KOALA PINCHING TREE

gif certificate

2011-09-27T23:06:00.001-04:00

Jumping...one more time

2011-09-25T01:04:00.003-04:00

Yes, I redid it again.

(see also: here, here, and here)

what we had for dessert

2011-06-14T10:18:00.000-04:00

We had this for dessert last night, minus the cocoa powder and ice cream, and used homemade coffee liqueur instead of Kahlua. Yum!

bees

2011-05-28T15:46:00.000-04:00

I think I should mention that although we have yet to see the queen in action, we have seen eggs, larvae, and empty brood comb, suggesting that she's alive and well.

While the bees bring in nectar and pollen that they find on their own, we're also feeding them a bit of sugar water as supplement.

Pickling

2011-05-26T23:05:00.000-04:00

Tonight:

L to R: sauerkraut, kohlrabi/turnip, kimchi

another bee update

2011-04-27T20:37:00.000-04:00

We checked on the bees today, and while there was more comb failure (falling off the top bar), the new comb they were building and tied-on comb they were reattaching seemed much straighter and more parallel to the bars! We left the fallen comb in the hive for now, but will retrieve it on Friday when we plan to inspect again.

As for why they're building crooked, it was suggested to me that we needed taller guides on our top bars, as much as 1/2 inch high. Paul and his dad made the bars with a small channel cut into the middle of each one, for us to fill with a small strip of wax. The wax is basically flush to the wood, but I guess it needs to stick out more to give the bees an idea. We have some extra bars, so I'm going to either add more wax or somehow remove the wax from the channel and glue in a thin strip of wood, maybe popsicle sticks, and then coat that with wax.

Still not positive we have a living queen, but we're going to wait another week or so before taking action in that department...

bees at home

2011-04-27T13:55:00.000-04:00

We've had the bees for a week and a half now. Paul and I did an inspection on Monday, a little over a week from when when first installed them. Unfortunately, they were building comb crooked, about about a 30 degree angle to the top bars, instead of parallel with the bars. This means that there is no real way we can inspect the hive, harvest honey, etc. So we had to break off most of the comb that was attached sideways on the bars. We tried to salvage some of the comb by tying it to the frame, but the majority of the comb was so soft that it just fell off. We put the failed comb in a pie plate and left it inside the hive for the bees to clean (they will take the nectar stored in the failed comb and put it in new comb, which is hopefully attached to the top bars in the direction that we want). We're doing another inspection today, to see if the bees are repairing the damage we did. We'll also be looking for the queen, or signs of the queen. I'm a little concerned that she's dead because when we looked at the hive on Monday, there didn't seem to be any brood comb (where she lays her eggs).

we got our hairs cut

2011-04-22T19:19:00.000-04:00

goins ons in our backyard

2011-04-17T17:07:00.000-04:00

bzzzzz

the neighborhood

2011-03-21T21:05:00.000-04:00

Our neighborhood newsletter includes crime reports for the area. Here's one:

Victim: W/M, 66 YOA, Victim said he was walking to his vehicle when suspect approached and pulled out a knife. Victim stated suspect pointed the knife at him and said, "give me your shit." Victim told suspect, "hey you better get the fuck out of here before I take that knife and shove it up your ass." Victim raised his fist at suspect and fled. Taken: Nothing.

buckeyes

2011-03-21T20:33:00.000-04:00

Buckeyes are one of my favorite candies. Chocolate and peanut butter, you can almost convince yourself they're healthy snacks and not loaded with powdered sugar, and, from looking at several different recipes, butter.

I've always wanted to try to make buckeyes a little healthier. So yesterday I did, try that is. I wouldn't exactly call it a success (though I've already eaten 4 or 5 since getting home from work...).

I modified this recipe and dipped the peanut butter balls in chocolate instead of rolling in coconut. I think my problem is with the honey. Even though I only used half of what was called for, the honey flavor is still too strong. Maybe next time I'll try agave (despite the controversies) or, I've been toying with the idea of no added sweetener at all. I also think I'll try powdered milk instead of wheat germ, or a combination of the two next time. I think the powdered milk might give it that creamy consistency that I think the butter probably lends the traditional version.

