Apilco - White Dinnerware

Anyone that entertains is always trying to find great white dinnerware that is versatile. I looked for years for a set that would not only be versatile enough to match with other dinnerware collections I have, but also versatile enough to go from casual to formal.

I found this several years ago by a company called Apilco. I have Tres Grande as my dinnerware, but have selected various pieces from several of their other lines because I have complete versatility with white. I can tell you after years of owning these pieces and heavy usage, I still see no knife scraping in the glaze which is a sign of true quality. The glaze is part of what sets quality dinnerware apart from others.

Their serving pieces as well are amazing. They offer you freezer to oven to table capability. Their pieces truly are timeless and I see any purchase of their dinner and serveware as immediate heirlooms that can easily be handed down.

Haws Watering Cans

When it comes to watering cans for your garden, nothing beats a Haws - plain and simple. I avoided buying one for years thinking it was a purist coup. I finally received one as a gift many years ago and came to the realization that I was resisting for no reason. This watering can design is amazing. Simple to fill and carry around the house or the yard due to the design, and the various attachments make it perfect for delicate flowers or new seedlings.

Over one hundred years ago in 1885 John Haws of Clapton, London obtained a patent for an improved watering pot. John Haws first worked out his improved design and method of manufacture from a French made waterpot (or can as they are now called) and designed a can with perfect balance. Whether full, half full or empty the can could be used without undue strain to the operator.

To this day, the original design has not been altered in any major way.
As watering was all done by hand in those days, there was a clear need for a good range of watering cans and the new Haws models found a ready market. Sales were buoyant both to the large glasshouse nurseries being established around London and the large provincial cities, and to professional gardeners on the landed estates flourishing throughout Great Britain.

When John Haws’ descendant Arthur Haws took over the management of the business in the early 1900s he faced stiff competition from companies imitating the Haws design. To meet it he spent a good deal of time perfecting the design of the roses, both oval and round, such that they were suitable for watering newly sown seeds, delicate seedlings and small plants. This feature of Haws cans also remains as important now as it was then.

Today, Haws’ comprehensive range of watering cans continues to offer new innovations (pot watering attachments and parking points for roses are recent examples) as well as utilizing the many excellent design features of the original models.

I have several of these now, even a plastic one. If you are a serious gardener or you know one, I would call this a must have! They have several price points to fit anyone's budget and you cannot go wrong.

Zucchini Spaghetti

Here I cut zucchini with a julienne peeler to look like spaghetti. Sauteed it with olive oil and garlic, then topped it with Parmesan, fresh ground pepper, basil, and fresh tomatoes.

Recipe

6 medium zucchini

4 garlic cloves

1/3 cup olive oil

1 cup Parmesan - grated

1 pt cherry tomatoes - sliced in half

1/2 cup basil - chiffonade

Salt & Pepper to taste

Julienne the zucchini using a peeler with julienne attachment. Peel until you you reach center with seeds - you do not want the seeds. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add garlic until fragrant. Add julienned zucchini and saute for 3 - 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and put remaining ingredients over zucchini or platter and top with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.

Paris Lounge

I became an instant fan of Paris Lounge years ago when my partner at the time was playing this in the background. He had purchased it while he was in Paris a few months prior and the first track 'Hum Hum' starting off with this telephone conversation between this man and woman. The vocals sound completely retro while she is trying to describe to him what she thinks he looks like by the sound of his voice. She comes to the conclusion he is about 6 feet tall, 155 lbs and light brown hair. You need to listen to the rest of the song to find out what else she asserts.... How fitting that the artist that created the song is called 'The Troublemakers'. I have heard several other tracks by them and love them all.

With all the hype about French house, the equally brilliant but less frenetic hip hop and chill out music being produced in the country has been somewhat overlooked. This compilation fixes things pretty wonderfully, as it includes stand out tracks from both the uptempo and downtempo genres divided into two discs - Paris by day and Paris by night. There are names here you'll recognise (DJ Cam, a very, very old St. Germain track that's already been collected elsewhere) but the really excellent stuff comes from less known names like Llorca and Sporto Kantes.

So what's it like? The Paris by day disc starts off gently, with some beautiful slow funk from Llorca (in a similar vein to Massive Attack's "Lately"). It gradually builds the pace through songs from vintage chanteuse Jeanne Moreau (for that true French flavour), trip-hop tracks from Le Tone (using the same Billie Holiday vocal Alex Gopher sampled in "The Child") and Cam, before finishing with some excellent Dmitri-style kitsch from Czerinsky.
The Paris by night disk takes this formula (a bit of kitsch, a bit of jazz and some Latin flavour) and moves it up in tempo, and by the time you reach Playin' 4 the City about a third of the way in, you'll think it's Saturday night in Favela Chic on Rue Oberkampf - it's impossible not to enjoy!
This compilation includes both retro and modern stuff, so it's an accurate sampler for the city itself - and if you love Paris, you'll love this too.

