Spring, Swap

This weekend it will be February, which means it might be spring one day. I'm so glad.

I'll close sign-ups for our blog swap on Monday, so send me an e-mail if you want to play. For those of you who've responded, hooray! I'll send a confirmation e-mail this weekend and pair you with a swappy sweetie on Monday. Whee!

{Pic by me}

Zombies, Pigs

Instead of posting tomorrow, I'll be on an airplane adventure with small children. Here's some of the stuff I'll be toting in my carpet bag, carrying up my sleeve:

1. Books about Pigs. Pigs are hilarious. These pig books, by Kate DiCamillo and Mo Willems, are spectacular.
2. Mad Libs. Because I only like children who know their parts of speech.
3. Wikki sticks and red yarn, for making cyclopses, cerberuses and scarves.
4. Glow-in-the-dark zombie finger puppets. Just in case.
5. Books by Roald Dahl, for commanding full attention.

Tear, Throw

If I see one more "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster I'm going to throw it out the window, the second-story window. Take the poster, tear it down and throw it out the window.

Be Mine, Swappity Swap

Because it's fun to craft hearty cards, and because it's even more fun to get good mail, I am excited to announce the first-ever First Milk Valentine's Day swappity swap swap. Who wants to play?

Here's the deal, sweeties:
1) Each box should contain three items: a valentine card, a little present, and a teensy. Teensies could be a packet of candy, a red pencil--just something little, lovely. Presents and teensies can be bought or hand-made, but I tend to think that valentine cards should be made by valentine hands, don't you?
2) To sign up, e-mail me at firstmilkmaid@gmail.com with your name, mailing address and bloggity blog blog by Monday, February second, and indicate whether you're willing to ship internationally. I'll contact you with your swappity person soon thereafter. Each person sends one box to one swapper, and receives one package from one swapper.
3) Please postmark all valentines by Saturday, February seventh, so they have a full week to make their way in the world.
4) Finally, I'd like to keep this on the small side of things, but large enough for making friends, so will cut it off at 25 swappers.

Liver Spots, Bitches

Today at Panera Bread many people are talking on their phones very loudly. While I ate my egg sandwich, I learned that the man next to me is having his liver spots burned off, and that the lady across the room knows a lot of bitches. REALLY a lot of bitches. An inordinate amount, it seems.

Maybe I will start keeping a super secret spy notebook of all the cell phone details I gather during the day. First I will need a super secret spy notebook. Maybe I will draw an ear on it.

Narwhals, Real

Great news, everybody: NARWHALS are REAL.

I always thought they were made up. But, um, they're not.
They're really real. Isn't that great?

Lots of good narwhaly bits at even*cleveland today, and many thanks to Stephanie for bringing me up to speed. Evidently everyone else already knew about this.

{Whale lithogaph from verygerman's flickr.}

Weddings, Words

More words for weddings today, over at A Practical Wedding. Stop by, if you wish.

{Pic from Toast.}

Comfort, Torte

It was the torte's fault. It all started with the torte.

Saturday night, this chocolate torte, seen on Design Sponge last week, with the help of littles and whispers. Topped with raspberries I had frozen from last summer's picking with my lovely Granny.

Sunday morning, whole-wheat English muffins. My focus lately has been on good breakfasts, and this recipe from Sara Kate sounded divine. I may make them every week, and top them with cheese and an egg and avocado, or just peanut butter, or jam.This jam recipe, from Rita Konig couldn't be easier, and I have more frozen strawberries than I know what to do with.

Sunday afternoon, this chicken pot pie from Smitten Kitchen, which might be one of the most perfectly alluring dishes of all time. I followed the directions fairly closely, but used less much chicken. Also, I assembled the filling as a stew and baked puff pastry squares on their own for popping on top one by one. Beware: I halved the recipe, and still have more than I'll be able to consume in a week. Hooray for freezers!

Then, chicken soup with barley. I usually have jars and jars of this in the freezer, but was out last week when I needed it, post-food poisoning. Now there's plenty.


{Torte pic from Design*Sponge. All others, me.}

Root Down, Tendril Up

After getting some things done around the house, headed up to Root Down for Saturday-morning brunch. Along with fresh-squeezed juice and coffee, a tasty fennel and sweet potato hash--earthy, earthy, caramelized, sweet--coupled with an unbelievable benedict: quinoa English Muffins, tomato hollandaise, arugula, Irish cheddar, ham, and a perfectly poached egg. All of the decor is repurposed, including the floor (an old basketball court), and the restaurant uses only wind to power the creation of their delicious vittles. I would go back any day, and will, very soon.

Saturday afternoon, bowling, then a trip to the book store and a last supper of sorts with two beloved companions. Drew lavender baths, buttoned up, read aloud, listened to inhale, exhale, strained my ears to catch the hum of growing in the night.

