Nested Development

How to play: Clue the Party Game

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 22:16:00 +0000

We wanted to encourage our guests to mingle and get to know each other since we were mixing various social circles at our Clue themed party.

Guests were greeted with some "instructions" at the front door and an envelope with their "name" on it, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, etc.

I staged the game and nametags in vintage suitcases from my grandmother. All the stacks of envelopes, name tags, markers, pens/pencils and solution folio all fit nicely inside.

Each envelope contained a name tag and a set of cards. Every character type had the same cards, so each Miss Scarlet knew the same facts, each Colonel Mustard knew different facts which meant to "win" you HAD to talk to at least one person of each character.

The welcome letter outlined the rules and gave an example:

The letter reads:

Welcome,

Please create your character card (nametag). You can also choose to
join in a live game of Clue loosely modeled on the classic board game:
OBJECTIVE: Interview & share clues with other guests to help you
deduce who the killer is, where the murder occurred, and what weapon
was used.

HOW TO PLAY:
Select an envelope of clues that matches your character. If your
character is more creative than one of the classic 6, you may play at any
one of the characters.

Collect clues from different guests – each character should have the
same clues (i.e. every Miss Scarlet will have the same clues).
Approach a character & postulate a hypothesis of who, what
weapon, in what room. The character then shows you all the matching
clues they have in their hand.

For examples:
< Colonel Mustard approaches Mrs. Peacock. >
Colonel: Mrs. Peacock, was it Mr. Green in the lounge with the
revolver?

If Mrs. Peacock has cards for Mrs. White, the Lounge, and the
Revolver, she shows both the Lounge & Revolver cards.
Record the clues on your notepad until you’ve deduced the killer, the
weapon, and the room.

When you believe you have solved the mystery, return here to check
your solution in the envelop labeled “Here’s what really happened” and
collect your prize.
Happy Sleuthing, Mr. Boddy

I made cards like you'd have for a game of Clue.
I also made little tracking sheets for guests to keep tabs.

How did it work? Splendidly! It got people talking and gave people another reason to mingle, and an opener into conversation.

Photo courtesy of Kirill Buryak

Once someone thought they'd solved it, they could check the Folio marked "...but this is how it really happened," a reference to the movie's multiple endings, thank you very much.

Guests could then wear a Case Closed sticker, printed on the extra name tag pages, for bragging rights.

Setting the Scene for a Clue Party

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 21:38:00 +0000

The Food!

This party I wanted to enjoy being out with guests and not catering. I set up a smaller amount of food, focusing on the theme-appropriateness or ease. A chaffing dish made a huge difference keeping hot appetizers hot throughout the night.

A few standouts made me really happy on the food front:

Stabby Cupcakes

These were incredibly easy and so much fun. I ordered cupcakes from the local grocery with white icing. I brought them home and made them stabby with the addition of a small amount of red decorators gel, then inserting Wilton's Meat Claver Royal Icing decorations.

Panna Cotta "Monkey" Brains

The movie Clue had a bit in it about how they all ate monkeys brains, so naturally I had to find a way to work that into the theme for the hardcore fans like me!

I was inspired by Alton Brown's Panna Cotta Brain with Cranberry Glaze, but I made mine in mini-brain moulds using raspberry couli and rather than going for "mad science" I tried to make them look like haute cuisine serving them in coupe glasses. They were amazingly tasty and on theme.

Decorations!

For the Clue party, each room of the house loosely references a different room in the game/movie.

(Toy) Weapons!

These helped set the mood and gave people props for photographs. A toy pistol, and a "trick" knife whose blade shrinks into the handle were easy. A length of rope and a not-lead-pipe were real and inexpensive. The wrench we already had, and the candlestick I borrowed from my parents.

Tables

I created a giant buffet on the dining table, using borrowed red damask table clothes to create drama. I added black jeweled candelabras for a spooky mansion effect.

Since we're riffing on fancy/haunted mansion a bit, I was able to re-use some items from previous parties like the silver tray and some old crystal decanters from Peter's grandmother.

Drapery

I hate drapes or curtains in everyday life, but to create ambiance, I draped light thin satiny fabric on either side of the couch in the ~~living room~~ lounge to create a curtain-effect.

A great photo backdrop was created in the dining room with black curtains. I found brocade-patterned curtains on clearance at a discount store. I hung black lace fabric across the window, then framed it with the drapes since they were too small to actually span the window.

The professors' Plum posing for a group shot

Things I'd fix before before doing it again - I'd decorate our mid-century light fixtures and cover our quirky art collection with printed portraits, maybe of Clue characters.

Themed signage

I used a variety of vintage and borrowed picture frames to serve as signs labeling each room. Using a classic Clue font, signs labeled each room as one from the game/movie

Television

In this party, the TV wasn't an eyesore. We moved it to a corner of a large room, and left it playing the movie Clue with captions and the sound on mute.

Music

The soundscapae is critical to creating ambiance, and making the first few guests feel comfortable. We created a playlist of appropriate music, stuff from the movie soundtrack and other period music we liked.

How to throw a Clue themed party

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 20:42:00 +0000

So, we did it again... I didn't know if I could top my 1920's Speakeasy themed costume party, but I was sure going to try for Halloween! And I might even say our Clue party exceeded my expectations.

Inspiration can come from anywhere, in this case it was a peacock blue peplum costume dress burning a hole in my closet, combined with a deep love of Clue the movie and wanting to pay homage to our 1920's era home.

I've done some thinking and, I'd say a few key elements to a great themed party include:

Picking a theme that people are familiar with so they can get excited,
Thoughtfully utilizing the theme enough that guests don't feel strange or self-conscious being dressed up
Creating enough structure or guidance to help guests get excited into the theme, and
A broad enough theme that people can be creative

This party hits all those notes.

Invitations!

I designed these e-invitations referencing the Clue game cards, including the actual Clue font. Thank you internet for answering which fonts those were.

We had to know in advance that I was to be Ms. Peacock, and Peter picked Colonel Mustard. Invites placed an emphasis on coming in costume, since we devised a game that required you to play a Character.

