a day in the country

With our first show of the season opening this week and a world premiere heading into rehearsals on Friday, leisurely Saturdays are a luxury.  Last weekend Caleb and I decided to hit the road in search of "old things and wine" in Cambridge-Narrows.  The hour long journe down the 105 to Cambridge Narrows is one of my favourite drives and I try to make it at least once a summer or autumn.   And a stop at  9J Antiques is always a must:  two floors and a large back building packed to the rafter with treasures!  With bigger budget (and a bigger car!) I think we would have happily trucked back some great furniture pieces but in the end we each found a few little items and even a hard-to-source prop for next spring's big musical. 

sardines and songs

Prior to Saturday the last time I spent any significant time in a herring shed, I was “stringing herring;” standing in front of a seemingly endless bin of fish and one-by-one poking a pointy stake in through the gill and out through the mouth so they could be hung from the rafters in the smokeshed.   A full stick earned me something in the neighbourhood of a dime.  I remember it being tedious and smelly and when I closed my eyes that night all I could see were herring heads staring up at me.  But I also remember sea breezes blowing through the shed, the sound of gulls and the kind of boisterous camaraderie that springs up from sharing a day of manual labour.   There weren’t many more days like this down at “The Crick” (the tidal creek in Seal Cove).  The waning smoked herring industry went into deep decline in the 1990s and is now just a memory. 

So it was under very different circumstances 20 years later that I returned to the Crick on Saturday for an afternoon with the Summer’s End Folk Festival artists at The Sardine Museum and Herring Hall of Fame.  The museum is made up of a number of the old buildings and the legacy of the late Michael Zimmer.  (If you’re interested in the back story I recommend going here where my friend Peter Cunningham captures it beautifully.)

The Sardine Museum and Herring Hall of Fame is not a museum as we typically think of it.  There are no interpretative plaques, no faithful re-creations of ‘how things were.’  Instead it’s a rather eccentric and artful jumble of artifacts; relics of a time when herring was king and the smell of smoking fish (‘the smell of money!’ my dad would chime in) permeated our hair, our clothes and our summers.

It’s magical place and the perfect spot to spend an afternoon of music.    

Peter explains the museum's history to Liam Finney, Julie Doiron, Daniel Romano, Ruth Minnikin & Bry Webb 

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Bry Webb, Ruth Minnikin & Liam Finney.

cultural expressions

If you've been in downtown Fredericton in the past week or so you've probably noticed these lanterns on the lampposts around Officer's Square.  They're up for the Cultural Expressions Festival this weekend.  If you're downtown tonight or tomorrow be sure to check them out - they're hosting over 80 performances, demonstrations and workshops in celebration of Fredericton's growing cultural diversity.

june

like buttah

When it comes to experiments in the kitchen, I prefer minimal effort for maximum results (see last week's homemade ricotta adventures).  And when these experiments involve a split second where one thing margically transforms into something else, so much the better.

On Saturday after a morning of errands at the Boyce Farmer's Market, Aura Whole Foods and Victory Meat market, I decided to spend some time in the kitchen before heading into the garden to finish planting the veg.   Ninety minutes later I had a couple of bars of lavender soap, a batch of chem-free Henry-friendly bug spray, hibiscus syrup for drinks (based on the lavender syrup here) and two containers of butter and a cup or so of buttermilk.

If you've followed my blog for any amount of time you know that I like old-timey things.  One of the happiest weeks of my childhood was spent here where I willingly swept out stables at dawn and slept on a straw tick mattress. 

So when my friend Jilanna sent me a blogpost that included a link to making your own butter I became possessed by the idea.  I used the recipe from eating from the ground up and I recommend reading Alana's post because she took more pictures than I did and also it's just very entertaining.  I particularly like that she is very pragmatic about the fact that we don't make butter at home because it is more economical.   It's about the satisfaction of making something yourself.  Also because it is delicious. And I'm willing to pay three bucks for that.

(Although on a practical note, I will say that it is sometimes easier to find heavy cream than unsalted butter in this city so there is definitely a good reason to know how to do this.)

So here is the big trick to making butter at home.

