Monthly Archive for August, 2011

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DIY Refrigerator Magnets

Published on August 16, 2011 in Crafts and Kids. 0 Comments


I don’t know about you, but my refrigerator has become ever-so-slightly overrun with a combination of photos, school art projects and LeapFrog talking gadgets. To the point where, if you open the fridge just a wee bit too far at, say, 2:00 am to get a glass of water, a freakishly loud and random pig snort may emanate from somewhere very close to you. It’s not good.

So in an effort to clear the madness a bit and because I don’t like being squealed at in the middle of the night, I decided to make my own non-speaking magnets. And because we already had the alphabet which the kid is gangbusters at (so I guess those toys actually work), I decided to make numbers.

I read somewhere about these “turn your business card into a magnet” adhesive magnets (because that’s what I do with every business card I’ve ever gotten), and it turns out that these little babies can turn pretty much anything into a magnet. Thomas pop-out train card? Magnet. Cool piece of fabric? Magnet. Mini clothespin? Magnet.

Which I realize defeats the purpose of clearing the clutter, but once you start magnetizing, it’s kind of hard to stop.

Not that I really need to spell out the steps, but here’s what you need:

Felt in multiple colors
Self-adhesive magnet stickers (business card size)
Pencil
Sharp scissors
Exacto knife
Ruler

Peel off the backing from one magnet and stick it to a piece of felt cut to approximately the same size. (As you can see from the photos, I initially cut the numbers out first, stuck them to the magnet, then realized I had to cut the number out again. And yes, it took me up to the number 4 to figure this out.) I drew the numbers freehand (make sure to use the straight edges of the magnet where you can), but you can make your life easier by buying felt numbers like these, but where’s the fun in that? Cut out the number using the scissors (an Exacto knife works well on the circles and tight spots).

Stick on fridge and begin teaching your youngster calculus immediately.

Friday Fun

Published on August 12, 2011 in Inspiration. 0 Comments


We’re heading back up to Vermont today to this glorious spot, but before we shove off, I’d thought I’d share a few recipes I’m planning to try and some other stuff which makes me think the world may not be a completely horrible place:

Now that local blueberries are so good, this must be tried. (via Lottie & Doof)

Zucchini too are running rampant; hoping to get a stash from Dan’s garden to make this. Could Katie’s photos be any more gorgeous? I think I’d eat an old shoe if she styled and photographed it.

More zucchini? Try these. (via Dinner: A Love Story)

While I absolutely love this as a concept, I can just imagine how wrong this could go in NYC…like drunk people peeing down it. *sigh* (via Cup of Jo)

Save a kitty! (via Door Sixteen)

Love & light in spades. So beautiful.

Easy and delicious? My favorite combo. (via 101 Cookbooks)

Amazing dogs. (via NY Times)

Have a great weekend everyone!

How to Store Your Fruits & Veggies

Published on August 11, 2011 in Basics. 0 Comments

I just found this handy guide to storing your fruits and veggies without using plastic (via this charming blog). I don’t know about you, but I’m always ending up with mushy, wilted or unimaginably scary looking veggies, and now I realize it’s because I’m probably storing them all the wrong way. And in unnecessary plastic-y ways to boot.

For example, did you know that you can (and should) store celery in a cup of water on your counter? And that fennel stores well this way too? Not that I’m going to start filling my already space-challenged kitchen with jars of veg all over the place, but I do have a spot in mind and I think it may even encourage me to use them more quickly (and not forget them stuck in the back of the mystery crisper drawer).

Also, no need to use plastic wrap, Ziploc baggies or aluminum foil. Just roll up a cucumber in a damp towel and stick that in the fridge. Same goes for carrots and broccoli. Also, don’t wash your eggplant. Eggplants don’t like that. Okay, good to know!

When you store fresh herbs in water-filled glasses or vases on your kitchen table, you’re not just keeping them fresh, you are getting an air freshener and centerpiece in one. Bonus.

FYI, cauliflower, corn and okra are all best eaten the day you get them (and if you can eat your corn on the day it’s picked, then you’re really winning).

And whatever you do, for God’s sake, DON’T put your tomatoes in the fridge. That makes them mushy. And then, they may come to life and kill you. Hey, it could happen.

