postcards from a concrete garden

new blog

2010-03-25T16:43:00.001Z

Spring has sprung & change is in the air. And so I've decided to set up shop with a new blog. If you'd like to continue following my adventures in the kitchen, around the garden & bumbling through life, then please mosey over to sausageandpeppers.org - cute, huh?

Thanks to all who have read my rambles from the concrete garden thus far. I will be continuing on in a similar manner, just want to refresh my focus & polish things up. I hope you'll join me (and Sausage... and the husband) over in our new home on the webs.

(Remember to update your reader/bookmark/following device if you're stickin' with me!)

my bendy dog

long weekend

2010-03-04T11:20:00.000Z

I've been cooking up a storm & making some exciting plans for the patch (at least I like to think so) but I'll have to wait to share the specifics because today is like Friday for me. Home friends Melanie & husband Brian just arrived from Boston this morning. I was up late last night (it was like Vacation Eve for us too) & up early this sunny morning to bake banana nut muffins. Mmmmm. Banana nut.

We love having visitors. You're all welcome to stay in Stoneybatter with us should you ever find yourself in the neighborhood. Sausage even asked for a bath so she would be all soft & flowery smelling for the new folks who would be petting her non-stop.

Check out those fingers!

Last night I took my second stab at Neil's new favorite low fat super fudge brownies. According to the mister, I'm really on to something with those. They are too good & fairly healthy & like lovely super dark chocolate turned into a dense, fudgy square. I also tried making my own crackers for the first time. Simple flour 'n olive oil crackers with sea salt & "magic" Shaker spices (a lovely Italian mix we put on everything). It was busy in the shitty kitchen last night. And smelled kinda awesome.
We're lucky to have some much-needed sunshine today. That always seems to happen when visting Americans arrive. I'm really excited to have a long weekend of meandering around town, sipping coffee while looking at the city through first-time visitor eyes, stopping into pubs for afternoon pints. And of course, catching up with old pals that I feel like I only saw for 5 minutes at the wedding. (Oh, the wedding.)
This is the good stuff.
Pictures & updates to follow once vacation time is over. Enjoy your weekends, all.

black friday

2010-02-26T12:56:00.000Z

Today is Johnny Cash Day + I am dressed all in black in his honor. I think Johnny Cash would like my little underdog garden. And the bits of homecookin' that come out of my crappy kitchen.

Like homemade bread. Such as this rye bread that I made the other day.

Homemade bread is another of those things that is often intimidating. Does one need a bread machine? No. Does one need a lot of brute strength? Not really (not if you have a stand mixer + even if you don't, the average elbow should have enough grease in it to suffice). Does one need a lot of time? Yes. Yes, you do.
Or really, I should say, just some forward-planning. Because your dough can be going through its scientific metamorphoses, mysteriously bubbling away + miraculously doubling in size, while you go about your business. So don't be put off by bread recipes that seem to take upwards of 8 hours. It doesn't mean you have to dedicate all 8 hours to staring in awe into the mixing bowl as the magic happens.

I followed this recipe that originates from The Bread Bible cookbook, via Smitten Kitchen. I changed it up a bit, using organic wholemeal flour instead of white. No malt or honey because I had none (though I'd like to try to include it next time). Whole caraway seeds + olive oil.

It was a near perfect success, though I'm still coming to grips with my shitty oven. I haven't quite learned how to time things in the alternate universe that it seems to operate in. All three of the risings looked great, yet in the end the baked loaf (or round, I should say) ended up flatter than it should have been + a little on the hard side. Just fine for toasting (and very, very tasty) but it makes the cutting after day one more like sawing through wood. But that did not take away from the taste. I enjoyed two very yummy, very skinny sandwiches for my lunch the next day.

MMMM. Rye bread.
I will experiment with cooking temps, times + tins next time. Hubs really enjoyed this.

dispatches from the concrete patch

2010-02-25T16:12:00.000Z

As work continues to stress me out & Dublin continues on bein’ wet & cold, let’s take a moment to look at this.

Signs of life in the mismatched pots. I can't tell you how happy these tiny bits of color make me right now.

Those are bird's eye glimpses of my crocus, hyacinth & tulip bulbs making their presence known.
This is how the concrete garden was looking last Saturday. Bathed in rare sunlight & perhaps a harbinger of spring? Maybe. (Though I woke up to a light dusting on the neighbors' cars this morning, so maybe not yet.)

Hydrangea buds.

Mini mini carrot.

And inside the homestead...

Saturday sun shining on a tin can full of flower seeds. And a succulent arrangement I made that reminds me of my wedding.
So... spring has sprung… almost.
Would you believe it snowed later that night?

leopard print pill box hat

2010-02-20T21:42:00.000Z

Love this. Imagine making your own little pill box hat from pieces of a cereal box & a roll of tape?

I probably wouldn't buy one of these 'cause I'd feel silly wearing one. BUT I'd feel ever so glamorous sporting one I made myself. (I recently wore a little electric blue wool skull cap that was meant to be a hat - very proud of that one.)

Image from sovintagepatterns.com. Inspiration + how-to by Threadbanger.

(I'm doing this tomorrow.)

homemade vietnamese wontons

2010-02-19T17:49:00.000Z

When I discovered Andrea Nguyen’s vegan wontons recipe on design*sponge not too long ago, I had already embarked on this “from scratch” kick that’s been occupying me in the kitchen lately. So I thought it was about time I tried something a bit more advanced. Something a little intimidating. I view these little nuggets as advanced. And like homemade spaghetti or Grammy's gnocchi, it certainly intimidated me.

But unlike some pastas of the long strand variety, no fancy machinery is required for these wontons. Unless you count my favoritest thing in the world right now

Bear in mind, a KitchenAid mixer isn't technically required, but it's so fun & makes a very easy task even easier. (And really, what’s easier than flour & water for making simple dough?)

This recipe, more formally known as Poached Vegetable and Tofu Dumplings with Spicy Oil (yum), is really surprisingly simple. The steps & all measurements are so precise & really so small – I was shaking my cynical head as I composed a teaspoon of this & a half teaspoon of that. I’m normally a big handful of this & a lump of that type of gal. But these seemingly microscopic ingredients add up to one mighty tasty morsel.

The end result – my first try! - was fantastic. So impressed with myself! You could easily make a ton of these & freeze them for future quick meals (as a main course or dropped into soup).

Light-yet-filling, low-fat, so tasty & just darn to pretty to look at. Well, maybe not in this lighting, but check this out for proof of tastiness

Mmmm. Lovely gingery, garlicky, with a hint of heat, perfectly textured crumbled tofu (read: not squidgy, cause Neilo doesn't do squidgy). Dashes of soy with toasty sesame add even more layers to this unsuspecting little dumpling.

We served ours with my own version of fried rice: brown rice stir-fried with bits of egg, more sesame oil & wilted bok choy.
{Note to defensive meat-eaters, who might otherwise bypass a vegan recipe, mistaking it for a pile of sprouts - don't. This isn’t a watered down vegan version of something else. Yeah sure, you'll find it stuff with pork in other places, but this recipe is so satisfying with its harmonious, aromatic flavors & made simultaneously light & somehow hearty by using nutritious tofu to fill it out.

Poached Vegetable and Tofu Wontons in Spicy Oil
From Andrea Nguyen {modified slightly to suit what we had on hand}
Serves 4 as a snack, 6 to 8 as a starter - we kinda lost count to be honest!

1/4 pound tender leafy greens, such as mustard leaf, baby bok choy, or spinach {We went with spinach}
3 ounces firm tofu
3/4 teaspoon minced ginger
1 small scallion, finely chopped, white + green part
Generous 1/8 teaspoon salt {How exactly do you measure 1/8 tsp? I just did a pinch}
1 pinch white pepper
Scant 1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/4 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry {I left this out completely}
1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus extra for garnish
24 wonton skins, homemade or store bought **See easy wonton skin recipe that follows
1 to 2 tablespoons chilli oil {or a lovely little fresh green chilli like I used! Just seed as needed, chop & let steep in oil of your choosing)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 small clove garlic, minced + crushed into paste
3 or 4 sprigs cilantro, coarsely chopped {Left this out too}

1. Fill a saucepan with water & bring to a boil. Add the leafy greens & blanch until tender. Drain immediately, flush with cold water & drain well. Finely chop & then put in a dishtowel. Squeeze to remove excess moisture. You should have 1/4 firmly packed cup.

2. Put the tofu in the dishtowel & squeeze to remove excess moisture. {I usually put the whole block on a paper towel on a dish, cover with another paper towel & lay something heavy, like a pot, on top, then leave until lots of moisture comes out.}
Transfer tofu to a bowl, mash, then add the chopped greens, ginger & scallion, combining well.

3. In another bowl, combine the salt, white pepper, sugar, 1 1/4 teaspoons soy sauce, rice wine (if using) & the sesame oil, stirring well. Pour over the vegetable & tofu mixture, and then vigorously stir to create a compact mixture. Cover the filling with plastic wrap & set aside. Makes about 1/2 cup. Mine measured more than 1/2 cup!

4. Fill each wonton skin with about 1 teaspoon of the filling, creating triangles or nurse’s caps (form a sealed rectangle, then bring the two folded corners together, cross then seal). Remember to moisten the edges with water before folding & seal well. As you work, put the finished wontons on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet that’s been lightly dusted with cornstarch. When done, loosely cover with plastic wrap or a dry dishtowel to prevent drying. {I didn't do the cornstarch thing, or the plastic wrap & all was fine + dandy}

5. To cook the wontons, fill a large pot half way with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add all the wontons to boiling water, gently dropping each one into the water. Use a wooden spoon to nudge them to prevent sticking. Return the water to a gentle boil & then lower the heat to medium to maintain it. After the wontons have floated to the top, let them cook for another 3 minutes, until they are translucent.

6. While the wontons cook, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, chilli oil, canola oil & garlic on a serving plate or shallow bowl. Taste & make any flavor adjustments. Add a touch of sesame oil for nutty goodness, if you like. Set near the stove.

7. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to scoop out the wontons from the pot, pausing above the pot to allow excess water to drip back down. Put the wontons in the dish with the sauce & toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro & serve immediately.

Unbelievably simple wonton skin recipe from Recipezaar here. Enjoy.

Schmalentine's

2010-02-14T14:22:00.000Z

You think I'd learn by now. Yet, this morning - as I have for the past 4 years, I fell into a Valentine's Day trap.

Neil, stereotypical Valentine's curmudgeon, swears up & down how stupid the day is, how he's not getting me anything. So not wanting to be the one fool who buys a card or does anything too special, I stick to simple baking (which I do a lot of anyway, but I just put the word "valentine" in front of whatever it is I'm making - hence, today's valentine brownies). And then he goes & does something really sweet anyway.

This morning, after having a terriblenogoodverybad night spent writhing around on the bathroom floor with stomach pains from the depths of hell, followed in the wee hours by fitful sleep, I had a lovely breakfast in bed. And this:

He knows I love green things. And goofy schmaltzy things. And I'll admit it, cards. Not just a cookie cutter card. But something funny, a little stupid, preferably with a monkey on it. Or in this case, a bear.

He didn't even realize it I bet, but this card is very similar in, um, tone to the very first card Neil ever gave me. My first birthday card from him. And then, even more girly giggle inducing, this was my first card with the word WIFE on it.

I couldn't help but feel like an ass - AS USUAL - for not having anything on hand. Well, I had made my own low fat dark chocolate brownies from scratch last night before the pains set in, but somehow not having them on a pretty plate for morning presentation left me feeling a little lacking.

So I used his red envelope & mades a tiny response card.

I don't think it's all about store-bought presents & boxes of chocolate, but just the act of getting a little schmaltzier than usual. Just for an afternoon or morning. Handmade paper sentiments, ladybugs filled with flowers. Anything baked with cocoa.

Happy Sunday.

My first Valentine confection 4 years ago today. See the encouragement I get??

taking a moment

2010-02-13T13:49:00.000Z

I'd like to use this blog in a diary-like fashion for a moment.

Basically, there's been a real hubbub happening in my tiny world recently.

Yes, first it was my laptop problem. But now it's a little more serious. As in, losing my job serious. And what better place to air a few rattling thoughts than a humble blog where a handful of nice people come & visit? It's just that little bit better than talking to yourself. Or the dog. (Though I enjoy doing that too.)

Without getting into it too much, my job is in danger. As you might expect, this kinda blows not having a computer plug out of the water. To say I'm distracted & a bit stressed is putting it mildly. So I apologize in advance for being erratic in both my blogging as well as in my personal life, if you are reading this & fall into both worlds.

But change is good right? And what better test can a newly married couple take on than changing the way they live & think about the future in the face of drastic financial changes? We can handle it. We can handle anything (right?) & we are keeping our chins up. "Chins up!"(old family motto:)

I think the best way to approach something that, on the face of it, seems terriblehorriblenogoodverybad is to use it as the spark you've been needing to make changes, get on with things & basically get sh*t done. Which for me, means finally making some changes that will put me on a better path career-wise as well as personal happiness-wise. I've been more motivated than ever since getting married & starting the new year. But now it's a little more urgent. I think we can all relate to that.

