March 1

Dinner tonight. Excellent.Ragu Bolognese

Focaccia with Pesto and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Fig, Hazelnut and White Chocolate Biscotti

Chocolate-Gingerbread Loaf

Mocha Meringues

And the company of seven wonderful friends.

February 24

T-towels. I could be onto something here.

February 23

Totally freaked about something I just heard.
Totally inspired by Alabama Chanin.
Trying to sublimate the first with the second.
Almost succeeding.

Almond-Citrus Tuiles

This was my first attempt at baking tuiles. They were wonderful, until I put them in a plastic container with some linzer cookies, and they lost their crispness. But they were super-easy, so I'll try them again. Here's the recipe:

Almond-Citrus Tuiles
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup confectioners' (icing) sugar
3 tablespoons superfine sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp grated lime zest
1 tbs all-purpose flour

1. Place the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F (175°C). Generously spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray.

2. Put 1/3 cup of the almonds and the confectioners' sugar in a food processor; process until the almonds are very finely ground. Stir together the superfine sugar, egg, and vanilla in a small bowl until well blended. Stir in the almond mixture, the remaining almonds, and the lime zest. Sprinkle with the flour and stir to combine.

3. Drop 5 mounds of the batter on each baking sheet, using 2 level teaspoonfuls for each mound, spacing them about 4" (10cm) apart. Using a fork dipped in cold water, spread each mound to make a 2-1/4" (6cm) round, being sure to evenly distribute the almonds. Bake until the edges are browned but the centers are still pale, 6-7 minutes.

4. Push a thin metal spatula under a cookie to life it, then drape the cookie over a rolling pin, gently pressing so it curves. Repeat with the remaining cookies. If the cookies harden before you can shape them, return them to the oven for about 30 seconds. Cool, wash, dry and spray the baking sheets before making the remaining 8 cookies.

From Best-Ever Desserts by Weight Watchers.

February 22

I very rarely go to the mall. Maybe once a year, if I have to go to the Apple store or something. Yesterday I decided I really DID need a very thin metal spatula, and the supermarkets just weren't yielding one despite me optimistically looking for months, so it was time to bite the bullet and go to Williams Sonoma at the mall. Grumbling to myself about it, I parked, traipsed in, and .... discovered that the shop was now a martial arts studio. No Williams Sonoma. I guess that's what happens if you don't go to the mall very often. Things change and you don't know about it.

Stymied and a bit pissed off, I suddenly remembered something. Lurking in my wallet were a couple of Barnes and Noble gift cards. Another thing I very rarely do is buy myself things. But maybe I could turn this trip around.

Regina Spektor is an artist I've recently discovered thanks to Pandora. And the book ... well ... it looks gorgeous. At $35, I would never have bought it without a gift card. So, no spatula, but two presents for myself anyway. I came home pretty pleased after all.

Background fabric is "Orchard" by Pippijoe, a Christmas gift from my lovely sister.

February 21

Before I met Josh, I lived with a beautiful, hyper, talkative night owl named Gina.One day she called Salvation Army and arranged for them to pick up some furniture we were giving away. When the truck arrived, she noticed this statue in the back.
She suspected I would like it, so asked the driver if she could have it. He was a bit hesitant, because he was not meant to give stuff away. It was all meant to go back to the store, where it would be priced and sold.

But Gina was (and still is) beautiful and persuasive, so he gave it to her. And she left it on my art table, with no explanation. And it was there when I came home.

And every day it reminds me of her wonderfulness, and the lovely nine months in which we shared that house with the wood floors and fireplace and toilets that didn't work properly. Those were good days.

Thank you, Gina.

February 18

Now that she's opened it, I can share the gift I made my sister for her birthday. We Aussies have a national penchant for souvenir teatowels, and Nettie and I are particularly fond of charming ones. So at around the time of the presidential inauguration, I began searching online for an Obama teatowel to send to Nettie. I failed to unearth anything that wasn't godawful, so I made my own. I cut a freezer paper stencil and used fabric paint on a large flour sack kitchen towel. Both the giver and the recipient are pretty happy with it!