Here's what I did:
1 c natural, unsweetened, unsalted peanut butter
1/2 c honey
1+ c wheat germ
salt to taste
~5 oz dark chocolate (mixture of 71% and 80%)

Mix first four ingredients until firm, I started with a spoon but moved on to using my hands. Form into little balls (I used a tiny ice cream scoop gadget we have, then rolled them in my palms).
Melt chocolate in (on top of?) double boiler. Using toothpick or skewer, dip balls in chocolate. Place on parchment to cool. Store in refrigerator.

Thinking Ahead

2011-03-21T20:20:00.001-04:00

A while ago we bought half a pig head, figuring we'd cook it eventually.

We did it last weekend!

When it was time to eat, I found the meat grosser cooked than when it was raw. When it's raw it's flesh, but when it's cooked, it's this kind of disgusting meat. Maybe I almost became a vegetarian last weekend. But then the other day I had some leftovers and really enjoyed it.

The recipe we used includes chopped up ear, which I would omit next time, because the ear is just cartilagy and, I think, unpleasant. Also, despite warnings, we stuffed everything into the face roll, which made it too big and unwieldy and I think contributed to me thinking the end result was kind of gross.

We have leftovers in the freezer if you want to come for dinner.

More details here.

new photo series

2011-02-19T21:08:00.000-05:00

Well-Documented:

what we had for dinner

2011-02-14T23:56:00.000-05:00

Leigh's turn at the Meal Wheel:
home grown green salad
stuffed acorn squash (green lentils, mixed greens, apple, ricotta, onion, parmesan, etc)

Last night, at Paul's:
really delicious mustard greens, roasted sweet potato, bread and cheese

what we had for dinner

2011-01-31T22:01:00.000-05:00

Alex's jambalaya:

Sausage and lots of spice!

what we had for dinner

2011-01-27T23:16:00.000-05:00

Or rather, "what the Godfrey boys had for dinner"

They know how to cook the quesadillas (leftover sausage, onion, garlic, cheese, spices)

got a new camera

2011-01-27T23:13:00.000-05:00

Pictures from my commute (they're back!)

what we had for dinner

2011-01-20T21:48:00.000-05:00

Wrapping up week 1 of the Meal Wheel:

greens gratin (onion, mixed greens, cheese, egg and milk)

arugula salad with radish and parmesan, orange dijon vinaigrette

roasted winter squashes

(by Leigh)

what we had for dinner

2011-01-18T21:16:00.001-05:00

Day two of the meal wheel; another success!

Mark's linguine verde with salad, bread.

Whole wheat linguine, mushrooms, asparagus, parsley, cheese.

what we had for dinner

2011-01-17T22:52:00.000-05:00

Let this post also be titled, "The Meal Wheel at Work."

As Mark said, Alex set the bar pretty high tonight with his shrimp gumbo (from River Road Recipes, "the textbook of Louisiana cuisine").

Shrimp gumbo, bread, wine.

Getting Organized!

2011-01-16T14:10:00.002-05:00

Boys are headed to the store right now.

what we had for dinner: snowed-in edition

2011-01-13T14:29:00.000-05:00

Monday:
beef shoulder roast
leftover collard greens
mashed jerusalem artichokes with green onion and parmesan

Tuesday:
mac and cheese (the best recipe)
sautéed baby mustard greens
leftover beef
unsuccessful stir-fried kohlrabi

Wednesday:
leftover mac and cheese
kohlrabi soup (added uneaten kohlrabi to veggie broth and pureed)

dealing with it

2011-01-12T16:21:00.000-05:00

a la rachel maddux

Quilt Project

2011-01-10T11:34:00.001-05:00

New project: working on completing some old quilt squares I've collected from family and thrift stores. To be pieced into a quilt (someday)!

Two I'm finishing:
Sunbonnet Sue needs to be appliqued to her square:

This piece was only signed in pencil (Mrs. C. E. Boynton.), so I embroidered over it:

Action shot:

what's a persimmon good for?

2010-12-09T21:02:00.000-05:00

I've heard you can freeze them whole and then put a partially-thawed one on top of a bowl of ice cream and then it's like a gooey jelly fruit sundae. For t-giving, I made some bread.

recently

2010-12-05T22:42:00.001-05:00

(the past few months)

what we had for dinner

2010-12-05T22:39:00.000-05:00

Oct 28:

One of these things is not like the others.

Jumping--again?!

