Eggceptional Easter ideas from Martha

So did anyone happen to catch Martha Stewart this morning on the Today Show? She did some really amazing easter egg dying projects that I am dying to try. One of her tricks was to wrap eggs in silk ties before boiling them. Apparently the dye from the silk transfers onto the egg leaving the most beautiful patterns…almost too good to be true.
Find the instructions on Marthastewart.com.
She also did some neat stuff with drizzling rubber cement on her eggs to resist the dye…seems like a simple and fun way to play with egg dying this year…or a huge mess.

March 28, 2007. Craft. No Comments.

Target to the rescue

This past weekend I made my semi-weekly pilgrimage to Target, and whooo did I find a deal for you! This springy little bag is only available at select stores now because it has been so wildly popular, but I bet they’ll get more in stock soon. At $19.99 how can you really go wrong? I picked one up for myself for…um…research purposes and found it to be slightly short in the handle for going over the shoulder, but overall a really handsome bag. Had to have it! Check out Target.com to find out if your neighborhood Tarjay has this in stock…you won’t be sorry!

March 28, 2007. Handbags. 2 Comments.

Funny, they all agree

bobble heads
I have a sincere passion for all things bobble headed…so I was pleasantly surprised to find a little piece about the strange bobblers made by the B. Shackman company on notcot.com today. Now how to decide whether I need the scary fisherman elf, or the totally frightening monkey…life is hard!

March 28, 2007. Odds And Ends. No Comments.

Cheese and beer are good

Good lord, what a terrible photo to go with such a lovely evening! Did I learn nothing about pairing when I attended my Artisanal cheese and beer pairing class??? Actually, yes I did learn something…I love cheese and beer in any combination!
Let me tell you a few things that I did learn from my evening of higher gastric education…
First and foremost, the beers from Blue Point Brewing are really delicious. Apparently the brewery is accessible from Manhattan via train (it’s in Patchogue, Long Island after all) and get this, they have all you can drink sampling at the brewery and an outdoor patio for seating! Hello new summer weekend adventure!
We enjoyed their Toasted Lager, Fresh Hops Pale Ale, No Apologies Imperial IPA, Oatmeal Stout, and Sour Cherry Imperial Stout. My favorite had to be their Oatmeal Stout, but I am a big dark beer drinker. Their Sour Cherry Imperial Stout and No Apologies Imperial IPA (10% ABV) were also winners for me.
Ok, so we also had cheese…I mean we had some of the most awesome, stinky, blue, melty and delicious cheeses I have ever eaten! I have to tell you that I do believe after eating all these beauties that the Hoja Santa from the Mozzarella Company in Dallas Texas is perhaps the best cheese to pair with beer ever created. This cheese is a young goat’s milk cheese that is wrapped in leaves from the Hoja Santa plant. This gives the cheese a peculiar (but yummy) flavor that Jon Lundbom (the cheese expert teaching our class) said tasted like sassafras. Not having eaten much sassafras in my time, the closest I could describe it was similar to the flavor of epazote. Now this may not sound like a match made in heaven to pair with beer, but let me tell you it is so dreamy and creamy and just plain great…try it yourself!
Other cheeses we sampled were Comte Saint Antoine (superb), Gorwydd Caerphilly, Montgomery’s Cheddar (cheddary and yummy), Epoisses (stanky but delicious), Brillat Savarin (maybe even creamier than butter…to die for), Bayley Hazen Blue (I hate blue and liked this) and Valdeon (I don’t like blue cheese).
Most of these cheeses are available from the Artisanal website, and they have a bunch of other great classes to attend so please check out their class list.
If you are interested in the class I took, there are three more sessions scheduled:
Thursday, April 12th - with Ithaca $75.00
Thursday, May 3rd - with Kelso $75.00
Thursday, June 21st - The Spices of Summer $75.00
I hope you will take my advice and check out one of their many classes, but if you are unable I hope you will look for the Hoja Santa cheese and amaze your friends and family with your terrific beer and cheese pairing abilities. I won’t tell where you got this insider info…wink!

March 23, 2007. Food. 2 Comments.

I want to be grossed out by this

I present the Dram Sandal from Reef. Apparently hidden deep within the recesses of this innocent looking flip flop lies a canteen designed to conceal your booze. Let me just say now that I wish you the best of luck in getting through airport security with these babies on…and please at least keep your toenails trimmed if you’re going to wear these. Blech!

March 22, 2007. Fashion, Odds And Ends. No Comments.

Seriously hungry

You must go read Serious Eats today. They’ve got a story on wine in juice boxes made by Bandit Winery, an impending worldwide chocolate shortage (gasp!), and notes on Willie Nelson’s new ice cream flavor for Ben & Jerry’s (and no, it’s not that flavor).

March 22, 2007. Food. No Comments.

Flor for the people

Wha??? When did Target start carrying flor carpet tiles? That is downright exciting! Now my parents have absolutely NO reason to avoid these most convenient carpet tiles because they can acquire them right there at their neighborhood Tar-jay.
Via notcot.org

March 22, 2007. Decor. No Comments.

Handy bag

Thank you Etsy, I am always able to find something unique and fun there. Check out this tree painted handbag and tell me it is something I do not need…it’s so Orla Kiely-esque. Love it.

March 22, 2007. Handbags. No Comments.

Most genious idea ever

So sleepy…can’t talk. Lucky I’ve got my pillow bluetooth!

March 22, 2007. Design. No Comments.

Anchors away!

Ahhh, I need all three of these necklaces from Giles & Brother. They make some really trendy and fun jewelry and can be purchased at BlueBee.com. I like it I love it I want more of it.