The Best Flour Sack Towels - Trees

I instantly knew when I saw these patterns I had to embroider them on a set of towels - such a beautiful design. Great for anyone living in a countrywoods setting or cabin. This set of nine sells for $63 -

Collecting - Yellowware

Yellowware is a heavy earthenware made of a yellowish clay. It varies in color from light yellow to orange-yellow. Many nineteenth- and twentieth-century kitchen bowls and jugs were made of yellowware. It was made in England and in the United States. Another form of pottery that is sometimes classed as yellowware, can also be called Mochaware - notice the pitcher in front. The feathering pattern on this mochaware piece was created by dropping the pigment onto the glaze and allowing it to flow on its own creating almost a tree design.

Yellowware is highly collectible, pie pans and molds seem to carry the highest price tags these days. My first yellowware piece that I acquired was actually at an auction and I was bidding against none other than Sotheby's. It is a massive 16" bowl with brown & white stripes - wonderful (far left in the picture). Yes I won, isn't that all that matters....?

kon-tent music - Cocktail Disco

Imagine yourself lounging on the sundeck of a flamboyant cruise boat sailing on the Caribbean seas. The sun is about to set, you're sipping a coconutty drink, it's been a very lazy day and your mind casually wanders. So many things to think of, and then there's that cocktail which is a bit too sweet. Why not have another one first and take it from there, there is time, all the time in the world. Savour the moment; Cocktail Disco is for those relaxing times.
Greetings ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the wonderful world of Cocktail Disco.
And what does Cocktail Disco refer to you may ask? Well, as you might know, between 1975 and 1979 Disco was immensely popular not only in clubs, but also in the real world; and as such it developed many a sub genre.
There was Disco Soul, Philly Disco, Disco Rap, Disco Funk, Disco Not Disco, Boogie etc. They all had their distinctive sound, and have been thoroughly exposed and compiled in recent times.
Over years one particular style seemed to regularly take up more shelf space than the others Disco-theque, it had a sound, that was borrowing from most others, but still retained it's character.
Rich orchestrations, a touch of Latin influence, the ubiquitous 4/4 Disco beat, and rather over the top vocals, it had an evident sense of drama involved.
Maybe some would find it cheesy, I would rather say cheeky and glamorous, something that would be quite fit for a Broadway musical show.
Crank this up on your turntable (or iPod) at your next soiree and you are sure to get rave reviews - gotta go, the Captain needs my help on deck!

Lemon-lavender muffins

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. dried lavender
1 1/2 tsp. grated, fresh lemon zest
1 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 egg
Coarse sanding sugar (for tops)

Directions :
Preheat oven to 400°F and spray muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper cups. Combine sugar, lavender and lemon zest in a bowl, set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Stir together buttermilk, oil, lemon extract and egg in a bowl, whisking to incorporate; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Add sugar-lavender-lemon mixture and stir to combine. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins and sprinkle the tops with coarse sanding sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Marigolds

Did you know that Marigolds are a genus from the Daisy family? My grandmother planted Marigolds all over her yard and they have always been a favorite flower of mine. Surprisingly you can also use the flower petal in cooking, as long as they are free of pesticides.

The foliage has a musky, pungent scent, though some later varieties have been bred to be scentless. It is said to deter some common pests. They are often used in companion planting for tomato, eggplant, pepper, tobacco and potato for this very reason. They also have been known to be deer, rabbit and rodent resistant.

The petals of Marigolds are rich in the orange-yellow carotenoid (coloring/dye) and as such used as a food coloring. Marigold is another herb found beneficial in the warts removal. The juice of the leaves of this plant can be applied over warts. The sap from the stem has also been found useful in the removal of warts. This is one among many effective Home Remedy for Warts.

They come in so many color and size variations, easy to plant and draught hardy. Add them to your garden and enjoy the benefits for yourself!

Various Marigold Genus Forms:

Marigold (common), Tagetes
Pot marigold, Calendula
Mexican marigold, Tagetes erecta
Tree marigold, Tithonia diversifolia
Desert marigold, Baileya multiradiata
Corn marigold, Glebionis segetum
Marsh marigold, Caltha palustris

Thank you to Katie Pertiet for the beautiful image.

Yo-Yo Quilting

Making a yo-yo quilt is a fun and decorative way to gather all your left over fabric pieces together and use them to make a beautiful craft project. Here are the steps for making your own yo-yo quilt.

Choose a plastic lid or a CD as a circle template for your yo yos. The yo yo will end up being about half the size of your circle template, so choose wisely. Remember the smaller the size of the yo yos the more sewing you will have to do to connect them all together for your quilt. Alternatively you can purchase Yo-Yo Makers to assist you in the whole process.

Trace and cut out your circles then start the hem of the first yo yo by ironing a 1/4" seam around the edge of the circle. Then take your needle with the thread knotted on the end and sew all the way around the hem with short forward stitches. Do not do any backstitching because you will be gathering these stitches.

Pull the threads slowly on each side of the hem until you have gathered the stitches and the circle will become a little pouf with gathered edges. (This is your first yo yo.) There should be a hole about 1/4" to 1/2" wide in the center of the yo yo. Flatten the yo yo so that the hole is centered.

Check your yo yo to make sure that it is not too tightly gathered then knot the threads. The side with the gathered hole is called the 'top' side.