February 16

What to do with a tween girl on a stormy holiday? Besides cooking and two long walks in the rain, collage of course!

February 15

Tonight's lemonade in the works.

Tonight's coziness, with three guests to share the pizza. Having a soprano and a venerable music director in the house meant an evening of song. Wonderful.

February 14

Inspired by Amy Adams.

February 8

Another wonderful Sunday dinner. I'm really feeling happy about these gatherings; they're turning out to be just what I had in mind, relaxed and convivial. You can see some photographic evidence of our enjoyment here.

The images below were taken while making Old-Fashioned Ginger Cookies for dessert. This is molasses. Beautiful, no?

February 3

Planning a desert road trip with sister and dad. Busting with excitement.

Later that day ...

Sweet Potato "Felafels"

In a food processor, puree the 2 cups of sweet potato/chickpea mixture that you set aside when making Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad (below). With wet hands, form into 4 patties. Mix about 1.5 tablespoons each of breadcrumbs and sesame seeds together on a plate, and coat each patty with the mixture. Bake on an oiled baking sheet at 400°F until heated through; flip halfway so they brown on both sides. Serve with a yogurt/chili powder dressing and mixed greens.

From Weight Watchers' Now and Later

February 1

Last night's dinner. Yum.
From Weight Watchers' Now and Later:
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled gresh ginger
1 garlic clove, mined
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 cups baby arugula
1/4 cup crumbled low fat goat cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spread the potatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until fork tender, 25 minutes, stirring twice during cooking.
2. Meanwhile, to make the dressing, combine the vinegar, oil, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; whisk until blended.
3. Add the potatoes, chickpeas, and cilantro to the dressing; toss to coat. Transfer 2 cups of the potato mixture to a container and let cool. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days for later use in Sweet Potato Felafel Sandwiches (recipe to follow). Place the arugula on a platter, top with the remaining 4 cups of the potato mixture and sprinkle with the cheese.

From Sunset Publications' Cozy Comfort Food:
Brussels sprouts with parmesan and pine nuts.

1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
3/4 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add garlic and brussels sprouts, and cook until brown and softened, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
2. Add broth and cook until sprouts are tender but not soggy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add pine nuts and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small dish and sprinkle with parmesan.

Even people who think they don't like brussels sprouts love this!

January 31

The postcards continue ...

What? I am NOT a midget. Stop calling me that. I'm five foot nothing. That's just a bit short. What? Put on my hat? Oh yes, it does make me look taller. Yeah, sorry. You were referring to the backdrop. My mistake. Hmph. You cut off my arms!"

January 22

One of the gifts I sent to my fabulous sister at Christmas was a set of photobooth postcards. She is mailing them back to me with narrative on the back. Here's the delightful story so far."While Delma, Selma and Zelma showed off their Xmas hats, Wilma smiled warmly, knowing in her heart that her little kiss curl made her the cutest woman at the party."

"Selma's friends all wanted to show off their nifty hats too. All, except for Myrtle and her little sister, Sally. No-one had told them it was a hat party. They put on a collective brave face, while secretly lusting over June's little crocheted number."

I have such a neat sister.

January 18

This was my attempt at a table decoration for tonight's dinner party. It's not much, but it's what my backyard had on offer. I actually like its simplicity.

The evening was a great success, except for the fact that I could have had a leetle more food. Thirteen guests showed up; it was a nice mix of people. I was very excited that Chris showed me how to change the settings on my camera to take good photos in low light. I have SO much to learn about photography; I've always just used the automatic settings, so even a tiny bit of new knowledge makes a big difference.

More photos here.

January 17

Irene asked me for a tutorial for my hacky sacks. I refined the pattern from several I found on the web. This is what works for me! I have also posted a downloadable PDF in the right-hand bar.

Hashi’s Hacky Sack

Materials:
Small amount of 4-ply knitting/crochet cotton
Size 7 steel crochet hook
Tapestry needle
1/2 cup poly pellets
Nylon stocking

Pour half a cup of pellets into the toe of the stocking. Shake it down into the toe. Twist the stocking a few times tightly above the pellets, then fold the leg of the stocking down over the ball you have made, pulling it all the way through. Twist it again and reverse direction, covering the ball again with the stocking. Keep doing this till you have used up all the stocking, making the twists in different places on the ball each time so you don’t get lumps. Put aside.

