Summer Food

Crazy-big haul.

I love the dog days of summer, where there is so much abundance at the farmer's market.  My fruit and veg haul was crazy huge this past week, so we have been having super-summer dinners all week. So so good.  These are the things I savor (literally!) and love about summer.  Nik and I helped distribute the shares for our CSA this past saturday, and it was a fun people/dog-watching morning in the park.  There was a little pup amputee with two rear wheels instead of legs that basically broke my heart.  So many Great Danes live in my neighborhood, and I just cannot fathom what kind of apartments these owners have that hold such gigunda dogs...

I froze a lot of stuff, corn and zuchini and pesto, in preparation for the dead-zone of winter where I will be craving some fresh veggies that don't have a root attached to it.   I love pulling out fresh corn off the cob on Thanksgiving day! 

A peek at the CSA pickup

I was the fruit lady, handing out peaches and melons.

Eggplant wings (basically just breaded eggplant smothered in a hot bbq sauce), watermelon, and a salad with cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and avocados (red wine vinegar/olive oil/salt/pepper dressing)

Sauteed tofu and onions in spices, corn on the cob, and green beans

Spoonflower Swatches

Hello!  Summer seems to be slipping by rather quickly, as of late, and all of a sudden it is August. Yowza.  I can't wait for Fall though; Bring on the hoodies and apple cider and crisp leaves and pumpkin-flavored everything!  I had an old friend visit this past weekend, and we had a blast.  Coney Island,  The Museum of Natural History, LOTS of walking around, way too much sunshine, good food and beer, and great talks.  I love reconnecting with old friends that I haven't seen in awhile, and feeling like no time has passed since you last saw each other. Yay friends!

I've been a pattern-making fool lately.  Well, for a few months actually, but I was saving up patterns to get test swatches printed via Spoonflower.  Finally got some back yesterday and I'm pretty psyched about them!  Most of them I put up for sale on Spoonflower (you can have a little shop on there; super-neat!) and a few I'm keeping to making a nifty new product for my shop and for upcoming craft shows.  If any of you are on Spoonflower, I would love to connect with you on there and see your patterns.  Such a great community there and so fun to be able to print your own designs!

Staying cool

Beach time!  Nik and I combatted the horrible heat wave last Thursday by packing up and heading out to  Far Rockaway, to the beach.  The weather was a million times more tolerable out there, and downright lovely, if I might say.  100 degrees F in the city that day, but it was a breezy day at the beach with the perfect water temperature and some killer waves.  We spent the day jumping in the waves, soaking up some Vitamin D, and eating ice cream and chips/guac from the boardwalk (Babycakes has a pop-up bakery there for the summer, with lots of ice cream, brownie ice cream sandwiches (!!), doughnuts, and cupcakes! Exciting!)  We're already plotting when we can go back...it's fun that we can both take off work during the week so we don't have to fight the crowds that flock to the beach on the weekends. 

It's the dog days of summer, am I right?  Stay cool!

Vegan Chocolate ice cream, from Babycakes! 

Chips and guacamole 

Waiting for the train to come

Ahoy Matey! Fabric

Super-psyched about this!  I was a pattern designer for over six years, before I quit my day job to do my illustration work full-time, and I used to really enjoy making patterns.  As with most things, I got a little burned out from doing that (and thus quit my job), so it has taken awhile to get back into making them.  I've slowly been doing some patterns for fun, and this is the first one I have had actual yardage printed. Exciting!  It is available in fat quarters (17"x 21") in my Etsy shop, or as yardage through Spoonflower. 

Details:

• Quilting Weight Cotton, digitally printed via Spoonflower.com
• 100% Cotton Fabric
• 17" X 21" Fat Quarter
• Estimated Shrinkage 3%
• Wash on delicate setting, cool, using phosphate-free detergent

I have some questions for you!  Do you ever buy fabric through Spoonflower?  Do you like to purchase fabric as fat quarters or yardage?  I know Spoonflower fabric is expensive, but I'd like to give the option for both.  Any particular kind of patterns you would like to see?  What do you usually make with your fabric?

Thanks for your help!

Michelle

Homemade Rhubarb Jam

A few weeks ago, I found myself with an abundance of Rhubarb and ordinarily I would whip up a strawberry-rhubarb pie, but I was low on the strawberry end. So! To the internet I went in search of some rhubarb recipes!  Jam was logical, so I went with it and my oh my, is it delicious! I had a few stray strawberries laying around, so I threw them into this recipe that I found, but otherwise didn't change anything.  I really loved the fresh orange juice and zest in it and it made for a nice tart jam that was super-yummy on toast (or to even sneak a spoonful of...)

Ahh, summer! :)

Summer Sale!

Hello lovelies; I hope your weekend was sun-filled and relaxing! I had a great time away from the city, at Nik's parent's house, and am feeling refreshed to work and get down to business this week. Lots to do!

To start off this lovely week, I decided that I'm having a SUPER-SUMMER SALE in my shop!  You can enter the coupon code SUNANDFUN at checkout to save 20% off your order.  Sale ends Sunday July 17th (midnight EST). Woo!

xo,
Michelle

Happy B-day Miles and Sweet Summer Days

It was my sweet kittie cat's birthday on the 4th of July. Yep! 4th of July baby!  Miles turned 9 and spent the day celebrating kitty-style (sleeping). Nine years he has been with me...they fly!

I went outside to sketch yesterday afternoon and it was absolutely gorgeous. I need to do that more often, or at least do it while the temperature and heat is still bearable.  Nik and I are going to visit his parents in PA this weekend and I'm pretty excited to get out of the city. A change in scenery always does one good!

Happy Holiday Weekend!

Summer fruit season is the best!

I sometimes forget about holidays like the 4th of July, Memorial day, Labor Day, etc. since I work for myself.  Actually, I'm usually only aware because the Post Office will be closed and I have to plan around that.  Nik likes to work these holidays too (since his office is quiet and he can get stuff done) and he can just take a swap day for any random day off then.  Thus, I don't really celebrate these types of holidays, since I'd be celebrating by myself anyways! 

I can definitely get behind long summer weekends though, and I plan to enjoy this moderate NYC summer while it lasts.  I'm working at the shop on Governors Island this Saturday and plan to soak in the sun (and get some work done) the rest of the weekend.  

Have a sun-filled weekend!

xo,

Michelle