Sew Melly

Inspiration Workshop {week 2} with Gussy Sews

2011-06-09T08:52:00.003-04:00

this weeks prompt at gussy sews was "kitchen"

perfect!

we are just beginning the process of redoing our kitchen (the pricing out the options step)

we are thinking of moving in the next year or so, so we are looking for the most cost efficient re-do. so, no ideal kitchen for me in this house.

a girl can dream though, right?

when i do imagine my perfect kitchen the first word that pops into my head is

white

maybe that's because i have three small boys that keep everything so, so dirty!

anyway, here is a gorgeous kitchen that has me swooning!

to see the rest of the pictures of this GORGEOUS kitchen, check out http://www.housebeautiful.com/!

(this kitchen was featured here)

Inspiration Workshop {week 1} with Gussy Sews

2011-06-02T09:33:00.002-04:00

when i saw that gussy (who is an inspiration to me!!) was starting a weekly inspiration workshop, i knew i had to join.

i have been feeling a little overwhelmed lately with the responsibilities of juggling my roles of wife, mother, daughter, friend, crafter, etc., and i think this is just the medicine i need!!

this week's prompt was:

EVERYTHING HANDMADE

well... i have a home full of beautiful handmade things that i have received over the years, and my boys have many things that i have made for them.

as i was rocking with e, i realized that i always stare at this cross stich on his shelf that my grandmother made for yours truly. it means so much to me to have so many handmade things from her. i miss her so, so much, and these things from her around my house help keep her alive in my life today. she is the one who taught me how to sew and it's her machine that i use each and every day!

my little buffalo

2011-05-25T13:58:00.002-04:00

have you seen my new blog header??

super cute, right?

i ABSOLUTELY love it!

lisa, of my little buffalo, designed it for me. She also designed a new logo, etsy banner, and the 2 buttons to the right. new business cards are already ordered!

lisa was so easy to work with, her prices are great and just look at her awesome designs.

so, if you are in the market for gorgeous design work, go see lisa at my little buffalo!

i {heart} nola

2011-05-05T12:56:00.013-04:00

YAY!!! my computer is back and better than ever! i have so, so much that i want to share with you from the last few weeks. i will start with our trip to one of my favorite places - new orleans!!

we headed down to jazz fest the last weekend of april for music, food, and fun (of course!!)

it was our second year going in the recent past (although i had been once in high school)

if you have never been, jazz fest is a two weekend music celebration in new orleans. there are 12 stages with everything from gospel to children's music. they also have areas dedicated to the history behind the music, awesome food, and great vendors! Here are some fun photos from our trip!

shopping for hats

congo square stage

one of our favorite performances was by keb mo

this song was amazing!

we also loved amos lee

throughout the day, there were parades in the fairgrounds

and the food...

the food was amazing!

here is an alligator pie

fried green tomatoes

fried shrimp and crawfish tails with spicy boiled potatoes

a muffaletta

i seriously ate too much!!

we also spent some time wandering the french quarter

we took the streetcar through the garden district

i daydreamed about what it would be like to live in one of these gorgeous homes

the beads know no neighborhood!!

a mardi gras car

the audubon zoo!

i had to include it - one of my boys favorite songs is this one

towards the end of the st. charles line is this restaurant

the camellia grill

that's my dad and i up there

and here is what my dad ordered!

a chili omelet - ugh!

there are no tables or chairs.

just a counter with stools that snakes around the restaurant

a large ship on the mississippi

after breakfast we headed to jackson square

i have so many more photos i could share

but i will leave you with just one more

while we were there, we met stephen king

no, not that stephen king

this stephen king:

don't worry, he was upright chatting with us (with his coffee cup of beer)

then he dropped to the ground and insisted we take a photo

he said he was so kind that he wouldn't even charge me a dollar to take his photo

he was a man of his word, that stephen king!

happy days

2011-05-04T13:58:00.003-04:00

i'll be honest.

i don't do "that" time of the month very well.

grumpy and irritated, i am not pleasant to be around.

usually i read all sorts of blogs, mommy blogs, crafty blogs, design blogs, food blogs.

when i feel down in the dumps, i find myself drawn to really funny blogs that make me smile, no matter what.

i thought i would share some of those with you today.

hope they put a smile on your face like they have on mine!!

here they are, in no particular order:

motherhood uncensored
dooce
nothing but bonfires
suburban turmoil
the bloggess
hyperbole and a half
rurally screwed
oh noa
twenty something waitress

enjoy!

earth day, easter, and tissue covers

2011-04-27T19:27:00.006-04:00

oh, i'm so behind! so, so behind. first easter and then a wonderful trip to the big easy (more on that later!) so here i am, playing catch-up.

this week is teacher appreciation week, so i donated 75 tissue holders. i am such a procrastinator, but i did manage it get them done!

on earth day we headed out to enjoy the beautiful weather.

i can't believe that these buds are now gorgeous flowers in just a weeks time! i must remember to head out there later and take a photo them now (in the not so gorgeous weather!)

we played hopscotch (pay no mind to the messed up numbers - i wrote them upside down)

our favorite roly-polys were found.

a home was quickly made for them (i'm sure they loved it!)

on saturday, we painted eggs

on easter, we had our egg hunt. this is tahoe.

he left us a little present to hunt for also...

hee, hee...

more on the new orleans trip coming up!!

scenes from the weekend

2011-04-18T08:59:00.005-04:00

happy monday!! it's snowing here in michigan this morning. i am ready for spring, but i do love the quiet calmness a good snowfall brings. this weekend i spent some time just wandering through the house with my camera, capturing things that make me smile. as i was tidying up the twins room, i was thinking about how much i love the animals they sleep with. i know they are something i will treasure always. here is t's lion. l's monkey and g-raff! (monkey does have his other leg, it's just tucked behind him)

talie resting upstairs. it's her favorite place because she is able to open one eye occasionally to look outside and make sure all is well. such a good watch-dog!