1. Dump 16 oz of whipping cream and 1/2  a teaspoon of kosher salt into a mixing bowl.
2. Turn on the mixer.   I just used a hand-mixer which probably took a few more minutes than a Kitchen Aid stand mixer but was hardly onerous.
3. Watch and be amazed - first you'll get whipped cream (resist the temptation to make stop here and make shortcakes), then over-whipped cream (a kitchen tragedy we've all experienced) and then a few minutes later in a split second and like magic, it breaks and you suddenly find yourself with hunks of golden butter swimming in butter milk.Stop mixing.
4. Strain the buttermilk off into a jar for using in pancakes or biscuits.
5. Squeeze all the remaining buttermilk out of the butter.  Rinse in cold water and squeeze.  Repeat until all the buttermilk has been squeezed out.

I split my butter into two small wooden cheese boxes I had on hand.  I mixed one with chopped basil for an herb butter and one I left plain.  And that's all there is to it!

lavender lemonade

With the arrival of summer weather comes my need to always have a bottle of simple syrup in the refrigerator.  If you've ever experienced the frustration of trying to dissolve granulated sugar in a pitcher of iced tea you know this syrup is an absolute must for sweetening cold summer beverages.  (If you're avoiding white sugar, you can make this syrup with raw sugar, although you will get a darker colour.  A quick Google search should also provide the proportions if you wanted to do an agave or honey based syrup.)

On Sunday I became a little bit obsessed with the idea of doing a lavender infused simple syrup and then making lavender lemonade.  So I stopped by Aura Whole Foods on my way home from work yesterday and for a toonie I got enough lavender buds to make 3-4 batches of this syrup. In the time it took to cook up a pot of pasta for my supper, I had made a cup of dusty pink, lavender-infused simple syrup.  

(This  was so dead easy that I think I'll go back and get some hibiscus. Imagine a shocking pink syrup!

the how to

bring 1 cup of water and 3 tablespoons lavender buds to a boil.  Add 1 cup of sugar, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes occasionally giving the pot a gentle swirl.   Remove from heat and let cool slightly before straining the syrup.  I strained once through a fine mesh sieve and then a second time through a coffee filter.  Let cool completely.  This will yield about a cup of syrup.  It will keep in a sealed bottle for about a week. 

To make the lemonade, combine 2 parts water + 1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice +1 part simple syrup. 

Pimm's Cup:  What the mint julep is to the Kentucky Derby, this cocktail is to Wimbledon and polo matches.  The herbal lavender lemonade is a perfect complement to this gin-based liqueur.  In a tall glass pour 1.5-2 oz Pimm's No. 1 over ice, fill with lemonade.  Top with club soda if you want a little fizz and garnish with a slice of cucumber (the traditional way), a twist of lemon, a strawberry or a sprig of mint.  It's Pimm's O'Clock!

say cheese

I was watching an episode of Happy Endings (Year of Penny!) last week and Max was complaining about his hipster brother and his "ricotta-making wife."  And even though I know it wasn't supposed to inspire me, I was reminded through my laughter that I had a recipe for ricotta stuck to my kitchen idea board.  

Purists will tell you true ricotta is made from heating whey and separating the curds (I'm really starting to feel like Little Miss Muffet...) but this super simple at home method does the trick and certainly yields a result better than most of what you find in the supermarket and for a lower price and without the preservatives.

And it pretty much took me longer to tell you all this than it took to actually make fresh cheese at home.

the how to

heat 2 litres of 3.25% milk over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it starts to get steamy and foamy.  Resist the urge to hurry this along by raising the heat: scalded or boiled over milk is no one's friend.  Once heated, remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/2 tsp of kosher salt (use kosher as iodine in table salt can react with the flavour) and let set for about two minutes as curds separate.   Strain the cheese using a  fine mesh strainer lined with two layers of cheesecloth. Ricotta can be kept sealed in the fridge for about a week.

To what degree you strain it is your choice.  As you can see from the photo above I went dry. I wanted it to be quite solid for tossing with Nashwaak noodles, baking into a leek and asparagus frittata etc.  If you want your ricotta to have a creamier, more spreadable texture you can stir in a little heavy cream or olive oil before using. (you could also toss in a few chopped fresh herbs!)  I stirred in a little Persian lime-infused olive oil and topped some flatbreads with ricotta, cherry tomatoes and basil - so delicious!

