domicile

Measure Twice, Cut Once

  Freshcut 
  Originally uploaded by emira.

You know how sometimes you'll be sailing along with a recipe or instruction booklet for your new Ikea furniture, or let's say maybe your Amy Butler Kimono Pattern from In Stitches, when you'll read one of the instructions and muse to yourself "Oh heck, I don't need to do that! I'm a pro. That there instruction is for newbies. Newbies who surely aren't having such an easy time of putting together this soon to be awesome kimono..." and well, you all know what's coming.

For the record, the instruction was something to the effect of: Now take masking tape and label all the pieces you just cut out so you don't confuse them. And I, for the record, thought that was insane because really who is going to confuse a belt with a sleeve afterall? But then, I confused the sleeves with the front panels and chirped along my merry way and cut two big corners off my sleeves to make what is supposed to be a nice collar line in the front panels of the kimono. Then I swore. Then I scrambled at my fabric scraps and noticed that for once I managed to buy nearly exactly the right amount of fabric (the right amount calculated before one messes up the sleeves and has to recut them that is) and so abandoned the project for a few days in total kicking-oneself-in-the-butt frustration. I returned to it on the weekend and managed to salvage enough fabric out of the scraps to make two slightly shorter than suggested sleeves, but that seems ok as they're still going to require a fair bit of hemming for me.

I'd like to say I learned my lesson, but I probably didn't.

By the way that fabric there is what I used. No, not the pretty Freshcut on top, that will become my new favourite pj pants any day now. No I used the chocolate brown cotton and have put a blue collar and belt on. The fabric was called a "linen-like" cotton and that's really the best description. Photos as soon as I hem it all.

Apple Pie Filling

  canned apple pie filling 
  Originally uploaded by emira.

I can safely say that if I had to pick one type of dessert or treat to rise to the top as my all time favourite it would be pie. And, if I were absolutely forced to choose, apple is probably my favourite of the pie options out there. This evening I may have opened a new chapter in pie preparedness 'round the domicile taking things even further beyond the pre-made mini frozen pies of the past. Today, I canned pie filling. The recipe came from a back issue of Mary Jane's Farm magazine, though I had to alter it a fair bit for the amount of apples I had on hand. The recipe called for 18lbs of apples and I happened to have roughly four pounds that came from an earlier winter farmer's market but were starting to go a bit too squooshy to be good for eating. Not wanting to let four pounds of organic tasty apples go to waste I set about peeling and slicing them tonight after dinner and grabbed a few 1/2 litre mason jars from the basement. In theory, I now have two jars of apple pie filling sitting in my pantry, ready to be cracked open and baked the next time I have a pie shell at my disposal. The only bit the recipe wasn't too clear on was how much you needed of canned pie filling to produce a regular pie. Or in my case, likely a six inch pie or two. I'm sure I can guestimate without too much trouble.

If you, like me, have a quantity of apples closer to four pounds than eighteen, here's the recipe I used:

4 lbs of apples peeled, cored and sliced. They suggest leaving some skin on for colour. I left a bit on.
2 1/2 cups of water
1 cup of organic sugar
3 tsps of fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/5 cup of arrowroot powder

2 sterlized 1/2 litre canning jars, lids and screw bands.

Heat 2 cups of the water with the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. While that is heating dissolve the arrowroot powder in the remaining 1/2 cup of water (they suggest rice or corn starch here by the way, I always use arrowroot powder where cornstarch is called for in typically equal quanities). Add the apples and bring to a boil, stirring so nothing burns. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Pour the apple mixture and liquid into the two hot jars. Wipes the mouths of the jars clean, attach the lids and hand tighten the screw bands. Process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes or process in a pressure canner at 5lbs pressure for  10 minutes. I used the water bath method as I don't have a pressure canner, though thinking ahead to my tomato bounty of last year I'm thinking this might be the year I invest.

I'll report back next time we make pie to let you know how it tasted and how quantities work per pie shell. The spoon tasted just right when licked, so that's half the battle.

