tablespoons of whipped cream have only 50 calories - a little cream adds a lot to this dessert.)

Healthier Apple Crisp
Adapted from Cook’s Country
Serves 6-8

Filling:

6 large Golden Delicious apples (8 ounces each), peeled and cored
1 cup apple or pear juice
1 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Topping:

2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (don’t use instant or quick oats)
1/3 cup Grape-Nuts cereal
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Whipped cream; recipe follows

Instructions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice apples into 1/4-inch-thick wedges.

Bring half the apple slices, apple juice, sugar, and cinnamon to a simmer in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are fairly tender, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat, let cool for five minutes, and mash the apple mixture using a potato masher.

Set aside 1 tablespoon mashed apple mixture from the pan.

Return burner under the skillet to medium heat. Add the remaining apple slices and cook, covered, until slices just begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and stir in lemon juice.

Process the oats in a food processor until ground pretty finely, about 15 seconds. Add Grape-Nuts, pecans, sugar, flour, butter, cinnamon, salt, and reserved apple sauce; pulse two or three times to mix. Set aside.

Scrape apple filling into 8-inch square baking dish and press into an even layer. Sprinkle topping over filling and bake until juices are bubbling and topping is deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Serve with a little whipped cream.

Vanilla-Bourbon Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons bourbon

In a chilled glass bowl, whip cream with an electric mixer until it begins to thicken. Add confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and bourbon. Continue to beat until peaks form.

Quick Drawstring Bags

2012-01-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

I've posted on a few kinds of drawstring bags already (here and here), could there be more? Of course. These are about as quick and dirty as it gets. It's also a good way to use up extra fabric (that you buy and buy without a project in mind and then you end up moving it across the country and promising yourself to find ways to use it and store other things, like air, under your bed). Instructions after the jump!

I'm going to skip suggesting fabric sizes and amounts as I can't really say what they were. I just was in need of about 4 or 5 drawstring bags for various kitchen odds and ends and so I took some fabric, it was at least a yard, and started cutting it into rectangles, just eyeballing the "half" size to get an idea of how big the bag would be when finished. I suggest you do the same, figure out rough size you'd like the bag to be and double it on either the long or short side. For the sake of ease on my part (of course), I've just illustrated it one way, a long rectangle.

Other supplies: ribbon, machine or will to make button holes

Serger note: I used a serger, but you can use a zig zag stitch close to the edge, too.

*red lines indicate that step's stitching
*that black dot in the center just illustrates the center, I'm realizing now it may be confusing and unnecessary in this illustration, whoops.

1. CUT & BUTTON HOLE
Cut into a rectangle and allow at least 3.75" for your draw string tube. Serge (or zig-zag) the two short raw ends.

Create a button hole in the center of the short side, about two inches down from the raw edge. The exact dimensions will depend on the size of your button hole, but you want it to fall in the center of the 1.5" tube space.

2. SEW SIDES

Fold the rectangle in half, right sides together, matching the two short ends you've serged/stitched. Serge/stitch the left and right sides together.

3. CREATE DRAWSTRING TUBE

Fold down the first edge you stitched in the first step so that your button hole is in the center (inside) of the fold you're making and the top of the zig-zag stitching. Press your fabric and then stitch around the bag, following the top edge of the zig-zag stitch.

4. FINISH

Flip right-side out and feed ribbon in the button hole and back out from the other side. Done!

Otomi-Inspired Appliqué Pillow

2012-01-04T06:43:00.000-08:00

I think a lot of us have a contrarian streak - a tendency to resist things that are popular, and especially things that cross the line from popular into ubiquitous.

One night in December, Allen and I were driving to a barbecue place for dinner, and we passed a lot of houses decorated with white Christmas lights, and a few with colored Christmas lights, but only a couple with icicle lights - the ones that were so rampant for the last ten years or so. Not the molded plastic ones that are actually shaped like icicles, but the light strings that have smaller little strings hanging off of them.

I said to Allen, "Do you think, now that those icicle lights aren't so popular anymore, they're okay for us to start using?"

Allen was shocked. "You like those?" he said, indignant.