In related news - I hate paying $8 a tub for mascarpone cheese and it turns out making that at home is just as easy as the ricotta.  (And cheap at about $2 for a 375ml of cheese)

it's the weekend: call your mother

Watch. Flavorwire's three-and-a-half minute super-cut of the wisdom of our TV mothers. Who's your favourite? "Do not eat chips out of a communal bowl.  You may as well stick your hand in a toilet."

Make.  How cute would these colourful animal-topped jars be at a baby shower or kid's birthday party?  Super simple and great way to use all those empty jars you can't quite bear to toss. (I know I'm not the only one in this predicament!)


Listen. NPR's "First Listen" is one of my favourite ways to preview upcoming albums.  Right now I have the dreamy pop sounds of Beach House's Bloom is in heavy rotation. The sneek peak, er, hear is only available until the album drops on Tuesday.

Admire. This gorgeous bronze playground in New York.

Breathe. If you love sea breezes, bonfires and beautiful music, mark your calendar for the Summer's End Folk Fest on Grand Manan island.

paper hearts

 

Everywhere I turn on blogs and pinterest people are posting great ideas for Valentine's Day. 

Last year I was much more organized and ambitious about this occasion - hosting a Valentine's tea and sending out old school vintage Valentine's to my nearest and dearest.  This year with two productions coming up at Theatre New Brunswick and getting my head around Caleb's plans for next season (so exciting!), I am lowering my Valentine's ambitions a little bit.  Although I did manage to hang some simple paper hearts in the den...

How about you? Do you decorate for Valentine's day?  Make homemade cards? Or ignore the occasion altogether?

it's the weekend. kick back and relax.

The weekend is finally here.  The weather here is not great for much other than staying warm and cozy in the house.   Whatever you're doing this weekend, I hope it's a great one.  Here are some of things that made me glad this week:

I love Downton Abbey.  I love lamps.  Ergo I love The Lamps of Downton Abbey.

Handwritten cards and letters would be even better with these Roald Dahl stamps from the Royal Mail.

Personalized paper dolls with movable joints? Adorable.

The ladies of Advanced Style prove great style is timeless.  Can't wait for the documentary!

Only Anthropologie could make dental hygiene look this good.

File under: 'Want' - Martha Stewart office supplies.  Hopefully they'll be available soon in Canada!

Must give a little plug to my cousin Hunter, age 12, who has started his own photography blog.  He's such a cool kid.

And finally: Ryan Gosling, Arts Administrator.This is why we have the interwebs, people.

Happy weekend!

this is a weekend.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!  I'm counting down to Sunday night and the premiere of series 2 of  Downton Abbey; melodrama, manor houses, one-liners and pretty frocks... and, of course, Maggie Smith.  What more could a girl want?

bird is the word

Did you know that January 5 is National Bird Day? When I get home I'll have to put out a little extra seed for the chickadees in my backyard in honour of their special day (and hope Harold doesn't get into it).

What's the gift giving policy for National Bird Day?  Because I'd love this fun bureau from Savour Decor in recognition of our fine feathered friends but it's a little out of my budget.   Instead I opted for this wee little porcelain cardinal (who cost less than a soy latte!).  Technically he's a Christmas ornament but I think he'd be cute hanging around all year long.

winterberry

 

Comes a point in early November where I feel the need to purge the house of pumpkins but it's still much too early to deck the halls.  Between the gourds and the glitz, November provides a little breather where branches and berries can show off their simple and natural beauty.

I loved these winterberry branches from Fredericton Boyce Farmers' Market so much I made them my new blog header...  Great way to bring a festive wintery feel to your home - and inexpensive at $10 for two bunches!

how i spent my summer vacation: 11 shots from summer '11

Grand Manan Adventure

beaches

Grand Manan Art Gallery

cousins

movies under the stars

berries!

rosehips

picking blackcurrants

chasing chickens

summer's end folk festival

hi, stakes!

