Saving Vegetable Stock For A Rainy Day

I love my freezer (and not just because that's where you'll find the ice cream). I'm one of those people who prepares huge batches of meals or baked goods and freezes them for some vague future date. This probably began when I finally embraced my depression era impulse to never, ever waste food. Can't eat a whole loaf of bread before it gets moldy? Freeze it. Went a little crazy at the farmer's market and fear a produce bin of rotting produce? Freeze it. Find yourself with extra cake frosting or leftover pizza dough? Freeze those too.

My love affair with the freezer became even more extreme when I realized it takes basically the same amount of work to cook enough enchiladas for one dinner as it does to cook enough for three. The same holds true for just about every meal and meal component I can think of. Since there will always be nights when I'm too busy or exhausted to make a real dinner (and I've yet to convince my family that "there's a whole bunch of stuff in the fridge if you just dig around" constitutes a meal plan), my freezer is always well stocked.

[This is where I was going to insert a photo of the contents of my freezer, but it turns out that frozen granola bars, black beans, pinto beans, quinoa, fall vegetable soup, pesto, vegetable stock, and assorted breads will never be photogenic. The soup above, however, is pretty . . . and intriguing. I'd like to make it with the vegetable stock currently residing in my freezer.]

Vegetable stock really does have more body and flavor when it's homemade. I absolutely think you can cook a tasty soup without it in a pinch, but this is definitely a meal component where its contribution to the final product will outweigh the preparation factor, especially if you always make a huge batch, freeze it in ice cube trays (you can pop the cubes out when the stock is frozen and transfer them to a ziploc bag), and pull them out as needed.

My recipe for stock goes something like this:

Notice I have some vegetables that need to be eaten asap (make sure little hands don't steal the carrots before they're peeled and chopped). Chop the veggies, toss with a little olive oil, and brown them in my stock pot or by roasting in the oven. Add some garlic, parsley from our herb pot, and a parmesan rind from the freezer. Add a whole bunch of water and simmer until I think of it again. Strain. Taste. Throw in some pepper and soy sauce.

I realize that recipe is not particularly helpful if you've never made stock before, which is why I must direct you to one of my favorite people: Mark Bittman, the Minimalist. He will give you more precise instructions for how to make delicious and easy vegetable stock. My only advice (even if it requires you to use two pots) is to double his recipes.

This is the vegetable soup I made with my stock last week. If you have good stock, "making soup" just means adding your favorite vegetables (and maybe topping with some parmesan or pesto). Yum.

Wednesday Miscellany

There is so much amazing stuff floating around the internet this week, and I can't wait to share it with you! Hold onto your hats, dear readers, because this post is about to be a doozy. 

First up, Have you seen the new arrivals over at My Pretty Mommy?  Covet, covet, covet.  I know that rule #1 of retail is "Don't sample the merchandise," but ladies, if I were Michelle, I would have a veeeerrrry hard time with that. She has impeccable taste, and if that weren't enough, she's the nicest person ever!  She's offering all of you 20% off on any purchase over at her website.  Just enter "youplusme" at checkout, and you'll be good to go (I told you she was nice)! Click here to shop.

Starshaped Letterpress is killing it.  I want to get married again just to use these invites. 

Do you want these boots?  Ohmygosh, me too!  We have so much in common!

And furthermore:
* I have two new internet crushes this week--and they both involve the word "supper."  Come discover them with me here and here. Awesome, right?
* I want to go check this out.
* You may not know this about me, but I have a terrible pottymouth. It's horrible. I swear like a sailor, but only if that sailor swore so much so as to horribly offend all of the other sailors on his ship. (Tangent: when Emi was born, she was premature so they took her to examine her before I could see her clearly.  When Jordy said "She has your mouth," I was seriously worried that she had come out yelling the f-word.)  Maybe that's why I find this so funny. 