"Yeah, I really like them! But everybody uses them, so we've never used them."

"No," said Allen. "We don't use them because they don't look like real icicles."

"What?"

"Yeah, nobody uses them right. People hang them where real icicles would never be - like on the back sides of beams. That doesn't make any sense."

"Allen, of course it doesn't make any sense. They're not real icicles. Even if you 'use them right,' nobody is going to look at them and say, 'Wow - somebody waited for a snowy day, hosed down their porch roof, got those those beautiful icicles to form, and then somehow lit them from the back.'"

"You're twisting my words."

So I understand perfectly a natural aversion to trends. Otomi embroidery has been all over the internet for a few years, but I still love it so. I have loved it since my grandparents had some in their "Mexico room" when I was a little girl.

The animals, y'all! They are such great animals. Actually, if I have any disappointment about the way my pillow turned out (other than the time it took, which was more than I expected), it's that the animals aren't as crazy-whimsical as the weird, fantastical creatures that populate real Otomi embroidery.

The online store Jacaranda sells full-size Otomi coverlets and tablecloths, but they also sell small swatches for a dollar each. A few years ago, I ordered several samples, hoping that one day I'd save up the money to buy a full-size specimen, and fantasizing in the meantime about what color I'd pick. The swatches are either cut portions of larger works (which seems a shame) or small, fully composed little scenes. And the scenes are crazy.

What is that? A turtle-deer with a propellor attached to its back? It is awesome.

So when I was drawing little creatures to stitch onto my pillow, I actually kept catching myself making them too real, too correctly proportioned. When you draw these, you must go crazy! Combine a deer with a bunny with a sea monster. That's a lot of what makes the real ones so damn charming, and if I try my hand at copying the beautiful embroidery technique, I'll challenge myself to go more outlandish. To take a cue from this beautiful piece, and its charming lizard-otter-pig.

Anyway, on to the instructions, which are few. Basically, lay out the shape of your pillow. Use this tutorial as a basic pillow-making template. I made a 20"-square pillow, using remnant linen fabric I bought at Lewis and Sheron.

For your appliqué pieces, you can use wool felt, or an old sweater. I washed an old moth-eaten wool cardigan in hot water, and then dried it in the dryer. I was hoping to felt the sweater, but since it was a blend, with 20% nylon, it mostly kept its shape. Oh well - I just had to be more careful when I was cutting and sewing it, since it didn't become tough and cohesive like felt.

Just turn your fabric over to the wrong side (if there is one) and start drawing. I used a charcoal pencil. I looked at Google images, Pinterest, and photos on eBay and Jacaranda for inspiration. I drew pastiches of some of my favorite recurring fauna - a rooster (or bird of prey?) in flight, a deer-like shape, and a canine. Otomi compositions are full of abstract floral shapes that fill some of the negative space. I implore you, once again, to be more ambitiously imaginative than me!

I cut out my shapes, pinned them in place, and appliqued them. I used a simple whip stitch to sew the shapes in place.

The knitted nature of my fabric was problematic at times, since it wanted to fall apart at the ends (whereas felt would keep its shape nicely). So when I got to pointy shapes, like ears or skinny feet, I improvised. Sometimes I sewed all the way across the shape, or added definition by basically embroidering the ends of ears.

I made a bunch of little knots for eyes, though in real Otomi pieces, the eyes would be negative space.

The appliqué process takes a while, but the process of assembling the pillow is very straight-forward. Just follow these instructions, installing the hidden zipper at the bottom of the pillow.

I tried appliqué because I was convinced it would be so much faster than embroidering the shapes. But since this turned out to be a time-consuming process, I'd like to try copying the Otomi embroidery technique sometime soon. I'm a glutton for punishment, and for whimsical animals. Expect a sequel!

Draft Dodger

2011-12-28T21:30:00.000-08:00

Guys, I sewed something! I am happy to contribute my first project post in many months. I'm also happy to be settling in here in San Francisco and to have my sewing machine not in a box.