The rest of the invitation read as follows:

Crack open your closets & find your best Clue-themed attire. We hope many Miss Scarlets, Professors Plum, Colonels Mustard, Ms. Peacocks, Mrs. Whites, Mr. Greens will be in attendance. Maids, butlers, cooks, and detectives are also welcome characters! Even T-shirt tuxedos or trench coats can do in a pinch.

Appetizers, desserts, and drinks will be served.

For those Clue movie fans and those who haven't seen it before - we'll be showing the movie later in the evening.

- SOs, kids, are all welcome - even MORE welcome if they're in costume.
- Close to Caltrain (easy bike ride or walking distance if you walk a lot)
- We have some over-night guest accommodations, please let us know if you'd like to stay with us.

I also included links to a Pinterest board I created with Costume Ideas to inspire guests, and a link to Rare Clue characters wikipedia page so signal we were inclusive of a broad range of ideas.

Costumes!

People did NOT disappoint on the costume front. We saw everything from sexy Miss Scarlet's, a dapper Professor Plum in top hat, quite a few Colonel Mustard's - even a Dr. Brown and a Mr. Gray from Cluedo in the UK.

Photo courtesy of Kirill Buryak

Even the kids & our dog got into it. One of our youngest guests wore a custom hand-drawn "Revolver" card themed t-shirt. Dr. Watson played the role of the butler, Mr. Body in his tuxedo.

Name Tags!

For this party, we were intentionally inviting a LOT of people from many different social circles. Being terrible at introductions and bad with names, I find it's nearly always a good idea in larger groups to wear name tags. Bonus if they're IN THEME like these!

Photo courtesy of Kirill Buryak

I did a play off of old Clue game cards printing them vertical, with the character name below in a frame and room to write in your name above. They read [Blank space for your name] Starring as... Professor Plum in the style of the old cards.

If you're going to do this, I suggest buying the "peel away design"name tags by Avery #25395. You can print them on the 8.5x11 sheet, then each name tag + backing separates from the sheet so you're left with individual stickers with their backing.

Play Clue in real life!

We knew not everyone would know each other, and that there would be a good number of introverts in attendance. So we devised a large-scale group party version of Clue, more details in a different post.

Photo courtesy of Kirill Buryak

We're engaged!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 19:29:00 +0000

This morning my wonderful boyfriend Peter proposed with a paper prototype engagement ring! We're using the prototype ring to get feedback on the concept [grin], and put it through some user acceptance & social network testing prior to making the big investment in a real engagement ring. So far the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive!

The ring is hand made, with letterpress banding and text that reads "Temp Ring" along side an impeccably crafted paper diamond. It's perfect, and especially fitting for someone in User Experience like myself. My fiancé worked with Cast Iron Design Company and their work is impecable - credit to Peter for such a charming idea.

How to throw a 1920's party - Food & Drink Menus

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 May 2012 23:39:00 +0000

My favorite part of any party the doing the food & drinks! Here was my process of devising the proper menu for our Roaring 20's party.

Legwork

I had a lot of fun researching in-theme menu items. It turns out at a lot of "fancy" food in the 20's involved aspics and loafs which are less than appetizing so instead I ran with the fact that Italian cuisine was new & adventuous in the 20's, and went with classy appetizers. It turns out appetizers like deviled eggs were common even back then.

Drink Menu

Perhaps our favorite part of planning the party was carefully devising a prohibition era cocktail menu. We wanted to provide a range of cocktails for people, using a range of period liquors and a range of flavor profiles.

The Bourbon Manhattan

Manahttans are fairly common cocktails these days, but it's all in how you make it & your ingredients. So I'll be very specific:

1.75 parts Bulleit Bourbon

1 Dolin Sweet Vermouth

Dash of cherry syrup from Bada Bing Cherries (undyed cocktail cherries)

Dash of angostura bitters

Stir with ice. Strain & serve with a cherry. We served it chilled in a big mason jar dispenser.

Note: Those freakishly red marashino cherries are terrible, overly sweet with little flavor or good cherry texture. We found Bada Bing Cherries from Tillen Farms at BevMo and will never go back.

The Bee's Knees

A Gin cocktail incorporating honey and lemon juice to balance sweet & tart flavors. Very refreshing.

3 Gin, we used Beefeaters

2 Freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Honey

Shake with ice, strain & serve. We served it chilled in a big mason jar dispenser.

Blood & Sand

A totally era-appropriate cocktail, the Blood & Sand was named for the 1922 Rudolf Valentino movie Blood & Sand. An alluring mix of fruity & smokey, I adore this more obscure scotch cocktail & have my own special recipe for it.

1 Scotch

1 Orange juice (original called for blood orange juice)

.75 Brandy (The original calls for cherry heering, I also like to use Luxardo)

.75 sweet vermouth

We mixed this in a pitcher & served it chilled & added ice.

Food menu

It's OK to use prepared foods like this cake,
just make sure they're delicious

To keep folks satiated and moderately sober, I devised a heavy enough menu to help absorb the prohibition era cocktails. Here is my menu for a "heavy hor d'oeuvres" 20's party:

Spinach & turkey lasagna
Ceasar salad
Marinated red pepper poppers stuffed with fresh goat cheese
Deviled eggs*
Mini cheese souffles
Roasted pancetta wrapped asperagus*
Herb & roasted garlic cheve spread* with crackers
Mini soft-rid cheeses like camembert and brie with crackers
Cucumber rounds topped with hummus and roasted red pepper*
Florentine cookies
Salted caramels and assorted chocolates
Layered chocolate mouse cake

Only the items with * were things made by me. Balance is key when planning a party menu: hot vs cold, salty vs sweet, veggie/healthy vs fatty or meaty.

Death to the crudite platter!

I am clearly not my mother's daughter... it's standard operating procedure at every family function that there be a "veggie tray" with raw brocolli, baby carrots, etc. They even sell them now at Safeway organized into sections with that insipid ranch dip inserted into the center. I don't mind a veggie tray at easy gatherings, but I didn't want to go there for this party out of habit.

I'm now on a mission to provide tasty veggie snacks that are a departure from the crudite platter - my first attempt: Cucumber rounds topped with hummus and roasted red pepper.

These were inspired by the recipe for Cucmber Slices with Chickpea Puree and Thyme at Whole Living.