Finally, you'll notice some changes around here starting on Friday.  Our little internet crush list is going to get a little shorter as we start to pick a few blogs every month that we love to feature on a monthly "internet crushes" page. We'll also be introducing a "featured vendors" page to introduce you to folks who are doing amazing work.  Long story short, we're making room for some ads on this here blog. Nothing offensive, we promise. Unless it's my personal ad, in which case, I can't promise I won't accidentally drop an f-bomb. If you'd like to advertise with You + ME*, drop us an email at youplusmestyling{at}gmail{dot}com.  Our rates are super reasonable with small businesses in mind.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!  Go forth and conquer!

Traveling With a Toddler

Dear YOU + ME*,

We’re attending a family reunion in Los Angeles at the end of October. The trip should be great, but it will require me to fly cross-country with my almost two-year-old daughter by myself (my husband is joining us later). I’ve taken many trips by car with her and a one quick flight when she was itty bitty, but nothing like this. You both have small children and I know you travel quite a bit. Any tips? I’m pretty much dreading the whole travel experience.

Thanks,

J.

Dear J.,

You’ve definitely come to the right place for advice. Claire took her first cross-country plane flight at 10 weeks old and I can’t even count how many flights she has been on since then. Miya’s daughter Emi is just as much of a frequent flyer and we’ve both learned a lot along the way.

Take a deep breath. It will be about a million times better than you expect it to be and the trip will go by incredibly fast because you’ll be so focused on keeping your daughter busy.

Circumstances sometimes call for me to alter the plan, but I’ve found this to be the ideal travel situation:

- Be strategic about the timing of your flight. It’s tempting to fly during naptime in hopes that she’ll sleep for a big chunk of the trip, but I find it’s easier to fly during reliably happy times, like the morning.

- Make sure everything is ready the night before so the stress doesn’t start with your trip to the airport. Don't forget lots of snacks, diapers and wipes, plane appropriate activities (more to come on that topic on Friday), a bag with miscellaneous things like tissues, hand sanitizer, and band aids, and finally, a change of clothes. I skipped the change of clothes for Claire once and regretted it immensely after a green smoothie gulped too quickly came right back up as the plane was boarding--just throw a t-shirt and some leggings in there.

- Check your luggage at the curb, including your daughter’s car seat and stroller (they’re still free even if you don’t check them inside or at the gate).

- Carry only a large purse that will fit under the seat in front of you on the airplane. If you pack it full of smaller bags (think one with food, one with toys, one with diapers and wipes, etc), it’s easy to unpack (at security for instance) and repack as necessary.

- Wear your daughter in your favorite carrier (I use the ergo). She’ll probably want to walk and run around quite a bit as you make your way through the airport, but having some sort of carrier makes the security line quite a bit easier. If you use a stroller, you have to take her out, fold it up without her running away, and get everything settled again afterwards. If she's in a carrier, you just breeze right through (you still have to take her shoes off though).

- Board at the last minute. Yes, families can board first, but why make your daughter sit on the airplane for an extra half hour? She could be running around getting her wiggles out. This works because you’re only bringing one bag that fits underneath the seat in front of you--no need to worry about overhead bin space.

- Make sure your daughter has her own seat. Even though she’s under 2 and could fly in your lap for free, it’s not at all worth it. Instead, use the CARES aviation restraint. Toddler car seats don’t fit easily in airplane seats, but a toddler roaming free is an even worse option. This fantastic FAA certified harness makes airplane seatbelts suitable for your toddler and it doesn’t take up much space in your bag. They’re not common, but they should be.

- Entertain her for six hours as you daydream about when flying used to mean reading trashy magazines, taking a nap, watching a movie, and maybe having a cocktail.

Just teasing with that last one (well, kind of). We have some legitimate suggestions for entertaining your daughter and making sure the in-flight portion of your trip goes smoothly. Look for them on Friday!

xo,

ME*

Lovely readers, if you have any questions for us about events, gifts, DIY, food, etc, please drop us a line. We won't be able to answer every question that comes our way, but we'll do our best to respond.