I expect this blog to change too, which I've been contemplating for a while but haven't really gotten around to (ya know, due to that whole getting married, losing my computer, having my salary slashed thing recently). So you can expect some changes here & I am grateful that any of you might be patient with me & follow along as I figure out what my purpose is (I mean on this blog, not in the universe - that's a bit heavy).

I have an overhaul in the works that I hope will give my blog a little more polish & focus. I plan to post more regularly & on more cohesive topics (though not completely, cause that's the fun of it). I'm also contemplating a complete move to another format. Anyone have any strong feelings about other blog services other than Blogger? I'm researching Wordpress right now. Will I go down the multi-blog route - one with a food focus, one for the personal mish mash? I haven't quite decided.

Anyway, that might explain why I keep changing the blog title & header picture. It's kind of like when you think you might get the can & start obsessively re-organizing the plants on your desk. Or perhaps in those student days when your thesis deadline was looming & you found the task of rearranging kitchen cabinets irresistible? Surface housekeeping as a means of procrastination & creating a sense of control.

So that's that. I'll announce any major changes as they happen. I also have a few more posts planned that I hope to get to this weekend. I made some rather awesome vegan wontons from scratch recently that beg to be shared. And with V-day being tomorrow, I hope to bake up something chocolatey & wonderful today. As ever, even though it's arctic outside, I've got the gardening itch too.

I'll leave you with a cute mental picture: it's Saturday morning. Neil's working some overtime (good husband). Sausage & I are snuggled up in our room easing into the day, when those weird people start knocking on the door selling... LOGS. Seriously, is this something that happens in other countries? Neil seems to think it's the most normal thing in the world ("What's the deal with those people?" "They're selling logs." Carries on watching TV). Door to door tracksuit-wearing LOG-PEDDLERS? Are they stolen or something?? Anyway, poor Saucy goes *mad* when they knock on our door. It just happened.

The Sauce in more relaxed times.

i defy you, laptop

2010-02-05T15:54:00.000Z

It's a hectic day at work today, but at least it's Friday. So I have a late wake up call, some yoga & general pottering around to look forward to tomorrow.

To pass the day today, I'm fantasizing about surrounding myself in vast quantities of spring bulbs. As the teensiest of green starts to poke its way out of my many mismatched pots out in the concrete patch, my bulb fever is coming back with a vengeance. I'm just browsing because really how many pots can I *actually* have out there? Plus, the ones I'm waiting on are my first ever & I hear they're tough, so maybe my heart will be broken come spring.

For now, hope springs eternal - is that how the saying goes?

Isn't that a pretty sight? Imagine that greeting you some chilly spring morning. (That's what we have here, chilly spring mornings, most likely covered with drizzle.)

I hadn't really considered planting MORE bulbs, having already gone a little bulb crazy in the fall. I always relate bulbs to fall. But if I coul d possibly have beauties like this in my garden, I'd happily go bulb-mad again & get some more dirt under my nails.

2010-02-04T17:46:00.001Z

Balls.

My internet rambling will be halted for the foreseeable future... at least until I fix my computer woes. It's sad how reliant I am on this little silver machine for making me feel connected, amused, knowledgable, productive. I have a few creative projects at the midway point, a few written things I'd like to finish up, some purchases, trip planning & wikipedia diagnoses I'd like to do as well. Humbug. And now all I have is my husband, dog, TV, DVD player, books, nature to keep me occupied? Double balls.

All those projects will have to wait until I'm back up & running with a new bought-with-cash fancy computer machine.

Just so I don't feel like I'm not accomplishing anything, I can tell you that Neil finally allowed me to capture his kitchen wizardry on video so the first episode of Neilo & Doodles Kitchen Canoodles* is not too far away. He made this delectable green curry:

I also continued on with my rice krispy fascination by trying the fluffernutter krispy treats I mentioned before. Very tasty. Still can't quite get the amounts right to form a neat little bar, but the sticky clumps of marshmallow, PB & dark chocolate is yummy.

In lieu of an actual recipe, since my quantities were questionable, you can follow a traditional rice krispy treat recipe involving butter, marshmallows & cereal.... and take it to the next level by using peanut butter melted with globs of that monumental non-food stuff treat (FLUFF) instead of the mallows & dump that sugary slop on top of rice krispies tossed with chunks of dark chocolare. Oh boy.

Unintentional bonus - Fluff is vegan! :)

*Name has been changed to amuse myself & embarrass Neilo.

an edible wedding dress

2010-01-29T19:17:00.000Z

Lazy blogging today because I'm having a sick day. I made rice krispy treats again, though they seem rather pathetic compared to a cake in the shape of a wedding gown. Cake by Lukka Sigurdardottir. Story found via Food2.

two things making me happy

2010-01-27T17:31:00.000Z

A bit of randomness of a Wednesday (as they say).

This morning, as I sipped my blueberry coffee (yum) I happened upon the mysterious world of... people who really dig typography. Like really. I love printed things too & over the past year or so - which involved planning a wedding (thus sewing the seeds of paper obsession), becoming more crafty & trying to keep my creative spirits up with small pretty projects - I actually started getting into this myself, downloading free fonts & trying to make small things in my life look better - including my words.

So of COURSE I followed a link to an unknown (to me) website to find out what type I am.

In case you're curious, I am Archer Hairline. (Finally!) Which in fact is a rather purdy set of letters, if I do say so myself. (If only it were free to download - you'd be basking in its glory right the flip now!) Am I really predisposed to quiet cries in the bathroom & small exclamations of emotions? Not sure, but I do like the pretty little dots at the end of the elegant letters. And so this leads to the more esoteric discussion of what our choice of typeface - in publishing, advertising, our own designs - says about us. I'm telling you it's downright fascinating, as is the history behind the creation of all these fonts. They're like little time capsules, they are.

After taking the fun quiz, I fell into one of those I-should-be-getting-to-work-now link holes (you know, you click on this link, then this link, then this one - oops! you're late) & ended up on a blog all about obsessing over fonts - ilovetypography.com.Yep, it exists. I found that fascinating, too.

Take that printed word pledge (over there, on the right) a little bit further & don't just commit to reading the letters, but take a closer look at them, psychoanalyze them a bit & appreciate them for all their culturally insightful, psychological mumbo jumbo glory.

Oh, nearly forgot to mention the second thing making me happy today: it's PLARN. Yes, PLARN. "Yarn" made from recycled plastic bags. Yes, it's all the rage & like a good art deco typeface, it's got me under its spell.

**pics found via ilovetypography.com + typefacts.com/die-besten-fonts

"3 months is a long time" chocolate cupcakes

2010-01-26T16:27:00.004Z

Last night, the cowboy & I celebrated 3 months of marriage. We had leftover thai green curry waiting for us, so in lieu of an elaborate, romantic meal, I whipped up some simple chocolate cupcakes.

I think we should eat cupcakes (or something just as sweet) on the 25th of every month.

This was also a long, overdue excuse to test drive the KitchenAid. My oh my, isn't it a wonder! Maybe I'm just so used to beating/whipping everything by hand, but it felt a little indulgent to use not a single arm muscle. I turned it on, stepped back & just watched in awe. Neat. (At one point, I found myself losing my senses & using my HANDS to stir the last ingredient in - this will take some getting used to.)

These are the little nuggets unfrosted. Like little chocolate muffins.

Last night we ate a few with some leftover Mexican chocolate frosting slathered on top, but they disappeared too quickly for me to take a picture. Here's how they looked in December.

Simple Chocolate Cupcakes

*loosely adapted from Joy of Baking*

1/2 Cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 Cup (240 ml) boiling water

1 1/3 Cups (175 grams) all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup or 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature (if you can wait for it to warm - I can't)
1/2 Cup white sugar
1/2 Cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 generous teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C or Gas Mark 5) & prepare your baking cups, tray or whatever you plan to bake these in (I tried mine in my new silicone muffin tray - no butter required! - plus, leftover mini cupcake cups).

2. Whisk the boiling water into the cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside to cool.

3. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder & salt. Set aside.

4. In yet another bowl, cream the butter & sugars by hand or by magic mixer.

5. Add eggs, one at a time & continue beating until smooth.

6. Beat in vanilla - preferably something you bought on honeymoon (adding an extra teaspoon of lovely memories for flavor)

7. In increments, add dry mixture & mix only until incorporated (don't over mix).

8. Add in cooled cocoa mixture & again only stir until incorporated (here's where I lost me marbles & used my own arm to stir!)

9. Scoop in messy spoonfuls into your prepared muffin tin or cupcake cups.

10. Bake approximately 15 minutes, though I find every oven is different - & mine downright sucks - so really I judge by eye. You want it to rise up a bit, be a little springy to the touch & when a knife or something pointy is inserted down the middle, it comes out clean.

Then, please tell your husband to be patient & let these cool significantly before attempting to take them out of the pan. Because they will be crumbly, though really nice & warm. Mmm. And if you foolishly frost them while still warm, the homemade Mexican frosting will get all ooey & gooey. Double mmmm.

**The frosting was homemade last December & frozen. My brain is too broken to recall the exact recipe but it involved confectioner's/powdered sugar, cream cheese, dark chocolate, cinnamon & a touch of hot chilli powder. I kept adding confectioner's sugar until it was like frosting, but not enough to make it as stiff as store-bought, which I liked. You could say it was my version of this recipe from FoodNetwork's Ingrid Hoffmann.**

krispy sunday

2010-01-24T10:59:00.000Z

This is timely. I've been experimenting with my much loved rice krispy treat lately. I haven't posted it yet because I haven't gotten it right yet. The other day I made a very tasty but very crumbly, somewhat healthy krispy treat involving peanut butter, sunflower seeds, walnuts, cranberry & dark chocolate (not enough PB though so they didn't actually turn into bars).

But please look at this. If only I had seen this before we got married...

A rice crispy treat wedding cake. Genius. Found this through Food2. Very creative.

Can't wait to try the fluffernutter krispy treats I've got on my mind right now.

all roads lead to strata

2010-01-22T08:00:00.001Z

We're big fans of eggs in this house. Well, maybe it's more accurate to say the husband is a huge egg fan & I go through phases. If I think about them too long, I get freaked out. It's not that I think that the yokes are melted baby chicks (anymore) but as a non-animal-as-food kinda gal, eggs sometimes put me into a philosophical food quandary. More often than that, though, they just strike me as kind of... gross.

BUT! The majority of Saturday mornings, I am all in favor of those enigmatic, nutrient-packed little balls of fun. We're big time into big weekend breakfasting. We used to eat breakfast in bed every weekend, would you believe it, but that was before the kid (dog) came along. Now we sit on the couch & watch Soccer AM.

Long story long, I was quite thrilled to come across a new-to-me way to prepare my eggs, other than scrambled, badly poached or omelettized. As I delve further into slower, more thoughtful homecooking that takes just that bit more effort, I find myself rewarded left & right. Take this Italian breakfast dish, for instance.

A strata, as far as I can tell, is basically made up of many eggs, milk, bread, cheese & some patience while waiting. (Strata meaning layers in Italian & uh geology - though I was getting romantically confused by Fellini's film La Strada, which means The Road - it's close, right?)

Is there a traditional vegetable/meat used by traditionalists? Not sure. The recipe that piqued my interest came courtesy of Smitten Kitchen, involving my favorite leafy green. As usual her drool-worthy photos are probably what convinced me that a dish that requires preparation the night before, then patient waiting through sleep & another 45 minutes in the oven the next morning, would be worth it. (Neil needed some convincing - he cooks fast.) But as I've said, I'm into slow recipes these days, putting in the extra time to get it right, experimenting & spending QT in the kitchen.

So I deviated from the Smitten recipe & that's OK. A simple search online, you'll find enthusiasts everywhere pairing portobello mushrooms & asparagus, tomatoes, snausages, fakin' bacon, broccoli, you get the idea.

As usual, my tendency to deviate from recipes (dear god - 9 eggs?) means I can't transcribe exactly what I did with mine. But really, I think you can judge it mostly by eye & personal preference, also taking into account the size of your baking dish & how many eggs you want to consume today.

In the end we used 5 or 6 eggs. I think I started with 5 then realized I needed just a bit more coverage of the assembled jumble so I whisked up another. Honestly, I can see where they came up with 9 eggs because I could have used more, but like I said, if I made it we would have eaten it. And half a dozen melted baby chickens just seems like too much for one morning.

I sauteed a small onion in butter (how decadent), adding freshly ground pepper, sea salt, thyme, basil & a touch of hot chili pepper. For a little color I added sliced red pointed pepper. Then I tossed several handfuls of spinach into the pan to wilt & removed the pan from the heat.

