winter jump-start

Well when it looks like this outside and you've just spent days cooped up at home recovering from one of these, I don't know about you but I start to feel like I need a proper kick start to get me back on track. And when I've been deliberately bored out of my mind for a couple days (oh recovery mode) and am just on the mend nothing makes me feel quite as good as firing up the stove on all cylinders to produce a great meal. This one doubled as choc-a-bloc full of flu fighters (garlic, ginger, vitamins) while also being sufficiently pan fried and saucified to pass as comfort food.



Thank you Smitten kitchen for providing the inspiration for this meal consisting of Scallion Meat-balls with ginger-soy glaze, Parsnip (& Sweet potato, my modification) latkes with apple sauce, and Carrot Soup with miso & sesame. And because I broke out the food processor to do all of these dishes, I was done faster than I would have expected. Some people like to get all cleaned up and dressed nice to feel back to normal after getting off track, me: I like to set the table and set out a handful of multi-step made-from-scratch dishes.



This step outside my normal one-pot-meals served with water (no napkin) for me heralds "you still got it, babe! welcome back". "Aha!" you might say, suddenly understanding why I was cooking like a fiend when I got laid off. Mind you the oodles of free time on EI didn't hurt either.

What's your go to pick-me-up?

just in time for the gifting season...

Yours truly will enjoy an overdue revival! Starting this month, hand felted frou-frou by yours truly design will be available in The Gallery Shop, at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.



so what ever happened to etsy?
Sure the commission fees are higher at The Shop than on etsy, but I learned some important things by launching that virtual storefront. Mainly: nothing comes from nothing. Without the time and attention to dedicate to self-promotion my wares on etsy sat and sat until they eventually expired (and etsy took it's non-refundable posting fee and left my e-store empty). This foray into a physical storefront seems like a good stepping stone. The jewelry isn't doing me any good sitting in my closet. And the roving isn't going to felt itself. And so, RELAUNCH! Felted wares which have been garnering compliments across the country will now be available for sale next to the artisan wares of some of the best jewelry makers and ceramicists on the island. Pretty cool.

Stay tuned for more details... but you read it first on This Rough Magic.

adventures in delicious

good god miss maude -- add this one to the books too for a future adventures in deliciousness!!! and if I've never gushed to you before about how much I love Love LOVE salted caramel: now you know.



thanks again d*s for making everything perfectly spongy (including my waistline ;) )

oooh next diy edible project

So we all know I already make my own yogurt. Now that I've seen this post on design*sponge, butter-making has rocketed to the top of my do-it-myself list.

With yogurt, I found the whole thing so easy AND saves me money, it made sense to bring into my busy schedule as a common practice. We'll see if butter can live up to this precedent...

the dandy & the photo that got away

the other day, i came walking up my drive just as this young fellow came swaggering down the middle street, massive coy grin across his face, crunching occasionally on a bright red apple. i can only describe him as ... a dandy. but everything about the look, the strut, the glasses, the apple... it was a thing of beauty. i should have called out "yoohoo! can i take your picture" and ran up to get my camera. but who does that sort of thing? this is the photo i would have taken: the Dandy on Princess Ave.

cheery/cherry blossoms

bonjour cheris,

cheerful cherry blossoms are blooming up and down my street now. i love this time of year when Princess explodes, all cerise and lace for blocks. the pinks looking particularly smart against west coast grey skies (you know the kind, the kind with the prefect mix of vague blurry mist clouds and sharply defined fluffy light grey ones floating above with sharply contrasted forebodingly dark grey bottoms). however i must admit that pink and blue are a favourite colour combo of mine as well... so looking forward to clear skies {fingers crossed}.

not trusting the aggressive weather to leave the delicate beauties alone, i have cut down some branches to bring home, reaching ikebana-style across my kitchen table (grey like today's sky) and bursting forth from my fireplace. so even though it sure doesn't feel like Spring out-side, it's looking a little more like it in-.

let me lure you to my lair

oh hey! i just realized i never revealed the results of the bedroom to boudoir makeover. this is where i now curl up to read until i lose consciousness thus dropping my book and losing my page... again.

still working on the old-fashioned portraits paired with cabinet of curiosities meets salon-style wall hangings... but all in good time.