Favorite Things - March 2

You open the mailbox, pull out the scattered letters within. Bill. Bill. Condo flyer. Bill. Bill delivered to the wrong address. A creamy smooth envelope, addressed in the familiar swirl of a friend's handwriting. Tossing the rest on the table, you grab your cup of tea and settle in to open this one first. You gingerly open the envelope, mindful of the crisp paper within. You fold open the papers, as a smile spreads slowly across your face. Despite the separating miles, you hold in your hand the essence of a person dear to you.

"Dear _______; It has been so long. How are things with you?"

You first eagerly read through the full letter, eager for gossip and looking for the most exciting news. Once you read through to the end, you turn the pages back to the start, and read more slowly and deeply, picking up on nuance and innuendo, picking up the feelings and emotions hidden within the written words.

Letter-writing is a ritual that in this age of email, instant messaging and texting is falling by the wayside. One of my favorite things is finding a hand-written letter in my mailbox. It is so nice to know that someone took the time to sit quietly to compose their thoughts to you; that they chose deliberately the paper or card on which they transferred their words; that they took special care to use their best hand-writing.

I also enjoy the ritual of writing the letter, and I think it goes beyond my obsession with papers and inks. I keep on hand a generous supply of cards and note papers. I uncap my favorite fountain pen. I boil the kettle and keep a cup of tea at my elbow. I pour out my heart in a way that email does not allow. Handwriting conveys the mood of the writer, in a way that email can never do, despite smiley faces and other emoticons. Does the pen stroke turn harsher, pressed more firmly into the paper, the cross strokes more pointed, as the writer expresses frustration? Do the words lean a little further to the right when words of joy pour across the page? A word is underlined once to draw attention, or three times to convey that this point is particularly important. A hand-drawn smiley face is much more personal. And the x's and o's for hugs and kisses far more intimate.

If you dread going out on a snowy day such as this, take a few minutes first to write a letter to a friend. Its easier to brave the cold world knowing that a side-trip to a mailbox is going to bring joy to someone dear in just a few days.



The beautiful pinecone card is designed by Canadian artist, Shane McDonald at tindesigns.

The Visitor

Last night, I groggily headed into the bathroom to get myself ready for bed. As I reached for my toothbrush, I glanced up and staring straight out at me was this bizarre apparition.



Darcy had drawn him onto the steamed-up bathroom mirror after his shower. It was the absolutely last thing I expected to see.

What's for Dinner

I cherish Saturday evenings. It is the evening each week when my husband and I get to sit down and have a date night. Since he is working out of town all week and forced to eat either fast food or processed food, and since I work a late shift when at the bookstore, neither of us really get to enjoy the daily ritual of dinner. For this reason, we choose to stay in, and I spend all week mulling over something (hopefully) delicious for our night in.

I like to make a bit of an event of it. I like to have a complete three course meal. This allows me the opportunity to catch up for all the cooking pleasure that I miss through the week. I set the table, and we light candles. Often we will have a bottle of wine. Sometimes the meal is simple and homey: salad, pot pie, and baked apples. Other times, like today, the cuisine is a little more elaborate: asparagus wrapped in prosciutto; chicken in mustard sauce with duchess potatoes and green beans with shallots; chocolate mousse.

I think that as a new weekly feature I will share our Saturday evening meals with you. Now, I see the irony in boasting about full-course meals when a mere few months ago, I was bellowing the beauty of budget dining. But in a way, this is its own form of budget dining. Enjoying this same meal in a restaurant, including the bottle of wine that I will be opening, could easily cost up to or more than $100. For the two of us this evening, this meal is costing less than $30, including the wine. That isn't so bad.

Asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto:
Grill or steam asparagus until slightly tender. Wrap each spear in a small amount of thinly sliced asparagus. If desired, finish with a curl of Parmesan cheese.