flowers (not real) in e's room. my mom brought them to me when i was on hospital bed rest with the twins. they are beautiful and really do look real.

the airplane mobile in e's room.

this silly sign hangs on our main bathroom door. my husband's grandmother brought it back from france for him before we were married. the boys think i is hilarious!!

yesterday afternoon we headed to my parents for lunch. my great-grandmother was very crafty. she was an amazing cake decorator and also loved ceramics. we are so very fortunate to have many of her lovely creations still that we bring out for most holidays. here are a few that she made.

a little egg house, with a full scene happening on the inside.

well-dressed, dancing bunnies!

She also made the decorated eggs on the stands on the left side of the picture.

i love all of the wonderful memories these decorations evoke each year when they are displayed!

what are some of your favorite easter decorations and memories? i would love to hear them!

oops

2011-04-16T09:04:00.003-04:00

i have been so frustrated because we have been without an internet connection for 2 days. i have been doing everything from my phone and trying all of the tricks i know to get the connection back. thank goodness it is saturday and my hubby is home. it took him less than a minute to realize that i had shut down my laptop 2 days ago and when i turned it back on, i forgot to connect the wireless. hmm... i need help!

THE WINNER!!

2011-04-14T08:41:00.002-04:00

thanks to all who entered!! I entered the number of comments into the random number generator on random.org.

The winner is number 3!!! Congrats Beth, your padded cell phone cover is headed your way later today!!

spring has sprung, i have not

2011-04-13T13:33:00.003-04:00

it is such a gorgeous day here that i have avoided (in no particular order) laundry, dishes, vacuuming, sewing, grocery shopping, errand running, picking up of toys, working out, and the like.

i have plans for sushi with a dear friend later, and don't see myself getting any of these things done before then.

someone needs to send me some motivation quick, otherwise i will stay here, relaxing, feeling the warm spring breeze for the rest of the day!

*don't forget to scroll down to enter the giveaway of a Sew Melly padded cell phone cover.

Indie Biz Launch Day and GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-04-10T21:59:00.008-04:00

To celebrate the completion of the e-course Indie Biz 3.0 many of my classmates are launching their new blogs, shops, products, hosting giveaways, and celebrating Independent Business on their blogs! Here at Sew Melly, I am not only launching a new product today, I will be giving one away to a lucky reader!! Introducing the new Padded Cell Phone Cover: This super cute padded cell phone cover will protect your phone from dents, scratches, goo at the bottom of your diaper bag...

My purse is not the most organized of places and this cover has really helped me out. Not only does it protect my phone, it also makes it easier to spot in my purse!

The finished measurement of this case is 3.25in x 5.25 in and fits my iPhone perfectly. I've tried a few different Droid models in this case and they fit just fine. It has a layer of fleece that provides padding and protection.

Would you like to own this sweet little cell phone cover?

All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me who you talk to most on your cell phone and you will be entered to win!!

Contest will be open until midnight EST Wednesday, April 13, 2011. Winner will be announced Thursday, April 14!

Check out all of the other Launch Party fun here!

PREVIEW!!

2011-04-07T18:20:00.003-04:00

there are a stack of these cute padded cell phone covers just waiting to be finished tonight on my sewing table!

check back this weekend for a fun giveaway!!!

the bag

2011-04-04T22:45:00.002-04:00

some time last fall, i decided that i needed something a little more stylish to cart around our camera and lenses. i started to do some research on women's camera bags and came across a few designers that i liked but none really hooked me, made me feel that i needed THAT camera bag. my biggest problem was that most of the leather bags i came across were either too brightly colored or too frilly. all of that changed when i came across kelly moore's website

her camera bags were simple and they came in muted gray leather (swoon!) she also has a video for most of her bags where she walks you through how things fit in the bag, why it was designed the way it was, and you are also able to see how it looks on a real, live person.

this bag was THE one!

it's simple, stylish,and has room for me to grow into it as we add lenses and hopefully a flash someday.

kelly moore has no idea who i am, but i really, really think you should all get to know her! you can visit her shop here and her blog here.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2011-03-29T22:09:00.001-04:00

bear with me

i am making some changes

to this here blog

not sure when i will be done

(i have a lot to learn!)

so it may look different the next time you visit!

2011-03-20T15:45:00.001-04:00

My baby. My first born. My only girl. My Talie girl!

2011-03-13T14:29:00.001-04:00

I need to invest in a larger baking stone!!

Baguettes...yum!

2011-03-11T08:36:00.001-05:00

Here is a little sneak preview of a little something new I am working on for the shop!!

2011-03-08T20:50:00.001-05:00

Making marmalade (triple citrus is from December and blood orange was made today) and new yarn!!
Trying to teach myself how to knit...

