We all know the general outlook for 2009 is said to be grim. I couldn’t think of a better time to remember that there is still a lot to look forward to, even if it is getting back to enjoying the little things that bring a smile to your face.
Cue sent out these little perfect bound books to clients and friends, hoping to spread a general sense of optimism for the year to come.
You can get your own copy here- or by contacting me directly.
I went to New Orleans for a work trip last week. I have to say, most of the city lived up to its hype (and its stereotypes)- but the music… well there was something about it that went beyond my expectations.
… you better watch your back. While walking to work this morning, a furry little creature shot out of a garbage can and straight at Nick! Luckily neither party was injured… and it was a pretty good laugh.
(image from Apartment Therapy)
I’ve been in the kitchen a lot lately. For whatever reason, the prep-prepare-plate-eat-clean ritual is soothing after a long day at work. Maybe because cooking allows for improvisation and creativity. You can substitute, add, and edit as you please and I’ve found that my senses are much better at gauging what food needs than a cook book. And the best part is, you get to enjoy and share the results with your favorite people!
More specifically, my motivation to cook has come from the realization that it is nearly impossible (or very limiting) to eat a healthy diet if you don’t cook your own food. I’m defining healthy as food that isn’t processed, has hydrogenated oils, chemical pesticides or preservatives. Nick and I have both been trying to limit our diet to food that comes from the ground or from an animal: whole grains, beans, lean protein, vegetables and fruit (all organic, preferably). This takes planning and a culinary skill set that I haven’t quite mastered. So I devoted this weekend to braising, baking, kneading, and sautéing as much food as I could get my hands on. So much goodness came out of the kitchen…along with a couple of mishaps a long the way.
The good:
2lb chuck steak braised in red wine and homemade chicken stock
4lbs of mashed potatoes with celery root topped with creme fraiche and chives
2 roasted beets
1 vinaigrette (shallot, orange zest, red and sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil)
1 watercress salad with poached egg
A surplus of hand made gnocchi
5 cups of tomato basil cream sauce with caramelized shiitake mushrooms and leeks
1 cup of reduced vegetable broth (was meant to be 2.5 quarts but I forgot about it for a few hours… whoops…)
A loaf of honey wheat bread
6 cups of granola (whole oats, flax seed, flax meal, almonds, pure maple syrup and cinnamon)
3 dozen lemon butter drop mini cookies (for a little after dinner treat)
The bad:
1 egg, under cooked, then pulverized in microwave
1 pint of perfect cherry tomatoes, spilled in the scary (dirty) nook behind my stove
1 cup of cream, unattended and boiled to a really gross consistency. Boiled over. Stuck to my stove top
1 broken wine glass
1 cup of spilled wine
3 heads of garlic, marinaded in spilled wine
All in all, it was pretty successful. And luckily, I have a hungry man around who is very happy to make it all disappear.
I learned a lot this weekend. And it feels really good to know exactly where my food came from and how it was prepared.
Cookbooks used: A Platter of Figs by David Tanis, How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittmen, Chez Panisse Vegetables, by Alice Waters
What have you learned in your life so far? What is it that you are fairly sure about? What is it that you believe in by now?
Stephan Stagmiester is asking for people to contribute, visually and verbally to his project: http://thingsihavelearnedinmylife.com/
Stagmiester owns up to 20 truths he’s discovered:
1. Helping other people helps me.
2. Having guts always works out for me.
3. Thinking that life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now.
4. Organising a charity group is surprisingly easy.
5. Being not truthful always works against me.
6. Everything I do always comes back to me.
7. Assuming is stifling.
8. Drugs feel great in the beginning and become a drag later on.
9. Over time I get used to everything and start taking for granted.
10. Money does not make me happy.
11. My dreams have no meaning.
12. Keeping a diary supports personal development.
13. Trying to look good limits my life.
14. Material luxuries are best enjoyed in small doses.
15. Worrying solves nothing.
16. Complaining is silly. Either act or forget.
17. Everybody thinks they are right.
18. If I want to explore a new direction professionally, it is helpful to try it out for myself first.
19. Low expectations are a good strategy.
20. Everybody who is honest is interesting.
Amen.
So I happen to have more spoons than one person should. I wouldn’t call it a collection….and this hobby shouldn’t be confused with the careful collecting of pristine cutlery. While doing a photo essay for a photography class in college, I spent some time perusing the local consignment stores, with the idea that I would document every day objects and their abandonment. And among a lot of junk, I found that people tend to just give up on perfectly useful, very cool things. One of them being spoons. Mismatched, lonely spoons. Weathered and oddly shaped spoons. Perfectly useful, very pretty spoons. And the very tiny, what-purpose-could-this-possibly-have spoon (my favorite). They are charming and I have to have them.
I haven’t added to my small collection for a year or so, but when I came across this project a few months ago the flame was reignited. This father-daughter partnership is a really touching story. I have my eye on the thin, spindly one. Just because it is pretty, of course.
Found via http://www.booooooom.com/
This is an illustration for a wedding card I created this week. The bride loves squirrels and I thought it would be a nice gesture to give them something personalized.
This blog was created to document some of my interests, observations and little projects I meddle with in my spare time. I’m currently working as a graphic designer and when I grow up, I hope to become (what I’ve loosely defined as) a blissfully content, creator of my own destiny (who happens to make a living creating beautiful, thoughtful things). Quite the hefty goal to achieve. But more specifically, I want to keep learning from the world around me. And as I approach my 25th birthday (Nov.1), I couldn’t think of a better time to broaden my horizons a bit and take some time to indulge in the small things.
Hopefully I can contribute to the world out there, as many others do, for the sake of sharing ideas, passing along a thought, and offering a tiny glimpse into my world. So lets get on with it!
