Turtle Pants

Ari has decided he wants to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle for Halloween; Leonardo to be exact.  So, before he could change his mind again, we went out and purchased his costume.  Not thrilled with the Ninja Turtle costumes on the market, we decided to just buy him the mask and piece the rest of it together.

We found a nice shirt to go with the costume, but the right color of green pants were hard to come by.  I figured I could make him some pants, so I bought some green fleece and went to work.  As I was making them, I envisioned the scene from the Grinch cartoon where he was making his Santa suit.  Just cutting an outline of what I wanted to make and sewing it together.  It worked quite well, for all intents and purposes, and now Ari has a pair of turtle pants.  The first article of clothing I have ever made.

Upon making this garment, even with the crude nature with which it was made, I gained a deeper respect for those who really know how to make clothes.  My cousin Eva, of Eva + Daniel fame, has just started a new blog called Belle-Mère Belle-Fille dedicated exclusively to creations made by Madame Sutter and herself.  She also has an Etsy shop featuring original clothing of exceptional quality handmade in France (and I do mean exceptional).  I am lucky enough to own something made by Eva, and it is simply wonderful.

If that's not enough, my friend from Chicago, Michelle, is launching her own clothing line called Dollparts; which is a clothing line made from recycled textiles.  Her clothing line utilizes eco-conscious fabrics, remaindered or discarded textiles, as well as vintage and thrifted pieces.  Michelle started a kickstarter campaign to raise funds for getting her designs into production.  It would be awesome if anyone would donate (even as little as $1) to her cause.  She only has a few days left to get pledges, so act fast!

I don't know how I got so caught up in the world of fashion, but I'm loving every minute of it!  Oh, and I'm happy I was able to make a small contribution with the turtle pants.  Who knows, they may be the next big thing!

Omelet Wars

Upon browsing the Eva + Daniel blog today, I saw that Eva posted a segment of Julia Child making an omelette.  It turns out that Eva learned how to make omelettes by watching Julia Child.  She then visited Latent Chestnut and read the description of Alton Brown's new book.  The description mentions how Alton Brown explains how to make a perfect omelet.  Eva then wondered if Alton Brown's technique differed from that of Julia Child's.  Eva posted a video of Julia Child making an omelette on her blog to show her technique, so I figured I should post a video of Alton Brown's.  Here is an excerpt from "The Egg Files VI: French Flop, Zen and the Art of Omelet Maintenance"


For all intents and purposes, it looks like both Julia Child and Alton Brown use the same technique to make omelets.  One difference is the way they spell 'omelet'.  In true Alton Brown fashion, he breaks the technique down to the simplest steps, but I think the spirit of the omelet and what it is supposed to be remains the same to both chefs.  Check out the Julia Child video on Eva's blog to see if you agree with be or not.  I learned from Alton Brown how to make them, and make omelets quite frequently, actually.  I have perfected the 'one egg' omelet, as it is just the right amount of egg for the kids. 

One 'Monster' of an apron!

I received a marvelous birthday present in the mail today courtesy of Eva & Daniel.  A handmade apron complete with the R.E.M. Monster logo! 

The Monster design is flawless and the fabric patterns and colors are perfect.  If R.E.M. were to design their own apron, no doubt, this is what it would look like.  Eva and Daniel, you truly captured the essence of R.E.M. with this apron.  It will surely get plenty of use in my kitchen, and I can't wait to do some baking with 'What's the Frequency, Kenneth?' blaring in the background!

Thank you Eva and Daniel for such a thoughtful and unique birthday present!

Trees in spring

Over the last couple weeks I have really started to take notice how beautiful the flowering trees are this year. Eva had posted a picture of her young magnolia tree on her blog and it inspired me to go take pictures of Nonna's magnolia and weeping cherry tree.

I found out I was not alone with my idea when I talked to Uncle Lee as I was taking pictures of the trees. He informed me that my Aunt Sue had posted pictures of the trees on This Old Paper, and he was planning a post on his Postcardiness's Blog. (He posted it Sunday, and you can see it here.)

So, even though I am lacking in originality, I'm still posting my pictures. Nonna's magnolia tree means so much to me, as I spent many a summer day climbing on it's branches. It has been so many things; an apartment, a spaceship, a restaurant, you name it. A lot of creativity dwelled within those branches.

The weeping cherry tree, on the other hand, always posed a problem for me while mowing that yard. I remember fighting through those weeping branches when they were long enough to touch the ground. I always loved it, though, and think it is one of the most beautiful trees I have ever seen. Enjoy the pictures!

Mayonnaise

I have recently gotten into the practice of making my own mayonnaise, and with such palette pleasing results, I don't know why I didn't try it sooner. I have been making it for a couple months now and it all stemmed from a conversation I had with Eva and Daniel. I don't remember how we got on the topic, but Daniel told me it was easy to make and that his mother had a recipe. In a matter of days, Eva sent me an e-mail with Madame Sutter's mayonnaise recipe; it looked easy enough, so I decided to give it a try.

Basically, mayonnaise is made by slowly adding oil to an egg yolk while whisking vigorously to disperse the oil. The oil and the yolks form a base of the emulsion, while the lecithin from the yolks acts as the emulsifier that stabilizes it. The recipe I got from Madame Sutter also calls for vinegar, salt, pepper, and celery seed. I have also experimented with it a little by adding other ingredients to play with the flavors a bit. I have only made my mayonnaise from whisking it by hand, but it can also be made with an electric mixer or food processor.

In my opinion, the flavor of homemade mayonnaise is far superior to that of any store bought brands, and I know exactly what is in it. Double bonus. It really is so easy to make, too! It is so much fun to see the emulsion form and then continue to build into such a thick consistency; it's like magic. Whisking it by hand, I usually have Valerie slowly drizzle in the oil while I whisk with reckless abandon, it's quite a sight I'm sure. I'm thinking about trying it with my electric mixer or food processor because I am going to have to make a lot of it for the chicken salad we are going to serve for Emilie's birthday party. I don't know if my arm can stand the amount of whisking I would have to do to make several batches. I'm leaning towards the electric mixer because I am afraid of breaking up the emulsion if I use the food processor.

I am glad I finally conquered my fear of making my own mayonnaise. My perception of it being a daunting task was unfounded. I'm thankful for Eva and Daniel nudging me in the right direction, and thankful for Madame Sutter for being so generous and providing me her recipe. Now if I could only get my hands on an authentic French baguette recipe, I'd be all set!