Chicken in Mustard Sauce (from Williams-Sonoma Simple French Cooking)
Serves 4
4 chicken Halves, skinned and boned (5-6 oz each)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 shallots chopped
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup heavy cream
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

* Trim any fat from the chicken breasts. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. One at a time, place each breast between 2 sheets of waxed paper and, using a rolling pin, roll across the thickest part of the breast to flatten to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch.
* In a large sauté pan, over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the oil. When foaming, add the chicken breast and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Saute, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the breasts from releasing their juices, until golden and tender, about 5 minutes on each side. To test for doneness, insert the tip of a sharp knife into the centre of a breast; the juices should run clear and the meat should no longer be pink at the centre. Transfer to a warm plate and keep warm.
* Pour off any excess fat from the pan and return the pan to medium low heat. Add the shallots and sauté, stirring until translucent, 1-2 minutes. Add the mustard and cream, raise the heat to medium and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring, until thickened and blended, 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust the season.
* Return the chicken breasts to the pan and turn the breasts several times to coat them well with the sauce and to heat them through. Transfer to a warmed platter or individual plates and spoon the sauce over the breasts. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve at once.

Duchess Potatoes.
Simple. Make mashed potatoes as you normally would, but be sure there are no lumps. Allow to cool. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Put the potatoes in a piping bag, and using a star tip, pipe the potatoes into swirled mounds on the baking sheet. Drizzle with melted butter, and place in a heated 400 degree oven until browned and hot.

Green Beans with Shallots (from Williams-Sonoma Simple French Cooking)
Serves 4
1 lb young green beans
salt
1 tbsp unsalted butter
4 or 4 shallots, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 lemon , plus 4 wedges for garnish
freshly ground pepper
4 fresh mint sprigs

* Trim the green beans, and put them in a shallow dish or pan in which they lie flat. Add ice water to cover and set aside to crisp, 10-15 minutes.
* In a saute pan in which the beans lie flat, pour in water to a depth of 2-3 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. When the water is boiling vigorously, drain the beans and plunge them into the boiling water. Add 2 tsp salt. When the water returns to a boil, continue to boil until the beans are just tender, but still crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
* Place the sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the butter; when foaming, add the shallots. Sauté stirring until translucent, 1-2 minutes; do not allow to brown. Add the beans and squeeze on a few drops of the juice from the lemon. Toss until the beans are evenly coated and hot.
* Using tongs, arrange the beans on a warmed serving plate. Spoon the shallots over the beans. Garnish the beans with mint springs and lemon wedges.

I am going to withhold the chocolate mousse recipe, since in all honesty, it was pretty awful! I don't know what I did wrong, but it certainly counts as today`s cooking disaster.

Its That Day

Today. Today is that day. Its the day where there is a paradigm shift, and suddenly you truly believe that winter will end and spring will be here momentarily.

The sun is strong and warm. It is melting the mountains of snow and forming huge puddles. As you reach into the closet for your lined winter boots, you hesitate and reach instead for the rubber Wellingtons.

The wind, though blustery, is warm against your face, lifting your hair in teasing, instead of biting at your frigid cheeks.

Its more than the environmental signs though. There is a feeling, a giddy anticipation. People smile at each other, happy to have their faces freed from turtlenecks and scarves. I had always thought that the term "a spring in your step" referred to a coiled spring, but today I think it must mean that you sense the shifting seasons in the grounds beneath your feet - the warming, melting earth, preparing itself not just for a of rapid new growth, but offering us a forgotten buoyancy as well.

Senses are more attuned. Any splash of colour visible amidst the sea of melting white and grey, inherently seems brighter, cheerier. There is a smell on the wind, a hint of earth and trees and flowers carried from a distant land. You can taste it too, its there.

On the cusp of March and already all signs point to spring. If today is any hint of what's to come, we are in for a glorious season ahead.

In the Metal Garden

I think that I have not yet quite gotten the knack of buying supplies on-line yet. I am used to buying beads and findings by sight. The ability to actually hold the item in my hand, while comparing its colours against other potential mates; being able to size up the appropriate findings; being able to judge the scale and heft of the item with which you intend to work - None of these are possible when shopping online.

You must scrutinize all the given details, not just skim. Consider the measurements. Account for the fact that the colour you are viewing on your monitor may not be exactly like what you will receive. Remember that the photos of the item have possibly been taken under studio lights, whereas the piece when worn will be worn in sunlight, office light, candle-light, and none of these look the same. Viewing something in two dimensions is very different than seeing it in 3-D and with the naked eye. If an item has been photographed from different angles, look at them all. Certainly, I have learned, never just get sucked in by a pretty picture and bright colours.

