Here are some of our new fall favorites at Poole Party Designs!
Burp cloths, get your burp cloths here!!
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Gus and I have a long-standing joke about a little something that makes me tick. On a trip to Whidbey Island, early in our relationship, we stopped at a coffee shop in the town of Langley. Our reason for stopping was that we were out of coffee beans. As the barista listed off the various roast options to purchase, he threw in a final choice with the line that it was “roasted last night.” My eyes lit up and obviously that is the one we took home. My husband found this hilarious, because I didn’t even pay attention to the roast (or the price). The idea being that if it was roasted last night, it must be better! I was charmed and an easy sell for the barista’s (possibly) stock line. Ever since then, and especially if we are on vacation, we relish those “roasted last night” moments. To me, they are the kind of local flavor that makes a purchase different from my usual grocery store experience – it gives the item a story and makes it memorable. To my husband, it is an opportunity to spend a few extra dollars for the same coffee beans, but he does appreciate that it makes his wife happy. These moments make my day and they make my husband laugh.
We are on the Olympic Peninsula again this weekend and feel that fall is truly in the air. The leaves are just beginning to drop and I am starting to crave foods like root vegetables, butternut squash, and apple anything. As part of our trip we visited the renowned Port Townsend Farmer’s Market and enjoyed some local delicacies and street music. The Pane D’Amore cheesy breadsticks are my personal favorite.
While in Port Townsend we also stopped off at Conservatory Coastal Home and were lucky enough to meet the store owners, Heather and Sam Pollock, and their handsome family. Once again, I was entranced by this unique store. It has been rearranged and looks fresh and inviting with lots of new items, including a large turquoise chandelier… (still wondering if I can come up with a place for this in my home?!?!) I had to be dragged away with only a signature candle to take the place of their Heirloom Tomato candle that we were given a year plus ago. As sad as I am that the Heirloom Tomato is finnito, the new one sports Conservatory’s new label and is Fig-scented. I was reminded by Heather that all the candles are soy and made within the store, a detail I’m sure you understand that I’m quite keen on. The kids also loved their new take-away gift of a few small sand dollars, you’ll remember we were originally wooed by small goldfish toys. Such a lovely spot!
Next stop, Finnriver Farm & Cidery. If you didn’t know, there is a spirited cider revival going on. This cider is not the cider you remember drinking in high school. This new style of cider tends to be a bit less sweet and drinks more like a beer. There is enormous variety in the styles and it is taking on an artisan element. Finnriver boasts a tasting room, as well as a cool little farm. Let me say that if our kids could live on a farm versus the city, I believe they would – at least for a day. We took a walk around the farm, visiting pigs, ducks, chickens, a dog and a cat. The family enjoyed touching the dirt and feeling a connection to the land and animals. I loved seeing all the apples waiting to become the next round of cider and all the neat cider-making gear. The cider tasting room was staffed with a friendly attendant, whose family was out helping on the farm. It was a family-friendly stop that I would highly recommend. If you are in the area, check ahead of time, as they occasionally do u-pick days for their berries and other organic produce. We’ll try for that next time. We are now the proud owners of Finnriver’s Dry Hopped Cider and Sparkling Pear Cider that will allow us raise a toast to the new season… and maybe, just maybe, it was bottled last week! Until next time, here’s a taste of some fall color.
It is late September and we still have fruit flies! I thought these guys were supposed to go away as the temperature dropped! This year they appear to be sticking around, possibly it is all the yummy things I am trying to preserve. Happily, I have a tried and true solution that keeps them at bay. What is it, you ask? I put a small amount of cider vinegar in a bowl with a few pumps of dish soap. The sweetness of the cider vinegar draws them in and the soap coats their wings, so they don’t fly out. Voila! This sounds awfully vicious, I know, but I really hate fruit flies. One more tip, I tried both regular cider vinegar and an organic vinegar that I happened to have and for some reason, the bugs prefer the non-organic. There you have it, go forth and rid your kitchen of these pests!
