Retro Dish

Milwaukee Pride

2012-02-15T18:18:00.001-08:00

Zach and I are really convinced that we are living in one of the best cities in the U.S. Everything about Milwaukee is just so perfect. We love the urban/city feel but all the accessibility and ease of a smaller city. We never pay for parking (which is a huge deal coming from Chicago) and if traffic is really bad it might add another 5-10 minutes on to your drive (which is a huge deal also coming from California!). We live in a neighborhood part of the city on the South Side and yet we are still a short 10 minute drive from the beautiful Lake Michigan beaches. I could seriously talk about how much I love this city for hours. I found a few great blogs/websites that do justice to how cool this city is as well as making some great recommendations for where to visit/eat/drink/shop/play.

Come visit soon!

"A visual resource guide for Milwaukee."

Design Sponge Guide to Milwaukee

Where I've been...

2011-11-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

Wow. It has been almost TWO YEARS since my last post! Where have I been? Well, my wonderful hubby and I welcomed our first little one into our life on July 11, 2010 and life has been crazy full with pregnancy, morning sickness, adjusting to a baby, diapers, and all the other things that come with adjusting to becoming parents. It has been a busy two years but we are so happy with our little family.

I've been thinking about this blog a lot lately and I am way overdue to begin regular posting again. I have so many things to update all of you on! This blog will continue to focus on all things antique, vintage and kitchen related but I have become so passionate about being a Mama that I have many things to say about that now too. (Plus, I my little boy has the sweetest nursery full of cute little antiques that I will have to post about.)

It's good to be back.

<3 Alicia

Peacock

2009-11-12T15:02:00.000-08:00

Zach and I found this lovely book while antiquing in Petaluma, CA. My sister-in-law loves peacocks and we would have loved to have bought it for her but we couldn't afford it. I just thought is was so pretty that I had to take a picture.

Cupcakes!

2009-11-12T14:29:00.001-08:00

It has been WAY too long since I have blogged. I've realized it's one of those things that the longer it goes the harder it is to get back into it. I'm not going to do anything too ambitious today but I've had a few requests for pictures from the fabulous shower I threw so I wanted to follow up on that. The cupcakes were AMAZING. I definitely recommend the recipe deck I mentioned in one of my earlier posts.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. Vintage glass snack plates (my favorite for showers) and vintage silverware in a green painted metal container I found antiquing.

Raspberry Lemonade with fresh raspberries and mint. Served in the snack set glasses.

This may have been my favorite cupcake of the day. Bananna Butterscotch Cupcakes with a Butterscotch frosting.

Red Velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.

I printed out photographs of vintage weddings from www.shorpy.com and placed them all around the house. I had Hydrangeas throughout the house that I cut from my mom's yard.

These were little tea sandwiches. Cucumber Dill and Roasted Red Pepper.

\

I made 5 different kinds of cupcakes. These two were Spring Bouquet with a slight almond flavor to the pink frosting and Chocolate with Chocolate Buttercream frosting (it was amazing).

Ham and Gouda Croissant sandwiches. The little pink glass jar eventually had some dijon in it for the sammys.

Egg salad sandwiches.

It was a beautiful shower. I could never have pulled it off without help from my fabulous friend Sharon!

a cloche hat...um...Yes Please!

2009-08-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

I still need to upload pictures from the amazing shower that I threw for my friend Amanda. I will get to that soon...

In the meantime my husband has shared one of his internet loves with me and I am obsessed. You must check this website out! It is basically a blog of the most beautiful (mostly black and white photographs) from the Library of Congress archives. I am completely addicted to scrolling through these amazing photos. The ones of women, children and African American's are always particularly striking to me (not so much the train pics. ha ha).

So Zach and I live in a house that was built in 1927. We have always loved old things but since moving into our house we have become especially interested in this specific year. As I've been looking through the pictures on Shorpy I have once again been struck by the styles of the 1920's and decided that it would be fun to have something to wear from the era of my house. The item of clothing that keeps standing out to me is the Cloche Hat.

Oh my goodness how CUTE are these! I must have one!!! This will be my latest item to search for in our next antiquing adventures. I will keep you posted. I think the first time I ever saw one was on Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon (fabulous movie by the way. GREAT 20's fashion!)

Inspiration

2009-07-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

Two of my friends heard I was throwing a shower and that I was hoping to make lots and lots of cupcakes so they purchased this lovely "deck" of recipes for me to inspire me during my planning. The recipes in here are DELICIOUS and surprisingly easy for baking from scratch. Plus, they come in a cute little deck that is fun to leave out in your kitchen.

I will be posting pictures of the cupcakes I made and the fabulous table from the shower soon.

Oh My Goodness!!!

2009-07-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

I am throwing a bridal shower for a good friend of mine tomorrow and as I have been preparing I have realized that I have a serious lack of beautiful cake stands in my life. I envision the table tomorrow filled with adorable milk glass cake stands loaded with homemade cupcakes. Alas, I have only one cake stand, and it is glass. This raised my curiosity about what types of cakes stands even exist out there that would fit in my fabulous vintage kitchen...I am quite happy with what I was able to discover.

If only I could order a few of these in time for tomorrow's shower! *sigh*

I have a feeling that the shower is going to be quite beautiful sans my own personal collection of gorg vintage cake stands. I have a few tricks up my sleeve and I plan to post pictures soon. Stay tuned!

These adorable cake stands are currently for sale on ebay!

Fire King Turquoise Blue

2009-07-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

My amazing mother-in-law added to my Fire King Turquoise Blue collection this past week for my birthday. If it was not for her I would not have any of these beautiful dishes. It is difficult to find information about the Fire King Turquoise Blue line online. I am pretty confident that I have one of the largest collections in existence. Thanks Effie!

This isn't even my whole collection. I have many more pieces in my butler's pantry.

another great blog

2009-06-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

Zach found this blog today and it is amazing. If you enjoy the 1920's or Art Deco you must check it out.

Art Deco Blogspot

choosing a color...

2009-06-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

Zach's parents have graciously offered to pay for us to have our living room and dining room painted as a graduation gift for me finishing my doctorate! Today my mother-in-law came over to help me strip the horrible wall paper put up by our home's previous owners. The paper itself was not necessarily horrible, it is just that it was victorian in style and did nothing to showcase the beautiful lines of our craftsman style home. Needless to say, the room looks quite different without the busy wallpaper mucking it all up. Now comes the very difficult task of trying to pick paint colors. I was hoping to find arts and crafts toned colors that would be consistent with the history of our home. I would like to do a burt-fallish-natural-orange in the dining room and a goldeny-yellow in the living room. The yellow needs to match the stained glass windows and the two colors need to flow into one another as the rooms are only separated by a dark oak room divider (I know, our house is gorgeous!)

