Shug is 23 months old now!
7 Months And 23 Months
On
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Buttermilk Ice Cream
On
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tonight starts the holiday of Shavuot which celebrates G-d giving us the Torah; of Moses bringing the Ten Commandments. It's this really beautiful holiday, and one of the customs is to...of all things...eat dairy. I know! But really.
Usually I make a cheesecake, but this year, I made buttermilk ice cream - and it's *so* delicious (even if you don't like the taste of buttermilk). All it takes is: 1 quart of buttermilk, 1 pint heavy cream, 1 cup sugar, and 1 tsp salt.
Mixed all the ingredients together in the Kitchenaid:
Poured it into the ice cream maker, and over about thirty minutes' time, it goes through different consistencies:
Until you get the perfect creamy texture:
To serve, I put a couple tablespoons of butter with a couple tablespoons of brown sugar in a pan, brought it up to temperature to make a caramel sauce, added a sliced banana:
Poured the topping over:
Ooooh that was good!
Until you get the perfect creamy texture:
I didn't realize until I was making this that I don't have any Tupperware - nothing to store the ice cream in - so (embarrased!) what you see above is a Cool Whip container that I emptied out last minute for the ice cream. I actually had to use two containers, so now there's also a gallon Ziploc bag in the freezer with two 'wheels' of Cool Whip.
Put a little buttermilk ice cream in a tea cup:
Container Gardening
On
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
At the farmer's market, we saw these galvanized tubs being used as hanging planters:
One of the different plants this year is eucalyptus - that came from Petals in the Past, a garden shop in Jemison, Alabama. Their specialty is in hard-to-find plants (I got a variety of rosemary from them called 'barbecue') and antique roses. Can't wait for the eucalyptus to start taking off so I can make a cutting and hang a sprig in the shower.
There's so much more in container gardening that I'd like to get into. Everything from tiny succulents growing in antique muffin tins to old-fashioned baby bathtubs all planted up. I've had this idea about taking an old wrought iron bed frame, setting it in the ground, building it up between the head and footboard and making a real flower 'bed'...although I'm pretty sure I've seen that somewhere...just can't remember where or when.
If we had more acreage, I'd love to do this.
That Tree Has A Leg
On
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The other day, Av was taking us for a drive when we saw this handmade fence...
Oh, it's just a mannequin on a trapeze. In the middle of the yard.
...and you know how I love people who decorate:
These people are decorators of the highest order. My friend Scott in Austin, another "yardist", is going to have to go with me when he's here later this summer so we can meet whoever this is. I'll post pics of his art environment later this week...wonderful...
The New Crunchy
On
Friday, May 22, 2009
Last month, our Whole Foods had a peanut butter tasting, and there is hardly anyone that likes pb better than Av, so he and the baby went over for that while Shug and I did a little shopping.
Not only did they have different peanut butters to try, but some chefs came in with their own dishes. Well, I *love* chef Tom Robey - who came here after 18 years at Commander's - which means I love Veranda on Highland (and if you need a reason...just read one of his Chef's Table menus) and it just so turns out that the dish he brought was Av's favorite: peanut butter pie (bottom right). It even beat out "Shakin' Bacon Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffle" (bottom left).
Av was telling me that he used to make Rice Krispie treats for his family when he was in school, so I wanted to make some, but I wanted to do something different too. I Googled the recipe and found someone who made something out of a magazine. The recipe included Rice Krispies plus it had chocolate and peanut butter, so...why not!?
The only thing is, when it comes to the part in step 2 that says, "top with the remaining 1 cup cereal" I think it's a mistake because then the top layer doesn't have a good way to completely adhere to the rest of the dessert. So if you make these, either omit that portion or cut it to more like 1/3 cup. Oh, anyway, here's the recipe... Gourmet has their own version of Rice Krispie treats, too.
Blue Food
On
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Last week, I took the boys on a little drive while daddy was at the office, so we went to Wilsonville, Alabama to visit Coosa Valley Milling. It's where the McEwen & Sons grits and cornmeal and polenta are milled with their organic stone burr gristmill.
While there, we took a look at the baby chicks and plants, all the horse tack inside, and I bought *several* Schleich Farm Life animals for the boys to play with. Got a bunch of grits and cornmeal for us and some friends too - this is a pic of each of the varieties:
I've cooked their grits before, and made cornbread with the white cornmeal last weekend that turned out really good (only thing is, they have a recipe for cornbread on the back of the bag that includes sugar as an ingredient! For shame. Really - sugar in cornbread is a big no-no.). I don't use yellow cornmeal for anything, but blue cornmeal is pretty new to me.
Last week at Whole Foods, they were promoting their catfish and had some cooked in blue cornmeal. Tonight I tried cooking some fish in it and decided to try their idea, but it didn't turn out wonderful - but what was fantastic were the Vidalia onion rings I made with the blue cornmeal. Definitely going to try that again.