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working

2011-03-07T09:28:00.002-05:00

i am working on updating this here blog.

if you take a look on the left

i am a student

an indie business 3.0 student!!

it is a 6 week class being taught by

lisa leonard

leigh-ann of freckled nest

and

jill of lune vintage

it started march 1 and has been so much fun so far.

it is really making me think deeply

dig down

and figure out how i take my hobby

(that i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE)

and turn it into my business

this was my intention when i started sew melly

but i find with 3 boys under 5

i lose focus on a typical day of

laundry, cooking, cleaning, drop off and pickup from school

and all of the daily tasks involved in running our home

i know there is no secret to being able to do it all

but i am hoping to find the tools to take it to the next level!

both lisa and jill are moms

and are very successful at what they do

i can't wait to soak in all they have to offer!!!

so keep checking back

changes are taking place!

j'ai fini

2010-07-15T09:54:00.002-04:00

the duvet covers

are

DONE!!!

calculating measurements,
measuring, cutting, sewing, ironing

all finished!

i'm pretty psyched about how they turned out!

i am working on a tutorial
although, that may take just as long as sewing them!

glad to have it finished
and ready for the next project...

csa week 6

2010-07-13T09:16:00.007-04:00

we received some awesome food this week!

here it is all together: i forgot to take a picture of the potatoes

d'avignon radishes broccoli

red leaf lettuce

yukina savoy

swiss chard

i also purchased

mozzarella and goat cheese from zingerman's

eggs

a beef brisket

at the northville farmers market
we purchased berries, tomatoes, and a small cabbage

we've made some really good food

this week

unfortunately all of the pictures are still on my camera

it looks like storms are coming, so we will be stuck in the house

my goal is to upload the photos and share what we've made this week

so,

check back soon!

finishing up week 4 and CSA week 5

2010-07-07T07:56:00.006-04:00

we have been having so much fun this summer

that i have been neglecting

taking pictures

and posting.

so here i am to catch you up!

with our week 4 share

we received a beautiful bunch of beets

i couldn't resist pickling them

i trimmed and washed the beets

simmered them until they were soft

cooled them enough to peel them

then i cut the beets in quarters

chopped some of our onions from the share

put all of this in a pot with

sugar

vinegar

salt

pepper

and a little water

i let this simmer for a while

once it cooled i put it in ball jars

and stuck it in the fridge

i didn't bother preserving them

i knew i would have them eaten by the next week

and i did!

i used the rest of our lettuce for salads throughout the week

i used some of the onions and the cabbage to make this slaw

i LOVED this slaw and can't wait to make it again!

and i tried this recipe with the radicchio

also yummy!

here is our week 5 share

onions

heirloom potatoes

broccoli

of course, i purchased eggs

they are so gorgeous to look at

and equally tasty

a japanese green that is very much like spinach

radicchio, butter lettuce, leaf lettuce

we headed up north for the holiday

and i took much of this with us

what i didn't do was take any pictures

boo

i was a little too busy having fun (and beer!)

for our fourth bbq,

we used the eggs to make deviled eggs

just basic ones with mayo, salt, pepper, and paprika

we made a big salad with all of the greens

we steamed the broccoli as a side

and roasted the potatoes

everyone raved about how good the food was!

can't wait to see what we get tomorrow...

CSA week 4

2010-06-26T08:36:00.011-04:00

this week

before picking up our share

we headed to lunch at pizza house

we still had time to kill after lunch

so we took a walk

through the university of michigan's

law quad

i love walking through the quad

so quite

its hard to believe state street

is just on the other side of the buildings!

it brought back so many college memories

and it was fun to take the boys there!

after our walk we headed to pick up our share

some different things this week!

leaf lettuce (i think)
green cabbage

i keep waiting for a baby to pop out

can you tell i was a cabbage patch fan?

swiss chard

radicchio

onions

beets

i also picked up more tomatoes and mozzarella

and homemade pasta from here

here is what we had for dinner thursday night:

caprese salad

pasta with chard

for the caprese salad

slice the tomatoes

slice the mozzarella

chiffonade the basil

lay it in a pile

roll it up

thinly slice

arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella

sprinkle with salt and pepper

sprinkle the basil on top

drizzle the olive oil and balsamic reduction

(or just plain balsamic vinegar)

for the pasta

cook pasta according to package directions

2 cloves garlic

mince the garlic

i used 4 onions from my share

chop the onions

chop chard

wash the chard

heat olive oil in a pan

add garlic, onions, salt and pepper

saute until soft

add the chard

pour in a good splash of white wine

cover and turn off heat
a sneak peak in the pan!

toss pasta with chard mixture

sprinkle generously with parmesan

and dinner is served!

as of a few weeks ago, i had no idea how to cook swiss chard

and then my husband's cousin's wife

caroline

shared with me her way of cooking chard

and i LOVED it!

now i can't wait to eat it!

so, if you have steered clear of chard,

go ahead...

give it a try!

CSA dinner and a movie

2010-06-23T08:34:00.014-04:00

on monday

we headed to somerset to meet some friends for lunch

i haven't been watching the news very much lately

so imagine our surprise when we walked into the mall

and saw christmas decorations everywhere

in june!

if i had watched the news, i would have known that they were filming

"a very harold and kumar christmas"

it was fun to see a production in filming

and we even caught a glimpse of kumar
the boys were really disappointed that they weren't able to go see santa

when we got home

i started on dinner for daddy

he returned home from a 10 day work trip to scotland

on father's day

and wasn't in the mood for meat and potatoes

which is what i had been planning

but as it turned out

was all he had eaten for 10 days

so...we picked up a pizza for father's day

monday night i when i made my big meal for him

on the menu:

lemon roasted chicken (from this cookbook)

roasted veggies

steamed broccoli

strawberry pie

for the veggies

i started with the spring turnips from our share

peeled and quartered them

some fingerling potatoes that i had

i cut these into 6 pieces each

onions from our share

trimmed

in a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper

*i roasted the veggies in a 400 degree oven until they were soft and started to brown

scroll down to see photo

i also steamed the broccoli from our share

here are the roasted veggies
the chicken recipe calls for croutons
so i whipped up a few

the lemon chicken done and ready to carve

our chicken was from two creeks and it was PHENOMENAL!!!!

here was daddy's plate:

is your mouth watering yet??

just wait!

on to dessert!

i used this recipe as a starting point

i baked my crust

*i added this step

i used a hand mixer and mixed 8oz cream cheese

a splash of milk

a sprinkle of sugar

and a drop of vanilla

then i spread it on the cooled pie crust

layered my berries

added the big ones!

poured over the jello/sugar/cornstarch mixture

after it set in the fridge!