These photos show the rooms with the wallpaper still up.

Blogs I've been reading

2009-06-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

At the risk of putting myself to shame, I have been reading some new blogs lately that are just lovely! Aside from the words, just scrolling through and looking at the layouts and pictures is inspiring. Check these ladies out! Strawberry Koi has some of the absolute best videos I have ever seen on how to do fabulous vintage hair-styles including pin-curls.

Strawberry Koi

Chronically Vintage

Bernice Bobs Her Hair

Retro Ways

*sigh* I'm in love.

Sumac Steak with Pomegranate Reduction

2009-06-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Last night I made a delicious dinner with the help of Zach and Patrick (our friend from chi-town who is living with us here in Milwaukee).

We made Sumac Steak with a Pomegranate Reduction. Sumac is a middle eastern spice. It comes from the dried berry of a plant in the same family as poison oak and ivy. It has a tangy lemony flavor--making it a great rub for meats. If you want the recipe just click here: Sumac Steak.

I served this with homemade parmesan risotto and a salad. The salad was from greens from our garden, grapefruit, avocado and a homemade blood-orange vinaigrette.

Dulcedomen

2009-06-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

These are some recent pictures I took of our kitchen. This is how things look with the new/old stove in and the Monitor Top moved to the corner

Vintage Tea Towels

2009-05-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

We like to have everything in our house be as close to original as possible (ok, one exception, I'm a sucker for central air) even down to the dish towels we use in the kitchen. You can buy repro dish towels that are made to look vintage at places like Anthropologie but they can be kinda pricey and lets be honest, the original deal is always better. So vintage dish towels are one thing I like to keep my out for when antiquing. It is especially fabulous if you can find them brand new with the original tags still on.

Obsessions

2009-05-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

My interest in collecting vintage dishes has definitely crossed some kind of line. It is not just about collecting anymore. It really is an obsession. This is my latest find. It is from a slightly later period than we typically prefer but this ENTIRE set of Pyrex dishes was on sale for very very cheap at a local consignment store here in Milwaukee. I saw them and I couldn't pass it up.

It's okay. You can envy me.

Remington

2009-05-28T07:55:00.000-07:00

Zach and I found this fabulous piece at an estate sale a few weeks ago. It is an old shipping crate for Remington Typewriters. It works quite nicely as as a coffee table in our living room. Zach is a huge fan of typwriters. If he has a choice he prefers to work on his Remington. Needless to say we were pretty excited when we found this. Isn't it beautiful?

Below is one of the typewriters Zach found recently. It is from 1933. It is in PERFECT condition. Looks absolutely brand new. He paid 35 bucks for it. It's like the laptop of the 30's. He takes it to work and types up his case notes on it. Lovely.

Seeds

2009-05-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of Zach planting our seeds. They are now in the ground but this is where we started out...

Key Lime Pie

2009-05-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

As you all know, baking is not really my thing as much as cooking is. However, lately I have been trying to grow in this area. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing better than something home baked. Plus, the outcome, when done right, is so satisfyingly beautiful with baking. The reason why it is not my favorite is because it is much more of a science than an art--you can't really play around with baking. Regardless, there are a few things I have attempted that have gone quite well. One of them is my Key Lime Pie.

I had actually never eaten Key Lime Pie until a few years ago. Zach and I went down to Florida to visit his parents and I had my first taste one night when we went out to dinner. Oh. My. Gosh. So delicious. I decided right then and there that I would master the art of the Key Lime Pie. Every once in a while my mother-in-law drops off a huge bag of key limes and Zach and I go to work.

It's actually a pretty simple recipe--aside from squeezing all the little baby limes.

*************************************************

Key Lime Pie

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 Tbs Sugar

4 Tbs melted butter

2 (14 oz) cans of sweetened condensed milk

1 1/4 cups key lime juice (you can use regular limes but it's not as good)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

2 Tbs powered sugar

Garnish with grated lime zest and lime wedges

Method:

Preheat oven to 325. Mix graham crumbs, sugar, and butter with hands and press firmly into a 10-inch pie plate. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes (or until lightly browned). Let stand 15 minutes.

Whisk together condensed milk, lime juice, and eggs until well blended. Pour into crust and bake at 325 for 18-20 minutes (or until set). Chill at least 4 hours.

Combine creme fraiche and powdered sugar. Spread evenly over chilled pie. Garnish.

***********************************************

I've decided that I want to get good at making cupcakes so that will hopefully be a personal challenge you will hear more about in the future. I also am desperate to find a fabulous Red Velvet Cake recipe. Any suggestions???

Garden update

2009-05-28T07:07:00.001-07:00

This is just another reason why I am in love with Milwaukee.

Zach and I finished planting our raised beds in the front yard. I have tons of pictures but I haven't had a chance to get them uploaded yet. Soon.

As of right now we are growing broccoli, cabbage, multiple kinds of heirloom tomatoes, strawberries, leeks, all kinds of herbs, raspberries, lettuce and arugula.

I'm SO excited!

Now if only Milwaukee would pass a city chicken ordinance...

Granola

2009-05-13T10:17:00.001-07:00

Zach and I love granola but I can't believe how expensive it is to buy at the grocery store. I made a comment about this recently on my facebook status and my cousin Liza sent me a recipe she uses to make granola from scratch. So today I am attempting for the first time to make my own granola at home. I decided to start with a basic recipe from Epicurious. I'll see how that goes and then maybe add to it over time.

Bring Back the Victory Garden!

2009-03-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

The current state of the economy is forcing a lot of Americans to have to examine their lives in ways that they haven't been asked to before. Personally, not only do I think this is a good thing but something that is necessary. We have lived way too comfortably for way to long and it is time that we be required to consider the consequences of the choices we have made.

There are so many reasons why I love living in Milwaukee. I think one of the things I love most though is the prevalence of "urban hippies."

Here's the thing: I love living close to a city. I love the access to different restaurants and events and I love the diversity of people and experiences I see around me every day. The only down side to living in a city is that you can miss out on some of the great things about living "closer to the land." The very cool thing about Milwaukee is that a lot of people here are figuring out how to have the best of both worlds.

Zach came across this video today. It is really interesting and if you have the time you should definitely watch the whole thing. The future quality of our world depends on our ability to learn how to live responsibly sustainable lives.

The truth is, much of the food we eat today is a poor excuse for...well, food. Like the guy in the video said, in 1900 vitamin's weren't even invented yet. Why? Oh, maybe because the food people ate actually had the nutrients in it that we need to live and be healthy.