This project was born of necessity - my new room's windows are drafty and it gets pretty chilly here in SF. As soon as I could, I made two of these. This is a simple project; if you've got a drafty door or window there's no excuse not to whip one up yourself. The part that takes the most time is picking up the rice from the store. Instructions after the jump.

Also, New Years is upon us! Don't forget your lucky greens and black-eyed peas.

Supplies you'll need:

Fabric of your choice, at least 36" x 6.5"
2.5 - 3 lbs of rice (I used about a 5 lb bag for two dodgers)
needle, thread, sewing machine, scissors...

CUT, PREP AND SEW

Cut your fabric to 36" x 6.5" (first illustration). A note: I lined mine with muslin. You don't have to, but my other dodger was linen and I felt better with the extra layer. If you do this, cut a piece of muslim to the same dimension, stack on the wrong side of your exterior fabric and follow the instructions the same.

Fold the fabric in half, right sides (of exterior fabric) together, lengthwise and press. Pin the fabric in place and stitch, with a 1/4" seam allowance, along the open long side and one short side. On the remaining short side, sew the corners, leaving a 2" or so gap in the middle for filling the tube with rice (second illustration).

FILL

Using a funnel, fill your tube with rice until just nearly the open end. You want it to have some wiggle room and not spill out when you close the end.

Using a needle and thread, slip stitch the opening closed.

You're done; seal up those window/door gaps! Get cozy!

Speaking of making gifts ...

2011-12-18T15:32:00.000-08:00

Things that aren't worth making at home:

No. 29: Cherry cordial candies

I admit defeat.

There's still time to make something!

2011-12-14T15:46:00.001-08:00

Hi, all! You must have plenty of free time left and are wondering what other things can you make before Christmas is here? We've got ideas in the new masthead and right column and here are a few more.

bird mobile / bow tie / strawberry pincushion / pressed botanicals / clutch

PS. I have arrived in San Francisco, I've even found a great apartment with great roommates in the lovely Duboce Triangle and my stuff has even arrived from Boston and I've even just unpacked it!

Edible Holiday Presents

2011-12-04T08:20:00.000-08:00

I am living life right now in full-blown Christmas mode. I've spent most of my adult life developing a Christmas playlist that isn’t terrible (Allen would argue with that), and it's playing on a loop. My Christmas presents are wrapped – not because I’m so together, but because few things fill me with glee like a bunch of wrapped packages stacked up in our living room. The only ones left to deal with are those presents that have yet to be made.

Every year, Allen and I make a bunch of edible gifts – pralines, granola bars, four kinds of truffles, and sometimes peanut brittle or marshmallows. The truffles are the most well-loved among their recipients, and the most time-consuming. Every year, I naively look forward to the magical night, a week or so before Christmas, when Allen and I will get home from work, prepare our mise en place, wash our hands, and calmly execute dozens of perfectly spherical, glossy confections. And every year those candies deliver us to the brink of sanity and coat two rooms of our house in a fine layer of Dutch-process cocoa.

But year after year, we soldier on.

There is another, compound reason, for getting all of my Christmas shopping done early. I love buying and making gifts for the people I love, and I’m happy to give my energy to it. But I am able to enjoy it in November only because it doesn’t yet weigh on me; all my happy little homemade projects are unrushed, untarnished by impending deadlines. I Christmas-shop early because I can only enjoy it that way, and because I want to devote my entire December to decorating the tree, sitting in front of a fire, and making those god-awful truffles in a haze of adrenaline and rum-apple-cider.

So while I love Christmastime with all my heart, and engage in its traditions with all the serene and happy fervor of a zealot, I understand the stress, too. Christmas - and all the winter holiday - should be enjoyed, in whatever way suits you. With friends or with family, by going to parties or to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. By baking desserts or buying them. I'd never intentionally contribute to the stress and the pressure that’s already laid on thick in this season of impressive meals and family togetherness.

That's all to say: I love making homemade gifts, but if your brother just wants a shirt from the Gap, and you don’t want another activity on your list, order that button-down right now and make sure to get free shipping.

