FLowers and Cheese

This post is a little delayed, but better late than never. As we get closer to the official start of summer I'm hankering for some outdoor time and some simple food. Here's what i came up with....
This should probably be the second pict, but oh well. Above is some homemade bread that I used some of the leftover whey in from the homemade mozzarella below. Dipped in some deliciously garlicky olive oil it was divine.

And yes, you heard me correctly, I made mozzarella. I was actually fairly quick and easy. I used this kit which my husband smartly gave me for my b-day. This is just the beginning of my cheese making forays. I've actually since learned to make Ricotta which is even easier and homemade withorganic milk, beats store bought any day! Cheese and veggies  = simple and soooo good!
And I started some planting on our little deck which allows us to dine al fresco in a garden like atmosphere. This picture is actually from several weeks ago. Some Miracle Grow soil paired with a whole lot of rain has these guys all at least twice the size of what see here already.

Spring has Sprung..but it Feels Like Summer

We've been having some April showers recently but instead of bringing May flowers it looks like we're getting temps in the 80s this weekend! Here's a little citrus colored and flavored warm weather inspiration.

An image from Easter

Here's how it all started

And after some careful pith removing and slicing they looked like this

Then a lot of boiling, a healthy dose of sugar and a little help from this recipe left me with some really delicious natural candy. I love how the candied citrus peels look in the vintage looking glass bowl with clementine colored flowers!

Stitched Together

OK, so this post is a little late but this was my V-day present to the hubby.  And yes, in case you are wondering, it look EXACTLY like us. 

I use pieces of our old clothing for the appliques. This is something I'd like to do more of, re-purposing clothes, linens etc that I already have. The back of the pillow is made from one of Bill's old sweaters.

I logged in quite a few hours putting this baby together but in the end was quite pleased. I think he liked it too.

Uh...yummmmm

Ok....so we didn't actually eat dessert first but since the pict appeared first when I uploaded it I'll leave it there. This is apparently a famous American treat called Icebox cake. My Mom always made a different kind of icebox cake that I love. It consists of chocolate pudding layered between gram crackers and topped with Coolwhip.

This one is equally as good and actually has much more of a cake consistency. You but those very thin, old fashioned chocolate cookies and layer them between home made whip cream. The box has the recipe and shows it in a log form but I decided to make two individual "cakes." I also opted to add a little almond extract to the whip cream which turned out to be the right thing to do. You have to let it sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours but you can also make this the day before serving. This is where the magic happens. Somehow those crispy little cookies become cake and it looks and tastes like you bakes many tiny layers of a really good chocolate cake.

I topped with strawberries that I cut up ahead of time and let sit in the fridge with a little superfine sugar to draw out their juice. It was slightly reminiscent of an Oreo flavor in the end but way better! (and I love Oreos!)
Our actual meal (and this was our Valentines meal. We usually cook at home on V-day and go out another night.) consisted of the best asparagus I've ever had. I feel  slightly guilty buying it out of season, knowing it was shipped here from somewhere far far away, but this stuff was so tasty and actually sweet it was well worth the guilt. Here they are slightly pan sauteed in olive oil and salt. That's all.
And the most complicated, but still surprisingly simple part of the meal was seafood risotto. Awesome. Enough said. Contact me if you want the details.

Nuts about Partying

This little critter is now available in the shop. There are only three and one is already taken ...by me. I think it'll look precious in a certain little girl's nursery.

You've Gotta Protect Your Files

Sometimes a girl's just gotta whip up a pretty little laptop sleeve for her iBook before a pending business trip. Especially if the one she had (and liked) was somehow puked on by the precious little kitty in the previous post. I used some Leftover curtain fabric I had in my stash with a really soft green flannel for the inside. Between the two layers I added some extra padding in the way of felted wool. I finished her up with a little pink handstiching...and voila! I just have to keep this one out of little kitties reach.