In a bowl I whisked all those eggs with a couple cups of milk (the real stuff, which I bought especially for this - I'll try soy next time). I probably added more of the spices to the egg mix too. Why not, right?

I tried my best to cube a day old baguette of an Italian-type bread - at least several cups worth. You want a lot of cubes, people.

I buttered my new, fabulous stoneware baking dish (love it) & layered the bread cubes, the vegetable mix & grated cheddar repeatedly until dish was full.

I then poured the egg mixture over it all (adding that extra egg when it looked like the whole pile wouldn't be covered). You should ideally cover all the fillings with the liquids, though I like the way the bread cubes poke out of the top. A nice rustic touch. I've seen recipes that call for half & half and full slices of white bread. That just seems wrong.

Then, to your hungry loved one's dismay, wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap & stick it in the fridge for the night. You can then go back to watching terrible Friday night TV, whilst explaining to said loved one why you just looked like you were making scrambled eggs at night but came back into the living room empty handed.

The next morning, distract your other half with Soccer AM while you bake your fancy egg dish for about 45 or whenever the top of the strata is gloriously golden & a knife stuck in doesn't come out dripping in raw eggs (cause that would mean it's not done). Mine might have taken about an hour but then again my oven sucks.

Next time, I'll try soy milk to make it more heart friendly, a more interesting or sharper cheese, perhaps some different veggies for variety. This one came out lovely & subtle in spice. But we like a kick. A nice bonus was that the small bit of leftovers became denser at room temperature & made for a yummy afternoon snack that could be eaten by hand. An awesome brunch dish that can be made seemingly light years ahead of time. But please don't call it a casserole - it's far too fancy for that.

lovely & impractical

2010-01-21T20:26:00.000Z

We've been blogged! (is that what you call it?)

The fabulous Meg of A Practical Wedding has featured our us as one of her wedding graduates. It felt a little intimidating writing my own thoughts for someone else's (highly eloquent & very clever) blog, but it's so amazing reading all these comments from nice people I've never met. Oh, the blog love!

taking a breath

2010-01-20T21:51:00.001Z

It's been a rough time recently all over the world, though I don't see much point in blogging here about Haiti, hometown politics or any of the myriad wars & miseries happening at any given hour on any given day. Instead, for now, I'll allow myself a tiny bit of escapism. I paid a modest donation for earthquake relief via yele.org (which I hope to repeat in the near future). For now, I'll just sit back & feel a little useless, while meditating in front of these two pieces of eye candy on my desk:
The scent that comes from my forced hyacinth is delightful - you can smell it even before you reach my seat. And pictures of angelic pets really gets you through the day, don't they?

Right now, I'm daydreaming about escaping here. We have a road trip in the offing - maybe we will make it to the Catskills & hang out in an Airstream trailer.

I like the sound of this too. School kids + gardening = bright idea. Is it because of that one suddenly warm day earlier this week that I'm suddenly feeling inappropriately spring-like? I know I have a while to wait yet.

Here's to appreciating all that we have, big & small. Because, if you're reading this, you're probably very lucky indeed. Have a look around & see.

food for thought (or rather, food for talking)

2010-01-11T21:06:00.001Z

I’ve always loved food. Obsessed, you might say. And I tell ya, I never really could trust somebody who didn’t feel the same. Yes, these people do exist & I have met a few in my time (though I tend to scurry quickly away because they give me the willies). Some people out there just see food as a necessity or, on the more extreme end of sad, a necessary evil. Like gas for an indispensable vehicle, rather than the edible magic that it is. Can you imagine?

Leaving aside tragic people & the creepy feelings they inspire, let’s talk recipes. Maybe it’s just our, um, age or recent nuptials (sounds better) that have pushed hubs & I into being way more domestic than we were a couple years ago. We now live in our own little abode (own, as in no roomies) which we try our best to make homey & cozy without putting holes in the wall. I've been making lackluster items with my hands & trying my best to grow (apparently miniature) vegetables in the cement patch. And we are making our first stab at parenthood, too. All growed up, you see.

So, lucky for me, I married a fella who loves food as much as I do. Our idea of a successful weekend includes adequate couch time with the resident sausage, in between forays into the kitchen for elaborate curries & pot pies, epic breakfasts & baking experiments that go on for weeks. Squeeze in a good flim, plus the requisite play time with the pup (perhaps a light dusting of snow flurries) & I’m in heaven.

It only makes sense then that I find myself talking & therefore blogging about food. And there are so many fantastic foodie blogs out there - perfect for stealing all my time. There’s no greater escapism than finding a new recipe, food story or tasty new blog on a cold Dublin morning, as the paper work piles up & all are sneezing & complaining around you in that cubicle sorta way. I get endless enjoyment from reading about other people’s kitchen shenanigans, taking note of tasty new recipes & especially soaking up art-in-its-own-right food photography.

A particular interest of mine is taking traditional / comfort / much loved dishes that are meat-centric & making them meat-free. Cuz I'se is a meat-free lady. I love Rick Stein even though he's constantly gutting fish & frying poor defenseless shrimps. I also REALLY love the Hairy Bikers & they are so into meat, you could say they are starting to resemble their main ingredient.

I also swing the other way into the wild world of quinoa & spelt & things that in dried form look like rabbit pellets but are packed with nutrients & make a mean addition to chili. And we need more adventurous, humorous, meat-free cooking out there. I'm on it, don't worry.

I’ve had some lip-smackin’ success in the kitchen recently that I’d love to share with the wider world, but I have a problem. Recipes: they ain’t my forte. My cooking is usually a happy accident – I hardly ever pay attention to measurements of herbs & spices. I’ll sprinkle on some cheese until it looks like enough cheese. You know? Only with baking do I pay a little more attention to cups & teaspoons because that just seems like a more delicate art form.

Thus, I admit it. Like Rachael Ray before me (yeah, I said it) I believe an eyeball is the best measuring tool you can have. When’s the last time you measured out a tablespoon of olive oil when sauteéing something? Really? I don’t.

But I’m going to try to get more specific when I think I have something worthwhile to share, whatever leads me to the world’s best chocolate cookie or causes a disastrous sauce to ruin my day.

Did I mention I got a KitchenAid mixer? Look out Food Network.

and now i'm a wife

2010-01-05T12:00:00.001Z

I've started off the new year all revved up for change & new projects (not a bad thing) but perhaps without spending the necessary time on quiet reflection that is so vital. And that's not like me. I'm all about favorites, best of's, to do lists, dream lists, what I learned from my summer vacation style personal essays & the like. But I, like most people, have a lot going on in this little head of mine right now concerning the areas of home & work so maybe it would behoove me to step back & take a moment . Or two. Or twenty.

As previously mentioned, in the mad dash leading up to the Crimble holiday, I had so many things I wanted to rant about online. A lot of which was inspired by my good pal Kristy, who seems to ask the most interesting questions about life & love on her cutely named blog, I'm Gonna Marry You Someday.

And today I read a post of hers that once again really struck a chord with me. I too can remember the butterflies of anticipation in the days & months before my hubbie finally popped the question. I didn't have as many "this is it" moments, per se. The proposal was definitely not out of the blue, but for how long we'd been talking about getting married before that, with more of a when rather than if, I can't really say. Isn't that funny? It was probably only two years ago, but I can't recall when exactly our first hesitant uses of the words "when we get married," said initially with a hint of humor as a means to test the water with each other, gave way to a real & definite plan. Somewhere along the way, the conversation about if & someday, become when & where. How delightful.

He did end up surprising me though. It wasn't a moonlit walk on the beach or a dinner under a spraying fountain. (Kristy, do I get all my romantic inspiration from you & Mike??) On a relaxed Sunday afternoon at his family's local pub, we visited with his aunts & uncles & grandma, enjoying a few pints of the black stuff - not exactly your prime spot for a proposal.

This isn't a photo from the proposal day but it was taken by lovely Aurora a while back when she was in town with her Sandy. A romantic spot, no?

A little bit of local color

Anyway, he whipped out the ring that he just happened to have in his pocket (no seriously, it was in his pocket to bring it home for a more elaborate & conventionally romantic proposal the following day) & it turned out to be a perfectly imperfect strangely romantic but more importantly happy moment in the presence of family - including one rather delighted granny.

And now I'm a wife.

If I were to pinpoint something I miss, for me it's not so much the anticipation of the proposal, which I kinda knew wouldn't include fireworks or a mariachi band (imagine that?) but more the period of simply being engaged. That anticipation of the Big Day approaching, the waiting stretched out over a year & a half, the budding obsession with wedding websites (which still hasn't totally abated), the endless thoughts about flowers & decoration ideas, menus & dresses, iTunes playlists with a Mexican wedding vibe - I found all of it (even the online budgeting tools, the spreadsheets & the more boring logistics) to be thrillingly fun! I'd go to sleep every night a little obsessed, unable to sleep for the visions of centerpieces & cupcakes dancing in my head. And I know that at times I tipped dangerously into the obsessed-and-losing-sight-of-what's-really-important zone, but for the most part I enjoyed the meticulous planning, the hours of scouring ebay for finds, the fun process of designing my dress.

So yeah, I miss that. (But lucky for me I have two- COUNT 'EM TWO - best buds planning their own weddings right now. So the fun continues vicariously!)

But I have to say, so far, being a wife is pretty great. Sure, we have yet to add a mortgage, baby or any major couple challenges into the mix yet, but that'll come when it's time. For now, the husband & I are laying low, putting together the first twigs of a nest egg, trying out elaborate recipes & watching movies. And that's pretty great, too.

***Honeymoon feet in Mexico***

snowy new year

2010-01-01T15:24:00.000Z

It's a new year. A new morning. The sun is sparkling on newly fallen snow (you heard me), so instead of diving headfirst into the mini mountain of things I've been meaning to post - the recipes, the gift projects, the happy bits of news from my near & dear - I'll simply start with this.

I've got many small ideas for the new year & I'll get to those... a little later. For now, I'm thankful for the fluffy white stuff outside, such a rare site in wet Dublin. I'm thankful for my first holiday season with a husband & a dog.

I'm thankful for new beginnings, new seasons, new plans... and a sunny, bright & freezing cold day off.

I've got Muppets on the TV, a mug of cinnamon hazelnut coffee in my hand & a living, breathing jelly bean shaped hot water bottle curled up beside me.

Happy New Year all.

merry crimbles!

2009-12-24T14:07:00.001Z

Happy ho ho ho everyone!

I've been meaning to post for days... especially about the sharing of holidays, cookie baking & other related holiday subjects... but all the wrapping, eating & general fun got in the way. I will most likely ruminate on those topics during my few days off - AFTER I enjoy season's eatings with the in-laws!

I'm all packed up & husband, dog & I are ready to go!

Hope everyone's holidays are very merry & bright.

puppy of the day!

2009-12-18T22:31:00.000Z

Friday loveliness just keeps on comin'!

My little darling was chosen as the Grown Up Puppy of the Day today on dailypuppy.com.

You have no idea how happy this makes me. I just posted her pictures on the site this week & I wondered if she'd get chosen. (Do I sound like a crazy pageant mom?!) She's my universe now, as everyone around me knows, so I nearly peed myself at work today when I opened the page, expecting an onslaught of adorable other people's pups, when there she was! Those big brown eyes peeping up at me over her chew bone. *sigh*

It makes me feel all fuzzy inside to read the comments people left. People are so passionate about their animals - it's nice to know that other crazies like me are out there, loving their four legged friends & finding happiness in other folks' furry pals - even if only through photographs.

If everyone had a pup like Sausage, there would be no sadness in the world. FACT.

Here's to the doggy of the day!

friday loveliness / it's snowing!

2009-12-18T12:36:00.000Z

Yaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy! YAY!

It's snowing! For anyone familiar with Dublin, you know what I mean by snowing. Not American sized monster snow. Not shoe-able snow. Not even ball-able snow. Just a light dusting. But for this place, that's a big deal. And I'm stupidly excited about it.

I actually don't know where this photo was taken, or when, but it kind of looks like my neighborhood (the buildings, not the snow cover). Cars were (half) covered with snow when I walked the pup this morning. And jaysus it was cold! Then I stepped out of the office just now & little mini hail balls - ok, possibly passable as snowflakes - were stickin' to my head & flying around, bouncing off the sidewalk.

I love it. Makes it a little more not-so-bad to *not* be home for the holidays.

insta-memories

2009-12-16T17:23:00.000Z

Here are the instant snaps I took the other night at our festive little shindig in Stoneybatter. Twas much fun for all. Endless cookies, Guinness & festive "Celebration Ale," Johan's homemade mulled wine, freshly shattered Christmas walnuts from Leyla. Ah, you can't beat Christmas.
Poor Stef just took a red nose to the eye in this one.

christmas nibbles

2009-12-15T11:51:00.001Z

Our first Christmas party was a success! A fun, little, semi-civilized, low key success, which is kinda how I roll these days. I don't think anyone even spilled anything (I did hear someone calling for a cloth at one point, but I never saw spillage so it doesn't count). I got the instant camera out - the one that captured my fave wedding pics - & managed to catch some of the fun for posterity, but I'll have to bribe someone with a scanner at work to make them digitable for me. Until then, let's look at the food.
The baking started days before. As did the laundry, apparently. These were simple sugar cookies in festive shapes. Some stacked as sandwiches with chocolate hazelnut spread in the middle.