2010-12-01T22:49:00.003-05:00

Paul thought I should do it slower.

what we had for dinner

2010-11-29T22:24:00.001-05:00

Cocktail: lemongrass ginger tequila, Sweet Lee orange, orange bitters, soda

Leftover salad
Turkey matzo ball soup (this matzo ball recipe with turkey fat and seltzer, plus parsley, cooked in the broth, not in salted water, with turkey, carrot and celery)

Chewy chocolate ginger cookies (from Martha Stewart, made with half butter and half coconut oil, 1/2 c wheat flour in place of all-purpose, only about 4 oz chocolate, no fresh ginger, 1/3 c light brown sugar instead of 1/2 c dark, a little black pepper and salt, and, instead of molasses, sorghum syrup bought from a young man outside the Alabama State Sacred Harp Musical Convention, "from Sand Mountain, where we live").

I love it

2010-11-25T22:04:00.000-05:00

Mezcalito's Cantina

2010-11-23T21:35:00.000-05:00

Mezcalito's is on the Scout Mobs.

Leigh:
Roasted Chile Relleno

Mark:
Chilaquiles

Both:
Cheese Dip
Santa Fe Silver Coins margaritas (with lemon instead of lime)

Verdict:

what we had for dinner

2010-11-16T21:33:00.001-05:00

pork and greens hot pot:

leftover grilled pork butt
collards
mizuna
dashi with apple juice, soju, soy sauce

rice to finish

Jumping--now smaller, faster, and more GIFfy!!!

2010-11-13T12:05:00.002-05:00

Jumping

2010-11-13T01:49:00.004-05:00

Please click the pic!

It's a work in progress.

what we had for dinner

2010-11-02T20:44:00.000-04:00

(or rather, what I had for dinner)

spicy corn soup with salsa verde

simmer:
1 pint corn (my uncle's garden)
~1 c chicken broth (Better than Bouillon)

saute in olive oil, then add to corn:
1/2 small onion
1 clove garlic
dash jalapeno

sprinkle:
curry powder (YDFM)
black pepper

immersion blend
add milk

drizzle with green salsa (Bell Street Burritos)

Picture I didn't take

2010-10-26T23:07:00.000-04:00

MARTA bus driver asleep on MARTA train. 9 years safe driver badge.

Bell Street Burritos

2010-10-12T14:02:00.000-04:00

Maybe you've already heard about Bell Street Burritos, which recently opened a shop at Sweet Auburn Curb Market. Bell Street, formerly West End Burritos, started as a delivery service and has grown into a full-fledged restaurant. Mark and I have been fans since we heard about the burritos through our Sacred Harp practice group (we could use some strong basses, gentlemen), looking forward to a delivery just about every Monday. Since the shop has been open, deliveries are (temporarily?) discontinued, so we've been heading down to the Market pretty regularly to get our fix.

Bell Street Burrito Highlights:
Great tortillas. Stretchy and moist.
Delicious Melted Cheese. Tortillas are steamed with cheese on them before filling.
Perfect beans. Pinto beans are cooked to perfection!
Red salsa. Amazing. I could eat it by itself.

One caveat:

I prefer to eat my burrito after it's been sitting around a little while. They're a little squishier and juicier when just made. I think they're better after a slight aging process in a van, on the counter, or in your refrigerator. At home, we heat our burritos in the toaster oven, until they're warm throughout and a little crispy in some places, and I think this also adds to the eating experience.

Overall:

I can't make these sombreros any smaller for some reason.

Coopfrey Market

2010-10-11T10:33:00.001-04:00

We are taking the first baby steps into the realm of pay-what-you-should commerce...(Coopfrey Market)

Bakeshop update

2010-10-11T09:43:00.001-04:00

A while ago, I wrote a little review of Bakeshop, a bakery in the Midtown neighborhood. Since that first visit, Bakeshop has gone through several waves of changes, I imagine due in part to the split from Concentrics Restaurants, the group that partnered with Jonathan St. Hilaire to open the bakery. For one thing, they've changed the location of the registered at least three times, and changed the ordering and table busing system a couple of times. They appear to no longer offer 1000 Faces coffee or Atlanta Fresh yogurt. And the menu items are all pre-prepared--wrapped sandwiches and boxed salads. It seems as though they're trying to phase out the dine-in component. The prices at Bakeshop are really too high for upscale fast food.

Dragon*Con Photo Experiment

2010-09-10T10:52:00.000-04:00

I wanted these portraits to obscure the individual.

