Urban Comfort

Live from Jazz Fest

We're welcoming the second weekend of Jazz Fest in New Orleans, and even if you can't be here, you can still get a taste of it on our amazing local radio station, WWOZ, wherever you are. They're broadcasting live from Jazz Fest and will bring you the highlights from a number of different stages. Tune in today to help you get through that last day of work, and on through the weekend.

May your weekend be filled with music, horse racing, and of course, a Mint Julep.  Happy Friday!

Photo of Chris Thomas King from WWOZ

The Mint Julep

 
...and finally, the Mint Julep.  I give you two recipes, a classic Mint Julep from one of New Orleans' most revered bartenders, Chris McMillian (and if you think I've had a lot to say about the julep all week, check out this article from Imbibe magazine), and a prize-winning recipe for a Ginger Peach Julep from author Wayne Curtis, a New Orleans transplant. You can't go wrong with either. 

Classic Mint Julep

12 to 15 mint leaves, plus one sprig for garnish
1 ounce peach syrup, like Monin 
2 1/2 ounces bourbon
Superfine sugar

1. Place mint and 1/4 ounce peach syrup in a julep cup or 8-to 10-ounce old-fashioned glass and gently crush leaves with a wooden muddler, working them up sides of glass.

2. Loosely pack glass with finely crushed ice, then add bourbon. Drizzle remaining peach syrup on top and garnish with mint sprig lightly dusted with sugar.

Note: Peach syrup is a signature of Chris McMillian's julep, but you can substitute regular simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water).

Ginger Peach Julep

2 ripe peach slices
2 1/2 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounce ginger syrup (see note)
8 to 10 mint leaves, plus a mint sprig for garnish

 
1. Combine the peach slices, bourbon, ginger syrup and mint leaves in a mixing glass. Muddle gently, crushing the peaches and bruising (but not tearing) the mint leaves. Let the mixture sit for 2 or 3 minutes. 

2. Pack a highball glass (or julep cup) with crushed ice, and insert a straw. Slowly pour the contents of the mixing glass through a strainer into the ice-packed glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Note: To make the ginger syrup, combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water and 12 coin-size slices of ginger root in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a slow, rolling boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to a glass container and let cool to room temperature. Discard the ginger slices. It's ready to use, but for best flavor, cover tightly and refrigerate for 12 to 14 hours; store indefinitely.

 

 

 

Tool Talk: Crushing Ice

 
A few of my favorite summer cocktails, including the Mint Julep, require crushed ice. It used to feel like a daunting task, until I discovered some simple bar tools. 

1. The first is pretty old school - the Lewis bag. The Lewis bag is nothing more than a heavy canvas bag that wicks away moisture, keeping your crushed ice dry (wet ice dilutes drinks too quickly). This is the one I have, though I found this larger one on Etsy (and I do love to support the arts). I love the Lewis bag, and it's a breeze to use, though it's important to dry it out between uses. I just place it over a paper towel holder and let it air dry. But forget about the little wooden club that comes with it - useless. My husband found this mallet in an antique store and it does the job nicely. A couple of whacks and before you know it, we have enough crushed ice for the whole neighborhood. 

   

 

2. Another nifty little bar tool for cracked ice is the Tap-Icer. You can find vintage models, but here's a newer version, which is called an ice tapper. It works the same way the vintage ones do - you just hold an ice cube in your hand and tap it with the head of the Tap-Icer. Voila! Your ice cube shatters into small pieces. It's inexpensive and easy to store.

   

 

3. Lastly, I recommend the Swing-A-Way manual ice crusher. A vacuum seal secures it to your countertop while you use the hand crank to crush your ice. You can crush enough ice for two drinks at a time, which is perfect if you mostly drink with a partner. (If you have a lot of parties, spring for the largest Lewis bag you can find and a big wooden mallet.)

   

{Title photo via} 

Cheers!

Mint Condition

    
I'm looking forward to the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. There's just something about horse racing that quickens my pulse. It's all over in an instant, but I love the pageantry of it. And what would the Derby be without a Mint Julep, which I am also looking forward to. 

