Giveaway: Spring treats from King Arthur Flour!

Back-to-back giveaways...I know, too good to be true. But it is! And today's is another great one from my friends at King Arthur Flour. Elizabeth's comment yesterday asked if I'd ever been to their headquarters up in VT where they have a bakeshop (oh, a girl can dream!) and I haven't but I am a big fan of their products. Particularly their dough whisk, which I can attest will transform the way you think about making homemade bread.
Anyway, I love their mission, trust their brand, and have only ever had terrific experiences with the people who work for the company (especially Allison!). They are generously offering a giveaway that includes three of my favorite products of theirs for spring including...

The Honey Lemon Cake Mix (pictured above)

The Beehive Cake Pan (what it makes is above, the actual pan is below)

And the Bee Sugar Decorations

To enter, post a comment by 11:59 EST Monday May 4th (with a user name) about your favorite weekend food ritual—past, present or future. Mine is making myself a latte with my stove top espresso maker and my Nespresso milk frother (which may seem expensive, but the results are amazing!!) and reading a totally absorbing book in bed like Come Sunday, by Isla Morley. I can imagine that adding a piece of this cake into the mix would take my ritual to a whole new level!

**You are more than welcome to enter as many giveaways as I post, so if you entered yesterday's, make sure you enter today's as well!

New Book Giveaway: Farm Chicks

This week I'm doing two back-to-back giveaways just because I can! Today we have the fabulous new book The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen by Teri Edwards and Serena Thompson. Look how cute they are!
The book is filled with 52 yummy recipes—the breakfast chapter alone makes this a book to add to your shelf—including an Apple Puff Pancake, a Cherry Breakfast Swirl, a Nutmeg Coffee Cake and my favorite, a Maple Scone recipe (which is below so you can make it at home!). Everything is comforting and presented in a straightforward, yet compelling style.

And in the mix with all of the great recipes are fun crafts like the Scone Cozy above. The book is very country, very charming and completely makes me want to put on an apron and get into my kitchen. To enter to win a copy, post a comment (make sure to include a user name!) by 11:59 EST Friday May 1 about your favorite seasonal spring food (like asparagus! or rhubarb pie!). I'll choose a winner at random and will post it on Monday morning, May 4, so you'll have to check back then to see if you've won.

Enjoy the recipe for the Maple Oat Scones and make sure to check back tomorrow for another giveaway from King Arthur Flour!

Maple Oat Scones
These scones are great because they’re sweetened with just a bit of maple syrup, making them not too sweet, yet full of delicious maple flavor. They’re the perfect accompaniment to your morning cup of coffee or tea.

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup heavy cream
¼ cup maple syrup
1 large egg, slightly beaten
½ cup chopped walnuts (about 2 ounces)
Maple Glaze (recipe follows)

Mix the dough: Heat the oven to 425˚F. Combine the flour, oats, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of peas. Add the cream, maple syrup, and egg; mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. Stir in walnuts.

Bake the scones: Turn out the dough onto an unfloured work surface and form into an 8-inch round about 1-inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges and place on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned—15 to 18 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the Maple Glaze.

Glaze the scones: Drizzle the cooled scones with Maple Glaze and serve.

Maple Glaze
Combine 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 tablespoon heavy cream, and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth and lump free.

Here are two other of my favorite things in the book:

The strawberry rhubarb pie...

and aprons made from vintage sheets!

Field Trip: NY Botanical Garden

As you can tell, I did make it to the New York Botanical Garden up in the Bronx this weekend, which was pretty glorious. I loved the novelty of getting off of the subway in a neighborhood I'd never been to and then walking into an expanse of green grass, flowering trees and rows and rows of flowers.
Plus, everyone there seemed pretty cheerful given the sudden burst of summer-like weather. I even saw three little kids, in totally separate instances, chasing their shadows. It was completely adorable.


I believe this white flower is a heliobore, though I am not even going to pretend to know my flowers! It's certainly pretty, no?


This was a view down one of the walkways and gives you a pretty good idea of what the main part of the garden looks like.


I seemed to have missed the signs that could have told me what kind of tree this was...



Oh, this was the pathway into the native forest. The Bronx River also ran through it, which was a nice touch.


