Five Things I Will Totally Definitely Do This Summer...For Real.

Summer. We are moving. We are welcoming an 8 week old puppy (Don't worry, Leon is in charge of obedience as I have an awful track record). We are having another baby in November(I do however, have a good track record with this task...phew). Dahlia is about to get her drivers license(well it feels that way now that shes walking). Life as I know will soon be a thousand times more chaotic....wait...er, I mean exciting!

I must understand that the next four months will be my opportunity to get things accomplished before the season of winter as well as the winter of my leisure time sets in. This level of urgency is all this procrastinator needs to identify and say aloud a couple of things I will commit to doing this summer.

1. Pick Stawberries at Maxwell's with Dahlia and make a good Jam.

2. I have made up my mind to do away with supermarket bought vegetables. We will subside on only what I will grow and what I will purchase from farm stands and local markets this summer.

3. I will make an article of clothing for myself. A skirt, or better yet, A Mu-Mu might be more appropriate for a preggalicious(pregnant) summer.

4. I will make a pair of earrings exclusively from 100% re-purposed materials....this should be interesting.

5. Root Cellar! I have a HUGE soapstone double bowl troff sink in my new basement just waiting to be filled with beets and carrots...don't forget the sawdust.

Deadline: September 26th. Hold me to it.


What is everyone else doing during their glorious summer months??

Goat Cheese Fresh from an Epic Procrastinator...

I am the ultimate procrastinator. Just ask my mother and my husbands unmatched sock pile. I spent most of my early twenties scorning myself for this trait and trying to work against my natural grain. Motherhood and a dose of some serious love taught me to just relax and enjoy myself. I have finally embraced that I'm really good at starting things but not so awesome at that finishing part. However, I have figured out that when the moment finally does strike, to just go for it!

I have been itching to make some homemade goat cheese for months. I had been researching some ways to curdle the milk without chemicals by using some lemon juice or vinegar for a while now. I had sourced the goats milk during a Maine winter which was probably the hardest part, yet I hadn't found the time...

Today I put Dahlia down for a nap, and saw the quart of goats milk in the fridge...judging me for my endless procrastination. I gathered the few ingredients and went to town... until the goats came home...

Ingredients

A. One quart of Goats Milk ( I used ultra-pasteurized as its easier to find this time of year but obviously I would have enjoyed some fresh local goats milk more)

B. Juice of two lemons (I used two and a half for the curdle process)

C. Salt and other fresh herbs and seasonings ( Dill and cracked pepper for this round)

Supplies

A. Colander with three layers of Cheese Cloth set over a deep mixing bowl

B. Thermometer (I used a candy thermometer but an instant would probably be best)

Instructions

1. Prepare your colander and juice your lemons; set aside

2. Heat the Goats Milk to 180 degrees and remove from heat

3. Stir in the lemon juice and let stand for 30 seconds (add more lemon juice if necessary to separate, it will look like there is a thin oil in the milk)

4. Pour the milk over the colander lined with cheese cloth

5. Drain for two minutes and then tie four corners around a wooden spoon

6. Hang to drip dry for about an hour or two; you are looking for the consistency of cottage cheese. I hung mine and waited until it looked and felt like a creamy goat cheese; about and hour and forty five minutes.



7. Place the cheese in bowl and spice it up!



Here are some Cheese making Resources via the World Wide Wonderful Web

Martha Goat Cheese

Vinegar Curdled Goat Cheese

Etsy...you are a special kind of girl...

Etsy.com needs no introduction, especially if you are reading this Blog. However, here is a great article link from Readers Digest on Etsy Creator, Rob Kalin. It really illustrates just how ready the interweb was for an artists marketplace.
Readers Digest Article on Etsy Creator

I think that a persons Etsy shop preferences say a lot about them and I have compiled a few of mine.... so without further adieu...


RubyLemons
I am a sucker for Milk Glass, I cannot tell a lie. It is at times consuming. I love the shiny hobnail details and the 'Grandma like' sensibility of it all. This store is the spot for vintage glassware lovers like myself. Vintage aqua Pyrex? I needn't say more.