During World War II the United States really struggled as a nation due to the fact that the majority of our resources had to go to fighting the war. During a national crisis (perhaps similar to the economic crisis we face now??) the response was to find ways to work together,in community, to have a larger overall effect on meeting needs and solving problems. One way American's came together to help the cause was through Victory Gardens. Aside from providing a much needed resource, Victory Gardens also brought people together for a common purpose and made them feel empowered in their ability to have a positive impact on something in the midst of a lot of global turmoil.

Zach and I live on a city lot in our 1927 bungalow. We don't have a ton of yard space but we have just enough. This year we are planning to grow our own "plants that feed us" garden. We started our seeds a few weeks ago indoors and can't wait to move them to the yard (I will post pictures of our little sprouts soon)!

Aside from being able to give us better nutrients, offer us a healthy and cheap alternative to quick and easy meals during trying economic times, there is also some serious emotional and psychological satisfaction in caring for a seed as it matures. Zach and I have started to experience this with our own little seeds. While only a few weeks old, I take such delight in checking on them every day to see how much they have grown. It is amazing to watch life happen right before your eyes.

So what are you waiting for?!?! Start your own Victory Garden now! This site might be a good place to get some beginner information. I'll be sure to keep you posted with update on what we are growing and eating too!

Mucha

2009-01-25T14:01:00.000-08:00

I have a few obsessions that I have not taken the time to blog about because my depth of interest in them makes it difficult to know where to start. I was thinking about this today and realized that I should just start with something on each of them because something is better than nothing. So today, I begin.

Alphonse Mucha was an artist. He, in my opinion, defines the Art Nouveau style better than any other artist--my favorite period/style of art. His work is absolutely genius. There are few things more beautiful to me than Mucha's works.

There is too much to say about Mucha and my love for Art Nouveau in one post so I will start by posting some examples of his work and telling you a story about Zach and I related to Mucha.

If you have been fortunate enough to have been exposed to the wonder that is Mucha before you have more than likely seen this piece:

While he has many pieces that are much more beautiful than this, this is a good example of his work--notice the uniquely stylized hair strands.

Here are a few more examples of some of his poster art:

It's okay. You can pause for a minute to take those in before you go on to read my story.

*************************************

So here is the crazy thing about Zach and I and Mucha. Before Zach and I ever met we had both developed a deep love of Mucha-crazy right? He's a pretty obscure artist. The first time we met and actually had a conversation we talked about Mucha! Zach was working at a coffee shop and I stopped in with one of my friends. We started talking and it came up that Zach was taking a trip with his family in the next few months to Prague (Mucha's home). As soon as I heard that I said, "Well, if you are going to Prague you have to go to the Mucha museum!" I said this assuming he would have no idea who I was talking about. He immediately replied, "OH, I am!" My jaw dropped and I was like, "Wait, you know who Mucha is?..."

Turned out that not only did Zach know who Mucha was but he had painted his bedroom to match one of the large Mucha prints on his wall, the whole scheme of his room was built around a Mucha print! I found this out much later but yes, he certainly knew who Mucha was.

Once I knew that Zach was as fascinated by Mucha as I was I kinda became a bit obsessed (with Zach I mean, I was already obsessed with Mucha). You could almost say that Mucha brought us together.

Zach and I started talking about our wedding only 11 days after we started dating. Our dating and engagement combined were less than a year. Both of us have no regrets. Best decision we ever made. When we had been dating for only three months I dropped some serious cash and bought Zach an original Mucha lithograph and had it shipped from Pairs. It now hangs above our bed in our little 1927 Bungalow. I am all about living simply but there are some things that are worth every penny and our Mucha lithograph is one of them.

What's for Dinner?

2009-01-21T14:11:00.000-08:00

Made this chicken breast with pan gravy dish for dinner last night. It was quite delicious and so easy. Definitely a keeper.

Served it with rice and a salad. The salad had hearts of romaine with feta cheese, homemade candied walnuts and Zach's fabulous balsamic vinaigrette.

Didn't take a picture so I'll post this one instead:

Seriously, if you want to impress the hubby make this for dinner tonight!

Fun Quiz

2009-01-06T18:34:00.000-08:00

I found this quiz online and thought it was quite fun.

How do you rate as a 1930's housewife or hubby?

I scored a 72 which is superior!

Zach just took it too. We had so much fun reading the statements.

He scored a 133! Not surprisingly he is a very superior 1930's hubby.

Chenille

2009-01-03T18:58:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to keep my eye out for when I'm antiquing is Chenille blankets!

I love the look of chenille. It's vintage, cute and cozy all rolled into one. I have a pink chenille blanket and a blue chenille blanket that I will hopefully get to use in a baby's room eventually.

antique finds....

2009-01-03T16:29:00.001-08:00

Zach and I went antiquing today for the first time in a loooooooong time. I felt such a rush when we walked into the first antique store. My how I have missed the anticipation of the hunt! Seriously, it is difficult to describe the excitement I feel when I walk into an antique store for the first time. There is truly nothing like it.

It was a good antiquing day for me. I found numerous vintage pyrex mixing bowls in pretty great condition. Some of them were a little higher priced than I would normally pay but all of the antique stores were having at least 20% off sales. Needless to say, I picked up quite a few and am very happy to report that I have now officially completed almost all of my nesting bowl sets...

I have nesting bowl sets in the following colors: Pink, turquoise, yellow, orange (which didn't exist as an original set but I have created it due to the fact that it's my favorite color), primary colors, rainbow striped, and polka dot. I put them all out on the dining room table today and it was such a happy sight. I will post a picture of my own collection soon. I need to do it when the light is better in the house. In the mean time, enjoy the links!

Since I have completed most of my own sets I am now working on blue and yellow sets for my sister in law...because honestly, even when I complete my own sets I think it will always be hard for me to pass up a beautiful vintage pyrex bowl without feeling compelled to give it a good home. :)

Oh, I also picked up a vintage flour sifter that I noticed a need for during some holiday baking projects. I swear, vintage kitchen tools work way better than any contemporary tools you can buy!

Bettie Page

2008-12-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

I have some sad sad news! Bettie Page was hospitalized today. She suffered a heart attack and is currently in critical condition. She is 85.

I don't care how old she is. She's still got it!

Update: Bettie Page passed away on December 11, 2008. So sad. Here is a link to a website that has been created in her memory. There are some beautiful pictures and some very sweet memories of her from friends as well as a history of her life. If you want to know more about her I would also recommend the movie: The Notorious Bettie Page

Thai Crunch Salad

2008-11-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

Zach and I currently have less than no money. This weekend however we decided to splurge and go out to lunch at CPK. There is one salad there that I have always loved called the Thai Crunch Salad and Zach graciously offered to split it with me. While we were eating it we both decided that we needed to try to make it at home. Being the culinary geniuses that we are what we came up with tonight was perhaps even better then the salad they serve at CPK.

