2018

Hello, New Year.

After getting hammered with back to back bugs, the flu, sinus infections...I am healthy and thrilled to welcome the new year. My son and I were fortunate to tag along on my husband's photoshoot last week to enjoy a few days under the Mexican sun...

While it was wonderful, it feels so good to be home; my favorite place. I am excited to be back in the studio and finally back to my regular schedule this week.

While on break I've been hitting my local library hard. The two books I am currently reading and loving; The Lonely City by Olivia Lang. From the first few pages...

“Loneliness is by no means a wholly worthless experience, but rather one that cuts right to the heart of what we value and what we need. Many marvellous things have emerged from the lonely city: things forged in loneliness, but also things that function to redeem it.”

And Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, which I learned about from his wonderful conversation "What Matters in the End" with Krista back in October. 

My husband gave me these perfect little earrings from Bing Bang for Christmas and I don't know that I will ever take them off. Initials for the two boys in my life. They make me wish I still had multiple holes from my 1990s youth so I could have more...

I also love these tiny skulls...

I upgraded our kitchen glasses over the holidays and picked up these bodega glasses from Food52 and am loving them. I have the 12oz size and also the squat 7.5oz size which, just like the description says, I use for everything: small dishes for mise-en-place, condiments, ice cream...

Speaking of Food52, I discovered these gluten-free and vegan spicy ginger cookies on the site and have been making them possibly a little too often...

I did reduce the cloves to 1/8 tsp and added a handful of chopped candied ginger. They are heavily spiced and delicious first thing with a cup of coffee, or late afternoon with a mug of peppermint tea. 

Another new addition to my kitchen is this fantastic silicone ladle from GIR...

The GIR spatulas are the only ones I use. I have three of the ultimate size and four of the mini ones. I use them every single day for pretty much everything.

Lastly, I wrote a few months back about my favorite non-toxic deodorant and I have a new one to add to the list. AER from Vapour Beauty is fantastic. It is a gel to powder formula, super effective and long lasting. I bought it online but just saw it at my local Pharmaca. 

Hostess Gifts, Stocking Stuffers + More

Whether you need a hostess gift, a stocking stuffer, something special for your wife, or something for yourself, here is a round-up of some knock-out gifts for giving this season.

If you live in Seattle, these are a few of the local shops you should hit up...

Stock & Pantry on Capitol Hill

Flora and Henri in Pioneer Square

Marine Area 7 in Madison Valley

Little Lago in Portage Bay is a fantastic place to not only pick up something for lunch but is also an expertly curated shop and has you covered for the perfect hostess gift. This little Italian grocer has a lovely selection of wines, olive oils, Rancho Gordo beans and these gorgeous jams from Ayako & Family, which are my personal go-to gift for any occasion...

I also personally would love to have this tote I just saw on their site...

I'm gifting many jars of this wonderful body scrub from Seattle company Herbivore...

I love Donald Robertson and would love to spread some holiday cheer with his new book...

For the cook in your life, you can't go wrong with a beautiful apron from Hedley & Bennett (you can even order them in petite for short people like me)...

A fun game to play after the kids have been put to bed...

A sweet universal cheese knife...

I love this set of ornaments from MOMA...

A nice pair of gloves for the man in your life...

Or an equally cool but more rugged pair...

I think this scratch off world map poster would be cool for friends of ours whose kiddos are already serious world travelers...

These teakwood and tobacco candles are my go to at home...

I have loved using this beautiful ceramic diffuser this past year. It sits on my nightstand and I use it every night, almost always with eucalyptus oil blend...

The best ice cream scoop out there and a pint or two of Frankie + Joe's would be well-received...

If you don't have something in mind for your wife yet, these tiny sapphire beauties can be found at Flora and Henri. I tried them on way back in August and am still dreaming about them...

Finally, these two cookbooks are my most favorite from this year and would be a great addition to anyone's cookbook library.

Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat...

And Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden...

From My Wishlist - Holiday Edition

I hope you all had a wonderful, restful Thanksgiving with friends and family. And with that, the holidays are upon us.

The first thing on my wishlist this year is one of these grounds crew jackets from local Seattle company Ebbets Field Flannels. I just can't decide between this Seattle Metroplitans one...

Or this Portland Fuji one. (See the whole collection here.)

I think the Fuji jacket would look pretty fantastic with these silver Loeffler Randall boots that are also on my list...