I like that some of them are wonky.

Some half dipped in semisweet chocolate with crushed candy canes.

These were absolutely yummilicious! Definitely my favorites. Super intense double chocolate (a delicate & crumbly chocolate dough with giant chunks of very dark chocolate thrown in just to push them over the edge). I sort of ended up adapting both the smitten kitchen recipe & the food network version. To die for, I think.
Chocolate mini cupcakes with my own frosting, chocolate with chilli & cinnamon.
Dessert station.
These were only some of the sweets! (Almost forgot to mention my chocolate dipped pretzels.) Do you like my homemade cupcake tower? A vintage cake tin, a mug & plate. Classy.
These ones didn't fit onto the sweets table. Crispy, totally bad for you almond florentines, with un-artistic chocolate drizzle. I also drizzled the salt & pepper bowls and the counter in the process. I like the composition here, although obviously the best companion for Guinness would be the chocolate cookies.

It wasn't all gluttonous sweets, mind you. We had this unusual thing - carmelized onion & apple tart.
Plus husband's wonderful mediterranean quiche (sundrieds, olives, spinach & feta), his curry paste marinated chicken breast, chicken fingers, cocktail sausages & Quorn spicy "chicken" nuggets, my favorite. Do you like the Santy table cloth & scary clown paper plates? Neil picked those.

Speaking of cocktail sausages...
Please look at what her feet are doing. Too cute.

Pre-party living room, all nice & clean & full of pup.
Notice our new tree topper? My dream of an all pint-of-Guinness Christmas tree is happening very slowly...
Homemade felt Guinness pint ornaments.
I've made a grand total of three. Merry Christmas!

happy monday

2009-12-14T14:42:00.000Z

This post on design*sponge made me think of you, Kristy. All the dreamy puff balls made from coffee filters, larger than life fairy tale theme pairing tree stumps with paper cut-outs & candlight. It reminds me of that wild window display you saw with your mom a while back. I had a lovely Christmas bash at my house on Saturday. I thought my decorating skills were pretty good, but this spread makes my house look like chopped liver. (I did however put tea lights in recycled spaghetti sauce jars - so great minds do think alike.) Ah, holiday decorating. It's fun, isn't it?

All this seasonal eye candy helps to lift me from the dark Monday doldrums. So much so that I'm going to get the photos from Saturday & stick 'em on here shortly. Ho ho etc.!

friday yumminess

2009-12-11T17:41:00.000Z

Happy Friday, world.

I forgot that when I first started this makeshift-online-journal-project-thing, I had hoped to start some repeating posts, like Friday Loveliness (or Bowie Fridays), Curry Saturdays or Sausage Mondays. Cause it sounded fun. Yet I haven't really. Oh well, I'm not very consistent.
I am however completely consumed by baking at the moment. And here's why: tomorrow, the husband & I are hosting our first ever soiree as a married couple. What fun! Remember our first Christmas tree? Yep, this is the first Christmas PARTY. And as homesick as it makes me to miss the annual Howley Jowley Christmas Bash back home, I was reminded recently about how things don't stay the same & how that's a good thing. I think of that in reference to the new change to my lifelong routine, the infamous Trading of Holidays, which most married couples have to deal with.
As much as I fear change in general & love the fact that I'm nearly thirty & still wear my flannel lollipop pajamas everytime I go home, I'm no longer 100% sad about staying in Dublin for the holidays. New traditions & all that. (Though I still cry when anything vaguely related to "Home" or "Holidays" features in a sitcom - and god help me if that 80s Hallmark ad comes on!)
Hence, I'm going whole-hog for this Crimble gathering. Our house is tiny & basically a cramped dump hole, but we've gone all festive, threw tons of tinsel around the place & I'm going cookie mad - starting tonight! (well, technically yesterday) I shall report back on the success or failure of the following sound-like-they're-to-die-for recipes:
* melt in your mouth chocolate sable cookies from smitten kitchen
* shout out to the old country Italian festive florentines
* various dunked & non-dunked shapes of sugar cookie
* & my own concoction of pretzels, chocolate for dipping, broken candy canes & whatever nuts I have on hand
*oh & probably peanut butter stuck in somewhere for good measure ;)

There will be plenty of non-cookie food too, of course. Namely, Neilo's famous quiches. Delectable (I hope) photos to come.

Season's Eatings!

concrete garden update

2009-12-09T12:34:00.000Z

I don't know if I have good news or bad news - I just know I haven't written about my gardening adventures in a while.
We were gone for nearly a month & the weather was changing pretty dramatically at that time. Needless to say, things were looking pretty wild when I got back. Bulbs seem to be popping up already (anyone who knows - is this normal?) The things that were dying are definitely dead, except those stupid tomatoes refuse to move. We got two decent ones out of the whole lot. The rest just teased me, hanging on in mini green form, then stalemating. I'm over it though.
I think I screwed up my first attempts at growing vegetables in containers, unfortunately. Could this be the result of not thinning properly?
Introducing, the World's Saddest Carrot! This is, believe it or not, a vast improvement on the "onions" I was supposed to be growing in another pot. I pulled out a tester and there ain't nuthin' down by the roots. Smells like an onion though.
According to the seed packaging, these two items should be ready for harvesting NOW. I'll leave things a while longer. Maybe it's all this climate changing going on that means you can't trust the standard growing times anymore. (Climate change? But isn't that all a myth anyway? ;)
Well, one good thing is the late blooming hydrangea. Seems she had one more ruffly bundle to offer before retiring for the winter. How nice.
So, it's a mixed bag for the moment. Some dead stuff, some things growing slower than expected, and then some green life popping up & making its tentative debut in the world. Here's to the new year! I hope it's full of onions, carrots & pretty spring flowers.

monday flowers / wedding star: Weeds Floral

2009-12-07T11:39:00.001Z

It's cold, I didn't sleep well over the weekend & I'm WICKED thirsty, still I'm in pretty good spirits today. Must be the encroaching Crimbles. In any case, even though it's winter, I feel like looking at beautiful flowers today. How perfect that I happen to have a few pictures of the lovely wedding magic that our florist created for us!

Catherine Thompson, of Weeds Floral Design, was quite possibly the most helpful & talented person I had the pleasure of working with in planning our wedding. I found her early on, which unfortunately meant I had months upon months to become obsessed with flowers & change my mind I don't even know how many times. The only firm thing I knew starting out was that I wanted the flower element to be somewhat simple & subtle. No need to spend thousands on expensive (and wasteful) decorations when you're getting hitched at the Four Seasons, right? I don't really like the idea of too many cut flowers or creating waste or using environmentally un-friendly products either. Also, I love succulents. We were getting married in a desert region & I wanted to pay tribute to that. And I love the color green. So, that's where we started - low cost, simple, seasonal & local plants, greens & natural shades, succulents. From there, I must have changed my mind a million times (a pink accent color? purple? succulent bouquets? roses? orchids?) and would you believe I never even really made a solid decision regarding bridesmaids' bouquets?

And yet somehow, Catherine came up with this.

My bouquet was a beautiful bundle of cream garden roses & ruffly hydrangea (that I like to think matched the ruffles on my dress). Accented with big green leaves & those greyish, green little branches (I'll have to find out the name) that somehow brought my muddled vision of a natural, desert vibe meets vintage glam meets down home romance to life. Can't you just see it? (Oh & you can't quite see it here, but it was tied with a deep green ribbon, laced up with a thinner golden ribbon & decked out with a dangly green & purple cluster of beads. Gorgeous.)
And the maids' bouquets took my breath away. This is the thing that I had left unclear in my haste & Catherine created something more beautiful than I could have imagined! Delicate purple orchids mixed with lavender hydrangea, bits of green, some cream colored orchids for accent, tied up with ribbon & rafia. It was beyond description for me! Exactly the unique, exotic yet classic tone that I could never put into words. I mean, I almost wore a Hawaiian gown to this wedding & Neil was my cowboy. You can see how many ideas we had!

She also added the most lovely little touches to the already fantastic Fountain Terrace, where we had the ceremony. Lucky for us, the venue had these brown, wooden folding chairs that perhaps some people wouldn't like, but to me they were perfectly suited to the small bundles of cream sweetpeas tied with deep purple ribbon hanging down to the ground, the scattered lavender petals on the aisle, the imposing fountain with its trickling sounds & crazy tropical statues. It amazes me now, looking back, how perfect this setting was for us & our "look." Again, Catherine's beautiful choices added just what we needed to add a subtle signature of our own to the Four Seasons. Can't you just get that 1950s Palm Springs, Hollywood playground, laidback glitz thing we were going for?

I just have to post this pic, too. Look at how perfect Jessie's outfit is? We knew we struck gold when we stumbled upon that dress in Dublin (in the first place we looked, actually). Look at the purple shoes! Everything about this wedding seemed to be a happy, perfect accident. (Didn't me & Neil eat at *Serendipity* one night? Now, who's getting corny?) Catherine's flowers are the perfect compliment to the vintage-style tropical floral design on Jessie's dress.

And Jackie's dress was a last minute find, after the first dress we initially picked turned out not to fit properly. Wasn't this just meant to be? Can I use the word perfect again?

Back to the decor. I say decor because Catherine went above & beyond flowers for us. Like I said, we didn't budget for (or want, really) a massive flower element in the wedding. We had some other elements of decoration though to add our personality (which is sometimes hard when you're using an already-dressed hotel setting). Sure, it still looked like a 5 star hotel (not a bad thing!) but we made it our own with our own photo frames, handmade signs & posters, vintage cigar boxes, a display of vintage Vegas postcards found on eBay in lieu of a guest book... Plus, Mexican wrestling masks & Guinness hats & an instant camera to capture it all. And all of this Catherine helped make possible. She helped us get all of these bits & pieces halfway around the world & put them all into place for us on the day. We couldn't have pulled it off without her & her team. (What about when you think, half an hour before the wedding, "Um, how am I going to get my video camera downstairs? What am I going to do with my purse?" - Catherine to the rescue!)

More pics -

A few more elements we came up with that really took things up a notch visually: the brown bamboo mats I picked up in Ikea, the giant green monstera leaves as mats beneath the arrangements & the cupcake tower, the blue & clear mason jars we sourced ourselves & sent to Catherine. All the little tea lights, our Day of the Day bride & groom, the girls' bouquets put into jars on our sweetheart table, the old printing blocks I found & used as backwards table numbers.... I'll use the word one last time: PERFECT.

Just like Weeds! Thank you, Catherine. Now, can we do it all over again?

*** All above photos are copyright Jill Jennings & Highland photography. Please do not reproduce.***

even merrier saturday

2009-12-05T09:40:00.000Z

If you happened to miss last night's post about the Christmas tree... never mind. I hadn't realized that my video was a little messed up. (That's what you get for uploading videos on the sly with the volume turned off, while pretending to "work" at... work.)
Anyhoo - this should be better. (Note the John & Yoko style audio at the end :)

Happy Christmas everybody.

Please note that after watching ourselves on video, we realize that a) we eat a lot & b) we need some belts!

Ho-dee-ho ho.

our first tree from susie morrell on Vimeo.

love in the indian ocean

2009-12-05T00:39:00.000Z

Feeling a little sentimental, I decided to watch something I hadn't seen in a while. A short film I made last year with footage from our trip (of a lifetime) to the Maldives. It is quite possibly the most beautiful place on the planet, both the natural surroundings & the people. It seems rather appropriate to post it now, since it includes a young couple taking part in a traditional Maldivian wedding ceremony, as well as our friend Ahmed serenading us with a happy anniversary song. (We were there celebrating the anniversary of meeting each other, which now happens to be our wedding anniversary.)
Funny, I don't know why I hadn't thought of this little film sooner.

Love in the Indian Ocean from susie morrell on Vimeo.

merry friday

2009-12-04T17:33:00.000Z

we got our first christmas tree the other day. this marks our first christmas together as a married couple, our first christmas together period, our first christmas with sausage... so many firsts. so for posterity, i filmed it being brought to life.

enjoy & season's greetings.

our first christmas tree from susie morrell on Vimeo.

wedding star continued - Whirlingturban

2009-12-01T17:26:00.002Z

A while back I had the good intention of highlighting all the stars that contributed to my awesome wedding & I also had the intention to start blogging with some regularity. Well, trying to do anything with regularity while planning a wedding (even a small one!) is kind of futile. So now that I'm married & trying my best to rejoin reality (kinda trying) I'd like to revisit one very special contributor to The Best Party I've Ever Thrown.

