n o d d y b o o m

simple custard

ricotta custard.  griffin stuck his finger in it before i could get a picture, stinker.

This is an easy one.  And yummy.  You throw all the ingredients into the food processor, pour the resulting custard into little containers and then stick them in the oven (in a water bath).  Sooo much easier than the other custard I tried cooking on the stove and then accidentally (darn doorbell) allowed to boil (never allow custard to boil!) resulting in a curdled mess of 4 ruined New Zealand eggs and 2 cups of organic milk.  And no custard to boot.  Ugh.  Oh, that was dreadful.  But this is a simple, hassle-free custard that's rich and delicious and tastes like cheesecake when it's cold.

I got the original recipe from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison, a book I have recommended before and continue to recommend imploringly.  Everything I've tried in this book has been superb, and I've tried quite a few things, which is a lot to say, considering the amount of cookbooks I have that have collected the amount of dust that they have over the years. 

Plus, there are recipes in here for some of the more unique things one sometimes finds at the farmer's market and never knows what to do with, which makes me happy, because then I have something to actually do with the food when I bring it home, besides sit it on the counter and say, "hey kids, look at this".

Here's the recipe - I've tweaked it a tad, but it's more or less something like this:

organic butter and sugar for six ramekins (or other small glass containers for baking)

16 ounces of fresh whole milk ricotta

1 cup creme fraiche

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

(optional fresh grated nutmeg or cinnamon)

Preheat oven to 325º.  Butter and sugar the ramekins.  Blitz ingredients in the food processor until smooth and creamy.  Pour into ramekins, then set in a pan with hot water coming half way up the sides of the containers.  Grate nutmeg or cinnamon over the tops.  Bake until the custards are puffy and beginning to pull away from the sides of the containers, 50-55 minutes.  Serve warm or cold with fresh fruit.

handspun yellow

The kids have figured out how to bike around the entire house, ie: the perimeter of the house has become a race track.  It is hilarious and wild and quite inventive, actually, if you could see my house and all the obstacles they have to maneuver in order to do this. 

It is so nice that they have gotten to an age where they can entertain themselves out there and I don't have to be outside watching them the entire time.  Not that I don't love being outside, but all my supplies are inside.   So, now I get to be inside with my piles of wool, spinning yarn and listening to them squeal and giggle out there, enjoying their freedom.  There is a bit of freedom in this for me, too.  It reminds me of the day I finally got them to go to sleep in their own beds without having to sit there waiting for it to happen.  That first time I was able to give them a kiss, turn off the lights and walk out without anyone screaming completely changed the way my evenings had been going up to that point in my life as a parent.  And the kids actually started to get more sleep!  This is another one of those times.  For all of us.  We're all benefiting.  It's quite lovely.

wip

A skein of hand-spun merino.  I carded a larger batt initially, and then hand-carded that into smaller sections to make it easier for me to spin.

Working on an idea I've had for a set of stuffed linen bunnies dressed in over-sized hand-knit sweaters made from hand-spun yarn, that they are nearly hiding in.  Funny that I should want bunnies in sweaters, as it is actually getting warmer outside and people are beginning to strip off their many layers.  But I am still quite often bundled, myself, unless it is absolutely broiling outside, and it is not yet summer, with its sometimes intense heat, so I suppose these bunnies are clinging to the last few moments of cool spring weather, as I am, and surrounding themselves with cozy warmth, as I like to do.

weekend highlights:

- a day and night time stroll with the love of my life celebrating ten years of the best days of my life
- watching my oldest little one practice her hula dance for the school's May Faire
- watching my oldest little one perform the hula dance with her class at the school's May Faire
- learning three new songs on the cello almost properly
- celebrating my niece's third birthday = chips + icees + handmade treats + kids in the pool + special time    with my grandparents and sister and brother in law + connecting with old friends
- really learning how to use my rice cooker
- being mentioned on this blog (thank you)
- finding time to reorganize my typelists

web browsing:

- this fully restored vintage typewriter (god I want one)
- picnik (online photo editor where I can round the edges of my photos in seconds - fun! - I was never able to figure  out how to do that in photoshop or illustrator).
- rosemary lemon no-knead bread
- this neck warmer pattern
- these cookies

looking for:

- a hammock that I can attach to a tree and then to a post that I can bury in the ground
- a really good custard recipe
- another good novel (can't seem to get into anything since "The Time Traveler's Wife")

ballet one

Ballet I

This is my second attempt at messing around with the Duaflex. 

I've figured out that I don't need to drape myself with a black cloth, like I thought.  Instead, I made a paper tube out of two pieces of black construction paper roughly taped together and placed it over my micro lens.  When I stick the tube over my Duaflex, it keeps out most of the light that I don't want in there.