(sorry its so dark!)

we had a wonderful dinner

our bellies were full

and we were SO happy to have daddy back

we missed him!

spring pea and garlic scape pesto

2010-06-22T11:46:00.007-04:00

looking at our bounty from the market

i realized i had most of the ingredients for

spring pea and garlic scape pesto

which was one of the things the roadhouse chef had made

in his demonstration

the ingredients that i didn't have on hand

(the parmesan cheese and pine nuts)

didn't matter because i was going to freeze this

and i have heard (though not confirmed)

that when freezing pesto

you should leave out the cheese and nuts

perfect!

i started with a big bowl of pea pods

i trimmed the ends
dropped them in simmering water to blanch them

after about 3 minutes

i put them in icy cold water to stop the cooking

i dried them with a towel

chopped them roughly and put them in the food processor

i then chopped my scapes and added those to the peas

i added a generous amount of salt and pepper

pulsed a few times

then slowly drizzled in olive oil

i didn't measure, just until it made a nice paste

i scooped the pesto into little ball jars

labeled it

and i now have 6 jars of pesto in the freezer!

when we are ready to eat it

i plan on defrosting a jar

putting in back in the food processor

adding parmesan, pine nuts, and a little more oil to bring it all together!

father's day gifts and panzanella

2010-06-22T09:53:00.006-04:00

this year for father's day

i found inspiration from

amanda blake soule's

book handmade home

the first gift is directly from her book

i had the boys each draw a picture for their pepe (grandfather)

i taped their drawing to the window,

held the fabric over the drawing and traced

i then embroidered their picture

i sewed the two drawings together with a ribbon tag

and voila!

a personalized bookmark

i did the same thing for my husband's birthday

i really love them and i think i am going to make myself one soon!

the next thing i made was inspired by a project in her book

her project was for a coat hanger

it seemed a little daunting

so i decided to make key holders!

i found some wood in the garage

cut it down to size

sanded the edges

attached the wall hangers on the back

painted the front

decoupaged the boys art work on the top of the front

hot glued ribbon to cover the seam

drilled holes on the front

and screwed in the hooks!

one for daddy and one for grandpa

daddy may use his for ties!

i also have a quick salad to share with you!

i have always loved panzanella salads

i still had some mozzarella and tomatoes from the market

i realized that i had a baguette that was getting a little hard

so i made my own panzanella salad!

i cubed my baguette

tossed it in a hot pan with olive oil, salt and pepper

while that was crisping up

i chopped my tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil

yummy! looking pretty good

i threw the bread in a large bowl

tossed in the mozzarella

threw the tomatoes on top of that

added the basil

added salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar

tossed to combine

perfect supper for a hot summer day!

CSA week 3

2010-06-18T08:16:00.012-04:00

we had a very busy farmer's market week!

instead of just heading to the westside farmer's market

we started on wednesday by going to the

ann arbor farmers market

we purchased some garlic scapes, swiss chard, and strawberries

to have that evening for dinner (and dessert)

we came across this booth:

the boys split a cinnamon sugar crepe

i may have had a taste...

it was amazing!!!

on thursday

we headed first to the northville farmer's market

the flowers were gorgeous!

makes me wish i had more of a green thumb!

then we were on our way to the westside market in ann arbor

to pick up our share

as we were getting out of the car

this truck was pulling up to the restaurant

love it!

walking up to the market

amie, filling our box!

another look at the market

as i was wandering around

i saw a chef clipping herbs

(the roadhouse has herbs growing in their parking lot

instead of flowers!)

he ended up getting some veggies from a few booths

and demonstrated 2 recipes

here is zingerman's roadhouse restaurant

the westside market is in their parking lot!

we had dinner there a couple of weeks ago

and loved it!

garlic growing

on our way out

we had to stop and get some watermelon juice

from pilar's tamales

so refreshing!

we had such a lovely day outside

but my work was just beginning!

i had to unpack, clean, and store everything!

here is our week 3 share all laid out

broccoli!!!

(somehow we have been able to convince our kids that this is a reward,

and they love it!

red and white onions

spring turnips

radicchio lettuce

bok choy

and a napa cabbage

we received 2, but i shared with family!

also at the market i purchased a pound of garlic scapes

more on what i did with these coming soon!

another mozzarella!

from the northville farmer's market, these tomatoes

they start them in greenhouses in january

can't go without buying some fresh berries!

fresh peas!

and honey!

the bees are right up the road from us

so, after spending all day out and about

i was seriously tired

the boys had fresh tomatoes and p.b.&j's

and i made myself a yummy salad

i also bought one of two creeks spring chickens

i have a really yummy father's day dinner planned

check back for more info!!

berries, berries!