I love this large barrel jug from Farmhouse Pottery...

This Away carry-on...

My friend Rita has enviable style and is a champion hat-wearer. She makes me want to be a hat-wearer as well. I can't decide but I think this one from Janessa Leone would be a good place to start...

Or this one (also available at one of my favorite local shops Flora and Henri)...

I would also love this half apron from Gjusta Goods...

And if I could ask for anything, I would love to find a place for this classic now available in MOHAIR...

More gift ideas on the way!

November 11

THIS IS FANTASTIC and in my mind, how Thanksgiving should be done. Even if you're not cooking this holiday, click through. It is hypnotic and lovely to watch Melissa and Sam in action. 

A few other things that caught my eye this week...

Photo from NYT

“At some point, the priest during the Mass says, ‘Lift up your hearts.’ He does not say, ‘Lift up your cellphones to take pictures.’”

— Pope Francis

Applicable not only during Mass but in life. Here.

It was the perfect crisp, drizzly Saturday to make Judy Rodgers' roasted applesauce. I didn't even bother to peel and core the apples and just ran them through the food mill after roasting which worked beautifully. 

This liquid zinc has been a lifesaver keeping us healthy over the last few months with the start of school and the change in season. I always have it on hand and take it daily. Elissa Goodman has a really good list of additional immune support here. 

Inspired by my five year old's (currently six page) xmas wishlist, pictured above, I am starting to think about holiday gift ideas myself. Those lists are coming soon!

Happy weekend.

Priorities

MS. TIPPETT: Do you have compassion for those of us who want to cook more, but have jobs and children and life feels hard enough as it is and food is one thing that you can buy in packages and bring home? [laughter]

MR. BARBER: Yeah. You know, you’re not making me compassionate…

MS. TIPPETT: Maybe not. You don’t have much compassion. [laughter]

MR. BARBER: You know why? Because then you’d have to say — if I said to you that 25 years ago, you know, with all the time spent on TV, we’re going to spend another four hours a day on average on the Internet, and you would say, “Wow, I can’t believe we’d find four hours in the day.” And I’d say, not only people are going to find four hours, but 95 percent penetration of Internet use for 4.5 hours a day or whatever it’s up to today average, you would say that’s absolutely crazy. Nobody will spend that time, nobody has that time in the day. Well, we figured out how to do it. So the question comes down to priorities. To what extent is cooking and eating and all the rest of the things that are attached to that, to what extent does that become a priority? And if it is a priority, you make the time.

It goes hand in hand with the amount of money you spend because what we’re talking about — and I don’t want to skirt around it; I think it’s a big issue. It’s more expensive. There’s no question about it. You’re paying the real cost of growing food. Locally, it’s usually more expensive. So the question is, again back to the Internet example or cell phone use, 25 years ago, if I said there’d be 95 percent penetration in cable television, you all would have said, “That’s nuts. We have free television. Who is going to be able to find $125 a month extra?” You all would have agreed with Krista, right? I would have said, not only that, you’re going to find another $125 for cell phone use in disposable income. Everyone would say, “Oh, $250 extra? Nobody has that money.” Well, of course, we found it because we found it indispensable without those things. So can we excite this issue around food and pleasure to the extent that people feel the same way about dinner?

[Applause]

Listen to Dan Barber and Krista's whole conversation here.

The Basics - Personal Care Products

Most of the basic personal care products I love and use everyday are easy to find. Everything below (with the exception of Cocofloss) I find at my favorite local grocery, PCC. You can also find them at Pharmaca, Whole Foods and Thrive Market. All of them are incredibly effective, non-toxic and free of all the chemicals/fillers that are in most mainstream products.

I wash my hands a lot throughout the day especially when I'm at the studio teaching so I also go through a lot of hand cream to keep my skin from drying out. This sea buckthorn hand cream from Weleda is my favorite. It absorbs right away, is deeply moisturizing and never greasy. It's the only one I use...

Also from Weleda, this sea buckthorn body lotion is fantastic. It rubs in immediately and keeps my skin soft and moisturized all day even in the dry winter months...

A few years ago, an effective natural deodorant seemed impossible to find. I've long loved this one from Soapwalla. However having to apply it with your fingers isn't for everyone. Enter Schmidt's. It is aluminum and artificial fragrance free and equally important, it really works. There are two formulas, one without baking soda which some people are sensitive to. I've used both and love the tea tree one and the charcoal + magnesium one (which my husband also uses)...