Feast your eyes on THIS:

It tasted as good as it looks!

For the salad base we used: Napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, cucumber, jicama, edamame, cilantro, scallions.

For the Crunch! we used: Dry roasted peanuts, and homemade fried won-ton strips (that's right! I said homemade...whipped those little puppies up all by myself).

For the Chicken: we just lightly salted chicken breasts and cooked them in a saucepan with a bit of the lime cilantro vinaigrette.

For the dressings we put a light lime cilantro vinaigrette over everything and tossed the salad. We also drizzled our homemade peanut sauce over the top (we have perfected a peanut sauce recipe over our three years of marriage...still haven't decided if I want to share it on here or not).

We are seriously so amazing.

New/old stove!

2008-09-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

Zach and I found a fabulous stove on craigslist the other day and even though we love our kitchen and our tiny little apartment stove, we just couldn't pass it up. The stove that we have had since moving into the house is from the 1920's. It has an art-deco style and is a creamy buttery yellow color. While our house was built in 1927, the kitchen, as we've decorated, has evolved into more of a 1940's style. The Monitor Top refrigerator we bought a while ago is from 1934 and is white white. All of the vintage cabinets are white white enamel top. When we saw this stove it was just the perfect completion. The nice thing about the new/old stove is that it is quite large and will be much more user-friendly for cooking. It also has a thermostat so I will actually be able to KNOW what temperature I am cooking things at rather than having to guess.

Here is the old stove with one picture of the stove next to the Monitor Top:

Here is the new one:

The new stove is from 1948. Right now the new/old stove is in the garage till we get it cleaned up a bit. It will take some creativity to figure out how to rearrange the kitchen now. Space is at a premium and the new stove is quite large in comparison to the small apartment stove we've been using. We are going to try to put the stove on the wall where the old stove and Monitor Top have been sitting together. This will require us moving the Monitor Top. It will be an interesting process. I will try to post some pictures of the new arrangement once we are finished.

ps: anyone want a fabulous antique deco apartment stove? :)

1940's

2008-09-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

Just found this fabulous new site. They sell very accurate vintage reproduction clothes, shoes, hair flowers, and other fun things. They also have a nice summary of the history of 1940's fashion and detailed instructions on 1940's hairstyles like victory rolls and pin-curls. Check it out.

Yes!

2008-09-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

I am very happy with my hair. Natalie at Hairy's Hair Bar in Milwaukee, WI is highly recommended.

What do you think?

tomorrow

2008-09-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is a big day.

I am finally going to take the plunge and get those Bettie Page bangs I've coveted for so long. Getting a haircut like this is not something just any stylist can do. So I have been looking for a while for a place that can really do an authentic retro cut...leave it to Milwaukee to come through for me.

Check this place out!

I will be sure to post about my experience and my new do!

couldn't help myself...

2008-09-03T17:28:00.001-07:00

Found this picture online of someone's Pyrex collection. Fabulous. Had to post.

Burgers

2008-09-03T17:22:00.001-07:00

As chances to grill out are close to being over for the year, I felt the need to post about my opinions about burgers.

As far as I'm concerned, if it is frozen, it is not worth grilling. If you are going to take the time to make a burger at home there is no reason to not start from scratch. I also am firmly against typical hamburger buns. If you are going to take the time to make a patty from scratch then you should put it on a bun that tastes better than styrofoam. I like to buy fresh made rolls or buns from the bakery section of the grocery store.

To make the perfect burger take fresh ground beef. When I am cooking with ground beef I usually buy lower fat meat so that I have less fat to drain, when making a burger however, you want a bit more fat because it tastes better. I usually go for an 80/20 split for burgers. Be sure that you handle the meat as little as possible, the more you handle it the tougher it gets. In my personal opinion burgers taste best stuffed with blue cheese. I know that a lot of people don't like blue cheese but I have served burgers stuffed with blue cheese to many people who claim to not like it and they don't even know it is in there, so try it! I make two smaller patties, place crumbled blue cheese on one and then place the other patty on top and seal the sides. I then coat the sealed patty in Montreal Steak Seasoning. Place on the grill and make sure to not over cook.

This is the only way to eat a burger at home. It's so easy! Boycott frozen patties. It will change your life.

Popcorn

2008-09-03T16:46:00.000-07:00

Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks of all time. My mom says my Grandpa Biel used to make it on Sundays as an evening snack when she was a little girl. My mom kinda carried this tradition on when we were little kids and just like my Grandpa she would make it on the stove.

As far as I'm concerned this is the only way to make popcorn at home. Forget about microwaves. Making popcorn on the stove is very simple. All you need is a large pot with a lid, some vegetable oil and popcorn kernels--I prefer white corn.

Put 3 tablespoons of oil in the pot with one kernel of corn. Cover (this can be easier if you have a glass cover so you can watch.) Once the kernel pops the oil is hot enough. You can now add about 1/3 of a cup of kernels (or a little more). Cover the pot again with the lid and shake the pot around to coat the kernels with oil. Every few minutes give the pot a good shake. Once most of the kernels have popped take it off the stove and transfer to a large bowl--like a vintage pyrex bowl for example!

If you are a Wheaton, Illinois local you will understand where this idea came from: I like to put a nice fine grain salt on my popcorn. I'm not sure if this can be purchased, I make mine at home by simply placing kosher salt into a blender and blending the salt to a fine grain. I make a lot of the salt at once and store it in an air tight container so I always have it on hand when I'm ready to eat popcorn.

You really don't need anything other than salt on this popcorn. It is delicious with just salt. However, sometimes I like to add different seasonings to my popcorn. Sometimes if we have people over and I need a host snack I will just put out four different kinds of popcorn. It looks pretty in different colored bowls in different sizes.

Here are a few of my favorites popcorn add-ons:

Spicy Popcorn- In a small bowl combine 2 tsps Chili powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (careful with this one!) 1 tsp kosher or sea salt. Sprinkle over popcorn and mix.

Cheesy Popcorn- Melt a few tablespoons of butter and pour over popcorn. Sprinkle fresh grated parmesan and salt. This was how my mom made popcorn growing up.

Tart Popcorn- Melt three tablespoons of butter. Pour over popcorn and drizzle two-three tablespoons of lemon juice. Add salt and mix. This one is my favorite.

arts and crafts embroidery

2008-09-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

I've been focusing on trying to get my dissertation done lately so I haven't been blogging much. I also have not had much time to do many fun and completely indulgent tasks--like embroidery. However, Zach and I recently were able to squeeze in some antiquing and I had a fabulous find. I have only recently gotten into embroidery (I'll be honest, I've accumulated a lot of patterns but haven't really done much actual putting thread to cloth--so I guess right now I'm more of a collector of embroidery paraphernalia then I am an embroiderer but I'm working on it.)