If, however, you’re inclined to make some presents yourself, then here are some of my favorite recipes:

Chocolate Truffles

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Candied Citrus Slices

Creamy Pecan Pralines
Allen and I used to love these pralines. Then we made about two-hundred of them to give as favors at our wedding reception. After making them for days and days, and eating many of the rejected specimens, we no longer wish to see them ever again. The problem is, there are a few people in our family - my beloved, departed, Louisiane grandfather was the most emphatic - who simply wouldn't abide a Christmas gift box without them. And so we suffer through every year, for the good of the family.

Ingredients:
3 cups granulated sugar
3 cups packed light brown sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup dark corn syrup
2 cups evaporated milk
¼ cup (½ stick) butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups pecan halves

Butter the sides of a large saucepan. Place the sugar, salt, corn syrup, evaporated milk, and butter in the saucepan. Over medium heat, stir mixture constantly with a wooden spoon until sugars have dissolved and mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook to soft ball stage, about 236° on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Add the vanilla and nuts, and beat with a spoon for about 2 to 5 minutes or until the candy is slightly thick and begins to lose its gloss and become opaque.

Working quickly, use a 2” ice cream scoop to drop candy onto waxed paper. If the candy begins to get stiff, add a few drops of water and place back on heat for a few seconds.

Eating on the East

2011-11-15T09:40:00.001-08:00

As you know, I'm transitioning to the west coast (!) - I left Boston at the end of October and traveled down the east coast, bidding farewell to friends and cities. I have no sewing machine and no pantry so I can't contribute much on those fronts (the only "project" I've done is mend some buttons) but I thought I could talk about some of the fun places I've eaten along the way.

New York City
Doughnut Plant in Chelsea and Dough in Bed-Stuy: Such great flavors; pricey but thats how boutique treats go.
Roberta's in Bushwick: A bit out of the way, but a great space with great pizza.
Bearded Lady in Prospect Heights: Cool corner spot, bright mid century chairs.
Sit and Wonder in Prospect Heights: Stumptown coffee, great egg and sage baguette, wifi.
Pequena in Fort Green: Fantastic mexican fare. I'd go here all the time even if Lindsey wasn't there (say hi!)
The Habitat in Greenpoint: They have trivia - with buzzers!
Anotheroom in TriBeCa: I could live in the look of this bar.

Philadelphia
Ultimo: Counter culture coffee and beer, a sister to Atlanta
Green Eggs Cafe: Don't be fooled, the red velvet pancakes are hardly breakfast fare.

Baltimore
Brewer's Art: Esquire named this one of the country's best bars.
Milk and Honey in Mount Vernon: A wonderful cafe and market.
Soup's On & Ok Natural in Mount Vernon: Great organic soup shop nestled up with a natural market.
Pitango Gelato in Fells Point: The banana taste just like pureed banana, which I love.
The Windup Space: a bar with the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks set up. Enough said.

Washington, DC
Actually, I just ate at the museums on this day trip.

Atlanta
Vesuvius on Edgewood: Great pizza, lots of space.
Sister Louisa's Church of the Living Room on Edgewood: I thought bars like this only existed in NYC. Two levels, garden, ping pong table and choir robes to wear.
Sun in my Belly in Decatur: The ideal brunch spot.
Octane in Grant Park: The sister to my old westside haunt; plus a bakery.
Carroll Street Cafe in Cabbagetown: Not new to me but a must-go place if you're in the 'hood.

I'm now at home in Kathleen, Georgia through Thanksgiving. I fly out on a one-way ticket to San Francisco on Friday. Eee!

*A special thanks to Foursquare (and me for checking in) for keeping track of where I'd been!

Candied Key Lime Slices

2011-11-11T15:20:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the inconsistent posting as of late. Allen and I were out of town for quite a while, traveling in Italy and France. It was a great trip. There were little disasters (I lost our train tickets - replacements, in fact, for the train that we'd missed 15 minutes earlier), and minor mistakes (Allen said "Hola!" to nonplussed Italians more than once (note from Allen: Only once.)). But there were little victories, too: I learned a little Italian, and my triumphs include successfully ordering quantities of cheese in a crowded Venetian market while Allen stood behind me and whispered, "Get some salami, too. Salami!" Allen's greatest feat was more dramatic: he cool-headedly jockeyed through Florence traffic in a Fiat while I pushed an imaginary brake pedal and stifled shrieks.

