Sorry about the general fugliness of this blog. It's in a complete need of a makeover. I've been focused on the wrapping up materials for the new designs for tikoli which will go on sale in July. But check back later in the month and hopefully I'll have some eye candy to share from my trip to Denmark next week.
My husband and I have been schlepping our own canvas bags to the grocery store since way before it was cool. But, we don't always have them on us for those last minute grocery runs.
Over the weekend while shopping at a stationery store I came across this product and decided to pick one up. Not just a reusable bag, but a bag packaged in a cell-phone sized pouch that fits into my tiny purse! The bag's capacity is about 1.5-2 times as large as a typical plastic grocery bag.
This is something that I have been looking for for a long time, and had actually conceptualized a similar product for Tikoli. Of course, that product has not yet materialized so in the meantime I've got my EZ tote. Mine is a festive green and I have already used it every day this week. I found the product online at Amazon for $6.95 here.
Images: Amazon/EZ Tote
A bit off the foodie topic, but my walls are pretty blank right now. It's probably because I am in the image/design business that I have a tendency to overthink my wall art. I have a huge cache of posters and art that are just sitting in storage. Part two of that is that our house has been a constant "project" since we bought it seven years ago and it still, to this day, is not close to being "finished". Hanging art is just so...final. Well, maybe it is about time.
So over the past few months, I admit, I've become a bit of an Etsy addict. I've made only a few purchases, but busy as I am, I feel like I spend too much time at Etsy and also spend too much time surfing the net for affordable indie art in general.
Today I've got to cut myself off... Back to the grindstone. But first, let me share with you a few of my purchases.
Just tonight I bought this lovely silkscreened Wrens poster by Jason Munn/Small Stakes, a local Oakland designer. Another source for silkscreened limited editon indie band posters is Patent Pending and of course, Etsy.
Also worth checking out is The Shiny Squirrel where I bought this lovely limited edition silkscreened print by Sofia Arnold:
Lastly, on Etsy.com I purchased this limited edition digital Print by Betsy Walton. This will look very nice with some of my mother's more abstract artwork that is in my collection.
I am really excited about all of these purchases. It's so wonderful to have so many great options and venues for affordable art these days. I may even get finally inspried to get out the nail and hammer and commit!
It's been a while since I blogged tabletop, but I came across this website today and felt a bit giddy. So many great vintage kitchen items, including the melamine below, which is identified as melamine designed for Boonton by Belle Kogan in the 1950's.
The pieces are so reminiscent of the mix and measure bowls that I blogged last year. I just love coming across those paralells.
I also really want these Dansk pourers:
So much to explore. Must go back there again soon.
Speakng of "Dansk" we'll be 2 weeks in Denmark this May. Super excited about that!
Check these goodies out yourself at futuresantiques.com
This recipe comes from my friend, ex-roommate and vegetablog author, Christine. I was inspired to make this recipe after chatting with one of my new mom friends about the fact that it makes great baby food.
Not the most photogenic of dishes but definitely a yummy, hearty and easy one. Mujuddra is a dish dish made of lentils and rice found in many different iterations around the middle east and Mediterranean. Christine used to make this when we were roommates and I was a vegetarian. Christine also taught me how to make my own hummos, recipe to be found on her blog.
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Christine's Mujuddra
Serves 4 as side dish, 2 as a meal. 20 minutes active time, 40 minutes cooking time.
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked lentils, rinsed and picked over (sometimes tiny pebbles get in there)
4 cups water
1 large chopped onion
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin (+/- depending on taste)
salt, pepper (note: if you are making as baby food, you may want to omit or limit spices)
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1) Put the water and lentils in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, and boil 20 minutes.
2) In a skillet, saute the chopped onion in the oil while the lentils are cooking. They will need to cook down.
3) After the 20 minutes have passed, add the rice, onions, oil and seasonings to the lentils.
4) Cover the pot and cook 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally. (Note that the mixture has a tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan.) The rice should cook thoroughly, if the mixture seems dry or rice uncooked, you may add more water. The texture should be somewhere between porridge and mashed potatoes.
5) Serve with hummos, yogurt and pita bread. You may garnish with a drizzle of yogurt and a pinch of chopped herbs.
For baby food, you may wish to mash or put in a blender or add a bit of water for your child. Unblended mixture is quite soft, but use your judgment on whether your child is ready for its unblended or unmashed texture.