I mentioned Whirlingturban & the sassy lady behind all the fabulousness, Katherine Robinson, in an earlier post, but now I've got the photos to prove why I'm absolutely in love with her & all her creations.
I wore a Whirlingturban original both on my wedding day & a few nights earlier to my tiki-themed bachelorette night on the town. It sounds so schmancy to say a [label name] original, doesn't it? And believe me, it felt that way - times ten.
After careful measurements, tons of emails & a few, fun little Skype chats, Katherine & her talented team of Balinese seamstresses had my exact stats in hand - my precise fitting numbers, all those quirks God gave me (like my short legs & my mini torso) and of course my vision, as convaluted & vague as it was. From that unlikely recipe for a wedding gown, they created not one, but two stunning pieces of tailor-made perfection for me that looked straight out of my vintage fantasies.

The process was unbelievably easy (for me), hardly any stress, just some enjoyable correspondence & then like magic these two dresses came into my life. Seriously, when I tell people that I never once met my dress designer or had a fitting in person, they can't believe it. (I do hope I get to meet Katherine, Honey & Mindra one day - you now, when I'm galavanting around Bali.)

So without further ado, let me officially show off Whirlingturban's handiwork. And my wedding dream come true in the form of a dress...

I promise to follow soon with decent photos of my tiki-inspired bachelorette gown. I've already worn it twice! If only I could wear it around town doing the shopping...

Do Something Good Every Day

2009-12-01T15:50:00.000Z

This morning, in the spirit of giving (and well, caffeine) I responded to one of those Starbucks emails I usually delete (I signed up for a card to get free soy milk - what of it?!) because it told me that if I bought a coffee today, it being World AIDS Day, the coffee behemoth would donate a few cents to the cause. So out I went & when I was buying my tasty toffee nut hoo haw, I found out I could start using a (Product)Red card instead & continue the little donations all through the year. OK!
So here I was feeling all inspired & warm inside, with my little Red pamphlet on display by my computer, reminding me (and passersby) to DO SOMETHING GOOD EVERY DAY.
Then something started to nag at me. Didn't I hear the words RED and BONO in the same sentence on my clock radio this morning? I was half asleep but, hold on a second...
Oh, great. A few wiki reads later & I suddenly feel like garbage. Well, not total garbage. I mean, contributing to a very small donation to a good cause is better than a punch in the throat, but as I perused the (Product)Red - man, it's hard to keep up those parentheses - with all its ads for GAP, Nike, etc. I started to feel a little creepy. I mean, I was just buying a coffee, for crying out loud. I wasn't actually doing much good for the world. But do lots of people out there switch off the potentially philanthropic portions of their brains once they buy their "Red" lattes, thinking, I'm all set!

And then I found this. Instead of allowing multinational companies to make even bigger profits by simply turning out even MORE stuff, albeit with stylishly "charitable" themes, to continue to use dodgy means of production & avoid fair living wages and to donate questionable portions of said massive profits - WHY DON'T WE ALL JUST GIVE? That's the idea behind BUY (LESS) - as in BUY (LESS) CRAP.
I love it.
Like I said, if you're gonna buy a €4 cup of gingerbread joe, you might as well have Starbucks donate 5 cents in the process. (only 5 cents?!?!) BUT don't forget to donate to real charities who need it most. And donate all that extra blood you're not using while you're at it.
Seasons greetings!

That Monday feeling

2009-11-30T11:37:00.001Z

It's been a difficult task trying to move on from the wedding. I know it's all self-inflicted, but I can't get away from this feeling of needing to tie up loose ends before I can feel 100% past the wedding. Some people I know can just return home from their honeymoon, all rejuvenated & fresh-faced, ready to take on the world; others move past their wedding without much thought (I mean, it's just a wedding after all, right?). But I find myself these days feeling a little overwhelmed with seemingly simple tasks like writing thank you notes, emailing photos to loved ones, organizing prints for our album... Little fun things, right?

I'm not complaining. They really are little fun things. Actually, I'm lucky that all these tasks lend themselves perfectly to the current frigid weather & Christmassy surroundings I now find myself in at home. (I mean, what could a be a better Sunday afternoon than one spent wrapped up in a wool sweater, tucked up on a couch next to a Christmas tree & a snuggly pup, with hot cocoa & pretty stationery in hand?) I think what might be weighing me down is this somewhat unexpected need to revamp my entire life, my career, my general sense of purpose in the world, that has fallen upon me in conjunction with my newly changed marital status.

So in the coming days & months, I plan on sorting out big things like a new Five Year Plan (geez!), jazzing up my resume & becoming an active filmmaker again, while also tending to the fun post-wedding tasks like cards, party-planning & cookie-baking. Expect the odd philosophical post sprinkled in between wedding photos & photos of my failing container garden (noooo!).

I dunno. I think the New Year feeling of upheaval and reevaluation has definitely hit me early. But hey, perhaps something as life-changing as a getting married is bound to inspire just such an emotional period.

Oh and I'm nearly there with organizing all the wedding photos & making progress on the crazy amount of videos I'm tinkering with (an explosion of other people's weddings, little fun projects I've started at home, etc.) Hey, maybe it's just the fact that it's something insane like less than 4 weeks until Christmas - and the fact that I'm not going home this year :( - that's making me feel a little mental.

Anyway, here's to new chapters, new marriages, the coming holiday season, mint chocolate hot cocoa & wool scarves!

A new day.

2009-11-17T13:54:00.000Z

Well. Hello. Hi. Hi there.

I'm back and I am hitched! Off the market. A married lady. An honest woman.

For anyone who is not related to me or a dear close friend, you might not have known that my recent absence was for the best reason in the world - I was off in Las Vegas, Nevada getting married!

I have mountains of photos to post, memories to recount, moments to relive... Plus, lots of catching up to do with loved ones who were there and want copies & those who missed it and want proof. But I'm still feeling lagged & delicate so for today, I will start with a few snapshots. Literally!

Our giant instant camera was a huge hit (as were the masks). And the photos it captured are priceless. The sleek & snazzy professional shots will follow soonly, but for now, bask in the wondrous fun of these shots of my most cherished people, putting on Mexican wrestling masks & doing their best moves. I love them all so much. My wedding was awesome.

Created with flickr slideshow.

champagne meltdown

2009-10-12T13:28:00.001+01:00

Happy Monday, everybody. Or better yet - Happy less-than-two-weeks-til-your-wedding-day, me!

Here's a small snippet of the big time fun & frolics had by me & my bachelorette brunch ladies. I won't go into messy details but I missed the end of the night, when the champagne caught up with me & I probably won't go near the stuff at the wedding. Good thing we'll have margaritas!

Mmmm. Bagels, fruit & cheesecake chocolate chip brownies. This is just the beginning!

The spread station - cream cheese, jams, PB, honey.

Homemade apple honey challah bread.

Fresh from the baker jelly donuts, on top of my homemade berry oat bars. With a slice of challah hanging out on top.

Caroline, next to the less-pretty version of the buffet, as we all take a breather. We also had tomato, cucumber & lime salad, cheeses, eggs, a lovely cheese & olive & sundried salad from the Lilliputs, cream eclairs......drool.....

Ahh, the beginning of the end for me. Annette's lovely strawberries in one of many "little cups" of champagne. Oaty bars in the background.

Cute little ribbon Saucy refused to wear.

Pink, like my champagne.

And it's all downhill from here...

Thank you so much to good pals Lauren, Annette, Caroline, Kelley & Leyla for celebrating with me on a lovely Saturday afternoon. I got so many pretty flowers, lots of bubbles (*hiccup!*), tasty treats & a lotta love. The parts that I can remember, I'll never forget ;)

Oh, dear god...

two weeks

2009-10-08T13:47:00.000+01:00

It's official. I can say the words "Two weeks to go" today to the unending stream of coworkers that keep asking.

And I admit, for the last who-knows-how-long, I have fallen off the face of the earth. Friends haven't seen me. Co-workers haven't heard me speak much. Neighbors probably haven't even seen me walk my dog (though I have of course). A number of weeks ago I slipped into that final stages of wedding-planning void where I began to feel (minor) stress, (major) wedding apathy & a general tiredness. Tired of planning the wedding, tired of thinking about the wedding. And that's not nice. I never thought I'd end up approaching my big day with a feeling of, "Can't wait til this is over!"

And I'm happy to say I'm not! I feel great today. I've been catching up with design*sponge (see, I haven't even been doing my usual lazy inter-blog reading) & Grace Bonney's unbelievably pretty wedding photos actually got me excited again. And let me tell you, it's been a long time since I've read any wedding-related web content for pleasure. Sure, her wedding is true Martha Stewart material, with a budget & location & all those fine little details - some done by Martha's team of all things! - that were never going to be a part of our reality. But it's fun seeing what other somewhat normal people come up with for their nuptials. (I say "somewhat" because she runs design*sponge, so c'mon! Like antique shops would ever LEND me their treasures!)

Pretty soon I'll be able to post my own little lovely photos for all the world (or my 5 followers, at least ;) to see. And maybe I should blog a little about some of my plans, too! Just for fun. I promise to do that shortly.

Because now I feel like I have the luxury of a lil' breathing room. Two weeks from right now I will be getting ready to board a big jet, juggling an egg mcmuffin with my garment bag & ridiculously stuffed carry on case & preparing myself for the coming sensory overload that is Las Vegas. Two weeks from Sunday, at just about this time, I will be having my hair done & trying to hold down my brunch. And then stick one more week on to that & I'll be trying out my rudimentary Spanish on a friendly Mexican beach bartender, whilst gazing at the double ring combo on my left hand. Sweet!

So breathing room. Room to think about a little online US shopping that I can drag back to Dublin with me. Room to think about teensy details I hadn't thought about yet that maybe I still have time for (even more cameras? a garter? more appetizers?) And especially, room to get excited. Two weeks to go!

Photo from designspongeonline.com.

bachelorette bash part 1

2009-10-01T13:14:00.000+01:00

I am so excited for Saturday. I am hosting a little girly shindig at my house, in combined honor of a) my imminent marriage, b) my love of baking, c) my love of champagne & all its lower priced Italian & Spanish cousins, and d) having the house to myself while the H2B is off drinking with the fellas in Brighton.

Part of the pre-party excitement includes giving the homestead a good scrub from top to bottom. I honestly look forward to that. (Honestly.) But the most exciting part is going to be the baking & cooking. So far I have gleaned the following tasty recipes from such drool-worthy blogs as SmittenKitchen & Two Blue Lemons -
Apple Honey Challah Bread (shout out to NYC!)
Raspberry Crumb Breakfast Bars
Cheesecake Marble Brownies
Israeli Salad
Some bagels & cream cheese & hummus for good measure & perhaps some nice fruit (more for decorating purposes than expecting anyone to eat it).
Oh & I nearly forgot - beverages! In addition to good old fashioned brewed coffee, I'll have espresso, cappuccino, tea & of course BUBBLES! I like the idea of good old fashioned mimosas - brings me back to all those dearly missed brunches with my New York friends, where we'd meet at some respectable afternoon hour, leirsurely sampling yummy eggy dishes or challah french toast, sipping cocktails & dishing about the weekend's colorful goings on. *sigh* I hope to recreate some of that magic, though I doubt my own abilities to successfully replicate the food of those East Village cafes or even the debauched rowdiness of "unlimited cocktails" at that place on Ludlow. I don't think it even exists anymore, but I'm sure TK may or may not remember that place.

Or how about this little tipple?

Champagne Julep

Place one sugar cube and two sprigs of fresh mint into a chilled highball glass. Add two cubes of clear ice and slowly pour in well-chilled champagne or sparkling wine, stirring constantly. A splash of bourbon is optional. Garnish with slices of fresh fruit, if desired.

If I had no need for a job, a rose garden & bottomless pockets, I'd do this -

Ritzy Raspberry Revelry

(Hemingway Bar, Hotel Ritz, Paris)
Pour into a champagne flute 2/3 ounce vodka in which raspberries have macerated for at least 10 days. Finish with champagne.
Garnish with a red rose.

Nice!

catching up

2009-10-01T11:07:00.002+01:00

Since I'm counting down & catching up today (with work, weddings & social contact), I should do some catching up on this blog thing too.

Even though I've been silent, there's been much ado about my teensy garden, believe it or not. Either Irish weather has gone really weird or I don't know my ass from my trowel (probably a bit of both). I sowed way too many seeds and am afraid that after thinning them properly, I may end up with just a handful of corn salad leaves & three mini carrots. But hey, that's the lot of the tiny gardener. There just simply isn't enough space to grow tons of vegetables without adding even more pots to the already un-navigable potted landscape that my little patch has become. Poor Sausage doesn't even have space to chase her tail anymore!

So I've got many future pretty bulbs in the dirt, some cauliflower & broccoli that I'm crossing my fingers for (they're not meant to grown right now apparently) both inside & on the kitchen window sill, some sweetpeas upstairs on a sill in a home-fashioned propagator (aka: plastic bag), the herbs still going, flowers grown from ancient seeds that I found in a packet. So much potential glory that I must be patient for!

