It certainly feels like fall. We are getting into the groove with school, the still sunny days now have enough of a chill to warrant a sweater. Football is on and we've been loading up on a new crop of apples at the farmer's market.
With September also comes the need for a new pair of "school" sneakers which for me is always a pair of Sk8-Hi Vans. These classics are still my favorite...
I've also been harvesting the last of my tomatoes and freezing them whole in Ziploc bags to use year-round for my favorite Marcella Hazan sauce and tomato soup. I learned this super easy alternative to canning from David Tanis. Thawed on the counter the skins slip right off. Read more here. Frozen tomatoes will lose their texture/structure so use them only for sauces and soups etc. (Sidenote: if you're using fresh tomatoes instead of a 28 oz can of San Marzanos as listed in both recipes, the equivalent is 2 lbs. of fresh tomatoes.)
Getting ready for my son's first day of Kindergarten, I made us matching friendship bracelets. It's been over 20 years since I made one and I had to look up a refresher tutorial...
I had so much fun making it and now with all the beautiful DMC floss available I'm picking up a new hobby...
I also just devoured Dani Shapiro's Hourglass. I can't recommend it enough. Now I'm waiting for this and this from the library...
Earlier this summer I mentioned these Everlane tanks that I love. They just came out with a few other styles in the same fabric. I'd like to have this...
A little inspiration for your Sunday. Watch this video...
I subscribe to Maria Popova's incredibly thoughtful weekly digest. You can read today's here and then subscribe for yourself.
If you've never been on Brain Pickings before, be sure to set aside some time to explore. I learn so much from her, especially book recommendations. The recent favorite being this one, Cry, Heart, But Never Break.
Speaking of books, I just finished Rebecca Solnit's Hope in the Dark. (Maria Popova happens to have a review of it here.) I'd also highly recommend listening to Rebecca's conversation with Krista Tippett.
On the flip-side of dark, I've added this bright and sunny hair-on Clare V clutch to my wishlist...
Ahh Friday. I am happy to see you. It's been a short week actually as we had an unexpected snow day on Monday. Much of that day was spent sitting at this table drinking coffee...
I also made a batch of Pamela's vegan chocolate chip cookies - one of our favorites, especially straight out of the freezer. I am embarrassed to admit that our small household devoured the entire batch in less than two days. I recently discovered that I have an egg sensitivity. Another stellar cookie recipe (that also happens to be egg-free) are these peanut butter ones from Heidi Swanson (again best enjoyed straight from the freezer).
It's been a quietly emotional week. The kind where a bit of melancholy sits below the surface and I can't quite put a finger on it. I am sure the weather is a contributing factor, as are current events but I realized the source is close to home. Kindergarten tours are going on right now so the realization that my son will be one of those little people come September is sinking in. I have this sweet photo of him posted on the inside of my closet at the studio that I've been spending a lot of time looking at...
Children have a profound way of showing you just how quickly time goes by. And while I find great joy in watching D grow and become a little person, at times it feels too fast. I'm feeling that right now. A mix of joy and sadness all at once.
I think a lot about what my favorite poet-philosopher David Whyte said in this conversation that one of the delusions we have is that we can "take a sincere path in life without having our heart broken. And you think about the path of parenting, there’s never been a mother or father since the beginning of time who hasn’t had their heart broken by their children. And nothing traumatic has to happen. All they have to do is grow up."
To combat the melancholy I've been spending a lot of time in the kitchen which has always been an excellent form of therapy for me. I've also been writing - lists and letters and just general thoughts which has been made even more enjoyable since I finally bought myself a proper pen. Two actually. Both are brass which I think will patina beautifully. This one for home...
As I've mentioned before, I have a cookbook problem. An addiction really. Cookbooks and Clare V bags (as demonstrated by my purchase of this beauty today that was an extra 25% off and is in army green suede)...
Yep. So back to cookbooks, I've only been allowing myself to check them out from the library as of late but then a friend gave me a gift card to the local cookshop and I walked straight to the back and picked up these two that have been on my wishlist...
And Julia Turshen's Small Victories which is crazy good for both a novice in the kitchen and the well-seasoned home cook. The recipes are delicious and simple and she also shares some really fantastic tips. Like the one to make a perfect margarita without a shaker which I utilized this evening...
