Mitten Made @ Blue House Preview

It's hip. It's handmade. It's crafty goodness. Are you excited yet? I know I am. It's just two more days until MittenMade, the two-day craft extravaganza we've got planned for you at Blue House Ann Arbor. And I knew some crafty folks who are scurrying around like crazy to put the finishing touches on their goods to show off to you. It's this Friday and Saturday, July 23 and 24 and runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. I hemmed and hawed over what to show off because there are so many great people coming to show off their wares, but I decided to share a little peek of a few vendors who were less familiar to me until recently or that I've only seen online. I can't wait to see them in person! Here we go:

Always the Forest

Almapottery

Little Sister Designs

365

Courtney Fischer Jewelry

All Things Grow

For a full list of vendors, check out the Facebook page for the event. There will also be treats on hand from Sweetwaters, Domino's and Decadent Delights.

But wait… there's more…

The first 50 shoppers each day will receive a sweet bag of swag from our most awesomest local business sponsors and many of the vendors. So come early, stay late! Get your art fair fix without braving the crowds on Main Street! We want to see your smiling faces!

Recycled magazine note cards

I am a self-admitted magazine junkie. I have stacks of glossies tucked away all over our humble little apartment dwelling (what if I need that article later?!) Don't get me wrong, I'm no crazy hoarder — you'd have to dig a little to find my well-disguised stacks. But I'm just reluctant to give up shiny, pretty papers. When I first opened my Etsy shop, I stumbled on a huge selection of old Martha Stewarts being given away at the library — score! Inspired by this Storque post on Etsy, I have found the perfect outlet for all my collected and saved glossies. I downloaded an envelope template and now make my own little envelopes cut from magazine pages. I try to use pages that are interesting on both sides. I use them for thank you's with a sweet little flat card dressed up with a corresponding bit of paper. Fun, yes?

Lazy days of summer

I've been having a day of total inertia. I keep flitting about from one project to another, not accomplishing a thing. I've had two days like that this week and a small part of me is starting to learn to just go with it. Part of making my own schedule is being able to recognize when I need to just step away and take a break. But only a small part of me. I took an hour or two to luxuriate on the couch and finish a flashy novel I've been in the thick of. But maybe I should have just hopped in the car and gone to the lake. Instead, I went back to plodding along, thinking I would get somewhere. Nope. Hasn't happened. Oh well… In the meantime, here is a lovely butterfly I saw a few days ago. I don't remember ever noticing such detail in a butterfly before. It was very patient with me let me snap a few photos before flitting on to its next task.

In progress: Drawing

There are times when I need to step back from the computer and do some hands-on design work. My illustrations are all hand-drawn, but more often than not I add color in Photoshop. I've been working on getting my hand back into more of the process in both my illustrations and design work. Here is a little glimpse of the beginnings of a poster design I'm working on… it feels great to get a little messy and stretch my arms! It also means I'm less certain of what the end result will be and I like that aspect. What do you do to change up your routine?

Herbed Potato Salad

I've been wanting to make a non-traditional potato salad since summer kicked it into high gear. Something without all that ooey-gooey mayonnaiseyness. Don't get me wrong, I love the mayo, but recently I've been craving something different. This recipe fits the bill with tons of salty goodness from anchovies and a great tang from the vinegar. Don't be afraid of the anchovies, they just add a really nice saltiness without being overpowering.

Herbed Potato Salad
Adapted from Bon Appetit

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
4 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
1 2-ounce can flat anchovy fillets, drained, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Place potatoes in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until just tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain. Cool until just warm, then cut in half, or quarters if larger potatoes. Set aside in a large bowl.

Combine remaining ingredients. Pour 3/4 of dressing over potatoes and toss well to coat. Add more dressing if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Baar Bazaar… AAAAAR!

This Saturday night, July 10th, the Baar Bazaar descends on the Majestic Theater from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Live music from Eleanora and Mod Orange, more than 30 genius crafty vendors, free admission, drinks… sounds like a perfect summer Saturday night, right?! Come on out… I'll be there, will you?

Cleveland Rocks, fo shizzle

Last Saturday I spent a long, sunny, happy day at the Bazaar Bizarre in Cleveland. My poor helper — the boy — got sick at the last minute, so I was on my own. Honestly, I think it was for the best — it kept me from wandering too far and shopping too much. That said, in just the booths right around me, I could have done some serious damage to the old wallet. There were so much crafty goodness, I had to bring something home for the sick boy.