My recipe:

Slice seedless or english cucumbers, lay out on a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt to draw out moisture, add another paper towel on top. After 20 minutes remove paper towels, refridgerate until ready to top.
Slice jarred roasted red peppers into thin strips.
Top with hummus (I used Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Hummus) and a red pepper slice. If you have time to get fancy, sprinkle tiny fresh thyme leaves on top.

How to throw a 1920's party - Decorations

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 May 2012 19:58:00 +0000

Our 1920's party was such a roaring success that I thought I'd capture what went into making it such a memorable event. My decoration goals were:

to set the scene and the mood for the party without spending a ton of money on expensive items, and
to "be a good hippy" by keeping waste to a minimum with reusable and recyclable or compostable items as much as possible.

The invitations

Playing off of the notion of a speakeasy secreted away up in the mountains, Peter and I crafted invitations on Pingg.com. Online invitations are the norm for our social circles, but I like to find really nice looking ones that stay in theme and allow for RSVP - as opposed to just sending out an email. Not only does Pingg offer nice looking invites for free, but they let the host mark people as yes/no (nice for folks who get back to you verbally).

House preparations

Photo by Josh Weaver justabunchofbits@gmail.com

At some point, it occurred to me that having a themed party as a housewarming means no one sees the house the way we set it up to reflect our styles - but I prefer to think of it as the house got dressed up for the occasion! I decorated the house by trying to channel the luxury of an oppulent age gone by full of roses, pearls, candles, lace, and silver (without breaking the bank), but also keep some of the underground speakeasy feeling with our rough-hewn table and mason jars.

Photo by Josh Weaver justabunchofbits@gmail.com

The fastest ways to set the scene were with red roses, pearls, and silver. I liked the contrast of red roses in a mason jar. White paper doilies (from our local dollar store) went under everything from salted caramels to vases to pitchers of cocktails.

I picked up the real silver platter for a song from the local Goodwill and gave it a position of prominence on the large coffee table, covered in a thick black fabric remnant. The table underneath is made from reclaimed gymnasium flooring and industrial steel legs - it's awesome, but not in theme.

Beverages were served in several types of mis-matched glassware. Goodwill was a great source for some classic cocktail glasses, appropriate for prohibition era cocktails. I added in a collection of small mason jars, and used our wine glasses as backup glasswear. Not only were these inexpensive, but they're easily dishwashable.

Sharpie water based paint markers let people label their glass. Our guests got into the theme and came up with their 1920's name like Dame Agatha and Fancy Phil.

A bulk order of mardi gras beads in pearl white were used for various costume & decorations. I hung some "pearls" on our lamp to make our modern lamp look more art deco (period architecture) and by flipping over the end table tray, by draping a white pashmina scarf over it and add some lace -transforming a modern table into something more period.

Pearls were also key to dressing up our unimpressive light fixture for the occasion. I hung a strand between each support of the chandelier, then tugged it so one half draped lower for a tiered effect. Wrap the glass dome in black toille and drape some sequin fabric strips for added drama and the light fixture was ready to party.

Behind the light fixture, you can see the temporary curtain I hung to block the view of the kitchen from the dining room. I found burgundy fabric for less than $2 a yard at the discount fabric store that had a nice sheen and was very lightweight - it was the perfect width to hang from the ceiling to the counter top. Using double-stick tape on the ceiling, we taped, pleated then taped some more to create a wavy curtain effect.

We made use of our existing coat rack, giving it additional costume gear - pearls, feather boas, and a hat. Guests enjoyed adding to their costumes as the night went on.

The Bar

No speakeasy is complete without a bar! We dressed up our regular bar, a reclaimed marine grade steel shelving unit, by giving it thick luxurious red satin skirt.

We carefully selected a collection of prohibition era cocktails to serve guests, but more about the cocktail menu later. We served fresh lemonade and limeade as non-alcoholic refreshments alongside water. By mixing drinks in advance, we skipped the "mix-your-own" mess and could use a few big bottles of high quality spirits which reduced the waste.

I fell in love with these dispensers - they are giant mason jars! To keep things neat, make it easy to dispense drinks, and give the bar elements some height we elevated the jars. I used a cookie sheet for waterproof stability atop a printer paper box (they're sturdy) then wrapped the whole thing in another black fabric remnant to cover.

The Lounge

Photo by Josh Weaver justabunchofbits@gmail.com

In Peter's room, we set up a card table with poker chips and cards courtesy of our friend Terry. Thanks Terry!

Photo by Josh Weaver justabunchofbits@gmail.com

I find every large party goes better with a quieter room for more intimate conversations and targeted activities like poker, cards, or even coloring with crayons (but that'd be a different sort of party).

Candles

I employed several types of candles to set the mood at the party. I bought a box of white candle sticks on Amazon that had good reviews for long lasting, low drip performance. Placed in borrowed candle holders and candle sticks, they added to the ambiance.

I also bought a box of 50 6-hour tea lights. The tea lights went outside in large mason jars to light the walkways, and on the counter near the curtain so they wouldn't be a fire hazard. When using tea lights, the cheap ones only last about an hour - so for an all night party spend a little more to get the good ones. The 6-hour tea lights were lit around 6pm and were still burning well past midnight.

How'd I do?

As the night wore on it became clear that the attention to detail in decorations was really working and helped folks in costume feel totally in the spirit. How close did I come to meeting my goal of low waste? Well, cleaning up from the party all the trash generated fit into 1 brown paper grocery bag, mostly the paper plates, cherry stems from manhattans, and used paper doilies - and I'd call that a roaring successs.

A roaring good time at our 1920's housewarming party

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 May 2012 18:44:00 +0000

Photo by Josh Weaver justabunchofbits@gmail.com

It's been nearly 5 months since our move to the mountains, and we finally got enough of the place in order to throw a housewarming party! I have been captured by the idea of throwing a roaring 20's speakeasy party for some time now and Peter was all for it.

Photo by Josh Weaver justabunchofbits@gmail.com

We had a house full of delightful flappers and mobsters dressed to the nines last night to celebrate our move to the mountains, and the house was done-up properly speak-easy themed (more on what that looks like in this post). Our friends are the bees knees - everyone got in the spirit and dressed up for the occasion which really added to the night.