2010-06-18T07:35:00.008-04:00

it's strawberry season in michigan!

something that last only a few weeks

so i decided to take advantage and head out berry picking
we were staying for a few days at my parents
so we went to whittaker's berry farm
to do our picking
the bushes were heavy with berries.
in about 30 minutes we picked 23 pounds!

another view of those luscious berries!

i had a few things i wanted to do with the berries

first, i filled ball jars with cleaned berries

covered the berries with simple syrup

(i used cane sugar, so it looks a little dark)

put the lids on and put them in the freezer.

then it was on to making jam!

i found a sugar free version that used grape juice and sugar here

its for freezer jam, which i had made the week before

so my freezer is too full

for these berries, i used the same recipe

but instead of freezing it

i followed the directions on the ball jar website for preserving

i ended up with 32 jars of strawberry jam!

don't worry, i've already given 12 away

and we have consumed 2!

after all of this jam making

there was still a very large bowl of berries that were

very ripe, and starting to get over ripe

so i remembered reading a recipe for strawberry coulis

on this website

it is also where i had read the simple syrup freezing method!

i blended and strained the berries

i used my mom's magic bullet

it rocked!

squeezed in some lime juice and sprinkled a few spoonfuls of cane sugar and voila!

coulis, ready for the freezer

i, of course, have since purchased even more berries

i can't pass them up

it's becoming a problem

i tell myself that my kids will consume them all

and that we HAVE to take advantage of such a short season

so...

i will have a couple more strawberry things to share with you soon!

*i am struggling with the fact that this blog is called sew melly and all i seem to be writing about is food and cooking. but i am realizing that if i want this place to be a reflection of myself, of what i am doing to feed myself creatively, then such is life. i have been sewing a little (i need to do more!) and have a few projects in the works that i am really excited to share when they are complete. so, i guess, thanks for letting me ramble. thanks for reading. and thanks for coming along as i work out what i want this space to be about!!

finishing up week 2

2010-06-18T07:10:00.003-04:00

although i have no pictures

we have had another week of great food!

we used the bok choy in a yummy stir fry with ginger, garlic, and soy

served over brown rice

i use the scallions in all sorts of things (my favorite being veggie sushi rolls)

i also love to wash the scallions and sprinkle them with salt

then i eat them up!!

the last thing we had was our napa cabbage

i wasn't sure what to do with it

there is SO much of it

then, the perfect opportunity arose!

my parents had us over for dinner, along with a few other family members

so i offered to bring a slaw

i searched the internet, found this recipe

and decided to give it a try

i didn't have all the ingredients, so i will share what i did

i chopped and washed the napa cabbage

i washed and chopped 3 scallions
i then added them to the bowl

i cut the red pepper into thin strips (julienned?) and added those to the bowl

i squeezed a lime over the salad

i called for rice vinegar, soy, chili oil, and mayo

i didn't have chili oil, and i wasn't sure if it would be too spicy for my kids

so i used olive oil

i combined these and whisked them together

i poured the dressing over the salad and tossed!

the slaw chilled in the fridge for a few hours until it was time to eat

it was a success!!

everyone really loved the slaw

my grandpa loved it so much, he took home the rest of the slaw for the next day!

coming soon: CSA week 3!

CSA week 2

2010-06-11T10:07:00.007-04:00

week 1 was a success!

we used everything (although we still have some kimchi left to eat)

here is our week 2 share:

here is our share laid out on the counter:

2 cilantro plants

they have been planted in my herb garden

a bunch of radishes

i enjoyed these the "french" way

dipped in room temperature butter with salt sprinkled on them

yum!

2 heads napa cabbage

2 heads bok choy

2 heads leaf lettuce

2 bunches scallions

also at the market

i purchased

strawberries and rhubarb from seedling

a dozen eggs from two creeks

from mclaughlin farms

2 pounds ground beef

they also kindly gave each of my kids a coloring sheet!

from zingerman's creamery

goat cheese with tarragon and mozzarella

thursday night we had my in-laws over for dinner

we made personal pizzas

to go with it i made a great salad with our leaf lettuce

i chopped and cleaned the 2 heads of leaf lettuce

sprinkled dried michigan cherries and slivered almonds on top

sprinkled the goat cheese (that i had crumbled)

and topped it off with a simple vinaigrette that i made

of course i forgot to take pictures

or measure

but here is how i made the dressing

in an old jelly jar:

a spoonful of dijon mustard

a good squeeze of local honey

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

chopped scallions

i then filled the jar 1/3 full with balsamic

i put the lid on and shook the jar to combine

i then filled the rest of the jar with olive oil

finally, i put the lid back on and shook until it emulsified

then drizzled it on the salad

i did remember to take a picture of the finished salad!

yum!

finishing up week 1

2010-06-10T12:52:00.003-04:00

in one hour

we will be on our way

to pick up our second csa share!

so i wanted to share with you all of the other things we made with last weeks share!

i have already shared our thursday dinner (scroll down to see that!)

friday lunch:

leaf lettuce, tatsoi, & radish greens salad with homemade ranch dressing

saturday dinner:

napa cabbage salad with balsamic/honey/scallion dressing

added scallions to sloppy joes (made with beef from the market)

rhubarb crisp (rhubarb from market)

monday dinner:

sushi veggie rolls - scallions from csa share

bok choy stir fry (i added chicken, scallions, carrots, and tatsoi)

tuesday:

used the rest of our napa cabbage to make kimchi

i followed this recipe

wednesday:

i used the remaining eggs to make egg salad

it was a really yummy week of eating WAY more veggies than we are used to and trying a few new recipes!

i need to come up with ways to make my 3 year olds eat more of the greens

my new goal is to take more photos of what i create with our share

can't wait to go pick up this weeks share!!

CSA week 1

2010-06-04T08:19:00.009-04:00

last thursday we picked up our very first csa share from two creeks organics

we purchased a full share this season

(a full share feeds 4-5, a half share feeds 2-3)

this was our bushel box we brought home from the market

the veggies take up a good portion of our counter!

inside our box we found:

2 bunches bok choy

2 bunches leaf lettuce (both red and green)

2 bunches tatsoi

a handful of radishes

2 heads of napa cabbage (the one on the left was GIANT!)

