The project that we started 2 weeks ago is now 90% complete. We were so glad that it turned out more wonderful that we had hoped. We learned so much about all sorts of things – like how hard it is to remove a mirror that is adhered to the wall, how complicated it is to install a pedestal sink in a small crowded spot and how taping for a paint job is time-consuming.We are still waiting for some accessories but here is the “After” picture. The “before” picture was one that we took after we taped up for the paint job but you can really see the transformation. I absolutely love the brown.

Click here for bigger pics.
Read more

10 comments

Last night, we went to listen to Bobby McFerrin conduct the Seattle Symphony. Most folks who hear his name would immediately think of that famous song “Don’t Worry Be Happy”. What is lesser known, if you are not a fan, is that he is a music genius, and has been conducting every major orchestra in the world for a while now.

The most enjoyable part of last night’s performance was the his voice improvisation. His four-octave vocal range is amazing and he has a such a wonderful sense of humour. At one point, he had the audience sing Gounod’s “Ave Maria” while he sang Bach’s First Prelude. I loved how he single-handedly summarized “The Wizard of Oz” in about 7 minutes and oh, we sang the “Mickey Mouse Show” goodbye song with him at the end of the night.

3 comments

The Spruce House caught my eye in Metropolitan Home (April 2007) and I thought I would share.

1 comment

When I saw Nigella Feasts a while ago, I knew I had to buy the next bottle or tin (more typical container) of golden syrup that crossed my path . So, one day while shopping at World Market, there it was, sitting with its dark green cap waiting for me. It was even on sale.

The recipe that I wanted to use it for was the Sticky Toffee Sauce. A simple sweet dessert, definitely not for the diet conscious – what with sugar, syrup, butter and heavy cream…then served with ice cream. For me, it was the answer to a busy weekend. A treat for the week ahead.

For anyone who has not tasted golden syrup, I do urge you to try it. Pure sugar cane syrup tastes so much better than corn syrup. Nigella does say that you can substitute the “golden amber loveliness” with dark corn syrup but she didn’t convince me.

2 comments

I think we have spring fever. We seem to have a long list of chores and projects to complete. We are however slowly checking them off, one by one.

Today, we:

• Bought a new pedestal sink for the half bath, it was hard to find a simple modern piece that fit well into the small space without paying an arm and a leg.

• Removed current sink that was not mounted well and did some work to refinish the wall so that new sink will look nice in that spot;
• Sanded and painted the banisters on our front porch (did you read the article in Blueprint about making over an entryway? We are not doing anything drastic here, maybe just new house numbers…hmmm);
• Pruned overgrown shrubs and bushes, weeded the garden;

I feel like we’ve accomplished a lot in one day but still, the list does not grow shorter.

1 comment

While waiting for the farmers markets to open here, I started a produce delivery program that came highly recommended by my friend J. Every other week, we receive gorgeous fresh vegetables and juicy fruit.

Some favorites so far: fresh kale and collards, blood oranges, asparagus and this week, fava (broad) beans. Still in their pods, these beans require some preparation before consumption or adding to a dish. I have not tried fresh fava beans but I’ve certainly consumed mounds of spicy fried broad beans since I was a kid.

First, you unzip the beans from the pod, making sure that the beans still sit in a nice white fuzzy lining. Then you parboil them for 30 secs then plunge them in ice water, and then peel the outer waxy skins around each bean.

[You have to buy a lot of beans. Five pounds of unshelled favas will serve about four. Some recipes equate 1 pound of unshelled beans to 1 cup of shelled beans. This depends, of course, on size. - Bonny Wolf]

I was hoping to use the beans in a spring stew but I think that mashed into a spread for some crostini would make really good nosh with some pre-dinner drinks.
Read more

1 comment

The first Singapore Day will be held in NYC this coming Saturday 4/21. I think this would be a great way to sample delicious Singapore food if you are missing it or have never tried it.

If only I had tickets to take a quick trip there!

3 comments

Mike and I started work on a project at home. We are repainting and re-styling the half bath on the main level of Scarlett. We haven’t done any painting in this house since it came painted in quite acceptable colors. So we replaced the grey in the bathroom with bold drastic color, inspired by a bathroom makeover I saw on Dwell.

We have completed the painting of the walls, as you can see but most of the fixtures and accessories have not been put in. There are still a couple of things we have to shop for.

Aside from working on that, I also found a new (to me!) addiction on the PS2 – Katamari Damacy. I am late to the game but it has definitely got my attention. Rolling stuff up in a big ball is definitely therapeutic, albeit tough on my thumbs which haven’t seen that much flexing in a while.

6 comments

Articles have been written about how spouses become at odds with each other when in the kitchen. Mike and I have a sort of “dance” we do. Usually when we prepare a meal (special occasion or a casual daily one), depending on whose specialty it is, one of us will take the main role and the other, the supporting role of the sous chef.

For example, last night’s meal of grilled habanero pork chops with purple potato mash and roasted sweet peppers & onions, Mike played the leading role. The grill is his domain and I gladly defer to his rule over the fiery coals. We did a quick brine for the lean chops and then rubbed them with a spicy habanero pepper rub.

My supporting role consisted of peeling and slicing smoky charred sweet peppers, after they had sat sweating in their brown paper bags; then I took on the purple potatoes – washed, boiled and drain them so that he could mash them with the right proportions of cream and butter. The supporting role also included some cleaning up as we work along so that we wouldn’t have a ton of things to wash at the end of our meal. It is quite challenging to clean up with a full happy tummy.

In about 45 minutes, our dance ends and I take a picture of what we’ve jointly created. To me, it isn’t about who led the dance, it’s about the euphoric afterglow that keeps me coming back into the kitchen with him.

8 comments

My seedlings are really starting to come up. I didn’t start too many plants: “Starlight” Echinacea, Mini Basil, Bronze Fennel, Moonflowers and Chamomile.

I also have a couple of tomato starts that my sis in law gave to me. Those are growing well. At the rate that the weather is taking to get warm, I don’t know when it will be time to put those out.

Comments are off for this post