MonsterTime
It's no secret, I don't do the whole cat thing. People whom I know and love do, it's cool. There is a few reasons why I might have a cat; This Etsy site is one of them. The bright, eye catching, organic cat-nip filled toys are irresistible. I kind of wish I could buy one for Dahlia, but I'm not sure if shes into the nip, she better not be yet anyways. She's also not a cat.

koalachickens
Garden or terrarium adornment, Plant 'Vessels', bird figurines...the list of what you will find inside this shop goes on. In fact, I received a little Herb garden for a Birthday with an item from KoalaChickens keeping my thyme company. Word on the street is that this shop is introducing all new items for Spring...awesome.

Purplebean Bindery
Fascinating and well made books are in abundance here! I stop by this shop periodically to check out the colors, fine paper, and unique bindings. I have dabbled in book binding myself but never like this. It's awe inspiring to say the least.

SuspectShoppe
Whimsical prints that often involve elephants. This shop is a must for the modern nursery or the casual and creative workroom. These prints have a collaged fairytale type theme and I can't get enough; the elephants don't hurt the appeal for me either.

laurrose
Romantic and saucy jewelry is in abundance in this all time Etsy Fav of mine. I plot my mothers day, Birthday, Christmas, and Anniversary gifts here. Jadeite, Quartz, Adventurine, OH MY!

Yvette Inufio Photography
I stumbled upon this shop on a whim. I was pouring over a favorite Blog House Of Turquoise
and I saw these striking photos and immediately went to the Etsy Shop. The photos all have different personalities, some are a bit too pink for me but as I have stated before...I don't Judge.



Share your Favorite Etsy Shops in Comments!!

"One" is the Happiest Number...

On a Saturday in February we welcomed Dahlia's first birthday with some family and friends. It was a whirl of pinkness, shiny cupcake printed gift bags, hearts, hats, and a birthday crown.

I made the cake from scratch and it was a heavy vanilla pound cake of sorts. Amazingness. I have included the cake's concoction plan at the bottom. It is a must have at your next soiree.

The presents were plentiful and the love was palpable. She made her rounds to all of her guests in her pink monkey birthday crown from a favorite Etsy Store of mine.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/drfeltgood
My mother found this crown and knew that Dahlia had to have it. It is a fantastic Etsy store that really can give you a fresh take on the "old girl scout craft material" AKA... Felt. I have another Etsy store that uses felt in new and awesome ways but I will save that for my Etsy Fav's post.




Amidst the plethora of gifts I had tucked in a hat that I had been working on for her. A friend of mine is a fiber artist (whatever that really means I'm not entirely sure) and had given me a small sample of her wares. I was quite pleased with the wild and fuzzy stripe of hand dyed and hand spun texture. It contrasted the polished fingerling weight yarn that the remainder of the beanie was comprised of nicely.

Here's the link to this super simple toddler sized hat... link is half way down the page, click next to pattern...I used this pattern for the detailed fit instructions but obviously did not choose a self striping yarn.
http://www.twistedknitter.prettyposies.com/2008/11/selfstriping_hat.html

Dahlia-Ahlia's-Magic Cake Concoction

(Quick!! Put that Betty Crocker Crap Down!)

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar the white and yummy kind
  
• 4 eggs Fresh room temp.
  
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk( Not skim...how dare you!)
  
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line two 9-inch (23-cm) round cake pans or one 9x13-inch (23 x 33 cm) rectangular baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the paper and the sides of the pan well.
2. In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs together until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add flour, milk, oil, baking powder, and vanilla and beat for another minute, just until the batter is smooth and creamy. Don't overbeat. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan(s).
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick poked into the center of the layer comes out clean. (A single rectangular pan will take longer to bake than two round ones.) Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan with a thin knife, then turn out onto a rack and peel off the paper. Let cool completely before covering with frosting, if desired.

Servings: Two 9-inch (23-cm) round layers, or one 9- x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) rectangular cake.

I doubled this recipe and had enough to make the double layered cake and 12 cupcakes. Choose your own favorite icing. I would recommend going with anything except a light whipped cream icing as it doesn't have enough body to stand up to the dense cake.

Just For Fun...Videos and Birthday Plans!

Good Bones...

This is our house "in the raw". We close in about two weeks. I am incredibly excited and a bit scared. It's going to take a whole lot of work, but what else do young married couples with a baby do, right?

It's a foreclosure with the most random assortment of things....such as cooking oil on a washer that someone decided should go in their glorious kitchen... hmmmm.

Obsessive Decorating...this could become an issue.