2 bunches scallions

i also purchased a dozen eggs from the gorgeous two creeks chickens that we met!

my other market purchases were:

1 bunch rhubarb from here

fresh mozzarella from here

a pound of bacon from here

ground beef and sweet italian sausage from here

so when we returned home with all of this bounty,

i had to figure out what to make for dinner!

it was already 6pm so it needed to be something that

*came together quickly

*used what we had from the market
*would be loved by husband and kids alike

i looked to see what i had on hand (some redskin potatoes)

i immediately remember a recipe that my husband's grandmother makes frequently

it is something she grew up eating

her name for it is, "dinner of the poor"

her version is eggs, onion/shallots, potatoes, and gruyere.

i thought i would shake things up a bit!

start out with 6 redskin potatoes

i sliced them as thin as i had patience for!

add them to a skillet that already contains heated olive oil on medium heat

(i know it is out of order, i need to work on my recipe writing skills!)

after the potatoes were added to the pan, sprinkle generously with

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

cook potatoes until they are soft and starting to brown

i then chopped 4 scallions

add scallions to the potatoes

after this, i realized i missed taking a few pictures!

chop and wash a handful of tatsoi

(i snuck in some radish greens too)

add this to potato/scallion mixture until just wilted

then pour in 6 beaten eggs

stir to combine everything

(look at the gorgeous color of those pastured eggs!!!!)

while the eggs are cooking, cube the mozzarella

sprinkle cheese over eggs, turn off heat, and cover

let sit for 1-2 minutes and stir before serving

the mozzarella was SO melty and delicious.

all three of my boys eat seconds (and one ate thirds!)

i served this with a green leaf lettuce salad with a simple balsamic vinaigrette

so good!!!

tomorrow i will post what we did the rest of the week, so check back!

sewing for baby!

2010-06-03T22:32:00.005-04:00

not my baby, silly!!!

an order of onesies for a new baby girl

and a bunch of burp cloths for a soon-to-be bouncing baby boy!

*check back soon for a recap of our first CSA box of veggies!

two creeks organics

2010-05-18T08:28:00.007-04:00

last year we researched and considered buying a share in a CSA farm

we thought and thought

looked over our budget

and decided that we shouldn't do it

this year we decided to go for it

we've watched this

and this

and read many, many books and blogs

and came to the decision to change the way we do things

weather permitting, we have been line drying our clothes

we make or use all natural cleaning products

and we buy as local and organic/naturally grown as possible

after researching the many CSA farms in our area we decided to buy a share at

two creeks organics
a couple of weeks ago, they had a spring open house!

we were able to visit the farm and see where our much of our food will be coming from for the next four months

i took so much away from the experience

a new appreciation for the food that we eat

all of the planning, preparation, and hard work

it's going to be a yummy summer!!

if you are interested in finding a csa or farmers market near you

check out local harvest for more information

link love tuesday!

2010-05-11T08:23:00.002-04:00

on this dreary tuesday morning, i thought i would share with you some things that are making me happy!

i am making this for the second time. it is SO good. i really can't get enough of it!

i LOVE her blog and just checked out her second book from the library. i would like to make one of everything in there! she is such an inspiration.

i am going to try to do this.

would like to try some of these dandelion crafts with the boys.

my cousin (ok...my husband's cousin's wife - who i wish i was related to!!!) makes me want to run right out and buy all of the ingredients for this

and finally, i am SO, SO, SO excited for this: my mother's day present from my husband! we talked about how we wanted to see david gray the next time he came to town and now we are!!! now i have to wait until august though!

until next time...

going green

2010-05-08T09:54:00.005-04:00

this past tuesday was a very busy day around here!

we watched big, puffy clouds roll by

stopped and smelled the flowers growing in our own backyard
installed the rain catcher that J made for me
(please ignore the mess that is my garden behind said rain catcher)
installed and hung clothes to dry on our 2 new retractable clotheslines

and built a compost tumbler!!!
i found the directions here
and here

i would not have been able to do it without my dad
he went to collect all of the supplies with me
(i called a local car wash and they gave me the 55gallon drum for FREE!)
he taught me how to use all of the tools
AND
he talked me through the entire process without getting frustrated :)

the directions say that it should only take about 20.00 and an hour of your time...
i cost around 40.00 and took a little over 4 hours.
still not bad when you consider that the compost tumbler at costco was 99.00
and i was able to spend a day learning from my dad!

i realized that i don't have a photo of the finished composter and it is raining right now, so i will have to get back to you with that photo!

it stormed for a few hours yesterday and the rain catcher is already full!
we may make 2 more in the next week.

on a side note - i wanted to share the AWESOME fabric that came in the mail this past week:

per lindsey's recommendation
i purchased this fabric from hawthorne threads and was so pleased with the service!

i can't wait to get started - my cousin's wife hired me to make matching duvet covers for their two sons.
once i get started, i will take photos and maybe try to do my first tutorial!!

so make sure and come back soon!!