Allen, my awesome husband, was an ideal travel companion. Aside from being generally fun and hilarious, he hauled my giant suitcase around Europe (of course, I offered to tote his reasonable carry-on), while I packed it ever-fuller with jars of honey and olivewood cutting boards. And if I ever got tired of bumbling through Italian greetings, or searching for a French verb that I haven't used in years, Allen was always ready to step in and shout "Hola!" to everyone in the vicinity.

Jessica is presently gallivanting across the eastern seaboard, and me? Well, now it's time to eat and drink and catch up with friends (Jessica among them!) - before the holiday eating and drinking inevitably starts, which is a whole other kind of eating and drinking, and will require commitment and preparation. But we're back in the meantime, however sporadically. Those Christmas dioramas aren't going to decorate themselves.

Now to the project at hand. Our noble little key lime tree, who lives in a pot and had to be moved indoors last night, has given us 10 or 20 little ping-pong-ball sized fruits. In my determined campaign to turn everything healthy and natural into candy or cake, I took those fruits and made gorgeous little stained-glass treats - candy to decorate a cake!

Here are the instructions:

Candied Key Lime (or Lemon) Slices:

Use a mandoline (preferred) or a very sharp knife (dangerous, for me), to cut six key limes into paper-thin slices. Discard the one or two slices at each of the ends. (Or, you can use the same process for two medium-sized lemons.) I didn't worry about removing all the seeds.

In a large bowl, prepare an ice-water bath, and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, and dump in citrus slices. Stir very gently for about one minute. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the citrus slices and place them in the ice bath. Drain.

Prepare another ice bath, bring another pot of water to boil, and repeat the blanching and ice-bath process once more. This helps remove all the bitterness from the pith of the lime.

Combine 4 cups sugar with 1 1/2 cups water in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir gently until all the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is clear, and reduce heat to medium-low. Using tongs, arrange the citurs slices in a single layer in the skillet. Let the lemon slices simmer for about an hour and a half. Do not stir, and don't let the water boil.

Set two cooling racks over parchment paper, for catching drips. Use a fork to remove the lemon slices from the pan and place on the drying racks. The slices will need a day or more to dry completely.

I placed most of these in a plastic container and put them in the freezer. I've used the rest to decorate cakes and small pastries. They would be pretty (and delicious) dipped in chocolate, too, and given as gifts.

Lit à la Polonaise

2011-11-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

Allen and I have been out of town for a couple of weeks, and I've had this post prepared since before we left. Unfortunately, I'm missing the picture that Jessica has requested - one of Huey (our dog) reclined on the bed and wearing an old-fashioned sleeping cap - but I will do everything in my power to bring this important item to fruition soon.

Please don't hold me to the correct terminology here. There are several types of ciels de lit - which themselves are a type of bed canopy - including lits à la duchesse, and lits à la polonaise - or "Polish beds." All I know is I'm a sucker for ridiculous drama, and two-thirds of the bedrooms that I've ripped out of House Beautiful feature canopies (like these from Eddie Ross, with whom - like Dolly Parton - I'm convinced I could be best friends if we ever met). Since our guest room has recently taken on a cool, calm, less schizophrenic personality, I thought I'd rig one up in there.

It's actually pretty easy. Here's what you need:

plywood
about 6.5 yards of outside fabric, depending on your ceiling height, plus a little extra (roughly a 4" square)
about 6.5 yards of liner fabric (or a pair of Ikea curtains), plus some extra (see below for details)
a staple gun and staples
a sewing machine and thread
1/4" upholstery tacks
a hammer or tack-hammer
a small disk about 1 1/2" in diameter - an aspirin bottle top works well
threaded metal hooks

Use a jigsaw to cut a big donut out of the plywood - mine is about 17" diameter, with a two-inch hole in the middle.