There's lots of debate about the best way to make a Mint Julep and everyone is pretty sure their way is best (a common trait of Southerners). But there is one thing I can tell you - a julep made with sad, wilted mint just doesn't work on any level. So I thought I'd pass along a little information that I learned in a cocktail seminar, The How's and Why's of Cocktails, taught by Audrey Saunders and Tony Conigliari at last year's Tales of the Cocktail. It's such a simple tip, but this alone was worth the price of admission.

Generally, if you're storing herbs for a while, you might stand them in a glass of water. They look nice, they take up water through the stems...not so fast. Mint gains absolutely nothing from having its stems in water. Apparently, mint takes in water through the leaves. So if you have a bunch of mint that's already harvested and you want to keep it fresh and crisp, store it upside down in ice cold water, with the leaves completely submerged. One other tip about mint - You might be tempted to use the largest leaves to make your cocktails, but there's a higher concentration of oil/flavor in the smaller leaves. Oh, and one more thing - If you're muddling mint for a cocktail, the goal is to gently release the oils. It's a common mistake to muddle it until it breaks up, but at that point, you're releasing bitterness into the drink as well. 

As the week progresses, I will share some tips on crushing ice and I'll make sure you have a couple of good julep recipes as well. But this tip will serve you well, regardless of whether you're using mint for cocktails or cooking.

Photo by Andrew Scrivani

Old-Fashioned Banana Bread

 
I'm feeling a little guilty this morning about the lack of creative projects on this blog lately. I've been busy, using up my crafting energy on work (and of course I can't share with you what I've been working on, just yet). During my down time, I find myself in the kitchen instead of taking on another craft or home project. So I'm starting this week with a recipe - and a very simple one at that! Please bear with me for another week or two, and then I hope to have more craft and home projects on board. 

At any rate, this banana bread recipe is from Big Sugar Bakeshop in Studio City, California. It's everything I want banana bread to be - super moist, slightly crunchy exterior. I had it for breakfast this morning, and I think it's a fine way to start the week.

Banana Bread

Unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
2 large, very ripe bananas, mashed
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch metal loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 1/4 cups of flour with the baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the oil, sugar and mashed bananas. Stir the banana mixture into the dry ingredients.

2. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for about 50 minutes, until the bread is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool for 15 minutes, then turn the bread out onto the rack and let cool completely. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar, cut into slices and serve.

Tip for the Day:

If you find yourself with an overly ripe banana here and there, just stick it in the freezer (without peeling it). Then, when you're ready to whip up a batch of banana bread, you'll have a stash of bananas at the ready. 

Happy Monday!

Food for Thought

 
If you haven't had a chance to see the movie Food, Inc., you can see the film online through Thursday, April 29th. The thought that "you can change the world with every bite" is a powerful one, and after you see this compelling documentary, you may look at your food differently...and buy differently. Slow food, anyone?

 

Inspired By: Sarah Lugg

 
I can remember the first time I saw British artist Sarah Lugg's work in Victoria magazine, when she was the Artist-in-Residence there. I was enchanted with her tag collages, these tiny little windows that all came together into one piece. Being a lover of natural elements, her work spoke to me in that realm as well. But I don't think I really understood how beautiful her collages were until I saw an original piece. What seemed so simple in print was mesmerizing in person - the attention to detail, the complex layering and texture. I fell in love.

It's been more than a decade since that time, and I dusted off a copy of one of Sarah's books, The Handcrafted Wedding. I still find her work so delightful and relevant and I'm still so inspired by her collages. They're a reminder to me to pay attention to the details, to observe what's right in front of me. So if you should pass me and I don't look up, nose to the ground, don't be offended. I'm just looking for treasures in the debris.

 

 

All images of Sarah's work from The Handcrafted Wedding

Souped Up Bookcase

  
My son will be four in August, and we've begun the delicate process of transitioning his toddler room to a "big boy" room. Delicate, because my son sees it simply as an effort to move him from the family bed we'd never intended to have (palms in the air, "but Mom, who will hug me if I sleep alone?!!"). So, a slow and subtle transition it will be.