Well, sometimes in one's excitement, all these lessons learned fly out the window. I have to admit recent guilt in getting sucked in by a pretty picture and bright colours. I have been ogling enameled bead caps for sometime, and a few weeks ago in a frenzy I ordered a sizable amount of them. Yesterday they came in the mail, and I realised that though were extremely beautiful, and the colours were spectacular, they were not exactly what I had hoped. Some were gigantic; others teeny-tiny.


I pulled out the beads that I had hoped to use them with, and none of them, not a single solitary bead cap would wrap itself around these beads. So I pulled out more beads, and tried more bead caps. I was getting discouraged as I discarded vial after vial of beads. Had I really wasted my money on these? In a final desperate attempt, I placed one cap inside another to see if I could, by layering, achieve a proper fit.

Well, didn't those two caps look lovely all snuggled together like that. The colours played off each other nicely and the difference in design made for a gorgeous textured look. I pawed through the pile in front of me and looked for another cap that would be pretty with it, layered it in. Continuing to skewer a variety of different bead caps, I finally arrived at a place I never expected to be. No longer were these bead caps I was playing with, suddenly they had blossomed into enamelled flowers. They remind me so much of vintage Parisian pieces, and I am as happy as I am surprised by the outcome.

This is the first one that I did. It reminds me of an ornamental cabbage while at the height of its colour.



This second one reminds me a pond lily:



I don't know if this resembles any type of flower that actually occurs in nature, but I love the soft vintage colours with the little pop of strong colour in the centre.



So far I am stumped as to what to do with them, although I think the cabbage flower would make a smashing cocktail ring, if only I can decide how to attach it to a ring. Darcy will be home in a couple days and he is far more mechanically minded and I suspect he may have a solution for me. As for the others, I am picturing brooches or maybe pendants.

Spring has Sprung

If only, right?

These sweet little primula bobby-pins are the perfect way to combat the end of winter doldrums. Something this cheery is bound to make you smile. Don't fret, real flowers will be popping up any day now.




Available now at String Me Along on Etsy.

Snow Days

Are there any two words in the English language that when linked together are capable of bringing such joy? Remember as a child, the breathless anticipation of clustering around the radio or TV waiting for the announcer to state the perfect phrase: "School buses have been cancelled"? SNOW DAY! On went the snow pants, and out the door you would race, crazy carpet flapping wildly behind you.

Now as an adult the same breathless anticipation as you cluster around the radio or TV, waiting for the announcer to utter the perfect phrase "City buses have been cancelled and residents are urged to stay off the roads." SNOW DAY! On stay the PJ's, and off you race back to bed to snuggle under the covers for another few hours.

Yesterday, a Monday, no less, was one of those glorious days here in New Brunswick. I haven't had a snow day in eons, so it was a very exciting day. A fair amount of snow fell here, and winds whipped the snow into perfect peaks. If it weren't for this signed reminder, it would be easy to forget that here in this snow bank is a fire hydrant.



Now that the snow day has passed and the city has resumed to life as normal, I am back to longing for spring. In the mail last week arrived these perfect little bird's nests, and they are the perfect reminder of springtime to come:



It should only be a few more weeks of winter wonderland before spring starts to seep across the land.

Favorite Things - Feb 23

Silk. Satin. Velvet. Wire-edged. Grosgrain. Organza. RikRak. Moiré. Ombre.

In a bow on a present. Looped around a pony-tail. As blue satin sashes on girl in white dresses. Trimming a pillow, or a tree. Replacing a necklace chain. Instead of string as a reminder on your finger.

Stacked in spools. Or flowing loose by the metre. A snippet saved from a fancily wrapped box.

I love ribbons. I love them in all their incantations, and for their multitude of uses. Though I love my new home in New Brunswick, there is one thing that I miss more than anything about my home in Toronto, and that is the Queen Street fashion district, where there are endless suppliers of ribbons and various other trims. Premier amongst these is of course Mokuba. I could easily wile away hours stroking the ribbons on their spools, as I surreptitiously wiped the drool from my chin. I most loved the subtle sheen of the organza ribbon selection and the subtle colour gradation and smooth texture of the silk ribbons.

I also have an utter weakness for the luxurious colours and textures of vintage velvet ribbons, and the feel of running a finger along a cheerily coloured slice of grosgrain.

There is nothing in this world that can not be made nicer with just a simple piece of ribbon. I keep every scrap of ribbon that I come across and I hoard it like a monkey in a banana tree. There is a certain romance and joy in the simplicity of the ribbon that makes it one of my most favorite things.