When you have completed a large number of yo yos then start to assemble your quilt. Experiment with your yo yos by arranging them into different layouts until you are satisfied with the look of your quilt.

Place two yo yos 'top' sides up, edge to edge and whipstich them together. To make a whipstitch sew the edges together with stitches about 1/16" apart. To secure the whipstich thread let it hang out and work several stitches around it. Continue sewing together yo-yos until the quilt is the size that you want it to be.

This type of quilt does not require any kind of backing unless you would like to add one of your choice. Enjoy your new quilt and congratulations on learning a new craft that you can share with others all year round.

Topiary

Topiary is the art of creating sculpture through the medium of clipped trees, shrubs and vines. I have been fascinated with the art of topiary as it combines gardening and art in one package. I started out many years ago with a small sphere which I trained an English Ivy on and my collection grew from there. There are so many forms, the imagination can run wild.

My daughter Hadass - whose name is derived from the Hebrew word for Myrtle as the Myrtle tree blooms all year round, stands for abundant life. Much to my amazement after I began doing topiary - I discovered myrtle was a perfect medium. The tiny blooms are wonderful addtions to the tiny leaves of the 12" standard I trained.

You can do topiary with various herbs, such as rosemary and bay laurel.

Arborvitae as well as boxwood are common mediums for topiary in the outdoor arena.

City Pages Blurb about kon-tent

City Pages did a nice feature regarding the Fundamentals Cooking Class series. Here is the link:

http://www.citypages.com/adIndex/ad/674729

kon-tent cooking tip - butter and oil

Put butter into a cold pan to melt so they heat up together. If you put butter into a hot pan, the dairy solids will burn quickly thus making it taste bitter.

Alternatively, put oil into a hot pan as it will become hot enough in a matter of seconds for you to cook your food.

Scones

3 1/2 cup white flour

4 1/2 tsp. baking powder

4 tbsp. sugar (more for garnish)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter - cubed or sliced

4 eggs

2/3 cup cream

1 Egg & 2 tbsp cream mixed for brushing top

Mix together all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl or workbowl of a food processor. Cut butter into flour mixture with your fingers if in regular bowl or with metal blade in food processor until butter is in pea-sized pieces.

In a separate bowl, mix eggs and cream then add to flour/butter mixture. Do not overmix. Turn out down and form into a round or square that is 1" thick. Brush with egg/cream mixture and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

The Best Flour Sack Towels - September

What a fantastic way to add some life to your kitchen, especially with summer winding down and fall knocking on your door. Fall's autumnal colors accentuated with acorns - this would also make a fantastic gift if you are invited to a party, inexpensive and reminds the host/hostess of you and your thoughtfulness each time they use them. Check out the flour sack towel link for other designs - ($7 for the towel)

The Best Flour Sack Towels - Vegetables

Here is a set of seven flour sack towels with hand-embroidered vegetable motifs on them. This set sells for $49.

Confidence with a K! - Star Tribune, by Kim Ode

Special Thanks to Kim Ode at the Minneapolis Star & Tribune for writing such a nice article about kon-tent as well as the 12-Step Confidence Series. I appreciate it! Here is the article:

Confidence with a K

The most crucial ingredient in any recipe is confidence. Ross Sveback of Afton aims to teach this through his new culinary venture, kon-tent, with his "12-Step Confidence Series." Sveback says his Grandmother Ellen taught him the basics of cooking, home and gardening, and he's now sharing his "simple and attainable ideas for enhancing one's life." His cooking classes are held at All Inc., 185 W. Plato Blvd. in St. Paul, and include basics for chicken, pasta, baked goods, soups, eggs and more. Classes are $40 (discounts are available for multiple class purchases), and limited to 12 students. To check the classes and register, go to http://www.kon-tent.com/.

A look back at the bake sale

For my first bake sale, I would write it down as a success. I have never seen so many, great people. I was asked many times what was selling the most and it was even across the board. Everything was kid friendly and adult tempting. Thank you to everyone who stopped by, it was great meeting you! Click here for a slideshow of the day.

Coconut Marshmallows

Making the sugar syrup for the marshmallows.

I used my traditional vanilla-bean marshmallow recipe
here, but opted to add 1 tsp. coconut extract to the recipe at the same time you add the vanilla bean paste. Also, I put it into a half sheet pan to cure instead of a 9 x 13 pan. This allows them to spread out more. I toasted a bag of sweetened, shredded coconut in the oven at 400 degrees, stirring often to prevent burning until it was golden brown. I allowed that to cool then pressed the cut marshmallows into to toasted coconut to coat them.

July 4th Star Cookies

Here I used my vanilla-bean sugar cookie recipe with my 7" star cookie cutter. Topped it with colored sanding sugar before baking. These will be at my bake sale!

kon-tent press - Where the Locals Eat

Thank you very much for the article published by Where the Locals Eat regarding the fudamentals cooking class to be held at All, Inc. I appreciate them getting the word out. http://blogs.wherethelocalseat.com/Foodies/Minneapolis-St-Paul-Food-and-Dining-Blogs.aspx