West Tisbury Farmers Market

Published on August 10, 2011 in Asian, Field Trips, Shopping and Travel. 0 Comments

On our recent trip to Martha’s Vineyard, we stopped by the farmers market in West Tisbury, which is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays in the summer months and has been running for an impressive 37 years. Everything is island-grown and/or made, including the alpacas, which apparently are for sale but only in sets of three as they are pack animals. Good to know.


We weren’t lucky enough to see any alpacas as I think the alpaca vendor is there on Saturdays, but we managed to sample and buy a few goodies. We really enjoyed Good Tastes’ fresh-squeezed juices, the jalapeño pepper jelly from New Lane Sundries and fresh corn on the cob.

Of course, I had to sample the vegetarian egg roll from the Egg Roll Lady, as there was a lot of talk about it on the Chowhound boards. And I really wanted it to be good because of her immigrant-makes-good story. Unfortunately, while nice and crispy in texture, the actual flavor was a bit bland as the filling was mostly cabbage without much seasoning. The cold summer roll with curried tofu was more flavorful, but I was a little disappointed.



Overall, the market was pretty low-key with some gorgeous produce and even more beautiful flowers, particularly the zinnias that filled the entire bed of a pickup truck (the owner even invited me to climb into the cab of the truck, as she claimed this was the best angle to shoot from!).

Maybe it’s because I have such fond memories of going to the farmers market with my mom on summer Saturdays — where you could not only get the freshest fruits and veggies, but also homemade clothes for your Barbie (what, your farmers market didn’t have that?) — or maybe because you know you’re supporting local farmers and craftspeople, but farmers markets are just happy places. You’re strolling, noshing, hanging with your family and just enjoying a beautiful day. And this was just that kind of day. Perfect.

Basil Pesto

Published on August 8, 2011 in Italian and pasta. 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , .


I have somehow managed to not kill my basil plant — it is, in fact, thriving on our windowsill with a view of Ground Zero — and like the Freedom Tower, it’s growing like gangbusters, so it’s time to make some pesto!* As this is one of our easy summer go-to dinners, it’s ridiculous that I’ve waited til now to post this, but there it is and here you go.

Modeled after the one and only Patricia Wells’ recipe from this fabulous tome, this pesto is made with basil. If you’re feeling frisky, however, you can substitute another herb in there, like cilantro or parsley or even sweet pea shoots (which I realize is not an herb). And if you don’t have pine nuts (as I often don’t), leave them out or use walnuts or pecans or some other meaty nut.

This go-round I happened to have a delicious balsamic-infused Parmesan they were sampling at Whole Foods the other day (and which G and I took liberal advantage of). Called Sartori Bellavitano and sporting a lovely balsamic-induced edible brown rind, it’s the kind of cheese you crumble off little chunks of here and there and happily nibble away on, only to realize with a sinking kind of horror, that you’ve just ingested half a pound of said cheese. I somehow managed to restrain myself sufficiently to grate enough for the pesto, which gave the dish a nice little kick. I wouldn’t mind some lemon zest sprinkled over this either, just for fun. And if you feel guilty that there are no veggies in there (am I the only one who does this to myself? Please say no), toss in some halved cherry tomatoes or even a cup of broccoli florets or a scoop of cannellini beans (which would combat the protein scarcity guilt complex, a completely different — but equally debilitating — illness). Or just have a salad and some nice bread with whatever’s left of that Parmesan.

Basil Pesto

1 lb./1/2 kilo dried pasta
2 fresh garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
Sea salt to taste
1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated, plus another 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1/4 cup pine nuts

Put a large pot of water on to boil and cook your pasta of choice, reserving a scoop of the pasta water. Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, flipping regularly so they cook evenly. Don’t leave the kitchen while you’re doing this.

Put the garlic, basil and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor (this recipe fits perfectly in this) and whiz into a paste. Add the olive oil slowly through the feed tube thing while running the motor, scraping down the sides if necessary. Pour the pesto into a large serving bowl, stir in the cheese and a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the pasta and serve with lots of black pepper and more Parmesan.

* Full disclosure: the basil in the photo is not from my plant and, honestly, if I had used the leaves from my plant, I’d have no plant left.