Under a Red Roof

First Quilt and a Pretty Breakfast

July 12, 2010 in Cooking + Baking, Making by Colleen | 4 comments

Last week was pretty hot here. Super, retreat to the basement kind of hot. And what does one do in the basement besides row on the machine or watch the old television, the one with the screen that occasionally turns bright red? Why make a quilt, of course!

I had never made one before, and I, like many other people I know, have what seems to be a giant stash of fabric begging for just such a project to be made with it. In particular, this beautiful Japanese cotton (running down the center of the quilt) that Sarah bought me on one of her trips there. I’d been contemplating what to do with it for ages. A dress? A blouse? A bag? When I started putting pieces of fabric together to decide what to quilt, I knew this was just the right use for it.

It was pretty simple, a total of ten pieces, including the batting, as I had no intention of drawing it out or starting something I would not finish because I bit off more than I could chew. I am very pleased with the looks of it (the hubster likes it, too). Not to mention, it’s just the right size for cozying up on the living room sofa on cooler days.

Now that I have the confidence, along with much more fabric in my stash and a piece of batting, don’t be surprised if you see another quilt here soon. It is summer, after all, and there are bound to be more hot days requiring time in the cool basement.

Oh, and the beautiful baked good up there? That’s a clafoutis, made from the recipe I posted here. I used the Raven’s Heart plums that are in season now. Aren’t they gorgeous? They taste delicious, too. I might add.

Have a lovely week!

Tags: Cooking and Baking

Something New

February 23, 2010 in Celebrating, Making by Colleen | 5 comments

Hello friends!

I’ve made a few changes around here, as of late, and thought I’d share them with you. First, and most obvious, the watercolors. I’ve been wanting to get back to them for quite some time now but always found a reason not to, like sitting around on my duff (as my Grandpa used to tease me), watching senseless television (LOST is on tonight!), or surfing the web, looking at other people’s sketches. This last one is the most silly, really. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent (on my duff) in front of the computer looking at other people’s creations then lost all motivation to make anything of my own. What kind of sense does that make? Exactly. So, here we go. I thought of making a pledge to post a photo of something I’ve painted at least once a week (even if it is a bit lopsided), but a tight knot of “accountability panic” formed in my belly. I am not as evolved as I would like to think – so hopefully I will, but maybe I won’t. Darn Geminis.

As for the other something new, I have taken a job with my naturopath. I went in for my well woman exam about a month ago, and she asked if I would like to help out a couple days a week. Not only was I extremely flattered that she asked, but really excited. How wonderful to have the privilege of working in an environment about which I am very passionate and making a little money, too. Something I haven’t done for three years! As well, the hubster is happy that it will get me out of the house a bit more. This may surprise you, especially since I am such a social gal here on the interwebs, but I am quite the loner, and interacting with others will save me a lot of one-sided conversations and needless worry in my head. Truth be told, I often prefer being alone to the company of other people. When I was a kid, I arranged the furniture in my room so I could be in it, with the door open (closed doors meant mischief to my mom – and with good reason – I’ll tell you below), yet hidden from view. I would lie on the floor, thoroughly engrossed in a book, while eating dry cereal from a brown paper sack (there’s probably a deeper meaning to this last bit). At those times, I would delight at being in a Little House on the Prairie, a Secret Garden, or with the Girls of Canby Hall for the whole of an afternoon. I am not exaggerating when I say that was the height of splendor – still is, though I no longer need to hide.

Two stories that lead to no closed doors for Sohn children – my brothers and I, in some wild fit of boredom one summer afternoon after swim lessons, devised a game. We tightly rolled our beach towels and put rubber bands at the ends, to keep them together. Then, we blocked out any bit of light in their room, stuffing a pillow in the window and another towel under the crack of the door. Once we had the desired amount of darkness, we chose one of us to be “it” and then blindfolded and whipped said person (all the while shouting wu-tang!) until they grasped the towel from the offender, and that person was it. It was all fun and games until we broke the light fixture a second time and could no longer lie and say that we had no idea how it happened.

In another wild fit of boredom, we decided that my brother’s Little Tikes football toy box resembled a space ship. One of us would get inside and the other two would smack things on the side (asteroids!), rock it violently back and forth (turbulence!), and spin it on the floor (a black hole!). When we decided that this wasn’t enough, we sneaked a roll of duct tape and sealed the lid shut before pushing our brave astronaut down the stairs (crash landing!). Here, we were, rather unfortunately, interrupted by my mom hearing the crash (she must have been out back hanging up the laundry?) and the duct tape being hidden somewhere. Ahh, childhood. It’s a wonder we made it out alive, being such geniuses and all.

Nocino

July 14, 2009 in Drinking, Making by Colleen | 1 comment

A few weeks ago, while noshing on a salad at the New Season’s deli, I read an article in MIX magazine about a couple who throw a Nocino making party every summer. I felt a pang of envy as they described it – bringing friends together to have a barbecue and shake the backyard walnut tree to gather the green pods before mixing it all together to make the beginnings of a delicious liqueur.

Frankly, it made me wish we had kept looking for a country home, one where we would have enough room for a walnut, hazelnut, another apple, another cherry, as well as more blueberries, raspberries, and whatever else my heart wants to grow. I know I like city life too much for that, but if I could find a way to squeeze in a couple of nut trees, I’d be one happy camper, and not just so I could make booze. As much as I’ve written about it lately, I’m no lush. Maybe there are dwarf varieties? I need to do some research.