So when we were antiquing I came across some old textile cloths that had original antique prints ironed on that had not been embroidered yet. I found eight napkins and a gorgeous table runner that are all in the arts and crafts style. They are perfect for our house! I think I am excited enough about them to actually start embroidering.

This is not the pattern I found but it is picture of an arts and crafts embroidery print on a pillow. Pretty huh?

hanging on to summer

2008-09-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today was chilly out. One of the first chilly days in a long time. Rather than compelling me to want to make something warm and comforting for dinner, I felt myself drawn to light, fresh & summer-y ingredients. I love fall but this summer just went too fast and I am not ready for it to be over.

This is what I made for dinner:

Watermelon Watercress Salad with Ginger Dressing and a Summer Flank Steak on the grill.

The salad combines watercress (one of my favorite fresh flavors) ginger, lime zest, cilantro, watermelon, cucumber, a little bit of garlic and rice wine vinegar. I added a little bit of jicama too.

For the flank steak: I marinaded it for two hours in lime juice, olive oil, garlic, grated peeled fresh ginger, honey and red pepper flakes.

This meal was delicious.

Fall will come soon enough and there will be time for soups and other comfort foods, for now, I'm hanging on to summer.

Eye Candy

2008-07-11T21:13:00.001-07:00

Thought I would post a picture of my guest bedroom just for fun. You are welcome to come and stay with us anytime. We love guests! Zach and I joke that coming to stay with us is like going to a bed and breakfast because we like to spoil people with delicious meals and a cozy experience.

Stir-fry

2008-07-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

When I cook I tend to get on kicks with a certain type of food and I become obsessed with making it until I feel like I have perfected it. I was on a total soup kick this past winter, someday I will post some of the fruits (or vegetables?) of my soup labors...

For now though, my latest kick is stir-fry. I think I wanted to take on this challenge because I absolutely love Asian food, it is by far my favorite cuisine.

I feel like cooking Asian food at home, for a white girl like me, is something that requires me to really think outside the box of everything that I normally do when it comes to food. Thankfully, I worked at a fabulous Vietnamese restaurant (perhaps the best in the world) for about 6 years and I picked up some Asian basics from watching my friend Mykha cook. Even though Asian food is probably my most attempted style of cooking at home, I am still always pleasantly surprised and impressed when it turns out well.

When I want to try a new recipe I usually go to epicurious and look up a few recipes and meld them together till I find one that works for me. This has been my go-to base recipe for the stir-fry's I've been making lately: Quick Beef with Broccoli. I have made it following the recipe and it is pretty good. I usually throw in extra veggies and extra garlic and I always use Tamari soy sauce as it adds a much more complex layer of flavor (it's these little things that make all the difference). I have also been experimenting with stir-fry sauces from Trader Joes. Whatever I end up doing this base recipe is a good place to start off. Also, I always serve my stir-fry with Quinoa rather than rice; better for you and I think better tasting too.

Also, I do not have a wok. It's something I have just never gotten around to purchasing. So if you don't have one, don't let that discourage you from trying to make stir-fry at home. I just use a large skillet...and I do it on a stove-top from the 1920's! If I can do it with that equipment then you can too!

Sometime soon I will post my favorite Asian recipe...chicken satay with my speciality peanut sauce. yum yum yum.

The Can-Can Martini

2008-07-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the mixology skills of my brother-in-law I was recently introduced to the best martini I have ever had.

It is made with St-Germain liqueur. St-Germain is made from Elderflower and has a distinct floral flavor. There is something almost familiar about the taste, even though I know I have never experienced it before. St-Germain is difficult to find, but if you can locate a bottle don't pass up the chance to try out this recipe.

The Can-Can Martini

2 Shots of Vodka or Gin

1 1/2 Shots of St-Germain

1/2 Shot of Dry Vermouth or Dry White Wine

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a lemon or orange twist.

It's hard to describe how absolutely delicious this martini is. I've never tasted anything like it. The website for St-Germain also has recipes for other cocktails and yummy drinks to make with the liqueur.

Bonus: The bottle is gorgeous!

Thanks for introducing me to this Cullen!!!

Birthday

2008-07-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

Tonight Zach and I went to Cubanitas for my birthday. It was DELICIOUS! I love cuban food. I have been a lover of cuban food ever since visiting my friend Nicole in Miami and being served an authentic cuban dinner by her mother. We then proceeded the next night to go out to a fabulous cuban feast at one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. I don't remember the name of it but the food was excellent and the music was awesome! They had a live band and from the atmosphere in the restaurant you could almost believe you were in Cuba. Someday, Zach and I will travel there together!

Cubanitas has the best Mojitos ever! Probably my favorite drink. The combination of the lime and fresh mint...to die for.

Nothing like a fabulous Cuban meal to celebrate the beginning of my 28th year!

Sunbeam Mixers

2008-07-02T09:35:00.000-07:00

Another thing that I sort-of inadvertently ended up collecting is vintage Sunbeam Mixmaster mixers. It started with one...and then I saw others...and then next thing I knew I had five. Who needs five mixers? No one. I have realized that while I do love my Sunbeam Mixmasters...I do not need copious amounts of them. I really only want one. But I want it to be perfect.

The first time I saw one I knew I had to have it for my kitchen. Once I found one though, I realized that they are really not all that rare. I kept buying them because I kept finding ones in better condition. THEN I discovered that they made them in PINK and BLUE and YELLOW! So, now I am on the search for the perfect mixmaster in the most fabulous color for my kitchen...I just haven't decided what color that is yet.

Guacamole

2008-07-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

I have come to really appreciate some of my vintage kitchen gadgets. So much so, that I can't imagine doing some kitchen things without the connivence of my antique tools.

One tool I have come to find absolutely invaluable is a vintage dough hand mixer. I use this for many things but the most important role it has is for when I make guacamole.

Guacamole is definitely one of my top favorite foods. The key to good guacamole is really all in the Avocados. It is essential to make sure you have quality avocados that are perfectly ripe. When you shop for an avocado you want it to have a generally uniform color and yield, just slightly, to light pressure from a gentle fingertip squeeze. If it is much softer than this than it may be too ripe for a good guac. I am lucky that I live in a neighborhood where there always seems to be perfectly ripe avocados at our local grocery store. Prior to living here though, I would usually have to plan on purchasing my avocados a day or two in advance of when I wanted to make guac. If you can't find perfectly ripe avocados this is what you do: Buy ones that are hard (yields no pressure when squeezed). Bring them home and place them in a brown paper bag away from light in a cool dry place. They should be ripe within 1-2 days!