Next, I was just given a book that I cannot wait to tell you about. America’s Test Kitchen just published a book this month called: d.i.y. cookbook can it, cure it, churn it, brew it. It is “100+ foolproof kitchen projects for the adventurous home cook.” It is so cool. I am a little bit giddy about it. It covers lots of the canning and preserving we have talked about before, but it also goes new and exciting places such as cheese making, charcuterie, and home brewing… how to make corn chips and marshmallows too! If you were to buy one book to test some fun new things out in your kitchen, this would be the book I recommend! The directions seem clear and the pictures are lovely and informative. I am excited to try making lots of things from this book.
One of the recipes is for Preserved Lemons. This is something I have been intrigued with for a little while now and I am happy to report it is very simple. Essentially by adding kosher salt to lemons and allowing them to cure for a few weeks, you end up with rinds that have become soft in texture and mellow in flavor, with a truly interesting brininess from the salt. You can then keep them on hand in your fridge for about 6 months. One can add them to salads or serve them with roasted vegetables to add a bright citrus flavor that seems like it would enhance just about anything! I am currently in the curing stage with mine, but I have great hopes that this will become a staple in our house. It seems like we always have a few lemons around, don’t you?
The recipe that I used for this was actually from another cookbook, Canning for a New Generation, by Liana Krissoff. I just used the two lemons that I had in my fridge already and a smaller pint size jar, as I think that is a more usable amount, but do whatever feels good to you.
This is a classic North African staple; the funky salted lemons are featured in tagines, salads, rice dishes, and so on. To use the lemons, scrape off and discard the lemon flesh, leaving just the preserved peel.
5 lemons, (about 1-1/4 pounds), washed 1/3 cup pure kosher salt 1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, as necessaryPat the lemons dry and cut them lengthwise into eighths. Layer the wedges with salt in a clean 1-quart jar, pressing them down with a wooden spoon handle to fit the jar. Cover and set aside in a cool spot for 3-4 days. The juice will be drawn out and should cover or almost cover the lemons. Push the lemon wedges down so they are all submerged in the brine; if necessary, add more lemon juice to cover. Put the lid back on the jar and set in a cool spot for about 3 weeks, until the peel is soft.
The preserved lemons will keep, covered, in a cool spot, for at least 6 months; use a clean, dry utensil to remove wedges and make sure all the peel remains covered in brine. Discard any parts that exhibit mold.
Makes 1 quart
When one of my best friends got married seven years ago, her 92 year-old grandfather spoke during the wedding and he stole the show. He gave some wonderful marital advice that Gus and I refer to to this day. He spoke with fifty years of marriage under his belt and he said something to the effect of, “For a marriage to last, there are three things you need to say to your partner. Hopefully the first one is easy and you say it often, ‘I love you.’ The second one can be a little bit more tricky, but is still very important, ‘I’m sorry.’ And the third can be downright maddening, but is probably the most important of all… ‘You might be right.'”
So honey, “You might be right.”
When I decided to try making pickles this summer, you might remember that my husband’s one request was that we please try a few different recipes in small batches, versus going whole hog down the road of one untested recipe and then not liking it, but having a massive amount of jars sitting waiting to be consumed or not (I assume this was his thought process). Although I followed his advice, I did think it was rather silly, because of course all the pickles would be delectable. Well, it turns out I was wrong… and this was a good idea. I tried three recipes and there is a very clear winner! Yippee! The one that I thought would be the best, was not, in fact it was not good at all. But I still call the event a success, because one of the recipes turned out very well. It is a classic dill style and has just the right amount of tart, dilliness to enjoy many different ways.
So, as promised, here is the recipe for the very clear winner, Spicy Dill Pickles. The recipe I used was from Tart & Sweet, by Kelly Geary and Jesse Knadler – a wonderful cookbook that takes urban canning to the next level with innovative recipes and great instruction. This particular recipe is very straightforward and easy. With pickling, since you add your spices to the jar itself, you can play with how spicy to make your pickles or omit a spice completely if it is not to your taste. So satisfying!
