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.

Bread, Rain

Making me happy today, and a little sad:


via Apartment Therapy.
P.S. One day I expect to wake up and have long, curly red hair.

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.

Rabbits, Witches

Good-bye, John Updike. Fare thee well.

New York Times article here. Updike reading his "This I Believe" essay here.

I'll be getting Nicholson Baker's, "U and I," from the library.

Nectar, Jam

I made the jam. It's the most delicious jam in all the world. It is die-happy jam.

So I've instituted daily teatime with myself and tea and bread and jam.

{Picture from Domino.}

Slippers, Felt

I would like to own these grey ballerina slippers. They would remind me of the day I discovered that narwhals are real. But I am not buying pajamas right now. And slippers count as pajamas. But aren't they nice?

{Pic from Apartment Therapy.}

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.}

Winter, Toast

I would like these for getting through winter, for looking toward spring:
this frock,
this quilt.


{All from Toast's Winter Archive Sale.}

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

White Table, Red Door

On a hot tip from a friend, I whisked into a neighborhood boutique's closing sale last Saturday to see if anything was doing. Doing things were, and I snatched up this little side table for half its listed price. Up close, it's a little icky, and too shabby-chic for my taste, but I'm looking forward to sanding off the ick and painting quietly in the sun, a project I shall tackle this weekend.

And good-bye to you, Red Door. I'm sorry you've left us.

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.

Snip, Coif

I got my hair colored, cut. It feels wonderful.

Roll, Fasten

I know everyone has these already, but I don't. I think they would make my work day a little happier, or at least a little prettier.

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.

Envelopes, Plum

I like to buy stacks of these delicious stamps at the USPS online store and then slather envelopes in them. It takes 11 per envelope now that postage is 42 cents, and I lurve the way it looks. It's like putting up wallpaper, but without the cursing. And the USPS online store is quite the magical place--they'll ship you all the stamps you want for merely a dollar, which beats standing in line at your local branch.

Yellow Lace, Green Gloves

Doesn't she look FABULOUS?!

{Pic here.}

Inauguration, Can

And now I'm off to listen to NPR's inauguration coverage and find a perfect recipe for Yes We Cookies. Excitement abounds.

For watching: The New York Times has live coverage on their Web site.
For fun: Mouse has posted all sorts of magnificent Obama things, including Michelle's inauguration fancies and a wrestling-match-style election poster. Emily has tasty recipe ideas for celebrating, and, well, wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

{Poster ici.}

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.}

Ski Train, Sprite

Since I work six days a week, "three-day weekends" mean that I get two full days off. One day, I will work five days a week and always have two days. I think it will be amazing. With Friday night all to myself, I cleaned house and read on the sofa until tucking in early. Walked to sushi lunch at Izakaya Den on Saturday before spending most of the day outside with small ones. Sunday was Ski Train day, and highly satisfactory. After traveling to Winter Park, my friend and I drank hot chocolate and went tubing down the Frasier Tubing Hill (eeek! whee!), then walked around Winter Park and had a long leisurely lunch until it was time to drink more hot chocolate. Then we hopped on the train and headed back home. Here is what I learned: I love trains. I love walking from car to car, and love drinking coffee and looking out the window at beautiful mountainy scenes, and the red seats, and I love the gentle sounds the train makes, and I love that we never went very quickly, but we got to Winter Park more rapidly than we ever would have driving and without worrying once about slick roads or holiday traffic. Here is what I also learned: Do not eat the delicious soup on the train. This brings us to yesterday, and my nasty case of food poisoning. With little choice but to stay close to home, I finished my book, took three naps, and tried to drink Sprite. I was happy to wake up feeling myself this morning, and happy to turn on NPR's special inauguration coverage. Hip, hip, hooray!

Tromp, Ride

Yesterday was my first big walking/riding everywhere day. I worked from the library, and swung by the grocery store twice, hit the wine store and then tromped back home, heavily laden with library books and work stuff and groceries and shiraz.

You know what? It was lovely. I got to read an otherwise neglected New Yorker on the train, and I got plenty of fresh air, and I did not have to park even one time. Not even one. Also, I've been googling bus schedules like mad, and it turns out that I live on some truly fantastic routes. Like the drops-me-off-at-the-door-of-my-gym route. And the drops-me-off-right-at-my-therapist's-and-I-won't-have-to-park-in-that-cursed-icy-parking-lot route. I still don't know how I'll do laundry, but I'm sure it will work itself out.