Weleda's salt toothpaste is incredibly refreshing without any minty aftertaste. Xyliwhite is my other favorite. They also make one for kids that my son loves. All are fluoride free...

Cocofloss is really great floss. I prefer mint and we have a subscription that delivers every 4 months...

I also love this mouthwash my dentist recommended from BR... 

This Dr. Bronner's shaving gel is a favorite of mine and my husband's. (If you prefer a cream shave, this one from Weleda is great as well, plus it is the perfect travel size.)

The only downside to the Dr. Bronner's shave gel is it's not really the right container for the thin gel consistency so it leaks and makes a mess. I picked up a squeeze bottle like this one at PCC and decanted it which solves the issue...

Lastly, I couldn't live without Burt's Bees original lip balm. I carry it with me wherever I go. I buy a four pack from Thrive...

From My Wishlist...Fall

Now that fall has arrived, my favorite style season, I'm getting excited about dressing again. Which also makes me want to add a few new things to my closet. I'd start with this crazy cool coat from Sézane...

I also feel like I really need these Loeffler Randall boots...

I could put these black suede sandals to good use during the upcoming holiday season and beyond...

I might wear this sweater every single day...

And even though I currently don't own a single pink article of clothing, this sweater might be my first...

I'd love to have a pair of these tiny gold hoops...

A new lipstick...

And my favorite undergarment in an updated color...

Tartine - Any Day Pancakes

I love Liz Prueitt's latest cookbook Tartine All Day and her gluten free Any Day Pancakes recipe is the gold standard at our house (gluten free or not). I make a quadruple batch of dry ingredients so we always have a mix ready to go. When you're ready to cook, measure out 155g of the mix and proceed with the recipe.

ANY DAY PANCAKES

25g almond flour

2 Tbsp tapioca starch

50g oat flour

50g brown rice flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 large egg

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, or olive oil

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp whole milk

Combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir the egg, butter or olive oil, and milk together in a small bowl. Add to the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

To cook, I love my Lodge cast iron griddle and prefer to use ghee to grease the pan. This vanilla bean one from Fourth & Heart is lovely for pancakes. And this wide stainless steel spatula is the best one for nearly everything in the kitchen. If you also pick up the narrow one, they will be the only ones you'll ever need.

Serve with salted butter, real maple syrup and your choice of fruit sauce.

Print the recipe here. 

School Days

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.)

I'm not shy about my love for Melissa Clark and I love my Instant Pot so I cannot wait for this book to come out this fall. I already know it's going to be a winner...

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 recently upgraded my well-loved Clare V Gosee with this multi-colored strap that is rad...

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...

And this...

August 19

As summer winds down and we near the first days of school I've really cleared my schedule and am just enjoying being home as much as possible, cooking for family and enjoying the sunshine. 

I am actually getting ready to take the bulk of September off from the studio as I help our son (and us) transition to kindergarten and full-time school life. I am really looking forward to having a few weeks away to recharge and focus on just being mom. I've been thinking about a few projects I'd like to get done too but for the most part I'm just hoping to fully embrace this time and enjoy my son and the magic that is five years old.

A few other things I've been into as of late...

I still love Julia Turshen's cookbook Small Victories. I can't wait for her timely Feed the Resistance out this fall. You can pre-order it now.

This week I revisited Naomi Shihab Nye's On Being conversation and it was just as lovely and soul-filling as the first time I heard it...

Image from OnBeing

I am a long time devotee to the New Wayfarer but I've been craving a new pair of sunglasses with a more round shape. I picked up these from Warby Parker and can't stop wearing them...

Since we're in prime berry and stone fruit season, if you haven't made a galette yet, it is time. Here is a great go-to galette recipe to keep in your back pocket from who else but Melissa Clark...

Earlier this year I bought Floret Farm's book which provides wonderful guidance on having a cut flower garden and how to help blooms last once you've cut them...

Dahlias are among my favorites and while I only have a handful of plants in my yard, I have a feeling I might double down for next year...

I don't follow many people on Instagram outside my close circle of family and friends but I do follow and love Nitch. I'm always taking screenshots of the thoughtful quotations to keep with me. This is a recent favorite...