I love MARTA

2010-08-26T09:47:00.000-04:00

Mark recently sent me this blog. They love MARTA, too.

news from the homefront

2010-07-14T15:32:00.000-04:00

We've been eating out a lot (pizza and burritos, mostly) as we work on unpacking, fixing up areas that desperately need attention (closet!), and trying to get some rest. In related news, we got a dog! Her name is Daisy and we met at a bar (Midway Pub in East Atlanta).

In other related news, we're having a yard sale July 24. We've moved next to Fox Brothers. Come buy our junk!

news!

2010-06-30T23:29:00.002-04:00

eek! we bought a house today!!!!

templates

2010-06-25T13:52:00.000-04:00

Recently I kind-of-accidentally changed the appearance of this blog. I don't know how I feel about it. But if you're like me, you're just viewing this through a reader so it doesn't matter anyway.

korean taco truck

2010-06-25T13:50:00.000-04:00

After months of anticipation, finally ate some tacos from the korean taco truck (at Urban Picnic @ Sweet Auburn). Verdict: eh. Could've used some kimchi, if you ask me.

what we had for dinner

2010-06-11T17:36:00.000-04:00

monday:

Fried rice with leftover chinese foods thrown in. Delicious! I recently read that the trick is to cook everything separately. I'm a convert.

Yeah! Burger vs Farm Burger

2010-06-11T16:47:00.002-04:00

Farm Burger wins.

Poem Machine

2010-06-02T15:12:00.000-04:00

I found this. Via Oh Happy Day.

favas

2010-05-18T23:27:00.001-04:00

Prepared some fava beans for sautéing tomorrow!

I've never had these before. They're from our CSA. You have to peel them twice!

UPDATE: favas can KILL you.

what we had for dinner

2010-05-12T15:33:00.000-04:00

old world huevos rancheros:
flour tortillas
fried eggs
leftover cassoulet reheated with bell pepper, onion, tomato, citrus mojo, oregano, balsamic vinegar
sautéed swiss chard
topped with asiago

two pictures of food

2010-04-16T17:54:00.000-04:00

Weird egg:

The steamed buns from last weekend:

I skipped the oiled chopstick step and do not recommend you do this.

what we had for dinner

2010-04-16T17:48:00.000-04:00

a kind of carbonara: winter squash gnocchi with bacon, fried sage, asiago cheese, poached egg, fresh sorrel.

I just can't say no to something with egg on top.
If you do not know sorrel, I recommend you get acquainted. It's lemony!

mushrooming

2010-04-14T19:34:00.001-04:00

On Monday I went to an "Intro to Mushrooming" class at Oakhurst Garden. Mary Woehrel of the Mushroom Club of Georgia gave a very interesting presentation on foraging for wild mushrooms, mushroom identification, and mushroom cultivation. It makes me wish for rain so I can go look for some!

Here's a little presentation to get you as excited about mushrooms as I now am:

what we had for dinner

2010-04-14T19:27:00.000-04:00

Saturday, April 10:
pork bellies and steamed buns with homemade kimchi, etc.
brined roasted pork
seared scallops
shrimp scampi
sauteed greens
roasted delicata squash
steamed rice (mixture of black and sushi rice)
strawberries and mango with lime

Sunday, April 11:
leftovers of the above (except the pork belly which I ate all by myself)
fried rice with egg and green garlic
homemade ice cream (chocolate almond and coffee liqueur flavors)
kale chips (tear into pieces, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, bake at 300 for about 20 min)
baked squash seeds
dishes from friends: chips and dips, chocolate cream pie, homegrown lettuce salad

The fried rice was the best.

Jenni Rope

2010-03-22T14:50:00.000-04:00

I have admired Jenni Rope before but just want to bring her to your attention.

(via Aesthetic Outburst, thanks for reminding me of this great artist!)

wedlog

2010-03-12T18:38:00.001-05:00

Here you will find (or in the future, will find) details about the planning of the Coopfrey wedding.

title

2010-03-12T14:24:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wondered about the title of this blog?

Showbiz Pizza Zone (part 2)

2010-02-25T18:48:00.000-05:00

A few exterior shots of Showbiz Pizza Zone (from Mark's camera):

We didn't have the wings, we just had the pizza.