This weekend, I will ride or walk almost everywhere, and I can't wait.
Happy tromping!

{Tromping photo via flickr.}

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).

Giant Art, Walkie Talkies

Exciting things from my trip to the library today:
1) Very large and ugly art. Denver is big on REALLY ENORMOUS art that is also truly atrocious. They put it in one place so you can eat your sandwich and be horrified by all of it at once. Today, I saw:
-The new wing of the art museum, which looks rather like a space ship (people actually get vertigo inside).

-The old wing of the art museum, which looks like a sand castle come alive. (Ahhhh!)
-Orange swirly art that children climb upon, and are occaisionally devoured by.

-An enormous broom with trash in it. And also evidently a small child.

2) Two men with walkie talkies in the library. I eventually determined that they were library security, but was very confused, at first. "This is not fair," thought me. "Why can't I have coffee but they can have walkie talkies?" thought me.
3) A particularly amusing drug bust across the street at Civic Center Park. I was working along, and looked up to see eight police cars/motorcycles drive through the park, lights blazing, and lots of flannel-clad teens fleeing the park and running into the library, where they congregated in front of the window I had been gazing out, and chatted about heroin and police cameras while the police officers stood there for a minute, and then drove back across the grass and out of the park. Then the people at the window were happy, and everybody went back outside.
4) Lots of people sleeping; not just sleeping, but snoring, too. There were extraordinary snorers at the library today.

Normally when I go to the libary, nothing interesting happens except that I come home with new books. It has been a very exciting day.

Smooches, Quince

I really want to like Dr. Hauschka products. I REALLY want to (Extracts of rose petal? Avocado? Quince?! Yes, please!). But most of them make me break out. Hmph.

Nevertheless, I love the toned day cream, which comes in handy when I'm looking especially pale (this is often). Before Christmas, I treated myself to a Lip Care Stick, and was terribly disappointed. But I kept using it, unwilling to believe that fourteen-dollar chap stick was a bust, and it's suddenly turned into a magical softy-lip friend. And the tube is awfully pretty, to boot. It's freaky that my body had to get used to it, though. I'm not sure I'm ok with this.

{Pretty flickr quinces.}

Boxing Day, Sloth

I meant to post this last week, and then forgot. Silly me. But now I've remembered.

Boxing Day: Cold ham and leftover pancakes, coffee with Baileys, Russian teacakes, toffee. Puttered in new pajamas, did some dishes. Started watching "Little Women," but it was dumb, so switched to "It's a Wonderful Life," then cried. Knitted on a sock. Painted my toenails, made biscuits for eating with concord jam and bacon. Listed. Brushed my teeth. Did half the dishes, finished sewing monster mittens for littles (the slippers were a bust), stared at Internets. Got the mail. Watered plants. Played with my new camera, taking pictures of holiday remnants (see above). Moved my cake stands. Finished washing dishes, made fondue. Rented "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" on iTunes (Whatevs. Don't judge.) Laid around, eating cheesy bread and pears and cornichons and watching my second--almost third--movie of the day.

Dishes, Blue

Today is the day of dishes and blue.
This is today's 20x200 print, and did you SEE Rachel's cake stands?! DID YOU?! Because that's what I would rather hang on my wall. A yummy picture of cake stands and oranges and tea cups. Mmmmm.

Orla! Target!

Orla! Target!
No, really: ORLA!!! TARGET!!!
Apartment Therapy says so.
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
That apron is MINE. MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE. And if you try to wrest it from me, I will kick you. And then I will run away. And I will not feel even a teensy bit bad. So play nicely, please.

February first, lovelies.

(P.S. I will have my friend Laurel with me, and she will kick you too I bet.)
(P.P.S. Not actually kick you. It is mean to kick.)

{Sassy apron pic here.}

Cukes

I also have a lot of frozen cucumbers. Perhaps I shall put them over my eyes, spa style. This seems like a good use for them. Otherwise, I'm not sure what to do with frozen cucumbers/what I was thinking. Actually, that's not true. I know EXACTLY what I was thinking. It was "Good God I can't pickle all of these I know I'll FREEZE SOME!!!" Because I am clearly brilliant.