Yesterday was spent vacuuming up feathers, running loads of glassware, and relaxing in our properly warmed home. What a wonderful weekend this has been!

The kitchen corset project

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 17:19:00 +0000

For the past 3 years I've desired to create a kitchen corset - just the thought of it fills me with glee! Finally, a garment that captures the feminine shape and restrained beauty of a corset and the retro 1950's vibe that evokes images of the quintessential baby-boomer housewife. I had to have one.

So, I set out to first learn to sew, then design and create the first kitchen corset! It really is an internet first (search for kitchen corset and see for yourself!) My good friend C and I made our kitchen corsets together, figuring it out as we went along.

A Turduckenfest victory pose

We presented our corsets to the world at our annual Turduckenfest, but that's another post.

Here's the skinny

Hand-punched eyelets let me lace up
the back nice & tight.

The corset was made using a 1880's heart-shaped full corset pattern. Each piece of corset paneling was measured, cut, and sewn to fit my measurements. Lesson learned: Stabilize your weight before making custom clothing - the corset is a little wide because I managed to lose a few pounds during those late nights sewing.

Salt pouch

How does it go on? A metal corset busk was sewn in to close the front panels while hand-punched eyelets to lace up the back. I hid the busk by installing it on the inside, and covering the center seams with white piping. The front opens, and wraps around like a jacket, once the busk is hooked up the back is tightened with lacing.

Pepper grinder holster

A kitchen corset is nothing without matching accessories. I created a salt pouch, pepper grinder holster, and oven mitt in contrasting pink and white cherry-themed fabric that complimented the green and white polka dots and added to the fantastic 50's theme. Each accessory is mounted by small buttons along the bottom of the corset.

My inspiration
A few years back, I was inspired by a work corset designed for Nifer Fahrion by Robynne Winchester of Tulgey Wood Designs, blog post outlining her project here. Realizing how delighted I was by the contrast of femininity of corsets and the ruggedness of construction, I instantly had to have one for my favorite "workshop" - my kitchen!

Seasonally spring: Sweet Peas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 16:24:00 +0000

Spring is in the air, as is my excitement over spring veggies!

Peas are one of my favorite spring veggies, something my parents would never have guessed. As a kid, most peas I met were of the mushy, gray, canned variety - not the sweet, nearly crunchy orbs you can get fresh or even frozen.

Finding fresh pea pods at the farmer's market can be like striking gold - peas are best when they're fresh so grab a bunch when they're looking good locally, otherwise I stick to high quality frozen varieties.

Shelling peas is as simple as popping the pod open (it should be crunchy & snap open) then gently popping the little gems out of their jacket into a small bowl. You might wish to blanch them depending on your recipe.

As a new pea advocate, I wanted to share a few of my favorite recipes.

French Peas & Ham from Serious Eats
Fresh peas are amazing in this dish. I have used Canadian bacon instead of ham, then added a dash of salt. This dish calls for a herb I'd never used, Chervil but it really makes the dish so don't skip it!
Creamy Pea and Asparagus Soup

This healthy soup can be made vegetarian or even vegan and still be as creamy and rich and delicious - the trick? Using a russet potato to add starch, and blending the soup thoroughly emulsifying the olive oil and whipping in some air to keep it light.
Fried Rice
Make mine bacon. I know... this isn't a spring dish but it's really one of my favorite things to do with frozen peas - especially for breakfast. The sweet pop of the peas in what can be an otherwise dull or salty dish makes all the difference.

Exploring the craft of letterpress printing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:24:00 +0000

Earlier this week I spent a delightful evening taking a letterpress printing class at San Francisco's Center for the Book. We learned how to set lead type, and learned to mix inks then used two different kids presses.

The craft of letterpress printing and the tactile nature of what is produced delights me. I realize letterpress printing has become a bit of a fad in recent years, but I hope it's a comeback that can save the craft of printing, the history of printing presses, and setting lead type for future generations.

As a class, we composed a wonky poem - each of us composed our own 3-4 word line in lead type, then set the lines together on the Vandercrook Cylinder Press. We each got a chance to make a few runs on the press with varied papers of different colors, textures, and thicknesses. Later, we got to try our hand a different press, the Platen press.

Counting my chickens!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:39:00 +0000

This weekend I adopted two lovely chickens and now have farm fresh eggs!

Thanks to a little help from Craigslist, and a very nice woman who raised the hens from chicks who couldn't keep them through her move - I realized my dream of raising my own chickens and enjoying fresh eggs within 2 months of moving to the hills!

After curling up to watch a classic movie, Gentlemen Prefer Blonds, on Netflix - we decided to name the chickens Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell.

I've been reading the chicken books, but so far it doesn't seem too complicated - and it's very rewarding! The chickens make the most soothing clucking noise when I approach, and they let me pick them up to move them no scratching, no pecking. The best way to describe the way a chicken feels is fluffy with velvety feathers, and a light yet muscular frame.

Living up in the hills, we have all sorts of wild critters, and many of them love chickens. So far, we've seen a black fox sniffing by the hen house in broad daylight so we know we'll need to create a chicken bunker long term. For now, we've reinforced their coop to prevent digging predators.

A sweet event - Chocolate Tasting Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:21:00 +0000

Yesterday was Valentine's Day - and that means it's unofficially chocolate overdose season. Chocolate has exploded as an industry since I was a kid, when you had a choice between Hershey's kisses or Hershey's bars (I am from Pennsylvania). Happily, there's someone to help us sort through the mire of chocolate options today - my friend, Christine.

Christine has been hosting her Chocolate Tasting parties since 2007, and tracking the results here. This past weekend we gathered to indulge ourselves in 54 samples of local chocolate and compare them to the favorites from last year.

Each sample chocolate is given a bird pseudonym for the tasting

What did we learn?

Swiss chocolate is delicious,
Trader Joe's brand is a good bet, and
Local chocolate is can be delicious, sometimes.

The winners from this year?

E. Wedel Milk Chocolate from Poland (imported)
Lindt Excellence Milk (available at any grocery store)
Freia Melkesjokolade, the national chocolate of Norway (imported)
Trader Joe's Swiss Milk Chocolate (made in the Villars factory in Switzerland)

One we didn't taste-test that is my personal favorite, and very much like the Swiss winner is the TCHO Serious Milk "Classic" with caramel flavors.