Use the extra liner fabric to cover the donut. (The fabric should be equal to about twice the donut's outside circumference, and a little wider than the donut's diameter.)

Picture an imaginary line down the middle of the fabric's length. Along this line, staple the fabric to the edge of the plywood donut, bunching it as you go. Staple every inch or so, folding the edge of the fabric down at the end so that no raw edges are showing.

Once the fabric is stapled along the edge, gather it and push it through the donut's hole. Staple in place. Staple the loose fabric on the other end to cover the plywood (this part isn't important, as you'll never see it once the canopy is installed).

Cut your exterior fabric in half so that you have two widths of fabric, about 3.25 yards long - you want it long enough to reach from ceiling to floor, plus about six inches. Sew the pieces together so that you have a double-width of 3.25-yard-long fabric.

Repeat with the liner fabric or curtains.

Place the two double-wide pieces of fabric with the right sides against each other. My exterior fabric was wider than the liner fabric, so I folded it back in (and I like the look of it on the finished product).

Sew the sides of the fabric together, then sew the bottom. You'll have a giant fabric sack now. Flip it so the right sides are out. Fold the raw edges of both fabrics so they're inside the sack, and pin in place. Sew shut. Now you have one big double-sided panel.

Measure about three inches down from the top of the panel - a patterned fabric will help you eyeball this as you go along. Tack the panel onto the edge of the donut using an upholstery tack. Position the other edge of the panel flush with the first edge, so that the panel wraps around the donut - there should be a lot of excess. Tack in place. Estimate the halfway point of the panel's width, and tack it onto the opposite side of the donut. Keep working like this - finding the halfway point of the loose panel, and tacking in place between the two existing tacks. The idea is to get the panel evenly distributed around the plywood circle. Finally, space your tacks about an inch apart, with the fabric bunched all the way around the circle.

Last, you want to cover the donut hole in the plywood. Cut out a circle of your exterior fabric, and stretch it taught around a small plastic disk, like an aspirin bottle top, sewing it in place. Sew this over the donut hole, hiding the stitches as possible.

Sink three threaded hooks into the plywood, spaced equally around the circle - snipping the fabric as necessary.

Position the canopy exactly where you want it over your bed - get a partner to help. Push it up against the ceiling, and nudge it backward carefully a quarter-inch - this will leave marks on your formerly pristine white ceiling. Use heavy-duty drywall anchors to sink three more threaded hooks into the corresponding positions. All that's left is to hang the canopy hooks from the ceiling hooks - which is a bit of a pain in the ass, since you have to do it blind. Patience, my friend. Because once you're done you can relax under your canopy and pretend you're royalty.

ECAB Goes Bi-Coastal

2011-10-19T16:02:00.000-07:00

Everyone, ECAB is about to get seriously bi-coastal.

I'm excited to tell you that I've been selected to be a 2012 Code for America fellow. This is a honor and I cannot wait to meet the other 24 fellows I'll be spending the year with - in San Francisco. That's right, I've only just moved into a new apartment in Boston and now I'm moving to California! Things happen that way sometimes. But, what's more is that I'm leaving Boston in less than two weeks! It's very fast. It's stomach ulcer creating fast.

Needless to say, I haven't had much time to make much because I'm packing back up again. I'll be wrapping up work at City Hall next Friday and taking a work hiatus for two months. I'll hopefully fill my time traveling, visiting friends, relaxing and then gearing up for this new adventure. This means I won't have my sewing machine with me so expect my posts to be a little different during this time. This new life may really shake up what I'm posting about -- I have no idea what is in store, and that's exciting!

Currently I'm in operation eat all that you already have mode so I made a big batch of muesli last night. I'll try and kill off as many grains and beans as I can, too, in the coming days. This 101cookbook recipe for red lentil soup is one that never disappoints.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth is frolicking in Europe with her husband. I'm sure she'll come back with a mega-ton of inspiration. Right before they left, I was back in Georgia and we got together. We also took our first picture together in maybe over two years. For better or worse, here we are, the two that make these things and this site.