We did stay for the fun. For like two hours.

free stuff

2010-02-18T12:18:00.000-05:00

Recently I watched this interview with Lika Volkova of SANS. Toward the end, Volkova talks about how people who like to make things should maybe just make things, and not try to "make business" out of it. This really resonated with me. And so, I'd like to rededicate myself to making things, for giving away. I expect there to be many more free things here, and out in the world, soon.

what we had for dinner

2010-02-16T21:12:00.002-05:00

Benton's country ham with red eye mayo (from the Momofuku cookbook)

parsnip pancakes (from Not Eating Out in New York)

leftover salad

making gnocchi

2010-02-15T23:57:00.002-05:00

For dinner we made gnocchi with some winter squashes we had laying around.

First, peel and cube the squash.

Cook the squash until soft (I boiled but am going to try roasting next time: boiling makes it too wet and roasting would probably bring out more sweet flavors).

Mash! We used a potato masher and weren't too concerned if it wasn't superfine. (I don't like the idea or the name "ricer" and don't intend to ever own one.) Mix in one egg, nutmeg, pinch cayenne, salt and pepper. Add flour.

Add more flour and more flour until you've made a dough, kneading it a little on the counter. It will be a little sticky!

Cut into strips, roll those strips into logs, cut the logs into little pieces, flatten the little pieces with a fork and boil until they float.

We had our gnocchi with brown butter sage sauce, which I made by heating butter, olive oil and bacon fat (just for good measure!) over med-low for a bit, then adding fresh sage and frying them for a bit.

Add the cooked gnocchi, toss a few times, sprinkle with romano cheese, a little fresh thyme, presto!

(inspired by various recipes, including ones found here: Not Eating Out in New York, The Cooking of Joy, Eat Make Read, and Sassy Radish)

Saturday walk

2010-02-14T20:51:00.002-05:00

We went on a walk on Saturday:

what we had for dinner

2010-02-11T00:15:00.003-05:00

High

2010-02-08T14:12:00.000-05:00

Did you know that the first Saturday of the month is free day at the High for Fulton County residents? This used to be limited to the first 100 guests but I don't think it is anymore (though I'm not sure). But you'll want to go early anyway because the museum is CROWDED on Saturdays. As I heard one guest say, "It's just like being in New York." If you don't live in Futon County or just like to pay for things, you can go on any Thursday afternoon, when admission is half price (regularly $18!) from 4-8 p.m.

If you go in the next couple of months, you will be able to see the awesome John Portman exhibit, featuring architecture, painting and sculpture. Portman, who graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in architecture in 1950, designed many of the great buildings downtown, include the Westin, Hyatt, Mariott Marquis, and AmericasMart buildings. The High's website has information on a walking tour of Portman's downtown Atlanta buildings.

Also worth viewing is the installation "Altered Environments;" pieces from the High's collection that feature environments that have been altered by the artist or by people in general.

Showbiz Pizza Zone

2010-02-07T15:47:00.000-05:00

We recently watched The Rock-afire Explosion, a documentary about the animatronic band at ShowBiz Pizza and the people behind the magic, inventor Aaron Fechter and super-fan Chris Thrash. After the change-over to Chuck-E-Cheese, Fechter had several leftover sets of Rock-afire Explosions that were manufactured but never installed in restaurants, and a few years ago, Thrash bought one (there's still one set available!!!!). Since then, Chris has opened a restaurant/arcade/music theater in Phenix City, AL ("Gateway to East Alabama") called Showbiz Pizza Zone. We visited this weekend. In addition to watching the shows every six minutes, we played a lot of ski-ball, "pound the hound," air hockey, some zombie shooting game and dance dance revolution. We ended up with 93 tickets, which equalled one pair of plastic star sunglasses and three bouncy balls.

Thank you, Chris Thrash, for bringing a little magic to our lives!

thing-a-day catch-up

2010-02-07T15:16:00.001-05:00

I didn't make anything on Friday or Saturday, so today I made a lot of things!

Made several notebooks out of old agenda paper (instructions at Jen and Jake).

Mended one of Mark's hoodies.

Made (and ate) a soft boiled egg for breakfast (note the beautiful egg cup...now all I need are some of those tiny spoons...)

Made Mark a headband to match mine.

Dawoud Bey at Emory

2010-02-04T23:58:00.000-05:00

Recently I've been thinking that maybe I should blog about what we're doing before we do it, so that other people, if they are so inclined, can find out about these super-cool things we are doing and do them, too. However, that's for another day! (Maybe via the popular social networking tool Twitter!)