And... I'm back!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:52:00 +0000

I'm back in 2012 with all sorts of new adventures to share! This lapse in posts was a sign I've been super busy doing some really great stuff.

Just to give you an idea of what I've been up to during the period of radio silence:

Serving up Turduckenfest 2012 with my good friend C. A multi-course dinner serving 3 layered birds like turducken with custom stuffings and 2 dessert courses.

Layered birds like a Turducken 9 types of stuffings

Making my own kitchen corset! My most ambitious sewing project yet - and an internet first. A project C and I took on together, and debuted at Turduckenfest.

Introducing, my kitchen corset
Moving to the hills overlooking the bay area. That's right, I'm trading in my San Franciscan Victorian for a spacious house in the hills on 3 acres with a hot tub overlooking the city lights.

Beautiful view from my front yard

Getting cozy with graphic T-shirt pillows

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 05:23:00 +0000

Before

The clothes we choose to wear, our sense of style, lets us express who we are and what's important to us - they tell people a lot before we even open our mouths. In my opinion, few people have a style with T-shirts as my boyfriend. Over the years he's cultivated a wonderfully graphic T-shirt collection from DBH that's uniquely his. Neither of us wanted to part with his treasured T's, even though we agreed it was time to take them out of his wardrobe rotation. Each T-shirt spoke to him when he bought them, and they still say something to (and about) him today. So I suggested we reuse the textile art and make them into pillows to express his personal sense of style at home.

After

Sewing T-shirts into pillow requires pretty basic sewing skills - it's mostly straight lines - and requires basic sewing supplies.

Shopping List

14" pillow forms
Fusible iron-on interfacing (sheer weight)
7-10" zippers

Each shirt had a small caption in the lower left back

We cut a 15" cardboard square to serve as a template (14" + 1" for a 1/2" seam allowance) and used that to select the best graphics for the shirt.

We really liked how each shirt has a title to the artwork - it's part of the character we wanted to preserve. Here, you can see I saved the label from the back of the shirts to include as the back of the pillow.

Iron fusible interfacing bolsters wimpy T-shirt fabric

We then ironed on interfacing to the inside of both pieces of fabric. This gives the thin jersey knit of a T-shirt a bit more substance, and helps limit the stretching that we love about T-shirts as clothing - which makes sewing this fabric a lot easier. If you skip the interfacing step your pillow is likely to end up lumpy or misshapen and you'll need to use a knit stitch to allow for some stretching that will otherwise break straight basic seams.

Rotary cutters rock!

We found it necessary to trim again before sewing to get back to a 15" square, this time using the rotary cutter - one of my favorite sewing tools.

We place the two pieces of fabric (front & back) right-sides together. Then, drew a 14" square centered on the fabric to mark our sewing lines. We sewed the bottom first to accomodate the zipper, then sewed each side, followed by the top of the pillow. The order is important to accomodate for any stretch in the knit fabric that might distort your pillow shape.

We managed to whip up 3 this afternoon with great success! Now, if only finding new clothes was this easy...

Roasted birds make the best leftovers: Chicken Gumbo!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 06:27:00 +0000

It's fall. It's the time of year when I like to fire up the oven and roast a chicken, filling the house with luscious warm smells that only make me more eager for the approaching Thanksgiving holiday! Roasting a bird is easy enough, but to truly be a kitchen master you need to make the rest of the bird work for you.

What do I mean? Leftovers. Not only do I like to toss the bones into a stock pot over night, but I pick the bird clean and stash any remaining bird meat for use in other dishes. Now, a pile of roasted turkey or chicken is fine when you want a sandwich but I've found few recipes make the better use of those little nibbly tiny bits of meat, even the dreaded dark meat, better than Chicken or Turkey Gumbo! I've crafted my own recipe for turkey gumbo inspired by recipes from TV Chefs Alton Brown and Emeril Lagasse.

In case you haven't made gumbo before, it's not difficult and mine only requires 2 "specialty ingredients" and no okra:

Filé Powder - Ground sassafras leaves. It works as an authentic thickener. You can buy it online, but I get mine in bulk at Rainbow Grocery.
Andouille Sausage - I like Aidell's, primarily because it's "less authentic" and real andouille sausage contains nasty bits. It's got a nice smokey taste & fills in where you might only have a little turkey or chicken to make a full meal. I keep it on hand for quick Jambalaya too.

Here are a few strategies I've employed when making gumbo:

I always start by building your roux in the oven. (Thanks Alton!) It's really easy to go past dark & nutty smelling to burnt with oil & flour on the stove top. Using the oven you just start 2 hours before you want to be wrapping up cooking - the first 1.5 hours is nothing but a little whisking while you prep other ingredients.
Use the cajun trinity. A combination of chopped green peppers, onions, and celery.
Brown the veggies in your roux. The smell at this stage is heavenly.
I store my stock in quart jars in the fridge (freezing glass like this is a bad idea) as long as I plan to use it quickly. I use about 1 quart in my gumbo recipe.
I like to store my chicken bits in these nice paper containers, you can get them at Smart & Final. I use them to send leftovers home with guests, or freeze things for later - they're stackable, go from freezer to microwave, store nicely next to my pints of B&J's ice cream in similar containers. The paper lids (sold separately) are easy to write on. When I'm done, I can throw them in the municipal compost. I use glass when I can, but when I can't I prefer these to plastic containers.

Making fresh mozzarella

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:43:00 +0000

It's not much to look at, but it sure is tasty...

Over the past few years, I've been delving into making my own fresh cheeses. One of my favorites is fresh mozzarella, I enjoy it with tomatoes as a caprese snack, or for my boyfriend to use on his homemade Neapolitan style pizza.