We have full time jobs, lives and our posting (as you might have noticed) will wax and wane with changes in such. It is a pretty accurate account of what we're up to, or not up to, at any given time. We try to post as much as we can and create as content heavy and meaningful posts as we can and we're awful glad you come by!

(Elizabeth leaves and I go and get sappy on here)

Directly above: Jessica, Elizabeth and Huey.
Top most photo: a tilt-shift photo I did of my old neighborhood in Boston, Back Bay.

Painted Monogram Sign

2011-10-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

Jessica and I both get girlier and girlier each week, and I find there's nothing to which I can't picture adding a flourish or a monogram. This time, it was our garage. Allen built this garage with his own two hands (and those of several good friends), and I came along and stuck M's and clovers to it. (For what it's worth, Allen likes the M; the other elements, he says, are just another thing making our house "Girly as ****.")

Here are the supplies you'll need to gussy up a garage, front porch, or foyer:

thin birch plywood (mine is about 24" x 40", because that's what we had laying around)
wood stain
polyurethane
an image you like
a big sheet of carbon paper, optional
painter's tape or masking tape
a charcoal pencil or chalk
oil paint - the kind you get in a pint-size can at the hardware store
a paintbrush

Stain the plywood your desired color - I think I used Minwax Special Walnut. Staining and sealing instructions are in the second half of this post. Wait to polyurethane the board after you've painted your design.

The Cuts & Caps section of BriarPress.org has a lot of great, free images - I got this one from the Initial Caps subset.

Size your image to fit the board you'll paint on. I had to stretch elongate mine a little to fit the board.

If you want, you can print your image at a large scale, and use carbon paper to trace the image right onto the board. Or you could use a grid method, as follows:

Either print your image (at any scale), or open it in a program that will allow you to add guides, like Photoshop.

Divide your image into several equal segments in each direction, either by drawing lines or by digitally adding guides. The idea is to subdivide the image into portions; each portion should be simple enough on its own to draw easily by hand.

Once your plywood is completely dry, replicate the grid on the plywood (sized up, but with the same exact proportions). The charcoal pencil I used wasn't easy to erase, and I didn't want stray lines all over my board, so I used painter's tape for the lines. I also used tape for the long, straight lines of the design.

Use chalk or charcoal to draw the image on your board, section by section, removing the tape as needed.

Once the image is outlined, paint on one coat of oil paint. Let dry, and apply more coats as needed - I used three coats in some places. Obviously, it's a bit tedious. Now just give it a coat or two of polyurethane.

And - credit where credit is due - Allen cheerfully and expertly hung the sign (a nail gun works fine) on the big, functional garage that he built himself. All parties are pleased.

Moving In

2011-09-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

Hello, all y'all. It's been a busy, busy few weeks and I haven't done much project-wise, but I do live in a new apartment. So if you'll bear with me, the newest content I can offer is a small tour of a small, basement apartment, two weeks in.

A Neato kitchen floor. I'd also like to point out this fridge has the freezer on the inside and yes, it's frozen over.
B This small bit of brick wall is my favorite thing about the apartment.
C A great nautical map of Newburyport/Plum Island that I got recently at Todd Farm Antique Market.
D All these boxes! Mostly sewing/making supplies.
E So far this seems like the only place for the booze.
F Temporary curtains from 70's calendar tea towels.
G I try to keep my book pile small but it still has no home.
H A week after I technically moved in, I got the rest of my things out of storage and could cook. The first thing I made was this mushroom soup and I've been eating it twice a day for a while now.

It's smaller, phone reception is spotty, light is too - but I like it. I like all the strange jut-outs and I like the white walls (though I loved my grey ones in my old place, too). I like the kitchen floor and I really like my new neighborhood, Audubon Circle.

Hopefully I'll unpack the box of sewing notions soon, I need curtains! Currently, everyone walking to Red Sox games can watch me dance...

Making Crêpes

2011-09-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

Jessica and I lived in Paris for a year, and one night we accidentally embarked on an epic walk across the city. At midnight, we passed a neglected-looking Église Saint-Augustin; at 12:30, we walked under the arcades of the Rue de Rivoli. At 1am, we rested on the steps of the Louvre, and at 1:30, still only halfway home, we crossed the Pont du Carrousel, and wished out loud for a place to buy a crêpe. And - as if from a mirage - there, in front of us, at the end of the bridge, appeared a small crêpe stand, open in the middle of the night.