Tonight we went to the opening reception of "Class Pictures: Photographs by Dawoud Bey" at Emory University Art Gallery. Bey was in attendance and gave a gallery talk at the end of the evening. I really enjoyed the exhibit and the talk, especially when he briefly touched on using art to redefine public spaces and institutions (such as museums), to bring a (often marginalized) segment of the population into these spaces (sometimes for the first time), as viewer, as part of the art, as artist.

Mark especially liked how Bey uses a construct, a fabrication, to emphasize or bring forth a "true nature" of the subject. Like Emilio Estevez in Breakfast Club.

And, I mean, the portraits were great. They look really good. They are large format, very imposing, and, as Bey said, the subjects seem to almost pop out of the picture. (On view through March 4!)

After the talk, we went to Leon's Full Service in Decatur. I can't believe this place has been open for a year and we've just now visited! Good beers, good local food, good service. We got some "pub frites" with various sauces. Mark's favorite sauce was the horseradish mayonaise for it's high viscosity and delicious colloidal properties.

thing-a-day

2010-02-04T00:50:00.004-05:00

So I'm doing this thing-a-day thing, and this is what I did today:

Which isn't much. But what I really wanted to talk about is why I didn't do more today. It's because we were so busy doing other things! Like: attending a Sacred Harp practice sing! It is quite a complicated singing technique! But I'm very excited about it and already can't wait until the next practice!

Secondly, after the singing and after dinner, we watched Gates of Heaven, which is this documentary about pet cemeteries and the people connected to them, who, as you might imagine, are generally pretty weird, but in a way that's like, well, I guess everyone is.

Sacred Harp infos:
Wikipedia
Atlanta Sacred Harp
Fasola / Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association
"Preserving the Sacred Harp Tradition" on NPR
Awake, My Soul (documentary, CD, etc.; we have the DVD if you know us and want to watch, and hope to purchase the CD soon!)
St. Paul's Biweekly Sacred Harp Singing Facebook group

Oh dear, it's way past my bedtime!

Mail Art

2010-02-01T21:58:00.002-05:00

The back of a package.

Posted via email from thing-a-day 2010

OMG!!!!1!! BABYFEST!!!!1!!!11!!1!!!

2010-01-31T22:41:00.001-05:00

At Christa's suggestion, we visited Babyfest at Tanglewood Farm this weekend. OMG! So cute! My favorite were the alpacas, because they remind me of Mark. Here are just a few pictures from our trip, and there are many, many more on my flickr. But I would advise you go yourself; even though Babyfest officially ended today, I have a feeling that there's always a lot of cuteness at Tanglewood Farm.

Even baby goats love standing on top of things!

The cow was so small and her tongue so large!

Baby miniature pigs! Their snouts feel the same when alive and dead!

This is Mark's cousin, the miniature alpaca!

lists

2010-01-31T18:11:00.003-05:00

This weekend:

attended ASO performance of Rite of Spring
ate delicious and exotic meats from Buck's of Blue Ridge
learned how to play (and played) The Settlers of Catan
visited miniature animals at Tanglewood Farm (OMG!!1!!11!!! Pictures coming soon!!1!!1!)

Upcoming:

thing-a-day 2010
Fulton Co. Free Saturday at the High
Mardi Gras
Georgia Organics conference

getting ready...

2010-01-30T11:54:00.003-05:00

Thinking about what I will make in February...

confetti (in poppable bag?)
mini pinatas
felt heart pins with googly eyes
etc.

Posted via web from leighadactyl

SLC

2010-01-26T23:07:00.002-05:00

Maybe it's time to visit Utah again:
1
2
3

Korean BBQ House

2010-01-26T23:05:00.000-05:00

Recently we were driving back to Atlanta from Mobile (well, Fairhope if you want to get technical about it). If you've driven this route before, you probably know that there are not that many outstanding places, or even good places, to eat. Getting hungry after we passed Auburn, I was sure that we were going to end up having Burger King french fries or gas station boiled peanuts for dinner, as the largest town between Auburn and Atlanta is LaGrange. However, Mark's phone was helpful for once, and guided us to Korean BBQ House, located in lovely metropolitan Lanett AL-West Point GA, home of the new Kia assembly plant.

They were closed when we arrived. Luckily, a Kia-full of Korean men were also trying to dine there that evening. So the restaurant was opened, and as we were served cups of barley tea, one of the gentlemen finished his cigarette while watching Korean satellite TV in the dining room. Our server didn't speak much (or chose not to speak) English, so we had a fun time pointing and smiling and nodding after I used the handful of Korean words I know.