I find it takes about an hour requires some basic supplies, and it's very rewarding. Here are the hardest things to find:

Citric Acid (I get it from the beer brewing supply store, but it's also readily available from Indian grocers)
Rennet (Rennet or Junket can be found with the canning supplies at the grocery, or get liquid rennet from a cheese shop, mine's made from Stinging Nettel)
Good milk, I like to get Strauss milk from the local grocers in San Francisco

I like to use this recipe as a guide, but here's the gist:

Boil water for stretching as you start heating the curd.
Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of citric acid to 1/2c water, add this to 1 gallon of milk.
Stir gently, lifting up & down until the milk comes to 90 degrees.
After the rennet is added (3-5 drops of my 3x rennet or 1/8 tsp, in 1/8c water), don't touch it.
To test if the curd has set (about 5 min), check with very clean fingers - it should feel similar to silken tofu.
Cut the curd into cubes using your knife vertically, and your spoon horizontally through the curd.
Strain the curd by scooping it carefully into the colander.
Save some of the whey for storing the cheese.
Take a small scoop of cheese curd (I use a small 1/4 or 1/8 measuring cup), and lower it into very hot salty water. The salt in the water is your only real chance to add any salty flavor the cheese.
Once the cheese has heated up, gently stretch it a few times with your fingers. This will give you a very delicate cheese.

Knead it more if you want a thicker cheese for shredding.
You might want to wear rubber gloves if your hands are sensitive. This helps form it into a ball, like you see at the store.

Salt the whey, and store the balls in the whey in the fridge.

Dessert... on angels wings

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 07:05:00 +0000

When it comes to cake, my favorite is angel food. It's light and airy, simple and straightforward, and not too sweet or too rich so you can enjoy a nice big slice. Making such a delicate cake from scratch might seem daunting, but really the hardest part is simply beating the egg whites into submission.

Here are a few tricks I've found that make all the difference:

I save the extra egg whites from all the dishes that call for yolks (cakes, cookies, choux pastry, egg nog). I separate the whites into a small bowl, then when I am confident no yolk (yellow) got into the egg white, I put it into a small glass jar that I keep in the freezer. If the yolk broke don't use it for angel food, it won't whip up right.
Start with nearly room temperature degree egg whites, it really does make all the difference when whipping them. So give them time to warm up a bit.
Make sure the bowl and whisk are squeaky clean! Grease prevents the whites from whipping up properly.
Sifting the dry goods really does make a difference, you can use a screen-type strainer but don't skip this step.
If you don't already have a stand mixer, call in some reinforcements to help you hold the hand mixer - your arm will thank you.
Use a dash of amaretto! It adds a really nice warmth to the final cake, and doesn't taste like almonds at all.
Don't grease the pan! It will end in flat, dense ruin.

Here's my favorite recipe for angel food cake, from scratch.

My favorite is to enjoy it with whipped cream and fresh blueberries, or as pictured topped with sweet, tangy rhubarb sauce - or a plain slice for breakfast!

In search of the perfect margarita

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 16:56:00 +0000

5 of us assembled - in search of the perfect margarita, that blend of sour and sweet, of agave and lime, of tequila and truth.

We gathered a range of tequila, both blancos and reposados ranging from the accessible Jose and Sauza Gold to the more high brow Legunas Blanco or el Espolón Reposado. We conducted an evening full of experimentation and mixology permutations to identify a few tenants of margarita mixing:

Just because something tastes great as a sipping tequila doesn't mean that complexity makes a good margarita..
Agave syrup (1:1 nectar to water) is the best sweetener for a tequila.
Salt (in moderation) on the outside of the rim does add to the margarita's flavor and long term drink-ability, diminishing bitter notes and smoothing out the acid from the lime.

The Outcome

We preferred 3:2:1 as a good unsweetened margarita ratio, and the 6-4-3-1 ratio for sweetened. Where the ingredients include Tequila, Cointreau, Fresh squeezed (strained) lime juice, and possibly agave syrup.

The favorite unsweetened margarita

1.5oz el Espalón Reposado tequila

1oz Cointreau

.5oz fresh squeezed lime juice (strained to remove pulp)

Pour over 4 fresh whole ice cubes in a boston shaker

Shake vigorously

Strain immediately through a fine mesh strainer

into a lightly salted martini glass

The favorite sweetened margarita

1.5oz el Espalón Reposado tequila

1oz Cointreau

.75oz fresh squeezed lime juice (strained to remove pulp)

.25oz agave syrup

Pour over 4 fresh whole ice cubes in a boston shaker

Shake vigorously

Strain immediately through a fine mesh strainer

into a lightly salted martini glass

Our method

We carefully measured & mixed 15 margarita samples, sharing each 5 ways in small tasting glasses, half rimmed in salt. Each margarita was shaken with 4 large fresh ice cubes (melty broken ice is a drink killer!).

Testing Ratios - First researched all the various recommended ratios from different sources. We mixed 3 ratios of tequila: Cointreau: lime: unsweetened 3:2:1, 7:4:3, and 3:1:1; followed by tequila: Cointreau: lime:simple syrup 6:4:3:1, 4:2:2:1 using Tequila Legunas Blanco. We found Legunas Blanco to be a very nice sipping tequila, all of these drinks had an unpleasant slightly metallic, peppery note.

Testing Tequilas - We then chose our 2 preferred unsweetened ratios, 3:2:1 and 7:4:3, and our favorite sweetened 6:4:3:1 to try with el Espalón Reposado and Jose Cuervo Silver Especial.

After comparing our notes on these 11 combinations we came to the difficult conclusion that while the Legunas Blanco was delightful for sipping, it didn't play nice with others, and brought a metallic, bitter flavor to the party. All of us, being scotch and whiskey lovers were drawn to the depth and aged flavors of a margarita made with the reposado.

But wait, there's more!

Testing Sweeteners - We then tackled the question of what sweetener to use. We compared the 6:4:3:1 mix with the el Espolón Reposado using simple syrup made with white sugar, simple syrup made with turbinado sugar, and agave syrup (1:1 agave nectar and water). For good measure, we also re-tried our preferred silver tequila (Jose Cuervo Silver Especial) with the same sweeteners. Hands down, agave sweetener was the best, lending a sweetness with subtle herbal notes and blending nicely with the tequila and lime to form a heavenly elixir.

Breaking out the blender!
For our margarita hunt, we kept it classy, limiting ourselves to hand shaken margaritas served neat. But sometimes you need to break out the blender and mix yourself a pitcher of frosty blended margaritas!

Here's my tried & true recipe for making a tasty blender margarita (complete with secret recipe!); it's great for parties!