Sand Man Saturday Morning
On
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
This past Saturday, Pepper Place Market opened - and standing right in front of Lite Box Gallery was...
Oh, and there's a nice interview with him here.
He's got *several* pieces at the gallery right now - in fact, he's part of a show with Debra Riffe and Art Bacon. Here are just a couple of Lonnie's:
The *very* best part was spending time with Lonnie and watching him make things out front. He chatted with Shug and the baby for a while - and was giving out little presents, too. Here's a clip of him making some of his wire art:
World's Largest...Monolithic Dome
On
Monday, May 18, 2009
I can't remember what I was looking up the other day, but something that came up read that the largest monolithic dome in the whole world is in B'ham.
Sure enough:
It's a church called Faith Chapel Christian Center, and it's huge - 280 feet in diameter. The story about it is here:
There are five or six smaller domes over to one side of the property:
It's a church called Faith Chapel Christian Center, and it's huge - 280 feet in diameter. The story about it is here:
This is a map of all the Monolithic church domes in the US.
-----
There are two dome houses in Pensacola - we saw this one being built a few years ago:
...and this other one is called "Dome of a Home" and it's by the beach and can be rented for vacations:
These dome houses are everywhere - even in pink and purple in Moscow.
-----
It doesn't really appeal to me aesthetically (inside or out - see the interior pics of how it's decorated esp.), but seriously, $1 a day to heat/cool?!?! Wow.
The AJC (Atlanta Journal Constitution) had an article a week or two ago about prefab houses. One part of the article was about Flatpak homes. The cost is about $200-300/sq ft and is built in Wisconsin, then shipped. The company sends a group out to assemble the house, which takes just a few days to put together. Sounds similar to how log homes are done. There's a photostream on Flickr of different Flatpak houses with interior shots too.
The other part of the article in the AJC was about another company who is best known for their manufactured houses going into the green/modular business with something called the i-House. The AP article says:
Clayton’s “i-house” was conceived as a moderately priced “plug and play” dwelling for environmentally conscious homebuyers. It went on sale nationwide Saturday with its presentation at the annual shareholders’ meeting of investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire-Hathaway Inc. in Omaha, Neb.
“This innovative ‘green’ home, featuring solar panels and numerous other energy-saving products, is truly a home of the future,” Buffett wrote his shareholders. “Estimated costs for electricity and heating total only about $1 per day when the home is sited in an area like Omaha.”
It doesn't really appeal to me aesthetically (inside or out - see the interior pics of how it's decorated esp.), but seriously, $1 a day to heat/cool?!?! Wow.
Yay!!
On
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Oh, and I was there to look after and advise about my projects. YES!
Okay, I've wanted to tell this for a long time (oh gosh I don't know why I didn't tell before but you know how every now and then you just want to make sure you don't jinx something!?) but I'm working on a freelance basis for Lowe's Creative Ideas!! Can't even say how exciting this is. There were three projects I did for this room that were included. And I'm working on some other things too!
It's great because I'm still with the boys just like before, but during their naps and after they go to bed for the night, I can do research and dream up things. And another wonderful part of it is getting to work beside people who are super-creative and fun. So nice!
The subscriptions for the version of the magazine that is mailed to homes is free, and if you like you can sign up here to receive a subscription.
Yay!
Leaving Gee's Bend
On
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
A few weeks ago, I came across the mention of a novel that's coming out in January 2010 called Leaving Gee's Bend - it's written by Irene Latham, an accomplished poet. On her website, the author describes the book this way:
Every quilt tells a story.
When ten year old Ludelphia Bennett decides to make a quilt for her mama, she thinks it will tell the story of her quiet life in the isolated sharecropper community of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. But when Mama gets deathly ill and rumors start flying about the “witches of Gee’s Bend,” life gets tangled and Ludelphia worries that it’s all her fault.
Determined to fix things, Ludelphia takes her needle and thread and leaves Gee’s Bend for the very first time. Her adventures take her across the river and into a world she could never have imagined -- where there’s indoor plumbing and motorcars and white folks. As Ludelphia’s quilt grows, her understanding of the world grows too. But is it enough to save Mama?
At the heart of this story of survival and courage is the real-life 1932 raid on Gee’s Bend and the subsequent Red Cross rescue.
---
I got to ask Irene a few questions:
(Me:) You say that the novel began in November 2003 when you viewed an exhibit of Gee's Bend quilts at the Whitney in NY. Was there an immediate connection - you know, "I have to write a book about the people that can do such a thing"? Or was it more that you saw how to integrate quilts and the people that make them into a book you wanted to write already?
(Irene Latham:) My reaction was absolutely deep and immediate. I walked through those rooms with a lump in my throat. I was moved by the stories of the quilt makers, the history contained within the fabric. The colors and textures spoke to me of unique lives -- birth, death, sickness, hardship, family, love. And the voices… I simply could not get them out of my head.