Anyhoo, to the nocino. It sounds like it is right up my alley – highly flavorful, a little sweet, always good, like the tawny port, sherry, Galliano, and Absinthe I adore. I enjoy having a very small glass (the hubster teases me about this), sipping it over the course of an hour. I let the liquid sit on my tongue, imbuing my mouth with goodness before it warms by throat and belly. I am also big on making Kir, a white wine (or the Royale with champagne) and liqueur mixture very popular in France. Practically every restaurant and bar serves it, and we’ve had many varieties – the typical black currant, as well as raspberry, peach, and chestnut. Oh so delicious and summery.

So when we had the rather good fortune of coming upon a walnut tree at a park on our adventure this weekend, I was tickled pink. I wouldn’t be able to have a party on such short notice, but at least I could give the liqueur a try. We picked what we needed and bought the necessary supplies on the way home.

40 green walnuts, picked early enough so they are easily cut with a knife

2 cinnamon sticks

6 whole cloves

zest of one and a half lemons

2 1/2 cups sugar

1.75 liter bottle of vodka

Rinse and pat dry the walnuts. Apparently the juice of the walnut makes a permanent dark stain, even though the juice is clear initially. I wore gloves and grubby clothes and used the underside of my cutting board, just in case. Cut the walnuts into quarters with a sharp knife or cleaver. Be careful, especially if you picked them a tad late, like me, as some of them will be a little hard and shoot across the cutting board. The Italians recommend picking the nuts on June 24th – a magic night before San Giovanni when medicinals are at their peak.

Put walnuts, spices, zest, sugar, and vodka into a large glass container, covering the walnuts. Cover and shake well. Store for six to eight weeks, shaking every few days. It will get darker as the days go by. Mine is already much darker than when I started on Saturday (it was almost clear).

When you are ready to bottle, remove the walnuts and solids with a slotted spoon, remembering that the liquid will stain. Strain through cheese cloth or coffee filters into glass bottles. Cap or cork tightly, and allow to sit for another month or two. Apparently, if you’ve got the patience to let it sit another year, or two, or even three, it is something quite special. I think I’ll make my batch to have now and later.

Variations – some call for the combination of orange and lemon zest, orange on its own, the addition of star anise, and vanilla. The amount of sugar also varies. I didn’t want mine too syrupy, so I used half a cup less than the average recipe and a little more vodka. Finally, some recipes say the mixture should be left in a sunny spot, others a cool, dark one. I opted for cool and dark, so the cats can’t knock it over. I think it is as diverse and special as the people who make it. I sure hope so…

Green Dress

June 30, 2009 in Making by Colleen | 4 comments

I made this.

Sunny Weekend

May 25, 2009 in Exploring, Gardening + Nature, Making by Colleen | 2 comments

Hello friends!

I hope everyone has had as wonderful a weekend as I have. Goodness gracious the weather is lovely, especially for this time of year. Normally, we’d be experiencing a bit of rain with occasional sunny days, but it looks like we’re being spoiled and quite royally – sun is expected through next weekend.

As we are no fools, we’ve done all we can to take full advantage. The first photo is of yesterday’s adventure, biking and walking our fair city. After seeing Portland City Walks recommended on one of my favorite blogs, Posie Gets Cosy, we thought we’d try it, too. We’ve ventured out on two of the twenty walks (I’ll post photos of the first one later) and have really enjoyed them. Normally this would not be our thing, as it seems silly to walk around like a tourist in our own city, but the author, Laura O. Foster, writes a lot about local history and has interesting little tidbits and “secrets” unknown to us, even though we’ve lived here for eleven years. The book also inspires us to venture outside our usual zone of influence, taking the bikes, parking them, and walking less traveled destinations, all good.

These first two photos are of the Rose City Golf Course. Now I am not a golfer by any stretch of the imagination, but it looks like a nice place to play. The hill in the second photo is Mount Tabor. It is nice to have a different perspective of it.

A neat garden structure we encountered along the way.

The view from the stairs descending Alameda Ridge. We actually stumbled upon these last summer. “Buddy, look! It seems like this is a public path between the houses. Let’s see where it goes!” It is a marvelous treat to discover.

We’re back on the home turf now. These are two of the peonies I planted last summer. I am over the moon at how pretty they are. This first photo is Coral Charm opening on Sunday.

How she looks today…

Buckeye Belle – apparently she is a bit more shy, as she hasn’t opened all the way. No matter, she’s still quite lovely!

Another little project out of the way. Greg put this bench together yesterday evening. I bought the backless variety so we can have the option of lying prostrate, looking at the little vegetable plot (tomatoes and cucumbers, and a volunteer rose), or the cutting garden. I love variety!

I’m sitting on the bench looking toward where I sat for the photos on this post. I know I’ve said this before, but I just love to see clothes hanging on the line. This peony is doing quite well, too. I don’t know what its name is, however, as it was inherited from someone else’s garden.

Looking from the bench to the cutting garden. I love having a new perspective on the yard.

If you’re wondering what the funny looking structure against the house is – here is a close up. Still funny looking, isn’t it? This was our final project of the weekend, a house for our bee friends. I’ve learned that most bees are quite solitary and make their homes either in the ground or in holes made by borers or woodpeckers. We’ve done the job for them and included our old license plate from Colorado as the roof. It’s good I kept it in the garage for the last eleven years. Hey Bridget, sometimes I do hold on to things!