The End of Food || The Beginning of Gardening

I've been on a bit of a reading tear lately and just finished The End of Food by Thomas F. Pawlick. Most of what I've been reading lately has been non-fiction and most of it has been relatively light and easy going. While The End of Food is a pretty accessible read, it definitely isn't light. However, at the risk of sounding like an overly earnest high school English teacher: this is a very important book. As a well educated, vegetarian, garden-loving, corporate sceptic and general political lefty I didn't think I had too much left to learn about the dangers and evils of the industrial food industry. Sadly, I was wrong. What is going on in the land of our food stuffs is horrifying enough that I found myself on two separate occassions unable to hold back tears while reading it on my bus ride home. That said, I'll repeat this is a very important read. And, I'll give the author plenty of extra credit for including a healthy section at the end on what the newly riled up and horrified reader can do to create positive change. While I strongly suggest that you go out and get yourself a copy -- but steal yourself for some really nasty stuff, particularly if you're an animal lover or tomato lover for that matter -- I'll share the biggest source of hope that Pawlick includes in the book with y'all here (I don't think he'd mind): plant a garden. Any kind of garden. Anywhere. Just plant it. Of course, he gets into more detail than that but really that's the big message. As I sat turning various shades of green or sniffing back tears in bed at night reading this Martin kept asking me if his "solution" was to eat an organic vegetarian diet and despite the fact that I am all for an organic vegetarian diet I'm pleased to say that isn't his answer. He leans more towards the eat local and for heaven's sake plant some tomatoes school of thought, which I can really get behind.

Suffice it to say that by the end of the book I was more than invigorated for the gardening season ahead. And in fact I feel like I've had my West Coast temperate climate knuckles duly smacked in terms of winter planting. Next year: escarole, kale, cabbages and more will fill my winter garden. Mark my words. No excuses. My West Coast Seeds catalogue finally came in the mail and I've been thumbing through it with glee. And lucky for me this Saturday is Seedy Saturday at Van Dusen gardens where you'll find me trolling for all seeds heritage and hearty. I've also got some delusions about serious garden expansion for the purpose of trying my hand at some major hard bean cultivation and possibly some barley, but that will require a chat with Martin and some serious time with a shovel.

Lilac Care

  Lilac between a hedge and garage 
  Originally uploaded by emira.

I saw a comment pop up on an old post of mine from last May about Lilacs (at You Grow Girl) that I thought I would pull out and do my best to address here. The comment, or rather question was about a healthy seeming lilac bush that doesn't seem to be producing much in the way of blooms (or perhaps any). I did a bit of research into this as lilacs are one of my absolute favourites and I do worry a bit that the lack of hands on care that I give our lilac will result in a decline in the plants health. There have been (and continue to be) a lot of plants we inherited in this garden that I need to learn more about. Anyway.

From the reading and web searching I've done I can contribute the following info and a few more questions for any of you out there who have more knowledge or tricks up your sleeves:

• Lilacs apparently don't need heavy pruning but can do with a bit of thinning out. I know that my own bush sends off suckers and and new shoots a few feet away from the main bush as well as in the centre clump, pruning back some of these will apparently help the plant thrive as it is a heavy feeder or nutrient sucker so cutting back on some of the greedy shoots is a good idea. From what I've read I was a bit unclear as to when one should do this, so I'm not sure if it's a Spring prior to blooming thing or a Summer post-blooming activity. Do chime in if you know. (And I should mention everything I have read has specifically pointed out a need to not over prune, so don't go too nuts).


• Cutting off finished blooms is apparently one way to encourage a healthy crop of flowers the next year. Now if you're not getting any flowers that won't help, but I do know that this is something I have not done at all really, but have now logged into my garden journal for this June/July to take care of.


• Soil conditions: limey. Or so says the reading I've done. You can spread dolomite lime or other limey additives in November in my climate (zone 8ish/BC west coast).


• Dividing or moving: Here's where my big questions come in. I'm a bit worried about the location of my own lilac (between a healthy growing laurel hedge and a garage as seen in the photo there) and that lack of sunlight due to the physical constraints (it does face south so still gets lots of sun) will eventually cause it to suffer. If I wanted to take some of the offshoots and move them to a different spot in the yard, when would be the best time to do this? Or, say if I wanted to move the whole bush?

