{from my kitchen} goat cheese ice cream with roasted red cherries

It is no secret that I love ice cream. As soon as I saw the recipe for goat cheese ice cream with roasted red cherries in my epicurious e-newsletter I knew what I would be doing over the weekend. The recipe comes from Jeni Britton Bauer from the much loved Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream in Ohio. Splendid doesn’t even really begin to describe how awesome this ice cream is though. I can see why she has such a following. Even without the use of a traditional custard base the ice cream was really creamy and the goat cheese lent a bit of tang which was the perfect counterpoint to the sweet, roasted cherries. It’s an unusual but magnificent combination. I’m going to have to click on over to Amazon to get my hands on her new book to see what other cool combinations Jeni has up her sleeve. My summer must be filled with more ice cream!

Meet Sophia

Sophia has been a long time coming. If memory serves me correctly she was first cut out at the same time as the weekender bag. That must be at least three years ago now, but it could be more. Sophia was my filler project. It was what I worked on when I couldn’t figure out what I really wanted my next project to be. I would iron on interfacing or sew a seam or two and then move on to my next big project.

I finally ran out of seams to sew and my filler project is now complete. Meet Sophia. She will be a great companion to my weekender bag.

Frequenting the farmers' market

My trips so far to the farmers’ market this year have been highly successful. I’ve left with farm fresh eggs, kale, sugar snap peas, cabbage, cherries, beets, and summer squash. But, there is one product I am obsessed with: arugula. This is without a doubt the best arugula I’ve ever had. The peppery bite is fantastic and the taste is so very fresh. The most I’ve done to it is squeeze a bit of lemon juice and a drip or two of olive oil over it and that’s when I’m not stuffing whole leaves into my mouth as I prepare the rest of the meal. I’ve worked to ration it out so that I can have at a tiny pile each day before my next trip. It doesn’t work. Within a day or two it is gone and I’m hoping Wednesday arrives quickly so I can get my next fix.

Let's talk meat

Behind the Meat Counter is a course at the Culinary Institute of America that I had been eyeing for a year or two. Each time I was about to register I would talk myself out of it: too expensive, too far away, not the right time. Blah, blah, blah. I’ve decided that this is the year I stop thinking and re-thinking all the big things I want to see and do and just DO THEM.

So it was that on a hot June Saturday morning I found myself on the campus of the CIA. The CIA is in a breathtaking location. These are some lucky students who get to look down on the Hudson River and its surrounding lush valley every day. I, however, spent most of the day in the basement in a chilled classroom and it was awesome!

Chef Schneller was a fantastic teacher. Humorous and helpful he made butchering large primal cuts look like a piece of cake. (Which I guess it would be if you had grown up at the side of your butcher father and continued in the profession yourself.) For demonstration he would break down large cuts of beef, talking us through the steps, and describing each of the smaller cuts as he went. Then we got to work with our own set of knives.

First up was learning to French a rack of lamb. With just a few simple cuts and a piece of butcher’s twine we had neatly cleaned our racks. Then the big butchering happened. We each broke down our own primal pork loin; they weighed in at over 40 pounds each. From that huge cut we learned how to remove the ribs, the tenderloin, the shoulder steaks, and the loin. By the time I finished mine I had amassed 4 steaks, a rack of ribs, a tenderloin, two pork roasts, 9 thick center cut shops, and scrap for grinding. And we weren’t done yet. The final butchering was breaking down a chicken. I learned the easy way to take out the backbone and how to leave a piece of the wing attached to the breast for a “fancy" presentation. Phew!

And all that meat came home with me! Samples of the beef Chef Schneller broke down, our lamb, our pork, and our chicken along with ground beef, pork, and lamb they made from our scraps found their way into my cooler. It was a very heavy cooler and my freezer is packed with more meat than I typically buy in six months. I’ve been having a bit here and there and it is crazy how proud I am to be eating meat that I butchered up myself. Very proud indeed.

Summer!

Oh, summer, how I want to gobble you up this year! Let’s make plans.

**long evening strolls**random stops for ice cream **frequent stops at farmer’s markets**al fresco dining**lounging in the shade**iced coffee and Arnold Palmers**summer cocktails**new skirts**new sandals**playing croquet**ponytails**cooling off with popsicles** berries warm from the sun**homemade bread and butter pickles**learning to grill**colorful toes**running through a sprinkler** outdoor concerts and plays**

Putting the "Play" in Play Suit

Summer has officially arrived here in the North East and we've had a string of lovely weekend days, perfect for herding three little girls out of doors. We recently met up with Aunt Tory for a picnic and the girls wore their Oliver & S play suits that she made them for their birthday. These little ladies have a lot of clothes (thanks, Grandma) but based on Sunday's field test, the play suits may just become their summer uniform. Take a look:

Contemplating the dizzying heights from the top of an old stump.

"It doesn't look that far down, I think I can make it."

Built for stretching and bending.

"Don't put the stick in my mouth? I don't know what you're talking about, I'm just holding this stick."

And, the activity of choice, illicit stair climbing onto the bandstand. Not pictured, running around said band stand (Mommy was too busy preventing stage diving to take a photo.)

