Magnet Monday: Larger than Life

Cheesy Refrigerator Magnet for Monday, September 29, 2014
"Punching Cattle on a Jack Rabbit", Cowboy riding a jack-rabbit and herding cattle, handmade copper frame, circa 2004

Everything is bigger in the West, especially the rabbits. Jack Rabbits are particularly - and surprisingly - large. Add in a pinch of western exaggeration and bravado, and well, this is what you get. We found this magnet at a quirky gift shop in a small arts mall somewhere in downtown Tucson, Arizona.  

You too can sit on a giant concrete rabbit at the Jackrabbit Trading Post outside Joseph City, Arizona. No cattle though.


Magnet Monday features a selection from our semi-vast and ever growing collection of cheesy refrigerator magnets. Without doubt the perfect souvenir. Only slightly less cheesy than collecting snow globes but maybe a lot easier to smuggle in your bra. If need be. Which I hope it never is. Unless it's really worth it.

Dutch Sweetness

But I don't mean chocolate. 

This pair of Dutch children used to hang out in my grandmother's kitchen. I'd have to ask my mom if they predate her childhood. Growing up, like most kids, I had no appreciation for tchotchke. I'm still no fan of clutter, but these have really grown on me. 

I'm guessing they date to the 1920-30's, made of chalkware*. While not rare, I find this pair unusual to what I can find online. 

Most Dutch wall figures are painted in shades of blue and pink. Clearly these are not. Also, most pairs seem to be either dancing or carrying water buckets. These two, at least to me, seem to be bashfully flirting. 

This pair came to me when we downsized my parents into their condo. Even then, they hadn't been on display in years. They are the perfect colors to match our kitchen, so I'm happy to say they are hanging out once again. 

*Collector's Weekly has a really nice article about the history of chalkware here. 

This post was previously shared on my Around the House page. 

Weekly Randomness for September 26, 2014

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• The adjunctification of faculty in higher education is a serious and growing problem, and another sign that our culture has lost sight of where we should be investing our money (i.e. top-level salaries and shareholders vs. workforce and educators) (see here, and here, and here, and...). 
• Astronomy Photographer of the Year - Star Trek was never this creative. 
• Your noggin is like an airplane. Excellent. 

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• So.... I would have thought the problem was finding eviscerated dried roach in the food, not that it is the food... o.O
• I'm such a sucker for a good photobomb.
• My Pinteresting randomness

Weekend Aims

• Neighborhood gathering to celebrate the neighbor's new Garage Mahal (i.e. and the cars and yard appliances rejoiced).  
• Packers at the Bears - come on Pack, show us some of that pre-season magic!

An Old Leek and Potato Soup: TBT

ThrowBack Thursday: Old-timey recipes, modern kitchen

Image: TheGraphicsFairy

September 25, 2014  
An Old Leek and Potato Soup
From James Beard's American Cookery, ©1972

Soup weather has come to Wisconsin a bit early. Too soon to tell if it is here to stay, but what's not to love about a good soup?!

Approach
The recipe was almost too simple. I've made passable potato-leek soup before, but this one was more obviously leek-potato. Leeks, potato, broth. The veg from our CSA; spices from our favorite spice shop. The nutmeg was a surprise as was the cayenne. Roux thickened; no cream at all. 

Result
Wonderful. Thick, creamy, leeky goodness. It must be the leek-to-potato ratio that makes it; far more leeks and fewer spuds than I have used before. I was surprised at the creaminess despite the lack of cream; using a roux in this way is something to try more often. Depending on the broth and fats you use, this could easily be made vegetarian if not vegan. 

Verdict 
Keeper. Hands down better than any more recent potato-leek soup recipe I've made. A perfect light supper with a side of cheese and crackers. 

Bowl fave: personal casserole with "ear" handles in navy glaze from ByBee Pottery. 


An Old Leek and Potato Soup
from James Beard's American Cookery, ©1972

5-6 small or 3 large leeks, white and pale green parts
3 tablespoons butter
3 cups diced peeled potatoes (Yukon Golds, or Reds)
1 quart broth (chicken or veggie)
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, or to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour

Split the leeks lengthwise to rinse well, cut into slices. Heat butter in large stockpot; add leeks and sauté lightly until softening, 4-5 minutes. Add potatoes and broth; bring to boil. Turn heat down and simmer until potatoes are tender. Remove 1 to 1 1/2 cups liquid portion of soup. Purée remaining soup either in batches using a regular blender or right in the pot with an immersion blender. 

Make roux in separate small skillet: melt butter, add flour and mix well; stir for 1-2 minutes to cook flour and coat flour grains in fat. Add reserved broth slowly, whisking as you go to incorporate and prevent lumps. Cook for 2-3 minutes to thicken; add back to pureed soup. Add salt, cayenne, and nutmeg to taste. 