Time after Time

Happy Monday, Friends! 
I'm back from a week in sunny California visiting my parents. While we were there, my mom pulled out a book that used to be my absolute all-time favorite, Katy No-Pocket. I've been thinking about how wonderful kids' authors and illustrators seem to really understand childhood--they are able to capture and recreate what it means to be a kid; the emotions, understandings (and misunderstandings) about how the world works, and things that are universally mysterious or humorous to all kids.The classics are so clearly delineated from other kids' books; while the former seem timeless and have stories or word patterns that appeal to kids (and adults) generation after generation, the latter seem dated and out of touch within a few years (or months) of being published, and generally don't appeal to adults at all. We'll deal with newer classics later, but for those of you searching for new (old) bedtime stories, here are just a few folks who I think will appeal to both you and your child(ren). Not that you need your own kids to enjoy these works. I've included links to online booksellers, but be sure to support your local bookstore or library when you can (online, you can shop here or here)!

H.A. Rey
Rey's wife, Margaret, wrote the stories for Curious George, and Rey illustrated them. I think we can all agree that the old Curious George is so much more appealing than the new one (I'm not even going to post a picture of the new one here). 

 

Left: Katy No-Pocket;Right: Unpublished drawing of Curious George 

Ezra Jack Keats

Oh my gosh, these books. They are gorgeous. Keats used collage and painting to illustrate his books, and sets his stories against an urban backdrop. I have a soft spot in my heart for The Snowy Day, since being from California and not seeing snow fall until I was 21,  it was this book that taught me about snow.

Left:  The Snowy Day; Right: Whistle for Willie

Leo Lionni
Lionni was an ad man, apparently, and only published kids' books later on in life. His books have wonderful lessons, and are good fodder for conversations about values and priorities. 

Left: Fish is Fish; Right: Frederick

Maurice Sendak
I know, I know, you may be Sendak'ed out from the Where the Wild Things Are movie (which I loved, by the way--the blog that went along with the movie is also awesome, as is Lance Bangs and Spike Jonze's documentary about Sendak). But hear me out. Sendak wrote and illustrated other stuff, too. All of which is fantastic and fantastical. How wonderful and rich are these illustrations? I spent hours as a kid pouring over his books; I am betting Emi will do the same.

In the Night Kitchen

Left: Little Bear (also a case in which the re-do doesn't do justice to the original); Right: Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present, by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Sendak

I've left so many out in the interest of space and brevity, but I would love to hear: what are your favorite classic kids' books?

Yes, We Know It's Only September

I'm going to do something a little taboo and possibly very upsetting if you're someone who writes letters of protest when your favorite store starts playing holiday music sometime in early November. Just hear me out though. I promise I'm writing this for good reason.

Image from the phenomenal fall issue of Sweet Paul. I can't get enough.

You would never catch me swooning over the smell of a fir tree, watching a holiday movie, or even humming Jingle Bells before Thanksgiving. I adore the holidays and embrace them with gusto from Thanksgiving through New Year's day. But for me, fully appreciating the month of December means spending very little time purchasing presents and a whole lot of time making every day a festive occasion. In fact, the gift aspect of the holidays can make the whole thing feel so blah and commercial that before you know it, you're scowling at the Santas standing on street corners and considering shoving tourists just to watch them spill their peppermint cocoas out of those ubiquitous red cups (um, or maybe that's just how I feel). To avoid that feeling, I make a concerted effort to give people gifts that don't feel generic--gifts I'm actually excited about giving (I know it's the right present when I have to use every ounce of my willpower not to tell the recipient about it in advance) and that I hope the recipients are happy to receive.

Many, but certainly not all, of these gifts take more thought and preparation than you can fit into the month of December. The good news is if you take care of them now, you'll have plenty of time to watch Elf, make latkes, or perfect your eggnog recipe while everyone else is fighting the masses at the mall. Here are a couple suggestions that require a long lead time and then we promise, we'll let you get back to lusting after new fall clothes or reacquainting yourself with butternut squash after a summer of zucchini. 