Thank you, Aunt Tory, we all love the play suits!

Repurposed

What was once a letterpress tray has now become my jewelry storage tray. When I found it at Brimfield last fall it was covered in layer upon layer of dirt, dust, and decaying paper. After quite some time with a rag I ended up a beautiful little piece and black fingertips. It was totally worth the $20 investment and an hour of time.

With all these compartments in varying sizes and shapes it is the perfect corral for my collections of earrings, pins, bracelets, and necklaces. In fact, there are so many little compartments that I just may need to do some more thrifting to make sure they are properly filled.

{eating out} coppa enoteca, boston

Last summer was the first time I gave Coppa Enoteca a try. It was average, neither wowing me or offending my taste buds. At the time I didn’t know if I would go back. But I decided it deserved another try. I’m glad I did.

Everything I ordered was fantastic. With aperol spritzer in hand, it all started with the bread and its little bowl of olive oil for dipping. It may seem strange to fall in love with olive oil but I did. It was grassy with a bit of spice and I happily took more bread when they offered. There was no way I wanted to a leave a bit of that oil behind.

As a sort of appetizer I chose one of their specials, seared scallops atop a bean ragout. I had to work really hard at not inhaling the entire dish. So, yes, it was very, very good.

For a main course I chose the house made orecchiette with lamb, favas, mint, and pecorino. Again, I needed to prove I was something of a lady and not slurp down the entire bowl. I wish I had had the foresight to order the full size and take some home. But either way I have a feeling there wouldn’t have been any to take home with me.

I had intended to skip dessert. I was full of bread, olive oil, scallops, and fresh pasta. But then the server said house made pistachio gelato and I was a goner. Some pistachio gelatos barely taste of pistachios but this one was a winner. I would have happily taken home a pint, er, gallon.

The moral of this little food story? Give the average places a second try. They might just become your “neighborhood” joint as I hope Coppa will become mine.

{from my kitchen} baked french toast with orange and vanilla

There are dishes I make that I enjoy while they last. Then there are dishes I make and I obsessively think about long after they are gone. This baked French toast scented with orange and vanilla falls into the latter category. It was all perfection, rich and custardy with just a touch of sweetness. The orange and vanilla subtly conspired to remind me of a creamsicle, one of my favorite summertime treats from childhood. Dusted with some confectioner’s sugar and served with a side of maple-sage sausage it was a lovely Sunday brunch.

Must Have Shoes

According to Nina Garcia there are five must have shoes styles every woman should own. One of those is a pair of Converse sneakers. I wonder if she had green in mind like I do?

(Image from Zappos)

My little garden

Last year I was super inspired by Victoria’s awesome herb garden. I planted one of my own and corralled it in an old wooden tray on my kitchen table. I never got around to taking a picture of it though. With more than two minutes of sunshine each day it was time to plant my little garden again. This time I got a shot!

My garden grows basil, rosemary, mint, tarragon, thyme, and chives. Though it requires zero effort to keep them going I get an immense amount of satisfaction watching my garden grow. Not to mention how fantastic it is to cook with MY herbs.

{from my kitchen} lemon panna cotta with lemon marmalade

I rarely meet a dessert I don't like and this one is no exception. Despite being full of whole milk and heavy cream it manages to be light and reminiscent of summer, just the type of dessert I’m craving more and more as the weather improves. The lemon marmalade was good but far too bitter against the delicate panna cotta. I can, however, imagine smearing it on a scone along with some gently whipped cream. What this lemon panna cotta really wanted to be partnered with was fresh raspberries. With berry season looming I’m going to have to give that combination a try. You know, for research purposes.

Flea Market Survival

I’m sad to report that Brimfield was a bust. Early in my adventure I found one decent pair of chairs. In the right place with the right paint and fabric they would have been awesome. But they were a little too feminine for what I have in mind for my space. Fast forward 3.5 hours and I found a pair of old, perfectly worn leather club chairs. I sat in them. I admired them from afar. I sat in them again. Then I asked the price and choked. $5000 for the pair! Not exactly what I’d been budgeting for chairs. Alas, the hunt continues.

Since I have nothing to show for my hours of wandering I thought I’d share my flea market survival kit instead.
(1) Cash, because it is king. For cases of emergency spending there is a check and a credit card but you’ll get the best deal with cash.
(2) A notebook and pen. When I leave home this book is filled with measurements for spaces I’m looking to fill, door jamb widths, stairway heights, and the space in the back of the car. A treasure isn’t a treasure if you can’t get it into your house.
(3) Measuring tape. See number 2.
(4) Camera. Sometimes it helps to snap a picture of something you like but aren’t too sure about yet. Also, write down the booth information in that handy notebook you brought so you know where to return to when you realize you can’t live without said item.
(5) Sunblock and sunglasses. I’m pale, really pale. The only way to survive is with sunblock and sunglasses. If it hadn’t been overcast with threats of rain you would also see my brimmed straw hat up there.
(6) Water. You can’t be dropping two dollars here and there every time you’re thirsty so I always carry water and refill at fountains as necessary. I’m stingy with the cash since that is what will make my deals even better.
(7) A big canvas tote to store everything you see up there. It’s also really convenient for those tiny treasures you find along the way.