Blended Margarita

6oz. not-fancy tequila (I use Sauza Gold)

6oz. frozen limeade

6oz. beer (Tecate or Corona work well)

3oz. triple sec

Throw it in the blender with some ice (do not fill the pitcher past 2/3 full)

Turn the blender on a low speed for 10 seconds, then kick it up to high speed for 30-45 seconds.

It comes out frosty and smooth, while the beer adds a nice zing and fizziness to it.

This toolbox might just save your life

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 05:57:00 +0000

OK, more likely this toolbox will help cure your headache or bandage your boo-boo. Space for medicine and first aid supplies is at a premium in my small Victorian home. I needed a way to keep all my copious first-aid supplies together and accessible in case of an emergency, yet out of the way for everyday.

I love the sturdy, vintage feel of my red metal toolbox. At 19 inches, it's big enough to hold everything I need from medications to band-aids, creams and ointments, a thermometer, bandages, and gauze.

Its low profile stores under my bed, and if someone catches a glance it doesn't look as unsightly as plastic bins. It's easy to spot in fire engine red, and comfortable to carry by the handle when the need arises.

I got this Excel tool box from Amazon.com, and I especially like that this model has the lift-out shelf for double-decker storage. I was originally enamored with iconic first aid tins like this one from Kikkerland, or this vintage style pre-filled kit from Best Made Co, but they're either too small, or come stuffed with things I already have, or both.

Housemade liqueurs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 06:13:00 +0000

There's just something civilized about finishing a long meal with a light liqueur like limoncello. I was introduced to this after-dinner tradition many years ago in Florence, Italy and it wasn't until many years later that a friend taught me how to make these tasty citrus liqueurs at home. Limoncello (lemon) is the standard, but he also makes Arancello (orange).

There are many recipes out there, and I suggest you try a few and see what suits you. I like keeping both on hand, and pairing the drink to the dinner or my mood.

It all starts with the zest of your citrus of choice, in this case lemons. You can use something like 10 lemons for a full bottle, 6 for a half.

Add the zest to a bottle of Everclear, Vodka, or other neutral grain spirit. The higher the proof, the faster it will extract the citrus oils. Store the soaking mixture in a glass jar or bottle, and be careful using things like plastic funnels as very strong alcohol can mar plastics.

Let the zest soak for 4 days up to 4 weeks away from sunlight, shaking or swirling the jars occasionally.

Strain the zest using a fine mesh strainer and cheesecloth. Add simple syrup and water (if using a higher proof spirit) to taste. Store your concoction out of sunlight, possibly in your freezer. One serving option is to toss an ice cube in and have it melt to add water and chill.

Tastes from the past - making my own applesauce

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 05:17:00 +0000

Applesauce brings back memories - for many of my generation it triggers terrible flashbacks to overly sweet mush in tiny plastic tubs emerging from in brown paper (or Strawberry Shortcake or Transformers themed) lunch bags, to be eaten or traded in the lunchroom at school. Applesauce might remind others of family, being served as part of Thanksgiving dinner. For me, I remember the tangy, almost too tart flavor of the Rhubarb Applesauce my Nana served me when we visited on Sundays. I miss it, and her.

This weekend I found myself at the farmers market with my parents staring at Bramleys Seedling apples, which were noted as being the consumate English cooking apple perfect for making applesauce. My new roommate had brought with him his Grandmothers Foley foodmill, just like the one my Nana used. And with that, we started down the path to making applesauce.

My dad remembered that unlike many recipes, my nana cooked her apples with the skin on and let the foodmill do the work. So that's how we did it.

We used the Foley foodmill, and it was truly satisfying to turn the crank & watch the apples disappear, leaving their skins behind.

I divided the spoils into little Pyrex bowl (just like Nana used to have!) and tried a few different ways to flavor the applesauce. Plain, no sugar added was good - but just a teaspoon of Turbinado sugar in 1-2 cups of sauce was a favorite. Light brown sugar lent a nice round sweetness, but that was improved with a dash of fresh lemon juice.

We tried stirring in 2-3 tablespoons of rhubarb sauce and a dash of fresh lemon juice into one, and a teaspoon of Turbinado sugar + a dash of cinnamon into another bowl. While it didn't have the zing of my Nana's Rhubarb Applesauce, it was very tasty, and low in processed sugar. I think if next time I add unsweetened stewed rhubarb, I might have a flashback to when I was sitting in a booster seat in my Nana's dining room enjoying a batch of her Rhubarb Applesauce.

Indispensable road trip items

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 18:09:00 +0000

Summer is full of roadtrips and travel. As we embarked on a 33 day road trip, I thought long and hard about what to pack. I was struck with fear from my "be-prepared" instincts, "What if I leave something really important behind?! What if I don't have what I need?"

While unpacking from the trip, I stopped to evaluate what items I found really useful in my personal kit (purse or backpack) that I want to bring with me next time.

Stainless steel straw - Hydration is important while traveling. Some places don't do straws, or servers forget, but I need a straw help me drink my water at a reasonable pace.
Bamboo utensils - Avoiding using wasteful, flimsy plastic utensils for eating take out or leftovers. Bamboo is reusable, sturdy enough not to snap mid-meal, and can be there anytime, like at midnight in a hotel room when you really need some leftover Thai food, or when you discover they didn't put a fork in the bag for you at the take-out place. To-go ware comes with it's own handy carrying case.
Self-filtering water bottle - I'm all for local flavor, but not in my water. Get your water from any tap to save money & avoid creating plastic waste, and stay hydrated! Sense a theme?
Hydrocortisone cream for bites, rashes, and burns - Itches happen when you travel, whether it's from voracious insects, heat rash, or a minor burn from a pot handle, traveling is more comfortable with hydrocortisone cream.
Pocket knife - useful for tightening screws, opening wine bottles, prying open cans, and oh yes - cutting things! Mine came with a little case that goes through belt loops or backpack straps, just remember to take it off before you fly.
Chapstick with sunscreen - I'm addicted to this stuff.
Battery backup UBS charger - Life support for mobile phones. For when you really need your phone and are unable to charge it normally... like in a tent. The iGo PowerXtender takes AA batteries, which is convenient. Make one like Minty Boost, or buy one.
Instant stain remover - Dribbles happen. Obliterate stains as they happen and keep your stuff from getting stained or looking messy before your scheduled laundry stop.
Flip video camera - small, unobtrusive, and takes great videos.
LED headlamp - Hands free light lets you make dinner or rummage through a bag with ease. Mine takes AA batteries, so while it's heavier than a watch battery they are easy to replace & I always carry AA's for other devices.
Soap strips - Rest stops, campgrounds, even some restaurants can fail to have soap. Stay healthy and clean by bringing your own single-use soap strips, they're just like minty breath strips... for your hands.
Paper maps - Get both detailed city and state/province maps. GPS's fail and get confused in some places, our smart phones were even worse - don't rely on them! But you do need some way to figure out your route, we had great state routes and sorely missed a city map in Calgary. Use a highlighter to mark your intended route to easily find your place on the map.