Here is my latest recipe for Guac--I like to vary it depending on what I am serving it with.

4 perfectly ripe avocados

3 (or more) cloves of garlic (put through a garlic press)

1-2 fresh squeezed limes

1 small handful of chopped cilantro

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Mash with the vintage dough mixer, leaving large chunks of avocado un-mashed.

Simple and delicious!

domestic goddess

2008-07-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

Back in the day, women took their role as "domestic goddess" very seriously. There was constant talk of how to improve efficiency in the kitchen. Women would share stories about their "methods" for homemaking.

I came across an interesting article today: Mrs. Frederick Teaches Women How to Wash the Dishes. Christine Frederick was the household editor of Ladies Home Journal as well as the National Secretary of the Associated Clubs of Domestic Science. This article was published in 1912 as a way of teaching women how to accomplish their housework with greater ease and productivity. The article highlights the extreme measures taken by women to make their domestic endeavors scientifically efficacious. She even includes a list of ideal sink height measurements depending on the height of the woman doing the dishes!

"The question of arrangement and the placing of tables and tools must be considered if the worker is to obtain the highest efficiency."

soap shaker

2008-07-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

Zach and I discovered an interesting piece of history while we were antiquing not too long ago. Turns out, that back in the day, there was no such thing as liquid soap. However, this was also prior to the invention of dishwashers. What was a person to do when they needed to clean their dishes in a sink full of soapy water? Why, use a soap shaker of course!

Soap shakers are wire baskets with a long handle. You place scraps of soap into the basket and whisk it through your sink full or water. These can be hard to find but they are an essential gadget for any vintage kitchen. I have had better luck finding them in antique stores than I have online--searching for soap shakers just returns too many things other than what you are really looking for. What a fun piece of history!

my sink

2008-07-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about our house, and a total selling point for me when we were looking to buy, is the original kitchen sink! It is difficult to find a house as old as ours (1927) that has not had the kitchen gutted and re-done. My kitchen is probably my favorite room in the house, largely because I really feel like I get a taste of a simpler way of life, a step back in time every time I'm in it.

Planned Obsolescence

2008-07-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

To follow up on an interesting topic...

someone posted this in response to my first post on Planned Obsolescence. It is actually a really interesting and informative video. The Story of Stuff

My Latest Foray into Domestic Goddess-dom...

2008-06-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

Bettie Page

So, I guess I like the whole anonymity thing with the blog but I discovered something today and I HAD to blog about it...

Unsurprisingly I love the whole vintage/retro period, mostly because women were SO glam! Clothes accented curves and hair was gorgeous and feminine. Well, I have plenty of curves but I've never been very good with styling my hair, let alone attempting a vintage-style up-do.

BUT...as it turns out, doing Victory Curls is really not so very complicated. There are tons of instructional videos on youtube where people talk you through it and I decided that I was determined to accomplish this look. After much trying today and arms that are very tired of being in the air....I FINALLY was able to come up with a pretty fair rendition. Hopefully the more I practice the easier it will get.

Here are a couple of pictures of my first attempt:

I'm planning on getting Bettie Page bangs soon which will really help with the look. I just figured I would wait until after my brothers wedding in case they look funny on me.

Here are some links to a few of the videos I found especially helpful on youtube:

Click here for a video with multiple hairstyles.

Click here or here for two videos that are less advanced but do a great job of talking you through it.

You can even do it with short hair!

Also, if you really want to go all out with the look this website has fabulous tips on period-style pin-up makeup.

Pin-up Makeup

Blackberry Cobbler

2008-06-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

So...like I said, I'm working on that whole baking thing.

We have two of our neighbors coming over for dessert this evening and I have plans to make a Blackberry Cobbler. We have lived in our house since September and love our neighborhood but with the winter being so bad we just didn't have the motivation to do much entertaining. Having our neighbors over will hopefully be the first of many visits with the people living near us.

My mom made cobbler for our family when we were growing up and it was definitely my favorite dessert. Usually she made peach. I think I tried making it once a long time ago but with my new interest in improving my baking skills I have decided to pull this recipe out again, especially since it is a family recipe.

Here it is...

Mom's Cobbler

2 Cups sugar

2 Cups fresh fruit (peaches, blackberries, etc.)

3/4 Cups Flour

pinch of salt

2 Tbs Baking Powder

3/4 Cup milk

1/2 Cup Butter

Mix fruit with 1 cup of sugar and set aside.

Mix Flour, salt and baking powder together. Mix in remaining sugar to flour mixture then stir milk into flour mixture and set aside.

Melt butter in a deep baking dish

Pour batter over butter (Do not stir!)

Add sugared fruit (Do not stir!)

Bake for 1 hour at 350.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and fresh mint.

Ok, so we had a wonderful time with the neighbors! It was so great to finally have them over. As far as the cobbler goes...something wasn't quite right. Maybe it was because I used the blackberries instead of peaches. I will try to tweak it and re-post.

walkable urbanism

2008-06-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

In its inception, I had intended for this blog to be mostly meanderings about kitchen related things, recipes, gadgets, etc. However, I read an interesting article today that I feel deserves comment and though not immediately related to my "kitchen" per se it does directly relate to the type of life that Zach and I desire to carve out for ourselves in our little 1927 bungalow.

The article discusses the potential "death" of suburban life due to mortgage foreclosures and although not explicitly mentioned, rising gas prices--which are more of an issue in a suburban setting that requires driving to go almost anywhere.

I think the thing that especially caught my attention with this particular article is that, while we hear a lot of fanaticism about how fuel is running out and the typical American life will be extinct before we know it, the picture this article paints of where our culture may be headed is actually one that I liked.

"...downtowns are being revitalized by well-educated, young professionals who have no desire to live in a detached single family home typical of a suburbia where life is often centered around long commutes and cars.

Instead they are looking for "Walkable urbanism"--both small communities and big cities characterized by efficient mass transit systems and high density developments enabling residents to walk virtually everywhere for everything--from home to work to restaurants to movie theaters."

Doesn't that sound pleasant?

I guess part of what our little bungalow is about for Zach and I is a return to simpler things. A slowing down, a way of life that makes time for "walking" once in a while rather than always rush, rush, rush. Maybe we will even get to the point where our neighborhood grocer knows our name?

The idea that society as a whole may be interested in a more "local" way of life was encouraging to read and envision.

Any thoughts on this you care to share? What did you think of the article?