Totally Necessary

Seeing as we've been having a pretty cold winter here I had to make this discrete, matelesse bean stuffed tube to keep the chilly drafts at bay. This door that leads to our deck is framed a little less than perfectly and when the wind is a whipping you can really feel it coming through the bottom.
As a precautionary measure I also felt it necessary to crochets a little cap for my little cat. I think she really appreciates it despite the look on her face. And don't worry, it ties around her neck in case she feels the need to shake it off :)

Back from Holiday Hiatus

I've been a total blog slacker lately and I feel that guilt that only a blog can make you feel. However after the "Winter Salestice," then the holidays I needed a little break. A little break from forced crafting, baking, shopping and overall doing. I was tired from the extremely rapid pace this holiday season flew by in....and by the fact that I have A BUN IN THE OVEN! Yaaaay. There's my news for the new year. Hopefully it was worth the wait for a blog post.

Anyway, despite the fact that the holidays flew by, they were quite enjoyable. Some of my favorite parts were: my nephews Christmas Eve-Eve sleepover we had. They're growing up. I realized this when decorating gingerbread men involved "testicles," this year.

We also has an awesome trip to Vt. I had fun even though I couldn't snowboard. There were 14 of us in a big house with a fireplace and a hot tub (which I also could not partake in). I did play drinking games with water and hung out and relaxed and all -in-all enjoyed some fine company.

Tree chopping and our annual "Emmit Otter's Jugband Christmas," viewing round out my holiday activities. Of course with plenty of time with family and friends as well.

Above is one of my favorite images from this Christmas.

Salestice Sucess

Part of the Salestice crew (Patricia, Holly, Marie, me and Cindy)

This past Saturday was "Winter Salestice," a collaborative arts and crafts sale. It was help in a spacious loft in midtown that we cozied up with Christmas tunes and delicious treats provided by Candy Penny.

As the day progressed friends, co-workers and family visited, lounged, snacked and shopped. It was cheery and relaxed and we all left with some extra pocket cash.

The helpful husband hanging tiny gnomes on a tree.

The Sugar Market table.

Sugar Market pillows

Items that didn't sell on Saturday will be available at Sugar Market.

101 Reasons

Just in time for the holidays I found this on poppytalk. Click this link to see what they are!

I told you there was a theme...

Back by popular command! These precious gnome ornaments are an update of last years version that was available through my old shop Sweetninja. This year...double the pleasure...double the fun! They come as a couple instead of a lonely little guy. Everyone likes company during the holidays! Little gnome couples are now available in the shop.

Holiday Cards are Here!

This years holiday card is printed and ready to go! There are some in the shop right now and some will be coming with me to the Winter Salestice next weekend. There's definitely a gnome theme running this year and this is just the beginning...

Winter Craft Sale

If you are going to be in the NYC area on Saturday Dec 6th come check out "Winter Salestice." It's a one day market place for all things handmade and special. A great place to find unique holiday gifts while supporting local artists.

Happy Election Day

Happy Election day! Here's what it looks like in my neighborhood. Hopefully tomorrow still looks so cheery!

Pillow Talk

After a brief (2 1/2 weeks to be exact) hiatus from the working world it's time to go back to the old 9-5. I had delusions of grandeur when it came to how much of my own crafting I'd get done during that time. I was productive...just not as productive as I intended.

However I had a good start of stock piling goods for an upcoming holiday sale, (more on that soon) as well as officially opening Sugar Market on Etsy.

Above is a taste of what I've been working on. I've been trying a lot of different hand printing techniques. This pillow was created by stamps I cut from foam and mounted on plexi. The front is organic cotton and the back is luscious mohair.

The pillow is tucked in the basket of my beloved Electra "Townie," cruiser.

Holiday Preview

Last year gnomes were really popular in my old shop Sweet Ninja, around the holidays. I'm working on a few variations for this year. Here's just a little taste....

Carving out a little time to Carve

It's the time of year when we hack innocent squash off their vines, not to eat, but to adorn with intricate cuts. Here's a look at how my family's turned out. Mine won the award for "scariest pumpkin." Can you guess which one it is?

In the words of LL Cool J..."Don't call it a Come Back!"

I've been quiet but I haven't been idle. Here is just a sneak peak of the new "Sugar Market," that is in the works. I have several projects started with many more in mind. Most will have printing (block printing, silk screening, lino cuts or gocco) involved. Some sewn, some not. Many with natural or re-purposed materials being used.

That's all you get....for now.