I tagged all the items I want in the new Ikea catalog. One opened 5 minutes from my house so its likely that I will pick some of it up this week. Hopefully Matthew recognizes the place when he gets home.
Add comment August 17th, 2008
My mom flew in Friday night which gave us the perfect opportunity to do something we’ve been meaning to do for a while – take a ride up to Tarrytown and visit the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.
About a month ago we had dinner at the restaurant there, Blue Hill at Stone Barns and ooooooooh it was probably the best meal I have ever had. The menu is unique in a way that most of the food is produced on the farm and that instead of a set menu there is just a list of ingredients. You tell your server what you like and dislike and they work with the chef to craft a menu just for you. My menu was no game meats, organ meats or caviar. Matthew agreed to eat anything and everything. They did a really nice job giving us similar but not exactly the same meals, it was just awesome.
This is a photo of the Tisane service. They have a tea garden out back where they pick the herbs and then cut them at your table and make the tea right there. Our server also happened to tend the tea garden and sensing my intense enthusiasm (2 glasses of wine!) invited us out back to check it out but it was pouring. Maybe next time!
During the day they have a bunch of tours (pick your own eggs, anyone?) but us city folk were slightly more interested in the farm market, shop and cafe so thats where we headed.
The farm market is fairly small and a bit pricey but still pretty cool
We picked up the carrots and beets, salad greens, onion and garlic for dinner plans that night. We also got a jar of the fresh honey. Its the summer honey from the apiary they have at the farm and its delicious. Matthew has been eating toast and honey for breakfast everyday so its worth it. I hope there’s something left when he gets home…
After the market we cruised over to the cafe and had some lunch.
So that’s an open faced tuna sandwich, goat cheese and tomato sandwich, a veggie fritatta, and 2 plates of the salad bar thing which included roasted corn salad, tomato salad, some chic peas with broccoli stems that was…interesting and a farro salad. The 3 of us shared and it was all really, really fresh and tasty once you got over the broccoli stems. All that bounty for only $47. Wait, did you say $47. Hmm. That can’t be right. Well I did get the jar of pickles that are a bit pricey…Oh! Mom’s paying?!. Nevermind.
We stopped at the store on the way out. Although there was nothing I wanted at the moment I snapped a few shots of things to save for later, when I have room for them and stuff.
We headed home mid afternoon and picked up a chicken to roast for dinner. Here is the recipe Matthew’s been using for years:
Clean chicken and place in pan (he uses that one because its easier to make gravy)
1/2 green apple cut up
1/2 onion cut up
garlic
thyme
Salt and Pepper the chicken inside and out. Stuff the garlic, onion, apple, and half the thyme into the big chicken hole. Take the rest of the thyme and place it under the skin.
Make a mixture of paprika and olive oil and baste the chicken
Roast in oven at 350 until done (based on weight)
In the meantime: take all the odds and ends and throw it into a pot for gravy stock
Before
After
Gravy Makin
I put together a salad with the greens from the farm, a little goat cheese and beets that Matthew’s Aunt pickled herself (Thanks Auntie Jean!)
Dinner
Dessert? Spumoni. Adoy.
2 comments August 13th, 2008
We are always on the lookout for anything that is Canadian made to try and make my husband feel more “at home” in our home (He is Canadian-American but has lived here since ‘96). I’ve recently come across a few sites where I can already see myself spending lots of money. Possibly even more on future gifts for my friends and loved ones living in the 51st state. Sending things via UPS is so cost prohibitive when it has to travel across the border, and we have quite a few neighbors to the north that I know would appreciate a timely birthday present for a change. Lucky them, Lucky me, Go Canada!
Jenna Rose: Home decor, mostly. I especially like the storage bags and the cotton blankets.{via d*s}
Good Egg: This site is a jackpot of Canadian handmade. Would love to have either a broken teacup necklace or these simple but tasteful tea towels. {via bloesem}
Canadian art: Took this (crappy) photo in the washroom at the Wired Monk in Cloverdale, BC and have been doing a bit of research on the artist, Connie Geerts. I like the prints but would love to own one of her original pieces one day.
Canadians on etsy: Tinywarbler handsews these amazing softies out of Vancouver and I own three. I had to cut myself off but still stalk her blog to drool over the ones I don’t have.
Avril Loreti: These would be alot of fun at Christmas.
Petit Flaneur: GAH! Kids clothes with birds on them! I’m surprised one of my nieces doesn’t have one already.
TIMELY UPDATE**
Nea: Fantastic jewelry and other goods from Montreal. On Sale this week! {via Design for Mankind}
Add comment August 9th, 2008
I have way too little wall space for the amount of things I want to display. It has become a problem. I probably have 3-5 pieces of art that are still rolled up in tubes waiting for a spot to open up. I just received this in the mail this week and still need to get it framed:
Its by a Massachusettes artist named Nate Duval. I really really love it. While browsing his website again earlier today I wanted to put 3 other items in my cart but restrained myself. You can also find his work on etsy.
Add comment August 2nd, 2008
I picked this up in Ballard at a great store called Camelion Design. I liked just about every single thing in there and highly recommend stopping in when you find yourself in town with money to burn and a desire to hand carry something on the plane ride home. It’s just down the street from Cupcake Royale so believe me, you will be nearby. I also wanted to buy a table and set of chairs but the logistics of getting THAT home seemed at the very least, not cost effective. My eyes went to this flowerpot set right away and when I asked Jess what she thought she said “I like it better than that rock” Sold!
It lives on the coffee table right now but hopefully one day I’ll have a window behind a sink and can actually plant something in it. Sigh.
and thanks to my assistant
who almost got killed during the making of this post.
2 comments July 29th, 2008