I don't want to buy all new furniture, but I admit there's a lot of white, so I thought I'd see what I could revamp. A couple of weeks ago, a friend sent me a box of Chartpak charting and graphic art tape that had been rescued from a university bookstore dumpster. I have red, white, blue, yellow, and a little green, in multiple widths. Since my son has declared red as his favorite color, it seemed like a good tape to work with. I used two packs of 1/8-inch tape to outline his bookcase. According to the price tags, I would have spent approximately $8 for this little transformation.  

What do you think? Did I succeed in making this bookcase less babyish? (I think I'll also cover the knobs with a patterned paper or paint them.) The jury's still out with my son. He kind of shrugged at me, not willing to give an inch...yet. All he can think about is the BIG BOY BED.  Poor kid.

BEFORE:

 

 AFTER:

 
  

Living with Nature

 

As the weather turns, I find myself flinging open all the doors and windows, dirt and bugs be damned. It's just too enticing to try to bring the outdoors in. I'm lucky in that my older Southern home was designed to integrate the outdoors with the indoors, maximizing airflow in the hot summer months. There are transom windows that allow air to move even doors are closed, windows that open from floor to ceiling, and side galleries (porches) that create airflow throughout the house.

But airflow isn't enough for me. Because I work from home, I need as much natural light and greenery as I can get. To some extent, it's easy - I have shutters on most windows, which are easy to open and close, and I've eliminated window coverings in my office altogether, allowing me to see the courtyard in bloom. It makes a huge difference in my mood.

To encourage such mood elevation, I've been thinking of other ways to bring the season indoors. Here are some visuals that inspire me:

 
Garden benches add an instant outdoor feel to a dining area.
Photo from Natural Style by Janet Sobesky
 

  

All it takes are a few simple touches to summon the outdoors. The antique garden urn, cut fern fronds, and the pastoral landscape painting all stand out in a serene living room.
Photo from Better Homes and Gardens

 

 

I adore the tropical vibe in this small guest bathroom and the way that the light is maximized with filmy curtains.
Photo from Gardenhouse by Bonnie Trust Dahan

 
 
A well placed mirror can heighten the impact of the outdoors when it reflects a garden environment.
Photo from Thrifty Chic by Liz Bauwens and Alexandra Campbell

 
 
I love the dramatic statement these birch branches make in this airy living room.
Photo from Gardenhouse by Bonnie Trust Dahan

 
 
I never get tired of faux bois furniture, like this table and chairs.
Photo from House Beautiful

 
 
I'm crazy about this bathroom, despite its extreme masculinity. I want this mirror!
Photo from Domino

 
I almost installed a porch swing in my New York apartment. I still have some regret that I didn't do it.
Photo from Gardenhouse by Bonnie Trust Dahan

Title photo from Martha Stewart Living     

  

Pressed Leaves

  
It seems that the second the trees burst into their full glory, I'm already looking for ways to capture reminders of the season. It must be the Southerner in me. I like pressed botanicals, but I don't necessarily want them hanging on my walls; I like to prop them up on bookshelves or in glass-fronted cabinets, among other treasures. 

For casual display, I use canvas panels that I find at art or craft stores. They're sturdy, yet thin and lightweight. For longevity, I use acid-free materials, from my papers to my adhesive. I cover the panels with decorative paper, wrapping it around the canvas panel and securing it to the back with strong, double-sided tape. After that, I mount copies of old ledger pages or letters to the front of the paper covered canvas, using either spray adhesive or my trusty double-sided tape. I follow that by mounting pressed leaves on the paper covered panel, sometimes using a piece of archival tape to attach the leaf and other times using simple white craft glue. (Use trial and error to see what works for you. Some leaves are very flat and glue can easily be brushed onto them. For feathery specimens, I tend to just tape the stem to the paper.) 