So Many Options

Have you been noticing all the great new fabrics recently? I have and it’s got me thinking about how I can justify buying up a bunch of them. My answer: that stack of napkins on my handmade list. The way I see it, with just half a yard of fabric I can make two napkins. That means for a week's worth of napkins I’ll need 7 half yard cuts. I should allow for some realistic delays in laundry though. Perhpas I'll need 8-9 half yard cuts to be safe, right? The hard part could be narrowing it down!

{from my kitchen} baguette with anchovy butter and radishes

There is something to be said for keeping it simple and this little nibble illustrates why I should keep it simple more often. Slices of French bread slathered with a flavorful anchovy butter and topped with crispy radishes and a sprinkle of sea salt were awesome and paired perfectly with our negronis. Add in several hours of watching the Kentucky Derby coverage and it was a rather nice way to spend an on again/off again stormy Saturday afternoon. Our picks to win the race came up short, but oh well. We had delicious food and drink to ease the pain.

Weekender

So, so long ago I alluded to the fact that I had made a weekender bag. And then I never told you about it. It may have been because I needed space and time and healing after that project. It was a doozy to put together. There was laughing, crying, swearing, and a little bloodshed. At the end of it, though, I had a gorgeous weekender bag ready for trips here, there, and everywhere.

Though truth be told I’m too afraid to take it on an airplane. It could get filthy in the overhead or under the seat in front of me! After all the work I can’t bear the thought of my masterpiece ending up covered in grease or grime or spilled beverages. This bag is now the official bag of road trips. I’m wondering where she’d like to go this summer?

A Contender

Hunting for the perfect chairs is hard, very hard. I’ve been to thrift stores, consignment shops, and flea markets. You might find one great chair but what I really want is a pair. Which leads me to think I might need to go retail. The above example is right up my alley. It is classic with a bit of flair. Just like me.

But I'm not willing to throw in the towel just yet. Brimfield is next week!

(Image from Ballard Designs)

Progress Report

I have a finished quilt top and I love it! It looks just like the picture I had created in my mind. It is huge though. Little Miss Lou could crawl underneath it and not be seen for days. It measures 72” wide x 84” long which is an appropriate size for a twin sized quilt according to the internet.

I’d been a little stumped about what to do for the backing so the quilt top has spent the last few weeks folded neatly on the back of my sewing chair. I was leaning towards something quiet and calm since there is a lot of color and pattern on the quilt top. I finally decided I'd do a band of patchwork with the leftover bits from the quilt top with a wide swath of white above and below. However, as I put together that wide strip of patchwork it all went wrong. Somewhere amdist all my piecing something became horribly stretched and no matter what I did my patchwork strip would not lay straight. It was shaped more like a patchwork rainbow with a huge bump in the center. I could not continue with that! Instead the backing became the very simplest it could be: all white.

But all is not lost. I think the plain white backing will work better with my original plan to quilt it on the diagonal along the prints. If the patchwork strip had worked out I think I would have wanted plain vertical quilting and that just seems a little boring next to all those great half square triangles!

The quilt is now sandwiched, pinned, and the quilting begun. I hope to get the quilting completed by the weekend and then I can sit back and stitch the binding while Netflix keeps me company.

{from my kitchen} homemade pasta

Can there be anything wrong with homemade pasta? I didn’t think so and my latest kitchen experiment, thankfully, proves I’m right. What started out as a few eggs, some flour, salt, and a bit of water turned into the silkiest, most delicious pasta I’ve had in a long time. Maybe ever.

I tossed all that glorious pasta in a simple sauce of prosciutto, orange, and cream and found myself near heaven. As I melted into my first bite I couldn’t help but think of it as the ultra-sophisticated cousin of an alfredo, but even that sells it a bit short. I have to admit I am feeling pretty smug about the perfection of this meal.

Go, Granny, Go

Remember waaaay back when I fell in love with a granny square afghan? I attempted to find some decent, I mean dead simple, instructions on the internet. And they had to be dead simple since I was, and still am, a complete crochet novice. Luckily, Posie came to my rescue and wrote a simple pattern for me. Except it wasn’t quite easy enough for someone who had never read a crochet pattern before. I’d only made it up as I went along before.

That’s what yarn shops are for though. They happily take a rather small bit of money and help you through your pattern reading troubles. After my first “class” with a group of terribly fun, and funny, ladies I was well on my way to creating my very own granny square afghan. (It also greatly helped when the instructor pointed out my crochet hook was crap and with the simple spending of $4 I was crocheting like I knew what I was doing.)

Posie’s pattern is baby sized so I’m upsizing it for an adult, something I can hide underneath while sprawled out on the couch for some movie watching. When I did some math to figure out how many squares that would be I started hyperventilating. It’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 – 200 squares. With one here and one there though I already find myself with 96 centers done. I’m saving up all the gray borders for when I need a project while travelling. Taking one ball of yarn is so much easier than 9 balls!