Quilts by MonaLeisa. Leisa truly creates works of art. In this case, she was using fabric that had sentimental value, but typically she uses her impeccable eye to put together modern combinations of patterns and colors. You've never seen quilts like this before.

Have something made. For as long as I can remember, I have received a pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve to wear that night. What makes these pjs special is that my mom, sister, and now Claire receive matching pairs (I'd share a photo, but I'm not ready to be featured on Awkward Family Photos: holiday edition). Sometimes the theme of the pjs relates to something significant about that year (there was definitely a dog theme the year I adopted Tahoe and of course, a millennium theme in 1999) and sometimes they are just cozy pjs, but they each take me back to that particular Christmas. During one of my many fits of organizational frenzy last year, I realized that after 30 years, I had a whole lot of pajamas spilling out of my drawers. I couldn't bear to part with them, so rather than cull my collection, I used them as the basis for what I knew would be the perfect gift for my mom and sister. Since I don't sew anything more complicated than buttons, I had the amazing MonaLeisa turn my pj collection (supplemented by my sister's leftover pajama tops) into three gorgeous quilts. The look on my mom's face when she unwrapped her quilt made it quite possibly my all time favorite gift giving moment. 

How you do it. Commissioning almost anything you can think of is actually a lot easier than it seems. There are two routes you can take: posting your project and requesting bids or approaching artists/vendors directly. Alchemy on etsy makes it ridiculously easy to request bids for whatever strikes your fancy (a Nacho Libre costume, a coupon organizer for your purse, even something to scare away your four year old's nightmares--all real requests). Just look for the "alchemy" button under "ways to shop" on the homepage. Once you click it, you'll be taken to a long list of requests for custom items to which you'll just "add new request" via the button at the top of the list. In less than 24 hours, I received over 100 bids for the quilt project. All I had to do was select the person whose style best matched my preferences.

Contacting artists/vendors directly is just as simple, although it can feel slightly more intimidating. Is there an artist or illustrator whose style your significant other absolutely loves, but you have a specific subject in mind? Did you see a piece of jewelry that is almost, but not quite perfect for your sister? Do you just have a hunch that the guy who builds gorgeous coffee tables would be able to construct your daughter's dream doll house? Just ask. You be the judge of whether it makes the most sense to call, email, message through etsy, or speak with the individual in person, but definitely convey why you think he/she is just the right person for the job. The worst case scenario is that he/she is not interested, but your best case (and in my experience, most likely) outcome is that you will end up with a gift that is exactly right for the recipient. 

My grandma made this Raggedy Ann for Claire's first birthday last year. Although Claire is the first great grandchild, my grandma has 25 grandchildren from ages 0-31. That's a lot of sewing and knitting. I know for a fact, she starts working on holiday presents in the summer at the latest.

Make something yourself. Sure, this seems fairly obvious, but here is what usually happens: Sometime shortly after the New Year, it crosses your mind that you're going to save money by making all of your holiday gifts next year. You think of it again over the summer--relieved that it's not time to start yet--and promptly put it out of your head. On December 10 (the month is in double digits now!) you realize you have not come up with a plan, purchased supplies, or made anything. You either pull a series of all nighters, replete with tears and craft induced injuries because you're so exhausted, or you frantically buy candles and scarves for everyone on your list. It's not a good thing. 

How you do it. If you plan to make something this year, my best advice is START NOW. Sorry, I'm not yelling at you. I just know from firsthand experience that making things under duress is almost always a miserable experience and I'm trying to spare you. By all means, knit scarves, can your special chunky applesauce, or build a play kitchen. Just try to do at least some preparation now. If you order supplies, figure out the perfect packaging, or even make everything when you're not busy attending holiday parties and baking gingerbread, you'll be so much happier come December.

If all this sounds a little anxiety provoking, we're happy to help you, but even we need a little lead time if say, your favorite aunt has always wanted to see the Rockettes perform and she lives in Minnesota or you want to give personalized prints to your 300 closest friends. You have plenty of time to make magic this holiday season and if you start thinking about it now, it can actually be a source of joy instead of stress.  Okay, back to welcoming autumn.