Pressing leaves isn't complicated and you don't need a fancy flower press, though it can be a convenient thing to have if you tend to gather leaves while in transit. For the average person, all you need to do is place your leaves between the pages of a book (telephone books or dictionaries are ideal), making sure that the leaves don't touch each other. Weight the book with a heavy object or a stack of books on top and wait one to two weeks. For best results, select leaves that don't show any signs of mold or rot and pick them on a dry day, so that there's no excess moisture. Also, pressed leaves can be fragile, so tweezers are a good tool for transferring delicate items. Finally, know that the leaves will fade naturally over time. To delay the process, you can keep them out of direct sunlight.

Download Ledger Pages

French Letter clip art available from The Vintage Workshop (the color of the design was altered in Photoshop)  

The Wedding Cocktail

 
This is the cocktail I would have served at my wedding if my husband had created it by then (though he informs me that I would have to be marrying the bartender, since only true love could compel someone to shake up 150 egg white-based cocktails).  It's a beautifully balanced drink, gauzy and ethereal and absolutely perfect for an (intimate) wedding day, bridal shower, or brunch.  It's also perfect for springtime.  

Gran Gala Fizz

1 egg white
1 1/2 ounces Gran Gala Triple Orange Liqueur
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
3/4 ounce Plymouth Gin (recommended gin for this drink)
2 dashes Fee Brothers Grapefruit bitters

Place all of the ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake very, very well (a must for egg white- based drinks). Strain into a coupe; garnish with an orange twist.

Simple Syrup: Place 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil; stir to dissolve the sugar, then remove from heat and allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator.

Note:  Don't be tempted to leave out the orange twist.  Not only is it pretty, it lends an aromatic element that's essential for drinks made with egg white.  An egg white-based cocktail smells like wet dog after sitting for a little while. Aromatic elements such as citrus twists offset that tendency.  Trust me.

Cheers!

 

A Traditional Marriage

 
My husband and I are detail people. Sure, we can appreciate the big gesture, but ultimately, it's the little things that win our hearts.  So far, details have kept our marriage blossoming, and we're celebrating eleven years this weekend. Sometimes I feel like I married him just yesterday, and at other times I feel like we've been together a hundred years - and not in a bad way. 

So, with marriage on my mind, I thought I'd share a few of the traditions that we observe. The first involves champagne glasses. We decided just before our first anniversary that we'd buy a different set of (2) champagne glasses each year. The idea was that one day we'd have a 50th wedding anniversary party and would have accumulated enough glasses for all of our guests - we also thought the collection might make a sentimental family heirloom. We label each glass with the year and where we were at the time. Sometimes we buy glasses according to the current trend (such as the year when stemless flutes were all the rage or when champagne coupes came back into fashion) or at a cost level to reflect where we were financially in any given year...and then there was the year we bought water glasses instead of champagne flutes because I was pregnant. It's such a small thing, and yet we look forward to it each year.  It's hard to believe that, as of this weekend, we'll already have twenty-two glasses in our collection.

Another tradition in our marriage has been the keeping of a journal. We were inspired by the story of an English couple who traded the same birthday card back and forth for forty years, adding to the sentiment each year. We heard this story about a week after we got married and decided to take it a step further. There are no rules to our journal. We write to each other when we feel like it. Some years there are a hundred entries, some years maybe a dozen. It's one of my favorite worldly possessions, because the tale of our marriage is all there. There's laughter, pain, exhilaration, sadness, love, truth...all the myriad emotions and events that make up the fabric of a life shared. The years go so quickly and memories and moments are so fleeting. But this little time capsule keeps everything in sharp focus. 

Our last tradition is an ephemeral one, meant to end with our son. When my husband and I were dating and living in Los Angeles, we were on hiatus from the television show we were working on and we took a three-month road trip through the South. I was looking for a photographer in a small town two hours outside of New Orleans. We stopped for a cup of coffee and spent three weeks there, immersed in small town life and a cast of characters. There was the swamp, alligators, Zydeco bands, Cajun food, late nights, colorful and eccentric locals, and Old Coe, the moonshine man (now deceased). It was an amazing summer. 

