You know how sometimes a day takes you by surprise? It doesn’t start out all that special and even a few things go wrong. It’s not perfect by any means and not is all right with the world. But for some reason you’re all smiley and content anyway? That’s today.
:: photo via ffffound
Posted In just a note
The Fall Fizz seems like a delicious way to help pass those drunken hours spent with your family this holiday season…
Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 ounces cucumber vodka (recommended: Square One)
– 1/4 ounce apple brandy (recommended: Coeur de Lyon Calvados)
– 1/4 ounce pear liqueur (recommended: Poires Pear Liqueur)
– 1/2 ounce egg whites
– 1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
– grated cinnamon for garnish
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake without ice for 30 seconds to emulsify the egg whites. Add ice to the shaker and shake for another 30-45 seconds. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish by grating cinnamon over the top of the cocktail. Makes 1 cocktail.
:: cocktail recipe and photo via YumSugar
Posted In cocktails
You’ll be surprised at the doors that open for you – culinary speaking – once you’ve mastered a good sweet potato butter! (And psst… it’s super easy, too.)
:: recipe and photo via A Good Appetite
Posted In recipesReady Booklets make you exactly that – armed and ready to take on that thing we call life. Choose from:
Gift Givers: When it comes to Holiday gift giving, it’s the tag that counts. That’s why we created Gift Givers, our newest Ready Booklet. These pre-designed gift tags feature 20 fun little sayings for everyone on your shopping list. No wrapping job is complete without one.
Unmentionables: Are you too nice to tell jerks how you really feel? Then let these little monsters do it for you. With this handy booklet in your pocket, shabby waiters, chatty strangers and loud-cell-phone-talkers have finally met their match.
Parking Tickets: Make no mistake about it; a parking lot is a battlefield. Armed with this bad boy, you can now let your enemies know exactly how you feel about their crappy parking. All without talking to them or keying their cars.
Sweet Nothings: Greeting cards and flowers require planning. These precious little cards don’t. Simply carry a booklet wherever you go, and you’ll have all you need to make someone’s day.
:: via Bedlam of Beefy
Posted In gifts
I’m thrilled when the Williams-Sonoma catalogue shows up in my mailbox. Not only are all of the pricey kitchen tools and gadgets fun to lust over, but the recipes they include in each issue are fantastic. My recipe file is full of little clippings that I’ve compiled over the past few years from this very valuable source. Seems W-S finally got the hint that people really do enjoy their recipes and compiled them into one location on their web site along with tips and dishes for produce that’s currently in season. If you’re planning your Thanksgiving meal now would be a great time to check it out!
2009 Calendar from Linda & Harriet. The entire calendar is hand-lettered. 4.5 x 9″ letterpressed calendar. Hole-drilled at top, tied with a double-faced gold satin ribbon for hanging.
Wall- mounted Calendar by Debi van Zyl. High-quality print with hand-cut holes and handmade wood bracket with dowels on which to hang each month. The calendar comes with small nails and pre-drilled holes. 8-1/2 x 8-/12″. Limited edition of 25.
Hand-illustrated kitchen wall calendar from Laurie Coyle Designs. 4.25″x 11″, perfect for a small space, a kitchen, an office or perhaps by the front door.
Dandelion calendar from Hello Handmade Paperie. Shanna’s dandelions and Betsy’s calligraphy adorn this simple but elegant piece. Calendar measures 10.25 x 15.2″ and is ash colored cover weight, 100% post-consumer recycled, chlorine-free paper from The Green Paper Company. Water soluble inks. {Please note that hanger is sold separately!}
Letterpress calendar with ribbon from Delphine Press. Comes hole punched with a grosgrain ribbon. Letterpressed with eco-friendly, soy-based inks on thick and luxurious 100% cotton paper.
Moroccan Calendar by Anemone Letterpress. A labor of love, each calendar represents 3 passes through the press for accurate printing and can also be repurposed into a print at the end of each cycle. Measures 7.5 x 11″.
Cats Let Nothing Darken Their Roar calendar by Noa Bembibre. Printed in four colors on matte paper and measuring 24 X 34 cm. Comes with signature ribbon binding.
story by mia’s animal calendar. 8.5 X 5″ round corners and printed on 80 lb natural-white quality papers. A unique eggshell texture that’s sure to impress and arrives with a satin ribbon.
Satsuma Press calendar. Every page of the 2009 calendar is run, by hand and with care, through the press between 2 and 5 times each. They are printed on 100% cotton paper that takes a beautiful letterpress impression. The calendars measure 6.5 x 11″.
Mreike Auer prints calendar. Six 5 x 7″ sheets, double-sided, laminated with leather band.
Deluxe wall calendar by SusyJack. 12″ tall, thick cover-weight pages with new, abstract illustrations, organic patterns and bright, gorgeous colors… on 100% recycled paper, as always! A spirited piece of wall art to keep you organized and inspired the whole year through. Months can easily be separated and hung in a row, for more colorful wall coverage.
Handmade rubber stamped desk calendar by Natsumi Nishizumi. The calendar is printed on one-sided uncoated paper. Calendar case size: 3.85 x 3.82″ Calendar insert size: 3.7 x 3.54″.
This retro paper wreath takes between two and four hours to complete, but the results look well worth it with its clean lines. I want to make one asap!
:: via Dow via How About Orange
Posted In accessories, house and home, make it
I’ve never incorporated sweet potatoes into a dessert before, but these Sweet Potato Cakes look like they would be moist and not too sweet. Perfect for those with only a tiny sweet tooth.
:: recipe and photo via flagrante delicia
Posted In recipes
Cool kitchen gadgets knock my socks off. The latest is Keru Keru. Just pour your liquid ingredient of choice into the glass bottle and you’re all set.
The ideal product for those who like to whizzz around in the kitchen, whipping up multi course feasts, know that a table spoon of oil here and a bit of soy there is the standard procedure. One is constantly in need of some liquid and that means open bottle, close bottle, open bottle, close bottle and anybody who has ever spilled a bottle of Thai fish sauce know of the importance of a properly closed bottle.
:: via Better Living Through Design
Posted In grand design, kitchen