And already, there's visible green growth - how exciting is this!

That's the beginning of some fabulous ranunculus. Can you believe it?

And my hydrangea plant, which I thought was supposed to be dying back, seems to be keepin' on keepin' on!

I'm also gearing up for my very fabulous ladies champagne brunch, but more on that in another post.

In Sausage news, she had a bath yesterday. And she is still the best girl in the world.

Actually, it's worth noting that my genius pup has recently added yet ANOTHER trick to her repertoire: she now does the Downward Dog yoga pose ON COMMAND. She is so gifted.

almost time

2009-10-01T10:47:00.000+01:00

Three weeks from now I will be excitedly eating an egg mcmuffin (no ham) at Dublin Airport, awaiting my private jet (that I'm generously allowing a few hundred people to share) that will take me to MY WEDDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGG!

too old to sleep with a panda

2009-09-30T17:07:00.001+01:00

I admit to being in a self-imposed wedding planning bubble of late. I've had so many funny passing thoughts that I would have blogged about, had I the time. But I've had to knuckle down and make sure everything was falling into place for the big event that is happening in roughly three weeks time (scary!). Is it working? Kinda. No reason to panic yet anyway.

Pal Jessie brought this little nugget to my attention however and it was enough to shake me outta my blog-hiatus and get typing.

Yes, it does bring the H2B to mind immediately, if only he were a big, black former pro football player / bodyguard / manly craft wizard with a girl's nickname (oh, to dream!) . Here's to men that stitch, latch & in general get crafty.

Photos from Extreme Craft via Flickr. Fun.

toilet garden

2009-09-18T11:08:00.000+01:00

I did something strange this morning.

(At least I thought it was strange until I put tomatoes + bathroom into Google images & found lots of people have done the same.)

I put my tomato plant in my bathroom. You see, my tomato plant (first ever) has done really well this summer. I got it a little late in the season but with much love & attention, it's been looking pretty darn good with a nice amount of little green fruits popping up on the vines. However, after two lovelies a few weeks ago, the rest don't seem to be growing any bigger (they're not supposed to be cherries) & there's not a blush of red to be seen. I've read that you can pick them & finish the ripening indoors, no problem - once a little red is visible. Hence my worries. Could be due to the sudden drop in temperature. And I know toms like sun & warmth (& water, though that part's no problem).

As I, ahem, sat in my bathroom this morning, I noticed how nice & steamy & greenhousey it was in there after my morning shower. Aha! So, the toms are spending the day in my skylight-filled, steamy, toasty bathroom.

This is not my bathroom, by the way (mine has much better natural light).

happy friday

2009-09-18T10:20:00.002+01:00

A little vintage orange mullet love for your Friday listening & viewing pleasure.

One of my all time favorite Bowie songs. Expect it at the wedding. (The song, not the outfits, unfortunately.)

wedding star - Whirlingturban

2009-09-17T11:24:00.008+01:00

I've been keeping quiet so far about the finer details of my upcoming wedding. But I really want to showcase the fabulous people & vendors that I've worked with over the past year. I've been lucky enough to discover some dizzyingly talented people out there that have played a major role in creating what will be the funnest & most glamorous day of my life.

The first vendor that I have to share with the world is the vintage genius, bombshell dress-making extraordinaire that is Whirlingturban & its glamorous mastermind, the great Katherine Robinson - the wonderful gal responsible for the fantabulous dress I will walk - no float! - down the aisle in.

I could spend days going on & on about all the amazing vintage designs that Whirlingturban create with the apparent ease & confidence of Alfred Shaheen himself. But I'd like to highlight their fast-growing wedding dress department. Not only can you get completely custom made beauties at a fraction of the price of other custom designers (especially compared to the plethora of new designers out there that focus on the beloved "poufy tea length" '50s style), but they've recently launched a ready-to-wear bridal boutique.

Check it out here & see why I'm secretly wishing that I could get married ten times over (to the same fella of course;)

Over a year ago, an innocent Google search at the start of my engagement (seems so long ago now) led me to the Whirlingturban website. And there, the course of my wedding (and life) was changed forever! I found so much vintage eye candy to feast upon, my orbs almost popped right outta my head & bounced off the laptop. Katherine is a design wizard & true vintage loyalist, who has channeled her expertise gained by working as a Hollywood fashion & costuming insider into one fantastic business concept - create gorgeous, perfectly tailored dresses, using the exacting standards of classic 1950s/60s design, to give customers a "movie star fit" at a not so movie star price.

To me, it all sounds like a dream. Having picked up her business from west coast USA & dropped into tropical Bali, Indonesia, Katherine employs local artisans to create unbelievably pretty & WT exclusive prints & fabrics. I can just see Katherine & her fantastic team of pretty seamstresses hand-creating these amazing, one-of-a-kind Shaheen-inspired Hawaiian dresses & jaw-dropping wedding gowns, using classic techniques, all a-buzz in a little studio in paradise, in soft-focus technicolor with a Henry Mancini soundtrack of course (with little chihuahuas chup-chupping around their dainty feet). Doesn't it sound like heaven?

My adventure with Katherine & Honey & Mindra has spanned the full length of my engagement - over a year of emails & Skype chats, shared inspiration photos, changed ideas & my many questions always swiftly answered. Planning a destination wedding is one thing, but custom designing a wedding dress from several time zones away? I knew from the moment we started communicating that I was lucky to have stumbled upon something really special.

I can't post about the particulars of my dress. (Sometimes I actually force the H2B to look at this blog so I can't spoil the surprise!) But after changing my mind a million times, I ended up going with a custom made WT gown. And let me tell you, the attention to detail & dedication these gals put into each & every one of their beauties really does make you feel like you are the most important bride on earth. Or like one of those demanding Hollywood divas from the golden era, having our dreams handwoven into cotton ikat & perfectly brought to life in one very special dress.

I have certainly become a WT devotee. In fact, I'm in the process of ordering yet another Whirlingturban to wear to my tiki bachelorette bash. Fun.

I can't wait to be free to post the photos!

For gorgeous gowns in true vintage style, from figure-hugging, dig the headlights, va va va voom to classic tea length skirts with that impossibly nipped New Look waist, Whirlingturban is where it's at. If you want to feel like Audrey Hepburn on your big day or simply live out your Blue Hawaiian fantasies, go here now.

*All photos courtesy of http://whirlingturban.com*

baby steps in the world of knitting

2009-09-17T10:27:00.005+01:00

I've recently resumed my bumbling attempts to knit. Must be the time of year. The drop in temperature & change in afternoon light always makes me want to pick up my little bamboo needles & make something. One project I'm working on at the moment is coming out pretty well, but I can't post about it here (it's a potential gift!) But since the frustration of one project - with its mysteriously dropped stitches & unintended giant holes - just simply isn't enough, I've taken on another project.
A coworker recently had a baby so I thought, at the last minute as usual, that it's about time I learned to knit in the round. And what better starter project (since it's so tiny) than a baby hat!

The yarn I bought is so cute & soft & stretchy - kinda like a baby.
I found a few patterns online that promise an "easy" & "quick knit." Well, since this is my first ever time seeing double pointed needles, it ain't knittin' up so quick. But I'm not giving up! After a few bumpy starts last night, suddenly this crazy contraption of 5 pointy needles & twisted yarn on my lap started to vaguely resemble a tiny hat. Vaguely.

Notice the ever-helpful pup next to me. (And her denti-bone & chewed up sock in the distance.)

Not too shabby, right? Almost a hat. I'm doing a seed stitch with a little ribbed, stretchy bottom edge.

Could possibly finish it tonight. I also bought the same lovely yarn in mint green & I'm picturing a plain knit hat (or ribbed) with a cute little white heart pattern. Awww. Babies.

cute & yum

2009-09-16T16:40:00.002+01:00

... two of my favorite adjectives.
Therefore, this could be a perfect addition to our autumn Mex-fest of a wedding.
*scratches chin whilst daydreaming of bitesize caramel apples*

How-to here.

Photo from hiphostess.blogspot.com

rum rice

2009-09-16T12:19:00.003+01:00

I haven't posted much food-related stuff lately & that's too bad. Cause the great Neilo meals just keep comin' out of our lil' kitchen. I blame it on the wedding. But don't worry - the best idea I ever had (the Neilo & Susie Irish-American vegetarian cooking show) has not been canned, just put off for a little bit. I swear.

I should mention one of the mister's fabulous food ideas of late. Rice cooked in Malibu rum! Sounds strange & it is. Your meal will smell slightly like suntan lotion, but living in a sun-deprived place like this, I count that as a positive. (It doesn't taste like sunscreen.)

Again, no precise recipe needed here. Just think basmati rice cooked lovingly in chopped tomatoes, chillies, assorted fresh herbs & ground spices & Malibu coconut rum. Yes, coconut rum. Mmm mmm was that tasty.

Stir fry in some fresh green friends (in this case baby zucchini, spinach & green peppers). Pile on some fake chicken & you've got yourself one happy wife (to-be).

fine start to the day

2009-09-16T11:54:00.006+01:00

This morning I sipped this

while gazing at this

Despite only a minor patch of blue in the sky, it was a satisfying start to the day. Grow Your Own is a trendy phrase being tossed all around the place - and something I complete promote & try to do myself - but how about Pull Your Own? (Sounds dirty, doesn't it?) Brewing your own espresso or latte in the morning is just as satisfying as eating homegrown vegetables. OK, so I didn't grow, roast or even grind the beans myself (thank you Starbucks - finally even the espresso is Fair Trade, so we can all get over ourselves).

Today, I monitored my own little seedlings while sipping an alright-ish mug of homemade soy latte & my tiny kitchen smelled all lovely & fresh ground coffee-ish. {I say alright-ish because I'm having problems pulling the perfect shot. Linda, my former employer at Coffee2Go (remember that job?) would have been ashamed of the three failed shots that preceeded Sunday's cup. But it's a funny little machine...}

Anyway, here's to homemade in all areas of daily life!

garden madness & many small pots

2009-09-15T11:04:00.005+01:00

We enjoyed an unexpected mini Indian Summer this weekend. We all acted very surprised, though, really, isn't this always the month when we are rewarded for our suffering with 2-3 days of pleasant sunshine & warm-ish temperatures, so that we are lulled into thinking, "This isn't really a bad place to live after all." I'm still feeling that way. But check with me again next week.

Anyhoo, the sunshine tempted me out in to my expansive acreage for many hours on Saturday, where I finally put all my bulbs & many more of my seeds into their apartment block pots. The concrete garden is starting to look like a housing estate for seedlings. All the clashing plastic & terracotta, mismatched green & seventies orange, it's like Ballymun for plants!

I hope that my drop in focus the last few weeks & subsequent storage of the bulbs doesn't hamper their development. I did at least store them in the fridge while I went temporarily unenthused about planting stuff (it got cold, okay?). Still, it felt really nice planting these funny little blobs into the seaweed drenched soil & imagining the possible pretty results I will get come spring. I've got a few different tulips, iris & crocus (the early bird that I hope will keep me from fleeing the country at the end of the rough, not-exactly-freezing-just-plain-depressing winter). I also have bundles of pink & yellow ranunculus (very excited about these). Plus, hyacinth & some giant allium (I'd rather call them billy balls, personally, though that's not correct).

Pic from bluestoneperennials.com
It's kind of unfulfilling to post pictures of bulbs buried in dirt, but here's where they're living right now:

I hope to get a shelf or some sort of unit to lift some of the containers off the ground. It's kind of crazy taking up all this "floor space" when there ain't much to begin with. Saucy couldn't care less though.

I've also planted spinach, carrots, onions, broccoli & cauliflower from seeds. Seeds used to scare me cause they always failed before. But that's before I grew my green thumbs! A few of these plantings are down in the gardening journal as an experiment. Some are being planted at the wrong time of year. But I figure the seasons aren't that clearly defined in this country & global warming is f-ing it all up anyway. I've been germinating the broccoli & cauliflower on the window sill & it seems to be working! I have big pots of spinach under plastic outside (and added a few more to my high tech, egg carton germinator machine this weekend too). Oh & corn salad, whatever that is. The picture looks like watercress. So maybe we'll start eating salads.

The onions & carrots are already sprouting! Will need to thin these out when they're ready.

I'm daydreaming about zucchini (courgettes to my coworkers), cucumbers, arugula/rocket for the spring. And hellebores. I'm in love with these flowers & may have to invest in some garden shop mail ordering from the UK. They are too pretty. Look at this! What is it, a bucket or a barrel? I want a barrel of hellebores.

Pic from muskogeephoenixonline.com
But I need to cultivate my patience first & take care of these winter projects for now. Here's to a pretty & nutritious future harvest! It's crazy growing your own food, isn't it? Something about it just feels really.... good.

Now, if only these guys would figure themselves out, I'd be happy. Any ideas on how to finish ripening these dudes? Should I snip them & throw them in a brown paper bag? Some seem really tiny...but it's getting cold!

happy morning

2009-09-15T10:54:00.000+01:00

I've decided to have a great day today.