 

A couple of weekends ago I hit a Fredericton Crafters market at Charlotte Street Art Centre.  One of my favourite vendors was Isabelle Pineau from An Oddity or Two.  Isabelle creates quirky and whimsical jewellry and curios.  And as these cute plant stakes prove, she has a cheeky sense of humour.  You can check out a small selection of her offerings on her etsy shop or keep up with her adventures on her blog

laura nyro

I've been on the hunt lately for great music on cassette (a necessity when your car is your grandparents 12-year-old Buick).  So to score Laura Nyro's 1968 album Eli and the Thirteenth Confession for a toonie was pretty satisfying.

Released when she was just 21, Nyro's second album met with critical acclaim for her sophistication, her vocals and her innovative melding of jazz, soul, girl group harmonies and solid Brill Building-style song-writing. Her commercial success actually came from other people covering her songs (but in my opinion, her renditions are superior in virtually every instance.)

She's the sophisticated, offbeat and criminally lesser-known counterpart to Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Ricki Lee Jones and if you liked Diane Birch's 2009 album Bible Belt, you need to check her out.

a visit with... tina robinson of lovely betty

If Astrid Lindgren had ever written about an adult Pippi Longstocking, there’s a good chance she’d have turned out a lot like Lovely Betty owner Tina Robinson.   

Like her style inspiration Pippi, Tina is a red-haired iconoclast and she’s created something of a Villa Villekulla for Fredericton fashionistas with bright colours and big surprises lurking in every corner.

Growing up in her mother’s British Woolens store, Tina says learned an appreciation for fine fabrics - wool, silk, cashmere – and certain classic styles.  She’d been a serious thrifter for decades but it wasn’t until she opened Lovely Betty as a consignment and vintage shop a year and half ago that she considered making a living at it.

“It wasn’t until after I opened the store that I realized I’ve been doing this all along I just didn’t realize I did it.  I was always attracted to classic things but I don’t think the word ‘vintage’ was banged around as much as it is now.  I’ve been doing this a long time without realizing what I’d been doing and just incorporating it into my wardrobe. ”

The shop originally opened in Brookside Mall but on March 1 moved to its new home in Marysville. Perched high on a hill with a view of Boss Gibson’s old mill, the house itself was built in the mid-nineteenth century for Gibson's son John.  Today decades-old wallpapers mix with electric paint colours and every room of the two-storey home holds temptations for fashionable treasure-seekers. 

The racks at Lovely Betty aren’t solely devoted to vintage.  Tina accepts many more recent items as well.  There's one standard they all meet: interesting well-made pieces with fine details - and a sense of fun.  While she steers away from being matchy-matchy, the vignettes she creates around the store show a natural editor's eye for playing dress up.

Just as she relies on her instinct in picking great pieces for the shop, Tina bases her business strategy heavily on her intuition.

“I’ve been winging it from the beginning. I definitely have a little guy on my shoulder that is my inspiration. My mom’s old boyfriend when I was growing up was an entrepreneur who moved to Canada from Ireland with nothing,” explains Tina.  “And I’ve read recently that entrepreneurs look at the world upside down; that they see what’s missing instead of what’s there and that’s what John did.”

“He took tons of risks but had a really good intuition. He made a million, lost a million and made it back and ended up dying a multi-millionaire. He generally made the right decisions and jumped on things -even though it was risky - if it felt right.” 

“John had died just a couple of months before I opened the shop.  He really didn’t want to die, he went to the Mayo clinic, he tried everything to stay alive.  So I always thought if he was given the chance to take over my body and do whatever he wanted to do would he open the shop?  And I think he’d be like, ‘Hell yeah. Go for it!  What do you have to lose?’”

That same sense of adventure lurks around every corner of the shop - velvet capes, leopard-print ankle boots, fantastic costume jewelry?  Go for it! 

Lovely Betty is located at 277 Canada Street in Marysville.  They’re open Mon-Thur: 11-6,  Fri: 11 -8 and Saturday: 10-6.

 

Got some great pieces you’re ready to part with?  Bring them in to Lovely Betty on consignment.  Tina selects what she thinks will sell and prices according to what she thinks it will go for.  You’ll receive 40% of price if the item goes for under $100, 50% if it sells for over $100 and 60% if it sells for over $200.  She generally keeps items for three months.

weekend wrap-up: it's such a perfect day

There are certain days that make me fall in love with my little town all over again.  Saturday was one of them:  sunshine, lots of people strolling downtown and lots of things to do.