Two years later, as I was driving through this town on my way to get married in New Orleans, I stopped off to visit friends and procured another bottle of moonshine to give to my husband as a wedding present (this   was not "white lightning," but an artful and smooth liquor). We drank it together the night of our wedding and on anniversaries and special occasions, finally saving just enough for our firstborn child to drink on his wedding night (or some other occasion of his choosing, should marriage not be in the cards). When my son was born, I went to Brimfield with him when he was three weeks old and purchased two rustic, but lovely little glasses. Again, it's just a detail, but it's meaningful to us and when we evacuate for hurricanes, we carry that bottle of moonshine along with us.

I don't know what other traditions we will implement along the journey of our marriage, but I'm so grateful to have a partner who understands that it's the small stuff that counts.  

Inkbloom

 
I hate to admit to jealousy, it's so unattractive. But that's exactly what I felt when I stumbled onto Inkbloom, the brainchild of designer Tanya Webb. (In my defense, It didn't help that it was the day I was failing to understand the basics of Adobe Illustrator.) Inkbloom, with downloadable designs and printable fabric and vinyl, allows everyone to be a designer. You can start with an Inkbloom design (or a design of your own), use the design as is or re-color it in a photo editing program like Photoshop Elements, and print it out on your inkjet printer. It's incredibly easy and armed with printed directions or Inkblooms' concise online tutorials you can be printing out designs in minutes. 

I'm obsessed with printing on fabric and I will try that next, but I decided to start with vinyl art. Loomtack™ is a self-adhesive, matte vinyl that can either be used as a fabric stabilizer when printing on fabric, or can be used alone (think custom-designed Con-Tact paper) to make labels, wall decals, die cuts (using a digital cutter), shelf or tray liners, etc. 

I had a good time coloring and re-coloring Inkbloom's designs. It's amazing how subtle shifts in color can really change the feel of a design. I could have spent all afternoon just doing that. But after printing out one design after another and searching for items to cover, I decided to completely switch gears. I tapped into my collection of digital imagery (so generously provided by other bloggers), and printed those items on Loomtack.™ Amazing! I made decals for apothecary jars (which makes me think how much fun I'm going to have making temporary decals for Halloween), embellishments for plain photo albums, and so on. I probably would have kept going if I hadn't run out of Loomtack™. 

Anyway, here are some of my projects. I won't bother with tutorials, since Inkbloom does such a great job explaining their product. Just head on over and see for yourself. However, should you decide to make a large decal for something wider than 8 1/2 inches, here's a simple way to create a larger pattern that lines up correctly (follow these directions AFTER you have re-colored and saved your design as a pattern):

In Photoshop:

1. Create a new file slightly larger than your surface area (ex: 17 x 20 inches)

2. Fill the entire 17 x 20 area with the pattern.

3. Save the file.

4. Crop half of the design (use the ruler as a guide) and print it out. Go to edit and undo, then crop the other half of the design and print out that half. (This allows you to line up your design perfectly, so that it appears seamless.)

Photo Album Covers:

  

Vintage Image Resources:

Trading Card 1  and Butterflies and Moths from The Graphics Fairy 

Mushrooms from Vintage Printable

Trade Card 2 from Just Something I Made  

I'm completely hooked - and when I do finally master Illustrator, I look forward to creating my own designs from scratch.  Let's see, until then...what else can I cover?

Passion Fruit Lemonade

 
I know that most of the country has been hit by a heat wave this week, so lemonade seems like a good option.  Back when I was looking for pure passion fruit juice in January, I contacted a company that I found online. They wrote me and told me that their products weren't available for mail order at the moment, but they'd stay in touch.  So when they launched their mail order business, they sent me four boxes of juice to sample!  I love that kind of customer service. (It reminds me of the time when Amazon was a new company and they'd send coffee mugs to thank us for being customers!) 

I think Vasso passion fruit juice is a good product. Each box contains the equivalent of 15-20 passion fruits and isn't heavily sweetened, like many juices are. It's not made from concentrate and it isn't diluted by less costly juices, such as pear, which are generally found in passion fruit juice blends. It's also available by mail order and costs less than the passion fruit blend found at Whole Foods. (And it has a good shelf life, so you can order it in bulk and save on shipping costs.)