Kale & Sweet Potato with Raisins & Almonds

My mom calls this recipe "the nutritional powerhouse," and for good reason.  All of the ingredients in this recipe pack a nutritional punch; served over quinoa with a side of tofu, there is no beating this dish for dinner. This is a go-to recipe in my household during the fall and winter, and although it pains me to let go of tomatoes, corn, and peaches, making kale and sweet potatoes (aside from breaking out my tall boots, of course) somehow numbs the hurt just a bit.

Ingredients:
2T+2T olive oil, divided
1/2 medium red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 bunches kale (about 5-6 cups), chopped
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c almonds, chopped
1T lemon juice
1t cayenne pepper, or more to taste
salt
pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, cut sweet potatoes into 1/2" cubes, and spread in a 9x13" pan. Drizzle with 2T olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the pieces are tender and becoming golden.
Heat the remaining 2T of olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add the onions.  Sauté until translucent, add garlic, and then add kale. Cook over medium heat until the kale becomes tender, but is still a vibrant shade of green.  Remove from heat, and add cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.   Stir in raisins and roasted sweet potatoes.  Serve topped with a sprinkle of almonds.

What about you--do you have any fall recipes that you look forward to breaking out? We hope you're having a wonderful week!

Wednesday Miscellany

So many fantastic online magazines have released autumn issues in the past couple weeks that I can barely keep up with them. My only complaint is that I can't read them while curled up in bed, right before I fall asleep. Just in case you missed one, here's a list of some recent publications worth perusing:

Sweet Paul. Don't flip through while you're hungry! I almost licked the screen a few times.
 

Rue. Such a welcome addition to the online magazine world.
 

Small & LMNOP. If only childhood was always as pretty and magical as these two make it out to be. I do hope that has been close to Claire's experience thus far.

I'm experiencing this strange feeling where all I want to do is stick close to home, but I'm craving images of all the fantastic places I could visit when I wake up with wanderlust again. Here are some of the sites that are giving me my fix:

Designtripper. As this site grows, it's going to be an amazing resource.

Taking the Great American Roadtrip. I picture loading up the whole family, including the dog, and driving across the country in an RV. Crazy or trip of a lifetime? (Full disclosure: our daughter gets horribly car sick)

Dunton Hot Springs. I have a huge extended family and I love the idea of renting the whole town for a long weekend family reunion. Hot springs, vineyards, outdoor activities--you'd have to drag me away! I'm not sure this will happen anytime soon. Can one of you please do this and tell us all about it?

Let's all take 5 minutes to escape today, so we can avoid the dreaded midweek slump.

Grown-up Party Favors

Dear YOU + ME*,

I'm going out to (a fabulous Momofuku fried chicken) dinner with a few friends on my birthday. To thank them for celebrating with me, I'd like to bring along some sort of cute party favor for everyone.  Any ideas?  We're grown-ups, but I think it's time to bring back the childhood tradition of letting no one leave a party empty-handed.

Thanks!
M.

Hi M.,
We love that you're treating your friends to presents for your birthday; we think that it's a shame that party favors for adults are not more common. For your particular party circumstances, I think we can all agree that these presents should be playful rather than extravagant, cutesy, or overly serious. Though there may be times when favors can be elegant or chic, this idea lets your guests know how much fun you think they are.

With this favor package, the idea is to create a super-nostalgic pack of goodies for your guests.  You want the toys and candy to be evocative of childhood above all else; these selections are sure to spark conversations about your guests' favorite games and candies growing up.

 

Left: Bounce Back Paddle Ball, Store for Knowledge; Right: Jacks, Melissa & Doug

 Clockwise from upper left: Abba-Zabba, Bazooka, Bun, all from Nostalgic Candy

Still with me?  Here's where the grown-up portion comes in: package everything up in cute kraft paper bags tied with red and white bakers' twine, then either have a calligrapher label them with your guests' names, or use an adorable rubber stamp to label them.