Sunday woke up knowing that I needed a day only for Amandas, a day to fold in, to roast, to knead. So I read the Times in bed, cancelled my plans, donned wraps, and ran to the grocery with hands antsy to prepare. When I got home, I lit my old Magic Chef oven and went to work, listening to the radio, puttering, drinking cups of hot tea. When everything was ready, I ate, watched 30 Rock, then took a long, warm nap and woke to see the end of the cold, cold day. I chatted with my Mommy on the phone and with an old, dear friend, who assured and reassured. I did the dishes, emptying the dish water twice. I washed my face and brushed my teeth long and well. And then I crawled into bed with tea, with a book, sleepy and centered and ready to grow myself.

Geranium, Fairies

I think we can all agree that Mrs. Meyer's cleaning supplies smell delicious. They do not leave your home smelling chemically, they do not leach toxic chemicals, and their packaging is simply lovely. But.

I bought some of the Geranium scouring powder on a whim awhile back. It was a lovely whim, full of pink packaging and pleasant scouring thoughts. Can I tell you something, dear reader? Geranium scouring powder does not smell delicious. It smells as though a My Little Pony left its sparkly droppings in the sink, or perhaps as though a fairy has perished in the garbage disposal. And, as everyone knows that fairies are immortal and My Little Ponies are unlikely to pooh, this is VERY BAD. Very bad indeed.

I wish you luck in your own sink-scouring adventures, and recommend Bon Ami or baking soda. It would not do to anger the fairies.

Love and kisses,
Amanda

Dry, Drape

When I was wee, I kept a mental list of all the things I intended to do my way When I Was the Grown-Up, most of which I've never done. I have never, for example, stayed up all night eating nothing but ice cream, or neglected to clean my teeth for a week. One does remain, however: A particularly hormonal late-night argument with my lovely, enduring mother circa 1996 established a single concrete detail in my mind: When I was grown, I WOULD hang a towel over the side of the sink when I had finished cleaning the kitchen. And now, dear readers, I do. See?

It's almost as fun as drinking juice before bed.

Library, Books I Have Out From the

For smirks:

For reading on trains and in bed, upon Emily's recommendation:

For laughing out loud, per Meg:

For doing, by those clever Design*Sponges. I now know how to climb onto an elephant, how to pour tea fit for a queen, and escape nasty old quick sand. Very handy indeed:

For reading aloud:

Swappity Swap Swap

Guess what guess what?! The Free People blog is doing their annual Valentine's Day craft swap, and there's just one week to sign up. I've wanted to do a blog swap my whole life, I'm pretty sure. AND NOW I HAVE A BLOG.

(I will not pretend that blog swaps were very far down on my list of reasons to start a blog in the first place.)

Pictured handmade swappy Valentine is from the perfectly photographed land of Jordan Ferney.

Weddings, Words

Wonderful Meg asked me to put together some fresh passages for readings at weddings (yay!). The first of three posts is up today, and will be followed by two more on the following two Mondays. I'm thrilled to my toes to be a guest of A Practical Wedding--a blog I've followed and hearted for some time--and excited to share something so dear to my heart: renderings, words. Stop by, if you wish; maybe you'll find a couple of words to accompany what is borrowed, what is blue. Many thanks, Meg!

{Photo from the land of Toast.}

Valentines, Monsters

Soon it will be Valentines Day, and everybody will get delicious mail. Maybe I will open my mailbox and it will be so full of valentines that some will spill out onto the ground. I hope so. In the meantime, here are some sea monstery lovies from etsy:
Aquatic love, from etsy seller shopheartsandanchors.

Sea monster love, from etsy shop littlepretty.
This monster would like to gobble up love muffins. Rawr, mawr mawr (those are gobbling sounds).

Cord-Pulling, Bus

When I'm on the bus, people sometimes pull the "please let me off now" cord for bus stops. So far for me, the bus has magically stopped where I needed to get off, which is good. I'm somewhat new to the bus, though, and worried that one day I will have needed to pull the cord, and the bus will not stop, and I will have not noticed that I needed to pull the cord, and then I will be Very Late. In my mind's eye, it is probably also snowing and I trip on the stairs and rip my pants and then am Muddy and Bleeding in addition to being Very Late. Being late makes me Very Anxious, so I've been a little nervous about this whole cord/no cord situation.

So this is what I would like to know: How do you know whether the bus is going to stop at the bus stop, or whether you have to pull the cord?

Caramels, a Commentary

I know the holidays are over, but I wanted to dish about what finally happened with the salted caramels. I ended up making them three times, and learned a lot in the process. Most of what I learned through trial and error can be found in The Kitchn's tutorial on candy-making basics. I also ended up following the steps in The Kitchn's salted caramel recipe, which was more specific for my newbie candy-elf self.