Crêpes were something I was determined to make at home when we came back to Atlanta, and for a while I made them all the time. As Allen and I will be visiting Paris in just over a month, and there's suddenly a fall chill in the air here in Atlanta, I woke up on Saturday with a craving for apple crêpes.

I did a lot of research a few years ago when I looked for a crêpe pan. Crêpe stands in Paris usually have a big, circular, electric griddle with no sides at all. The cook uses a small rake-like tool to spread the thin batter all over the pan, and then a flat, wooden spatula to flip it. Although there are plenty of crêpe pans available where you're meant to swirl the batter around the pan, I don't have the fancy wrist dexterity for this method, and I wanted to employ the wooden tool method.

Fante's has a great selection of crêpe tools - including some very fancy griddles - so I ordered a wooden spatula and spreader - called a rateau. Now I needed a griddle.

This set from Le Creuset was basically what I was looking for, but I wasn't about to pay $100 for it. I did a lot of searching on eBay, and finally won a Griswold #9 griddle - a round, flat pan with no sides, which we use several times a week regardless of crêpe consumption. I'm a huge devotee of cast-iron pans - they heat evenly, retain heat well, and only get better over time. No matter how much I love making crêpes, our tiny kitchen doesn't have room to spare for a big electric griddle meant to do only one thing. The griddle is an ideal crêpe pan, but it's also good for about a million other things.

Here's the recipe I devised on Saturday - the crêpe recipe is from Allrecipes. This really has the flavors of fall, and it makes your kitchen smell delicious. (You could also make the crêpes and just add jam, or bananas and Nutella - or Jessica's favorite, raspberry jam and Nutella.)

Apple-Pecan Crêpes with Caramel
serves 8

Ingredients:
8 crepes (see below)
apple filling (see below)
1 pint vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Apple filling:
1 tablespoon butter
3 apples, peeled and cut into 1/4"-1/2" cubes
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon bourbon
1/4 cup caramel sauce (see recipe below, or use store-bought)

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples, and saute 5 minutes. Add cinnamon, brown sugar, pecans, and lemon juice, reduce heat to low, and saute until apples are tender. Deglaze pan with bourbon, and remove from heat. Stir in caramel sauce.

Crepes:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process 10 seconds or until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for one hour, if possible (it's not a big deal if you can't).

Heat 11" griddle over medium-high heat. Spray a little oil onto the pan. Ladle 1/3 cup batter onto the pan, and immediately use a wooden rateau to spread the batter over the surface of the pan, moving the rateau in a circular motion around the edges of the pan. The batter should be spread thin - use only enough to barely spread it all across the pan.

There is actually a little too much batter on this pan - I was trying to use up the last of it.

When the edges of the batter start to crisp and turn golden, slide the wooden spatula underneath and flip it over. Leave about 30 seconds or 1 minute, long enough for the crêpe to puff up from the pan a little as steam builds up underneath. When you remove the crêpe from the pan, this side should have little golden-brown circles scattered across it.

Just like pancakes, you probably won't get the hang of it until you've made (and eaten or thrown away) one or two crêpes.

Microwave Caramel Sauce (adapted from Cook's Illustrated):

1 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed

1 tablespoon butter

Combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and lemon juice in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave for 4-7 minutes, depending on the strength of your microwave. Watch the mixture closely, and remove it carefully as soon as it begins to turn golden. Let sit for five minutes as the mixture cools and darkens. Add the warmed cream 1-2 tablespoons at a time, stirring until blended with each addition. (When you add the cream, the mixture will grow, sputter, and steam, so be very careful.) After the cream, add the butter and stir until blended. Refrigerate until using.

To assemble the crepes:
Spread 1/3 cup of apple filling onto the crêpes, roll them up, and spoon a little ice cream or whipped cream on top. Drizzle on a little extra caramel sauce if you like.