I got the kimchi jigae which had a good flavor but the star of the evening was the dolsot bibimbap that Mark ordered. It was delicious! The rice was very crispy! One of the great things about Korean food is the banchan. This restaurant had a dish I've never seen before (though I will say I'm no Korean cuisine scholar): mayo based potato salad with corn and raisins. I kept thinking there I was going to find octopus or something, but it was pretty much potatoes.

Mark gives the establishment 4 sombreros. I give it a 4.5!

good words

2010-01-21T17:24:00.002-05:00

I don't know much about this blog, but I love the name: the habit of being

what we had for dinner

2010-01-20T23:44:00.000-05:00

cassoulet! with leftover goose and andouille
salad
bread
cookies

OMG cassoulet is so good.

what we had for dinner

2010-01-18T22:31:00.001-05:00

garlic roasted mushrooms

roast goose (from Nature's Harmony Farm) with gravy
roasted red cabbage (from our CSA)
root and other vegetables roasted in goose fat (potatoes, parsnips, turnips, kohlrabi, mostly from our CSA)

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (by Christa)

Our Neighbor

2010-01-15T12:03:00.001-05:00

Wonderful piece on our neighbor, Joe Patten. (by John Nowak, via his wonderful, beautiful, inspiring blog Too Busy To Hate)

Phantom of the Fox from Too Busy To Hate on Vimeo.

what we had for dinner

2010-01-14T00:19:00.003-05:00

Yesterday:

spicy vidaila onion bratwurst (made with local pork) cooked with Abita Mardi Gras Bock

sautéed potato, red cabbage, onion

homemade sauerkraut

Sweetwater bread (from Whole Foods)

Today:

pissaladière (recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day cookbook)

salad

notes from college

2010-01-14T00:18:00.000-05:00

Notes from my grandfather.

made

2010-01-14T00:13:00.000-05:00

I made this really awesome headband yesterday.

wedding inspirations

2010-01-08T19:59:00.003-05:00

As Mark can attest, I spent almost every day leading up to our wedding looking at hundreds and hundreds of blog posts about weddings. Here's one of the first I found, a primary inspiration.

The Virtues of Meat

2010-01-04T18:55:00.000-05:00

For a while we weren't buying a lot of meat, relying mostly on our CSA for vegetables and eating meat only occasionally, usually when at a restaurant. But recently we've decided to try to eat locally raised meats only, which changes the situation. It's much easier to buy local meat and cook it yourself than to eat it at any random restaurant (though more restaurants that focus on local food are opening all the time). Our CSA (TaylOrganic Farm) offers beef sourced from another local farm, many farms sell meats at local markets (for instance, Riverview Farms at the Morningside market), and Whole Foods now carries local beef and pork in their meat department. The benefits are many: animals that are more humanely treated and have more nutritious diets, producing meat that is better for you; meat that has traveled a shorter distance and is therefore fresher and requires less fuel to transport; and a product that supports local business and agriculture.

Additionally, after our meat cooking hiatus, it's really fun to be roasting, frying, and stewing. Right now, I'm rendering some fat cut off a pork shoulder we cooked this weekend:

This is a really easy process that leaves you with two delicious products: pork fat (for cooking eggs, greens, etc) and cracklins (for snacking, cornbread, etc). Someone recently told me that their relative squeezes out the cracklins with her hands, to get every last drop of lard, but I just drain them on a paper towel, because I don't have the asbestos hands of an old southern lady. Yea, pig!

totes!

2010-01-04T16:53:00.000-05:00

So here's a tote bag I made recently, it has a screen print of birds in flight, the you might draw in first grade or I might draw today. It's for sale on etsy.

I got enough sheets at the thrift store to make a zillion more of these things. Any suggestions on the prints?

what we had for dinner

2010-01-04T15:18:00.002-05:00

Saturday's dinner party...