ROUND 1: Ch2, work 11 hdc in first ch. Join with slst to first hdc.

ROUND 2: Ch2, hdc in same st as slst. 2 hdc in each st around. Join with slst.

ROUND 3: Ch2, *2 hdc in next st, 1 hdc in next st. Rep from * around. Join with slst.

ROUND 4: Ch2, *2hdc in next st, 1 hdc in next 2 sts. Rep from * around. Join with slst.

ROUND 5: Ch2, *2 hdc in next st, 1hdc in next 3 sts. Rep from * around. Join with slst.

ROUNDS 6 – 16: Ch2, hdc in each st around. Join with slst.

Slip ball form into cover.

ROUND 17: Ch2, hdc in next 2 sts. 1 dec (yo, insert hook in next st, yo, draw up lp, yo, draw thread though 2 lps on hook, yo, insert hook in next st, yo draw up lp, yo. Draw thread through all four lps on hook), *hdc in next 3 sts, 1 dec. Rep from * around. Join with slst.

ROUND 18: Ch2, hdc in next st, 1 dec, *hdc in next 2 sts, 1 dec. Rep from * around. Join with slst.

ROUND 19: Ch2, 1 dec, *hdc in next st, 1 dec. Rep from * around. Join with slst.

ROUND 20: Ch2, dec all the way around. Join with slst.

ROUND 21: Ch1, sc in same st as slst. Sc in each st around. Join w slst. Break off and weave ends into work.

January 12

I'm not the only one doing it. Read this story (heard on NPR today) about a man who invites the world to dinner every Sunday night. May our humble beginnings blossom into something so wonderful.

January 11

Oh how I love my macro lens.

I spent most of the day in the kitchen, preparing for our first open house dinner. At one point we were expecting fourteen guests, though in the end only six showed up, so with three of us we were a group of nine. I made three different kinds of lasagna (beef, vegetarian no-pasta*, and shrimp and broccoli), plus salad, and onion focaccia. And a cake and cookies for dessert. It would have fed 17, so of course with the reduced numbers there were lots of leftovers, which I pressed upon my departing guests. It was a really pleasant low-key couple of hours, just the way I wanted it to be.

For future meals I'll be employing the crockpots more, I think. I don't really want to spend the whole day on this if I can avoid it. We'll iron out the kinks, so it's easy to pull off every week. I'm happy to be feeding people.

*The portobellos above contributed to this deliciousness.

January 10

January 7

I used to write a lot of letters. As a child I had penpals. I spent a year in England in my teens and kept in constant contact via mail with my best friend in Australia. My sister has shoeboxes of my letters written as a young mother. Even just a few years ago, I wrote long illustrated tomes to my daughter. What happened?

I still keep in touch. I send birthday and Christmas cards to friends, family, even my Grade 6 teacher (who, ironically, wrote back last week saying how nice it was to receive my cards but she would love to HEAR ABOUT MY LIFE.) That's just it ... I don't seem to share so much anymore. Am I just less voluble, or maybe less self-absorbed? I somehow can't summon the desire to share the minutiae of my life in a letter. I prefer the ten-words-or-less snappy immediacy of a Facebook status.

Kinda sad in a way. I used to feel like I was defending one of snail mail's last bastions. But I seem to have abandoned the post.

January 6

January 5

January 4

We kicked off our Sunday Open Dinners with a Games Night tonight. Shawna, Lola and Sara joined us; much laughter ensued. What a lovely end to a very nice staycation. Back to work tomorrow!

January 3

It's really fun to play with paint and paper again. So much of my creating has been done with cloth for the past year. Though I see cloth is still making an appearance :-) I'm enjoying myself!

January 2

I love to wrap gifts in cloth; and this little something nestles perfectly in a wrap made from an unpicked silk tie. It's doubly satisfying when the wrapping, as well as the gift, is both aesthetic and useful. My yearnings for beauty and utility are satisfied nicely.

January 1