Kitchen Basics, No. 3: Washing and Storing Spring Produce
Ernst Benary - Album Benary |
Photo by Bobbi Lin |
Ernst Benary - Album Benary |
Photo by Bobbi Lin |
Jack at his first (but probably not his last) photo shoot yesterday |
Miya and I are so truly lucky to be working on such fantastic projects right now, but that combined with my new arrival means we're just a little swamped. After gazing at Jack, breastfeeding him every couple hours, and helping Claire get to know her baby brother, there are only so many available hours during the day. Then there's poor Miya who is working extra hard to pick up some of my slack. I hope you'll understand if our posting is a little spotty for the next few weeks while we get in a new routine.
Thank goodness we also have Meg to keep you well fed (did you see last Thursday's recipe for homemade gremolata bread crumbs?), the Jackalope girls to fulfill any cocktail needs you might have (like Bloody Marys), and Mary Ellen to share both kitchen basics (homemade ricotta anyone?) and design inspiration.
What may be lacking in quantity of posts will be completely overshadowed by the quality of what will be coming your way over the next few weeks. In addition to our phenomenal contributors, there are so many projects we've been dying to share with you!
I hope you all get the chance to cuddle up with your family and/or pets tonight--that's what I'll be doing.
Good Afternoon You+Me* Readers! Many many apologies for being late posting today. We are about a month out from opening our brewery and are so busy that we honestly sometimes we forget what day it is. Before we go any further, we want to send a big congratulations to Elisabeth for being able to drink again… and for the whole baby thing!
Now, back to the drinking. I don’t want to make anyone jealous, but on Sunday they’re predicting that Nashville is going to get its first 80 degree day of the year. Yay! Which means it’s the perfect time for one of our favorite activities here at Jackalope: day drinking. Not just any day drinking, we’re planning on throwing a brunch that has as much emphasis on the drinks as the food – Drunch ,if you will. I’m going to be making these scones, which Miya has talked about before and are so delicious, along with these scones from the Barefoot Contessa. I love her. I love her as much as I love Martha, choosing between them would be too hard so I’m glad I’ll never have to. Bailey on the other hand, will be focusing on the drinks portion of the drunch. Something you should know about Bailey, she’s not just a great brewer, she also makes a phenomenal bloody mary. I think it’s something in her genetic make-up. Her tried and true bloody mary recipe (which has indeed turned former naysayers into bloody mary believers) goes a little something like this:
1.5 oz vodka (Bailey personally likes Beefeater for a bloody mary, but whatever suits your fancy)
5 oz V8 juice
1 tablespoon chopped horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
A splash (or two or three, if you like the spice) of Tobasco sauce
Salt & pepper to taste
1 lime wedge
Celery Stalk
Just mix the ingredients over ice, squeeze the lime wedge into the beverage, and stir with the celery stalk. If you’re feeling adventurous, replace the celery stalk with a pickle spear, pouring some pickle brine in as well (you won’t be sorry). And remember, these measurements can all be adjusted for your personal taste…cocktails are meant to be fun, after all!
** Note from Bailey: One important rule I would like to impart though, lest my grandmother never forgive me, bloody marys are purely a daytime drink and should only be consumed before 4:00 pm (or you may turn into a Gremlin).
It's one of life's great twists, actually, that one of the cheapest things on earth - homemade breadcrumbs - are also one of the tastiest. There's very little out there that gives the richness and texture you get from a freshly toasted batch of breadcrumbs. The Italians, masters of use-it-up cuisine, sprinkle them everywhere, including on top of pasta. What could be more indulgent than that, right?
Hello lovelies, I hope you're having a nice week, and just want to start off by telling you that you DO NOT want to miss what Meg's got cooking for tomorrow. Because we're in need of a deep breath, let's all dream of having a room like this in our house for a second, shall we? Found it on pintrest, and haven't been able to get enough since.
Dear YOU + ME*,
I am currently feeding a toddler and she is picky, to put it nicely. I want to make her happy (and not aid in her starvation), but if I have another macaroni and cheese dinner, I am going to scream. Any suggestions for how to make meals that we'll all enjoy?
Thank you,
R.
Dear R.,
From what we've experienced and from what our friends also say, feeding a toddler is not the easiest of all of the parenting tasks. We've never known a faster turnaround from "I like it!" to "I hate it!" and back again. But! We've found a few ways to make it so that you only have to make one dinner to feed all of the members of your family. We've found the secret to cooking only one meal to be lots and lots and choices at said meal.
Happy Monday, friends! Despite the rainy Sunday, it was still a lovely weekend. There was outdoor fun in the 50+ degree weather on Saturday and tons of organizing for the baby (thanks for the help, Mom!). Claire arrived fashionably late, so there could still be another week and a half of waiting, but I forgot how exciting the anticipation can be in the final days. I really can't think of anything comparable in my adult life.
Since I've admitted to being just a little distracted by the brand new human being about to make his entrance any day now, I hope you'll excuse me for a gathering post that is just a tiny bit random. Let's call it a nursery in blues and yellows.
House Stringing a Banner Pillow by Olive |
Equilateral Triangles Crib Quit by Carson Converse Studio |
Scattered Showers, stiched cityscape by Laura Amiss |
I hope your Monday is just the beginning of an absolutely fantastic week!