What we made:

Spiced pecans

Deviled eggs (with curry, sauteed in soy sauce)

Braised pork shoulder (brined for 12 hours beforehand, as suggested by Alton Brown)
Pot roast (beef) with root vegetables
Greens and sweet potato gratin (substituted mustard, turnip and collards for swiss chard, used sweet potato and acorn squash)
Black eyed peas
Pumpkin soup
Cornbread (didn't turn out that great--maybe a cornbread dressing in it's future?)
Daikon kimchee and sauerkraut (both fermented)
Dill spears, bread and butter pickles, pickled okra (from Angela)

What others brought:
Red beans and rice with Cajun sausage
Banana nut muffins
Sauteed collard greens
Creamy sweet potato soup
Potato gratin
Beer cheese bread
Veggies with lebna-garlic dip

Did I forget anything?

xmas gifties

2009-12-28T15:44:00.001-05:00

Some Christmas gifts: beautiful Norwegian stacking egg cups, sheep tape measure, little pouch from Vacation. Not pictured: lots of other goodies!

what we had for dinner

2009-12-23T09:12:00.000-05:00

Arugula, beet and goat cheese salad
Sauteed mixed greens topped with balsamic fried eggs
Refried mayacoba beans and crispy toasts

Bakeshop

2009-12-17T11:04:00.000-05:00

Mark and I work in what I'm going to call south Midtown, very near the Fox and the "SoNo District," so it's a challenge to find a really good lunch restaurant. Sure, the AT&T mall has the best Chinese restaurant in Atlanta, but we don't want to pig-out on rice and stir-fry every day. So when I saw a new restaurant at Peachtree and 8th the other day, I was very excited. We went to Bakeshop for lunch yesterday and what a delight! We split a watercress, avocado, balsamic vinegar, goat cheese sandwich and roasted tomato soup. The sandwich was open face, fork and knife required, which I appreciate, and the soup was really delicious and creamy. Their coffee was also very good (another thing that's hard to find in our neighborhood--Dunkin' Donuts is about as good as it gets--not that there's a thing wrong with Dunkin' Donuts). The breads and pastries looked wonderful, but we didn't have any yesterday (though I do plan to stop by after work today to pick up loaf of bread). A suggestion: why not have real cups available for dine in customers? It's annoying to be served a double espresso in a big paper coffee cup.

Oh and also, this place sells Atlanta Fresh yogurt! (I recommend Tropical Sweet Heat)

new project!

2009-12-15T23:22:00.000-05:00

New project in the works!

paper snakes

2009-12-11T18:05:00.000-05:00

Inspired by these, I've been making some paper snakes recently.

wedding rings

2009-12-11T16:29:00.001-05:00

Today I was thinking about how much I like our wedding rings. They are made of an unfinished wood so they change over time. Already mine has gotten significantly darker from my skin oils and the lotion I use. The rings are very lightweight, and though the thickness was a bit annoying at first, everyone was right, you do just get used to it. We got our rings from MnM Woodworks:

mesmerizing skull

2009-11-25T15:55:00.000-05:00

Drive By Press was at Youngblood recently. Mark and I printed this skull face.

stowaway

2009-11-25T15:53:00.000-05:00

Look who I found on our arugula!

I usually think slugs are really gross but this little guy was so tiny and cute!
One of the wonderful things about being part of a CSA is discovering all the little creatures that live on your food!

Birdie Towel

2009-11-24T10:38:00.000-05:00

things for sale

2009-11-24T00:15:00.000-05:00

I have made some napkins and they are for sale! The pictures are all kind of dark, thanks to this thing called "the days are getting shorter because it's almost winter," but here's an idea:

Wine not included.
P.S., this is my favorite pose with things, the left hand doing something it doesn't normally do.

P.S.

2009-11-20T14:53:00.000-05:00

I forgot to mention in the potato stamp post that I have some potato stamped things that will be making an appearance soon...maybe in my dusty old etsy shop.

why I love potato stamping

2009-11-19T22:34:00.000-05:00

It is very easy to cut a potato.
You can only print a limited number of prints. The stamp doesn't keep long.
The potato juice mixes with the paint to create nice color variations.
Sometimes the potato develops a crack in the stamp that results in something nice.

I love beans

2009-11-19T22:06:00.000-05:00

We got these lovely cranberry beans from our CSA the other day:

And one of our wedding gifts just arrived today--a shipment of beans from Rancho Gordo! We already got the Heirloom Beans cookbook (and already made the White Chili), so I'm very excited about getting some of the beautiful beans featured in the cookbook. Yum!

Vacations

2009-11-04T23:07:00.003-05:00

I have about a million pictures on flickr. Here are several:

We got marriaged.

2009-11-04T23:01:00.000-05:00

First picture by me, of balloons Jill brought from San Francisco. Second picture by David, from his flickr.