Left: Brown Paper Bags, Twig & Thistle; Right: Bakers Twine, Paper & Parcel

 

Left & Center: Images via The Sweetest Occasion, calligraphy by Left Handed Calligrapher; Right: Thank You Rubber Stamp, Paper Source

Have a wonderful, wonderful birthday! We hope you and your guests enjoy yourselves!

xo,

ME* 

p.s. Do you have a question you'd like to ask You + ME*?  Shoot us an email at youplusmestyling{at}gmail{dot}com! We can't guarantee that we'll answer every question we get, but we can take a stab at lots of them!

Fall Faux Bois

Although yesterday's weather felt like summer and the farmer's market still has a bounty of tomatoes and even some late season strawberries, I'm wrapped in an afghan in front of a roaring fire and drinking mulled cider with the smell of pumpkin bread wafting from the oven. Ok, not really. Aside from the fact that our fireplace is of the non-working variety, I can also recognize that we're still in the hints of fall phase and haven't yet reached full immersion into the season. I'm just getting a little giddy at the prospect of cool, crisp air, tall boots, honeycrisp apples, and coziness. I'm ready for a good dose of coziness right about now. 

Since I can't escape to a rustic cabin in the woods (and it's probably a little premature for that anyway), I find myself drawn to wood, or rather things that resemble wood. If you too need some little reminders of fall to tide you over until the real thing hits in full force, see if some of these faux bois goodies will do the trick for you. There's something for everyone.

When you need to give a little gift:

Clockwise from top: Chocolate covered oreos by sweetiesbykim; Guest soap by Gianna Rose Atelier; Wood you be mine by somethingshidinginhere

If you crave something shiny:

Left to right: Woodgrain ring by ballandchain; Tree bark wedding bands by BethCyrWeddings

If your guy (or you) needs to carry something:

Left to right: Gentleman's crafty apron by PollyDanger; Woody bag by Jack Spade

If your child's (or your own) wall looks a little bare:

Left to right: Mobile Print by JennSki; ABC Chart by Studiolyon

If you want to spruce up your living room (That wasn't meant to be a terrible pun, but it kind of made me laugh when I read it to myself.  It would probably be better if I didn't admit that, huh?):

Left to right: Martha Stewart Faux Bois Rug; Michael Aram Bark Collection Vases (We got these as a wedding gift and they make me as happy today as the day we received them)

Oops!

While gifts for things like birthdays and new babies and weddings are all fun, sometimes we need gifts for the less happy times in our lives. Like, say, when we've been total jerks to our spouses (or sisters or parents or friends or neighbors), or when we've accidentally (or, heaven forfend, purposefully) offended someone. Thank goodness that I'm not the only one who screws up, because other folks have created some good ways to say you're sorry.
I think that apologizing with a card is clutch. Otherwise, just buying a present feels like cheating.  The key is to write a nice note in it letting the other person know that you understand the impact of your actions on them.

Left: Sorry Acorn, Fugu Fugu Press; Right: Ctrl + Z Letterpress Card, Paper Wheel

I also happen to think that baked goods never hurt anything when you're saying sorry.

Left: Stroopwafels, The Good Batch (I met them at the Brooklyn Flea, and they couldn't be lovelier people. You should eat stroopwafels even if you have no remorse and nothing to apologize for.); Right: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Happy Endings Bake Shop

If you're apologizing for something that you've done to your significant other (maybe for finishing off the brown butter ice cream in the freezer?), what about framing a print that is all about how awesome you guys are together?

Left: No Love Lost; Right Everything is Going to be Okay, Seattle Show Posters (I have two of this guy's prints in my house, and never, ever get tired of them.)

Also, after the jump, one card that is not appropriate for public consumption, and another one that is paired with it so it doesn't get lonely. 

Nothing says I'm sorry like self-deprecation and swearing!

Left: An Adult Version of Sorry, Richie Designs; Right, Sorry for Being a Butt, Wit and Whistle