Fire King Turquoise Blue

2008-06-11T20:42:00.001-07:00

Perhaps one of my favorite collections is my set of Fire King Turquoise Blue dishes which my mother-in-law collected for me on a trip across the U.S. from San Fran to Milwaukee. I have an unbelievable EIGHT PLACE setting of these gorgeous dishes as well as numerous serving pieces and bowls. There are times when all I want to do is sit in my kitchen and just stare at them. They inspire me to make beautiful meals that are worthy of being served on them. These dishes are from the same company that produced Jadeite (another collection of mine). However, while Jadeite was produced in large quantities due to its restaurant-ware line, my turquoise blue dishes were only made for the home, making them significantly more rare.

While no picture really does justice to their fabulous color, here is a picture of one of the splash-proof mixing bowls.

Click on any of these links to learn more about Fire King or Jadeite, it is actually difficult to find sites devoted only to the Turquoise Blue line.

Tomorrow's Dinner

2008-06-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night Zach and I are having a friend over for dinner who is a vegetarian. I love the challenge of cooking outside my comfort zone so I am really looking forward to preparing tomorrow nights meal.

Here is what I have planned so far:

One of my new favorite things is Quinoa (see above plant). It is a fabulous grain from South America that is considered a "perfect food" due to the fact that it contains high amounts of protein as well as all of the essential amino acids. Aside from these fabulous health benefits (especially for vegans and vegetarians) it tastes delicious. I have gotten into the habit lately of substituting it for any meals where I would normally cook rice. At this point, Zach and I really prefer it to rice. It tastes great with stir fry's! I also have an amazing recipe that I got from a friend for a Quinoa salad that is incredibly easy that I will post some other time. So, the plan for tomorrow night is to make something with Quinoa and I found an awesome recipe on Epicurious.

Quinoa with Corn Scallions and Mint

I bought four fresh ears of sweet corn at Outpost (you can buy Quinoa in bulk there and it's much cheaper) and plan to grill the corn before putting it in with the Quinoa. YUM! The combination of mint and scallions and sweet corn...I can't WAIT to try this recipe. I will be sure to update with my thoughts after I'm done.

I also plan to include a salad with baby greens, avocado, grapefruit, red onion and Brianna's French dressing.

I am still trying to decide on dessert. Maybe I will actually challenge myself to BAKE something. :)

update: This quinoa recipe is FABULOUS. I highly recommend it!

baking vs. cooking

2008-06-07T19:11:00.001-07:00

I love to cook. It is one of my favorite things to do. It is also one of Zach and I's favorite things to do together. For most of my life I never really thought of myself as artistic. In the last five years or so, I have come to realize that I am actually very artistic and I need to give myself more credit. I think I don't think of myself as being artistic because I don't create "art" in the traditional sense of the word. I have had "artists" (in the traditional sense of the word) however, tell me that they "definitely" think of me as an artistic person...so I am working on incorporating this more into my own self-concept.

Cooking has probably been the thing that has most brought out an artistic (in the more traditional sense of the word) side in me (well, that and decorating my house.) I love it when my kitchen is clean, I have a free evening ahead of me, and the wheels are spinning in my head.

My kitchen becomes my canvas--blank, ready, waiting...calling even. In all honesty, I often peruse the internet for recipe inspirations...but whatever I end up making in some way gets modified to become my own. Sometimes I piece together multiple recipes or I create something entirely new from the inspirations I come across online. Either way, it morphs to become something entirely unique (sometimes even so unique that I have a hard time re-creating it myself!)

While I love to cook, I have never really delved into the art of baking. Cooking for me is free-form. There are endless possibilities that just minor knowledge allows you to pursue. Baking on the other hand, well, it seems to me to be more of a science. While you may be able to dabble here and there...when it really comes down to it, if the proportions aren't just right, what you have made will either turn out or it won't. Needless to say, I have never been much of a baker. I prefer the free-form possibilities of cooking. With cooking you can taste something and tweak it until it is just right. With baking however, once it is in the oven, either you have done well or you have failed. There is no post-taste tweaking. Baking intimidates me. Cooking, on the other hand, is my art form.

The other day, after I BAKED my delicious coffee cake for the office, Zach and I were discussing the differences between baking and cooking and he made an interesting point...

"With baking though, you get to combine the ingredients to create something entirely new. It is not some modified form of something you started with but rather, it is it's own new thing. Totally other."

(ok, he may not have said it quite that profoundly but it was something like that.) His comment got me thinking. While I have never really taken much enjoyment from baking, there is something very satisfying about it. Satisfying in a way that is totally different from cooking. When I have a finished product with cooking, I am proud to taste it and share it with others. When I have a finished product with baking...sometimes I just want to look at it. Baking can be so beautiful and inspiring.

So...I am working on my baking skills. I will keep you all posted with successful attempts (and maybe if you're lucky, unsuccessful attempts as well). This will be a particularly significant feat considering the fact that I have a small apartment stove/oven from the 1920's that does not maintain a consistent temperature (or even have a gauge that tells you what the temperature is for that matter!)

What are your thoughts? Do you prefer to cook or bake? Care to share some favorite recipes?

peony (from my garden)

2008-06-06T16:04:00.001-07:00

Friday Treats

2008-06-06T11:56:00.001-07:00

So, I have been quite the busy bee over the last few days. I started my first Sublime Stitching project, I got a new refrigerator and I made a coffee cake for Zach's office Friday Treats (and those are just the fun things I've been doing!)

Anyway, wanted to post some info about the coffee cake I made. I guess it turned out pretty well but I think it may have been a little on the dry side, I had an old recipe, that I lost, that didn't have this problem (if I ever find it I will be sure to post). Here is the link for the recipe I used: Sour Cream Coffee Cake. I added two tablespoons of butter, since some reviewers said it was on the dry side and this would help, and I did not include the cocoa powder or the currants. I don't like fruit in my coffee cake, thank you very much.

Feel free to try the recipe yourself, it was pretty easy and looked nice as a finished product. If you figure out how to minimize the dryness let me know what you did.

The cake stand is an antique I found at a flea market. I often use it as a punch bowl, tipped upside down.

Oh, I sent Zach to work with a bowl of cherries too.

note: Zach got home from work and there was a little bit left of the coffee cake so I got to actually taste it and it wasn't as dry as I thought.

Monitor Top

2008-06-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

Our Monitor Top fridge was delivered today and I must say...it looks FABULOUS in my kitchen. Wouldn't you agree?

It was quite heavy so it took a lot of work to get it in but completely worth it (I guess I just stood by and watched, so definitely worth it for me!) It is in such great condition. We are so excited. It will take some getting used to but in the end I think that Zach and I will be very happy with our decision.