Or Martha shares a face mask made out of cukes and yoghurt. Then I can look a little scary whilst using up freezy cukes. (Yoghurt is good for milk-maids.)

Freezer, Pantry

While I'm not doing so well about getting up and showering before I work, I AM doing well with walking places, and I AM doing well with eating the food in my freezer and pantry. So far this week: potato soup, blueberry muffins, cheese and black bean enchiladas, smoothies. They have depleted my stock of potatoes, chicken stock, frozen blueberries, roasted green chilies, frozen melon and frozen strawberries.

Later this week: Chicken pot pie (will deplete puff pastry, frozen peas, celery and chicken).

The best part? Almost all of this is local and organic--not frozen from the grocery store, but frozen from the farm. Fabulous.

{P.S. These freezer labels from Martha aren't working for me. They're all falling off. Blue tape is better.}

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?

Mailbox, Bag

On Saturday, I had a really good mail day. You know, the kind where things that you have forgotten about all arrive in the mail at the same time and you squeal a teensy bit when you open the mailbox and THERE THEY ALL ARE?! And then I put my happy mail into my bag and forgot all about it. Which means that when I opened my bag some hours later and saw new art from Wall Blank and this month's Domino and Pretty Little Thing altogether, I got to feel bouyant and squealy all over again. Because I don't love anything more than I love mail. And now they're all sitting there in my bag today along with some other things that were already lovely and sitting in there (delicious green Alpaca yarn and wood knitting needles, muji notebooks, mittens), and I keep just peeking in and smiling.

P.S. One day maybe my mail will be delivered to this red box (via Design Crush via Remodelista) and then I will squeal every day.

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.

Cut Out, Dress Up

When I was younger, cutting out my Shirley Temple paper dolls and my Samantha paper dolls, I always thought it wasn't quite fair that my hands weren't very good with scissors yet and that they were kind of grubby, and I'd accidently cut off one of the tabs, or end up tearing off a head while trying to put them away. Then I would cry.

Twenty-six may be the perfect age for paper dolls.

I have yummy big scissors with which to cut them out, and steady hands, and a large magnent board where they can live instead of having to stow them in a sad little envelope. If you're artistically inclined and clever like Stephanie, you could make your own. Alternatively, here's a vintage download from etsy seller phenomonon1859, yummy vintage paper doll downloads from pillpat's paper craft flickr set (shown above--thanks, P!), or Dover paper dolls, of course. Books and books of them, for cutting out, for dressing up, for leaving out.

Beating the Blues

Things I'm doing tonight:

1) Make this chicken pot pie from Smitten Kitchen or vegetably potato cheddar soup. Eat it.
2) While I'm at it, make blueberry muffins with mashed banana. Eat some. Save some for breakfast.
3) Deep breathing, maybe rent a movie.
4) Go for a long walk or a run. It's very warm out today (65 degrees!). After, sit on a bench. Close eyes. Hug legs.
5) Think about swapping my office room with my sleeping room this weekend. My bedroom is warmer and gets more natural sunlight than my office. I don't know how I just noticed this.
6) Consider working on one of the socks I abandoned before Christmas, or the scarf I've been meaning to knit, or the hottie cover.
7) Light a candle of thanks and think thankful thoughts. Probably this would help.
8) Spend a long time brushing my teeth.
9) Buy milk. Maybe paper dolls, too.
10) Open windows. Point. Stomp foot. Say "Out, blues. OUT!"

{Blueberries and pictoral antioxidants from Martha}

Windy, Blue

Today it is scary blowy outside. I am so cold I have my turtleneck pulled up around my nose. Today is a day for windmills. Windmills are for wind.

What are you doing to get through the post-holiday back-to-work blues on this blowy day? That's what I would like to know.

{Windmill and clouds from flickr.}

Covet, Time

If you can't turn back time, you can at least stare at it passing in wonder. From here, via Design Crush. I should like to carry this around in my carpet bag. It would be more handy than a singing mirror.

Jars, Keep

Big glass jars are my favorite. I keep everything in them, all over my house. It's a little ridiculous, really. Flowers and yarn and undies and wrapping paper rolls and dishwashing paraphenilia and anything that is too pretty for actually hiding away. This way, I'm constantly grabbing pretty things out of jars like I'm at a candy shop. It's fun.