Casting on

Next up - some pretty sparkly pink scarves for some special little ladies...

What I'm up to today...

Stockings, stockings, stockings! I found a great pattern at Martha Stewart and I'm working on some early Christmas presents for some special kiddos in my life. Come back for a wrap up of all 3 I'm making!

Thankful

I have lots of things to be thankful for this season. Ya know, things like having an awesome husband that supports me, a loving family that I get to spend lots of time with, an awesome set of neighbors, new nieces and nephews to love, and all of my animals. What are you thankful for this season?

At Marcelle and Nisan's wedding

Coco Bean

New Baby Brayden

My Jazzy Jasper

Uintah

Brining Olives

Have you ever seen or tasted raw olives? I have. They are very pretty, but don't taste very good. I'm assuming that's why they are brined or pressed into oil. I was lucky enough to spot some raw olives at Larry's Produce last week, and picked up a few pounds to brine on my own. I never would have thought of this myself, and would probably have lived with getting my olives at the olive bar at Whole Foods or Berkeley Bowl. However, after seeing a bring recipe in Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It: And Other Cooking Projects, I decided to give it a try. It's really simple - just make a salt/water bath for the olives, and let them sit in it for at least 6 weeks. Six weeks! The result, I've heard is amazing...I'll let you know around Christmas when they should be done :)

cleaned and cut

In their bath

Fried Green Tomatoes



the bounty

...it's not just a movie, it's a real food. And a delicious one at that! Yesterday I went into my garden to check on the dwindling tomato plants. There were tons of green ones, and I picked a lot of them assuming they would never turn red with the upcoming winter. What does one do with 20 green tomatoes? Fries them! I mixed about a cup of corn meal, 1 tbl paprika, 2 t garlic salt, pepper and salt to taste - coated the sliced tomatoes in an egg and cornmeal mixture, and fried them in olive oil. We dipped them in a spicy garlic aoili (i.e. mayo). Delish! The trick I realized this time is to not overcook the tomatoes. The coating should be crispy, but the inside should be slightly firm. Otherwise they are a soggy mess.



green toms

the delicious result!

CUESA Cocktail Party

Those of you that read my other blog, J. Jasper Events, may know that I recently shot photos at CUESA's Fall Cocktail party at the SF Farmers Market (one of my favorite places to spend money and support local farmers/artisans). Here are a few pics from the event - be sure to check out CUESA and all of the cool stuff they do!

Wish List

I know, I know, it's not even Thanksgiving and I'm already thinking about Christmas! Not really, I've just found a few sweet books that I'm hoping Santa will leave under our tree...

The BUST DIY Guide to Life: Making Your Way through Every Day

Weekend Handmade: More Than 40 Projects and Ideas for Inspired Crafting

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

I've been a huge fan of Jerusalem Artichokes (aka Sunchokes) ever since I was introduced to them by my friend, Hannah. After seeing them finally appear at Larry's Produce, I decided to make a soup instead of roasting them like I normally do. I used this recipe found on Food Network, though I substituted greek yogurt for cream (since I didn't have any cream, and also wanted to make it less fattening). It turned out great, though a little curdled looking (my bad). Don't let that stop you though, try this as soon as you can!

ok, so maybe it doesn't look that great. but it was delicious!

I also roasted some beets, onions, and parsnips to throw on some salads. I love root veggies!

and...a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dear mama!!

Productivity...

a new quilting project

replenishing our pickle stock

banana bread

something special for baby Brooke

Though I may be unemployed, there's plenty of work being done around here! So far this week: using up my scraps on a tbd quilting project, pickles, banana bread, dog walks, deep kitchen cleaning, the (neverending) laundry, painting.....

Hard to believe it, but this is my 500th post. I started this blog 6 years ago when I moved to Boston (geeez....time really does fly!) In 6 years I completed my MSW, moved back to CA, met my husband, got married, bought a house, started an urban farm. Pretty amazing when I think about it...

Fall colors

Last week I was able to visit my mom as she was preparing for one of her endurance rides. The ride took place in Lake Sonoma, so not too far from Vallejo. As I was driving through Dry Creek Valley, I was amazed at how beautiful the grape vines were - I guess I've never seen their leaves change color! Anyway I had to stop just to get a few shots...

And here's what the "camp" looked like...

Mimi....my mom's Arabian horse..



Barn Red

That's the name of the color of the paint I've chosen for the coop. It's not quite done yet (the impending rain made me stop) - but doesn't it look great so far??

Happy weekend everyone!

A little update...

Hey folks! Since I've been MIA I thought I'd update you with 5 things I've been up to lately...

1. I dressed up as a chicken, and Paul dressed up as Tigger for Halloween. We went to an 80's themed party in Incline Village and had SO much fun (see pic below).

2. I've been busy applying for jobs - have gotten a few interviews, but nothing has been offered to me as of yet. I'll keep trying!

3. And speaking of jobs, I've secured another client for J. Jasper Events (my little side event production company). If you know of anyone needing a hand in party/wedding planning, please let me know!

4. I've transitioned my garden from summer to fall "crops" (though I'm hesistant to call them crops considering there's only 1 row of beets, spinach, garlic, cabbage, and turnips each). The tomatoes are slowly dying out and the last of the peppers have been picked.

5. My chickens are laying in full force which is great news. I'm also almost complete with painting the coop as well (pics to come soon!)

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying this beautiful fall weather!

Someone has been hiding their eggs...

The culprit - Lemonade Cookie. She's the best at flying out of the chicken "enclosure"...

And here's where I've been finding her eggs...

Up  close...

She's a funny one!