4 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
4 1/2 pounds Kirby cucumbers, ends trimmed, quartered into spears
Per Jar
3 cloves garlic
3 dill heads or 4-5 large dill sprigs
2 hot peppers, such as habanero or serrano
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seed
1 tablespoon brown mustard seed
1 teaspoon dill seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil in a medium nonreactive pot. Stir to dissolve the salt.
Place garlic, dill, peppers, and spices in each hot jar. Pack cucumbers in as tightly as possible without crushing. Pour in boiling brine, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Make sure the cucumbers are submerged in the brine.
Check for air bubbles, wipe the rims, and seal. Process for 15 minutes, adjusting for elevation. Yield 4 quarts.
Note: I brined the pickles overnight and kept my pickles whole as they were on the small side. I also used pint jars versus quart, so my yield was 8 pints. I will try these again next year, but I might also try fermenting a batch to see how they compare!
Happy Pickling!
As summer wraps up, I have been having a difficult time landing on a topic to present to you. I have so many themes running around my head, design ideas, sumptuous photos, and beautiful food to show you… and like the season, all ripe for the picking. Yet, my mind keeps landing on something different…
While on vacation I saw a bumper sticker that stuck with me. This bumper sticker reads, “Don’t Postpone Joy.” I can’t get it out of my head. There have been a few tragic losses in my immediate community – families that have lost their fathers in strange and surprising ways. Immediate ways. I keep coming back to the fact that life can be taken from us swiftly, permanently, and without apology. Maybe it is the nursing hormones still in my system post-baby, but all I want to do is wrap my family in a forcefield to protect this life that we are leading, right now, in this minute. I feel scared and thankful all at the same time and then I think… “Don’t Postpone Joy.”
Have you ever read something from a crazy source that just resonates? Sometimes I feel this way about Lululemon shopping bags. The bags are stamped with all sorts of truths or mantras such as, “That which matters the most should never give way to that which matters the least.” Or, “Do one thing a day that scares you.” “Breathe deeply and appreciate the moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life.” You get the idea… All good thoughts. Sometimes cliche, but still probably true and certainly good reminders.
We live with so much hustle and bustle. School is beginning, we are all getting back into our cherished and hated routines, and I feel it is especially important to clear my mind, remembering what is important. My kids are accomplishing milestones, having growth spurts and tantrums and leaving the nest in little ways each day. In the next few weeks I am sure that my baby will start to walk… All of this makes me both proud and desperately wish that I could stop time. “Don’t Postpone Joy.”
So here, right now, I will present a few moments of our Joy over the last few months and try to encourage you to think of yours. “Don’t Postpone Joy.”
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Figs fall into this category for me. Fresh, ripe figs are the stuff of my dreams. I love them. Unfortunately, it is a very quick growing season. So, it is important to enjoy them quickly… or, you guessed it, make preserves! The good news is that fig preserves are almost as divine as the real thing. I made a bunch of jars last year and found it to be my favorite item that I preserved. If you received a jar last year, count yourself among one of my favorite people because I was a little selfish about sharing. I hoarded enough of it that the very last jar is currently sitting in my fridge. Thankfully, I just made up a new batch. Phew.
I love to use this jammy goodness on a panini with ingredients like brie and salami or gorgonzola and prosciutto. There is something truly delectable about the saltiness of the cured meats, with the sweetness of the fig and I pretty much love cheese in any form whatsoever. As I mentioned, food of the gods.
If you find figs in season, this is a great recipe because it is very easy and quite forgiving. In my desperation to make sure I didn’t miss the season all together, I made this recipe with a combination of nicely ripe figs along with figs that were definitely unripe. It still turned out beautifully. If you aren’t into canning, you can still give this a go and then just keep it in your refrigerator, or share it with friends. I have found it to be quite popular.
Fig Preserves (or Ambrosia):
Ingredients:
3 pounds fresh figs, washed, stems removed, and cut in quarters
2 cups granulated sugar
juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
Preparation:
In a large saucepan, combine figs, sugar, lemon juice and zest. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat, stirring constantly. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove cover and continue simmering, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens. As the mixture thickens, be sure to stir constantly, to keep from scorching. Test the gel, by placing a small drop on a spoon that has been in the freezer. When gel is reached, the surface of the mixture will wrinkle slightly and will not run.