(Me:) When you started your novel, did you already have an outline of where you wanted the book to go? That is, do you write knowing the outcome, or was it a mystery to you how things would wind up?
(I.L.:) I wrote three novels before I got to the one I was meant to tell all along - Ludelphia’s story. She started out as a minor character in an earlier novel, and she haunted me. When I finally started writing in her voice, I knew I had turned a corner. The one thing all four novels have had in common is that they are set during 1932 and include the historic raid on Gee’s Bend and subsequent Red Cross rescue. The rest of the story evolved without any sort of grand plan.
(Me:) What was your first visit to Gee's Bend, post-exhibit, like? What made an impression(s) on you?
(I.L.:) The thing that struck me was how rural and untouched (by comparison) it still is. Unpaved dirt roads stretch in all directions. Cows wander in the road. Clothes are strung on clotheslines. Sure they have ferry service now to Camden, but the air still feels pure and clean, like you’ve stepped back in time.
(Me:) Do you ever find it hard to separate the Gee's Bend, the place from Gee's Bend, the people?
(I.L.:) Yes, in the same way New York City embodies the characters of Sex and the City (and the characters embody New York City), Gee’s Bend and its people are inseparable. It’s just so unique geographically, so remote. I know that is a huge part of my attraction to the area and its history.
(Me:) How did you get the idea about the "witches of Gee's Bend"?
(I.L.:) One of the unexpected things I unearthed in my research was the superstitions in Gee’s Bend. Like putting devil’s lye under the front steps to ward off evil spirits. Or placing a sifter under the bed so that a spirit would be so busy counting the holes that it would forget what it came for. Enter my imagination… and a memory from childhood of a rumor about a friend being “evil.” I knew it wasn‘t true, but not wanting to be the center of any controversy, I just kept my mouth shut about it. Writing this story gave me a chance to re-do that experience.
(Me:) What is your hope for this book (other than...you know...it be picked by Oprah...hahaha!)?
(I.L.:) I hope readers (including Oprah!) will take this message away from reading Leaving Gee’s Bend: even if you are barefooted and don’t have a map to guide you and the path is unknown… go your own way. Create the life you want. And tell your story in whatever way that makes sense to you - maybe even in a quilt.
(Me:) Are you a quilter, or is quilting a handcraft in your family?
(I.L.:) I married into a quilting family -- Ludelphia is named for my husband’s late grandmother who showed me how to quilt. And I am the daughter of an amazing seamstress. I can put in a decent stitch, but I can only dream of creating the things she does.
(Me:) How did you go about getting the book published? Did you send copies to the big publishers and hope for the best, or you already had an agent who represented your work, or...?
(I.L.:) My dream was to be one of those slush pile miracles, so at I first submitted only to editors. I collected a few warm rejects, but no sale. Before long I got really impatient. So I decided to let that dream go and create a new one: find an agent. I sent my manuscript to the one agent I had heard speak at a SCBWI (Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) conference, and miracle of miracles, she thought she knew just the editor for my story. From the point of seeing the exhibit to the point of sale was four years.
---
Can't wait for this book to come out - I can tell just from her answers that it's going to be great. I'll post again closer to the release date...
...and I'm loving that custom of the sifter under the bed!!
Baked Vidalia Dip
On
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Vidalias are here! Well, I mean they are at the grocery stores finally; last year at Whole Foods they even had organic Vidalias which I bought, but I didn't see anything but 'conventional' last week. They're so good, and so sweet, you can eat them 'straight' - like an apple. No tears.
I couldn't wait to make something with them, so I made baked vidalia dip last week. Yum!!
Ingredients:
3 Vidalia onions (I like the pieces all different sizes, so I do some larger pieces and some little bits and some practically minced)
3/4 c. mayonnaise, maybe a bit more
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
few dashes of chili powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese
salt to taste
butter for baking dish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400*.
Butter the baking dish.
Combine the onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the 3/4 c. mayonnaise; you want it to be about the consistency of pimento cheese - not too dry but certainly not too-too mayonnaise-y. Now taste for salt and chili powder. I think this is *really* good with a little kick, so you can add as much as you like (or not at all to keep it mild):
6 Months And 22 Months
On
Friday, May 08, 2009
Last week, Shug turned 22 months and the baby turned 6 months old!
The little one smiles *all* the time! We get stopped constantly when we're out because people can't get over this little smile that stays on!
Shug got his first 'real' haircut this past month. We decided that daddy would take him for this first special occasion to a barbershop that his Great-Papa went to:
Elizabeth: it was hard to get a pic of Shug in his Princeton shirt because toddlers aren't easy to stop for a pic sometimes!
Playing with the baby in his jumperoo:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
