Logo Love: b. handmade designs

A little logo love for you this Friday afternoon…  I recently finished a new logo project with Becky Schreiner, owner of Frayed Sew — a boutique in Helena, Montana featuring all sorts of handmade goodness. She wanted a new logo for her other business, b. handmade designs. She makes lovely sewn goods including onesies, scarves, hair accessories, cosmetic bags, napkin sets and more. We settled on two finals because they both just worked.

I also put together a few new banners for her Etsy shop using elements from both logos.

AND, a super huge thank you to everyone who voted on the AIGA Wish You Were Here competition. I'm really pleased to be one of the 25 winners whose designs will be printed as postcards and ailed throughout the country. There will be a one-night-only display of all the winning designs Thursday, April 21 at the Re:view gallery in midtown Detroit.There will be postcards on hand to fill out and mail to friends and family so bring your address book! You'll also be able to buy complete sets of the 25 postcards. Hooray!

Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Yogurt and spice and everything nice

Maybe you ate one too many paczki on Tuesday? Maybe you still want a baked good, but the paczki memory is still too near? Or, just maybe, you really wanted a sweet treat and didn't want to go to the store and you just happened to have all of the ingredients for these on hand? Yes, taht's it. These little spice bombs are just the answer: moist, flavorful... and healthy! And -- for those us counting on occasion -- each one has just  127 little ol' calories.

Spiced Yogurt Muffins
Adapted from Food and Wine

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups plain low-fat yogurt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line 18 muffin cups with paper or foil liners. Lightly spray the liners with vegetable oil spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and the 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg. Whisk together until fully blended. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, yogurt, butter, applesauce and vanilla. Fold the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients until just blended.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg over the muffins. Bake for 18 minutes, until the muffins are springy; let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: I didn't have any applesauce, but I did have an apple. Peeled it, cored it, and whirred it in the mini food processor. Bingo!

Wednesday afternoon painterly inspiration

I was introduced to Danna Ray's work through Get Your Paint On, the online painting course I took with Lisa Congdon and Mati McDonough. I think it's just magical. Beautiful, beautiful magic — perfect for a rainy Wednesday afternoon. The best part? No, it's not that we share a last name, though that's pretty cool, but it's that she has an Etsy shop where you can buy prints of these beauties…

Wasabi Flank Steak

This dinner gave me the jolt of energy I needed last night. With wasabi and horseradish for zing, you'd think it would be killer hot, but it's not. It's simply perfect -- incredibly tender, a little bit of heat and packed with a full flavor punch. The cooking times and temperature are dead-on. And the mellow sweetness of the potatoes is a nice balance of flavors. Try it!

(And by the way, if you're looking for the list of books I usually keep in the right column, I've moved it to its own separate page accessible via the tab at top of the main page under the header. It was getting a bit unweildy and I thought it should have a space all its own. More pages to come up there soon. Enjoy!)

Wasabi Flank Steak and Miso-Glazed Potatoes
via Food and Wine
2 tablespoons wasabi powder
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons drained horseradish
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
One 2-pound flank steak
4 teaspoons canola oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound fingerling potatoes
1 tablespoon miso
1 tablespoon mirin
1 bunch watercress, stemmed

Preheat the oven to 450° and preheat a cast-iron grill pan. In a bowl, combine the wasabi and water. Stir in the horseradish and soy sauce. Rub the steak with 1 teaspoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the steak over high heat until lightly charred, 5 minutes. Flip the steak and spread the wasabi over the charred side.

Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the steak for 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 135° for medium-rare; transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan of boiling water, cook the potatoes for 15 minutes. Drain and let cool, then peel. Wipe out the saucepan. Add the remaining oil and the potatoes and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5 minutes. Combine the miso and mirin; add to the potatoes and cook, stirring, until glazed, about 2 minutes.

Thinly slice the steak across the grain and serve with the potatoes and watercress.

Handmade home decor for you!

Printmaking fun at Blue House with Siobhan and Nicole! That's right, it's National Craft Month and Siobhan and I will be teaching a fun new series of workshops so that you can join in the festivities! Come on over and learn easy printmaking techniques to add handmade charm to your home.

PRINTMAKING SERIES: HANDMADE HOME DECOR
SESSION 1: Wood  I  Sunday, March 27 @ 12PM - 3PM
SESSION 2: Textile I  Tuesday, April 12 @ 6PM - 9PM

Each session we will introduce a new method and show you how it can be applied to a variety of simple, fabulous DIY projects.The projects do not require special or expensive equipment and you'll leave each session with a completed project ready to adorn your home and the know-how to inspire future projects.  All skill levels and experience welcome! Each session is $48 or $86 for both. 

Register by email bluehouseannarbor[at]gmail[dot]com or by phone: 734-780-1762.

Hope to see you there! And don't forget, this Thursday is the March Crafty Meetup at Blue House. Sign up here!