Happy Birthday to my Mom

Seventy years ago today my Mom was born. Mom, I wish you the happiest of birthdays, with many, many more to come.

Let me tell you a few things about my Mom.

1) She is the coolest Mom that one could ever hope to have. She is by turns silly and serious, but she is always strong, supportive and loving.

2) She makes wicked-good fudge. BUT... she also used to make this really awful meal called Porcupine Balls. There was no porcupine in them, but ugh... I shudder still to think of them.

3) Since I was nine, my Mom has had to be both Mom and Dad to me and my three siblings. Not an easy task for sure, but one that she has approached head-on, rarely faltering.

4) She has always been the best at reading stories. In "The Monster at the End of This Book", she always did a Grover voice, that still makes me happy. When I was a kid I also loved the Winnie the Pooh story where he got wedged into Rabbit's Hole after eating too much honey. In art imitating life, she once locked herself out of her home and wedged open a window enough that she "thought" she would be able to fit through. She didn't have to wait quite as long as Pooh to get free, but she admits there was a moment of panic!

5) She has always been my biggest fan and biggest supporter. Though I all too often think that I can't do something, she is just as often there to tell me that yes, I can.

6) She certainly has a sense of adventure that has not diminished with age. Last year at sixty-nine years old, and with little coaxing, she packed up her old life, and moved back to PEI, the home that she had left fifty years before.

7) She stands 4'10" tall. I call her "the little troll", and I mean it lovingly! She actually has the force of a giant and an ogre wrapped in one little package. Again, I mean that lovingly.

8) She is my Mom, and I am very happy that I am lucky enough to be her daughter.

Happy Birthday!!!


The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men - from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Something Delicious

I have a foggy head today, so I feel unimaginative and truly lacking in creativity. I wish I had some words to dazzle you with, but I do not. So to distract you, I offer you a tempting treat.



This photo was taken at the Dieppe Farmer's Market in Dieppe, NB. The vendor is Cafe Soleil, a local bakery and cafe that makes the most mouth-watering treats.

Hmmm... there is a definite theme this week. My sweet tooth is really being bossy!!

Dream Job

You may or may not know that I work part-time in a bookstore to help supplement my modest crafter's income, and also to occasionally get me out of the house so I don't devolve into a complete hermit lifestyle. My job at the bookstore is to take care of the gift section merchandising. I prefer to work with the books, but this job has its advantages. For example, I'm the first to know when things go on sale, and it also accommodates my slightly obsessive-compulsive need to line things up in pretty, colour-matched rows. The big advantage of the job at the moment is that spring is starting to arrive in the retail world and colours are brighter and lighter, and volume of merchandise is beginning to increase again as the meagre post-Christmas months get buried in the past.

This week I have been merchandising carton after carton of pastel coloured Easter goods. This year we seem to have an emphasis on old-fashioned style candy and it set me to day-dreaming, as is prone to happen. And as happens, the dream started small and morphed into something huge.

I started to think what a perfect job it would be to work as a merchandiser in an old-timey candy store. The type that has pastel coloured candy sticks and large swirled lollipops; whips of red licorice and brightly coloured pastilles; jar after jar of jelly beans and; intricately molded chocolate figures and exquisitely rolled truffles. How satisfying it would be to place gleaming glass vessels in a cluster and fill them with temptingly coloured and flavoured treats.



From there, the dream start to become a little all consuming. I imagined being the one to source all these beautiful candies. Look at these beautifully coloured and rolled lollipops from Hammond's candy. Aren't they beautiful?



Or imagine, maybe even being the creator of some myself. I would love to have a reason, after all, to invest in sets of giant copper pots and bowls. Think how incredible it would be to shop for all those wonderful glass vessels and trays that would look pretty all arranged together. Funny how every daydream eventually comes back around to me shopping.

And of course there is the chocolate. I have been spoiled since visiting Belgium just over a year ago. There is no such thing as a poorly arranged chocolate shop in Belgium. Every single morsel on display is a work of art, and such care goes into displaying the beautiful edibles. Here is a photo I took of chocolates made and displayed to look like bowls of olives:



Look at this window display. Notice the care that has gone into wrapping and decorating the boxes for gifting.