Process with either a water bath canning method or enjoy in your fridge (good for about a month). Enjoy!
Makes 4 half-pint jars
Because who doesn’t love receiving mail… and a pretty package at that? All Poole Party Designs packages come “ready for gifting” with beautiful tissue and bow. Gift wrap included. Why, you ask? Because I love making pretty packages and hopefully it takes one thing off of someone else’s to-do list.
This clearly is a family affair. My assistants went with me today to the post office to mail the first round of shipments out to our customers! My what a great help they were! I know you are jealous. These guys are the best in the business.
Thanks everyone for all your wonderful words of encouragement! I appreciate it so much in these early days!
Based on the all the fun I have been having sewing and the positive feedback from both Inspiration and Product Testing, I decided to open an Etsy shop to sell my handmade items! We’re pretty excited around here!
Click on the above page titled Shop to see what we’re up to!
Thanks for visiting!
~ Lesley
For me, the point of this blog is to share inspiration among us through everyday life. If by reading something I write, someone feels inspired to try something new, or think about something in a different way, then there is a point to all this writing and documenting. My 35th birthday was this week and I feel so satisfied because I inspired. My mother read the post about my grandmother and her secrets … and felt inspired.
Not only has she challenged me to a “taste off” between my pickle recipes and her version of my grandmother’s pickle recipe. (More on that sometime soon…) I can’t wait!!
But, she also made a birthday cake for me in the tradition of my grandmother! What a wonderful surprise. My grandmother had two cakes that she would bake and she kept the process a secret: “the checkerboard” and “the rainbow”. So this year I received a checkerboard cake for my birthday from my mom, a woman who does not love to cook. I love that she felt inspired to figure out the mystery of “the checkerboard” and that I was the recipient of this fun! Thanks, Mom! You’re a wonderful mother and an inspiration to me too.
How cool is that? There is a surprise checkerboard pattern inside. I believe you can do either two or three colors. I can just imagine purple and pink from a childhood birthday party decades ago. In addition to this surprise cake, there was also a package for me to unwrap. It was the secret… a special pan from Wilton that makes all this magic possible: Checkerboard Cake Pan. Who knew? There are different brands, of course, that make this special pan, Wilton just happens to be the one I was gifted.
I see many a checkerboard cake in my future (and my past)… Happy Baking!
There can be beauty in the imperfections… I might wish that I felt more comfortable with this statement, but I am a selective perfectionist. This means that in some things I am very relaxed, but in others I can become paralyzed if I cannot get a project to meet my expectations. Thankfully, my husband and I are well-paired in this arena. Where I stall out, he moves forward with gusto. Our garden this year is a perfect example of how beauty and joy can come from unexpected imperfections. This is our second year planting a vegetable patch. Last year was a bit of a bust. We were novices with high expectations. We started the season in a flurry of energy and completely fell off as the summer progressed. This year, with new baby and a busy life, I entered with moderate expectations. We planted tentatively and sparingly… still, I stalled out when I couldn’t come up with an aesthetically appealing plan for my vertical peas. I was ready to throw in the towel. Thankfully Gus stepped in and made it happen. He also had big plans for our tomatoes. I hate the way the tomato planters look. There, I said it. They are planted in rubbermaid totes and are pretty ugly – but, as you will see, quite impressive.
As it turned out, the garden was a funny and beautiful success ~ an exercise in wabi sabi. Our peas were fantastic on their imperfect stakes. They grew like crazy and the kids enjoyed picking them every day for a month. Then our two small nasturtium plants went gangbusters. They took over the carrots and scallions and eventually had to be completely pulled. And now, our beans have gone crazy! We call them “the leaning tower” due to their robust growth towards the sky. Jokes have been made about whether we traded a cow for the seeds… and whether Jack will by coming by anytime soon. Lastly, our tomatoes are the best I have tasted in years. When planning something in May, it is impossible to know what unexpected beauty and delights will occur in June, July, or August… A good lesson. Thanks, Honey.
Poole Party of 5 