**we are also trying to eat more whole foods. we joined a CSA and have changed where and how we shop. there is a great new book with great ideas on how to eat better and save money. check out simplemom to read more about it and to enter to win the book!!

laisser les bons temps rouler

2010-04-28T11:58:00.010-04:00

cafe au lait and beignets here

st. louis cathedral

second oldest restaurant in new orleans

nightlife on bourbon street

we stayed here

had to take a photo of this - my husband has used the "yo mama" phrase as long

as i have known him

we spent friday at the jazz and heritage fest
i need to find a recipe for alligator pie.

seriously.

so. friggin. good.

i have searched and searched.

no luck.

the rose mint tea with honey was divine!!

as the rain poured down (3 inches in an hour!) we were dry, warm, and had seats in the

blues tent!

that night we ate here

my parents have the bread pudding recipe and we have been making it for years.

its nice to have the original!

on saturday morning, my dad and i took the st. charles street car here
if you click on the link - the guys with the hat was our waiter -

he was a blast to watch!

after breakfast we went shopping on royal street in the french quarter

i LOVED these street musicians

wish i had bought a copy of their cd

bummer

our last night we ate at pascal's manale

we spent some time at their oyster bar - AWESOME!!!

then had great wine and food - bbq shrimp!

the only bad part was that the shrimp were whole

when i say "whole" i mean really

entire shrimp

heads on

not deveined

kind of grossed me out

but after a few glasses of wine - i didn't really mind!

we truly had such an amazing weekend.

i have loved new orleans since my first trip there as a child.

every subsequent trip just solidifies that love for such an amazing, culturally rich city

if you ever have an opportunity to travel to NOLA...

ca c'est bon!!

bird on a wire

2010-04-20T17:15:00.002-04:00

a few weeks ago

(or maybe longer!)

i participated in a mail scramble at on of my favorite blogs

coeur de la

i sent a simple something off in the mail

and received a simple something from someone else

sadly i have taken no pictures of the amazing, thoughtful gift i received

it came on a day when i was frustrated, tired, and ready to crawl back under the covers!

it was from a wonderful artist and mother

she has a blog that i have started reading and recommend to you

her blog is called

birds on a wire

every time i visit her blog, i spend the next couple of hours with this song stuck in my head

i am such a HUGE k.d. lang fan that i thought i would share it with you!

enjoy

a spring feast

2010-04-19T14:34:00.005-04:00

we are making some changes in our house

after reading this and this

and seeing this

i went to the library and found these:

after looking through all of them, i think my favorite has to be the second from the top -

The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas

She has her recipes first arranged by season and then arranged into menus. Each menu usually has a starter, a main course, and a dessert.

i want to make EVERYTHING in there!

a few nights ago i tried one of her spring menus:

*corn tamales

*black bean soup

*mango sorbet

sorbet in the ice cream maker:

mango in the blender(out of order, i know!):

finished black bean soup (not the most beautiful picture):

fresh pico:

sadly, my tamales had to be made with foil :(

after a trip to 2 grocery stores with 3 kids under 4 in tow,

i gave up looking for corn husks!

i thoroughly enjoyed the meal! my husband did make the comment that the tamales tasted like jiffy corn mix! so i think i will try one of her other tamales recipes that call for more ingredients!

the mango sorbet called for triple sec (for flavor and to help it keep a nice texture) which i didn't use because of the kids. sadly the sorbet is hard as an ice cube, so i think i may defrost it and blend it into a nice margarita to make mango margaritas!!

overall, i loved the meal and look forward to trying other recipes from this book!

sweeten up

2010-04-12T12:46:00.005-04:00

how do you sweeten things?

we, as a family, have been trying to eat more whole foods, less processed foods, and trying to cut most animal product out of our diet.

as the person who does the meal planning, shopping, and cooking, i have found this to be a very difficult transition.

i find i have to rethink many, many things (THE BUDGET!!)

the thing i am having the most difficulty with is my morning coffee.

i just don't like black coffee.

or coffee with milk.

i like my coffee with lots and lots of sugar.

for a long time now i have replace sugar with splenda.

now that i am trying rid our house of processed foods, what do i do?

i tried agave nectar - yuck!

oh splenda - how i do love you!

what do you sweeten your coffee, or tea, with?

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

***

i will leave you with some crafty things i have been working on:

i have an order for twin girls - having trouble deciding on fabrics for the bibs!

just finished an order for onesies.

so much fun to make!

here are a few that i did:

robot

lion
guitar and tie

magnolia

2010-04-07T13:54:00.004-04:00

one of my favorite things about spring has to be the magnolia tree.

it's fluffy, pink blossoms draw me in

and make me want to lay down

on the green grass

and gaze up for hours

watching the breeze float through the branches

i think part of the reason i am drawn to these trees are the wonderful memories of my grandmother's backyard

she had a beautiful magnolia tree in the corner

by the house

the picnic table always sat near it

she died almost 7 years ago

and although my grandfather still lives in the same house

we rarely visit

she was the quintessential host

her home was always immaculate

there was always something good to eat, to drink no matter when you showed up

we spent every holiday there

most weekends (especially in the summer - they had a pool)

my grandfather doesn't open the pool anymore

doesn't keep up with her beautiful garden

hasn't invited anyone over since she died

we do go there, but just to pop in, say hello, never to spend the day

so when i see a magnolia blossom in the spring

somehow

it feels like

just for a second

she is here

just call me "sneezy"

2010-04-05T17:02:00.005-04:00

i love spring

really, i do

sadly my sinuses don't

that doesn't stop me though, from enjoying all that spring has to offer!

the first picture is of the rose bush that is along the side of our house

i have no idea what kind of roses they are

i love to cut long branches when some of the buds are just starting to open and put them on the dining room table

that should be only a few weeks from now

i can't wait!

below is the forsythia

it is in front of the house

it makes me sad that those gorgeous yellow flowers last such a short time

we are in the process of looking for a new house

these two bushes, along with my 3 lilacs will be the things i miss most from our yard

***

i just couldn't resist taking a picture of these eggs

we colored eggs with the boys so we have an abundance of hard boiled eggs

i love them with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

deviled isn't bad either!

i also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE fresh spring asparagus
my favorite way to eat it is fresh out of the oven
roasted at 400F with olive oil, salt, and pepper
yum!