And... we're back! Roadtrip 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 16:39:00 +0000

We just returned from a month long road trip across the north western US and Canadian Rockies. The experience was incredible. Our route took us through the Bonneville Salt Flats to Salt Lake City, then we visited the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier National parks where the views, wildlife, and geological features are all incredible.

We ventured into Canada where we explored Alberta and British Columbia taking in the charm of Waterton Lake, stopping to see incredible display of dinosaurs and the world's largest dinosaur in Drumheller, dined at Farm in Calgary, indulged our adventurous side riding a helicopter into the wilderness of Mt. Assiniboine for a 3-day backpacking trip, walked on a glacier that's part of the Columbian Ice Fields, tasted wine in the Okanagan wine region, stopped in Vancouver, and relaxed in Tofino on Victoria Island before re-entering the US.

On the last leg of our journey, we stopped in Portland, OR to take in the city, enjoying a delicious meal at Pok Pok, visited the Spruce Goose and other amazing aircraft at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, and toured Distillery Row.

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The van: A camper built for two

After considering options such as renting a truck and an Airstream trailer (swooon), or renting a small teardrop trailer, we settled on renting a minivan and turning it into a mini-camper-van.

The advantages of not backing up or positioning a trailer, no sewer hookups, more easily traversing mountain roads, and inconspicuously entering and parking in cities all made sense for this trip.

Making a van a home

We folded down the back seats, laid down an IKEA futon mattress with real bedding, and used the remaining 2 feet for storing a cooler, camp stove, and plastic bins that made up our kitchen. When sleeping, we moved our duffels to the front seats, otherwise they sat on top of our bedding. To make a bit more comfortable, we screened in the windows on the sliding doors to get ventilation and keep out insects.

I hung suit hangers to serve as a towel bars from the dry cleaning hooks, and employed seat back organizers as nightstands to hold glasses, books, and toiletries. We used a small battery-powered lantern when reading or hanging out in the van during late night rainstorms to avoid draining the dome light. To our delight the van came with numerous outlets (even a 2 prong outlet!), numerous storage compartments, and a remote control that opened and closed the side doors and back hatch! That's right, the back hatch would lower and latch on its own with the push of a button.

I'm not about to trade in my Honda coupe for a minivan by any means! I found the brakes insensitive and accelerator sluggish, but for long trips with groups or a camping trip like ours I'd consider renting one again.

A kitchen table to do double duty

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 15:11:00 +0000

I've always had a thing for butcher block tables. The warmth of wood tones, the study surface that is superior for dough working, and can withstand knives and hot pots.

Imagine my delight when my boyfriend turns to me one day and says, "I think I want a butcher block table in the kitchen." His requirements? That it be capable of:

seating seating 2 easily, or a cozy set of 4 diners,
be a study additional work surface for 1-2 people since we like to make dinner together, and
take up less room than his current Ikea table. We decided upon a 24" x 48" table top, at counter height (36").

I set about finding such a table, and it turns out butcher block tables are often expensive, built to be butcher block kitchen work tables not well-suited to sitting at, or are larger than we had in mind.

Our solution? Butcher block top + Study, stylish raw steel legs

The Top

I've admired the Boos cutting boards, most recently I spotted Boos butcher block tops in the Dough Room at Flour + Water hiding under the table linens. After some sleuthing, I found my new favorite local restaurant supply aka toy store, Tri-Mark Economy Restaurant Supply Fixtures, carried butcher block counter tops or large 1-sided cutting boards! We were able to purchase a 48"x24" butcher block there for around $250.

The Base

We really liked the natural steel legs from Room and Board's Parsons Table, the legs are open on on all 4 sides and it's very study - no amount of chopping or kneading is going to wiggle this table. Room and Board sells tops separately from the legs - the tops sold with the table are all finished and their "butcher block" top isn't intended to be a working cutting board. We bought the 24"x48" counter-height base for $300.

Alternatives?

An alternative could be found at Ikea, in their UTBY Bar Table base measuring just under 24"x48". We preferred the raw steel look, and open base of the R&B legs. This table base can be yours for under $200.

A more commercial look can be found with the John Boos Cucina Americana Classico table, selling a combined table + top, but it has the cross-bar by your feet and looks more sterile to us. It's $669 on Amazon + shipping...

Crazy ideas for the shoe collector

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 22:32:00 +0000

I've been slowly cleaning the house, and today I began to tackle my bedroom closet. The biggest struggle I have with my closet isn't storing clothes, it's shoes. As I tackled this problem, I have employed some creative solutions that might give me an advantage in the battle with closet entropy.

Thinking outside the closet

Inspired by the Re-Nest blog post highlighting this creative shoe rack on Etsy, I decided to take advantage of the architectural molding in my San Francisco Victorian home and hang my heels above my closet. My only wish now is that wedge heels could hang as well.

Note, this may pose an earthquake hazard in San Francisco, but I don't sleep too close to my closet.

Hung up on boots

I may have gone overboard the past year, embracing the trends on boots - and am now suffering the consequences of too many tall, floppy leather boots jumbling up the floor of my closet. The solution? Hanging them up!

I used skirt hangers with very strong springs, and smooth rubber grips - these are strong enough to hang on to heavy boots, and don't mar the leather with ridges sometimes found on hangar clips. One tip: hangers that let you re-position the clips are better for keeping the boots from being too close or too far apart.


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