I decided to make a syrup from the juice. I find that cooking the juice down really concentrates the flavor. You can mix it into your lemonade by the batch or just add it to taste.  This is the recipe I like:

Passion Fruit Lemonade

1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6-8 lemons)
4 cups cold water
1 1/4 cup passion fruit syrup 

Whisk all three ingredients to combine and serve over ice.
 

Passion Fruit Syrup

3/4 cup sugar
3 cups Vasso passion fruit juice

Combine in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil; stir to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat to medium and let the juice simmer for about 30-45 minutes, or until reduced by about half.  Let it cool to room temperature.

I haven't tried it yet, but I suspect this syrup would also make a great sweetener for iced tea. Or you could top it with club soda instead and make a passion fruit soda.  

Have a wonderful weekend! (Perhaps I'll see you at the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival on Sunday.)

*Update:  If you're in the NYC area, you can find Vasso juices at Garden of Eden, Amish Market, West Side Market, and Foodcellar & Co. They will be expanding into other retail markets in the coming weeks. 

 

 

Vintage Groove

 

I admit, I was taken by surprise when I heard that Making Memories had gone into the jewelry business. I had grown accustomed to boxes of paper goods and trims, but was completely unprepared for the bags of jewelry pieces that showed up on my doorstep. My first thought was that there was no way this was for me, intimidated and out of my element. 

But Vintage Groove, the jewelry making line designed by Jill Schwartz, is a lot of fun and user friendly. It's the kind of jewelry pieces that you might find in flea markets (it definitely reminds me of the costume jewelry I used to buy at flea markets with my grandmother  when I was a child.) Some of the pieces are sold in groups, others as individual pieces.  Chains can be taken apart, added to, and turned into necklaces or bracelets. In the end, you create a piece of jewelry that's uniquely yours.

It was slow going at first, but I looked over some of Jill's other designs in her Elements line and suddenly got it. Forget matching and making everything look linear and perfect, this was all about freedom and not taking yourself too seriously, and letting things get a little funky and fun. Once I embraced that aspect of the jewelry, designing became a lot easier. 

This necklace is my first attempt at designing, and other than twisting jump rings open and shut (easy to do with two pairs of pliers, also sold in the line), there really isn't any technical skill required. I think this would be a fun group activity - have everyone buy a few packs of pieces and chains and get creative. The entire line is available at select Target stores and A.C. Moore, so the price point is good, too. 

Now, on to a bracelet...

 
 

Cocktail Garden

 
 
My garden is a disaster, i.e. virtually empty. There was a brief, shining moment when we experienced bounty. The decline started when we lost our favorite banana trees to Hurricane Gustav. That was followed by extreme temperatures and little rain, which taxed even the hardiest of our plants, despite our watering efforts. This winter, a late, surprise frost turned everything tropical into brown sticks. Overall, I'm not sure I'm cut out for gardening. 

But the one thing I do every year is plant an herb garden. It's easy to plant and maintain, and the rewards are great. This year, my focus is on creating a cocktail garden. I do cook with herbs, of course, and there will always be a supply of the basics on hand. But summer so often brings impromptu guests and alfresco dining, and utilizing herbs in cocktails just makes sense.  It's a nice way to embrace the season. 

If you'd like to plant a cocktail garden along with me, I'll be sharing recipes over the summer. There will be cocktails, of course, but also ice cream recipes, sodas, lemonades, infused syrups, and the like. 

Here's a list of some of the herbs I'll be planting in my cocktail garden - 

Basics found in most garden stores or nurseries:

• Rosemary
• Sage
• Sweet Basil
• Thyme
• Cilantro
• Spearmint (I find you can never have enough mint. Whatever you think you'll need, double it. Plant it in its own pots or it will overtake everything else.)

Worth Searching Out

• Culinary Lavender (Dried lavender is excellent for infusing spirits and syrups, and a little goes a long way. Fresh flower buds also make a nice garnish.)
• Lemon Verbena (Sometimes you can find lemon verbena at farmer's markets. You can also order it online, which is what I did last year. It grows from cuttings, rather than seed. Plant several pots.)
• French Tarragon
• Cinnamon Basil
• Anise Hyssop (look for Agastache foeniculum)
• Lemon Balm
• Shiso (aka perilla or Japanese basil)
• Thai Basil
• Lemon Grass
• Flavored Mints (I'm intrigued by some of these - orange and pineapple, in particular.)