If any of you have any other tips for healthy lilac blooms do pass them on. I know I'm keen to do all I can to keep those gorgeous beauties bountiful each May.

(Cross-posted at You Grow Girl).

A Day Late

I had every intention yesterday of posting links to a few lovely bits and pieces spotted around the web this past week as a kind of Friday respite, but then my day went to the dogs (and not the nice soft puppy kind of dogs) and before I new it was 5 o'clock and I needed a cocktail more than time on the interweb. So, instead here it is on Saturday morning:

• Orla Kiely wallpaper (one pattern shown to the right). Nuff said really, but I'll say it again: Orla Kiely wallpaper. Fortunately (for my pocketbook) almost all of the walls in our house are covered in this weird spackle-y stuff so there's no way to actually paper them without redoing the entire walls. That said, perhaps a bit of this in the kitchen behind the counters/below the cupboards would be good. I think it would be fabulous actually.
• Beata's gorgeous felt valentines. Oh my goodness is she a talented gal.
• Creative Dragonfly's awesome dragonfly apron from the Amy Butler In Stitches pattern. I've had the pleasure of seeing this in person and it is really darling. Another great pattern from Amy.
• Alex's Denmark photos are all like little postcard daydreams. Oh how I long to go back.

Now, off of the computer and down to the sewing room. Time to do something with my latest Fabricana scores and that Amy Butler business.

Happy V Day

strung up from Miss P's canopy
Originally uploaded by emira.

The biggest recipient of Valentine's goodies in my life this year was Miss P. I made a Valetine's Garland from One Hour Craft on the weekend and strung it from her canopy bedframe so it was there when she arrived on Saturday. She also got a red box tied with a big bow filled with various candies and hearts from Dutch Girl Chocolates in our neighbourhood. It is my new favourite chocolate shop as they not only have dairy free chocolates and truffles (good for me and a few others in my life) in their repetoire but they also stock a bevvy of different imported European black licorices. Good black licorice is a craving hard to fill with substitutes and one I'm known to indulge in from time to time.

Beyond that this evening at our place will be filled with a haircut (for me) and yet another trip to test drive a car. Once that's all done I did think ahead and premade a nice dinner last night -- a vegan mushroom wellington with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus -- and if it isn't too late by the time we get to it we'll probably crack open one of the very tasty bottles of Blasted Church wine we have left from the case Martin bought for my birthday two years ago. Perhaps we'll eat dinner and drink wine in our PJs, it's feeling like that kind of a day.

A Flamenco Spectacular

  Allegria 
  Originally uploaded by emira.

So where the heck have I been. Not on the computer -- well except for those 40+ hours a week when I'm at work -- that's for sure. The past week or two have left me in a bit of a tired heap. The war wounds aren't too pretty either: many more empty boxes of kleenex from the cold that just would not leave and a couple of particularly angry blisters on my feet from my first public flamenco show which took place last night.

Preparation for the show brought back all kinds of nostalgic memories of dance recitals as a kid as energies ran high, feet got sore and rehersals upon rehersals were attended. That and last night's dressingroom which was a fog of hairspray, for despite the fact that I live with a hairdresser I just don't get much exposure to the hairspray cloud anymore. I myself was rockin' a pretty solid helmet-head of hair and tight bobbypinned bun that had to be "uncracked" and washed thoroughly at the end of the night along with peeling off the many layers of stage makeup. Yummy.

So how was the show? Did I embarass myself in front of a theatre full of strangers dotted with a few friends? Hard to say. I don't remember much of my actual performance or footwork, though I know enough to know I didn't screw up too badly. My friends, and of course Martin, insist I was great but they would be inclined to say so. Perhaps more tellingly Miss P seemed impressed. Given that she's in competitive tap dancing (so knows her stuff) and wouldn't be as inclined to fake enthusiasm for the sake of my ego, I'll take that as a good sign. Martin got some decent photos, which I'll upload soon which I've uploaded here.

Now that the show is over I am more exhausted than I expected to be. Though, as I rode into work this morning my brain was full of all the projects I can now spend some time on again as my commitments will free up a fair bit. Things like some more projects from In Stitches using some awesome Freshcut fabric I acquired last week, gardening updates and we're finally about to embark on our kitchen remodelling.