Our first stop was Fredericton's contribution to the growing movement of Vote Mobs around the country during the current election campaign: the F-Mob.

Lots of energy and patriotism among the many young people (and some not-as-young) who got out to promote voting on May 2.

From Officer's Square and the Lighthouse it was off to Backstreet Records for Record Store Day.  The little shop was packed to the rafters and it was a reminder that I need to pop in there much more often.  Also I need to invest in a decent record player.  My thrift store player looks funky but I fear I risk electrocution every time I plug it in.

Since we were on Queen Street, a stop at the Owl's Nest was a must.  You really never know what you'll find there! 

 

I can never leave the used bookstore empty-handed.  I love the design of old book jackets and the quirky titles.  To wit, Mrs. Marjory Aitken's 1958 Travel Alone and Love It (which includes an entire chapter devoted to the world's floral clock) and from 1948 Let's Make More Things, a craft manual written entirely in calligraphic hand.  The 8 Western Hits album was Denis' find and it probably should have come with a side of anti-depressants.

We capped off our afternoon adventures with a late lunch, cheap beer and great free music at Dolan's Pub.  Sissy and the Hobos are a terrific new local band (stay tuned for some video from the show later today). Their sweet harmonies and folksy songs were the perfect soundtrack for a Saturday spring afternoon.

How was your weekend?

what a circus

I nabbed these circus-themed cards at Michael's a few weeks ago.  I loved their whimsical retro feel. They seem like just the thing for one of the inspiration walls of my new office. 

(The '5 things to be happy about' calendar page was given to me by my friend Lori in March 2000 - I've been carrying it from office to office for 11 years and it still makes me smile!)

put your game face (and snacks!) on

What's better a cure for long winters than a games night with great friends?  We had a fantastic time on Saturday night.  You know it's a great get-together when half the table bursts into "The Lonely Goat-Herd" from The Sound of Music (Never interrupt them when they're yodelling.)

A good get-together needs good snacks but for the food-obsessed hostess this can be a balancing act. More than a few over-the-top recipes have kept me in the kitchen away from the conversation or worn me out before the evening began.


Below the pics you'll find a few tasty nibbles that you can make ahead of time so you can put your focus where it should be: great friends, great games and big laughs!




Horseradish Dip
In a world of garlic, onion or herb-based dips, horseradish offers an unexpected kick.  It's a bold taste that needs a strong chip to match it so I always serve it with kettle chips.  It always perfectly complements the richness of paper-thin smoked salmon.

Beat together 8 ounces of softened cream cheese and 2-3 tablespoons of horseradish to taste.  Add a splash of heavy cream to get a smoother consistency and season with salt and  pepper. Chill.
(Original source: Real Simple)

Curried Cashews
Toasted nuts are a quick and easy change from carb-heavy snacks.  There are nearly endless possibilities just by changing the nut, oil or seasoning.  You can even throw in some seeds or raisins at the end.

Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium low heat and add 1 1/3 cups cashews.  Toast, tossing frequently until fragrant and golden.  Remove from heat and toss with 1/4 teaspoon curry powder and coarse sea salt or fleur de sel. Let cool and transfer to a serving dish.
(Original recipe: 500 Appetizers)

Chili Cheese Sticks
These are the most time-consuming of the snacks but not terribly so and they're so worth it.  They're flaky, spicy and delicious.  Great possibilities for switching up the cheeses and the seasonings. And I love a snack made from pantry staples!

In a food processor or using a pastry blender, blend 1 cup of flour and 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled, diced butter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.   Add 3/4 cup grate cheddar, 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce and blend to make a soft dough.  Form into a ball (if the mixture is too dry, moisten just a little with a splash of cream)  This is pastry so try not to over-work.

Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes, until it has firmed up slightly.  Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Roll out dough on lightly-floured surface to a 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into strips 1/4 inch wide and 3 1/2 inches long.  Twist strips and lay on baking sheet.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden.  Transfer to wire rack to cool before serving.
(Original recipe: 500 Appetizers)