A cardboard tube would possibly be more useful, but the construction paper is doing a pretty good job, for the time being.

I'm still getting used to holding the Duaflex in one hand and the Nikon in the other and trying to focus and keep both cameras steady all at the same time.  Fun!

art links

My first attempt at working with the Dualflex Duaflex.  I can't wait to work with it on a tripod and at the beach.  I'm still figuring out which digital lens is best to use and how to drape a cloth over me while I'm shooting, etc. (so as to prevent excess light leaking into the photograph).  I love how dreamy and vintage this looks (even though it's blurry and rather rough and the lens could use some cleaning).  I'm just excited that I pretty much centered the black border and was able to crop out the excess (except that now that I've published, the photo has been cropped.  How do I fix this?)  Fixed it!  Can't wait to learn more about how to do this.

You probably can't tell, but those are hand carders, in the foreground, with a bit of wool in them, and thats my messy office/studio in the back.  I'm currently enjoying making batts of wool, combining all the colors I want to work with and then, when I'm satisfied with the colors, hand carding the batt into smaller, more manageable bits that I can spin into yarn.

::Cool links to artwork for your walls (as requested by Danielle)::

Kingpod's (Amy Karol of Angry Chicken)  small textile quilts and paintings.
Black Apple's prints (and paintings if you can get your hands on one).
Alicia Bock's photographs.
This tea towel (framed? might be nice).
Something from here.
Or maybe here.
Interesting photography and/or letterpress here and I love her new blog, by the way.  Very inspiring.

poppies

Went to see the California poppies over the weekend (they are typically in bloom from March until mid-May).  Stunning.  Well worth the hour or so drive to Lancaster.  There's a great antique store out there as well.

::  net surfing = fun finds = big smile  ::

these cups.

this cock.

this artist's work.

this bedroom design (I actually have these sheets, with the birds, which I love.  I love the arrangement of the artwork.  I wish I could talk Chris into painting one wall blue.  Love that bit of bright yellow as well).

fallen tree

A branch from a city tree fell on our front wall today. 

I don't know if you can tell from the photo, but it is a rather large branch. 

I am so grateful no one got hurt (it happened sometime late last night or early this morning while we were all tucked away in bed - very nice of the tree to accommodate us).  We're going to have to move that swing.

Here is the view from the other side:

G and I were just cleaning out the garden yesterday!  Goodness. 

The city hasn't been by to trim this poor tree for quite some time, so I suppose the branch finally got too heavy and just... dropped.  Luckily, the incident has set the gears in motion and they're now scheduled to trim our entire street in the next 4-6 weeks.  Isn't that lovely?

a fondness for certain things

Wool horse for Griffin's class basket (for the school's upcoming May Faire / Silent Auction). 

Brief feelings of guilt for not having contributed more, but I've deciding to let those feelings go, since:   a) I've been so heavily involved in the school in past events and need a break and,  b) I am currently just enjoying my family and making an effort to spend as much time with them as possible rather than doing anything else, which is a beautiful thing in and of itself and very much needed, at the moment.

Just discovered this lovely blog called "Thrifted Candy" that I am thoroughly enjoying.  She did a little spotlight on my vintage button wrap (thank you!), entirely Martha's idea, of course.

I am loving the vintage teacup wrap (in that same post on Thrifted Candy) and also the fabric wrap with the hankies and vintage trim.  Very sweet.  I am newly inspired to go perusing at the Rosebowl for vintage treasures.  My looking list for the next thrift-seeking adventure is:

-a desk for Marley's room
-vintage  teacups
-vintage spoons
-vintage buttons and trim
-miscellaneous things to be used as doll/robot body parts or to be spun into art yarn.

Also, on Flickr, I love this photo.  I don't know how she accomplishes this, but I love the effect.  I'm hoping I can start to create something similar by shooting with my digital through a Duaplex lens (just won one on Ebay - so excited - can't wait to try it).  We shall see. 

And, by the way, look at that dress (in the photo)!  I love the fabric.  I think I need to add vintage fabric to my Rosebowl list.

-vintage fabric (or curtains that I can cut up and make something with).

There.

loving

Very long luxurious three hour breakfast at 3 Squared on Abbot Kinney = discovery of most excellent pretzel bread + croissants + huevos rancheros and (obviously much needed) conversation had by all (happy birthday Gina!).

A gift of one of my favorite books wrapped in fabric and tied up with string (I think this is going to be my new favorite gifts to give).

Very excited about the "Through the Viewfinder" flickr group (thank you for this, Ani) and just the whole idea of shooting with a digital through a vintage camera.

 

highlights

Beach highlights from Malibu yesterday.

Photography blogs I've discovered recently that I'm really enjoying:

Adie Loves Polly

Jen Gotch

The Room