Oh, and sadly: we still don't have a car. Tonight may be the night. Or not. If not, then I'm officially passing the project off to Martin. I can not think about cars anymore. I can not.

Did I Mention?

I hate cars. Mostly, I hate buying them. Or trying to. Oh, right I did.

Anyway.

Do any of you smart folks out there, who surely know more about vehicles than I do, know of any reason why a 2003 Mazda Protege Stationwagon would be a bad idea? Anyone? Do they have a tendency to burst into flames. Have important inner car bits fall out on the road or just rack up really expensive repairs? I feel so in deep over my head here -- and for the record just how do people manage to put over a 100,000 km on a car (that's over 80K miles) in like two or three years? Get out of your cars people. Anyway, if there is something dire I ought to know (or something happy I would like to know) about Mazdas speak now or forever hold your peace.

Thanks!

A Simple Indulgence

The convergence of two events led me to spend a glorious morning in the kitchen baking from my new (acquired at Christmas) Donna Hay Modern Classics 2 Cookbook: this evening we have friends coming by for dinner and in honour of our 7th anniversay in business I get to play hooky from work today. Huzzah!

Of all the many, many cookbooks I own and cherish I have very little in the way of solid dessert recipes. I had put that particular Donna Hay cookbook on my list because most of the cookbooks I have lean toward the healthy/vegetarian/vegan variety and tend to lack in offering up a real depth of choice in the way of treats built primarily around the trinity of indulgent ingredients: butter, flour and sugar. Prior to meeting Martin, I had never actually used a Donna Hay cookbook, though I had often admired their simple layouts and stunning photography, but he brought one into my cookbook library when we moved in together and while I still haven't made full use of it I have always really enjoyed anything I've pulled out of there.

One of the aspects of Donna Hay recipes that I really enjoy is their simplicity. Typically they use very few ingredients, favouring instead an approach that lets fresh simple ingredients take centre stage as the main taste event. The same simple approach seemed to me to be true in the dessert cookbook, which was it ended up on my list instead of a Martha version or something like the Moosewood Desserts book. In fact the recipes are simple enough that last night, as I thumbed through it trying to pick the recipe I would try first, I was very pleased to note that many of the options I was considering I could make with ingredients regularly stocked in my pantry/fridge. Of course there are a few more fussy options in there: profiteroles anyone? But with the first attempt now behind me, I can say that Modern Classics 2 has at least one straightforward recipe that I would certainly make again. Of course, I've yet to taste anything save a lick of the bowl but that was pretty darn tasty.

If it somehow morphs into a total disaster, I will be sure to let y'all know, but it is currently cooling on a rack in the kitchen and looks and smells pretty darn tasty. So, if you've got a nice organic lemon lying around just itching for some zesting, why not try Donna Hay's Lemon Slice:

1/2 cup caster sugar (icing sugar)
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
120g butter (I'm so glad I bought a kitchen scale finally, I use it all the time now)
1 tbsp milk

Filling:
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch (I used arrowroot powder which I use instead of cornstarch)
2/3 cup single cream
6 eggs
1 3/4 cups caster sugar
1 1/2 tbsp zested lemon rind
3/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 330F (170C). Process the sugar, flour, butter and milk in a food processor until the mixture comes together in a ball. (This took about 3 minutes for me). Press into a 8x12 inch baking tin lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25 minutes until it starts to brown.

To make the topping whisk the cornstarch (arrowroot) with 2 tbsps of the cream until smooth (use a large bowl here, I didn't and then had to transfer to a larger one making extra dishes). Add the remaining ingredients (I swear I had to look back at that list for 6 eggs about 6 times before I convinced myself that you really needed that many) and whisk together. Place in a saucepan over low heat and whisk for 6 minutes until the mixture thickens. I had to do this for about 10 minutes or a bit more even before mine thickened but perhaps that was the arrowroot? It was thick enough in the end.

Pour the lemon mixture over the base and bake for 5 minutes until just set. Cool. Slice. Ta da.