Decorating With Blue | Real Simple


I have been faced with the lovely task of decorating 2000 square feet of riverside ancient house. Its daunting to say the least. You can't go all IKEA cheap'n'minimal. You can't (or at least I won't) do all over the top French or Queen Anne. It's a careful balance of clean yet historic. Period yet contemporary. Child accessible yet not looking like an in-home daycare. Oy.

I have many grandiose ideas that would work perfectly if it wasn't for that man I call my husband. A two thousand dollar bed frame is out of the question, and I have to say that the good little Mainer in me just won't allow it anyways. So I must conjure a full house decorated on a shoe string budget while satisfying my goal of creating a cohesive, functional, and aesthetically pleasing home. It is consuming my thoughts to say the very least.

There's a few other issues that one might have to overlook, such as raw crumbled plaster in a few places, Vines protruding into my Sun Porch, and a few Squirrel friends in the cavernous attic. However, I don't find these issues anything that elbow grease, hedge clippers, and a pellet gun can't fix. (relax animal lovers, I won't use a pellet gun...promise).
Vintage Martha Stewart Image (true love)

I will be updating the ol' blogster with my victories and forfeitures in the realm of interior design as I am certain there will a lot of both. In the next few days I will posting images from Highland House, and Yes, I have named my house.

Avgolemono: A Hellaluva Good Soup Recipe...even if I can't pronounce it.

It seems like a life time ago that I was sitting in our tiny apartment nursing Dahlia, looking out the window at the snow, waiting for my far away friends to welcome the baby and bring me some much needed soup and conversation.

They came with paper 'Whole Foods' bags in tow; filled to the brim with beets, goat cheese, leeks, lemons...etc. I was blissfully exhausted in my new role as a Mamma but I will always recall those days as the sweetest days I had yet to taste. As sweet as it was, my body ached for sleep and nutrients. My friends were taking care of the later half of that last sentence. There were hugs, Oooo's and Ah's over Dahlia's most obvious talent at being the best looking infant ever, hand made gifts to unwrap and more Ooooo's and Ah's.

My kitchen was filled with the scent of sauteed leeks, mere poix, and lemon. I was being treated to their vegetarian version of the traditional Greek soup, Avgolemono. It is a delicious soup with lemon and a frothy egg tempered in among the leeks, carrots, and onion topped with a coarse chop of fresh mint and parsley. It fills a house and a belly with that wintery soup feeling.


This summer I was feeling a detrimental lack of inspiration and nutrition so I turned on NPR and opened the fridge. I saw all the ingredients for Avgolemono and a glass container of cooked wheat berries. Wheat berries are a hearty grain and I quickly realized that they had to fill the shoes of my non-existent pastine that the original recipe called for. The makeshift grain adds a more satisfying texture, protein, and fiber to the soup. However, you can use just about any small pasta or grain in this soup. The traditional Avgolemono has shredded chicken and uses Orzo, there are so many great renditions of this classic. Give this one a try...

2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Leeks(white parts finely Chopped to equal 4 cups)
1 Onion (smallish)
2 Carrots diced
6 Cups Broth (veggie broth works well)
1/2 cup Wheat Berries
2 Big Eggs
3 tbsp Lemon Juice
1/4 cup chopped Parsley
1 tbsp chopped mint
1 tbsp chopped Oregano


1. In a small Pan Saute leeks, onions, carrots, and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook 5-7 minutes.


2. Stir in all of the Broth(chicken or Veggie, I don't judge). Season with the good old S and P. Simmer for 11 minutes. Add your wheat berries and simmer for five minutes and remove from heat.

3. Whisk eggs and lemon juice in medium bowl. Eggs should be room temp! Add three (non boiling) ladles from soup pot to the bowl with eggs and whisk very rigorously so the eggs do not cook. Whisk the egg mixture into the big Soup Pot and cook over VERY low heat for 2-3 minutes. If you boil the soup you will have a weird srambled egg soup....and nobody wants that. nobody.


4. Sprinkle the herbs over just before serving. Yes, I was reticent about the mint too, but Don't omit it thinking the soups taste will be the same or better off...it won't.



5. This is an optional step, for myself its essential. Feed a certain someone kale puffs so you can enjoy the lemony goodness in peace, fingers crossed.


Thanks Kara and Amanda for the recipe!