Mail Order Source - The Growers Exchange

Use this Tower of Herbs design from Martha Stewart Living - perfect for compact spaces.

 

 

{main image via}

 

Island Getaway

   

I've been bogged down in deadlines and endless hours of crafting lately. I can always tell when it's time for a break, because I become obsessed with home projects. (That's my idea of relaxation - take a break from crafting and remake a piece of furniture. I can't help myself.) My current obsession is the kitchen island. I haven't been able to find an island I want that I can actually afford, which means I'm going to have to be creative. Here are some of the beauties in my inspiration file.  Do you have any you'd like to share with me - especially DIY projects?

 
A vintage baker's table was converted into an island with a sink.  I'm enamored with the three-legged chopping block, too.

 

 

 

  

I love how this cart was cleverly turned into an island simply by adding a table top.

 

 

This laundry-folding table-turned-island would be perfect in my kitchen.  I like the zinc top, but I'd probably switch it out for marble, which is great for baking.

 

  

A curved French console married to a home improvement store cabinet. What a great example of DIY genius.

 

  
A farmhouse table converted into a simple island/breakfast area

 

This is shown in a home office, but I'd definitely use it as an island. Notice the industrial baking pans (bread pans) underneath - what a great way to store kitchen utensils in an island without drawers.

 

 

This is more along the lines of my budget. It's not my dream island, but I really like the way they customized a very simple base piece.        

 

 

Coconut Cake

I know this is starting to resemble a baking blog, but I can't help but share this coconut cake recipe with you. I make this cake in the spring, and it's become an Easter tradition for our family. It's a show stopper of a cake, with its three layers and billowy 7-Minute Frosting. You can make it the day you're serving it, but I find that the cake gets better and better as it sits. I usually make the cake and filling portion the day before and assemble it.  Then, I make the frosting a few hours before serving (the frosting does not have the same shelf life as the cake).

Coconut Cake:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups sifted, self-rising flour (I prefer White Lily brand)
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
4 Tablespoons milk
7 ounces flaked, sweetened coconut

Make Cake:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans.   

2.  Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy.  Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour.  Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. 

3.  Divide batter equally among prepared pans.  Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4 inches above counter, then dropping it flat onto counter.  Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. 

4.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. 

5.  Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes.  Invert cakes onto cooling racks.  Cool completely before filling and frosting.

Make Filling:

1.  Stir together sugar, sour cream, milk, and coconut in a bowl until well blended.   

2. Invert first cake layer onto a cake plate.  Using the wrong end of a wooden spoon, poke holes approximately 1-inch apart, until entire cake has been poked. 

3. Spread 1/3 of filling mixture on cake layer.  Top with second layer, repeat process.  Top with last layer and repeat process again. 

4. Frost top and sides of cake with frosting and sprinkle coconut on top.

 

Coconut Cake Frosting:

3 egg whites
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup cold water
1½ cups sugar
¼ plus 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1.  In an electric mixer bowl, combine the egg whites and the vanilla extract and set aside. 

2.  In a medium-size saucepan over high heat, combine the water with the sugar and the cream of tartar.  As mixture begins to bubble at edges, stir once to make sure the sugar is dissolved completely, then let come to a rolling boil (about 2-3 minutes) and remove immediately from heat.

3.  in a medium-size bowl, on the medium-high speed of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and the vanilla extract with the whisk attachment until foamy, about 1 minute.

4.  Without turning off mixer, pour the sugar syrup into the beaten egg whites in a thin, steady stream.  Continue beating constantly, on medium-high speed, for about 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form but frosting is still creamy.  Frost cake immediately.

Generously sprinkle top with shredded coconut.

Happy Easter!

 

Here are two Easter postcards from 1909 that you can download for your collection.  I hope everyone has a very happy Easter!

  

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