"Whisk together the juice of one lime with 1 Tbsp agave nectar and 3 Tbsp good-quality tequila. Serve over plenty of ice."
Last night for dinner I made her Potluck Quinoa which was stellar - comprised only of quinoa, hazelnuts browned in a good amount of olive oil, lemon juice, arugula, dill and Maldon salt.
I've been working my way through the On Being archives and just listened to Krista's conversation with Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons and Lucas Johnson. It was recorded nearly two years ago but current as ever. Lucas's words on "revolutionary pacifism" stuck with me (especially the bit about the importance of "internal work")...
I also bought these really fantastic pants from Kit & Ace for teaching at the studio. But they look so great and have a nice heavy drape, more like a trouser, that they'd make a great travel pant and are totally appropriate for wearing out on the town...
A few weeks ago we had a stretch of some pretty cold temps which had me searching for a pair of proper winter boots. If the cold returns I think I'd like to order these!
We just returned from four days together in San Diego. Four days of no iphones, no Instagram, no news. We took photographs with a point and shoot camera instead of our phones. We just enjoyed time together that looked like this...
And this...
It felt so good to create some space and limit the amount of "input" I was exposing myself to so I'm going to keep it going. I deleted Instagram from my phone so I wouldn't be tempted throughout the day to pick it up and just mindlessly flip through. Instead of NPR and the NY Times, I've been listening nonstop to On Being. I've been trying to write a post about Krista Tippett and On Being for several months (and I mentioned it back in September). I still can't find the right words, so again I'll just urge you to start listening.
I am thrilled to be hosting Thanksgiving this year and am ready to put our new kitchen through its paces. At this very moment I have the house to myself and while I listen to the new Kings of Leon album, chicken stock is burbling next to me. By the way I'm head over heels for my Miele induction cooktop. One of these days I will give you a full report on the kitchen...
If you have never made homemade stock before, it is so easy and the reward is rich. You can always trust Pamela Salzman. Find her basic chicken stock recipe here. I love PCC which is where I do nearly all of my grocery shopping and in the freezer section in the meat department you can find organic chicken backs/bones and even chicken feet which are stellar for stock and all super affordable.
If you've made stock before, you know that as soon as it starts to boil a pretty unsightly foam appears on the surface which you are supposed to skim off. If you've never made stock it looks like this very un-Instagram worthy photo...
A cool trick I learned from a cooking class at The Pantry awhile back, is to put the bones in the pot, cover with water and bring to a boil and just let the bones boil for 10 minutes to bring out all the impurities. After 10 minutes, pour it all into a colander and rinse/clean the bones in cold water. Put the bones back in the pot and fill with clean water and begin your stock. Not only do you not have to fuss with trying to get all the foam out but it results in a beautifully clear looking (and tasting) broth. After it has cooled and I've skimmed the fat, I freeze my stock in these containers...
Next up on my to do list is pie dough.
I come from a line of epic pie bakers. My grandmother used to make her crust by feel, a scoop full of flour, some fat, a little salt, a little water. That sense was not passed down to me, but I took one of the very first Pie Ninja classes that Brandy taught when she opened The Pantry. She completely demystified the seemingly impossible feat for many of making a pie with a flaky butter crust. The world needs more pie. If you're intimidated, again you can trust Pamela Salzman. Find her apple pie recipe here. She'll even show you how to make the crust, roll it out and get it into the dish...
Also, it's good to know that flour goes rancid quite easily. Fresh flour pretty much has no smell. If you open up your bag of flour that has been sitting in your cupboard for several months and it has a distinct smell, it is bad. You might even think that that smell is what flour is supposed to smell like. Dump it. If you live locally, find Stone-Buhr flour from the good people of Shepherd's Grain at PCC. Also if you are like me and don't often use AP white flour, you might want to store it well sealed in the freezer to prolong its life.
With all that has gone on in the last few weeks, I am hopeful, and I am grateful. If anything I think many of us have replaced a sort of complacency with a new sense of ownership in our lives asking ourselves, "What can I do?" Where to begin? Open your mind and your heart and your eyes to others around you. When you are waiting in line for your coffee, or sitting alone at lunch, whatever it is, resist the urge to look down at the device in your hands and instead lift your head up and appreciate the humanity that surrounds you.
With immense gratitude, have a wonderful Thanksgiving.