There is so much fodder for imagination when it comes to candy. Candy makes people happy whether remembering the treats that your grandmother would allow you to sneak from the lidded bowl on the coffee table, or childhood Easter egg hunts. The sweetness of candy comes from much more than just the sugar content, after all.

Building a Fantasy World - One Mini House at a Time

Somewhere in the spot of the brain that controls whimsy, I have given myself over to the idea that maybe, just maybe, fairies, pixies, elves, and other wee other-worldly creatures co-exist alongside us.

With that said, I want to introduce you to one of my favorite etsy sellers, thelittlereddoor. thelittlereddoor is the builder of what are easily the most charming houses to be found. They are petite, cheerily coloured little homes and cottages, made to house your gnomes and fairies. Think of it as Habitat for Humanity for the Other-World.



My little fairy home arrived in the mail the other day and I fell in love with it immediately. I am waiting patiently for a resident, and I hope to someday build a full-size version for myself:



In her own words, is an introduction from The Little Red Door herself:

Tendonitis in my wrists forced me to take a break from the potter's wheel a little more than a year ago. I started concentrating on hand-building, and my little houses came to be. I've always loved the aesthetic of a house's shape, and everything a house can represent: family, your very own space, comfort and security, and love. There are small collections of little houses all over my home. I gave my first little house a red door, and from that the idea for my Etsy shop evolved.

Each house is hand-formed from stoneware clay, etched and air dried. Truly each is one of a kind and unique from the other as it's impossible for me to identically duplicate them. The houses are kiln-fired to bisque, glazed, and fired a final time. It's absolutely wonderful to open the lid a day later and see so many pretty little goodies on the shelf, much like opening a present.

I enjoy making each house so much. I'm always thinking of the next type I can make, how to put a different slant on a house. So far I've made cottages, houses, gnome homes, fairy huts and even miniature sky scrapers! Lately I've been expanding into etched magnets, pendants, and little scene globes. There's no shortage of things one can create with clay!

Apart from her clay homes, thelittlereddoor also makes these adorable little felt ornaments. I have begun amassing a nice little collection of these:



Check our her shop on etsy, for lots of fun and cheery items.

Favorite Things - Feb 16

I have a little bit of sugar buzz while posting today. My new favorite thing is so sweetly delicious. It is a combination of two of my favorite things: a perfect white cupcake and lemon meringue pie, perfectly combined to create the lemon meringue cupcake. YUM!!

It is a little time consuming to make these beauties, but it is worth every minute.

First, start with your favorite yellow cake recipe and bake the cupcakes according to the directions. I used this recipe that I found on allrecipes.com.

While the cupcakes are baking, prepare your favorite recipe for lemon curd. I used this Martha Stewart recipe.

Remember to keep the egg whites from your separated eggs. They will be used for the meringue topping.

Once the curd has cooled, place it into a piping bag with a long tip. Insert the tip into the cupcake and squeeze gently to fill the cupcake. Be careful removing the tip as some curd will try to push its way back out.



If you have a stand mixer, you can start your meringue while you are filling the cupcakes. Using your 7 egg whites and add 1 cup less 2 tablespoons of sugar, to your mixer bowl. Using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium high until stiff peaks form. Have your oven preheated again to 350 degrees.

Once your cupcakes are filled and your meringue is stiff, use a teaspoon to top the cupcakes with the meringue. I used a nice even coat to start to ensure even coverage and then I scooped a little more meringue into the spoon and flicked it Jackson Pollock style onto the cupcakes to get the tall, thin peaks. The peaks are essential as these are the bits that will brown in the oven.



Put the cupcakes back in the oven for 7-10 minutes until the peaks have browned and the meringue has set.

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is one of those love it or hate it type days. Me, well I've done a 180 on it. I used to dislike it, but then 6 years ago my now-husband proposed. Since then, this has been a very special day for us.



It can be a very hectic life we all lead, so even if you are not a fan of the commercial aspect of the day, why not use it as an opportunity to let someone know that they are loved or appreciated. If you do not have a partner, call your parent, sister/brother, or long-distance friend. Maybe there is someone you know who could need a little cheering, and if so why not just do some small kindness for them.

A gesture need only be small to bring immense joy to someone else. For instance, yesterday I opened my mailbox to find a single small envelope lying within. It was this sweet, handmade card from my Mom.