Here's what you need to know: Use a candy thermomenter. Watch it carefully. DO NOT let the candy part get hotter than 248 degrees, known as "firm-ball stage." Hotter, and it gets hard. Cooler, and it stays saucy. When you add the cream to the candy, DO NOT let it get hotter than 250 degrees, whatever you do.

Finally, I found that candy isn't that different than anything else in terms of "done"-ness: When a roasting chicken looks and smells like roasted chicken, it's usually ready. When cookies look and smell done, they probably are. And when you've been stirring caramels for 15 minutes and been crazy over the temperature and it suddenly looks and smells like caramels? That's when you pour it into the pre-greased parchement and walk away.

{Yummy caramel photo from flickr}

Chop, Grate

Here's the official recipe I consult for potato cheddar soup, though I rarely follow it exactly. Texturally, I prefer a softer, more mealy potato to a firmer, waxy variety. The recipe makes a lot of soup, but it freezes well and is yummy on cold nights, or for beating blues.

Potato Cheddar Soup

4 cups water (I use chicken stock)
4 cups diced unpeeled potatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons white flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh


Bring water/stock to boil in a 3-quart pot. Add potatoes, onions, celery, carrots and salt. Cook 15 minutes, covered, over medium heat.

In a separate 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Slowly add cheese,
then stir in flour. Slowly add the milk, spices, and herbs to cheese,
stirring with a whisk. Add cheese mix to potatoes, then add tomatoes and
stir. Simmer on very low heat 15 minutes more, uncovered, stirring often.

2009 Resolutions: Chickens, Hats

-Wake up early enough to eat breakfast before work. And shower. And maybe take a walk if it isn't too cold.
-Make my bed every day.
-Put away my laundry instead of piling it on the floor. Or get rid of dresser so piling it on the floor IS putting it away.
-Run fastly one 10k, maybe a half marathon but that might be pushing it.
-Put delicates in their own bag so I don't ruin TWO BEAUTIFUL, BRAND-NEW j.crew sweaters when I'm thinking about boys being dumb and not about merino wool and silk charmeuse and dryers.
-Write and edit things I like, possibly for money.
-Drink coffee sometimes and not always tea, tea, tea. I like coffee, and I never remember about it. Also, I like plunging my french press, and I like feeding the grounds to my garden.
-Plant seeds. Water them.
-Know when long weekends are going to be, and plan things for them.
-Get my hair cut when it starts to make me crazy instead of waiting forever and feeling huffy. It's worth it.
-Go to the beach. Wear a hat.
-Favor experiences over things.
-Stop buying pajamas for awhile. I have enough pajamas.
-Spend more time brushing my teeth. I really like brushing my teeth, and it's over far too quickly because I'm usually in such a hurry.
-Make squash risotto. I've been wanting to make it, and have so far forgotten.
-Buy Uggs. They are terrible, but I always wish I was the person looking slightly unfabulous and comfy.
-Buy beautiful calling cards. Go calling. Wear a hat.
-Read good books on trains and in the park and before bed and maybe while walking down the street sometimes but don't trip.
-Get books from the library only and then READ THEM (see above) and then RETURN THEM. ON TIME.
-Eat the food in my freezer.
-Look for an apartment with a claw-foot tub.
-Look for an apartment with tin ceiling tiles.
-Work outside of my house two to three days a week (plan the week on Sunday). Too sad at home all the time.
-Take pretty pictures. Remember to bring camera.
-Make wishes.
-Interact with chickens. Chickens are nice.
-Wallpaper something.
-Drink more water.
-Sell my car for reals. Walk. Take the bus. Read books on the bus.
-Go places. Do things.

{Photo by me.}

Mourning, Cake

This morning I woke up very sad that my little work vacation is nearly over and sad that it is the new year already, because the last one is gone and because it is winter and not spring at all or even close to spring. For me the new year is always like this. I make good lists and clean and purge and just when I think I'm ready, I have to cry out because it is a little sad to have a whole year gone. So I shed tears and did breathing and thought about doing yoga but then remembered that there is chocolate cake downstairs with caramel frosting that someone I love brought to me. And that I have this little blog where pretty things can go, and that it might be good to write a little post about the tears that were shed this morning so I can remember them and remember the last year and things as they are right this minute with the sun streaming in the window and my grey walls and the house just like I like it and go forward, go forward, go forward and be thankful for fragile and ephemeral and true.

Now I am off to eat breakfast cake.
I'll be back Monday. xo

(Oops and I meant to take a picture of the cake and post it but then I ate it and forgot, so no pictures today.)