James Beard's American Cookery, ©1972

This cookbook is a soft cover edition from the first year, but I don't know if it counts as a "first edition." Not strictly old-timey, but at 40 years old it qualifies as antique in some circles. It was a gift during a past relationship, and most obviously the best thing to come of it.  

Throwback Thursdays features a recipe from an antiquey style cookbook. Hard to know what age to put on it, but you know an old-timey  one when you see it. I have at least 10 oldies now, a number which, being greater than 3, implies a collection. It also means they need their own shelf in the cookbook bookcase.

Toasted Squash Seeds

One of my fondest memories of pumpkin carving as a kid was getting to toast up the seeds. So much tastier than popcorn and so much more special being only available in the fall.

Since then, I discovered you can do this with any winter squash seed. This is probably not news for a lot of people, but for me it was a lightbulb moment. The joyful byproduct of this knowledge is a lot more opportunities for crunchy toasty goodness. These are seeds from a little Sweet Dumpling squash we got in our CSA box. 

A little olive oil, a little salt, a little pepper (in this case California Seasoned Pepper, Penzey's), and toast in the oven. Snack perfect! Really good on a salad too, if they last that long...

Magnet Monday: Spanish Parquetry

Cheesy Refrigerator Magnet for Monday, September 22, 2014
"Untitled", Spanish parquetry, circa 2012

In honor of the first day of fall, some fall-ish colors. This one a gift from globe-trotting family on a visit to a region in Spain where parquetry is well known. Parquetry creates designs by using thin layer veneer, traditionally wood; not to be confused with marquetry, which is decoration made of thin layer wood veneer (hold on - wait a minute...). 



Magnet Monday features a selection from our semi-vast and ever growing collection of cheesy refrigerator magnets. Without doubt the perfect souvenir. Only slightly less cheesy than collecting snow globes but maybe a lot easier to smuggle in your bra. If need be. Which I hope it never is. Unless it's really worth it.

Kandinsky and Cucumbers

The Milwaukee Art Museum had the most amazing exhibition of Wassily Kandinsky's work (and some important contemporaries), this past summer. It was an enlightening show - I was totally unaware of his early figural work, and completely charmed by his pieces done in tempera on black paper. 

Of course, there was a gift shop to check out after the exhibit. I try not to buy anything (or at least not spend too much); I could not pass up the cookbook by Elena Makhonko on Russian food. I thought I knew something of their cuisine, but paging through the book I realized I really didn't. 

The first recipe I tried was for Salted Cucumbers, a.k.a. Smedoni, mostly because I had all the ingredients, including an overabundance of cukes. Also, since these are basically refrigerator pickles, it gave me a chance to use one of the really cool antique canning jars from my mom's collection. 

We even had the obscure blackcurrant leaves! A friend gave us a blackcurrent shrub earlier this summer, so I clipped some off for use. The leaves don't match what was in the book, but I double checked that our leaves at least, for sure, come from a blackcurrant. 

I crammed the two quart Atlas jar pretty full. With a new gasket, it was ready to head into the fridge for a couple weeks before trying. 

TICK-TOCK TWO WEEKS ON THE CLOCK
We tried out the Salted Cucumbers and... very tasty. Obviously a pickle, but lightly vinegary. The dill and garlic are evident, and so is this herby-green-slightly unfamiliar flavor, which must be the blackcurrant. Fine by themselves, there are several recipes in the cookbook that require these as ingredient. So: step 1 done! 

Weekly Randomness for September 19, 2014

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Supportive personal anecdotal evidence: leather shoes and cotton socks are always better.
• You can't fool Mother Nature. 
• Found at last. 

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• Add room for golf clubs, and the retirement village will never be the same.
• For the love of all that is holy, where is this woman's body? Or hers?? o.O
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• The annual neighborhood block party cookout & potluck. Real estate awesomeness you can't put a price on.  
• The Pack are playing - lookout Detroit!

Eggs in Ramekins: TBT

ThrowBack Thursday: Old-timey recipes, modern kitchen

Image from TheGraphicsFairy.com

September 18, 2014  
Eggs in Ramekins
From The White House Cookbook, ©1929 edition

Scrambled eggs are a go-to standard for easy cooking, but sometimes you want something easy and fancy. Enter the baked egg. 


Approach
The recipe itself was standard fare for late 19th century presentation: it assumes you already know something about cooking. Baking in a "moderate" oven, and using a "suggestion" of onion. Pretty basic ingredients. It only called for minced parsley; I also added basil.

We've made baked eggs in the oven before using crème bruleé dishes. For no other reason than that they sit on the shelf mocking me in their underused status, I chose to use some little red Le Creuset crocks. 

Result
Baking for 10 minutes did not finish the dish, so my idea of a moderate oven being 350℉ may not be correct. Also, my modern gas oven probably does not compare equally with the wood- or coal-fired oven mentioned. I forgot to add the breadcrumbs before popping the crocks in the oven, and I would not recommend cheating like I did and using the kitchen torch to "toast" the breadcrumbs. They just burned. Next time I'd toast them in a pan with some butter and add them when the recipe says to. Or maybe not at all; according to resident tasters they didn't add much. 