***

for easter this year, i decided to make all of my boys (husband included) a tie!
it was more hand-sewing than i had anticipated
i finished 3 out of the 4 (at 2:30am the night before!)

i must admit, they did look pretty cute!

i am now going to leave this computer and go enjoy more of this fabulous weather we are having!!

<

a new beginning

2010-03-30T10:40:00.003-04:00

ahh... where to begin? i started this blog before christmas and had such good intentions! somehow it has gotten away from me. but no more. i am bound and determined to find some order and discipline in my life.

for the past few weeks i have thought about this blog. made excuses in my head about why it won't work, why i have no time to do this. what i have realized though, is that i need some sort of space to write, to record, to share what i am doing. i need someplace where i can be creative (and not just talk about my kids!!)

so here i go: round 2.

bigger, better, uncut!

it's spook-tacular!!

2009-10-29T13:34:00.004-04:00

Halloween is in full effect in our house! There are so many things to love about this time of year. The apples, pumpkins, leaves, the smell of the crisp, fall air, and of course, Halloween! We have been really getting into the season this year. Not to say that we haven't in the past. October is a special month for my husband and I. Our first date was to a haunted house, followed by ghost stories in a cemetery and our wedding anniversary is in October.

This year though, we finally have kids who are old enough to enjoy the holiday. We have been doing it up with multiple trips to the orchard (I think we are at 6!), a trip to the pumpkin farm, decorating the house inside and out - nothing too scary!

The boys (my husband included) have had fun raking and playing in the leaves. This is the first year that raking hasn't been such a chore!

I love all of the different varieties of pumpkins and gourds that are available! The boys love to carry around all of the little pumpkins they picked at the farmer's market. Unfortunately there has been a few pumpkin casualties. The squirrels are awfully happy about that!

Over the past week we have all been fighting colds, so there have been a few choice Halloween DVDs watched. Our favorite, of course, is this movie. We have also enjoyed the Backyardigans and Franklin specials. Fortunately we are all feeling better!!

Another tradition that we do in our family is our Halloween dinner - turkey reubens and french onion soup. I can't wait for dressing up, trick-or-treating, and a yummy meal tomorrow night!

I hope you have a safe and fun Halloween!!

baby, it's cold outside!

2009-10-18T13:00:00.003-04:00

The weather in Michigan has been below average for 20 DAYS!!! Our average highs should be in the 60's but it hasn't even hit 50 the past few days. This means that playing outside is super chilly. My mom purchased some fleece to make my boys a few scarves. She was going to borrow my scissors (super sharp sewing ones) but realized that I would need them when she was at home, so I offered to make them for her!

I started with the fleece she bought. Cute reindeer and Thomas, of course!

I cut them into 58 inch long strips that were 6 inches wide.

I pinked the edges, added fringe at the ends.

Voila!

I also thought I would show you how some of the dyed onesies came out! I am really pleased and can't wait to get started on the rest.

My husband took the boys out and about for a few hours, so I'd better get to work!

i'm dying here...

2009-10-02T17:07:00.003-04:00

Sorry about the cheesy title - I couldn't help myself! That is sadly what happens when the rain traps me inside with 3 kids under 4. I'd take them somewhere, but J sold his car and has yet to find a new one, so I am sans car right now. It's that or drive him to and from work, so I am choosing to get things done around the house!

I'm quite proud of all that I have accomplished over the past few days! The laundry is caught up, all bedrooms are cleaned and organized (except for one teensy pile of mine!), the main bathroom is clean, the dining room is organized, and I cleaned out the rec room of all excess toys. Somehow we still have too many toys. I guess I will have to keep at it!

I also began dying onesies and burp cloths. My first batch was tricky - I decided that I could figure it out without the directions. I should have known better - they are more tie-dyed than I would like. The last three batches that I did turned out much better!

The burp cloths will be getting a coordinating fabric patch and the onesies will have some super cute appliques. I can't wait to get started. Now all I need is someone to take my kids for a few hours :)

I especially love how on the darker colors (blue and brown) the thread did not change so it has a nice contrast.

I had so much fun with these four colors, I can't wait to get more! Green, orange, gray - the possibilities are endless!

Open For Business!!

2009-09-24T12:16:00.004-04:00

My Etsy shop is officially open!!

Click here to check it out!

These are a few of the things I have been working on the past few weeks!

All things baby, so far.

Don't you just LOVE that fabric?? I wish I had a nice, soft blanket like that!

Or, if I were a boy...

I have a stack of sewing to get to, and so many new ideas in my head to experiment with. Now I just need to find a few more hours in my day!

pick a winner...

2009-09-23T11:12:00.004-04:00

Last weekend, while my husband, J, was having a blast at the UM game, I packed the kids up and met my sister-in-law at Erwin Orchards. The boys love everything about the orchard - the bounce house, hay maze, goats, of course cider and doughnuts, wagon rides, and eating their way through the raspberry bushes and apple trees!
It was a gorgeous, sunny day that we soaked in. They keep bees and sell the honey (next time I will bring more money!) and we were lucky enough to come across a few hives tucked among the raspberry bushes. The boys were fascinated!

We ended up picking two pounds of raspberries and one peck of apples (Macintosh, Cortland, and Empire). With FULL bellies, we headed home.

Once I had everyone safely occupied, I set to work peeling apples. Throw those in a pot with a little water, cinnamon, and plenty of raspberries. Simmer for a few hours, and ENJOY!

let's start at the very beginning...

2009-09-16T07:01:00.004-04:00

... a very good place to start!

welcome to the sew melly blog. it's so nice of you to stop by!

i've decided to try my hand at creative blogging - so here goes!

i definitely have MUCH to figure out (especially on the computer end of things)

stick with me and hopefully we can both learn a thing or two!

thanks for stopping by!