Some lovely burnt orange tulips in the plots in front of the conservatory. So this is how I spent much of my Saturday. What about you? I'd love to hear how you spent your weekend, particularly if it involved being outside in nature—or doing something new.

And for a little sneak peak, I have a fantastic giveaway coming up on Wednesday from King Arthur Flour. Make sure you check back then to enter!!

Inspired Image: Erica of PS- I Made This

Hello, my name is Erica Domesek.

You can find me at ps-imadethis.com and follow me twitter.com/psimadethis.

This image comes from the leftover champagne corks from my friends baby shower.

It inspires me because cork is such a fantastic material. It’s light, has great texture and coloring. Great material for spring!

I particularly love that there were ANCHORS on the champagne corks. I’m really into ALL things nautical.

It makes me feel creative when I can use everyday objects and invent, design, and create a new use or style!

The 3 words it conjures up are unexpected, chic, dramatic.

***

Also check out Erica’s fantastic Craft Club webisodes for Alloy’s Teen.com TV. The latest one is on “channeling your inner flower child with a chic headpiece”. I’m a little in awe on all accounts with today’s post. Such great crafting ideas and excellent branding design, right? So happy that I could introduce you to Erica’s site. Oh, and here's another of her cork projects, the Cork-tastic necklace, just for fun (and because it's amazing!).





Okay, I need to be a little NYC-centric for the moment: It’s forecast to be 85 degrees and sunny tomorrow and Sunday. I’m not sure if I have always been this antsy about warmer weather getting here, but I definitely have spring fever this year. And to celebrate the weather, I’m considering a trip to the Botanic Garden…or Ooh, maybe the Cloisters. I will let you know where I end up Monday! Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Q & A: Stephanie of Sweet Margarita

I am happy to introduce Stephanie, a new-to Etsy jewelry maker (her shop is called Sweet Margarita) who makes some very cool mixed media pendants. As someone who believes in the power of positive adornment—wow, that came out before I could catch myself. By that I mean that I really believe that what we wear and how we accessorize can influence our mood. About two months ago, I bought myself my first "real" piece of jewelry from one of my favorite designers, Sherry of Pequitobun to celebrate a personal milestone. And not only do I just adore the actual necklace, but wearing it has a real emotional significance—which makes it a pleasure to wear.
Anyway, back to Stephanie. I like that she has created pieces that might give the wearer a push in the right direction...it's easier to be a rock star if you read the words on a chain around your neck, right?! I think so. Okay, I'll stop talking now and let you hear from Stephanie.

Where do you live?
Troy, MI

Is this your full-time job or simply something that fulfills your creative side?
Making jewelry is my full-time job.

How did you get started making your pendants?
I've been designing jewelry for about 10 years now. I made a resin/epoxy ring for last year for my sister's birthday gift and the whole process intrigued me. I knew I wanted to explore it even more.

Tell me a little about the process involved in making one.
Each pendant is actually a collaged piece of artwork. First, I decide what "sentiment" I want to use for the piece. Next, I sit down with all of my colorful papers, scissors, paint, stamps, and get started. All of my pieces start out with a drawn circle base, then I begin cutting and layering paper. Last I add in details with paint and stamps.

What's your favorite part of creating your jewelry?
The ultimate satisfaction in holding something in my hands that I created. It never gets old :)

Where do you find your inspiration?
In addition to making jewelry, I also paint...I have a true love for all things colorful (my husband even has to deal with sheer orange curtains in our living room). So, I'd have to say that color has a lot of influence in my thought process.


What's the best part of your day?
Spending time with my daughter, Savannah.

Tell me one thing that you cannot live without.
Just one? That's tough.....it would have to be my family. I think they might be mad at me if my first thought ((caffeine)) beat them out.

Childress Wines (and Shrimp & Grits)

The year after I graduated from college, I lived in Durham, North Carolina. I was there as an AmeriCorps Member with Habitat for Humanity so I spent most of my time on the construction site (which is why my friends are always coercing me into hanging pictures and shelves fort them!). I’ve always said that of all of the places where I’ve lived—which includes South Jersey, Los Angeles where I went to college, NC and now NYC—I’d move back to NC in a heartbeat if I had reason to. There was just something about the people, the pace of live, the vibe of it all that suited me.