The first item is the Hussy. What can I say? I acted like a total stalker fan all day peering across the aisle, keepin' my eye on that hussy in the Purple Hippo Stitches tent. Then I made her mine. I marched right across and said, "I've come for the hussy." I had to fight back the urge to pick up ten more of these sassy cross stitches as gifts. I'm a fan and I'll definitely be back to the Purple Hippo Etsy shop often!

And then…

On the complete opposite of the silly spectrum, I came home with this gorgeous piece by David DiZinno of Americana Dentata Works. Dave has a huge selection of beautiful wood mosaic sculptures that I think are just so beautiful and unique. Unfortunately he doesn't have a web site, but I'm hoping he'll come for a show in Ann Arbor some time soon!

Big Bang Big Boom BLU

I was going to give you a little look-see at what I bought this past Saturday at Cleveland's Bazaar Bizarre, but I saw this animated video this morning and had to share. It's on the long side, but so worth it. Truly magical. I'm in awe! It comes from BLU. I'll be back tomorrow with that look-see.

BIG BANG BIG BOOM - the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Summer berry muffins in red, white & blue

I picked up some beautifully ripe and tender raspberries at the Westside Farmers Market last Thursday. I nibbled quite a few of them straight from the box — fresh raspberries need nothing to dress them up. But I couldn't resist throwing some into my favorite muffin recipe, along with some blueberries I had in the freezer. So I ended up with some very patriotic red, white and blue muffins for the July 4th weekend. Yay!

I was also really happy to find out that Michigan's only shrimp farmer — Russ Allen from the Shrimp Farm Market in Okemos — is now selling at the Westside Market. (You can read more about this farm in an article I wrote for Edible WOW last spring here.) I splurged on some of his shrimp salad — it cannot be beat. Next time I think I will have to try the ceviche. The freshest most local shrimp you'll find in these parts!

Now, back to those muffins…


Browned Butter Summer Berry Muffins

Adapted from Joy the Baker

Makes 12 muffins.

7 Tb unsalted butter
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups fresh berries: blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, or any combo

Topping:
3 Tb cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 Tb sugar

Put a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375º F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. After it melts, continue cooking. It will make a distinct crackling sound as it cooks. Keep a close eye — and ear — on it this point as it turns very quickly. The crackling will subside and the butter will begin to brown fairly quickly after that. Keep cooking until the butter has a nice brown color and little brown bits appear in the bottom of the pan. I like to use a pan with a white inside so I can really see the color of the butter as it cooks. Remove from heat.

Whisk together milk, egg, yolk and vanilla until combined. Add the brown butter and stir to combine.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl Add milk and butter mixture all at once and stir gently to combine. Gently but thoroughly fold in the berries.

Divide the batter among muffin cups and spread evenly. I use an old, large gravy ladle that my mom always used — it works like a charm for muffins.

For the topping, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and gently rub together with your fingertips until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the batter.

Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes then remove from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I want to own a nursery just like this!

During my trip to Wilmington, NC my mom took me to Zone 8, a fantastic nursery tucked away in the midst of strip malls and highways. Isn't that the best name? Love it. The property is a magical oasis jam-packed with really interesting finds and unusual combinations of plants. The greenhouse/store area in particular is like a dreamy wonderland filled with odds and bits that work together so well. My mom seemed to think it came under new ownership recently as it used to be a bit run down — but no longer! Have a peak…

I mostly took photos inside the space because I was so awed while wandering around outside. So I don't have a good "establishing" shot for you of the outside, but here's a wee little glimpse of some of the plants:

If you're ever in the area and need a little getaway, you should take a stroll through:
Zone 8 Gardens
3802 South College Road
Wilmington, NC 28412-2006
(910) 792-1118

Or maybe one day you'll be able to visit Zone 6 here in Ann Arbor!

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Now I can Say I've Tried It: Lychees

Yes, now I can say I've tried a lychee. I've probably had them in something somewhere along the line, but I had never bought one and just eaten it straight out. With their tough, lumpy exterior, you might not know how to tackle one. Just pierce the skin slightly with a sharp knife and the skin with come away from the juicy fleshy fruit quite easily. It has a hard pit inside and is incredibly juice, so take care when you bite into these beauties. You'll be greeted with a highly floral, very sweet flavor that I instantly loved and seemed vaguely familiar. I would love to try them in a cocktail: possibly gin, grapefruit juice and lychees pureed? hmmm? What do you think?

