the 80 acres

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new little paintings:

(click below to see more photos)

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new places

new energies

new spaces

new outlooks

old comforts

ps. perfection here

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a quiet sunday

morning bath

porch reading

billie holiday vinyl

drizzly bikeride

multiple rainbows

acceptance of repose

and time spent mostly in the kitchen:

twelve-grain hot cereal with dates, apples, slivered almonds,

cardamom, nutmeg & cream

delicata squash soup with cumin & leeks,

topped with crispy bacon, kale chips & parmigiano

orange-cardamom madeleines

i made a few alterations to this recipe. instead of using lemon zest, i used orange zest. i also added 1-2 teaspoons ground cardamom (can't get enough of it). and instead of dusting madeleines with powdered sugar, i finished them with a quick glaze. for glaze, mix 1/2 c powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons orange juice (used the same orange that i zested).

(complete recipe on next page)

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it's sunny again.

and i finally learned

how to use my new mint green

industrial sewing machine.

excited for upcoming projects.

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(more from Just Kids):

where does it all lead?

what will become of us?

it leads to each other.

we become ourselves.

made this last night for the first time.

orginal recipe didn't call for thyme or honey, but the combination was quite lovely.

serve cake with a glass of madeira or other dessert wine...

lemon-thyme polenta cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup polenta

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (use a buttery vs. pungent oil)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1-2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

honey (for drizzling)

Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Sift together flour, polenta, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice and vanilla. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the granulated sugar at medium speed until thick, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the oil mixture, lemon zest, and thyme. Gently fold in the dry ingredients just until blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly pressed. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove the side and let cool completely. In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream with sugar and vanilla to soft peaks. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and sift the confectioners' sugar over the top. Serve with a drizzle of honey and a spoonful of whipped cream.

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who can know

the heart of youth

but youth itself

(Patti Smith, Just Kids)

(( sweet summer days in January ))

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new year/old you

(monarchs at Ellwood)

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there are days

when we must buy ourselves a cupcake.

just so we can sit down

with our cupcake beaming before us,

humble, decadent, nostalgic, celebratory

and grin inside with every bite.

(( soul-filling ))

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organization;

response to january.

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(four nights in Venice)

warm air

design obsession

perfect latte

classic cityscapes

mesmerizing sunsets

gjelina/bottega louie/blue plate oysterette/hama sushi

and

inspiration to simplify

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something about the warmth lingering in the air,

the familiarity of this view,

mountains cast in pink & purple as the sun dips low

something about breathing in the sweetness

of fresh pollen while walking through the woods,

the lime green grass sprouting new florescence in my periphery

something about this house,

walls vibrating; witnesses.

residents moving in, moving out, always evolving

but these walls still offer compassion

and the one-year mark soon approaches

it is all cyclical

start/end

and once it is in the category of "past"

nostalgia is rather inevitable

( falling in love with this place all over again )

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when i was little,

i used to go with my dad to Sac State

when i had Monday holidays but he still had to teach.

i loved sitting among the college students,

creating my own jewelry designs out of wax.

twenty-or-so years later,

i am playing with this medium again as if no time has passed.

(( new experiments in sterling silver ))

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life is a ridiculous mystical circus dreamgasm of joyful futility

(Mark Morford, "The Great Impending OMG of 2011")

Ps.

Blue Valentine

beautiful

raw

poignant

(go now)

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fascinating,

the power of scent:

instant transportation

to the past

we should label our perfumes, lotions, candles, incense...

by date (instead of name)

so we know exactly which one to select,

according to the moment we would like to relive

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sometimes,

the only direction to go

is

up

(poster part a piece at SFMOMA anniversary show)

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i wake up

looking forward

to an egg, of course,

and a piece of toast

with butter and

( Jacob's lavender-infused honey )

yes.

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loving white

& texture

& fabric

birthday necklace for Emma

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the healing power

of candlelit baths in the afternoon

this view:

serenity

gratitude

faith

listen

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food for the soul.

chocolate chip cookies

oh my god these are ridiculous. make them now.

(from David Lebovitz's The Great Book of Chocolate)

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) (115 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup(130 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

adjust the oven rack to the top 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 300F (150C). line three baking sheets with parchment paper. beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda. stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. mix in the chocolate chips and nuts. scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon (5cm) balls and place 8 balls, spaced 4 inches (10cm) apart, on each of the baking sheets. bake for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. makes about 20 cookies.

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( listen )

below, the past

torn

antidote, blank walls

(empty clothespins)

shedding

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(part one)

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(part two)

ps. it's time. the north beckons.

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( get ready )

here

we

go

...

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i never get enough time in this home

especially in front of the fire

(nor in the kitchen)

first time making Tartine's Chocolate Souffle Cake
(( ! ))

Ingredients:

3/4 c walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted and finely chopped

3/4 c + 1 tbsp unsalted butter

14 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

7 large eggs

3/4 c + 2 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

for ganache topping:

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 c heavy cream

Kitchen Notes: The success of this cake depends on two things. First, you must incorporate air into the egg yolk and sugar mixture, whipping them to a thick ribbon, or the cake will not have the correct light texture when it is baked. Second, you must be careful not to overbake the cake, or it will turn out dry. Many cooks are inclined to turn the mixer to high speed for beating egg whites to stiff peaks. But you will find that if you whip whites on medium speed and take a little longer, the whites will have a tighter, more stable structure and have fewer large, irregular air pockets.

Preheat the oven to 325. Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with 3-inch sides with parchment paper cut to fit exactly. Evenly distribute nuts over the bottom of the pan, then gently shake the pan back and forth to fill in any gaps. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and then add the chocolate. Stir as the chocolate melts, blending it with the butter. Remove from the heat and set aside.

(recipe continued on next page)