Even so, the end result was tasty indeed and worth repeating.

The White House Cookbook, ©1929

The initial edition was released in 1887. By 1929, this version was considered modern and updated. I picked up this copy from an online auction. 

Throwback Thursdays features a recipe from an antiquey style cookbook. Hard to know what age to put on it, but you know an old-timey one when you see it. I have at least 10 oldies now, a number which, being greater than 3, implies a collection. It also means they need their own shelf in the cookbook bookcase.

Antique Doll, New Costume, Part 1

I've had this doll maybe 15 or so years. She came to me as a gift from my aunt; she thought the doll reminded her of me as a child, all those blond curls. In all truth, I'm not much of a doll-collecting sort, but I have to admit this one is particularly nice (and not because of any personal resemblance...). 

I have never cared for her outfit though. I've always thought it was the wrong style and out of proportion. It's also terribly faded, has been since before she came to me. My husband surprised me with a really, really nice new sewing machine not long ago, and I keep looking for reasons to use it. So... time for Ms. Doll to get a new outfit. 

So far, step 1: measurements. 

There are no stock patterns for period clothing to size, so I will have to draft my own. Stay tuned. This promises to be quite a process. 

Magnet Monday: Scotland

Cheesy Refrigerator Magnet for Monday, September 15, 2014
"Scotland", Wild Scottish Thistle, circa 2010

On September 18 of this year (in a mere three days), the Scots will be voting on the question: "should Scotland be an independent country?" Independence, whether from your parents or your sovereign, is never quite what you imagine. For better or for worse. In the light of so many regions currently fighting for independence, it would be refreshing to see it happen at the table and not on the battlefield. Everyone, please keep your shoes on. 



Magnet Monday features a selection from our semi-vast and ever growing collection of cheesy refrigerator magnets. Without doubt the perfect souvenir. Only slightly less cheesy than collecting snow globes but maybe a lot easier to smuggle in your bra. If need be. Which I hope it never is. Unless it's really worth it.

Weekly Randomness for September 12, 2014

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Curiouser and curiouser...
• So, what's the excuse for folks who have a whole brain?

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• No soaking! One of the funniest and yet most useful posts I've read in a while. 
• Love love love Vivian Maier's work. This has to be one of her creepiest self-portraits. The more I look at her photos, the more convinced of her narcissism. She absolutely cannot help it but to put herself somewhere in the image. 

Weekend Aims

• Shiny things to distract me: orchids under glass. 
• Beachy keen. Bring a sweatshirt. 
• The Pack are playing Sunday Sunday Sunday!

BBB Success

We've been building a garden aimed at attracting butterflies, birds, and bees (although I'm happy to welcome all pollinators). We noticed an increase in bees the first year, and more hummers. Finally the butterflies are showing up. 

Love love love to watch the Monarch Butterflies float in to eat! 

Must. Plant. MORE!!

Magnet Monday: Falling In

Cheesy Refrigerator Magnet for Monday, September 8, 2014
"Multnomah Falls", photo-magnet, circa 2009

Five years ago in September, on a semi-honeymoon, my husband and I spent a week traveling around Portland, Oregon with family (hence the "semi-" aspect). Fortunately, we have great good fun traveling with family. Hiking trails up the Multnomah Falls was no exception. Yes - that's a people bridge there, with wee folk you can just barely see. The whole Columbia River area was so beautiful, definitely on our list of re-visits (maybe even a move....). 


Magnet Monday features a selection from our semi-vast and ever growing collection of cheesy refrigerator magnets. Without doubt the perfect souvenir. Only slightly less cheesy than collecting snow globes but maybe a lot easier to smuggle in your bra. If need be. Which I hope it never is. Unless it's really worth it.

Weekly Randomness for September 5, 2014

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Repatriation of the Maori toi moko at MPM. Putting it right. 
• Namaste. You will be missed. 
• Yes, I will take my eggs and bacon please. Hold the toast.

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• And ridiculing this is why I no longer follow AFP. Seriously people: this is not awkward, this is awesome! 
• For this kind of money, I too could be a tool. I prefer to be an adze. 
• Hey! Someone else uses blooming basil for pesto too!! (I wish my canning was this organized...).

Weekend Aims

• A visit to family - Grandparents' Day and a belated celebration of my father's 89th birthday. Hats off to you sir, the fish are still biting.  
• Hand-drafting clothing patterns for a 120 year old doll. Look for posts. 
• Try not to fall into the rabbit hole that is Pinterest... sigh...

How Close Is Too Triclosan?!

I had a major and distressing WTF moment yesterday: I discovered triclosan is lurking in my favorite toothpaste. 

Magnet Monday: In Honor of Labor Day - Philadelphia

Cheesy Refrigerator Magnet for Monday, September 1, 2014
"Philadelphia", Liberty bell, patriot soldiers, Betsy Ross, circa 2010