It is amazing to me how something so old (1934)--an appliance no less--can be in such incredible working condition. Zach and I were talking about this the other night and he was telling me that the reason why we expect so little from products is a direct consequence of "Planned Obsolescence."

Basically, once upon a time in history, it would never have occurred to a company to build a product that couldn't last. In fact, the quality of a product was based upon exactly that--it's ability to LAST. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, profiteers decided that they would be better off making products that didn't last, became obsolete, because there is more profit potential involved when someone needs to replace something...and...TA-DA...we became a throw-away society. Why buy something that will last when you can buy something that can be replaced in one to two years. From a consumer standpoint, it's crazy isn't it?

Perhaps someday we will make it back to the values of old. Until then, you are welcome to come over to my house and help yourself to a soda out of my 1934 refrigerator.

In the words of someone who said it better than me...

"For many, owning an old appliance is a bit of a rebellion, a rejection of the lesser quality of newer appliances and of the marketing forces that create a constant craving for something new. It's their way of saying the world it moving too fast, and we need to slow down."

Damn straight!

If you want to know more about planned obsolescence check out this article or click here.

sublime stitching

2008-06-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

So, in all of my antiquing ventures over the years there is one thing that I have always been attracted to--adorable hand-sewn embroidery on napkins, bar towels, curtains, tablecloths...you name it. There is something so quaint and eye-catching about a colorful, fun, cheeky design to add a little flare to vintage linens. While I have enjoyed collecting these, when I can find them in good condition, I have always had a desire to master the craft myself. The problem has been that I assumed this was a dead art, something women of the past delved into that lost it's appeal as work schedules and embroidery machines pushed their way into prominence.

Not so my friend, not so.

I recently discovered a fabulous company called Sublime Stitching. You must visit this site and check out all the fabulous patterns they have for hand embroidery. Turns out, I am not the only one who is attracted to cute little patterns stitched onto cloth--there is actually quite a following of individuals (women and men this time perhaps?) who are trying to bring back this wonderful pastime.

I bought my own starter kit and a few patterns and have multiple projects planned. I will be sure to keep you updated with my progress. In the mean time, here is a rendering by someone else of some of my favorite Sublime Stitching patterns. Enjoy!

kitchen complete

2008-06-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

Zach and I are ecstatic. Our kitchen is entirely vintage, the only thing not old or original in the entire room is our refrigerator. A few weeks ago we found a monitor top fridge in a tiny little appliance store in EXCELLENT condition, it almost looks like a repro it is so nice. While the guy who was selling it was asking a really great price, we still didn't really have the money. However, in the last few weeks Zach has been able to pick up a few extra jobs and I have some money coming in from one of my jobs also...SO...I am off to go make our down payment. We should be bringing it home this weekend!

If you want to know more about Monitor Top refrigerators check out these links:

Monitor Top Video

Monitor Top Website

a bowl full of cherries...or anything else

2008-06-02T17:56:00.001-07:00

Another thing I collect obsessively, and I mean obsessively, is Pyrex bowls and refrigerator jars . I seriously can not get enough of them. Every time Zach and I go to flea markets I can't keep myself from picking up a few more. It's getting a bit ridiculous.

Here are a few of my favorites:

For more on Pyrex check out the link www.pyrexlove.com

Retro Dish

2008-06-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

For those of you who might be wondering...

I picked my blog name for many reasons:

1. I collect vintage dishes

2. I love to cook fabulous dishes of food in my

kitchen.

3. I love "dishing" about all my favorite things, like dishes.

4. I like the play on words. Did you know a "dish" was an informal term used in the past for a "sexually attractive person"??? For example: I gather she is quite a dish.

aprons

2008-06-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

Among many things that I collect, I have recently gotten into vintage aprons. Is there anything that symbolizes the epitome of the domestic goddess more than the vintage apron???

I love collecting aprons at flea markets and antique stores. They are usually inexpensive and a fun way to add some color to your kitchen.

I also like the new repro-type aprons they have at Anthropologie.

retro dishy

2008-06-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

So, I have been thinking about starting this blog for a while and am now finally getting around to it.

Originally I wanted a place to simply put down my latest experiments in the kitchen but...my kitchen is about so much more than just what I make.

It is about the environment,

the space,

the inspirations,

the presentation,

the flavors,

the taste

...mostly for me, I am basically obsessed with the whole concept of the 50's domestic goddess. The idea of cooking in heels, armed with lipstick in one hand and a spatula in the other.

So what can you expect from this blog?

I plan to use it as a place to talk about my love of all things retro and vintage (especially dishes and kitchen tools!), share some of my favorite recipes, share pictures of my continually evolving vintage kitchen and anything else that strikes my fancy in a moment.

White Bean Spread

2008-06-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Zach and I traveled to New York to see his brother Cullen's fashion show. It was my first time in New York, hopefully a first of many future visits. We had an amazing time.

...much of which was due to the yummy meals we had. Every restaurant we went to had delicious fresh ingredients and their own unique spin on preparation.

A few of my favorites were the red beet salads with goat cheese (in a few different restaurants actually) and the white bean dip that we had at Supper in the East Village. The salad is served with crusty italian bread for you to spread it on.

Zach and I, of course, decided to try to recreate it at home and tried to write down as many of the ingredients we could name as possible. Unfortunately I lost the paper where I wrote down our thoughts but I tried to recreate it today anyway and this is what I came up with. (I made this for a larger crowd so you may want to half the recipe.)

3 cans of Great Northern Beans (drained and rinsed)

Handful of fresh shopped parsley (from our herb garden)

3 tbs. EVOO

1 fresh squeezed lemon

2 heads of roasted garlic (see "Roasted Garlic" post)

Kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

My creation turned out much softer than what we had at Supper (maybe next time I will make my own white beans from scratch rather than using the canned version, and cook them al-dente). This recipe is almost a spread consistency, but it tastes pretty great. I think the secret is the roasted garlic. Serve it over warm crusty bread.

If you are in New York and want to check out the real deal go to Supper for dinner and let me know what you think of my adaptation.

Roasted Garlic

2008-06-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

I just discovered how easy it is to roast your own garlic at home and I am completely addicted. You can eat it right out of the clove, spread it over bread, or put it in any recipe that would normally call for garlic for an added dimension of flavor (it is less intense though so you may have to use more of it.)

Here are the directions:

1. Take a whole head of garlic and remove the outer layer of skin. Trim off the very tip of each clove with a sharp knife, keep them together as one garlic head.

2. Place the entire head on a small sheet of foil and drip with a bit (a few tsp) of EVOO (use your fingers if you need to to make sure that the olive oil gets evenly distributed.)

3. Wrap garlic head in foil and place in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cloves are soft and squishy.

DELISH!