I'm sipping white tea with a pup at my feet, thinking about getting myself out the door for work. I just got a lovely email from my home pal Kristy :) & I've checked yet another purchase off my list of "last-minute things to get for the wedding." So maybe it's grey & gross outside, but I feel a good day coming on.

The faulty internet kept me off the blogs for the last week. That, and the wedding meltdown, but enough about that. I have some garden updates & photos to come. Because, really, I like not doing my work!

And I haven't posted anything crafty lately. Here's a somewhat doomed project I tried recently. I have a thing for appliques these days. It didn't quite work. It may or may not look like Sausage. Or possibly a steer skull. Or just a lumpy cow. And I definitely didn't take the time to measure the pillow properly. But I still kinda like it.

My constant inspiration

life spotted in the egg carton!

2009-09-07T13:10:00.002+01:00

So my crazy experiment might just work after all.

Notice the tiniest sprouts of newborn broccoli & cauliflower poking out of my experimental window sill seed germinator. Fingers crossed I'll be able to nurture them through the Irish monsoon season.

happy monday morning

2009-09-07T12:55:00.002+01:00

I've had some wedding-planning stress distract me from my beloved concrete gardening, curry experiments & enjoyable, aimless blogging. But it's a new week, a new season (so the air tells me) & time to remember what counts.

These things make me happy:

Elvis Costello in a vintage Man United jersey on my couch in pineapple curry eating frenzy

This little angel...who kept me company all weekend...

by following me room to room

coffee from home

the fancy poached egg with garden herb breakfast - not just for weekends anymore

friday loveliness

2009-09-04T17:16:00.003+01:00

Aurora is my wonderful psychic twin who always lives just a few time zones shy of my happiness. This makes me think of Stan Brakhage. I know he was famous for film scratching but there's something very early experimental film about this. Enjoy.

moth in a wax paper bag from Aurora A on Vimeo.

hubby hubby ice cream

2009-09-02T12:10:00.001+01:00

This is wonderful. Are you familiar with the peanut butter pretzel-riffic Chubby Hubby flavor produced by my ice cream heroes, Ben & Jerry's? Well, they've gone all gay! For the month of September, they are re-branding (sorta) this delicious flavor as Hubby Hubby, in honor of Vermont's legalization of gay marriage - which takes effect today. I wish I could sample some! Not only will the Hubby Hubby movement NOT be reaching Irish shores (can you imagine?!?) but you can't even get regular Chubby Hubby. Or Chunky Monkey. Or Wavy Gravy. We got Phish Food & that's all. I even hear that in the US you can now get THAT in frozen yogurt form. So where is it?!

Anyway, for all of my American friends who support marriage equality & aren't afraid of a little fall weight gain, please have a few pints for me.

we did it! we ate them!

2009-09-02T12:06:00.001+01:00

It seems that Tom & Tammy Tomato really set themselves apart by ripening way ahead of the rest of the little green gang. We probably could have let them ripen a teensy bit more, but we couldn't resist. It was a sunny Saturday morning & I was making a fabulous garden breakfast. So off they came.
Lovely ciabatta toast with poached eggs, fresh-from-the-garden basil & sliced, unbelievably tasty, homegrown little moneymakers (that's what they're called, I didn't make it up). Mmm.
With cheddar cheese & veggies sausages, of course. The other half was pleased - even if he doesn't really look it.

onwards & upwards - farming in the sky

2009-09-01T11:50:00.003+01:00

The BBC series that had me glued to the TV for the last three weeks - Future of Food - concluded last night. Hopping from the UK to Cuba, Kenya, Mexico & India, the show presented some disturbing, somewhat eye-opening (cause we know it's happening, just maybe not to the extent revealed) & downright urgent subject matter for all inhabitants of planet earth. The fast track to mass starvation and complete & utter devastation of our natural resources that our global society is speeding along is something that needs to be addressed immediately & with significantly greater gravity by governments, aid agencies, agriculture & big business the world over.

Amidst all the scary stuff, however, the series introduced me to vertical farming. Check out this pioneering professor at Columbia University. Mr. Dickson D. Despommier is definitely someone I'd like to invite to dinner (and not just because his name is fantastic). Sometimes, ideas like this come along that seem so simple & sensible that you just KNOW the powers that be will likely vilify him & write him off as a nut. But ever since discovering the elevated gorgeousness of the High Line in Manhattan, I've had a real thing for nature being encouraged to prosper in unlikely (yet completely practical) urban spaces. What a smart concept! When we ran out of space for housing, modern society began to build up. Now we've stripped mother earth of all her viable agricultural lands. What to do? Why, build up, of course!

My dream: someday all major cities will be reaping the rewards (both agriculturally, culturally, financially & visually) of these skypscrapers-turned-farms.

*Looks at cement patch. Remembers these little jobbies. And scratches chin as all manner of crazy schemes start sprouting in her brain garden. Hmmmm*

tomato & corn slabba-dabba-doo pie

2009-08-28T14:26:00.003+01:00

I know what I want for dinner tonight -

tomato & corn pie, from the genius vaults of yum at smitten kitchen.

Could be a delicious use of my first homegrown tomatoes. If only it wasn't Burger Night... This is definitely marked for the weekend. Ahh, sweet weekend. When I'll be investigating this new (to me) slab pie phenomenon, too.

Oh my! A further scroll down SK (trying to catch up) reveals a few more lovely & simple ways to put Tom & Tammy through their paces. How about a cubed Caprese or fresh Israeli salad? Or both! Thank you, smitten kitchen. Your photos make me drool with happiness.

concrete update: tomatoes! murder! feathers!

2009-08-28T11:24:00.003+01:00

And now an update from the garden.

I'm so proud to show you this. Major Tom, Brigadier General of the Viking Road Tomato Army, is reddening up nicely. Check out his tan.
Um, can I eat him now? That's Tammy Tomato, his lieutenant & life partner, hidden behind him. I couldn't frame a better picture because I was too distracted by the crime scene behind me.

I came home last night to find bloodshed & gore (and a lot of feathers) all over my little garden patch. I think one of our four-legged, fuzzy wall neighbors got into a scuffle with a pigeon - and definitely won. It was disturbing. I still have feathers stuck all over the place. I'm hoping my pretty pink impatiens will be able to bounce back from the trauma (the corpse was left smack dab on top of them.)
Quite the action-packed night for my humble garden, huh?

friday happiness

2009-08-28T10:04:00.002+01:00

I was sent this video at work. Nice to finally see some office forwards with meaning. Not just of the "Ladies! There's a rapist hiding under your car!" variety.

And since I'm in such high spirits, feelin' the love of my very own wedding buzz, how perfect then to share a video that really hits home. Because really, how *silly* is it to tell two people who love each other & want to spend their lives together that they don't have equal civil rights as the rest of us because of their true love's gender?

You've probably already seen the poignant Regina Spektor video created by the tear-jerkers at the Courage Campaign, the California-based marriage equality group that's doing important grassroots work in America. It's nice to see Irish voices chiming on this decisive, international human rights issue. Take a moment.

More info found on MarriagEquality.ie.

in the face of bridal madness

2009-08-27T10:32:00.006+01:00

Even the most level-headed, down-to-earth & laid back of brides (well, I like to think so) can find themselves teetering on that forbidding precipice, peering down into a canyon of crazy from time to time. First thing I read this morning was a really inspiring post on A Practical Wedding, about a wedding that sounds so sweet & relaxed, real honest to jaysus as a certain husband to be might say. I love that they apparently didn't set a budget & their explanation is really similar to how HtB & I are approaching ours. We set one, but it's flexible & we're not driving ourselves mad with calculators & tallies. I admit, I did at first. But I'm not now!

Unfortunately, there are so many outside influences that can crack even the most determined non-bridezillas & turn them into spreadsheet-wielding, floral fact spewing, mason-jar collecting, DIY obsessed, self-bullying nutbags. (That's me I'm describing.) Pressure from those close to us to conform to the "norms" of weddings, influence both direct & indirect from retailers, media & even our trusty blogs. Those online hang-outs where we usually find so much lovely inspiration & encouragement? It's certainly possible to OD on them & even they can make us feel just plain bad. In a time when the low-budget DIY aesthetic is more in vogue than ever, sometimes I feel like my wedding isn't DIY enough, isn't hip enough, isn't CHEAP enough! Can you imagine? Feeling guilty that I'm spending a (still very) modest amount on my Mexican-themed rock n' roll Vegas wedding to an Irish cowboy & that it just doesn't seem *unique* enough? Hello crazy canyon (Hello! Hello! Hello!...)

But to be brutally honest, all that pressure really comes from within. Why even the most well-adjusted, happy-in-love-who-cares-about-a-fancy-wedding gal can find herself repreatedly comparing her wedding choices to those of complete strangers, I just don't know. Maybe it's just a case of close-to-the-wedding-momentary-lapse-in-reason.

Regardless, I'm not suffering from that right now. I feel so safe & warm in the knowledge that my wedding is going to be AWESOME. It may not be to everyone's taste - its moments of quirkiness, it's mixed up tropical/south of the border decor. But I don't care. It's going to be very us. Without heading into the planning process 15 months ago with a clear cut theme or vision, we have somehow, sereptitiously, arrived at the perfect theme - the theme of us. And I can't wait. Only 59 days to go.

*Photo from the groovy Arkiva Tropika*

love. marriage. pancakes.

2009-08-26T23:42:00.003+01:00

I think this beautiful message is a nice sentiment to end the night on. The always eloquent & head-straight-on-her-shoulders Meg from A Practical Wedding, who's fresh on the heels of her own practical & lovely affair, had this to say about experiencing it all - and what really matters.

major tom

2009-08-26T22:50:00.004+01:00

I have a thing for tomatoes. I love 'em. I think they're little edible jewels. I also think they should be ripening in abundance by now in my cement patch, but they are certainly taking their sweet time. This is my first time growing my own. Maybe I just need to be a bit more patient - it really has been fascinating watching them grow.

In fact, today I am proud to announce the first touch of red to show up on my humble vines.
Check out Miss Tomato Sauce in the background, supervising as usual!

Now as much I am wholeheartedly in favor of buying local & in season as much as humanly possible, I admit - sometimes I can't wait. But if I'm gonna cheat & buy tomatoes (that come from god knows where), they better be damn cool tomatoes. Like these beauts -

Seriously. Couldn't you just stick one of those on a band of gold & wear it on your finger?

Or these - from which I rustled up tonight's easy, end-of-summer meal.

A simple, yet striking sauce of yellow tomatoes simmered in olive oil & garlic, with a dash of salt, a few cranks of black pepper & a bunch of excited handfuls of fresh basil from the patch. See, nearly homegrown.

These yellow tomatoes break down quickly & become instantly saucy (Saucy!), more so than red ones I'm used to. No need for paste or anything to thicken it.

I dumped it on some simple spaghetti that I had tossed with more olive oil, chickpeas & sundried tomatoes. Oh & some shaved parmesan on top. A little brightly colored hodge podge in the kitchen on a blah Wednesday evening never hurt anybody, did it?

room to let. non-smokers only.

2009-08-26T20:52:00.002+01:00

Our little lodger has flown the coop!

save irish cinema!

2009-08-26T17:05:00.005+01:00

This week, the monkeys running the Department of Finance will decide the fate of the Irish Film Board /Bord Scannan na hEireann. In other words, they will basically be deciding the fate of Irish cinema (& the jobs it provides, the tourism it stimulates, the jobs that tourism in turn stimulates & so on... not to mention the value placed on Irish art & the continued promotion of Irish culture & its prominent place in the larger context of Europe & the world, but I digress).

I have to admit that I have a sinking feeling about this. In a time where the government seems to be failing us to an almost grotesque degree, running its laughable Health Service Executive into the ground like a mad drunk whose taken leave of its last sense, doling out fat checks to fat cats while the rest of us enjoy recession, making the biggest cuts first to those areas of that can withstand it the least (health & education for starters) & continuing to bail out corrupt bankers & line the pockets of crooks - well, forgive me for not feeling the most optimistic today.

Hopefully, I can be proved wrong when the verdict comes down, but something tells me that the crazy people in charge of the government finances, who place health, education & long-term investment in growing jobs at the very bottom of the priority barrel aren't going to have the foresight to see how vital support of a country's cultural heritage & support of homegrown art really is to the wider interests of the economy.

And the oscar for Most Short-Sighted, Ill-Advised Government goes to?

The winner will be announced later this week. Let's keep our fingers crossed (after writing & calling our local reps and demanding that they support the continued work of the Film Board).

Further reading: http://cineuropa.org/newsdetail.aspx?lang=en&documentID=111639

And please check out the amazing grassroots action started by our very own Jessie @
http://www.causes.com/SavetheIFB!!

if only i was still a new yorker...

2009-08-25T11:29:00.011+01:00

Oh my goodness. I just discovered this & I want to be there right now.