And while my life is pretty far from that at the moment (I have fond memories of taking the long way to the grocery store so that I could drive through winding farmland), I am always interested in hearing about what’s going on down there. Particularly when it comes to crafts and food. And wine.

I met with the lovely folks from the NC tourism board a year or so ago while working at the magazine and they were recently in touch to share some information about an event at Childress Winery in Lexington, NC on April 24. (If you didn’t know, the state has a huge wine industry!) They are having a white wine release party to release the new 2008 vintages and they will be showing off how the wines pair up with various foods.


Richard, a former Nascar driver, started the vineyard and his daughter Tina Dillon came up with the idea of pairing food and with the new wines. Here’s a sneak peak at the menu for the event so we can all imagine the fun they will have. (If anyone is in the area and happens to be going to the event, please send a report!)

-Barrel Select Chardonnay with Cabot Cheddar Cheese Trio and Shrimp and Grits
-Pinot Gris and The Bistro’s Creamy Crab Dip with Roasted Pablano, Silver Queen Corn, Carmelized Onion, Monterey Jack, and Cream Cheese and Toasted Baguettes
-Sauvignon Blanc and The Bistro Spinach Salad Tossed with Fresh Strawberries, Dried Bananas and Pineapple, Goat Cheese Crumbles,Sugared Pecans, Crispy Proscuitto and Served with Balsamic Raspberry Infused Vinaigrette
-Viognier and The Bistro’s Honey Walnut Chicken Salad
-Riesling and Junior Johnson Country Ham Biscuit
-Late Harvest Viognier with Southern Pecan Pie and Strawberry Shortcakes

(Image above from Letie's Culinaria)

And just for fun, I thought I’d share the Shrimp and Grits recipe because I know that it would be my favorite of the offerings.

Chef David Thomas’ Shrimp & Grits
Yields 6 to 8 nice portions

4 cups water
½ cup cream
2 oz butter
Little salt and white pepper
Dash of Cajun spice
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp (41/50 count)
Chopped tomato or tomato salsa
Chives or Scallions for garnish

Bring water to a boil; add cream, butter, and seasoning.
Gradually whisk in corn grits whisking constantly. Simmer until done about 20 minutes until thickened. Add cheese, taste and re-season if needed.
Sautée shrimp 2 pounds in a little bit of ¼ to ½ stick of butter and 2 tsps. olive oil
Season with a little Cajun spice and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until done
Plating
Spoon grits into shallow bowl and top with shrimp. Garnish with tomatoes, or tomato salsa, chive or scallion garnishes

Instant Heirloom: Fran Shea of Zeichen Press

Fran emailed me last week to introduce me to her design and letterpress studio Zeichen Press in Minneapolis. They produce all of their work using antique type and salvaged vintage printer's cuts. They mix their ink by hand and their pieces are printed on recycled paper using their very old and very heavy Chandler & Price Press. I love (LOVE) the witty writing and the style of their designs. Check out some of their newest offerings for spring as I share a little more from Fran about her work. (I kept the questions short in the hopes that you will enjoy the card images as much as I do!)


How did you learn to do letterpress?
A little book was consulted (The Practice of Printing) and much trial and error.



Where did you get your antique type and salvaged vintage printer's cuts?
Old shops that shut down and old collectors. Like anything else, there is a whole subculture of letterpress enthusiasts - young and old - that are determined to preserve the craft/hoard what they can.


What made you decide to produce your work from that perspective?
I have never gasped when I looked at something I printed from my laser printer.



How many people work at the studio?
Two. Jen Shea is my sister-in-law/partner and also the left brain of the company. For a while (40 weeks) Jen had a baby in her belly. So, I guess we had 3 people working in the studio. IF you consider floating and chewing on an umbilical cord "working".


I have to say, I'm becoming more and more into letterpress and the things involved in the process. This is slightly tangential, but a few weeks ago I was down at The Ink Pad and saw stamps made from old letterpress letters. I had to restrain myself from buying all of the "A" stamps...though now that I think of it I can't think of one good reason for me not to have at least one of them. Hmm. I might need to go back!