This was made on Christmas day. It was meant to be a cat toy.
Felted Coffee Cozy
Here’s a needle felted coffee cup wrapper, similar in size to those recyclable cardboard ones used in coffee shops.
Felted Skull
I made this skull (small, about 1/2 inches tall) to attach to my felted coffee cup cozy:
Needle Felting
About a month ago, I started doing needle felting. I’m going to start posting pictures of the little things I’ve made so far.
Santa Came A Knockin’
Santa Came A Knockin’ and left some goodies for me.
I got:
- a 1 year subscription to Craft Magazine
- 8 ounces of wool from Stringtown Yarn & Fiber (from mom!)
- a Slinky Jr.
- 2 Moleskine notebooks (my favorite)
- Waterproof Tattoo Bandages (Finding Nemo)
- A pound of Rohr’s Coffee (best coffee in NYC)
- various stocking stuffer goodies and chocolate bars
- a Sueded Henley
- Levi 501s
- a bottle of Jo Malone Black Vetyver Cafe Cologne! (I’ve been wanting this since I tried it in Vegas) [Born from a passion to create the perfect coffee note, Black Vetyver Café is a rich, sensual scent. The deep, bitter character of the coffee bean is steeped in earthy notes of vetiver and temple incense.]
Presents from me:
- a mobile from Window Shop Vintage for Jill & her aunt Cynthia
- Ceramics from ddp gallery for my mother & sister
- Terrasoles slippers for Jill
- Naughty Needles for Jill (from Nightbird Books)
- Plus a super secret special present that was back-ordered for Jill
We made two types of lasagna for dinner, and had a great day!
Mellow Mushroom
Today, we tried the new chain pizza place in town, Mellow Mushroom, located near Mason’s on Joyce Avenue.
Overall, it was really good. I can’t wait to go back.
We ordered a Greek Salad, a small order of pretzels, and a pizza that was half pepperoni and half kalamata olives.
The salad was ok. I didn’t realize that restaurants actually used iceberg lettuce on salads anymore. I thought that was only saved for BBQ joints and pizza joints from the 70’s. However, there was crunchy iceberg lettuce, in a restaurant that actually has Tofu, Tempeh, and other things on the menu. Romaine would’ve been great. Spring mix would be nice as well. But Iceberg? Bring it to me as a wedge with ranch and bacon.
The pretzels were really tasty. We ordered the garlic parmessan on recommendation of the waitress. They were real pretzels, made with the same dough used in the pizza crusts.
Oh, did I mention they had Woodchuck cider on tap? I think they have around 16 beers on tap, more in bottles, and a full bar.
The pizza was really good. The dough was great, chewy, and a bit crunchy, and it had flavor. A rarity in these parts. The red sauce was tangy, not too salty, and was really tasty. The toppings were great. The pepperoni wasn’t too greasy, a nice thickness, and the kalamata olives were plentiful. Several places are really stingy with the toppings. I’ll have to order a spinach pizza next time.
My only real complaint about the pizza is the same complaint that I have with every pizza joint in the South. Oregano, or the lack there-of. A few dashes of oregano on top of the pizza before they slide it into the oven does wonders. Having a shaker of oregano on the table would be even better. I guess I’m just going to have to start bringing my own.
Carrot Purée with Caraway and Cumin
This is another great recipe that we recently tried from Alice Waters’ “The Art of Simple Food”. Everything in it is wonderful. Buy it. Nightbird Books usually has it in stock. — chris
Algerian in origin, this recipes makes a colorful, tasty hors d’oeuvre. Serve it at room temperature with toasted croutons or pita bread and marinated olives. Warm, it makes a great side dish with baked fish and Chermoula.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, diced fine
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground caraway
- 1 to 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt
- Chopped cilantro
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and garlic cloves.
- Cook until the carrots are tender. Drain.
- Heat in a small heavy pan the olive oil. Add onions. Cook until soft, about 7 minutes.
- Crush in a mortar and pestle or under a heavy skillet the cumin and caraway. Add to the sautéed onions with salt.
- Add the drained cooked carrots and garlic and cook for a couple minutes more. Off the heat, mash into a coarse purée with a potato masher or fork.
- Add lemon juice and taste for salt. Adjust as needed.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro.
River Bottom Nightmare Band
It’s not christmas without…. the River Bottom Nightmare Band!
We take what we want
We do anything that we wish
We got no respect
For animal birdy or fish
The grass does not grow
On the places where we stop and stand
River Bottom Nightmare Band
We know we’re a mess
But I does not like to be clean
We don’t brush our teeth
‘Cause our toothache can help us stay mean
We don’t wish to learn
But we hate what we don’t understand
River Bottom
When you see us comin’
You better startin’ runnin’
We’re always startin’ trouble
And we’re happiest when things are outta hand
Rivers are for boilin’
Parties are for spoilin’
We either like to sit and pout
Or else go out and terrorize our land
River Bottom Nightmare Band
We laugh in your face
Or we practice our growl and our sneer
We break up your place
We are dangerous when we are near
And when we are done with our song
Who will get the biggest hand?
Who?
River Bottom Nightmare Band!
River Bottom Nightmare Band!
Raw Broccoli by Another Name
I love broccoli, raw, cooked, however. Here’s a great recipe for broccoli that Jill was sent from the New York Times (Dec 20, 2008):
Garlicky Sesame-Cured Broccoli Salad
Time: 10 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 2 heads broccoli, 1 pound each, cut into bite-size florets
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 fat garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons roasted (Asian) sesame oil
- Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes.
Procedure:
- In a large bowl, stir together the vinegar and salt. Add broccoli and toss to combine.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Add garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in sesame oil and pepper flakes. Pour mixture over broccoli and toss well. Let sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature, and up to 48 (chill it if you want to keep it for more than 2 hours). Adjust seasonings (it may need more salt) and serve.
Yield: 6 to 8 side-dish servings or more as an hors d’oeuvre.