It's been a while since I lived in NYC & not a day goes by (ok, maybe every few days) that I don't miss the amazing, exciting, buzzy uniqueness of life in New York City. There really is no place on earth like it. And reading about the High Line - a fabulously reinvented elevated garden space, created along a disused railway line running from the Meatpacking District (always an obsession of mine) to Hell's Kitchen - well, it just about brings tears to my eyes.

I passionately love the transformation of urban space into garden refuge, however manicured or wild, big or small. The mix of barren cement & triumphant plantlife, the inherent human need to return to nature despite our love of fast, modern cities. From this very blog's name & a good chunk of its content, you can see how proud I am of my own (very) small contribution toward greening up our concrete world.

As the idea of the city garden has not only become central to my life, but also a hot topic amongst my friends, the High Line has really hit home for me. It seems to me to be the ultimate community garden. OK, so maybe it's not a neighborhood veggie patch (yet) and true, my precious Sauce Box wouldn't allowed to prance around & poo in it (yet), but it is an astounding use of what once was urban decay & creating a really beautiful & unexpected reinterpretation of mother nature, elegantly elevated above Manhattan's West Side.

I could go on & on about the park's fantastic origins (a live railway line until the 1980s, the discovery by self-proclaimed "urban explorers" of rugged wildgrasses & sturdy trees popping up amongst abandoned steel tracks, the community's coming together to overrule Giuliani's demolition orders & succeeding to get millions of dollars to realize their green dreams). To me, it's just heavenly & I hope I can visit it someday soon. Imagine strolling along meandering grassy paths, amidst the concrete & steel and dirty whirl of city activity below, the sparkling view of the Hudson one way & skyscrapers all around, sipping peach berry lemonade on a New York summer's day. (A few weekends ago, they were handing out free iced coffee from Crop to Cup!)I really think it's time for me to return to NYC. But could something as wild as this happen in Dublin?

*Photos courtesy of the High Line blog & Flickr pool*

a lesson in patience - coming soon

2009-08-24T16:23:00.005+01:00

Bulbs.

That's what made me go so mental in the garden shop on sunny Saturday. Bulbs.

Lovely pretty future beautiful springtime flower bulbs. I've never attempted to grow flowers from bulbs before, but hey - this is apparently the year that I finally make good on all my half-assed resolutions and personal vows. (Check me out! I'm already sewing! CHECK! *woo hoo*)

So I came home with an armload of intriguingly ambiguous brown paper bags, filled with what looks like mutant garlic cloves & star anise. But they tell me that one day, in the not too distant future, they too will join the caterpillar in his backyard costume change & transform themselves into pretty ranunculus, tulips & these tall fuzzy Billy Ball-type thingies. Awesome.

A serious garden journal must be started pronto.

No photos yet (just picture, um, garlic in a brown paper bag). These guys however are also part of the plan. A serious concrete gardener stops for no season!

this one's for madre

2009-08-24T12:07:00.005+01:00

These have been a long time coming.

I've been talking about making curtains since we first moved in, when we stuck a blanket over the window as a makeshift placeholder. Many months have followed, minds have been changed about patterns & material (well, one mind, the other isn't concerned) and basically I was afraid to start. If you know me, you know this sewing thing is new to me and I'm only just getting to grips with the sewing machine. I have so many ideas in my little brain & so few skills to call upon! But I try.

And then I went to Ikea & picked out this fabulous material -
I've been on a real color kick lately. I'm obsessed with patterns, both bold & sweet. Our house has a lot of... blank-ness in it. And as renters, our hands are tied in terms of changing things. I'm talking white walls, no holes for hangin', white walls... This tropical splash of ruby red fruit smoothie is just what we needed.

I left the sides fringey for added island appeal. And I'm very pleased with the results.

I love walking into this room now.

Look how it glows! Will it look like this in January? When they're drawn, we might think we're in the Maldives (if we've been hitting the rum).

*contented sigh* Yes, I am happy with my very first homemade curtains. Saucy approves, too. She supervises all craft projects.

weekend craft report

2009-08-24T11:21:00.003+01:00

I'm happy to report that there was much domestic success in the house of Vikings this weekend. Dublin enjoyed some surprisingly lovely weather (sunshine, greyness & rain that held off til nighttime) that inspired some frenzy at the garden shop. I did, however, manage to rein in some of that excited energy in the form of little sewing projects.
I'm particularly pleased with my matching set of mini pillows which I finally completed on Saturday. I had recently bought some fantastic organic cotton with the sweetest tree pattern on it from Scottish etsy seller, showpony. Her series 'Seasons' helped me make four cute pillows, representing winter, spring, summer & fall.
I really love the 'Nasty' & 'Nice' versions of her 'Insect Soup' pattern. I think I might have to surround myself with endless mini pillows that tell little Discovery Channel stories. Cute, huh?

happy monday morning

2009-08-24T10:30:00.002+01:00

curry weekend

2009-08-23T16:54:00.007+01:00

Welcome to the first installment of the Curry Weekend Project. I can foresee the hubby-to-be & I tinkering with curries & pilaus & taking bold stabs at spicy, colorful, Rick Stein-influenced cooking for the infinite future. Here's our first chapter - a Sri Lankan cashew curry. A perfect birthday weekend meal.

In perfect Food Network style, hubbo lays out all the necessary ingredients (Tiger beer included). Besides beer for sipping, there's fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, uncooked rice (cool, huh?). Crushed in the mortar & pestle with cinnamon stick, a few dried kashmiri chillies, cardmom pods, cloves & turmeric (we were missing fenugreek that day).

That's cassia bark (or did we buy cinnamon?) sizzling away. This makes the kitchen smell like you're sunbathing on a cinnamon bun. In Sri Lanka!
Fresh curry leaves
Then comes the various veggies & faux chicken.

Coconut milk action shot
Serve with this
and this
It's funny, as I'm posting this, the hubster is sitting on the couch with the Ultimate Curry Bible on his lap & I have a cinnamon tomato "chicken" pilau bubbling away on the stove. Then he asks me if I want green coriander chicken tomorrow, apparently a favorite of Ismaili Muslims from Kenya. Who knew! Gonna have to google it in anticipation. Will report back.

travel by chair

2009-08-22T10:25:00.006+01:00

I love stumbling upon something, whether in a book, newspaper or blog, that connects to a subject I’ve recently begun obsessing over or something I've always fantasized about.

Take my recent fascination with embroidery and long time love of old furniture & cool chairs. Did you know that I briefly, but quite seriously, considered pursuing graduate studies in furniture design? It's all true.

More recently, as I try to learn how to wield a very small needle in my self-taught stitching exploits, I've found myself reading about the many world cultures that have this colorful, quietly expressive & painstaking craft of embroidery deeply woven into their heritage. South American cultures, for example, as well as Central Asian. The other day I found myself passing an hour (or two) at work reading about suzanis (embroidered textiles from Uzbekistan that happen to have an awesome name). Even though I can only manage a 4 inch needlepoint of very simple design at the moment, I began sketching designs in my head for a large, intricate, brightly colored tapestry that would hopefully, one day (if I managed to not make it look crappy) become a treasured family heirloom for future generations of my family.

Fitting that this morning, as I snuggle up in the late summer morning sun, sipping a mug of macadamia nut coffee (thanks, Madre) I would find Beirut-based furniture design company Bokja (and thank you, design*sponge).

If I had a normal-sized house and more wapums in my pocket, I’d grab my friend Joanne & make frequent trips to this Lebanese shop of wonders. And I would definitely have a room (or six) that looked like this:

Designers Hoda Baroudi & Maria Hibri create some of the most beautiful items I've ever seen. The bright clashing colors, the intricate detailing of many, very skilled hands, the mix of recycled industrial chairs, antique wood & old metal, wrapped up in the most luxurious Eastern textiles. The perfect manifestation of the artists' philosophy and the meaning behind the name Bokja (an old Turkish description for wrapping a treasured item in velvet, like a bride's dowry - what inspiration!). Imagine taking a beautiful, antique tapestry off a museum wall and wrapping it around a vintage armchair. Amazing.

As they say themselves, they are breathing new life into once-treasured embroideries by creating modern, eclectic pieces. Like ripping out a page from the Arabian Nights & turning it into a new reading chair. Perfection.

good morning

2009-08-22T10:16:00.003+01:00

Everyone should wake up to a pile of Sausage at the end of the bed.

frank's world

2009-08-21T23:45:00.002+01:00

Fans of American painter Andrew Wyeth will appreciate this next photo sent to me by my hilarious parents. During a recent visit to Maine, my dad is captured doing a fine rendition of the famous mid-century realist painting, Christina's World.

tiny house guest

2009-08-21T23:19:00.005+01:00

Meet our newest concrete lodger. He's currently renting a very small space in our back yard, on a short term basis, while he takes a well deserved holiday. You know, putting his ten million feet up & enjoying a snooze stuck against the cement wall. We think he might have some sort of dramatic costume change planned...

we love rick stein

2009-08-21T13:23:00.008+01:00

The other half and I have found ourselves in quite the spicy love triangle lately. We are unabashedly smitten with Rick Stein.

We've really enjoyed watching his Far Eastern Odyssey series that just ended on Irish TV last night and have since picked up the cookbook that goes with it, detailing the amazing Southeast Asian recipes and photos he picked up on his journey.

I'm not sure if we'll be able to cook anything that isn't based on chillies or coconut milk or that doesn't have the word "curry" or (better yet) "devil" in the name ever again. At least not until his next series.

I don't care if his focus tends to gravitate towards ingredients with gills and eyeballs. Or that his shows sometimes include a poor piglet on a spit. His shows combine my two favorite things - food & travel - made with the love and obsession of a true fanatic. His shows are fascinating. And he's clearly a few clams short of a chowder. Which I like.

Stay tuned for our Curry Weekend series, inspired by Rick.

Rock 'n Roll Friday

2009-08-21T08:25:00.005+01:00

Happy Friday, world. Check out this bad grandma. Makes a certain someone feel like dustin' off their long neglected guitar(s). That's my homework for the weekend - a little exercise in rock 'n roll. Courtesy of the Bust blog.

first pesto

2009-08-20T20:09:00.009+01:00

The bits of green popping out of the cracks in the concrete in my "garden" are doing surprisingly well this summer. Surprising because, well, when I moved into this little home, the backyard was a pretty unattractive, weed-ridden square of hard nothing. But this year, my goal has been to bring my little square patch of neglect back to life. And I have to say, I'm quite happy so far. I wish I had started this little journal many months ago so I could have kept track of my green babies from their inception. But alas, you can meet them (and the dishes they will form) in their adolescence.

First up, my first crack at homemade pesto. I love pesto. That's why I stink of garlic, apparently. My modest little basil plant doesn't really produce enough big leaves at any one time to make a decent amount of pesto - but that didn't stop me from trying.

It's so satisfying to rip off fresh leaves of your own basil & have your hands smelling like Italy already. You don't even really need to add garlic, nuts & cheese. But you should.

I smashed garlic with sea salt, handfuls of fresh basil, added toasted pine nuts & sprinkled in parmesan cheese. All in our new favorite modern kitchen gadget. It certainly reduces, um, a lot.

Look at that color green! It's like backyard in a bowl.

I definitely didn't get the ratio right. I read a recipe to get an idea but it was for 5 cups' worth & clearly my math skills are a little rusty. I divided all the other ingredients, but somehow doubled the garlic. (somehow?!) Good thing my other half loves garlic as much as I do. We still chewed some parsley for dessert in a vain attempt to stop stinkin'.

So it only made about 2 tablespoons but it was damn good. It'll be even better next time.

brain vacation

2009-08-17T15:50:00.008+01:00

My head hurts from all negative news of the moment, the economic malaise, the US healthcare reform madness, the tax hikes, the happiness cuts. I'm switching my brain off early today and I'm taking a mental vacation back to one of my favorite places.

As previously published in the Sunday Business Post:

this makes me happy

2009-08-17T13:33:00.006+01:00

I won't go into my feelings about Michael Vick right now, but I love the work the HSUS does, especially their End Dogfighting campaign. This video made me smile today, thinking about the little Sausage waiting at home for me.

new beginnings

2009-08-17T10:34:00.000+01:00

This seems like a good time to start.

Here in Dublin, summer isn't all that far away from winter, so the annual shift in weather at the start of fall is almost imperceptible - but I could feel it this morning. Also, over the weekend, I celebrated a birthday and in two months' time, I'll be getting hitched! So what better time to start a new project? A little blog project.

I've started this journal mostly as a means to post picture postcards from my life in Stoneybatter for family & friends to see what I'm up to. As a place to record my passing thoughts and ideas, small projects and slightly bigger ones, plans for the future and their sometimes bungled execution. My gardening attempts & personal photography, those ongoing wedding preparations & daily doggy shenanigans.

But mostly those nice bits of ephemera from my corner of the world. Hope you find at least some of it delightful.