Highlights from Pile of Craft

Is this not the most awesomest show announcement? It's from last weekend's Pile of Craft show in Baltimore. The creature is from Cotton Monster who has the best web site -- and creatures -- in the world. I adore them. Clever, clever gal: check out her blog and Etsy shop, too!

Here's a little peak inside the show. It was in a beautiful old church with lots of cool details:

The nice thing about being so far from home was that I saw lots of new work and vendors I had never met or seen before. I fell hard for the illustrations by Jamie Zollars. I particularly like her silkscreens -- they boil down her work to beautiful linework and moodiness.

Detail from "Stirring" silkscreen.

Available here.

"Bird War" silkcreen
Available here.

Some other faves were Pink Kiss Pottery, El Jefe Design, Paper Acorn and Needle Noodles -- so fun!

John's Perfect Chesapeake Fried Chicken

It's been quite some time since I shared a recipe with you, and this one is about to make up for all that. My friend John has been working on perfecting his fried chicken recipe. This past weekend he treated me to a batch and let me in on some of his secrets and I'd say he's pretty much nailed it. I've always been a bit overwhelmed by the prospect of deep-frying, but John showed me just how easy it is. This chicken has a double layer of breading, is packed with flavor and I still can't get over how golden and beautiful it turned out! You won't believe how un-greasy it is — after frying up a whole batch, there is pretty much the same amount of oil left in the pot. Eat it hot or cold, packed up in that summertime picnic basket. I gnawed on a piece or two during my road trip back from DC to Michigan — delish!

John's Chesapeake Chicken
12 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/3 cup salt
1 (2 1/2 lb) bag all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons seasoning salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
6 large eggs
peanut oil (for frying)
Additional seasoning salt

The first secret is brining:

Rinse chicken. Place it in a bowl and add salt. Add water to cover and let soak for an hour.



Meanwhile, beat the eggs together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, seasoning salt and pepper. When chicken is done brining, rinse it. Dip each piece in the eggs and then in the flour mixture. Use one hand to dip in the wet and the other for the dry to avoid thoroughly gunking up your fingers.

Set aside on a lightly floured baking sheet and let rest for about 20 minutes, or the time it takes to heat the oil. 


Fill a dutch oven halfway full with peanut oil. Heat to 375º.

Enjoy a icy cold glass of peachy, lychee sangria while you wait…

And by the time the oil is ready, the chicken will look like this with the flour kind of soaked into the egg and looking pasty.

Next dredge each piece of chicken in the eggs and then the flour mixture one more time before placing directly and carefully into the hot oil.


Fry the chicken in batches being sure not to crowd the pot.

After the first minute or two of cooking, gently run a spoon under each piece to be sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.

When the chicken is golden brown, 10-12 minutes, remove it from the oil and drain on a brown paper bag.

Sprinkle the chicken with extra seasoned salt and let cool.

If you've read all the way through to this point, then you are ready for the big reveal. John adds one other secret ingredient to both the flour for dredging and then right after frying instead of sprinkling with seasoning salt — I feel almost guilty revealing it, but he gave me the go-ahead. Here it is… Old Bay. Yup. That's the secret to Chesapeake Chicken. I didn't list it in the ingredients, because you have to read this far down to find out the true secret. So good! You would never guess that that's what's in it. It's not like it tastes like crabs or shrimp with Old Bay. It just adds that certain something. The best!

Wrapping up my whirlwind trip

Hello, hello! So sorry I dropped off the radar last week. Though I was on vacation, I did have a few posts planned for you. But I got hit midweek with a nasty cold that knocked me out cold. I'm feeling a bit better now and spent the weekend in Washington, D.C. with my friend John after coming up for the Pile of Craft show in Baltimore on Saturday (above). We spent plenty of time cooking, hanging out and exploring a few local hot spots like the incredibly designed Grace's Mandarin (below) in National Harbor.

One too many frosty watermelon, mint and vodka drinks led to John trying to steal from Buddha. Oy! I'll have more details about my trip, the Pile of Craft show and some new recipes later this week.