Broken Bow OK. Lower Mt. Fork Camping Trip

Last weekend we went on a float trip down the Lower Mt. Fork river in Broken Bow OK.  It was super fun!  I highly recommend the trip.  Just make sure you check the CFS (Cubic feet per second)  this river can be really dangerous if it is above a certain level.  You can check the CFS for lower mt. fork here.  We have our own boats but you can rent kayaks and canoes from many outfitters down there.  Just call ahead.  We used Ambush Adventures to run shuttle for us.  

There is great fishing and floating.  ENJOY!

camping

1. Dutch Oven: for yummy meals. 2. Merit badges: because you did a good job. 3. Vintage Cooler: keep beer cold 4. Appleby Trailer: no sleeping on the ground 5. BioLite Wood Burning Camp Stove: make your own power. 6. Therm-a-rest: good night sleep 7.Headlamp: hands free 8. COFFEE: so you don't harm your camp mates in the morning.

 

my friend fridays

My friend Nicole Atzbach is the Curator of the Meadows Museum.  She speaks 4 different languages!  Nicole is in charge of a lot of cool stuff, but most importantly she has twins!  Super cute ones.  Nicole has a VERY impressive scholarly resume, but my favorite thing about Nicole is that she is not a snob.  She is a funk enthusiast (she has been on stage with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic)  and a PBR drinking champ.  Sure she hangs with the Director of the Prado but she also can Salsa, Rumba, and Fox trot her way across a dance floor.  

did you know... i heart quilts.

I am fortunate enough to have a side of my family that are/have been quilters.  So I have a pretty good collection of them.  Including two "toppers" that are not finished.  The other night we had a party and somehow in a Meyer lemon vodka fueled moment Erin, Scott, and i got them all out to admire them. (i know! so dorky)  Because that's how I roll now, I get a few drinks down and all I want is to talk about quilts...  Anyway, after getting them out, I thought..i really need to finish these.  Here is a tutorial I found on line to help me!    

If you do not have vintage quilt tops laying around your house you can buy them here! vintage quilt tops on Etsy   

How-Tuesday: Finish a Vintage Quilt Top

Photo by Alexia Marcelle Abegg Story by Julie Schneider  Published on Mar 12, 2013 in Make

You Will Need:

• Quilt Backing Fabric – Measure your quilt top to determine how much backing fabric you will need. If your quilt is less than 84″ wide, you will need twice the length of the quilt top from 42″ wide fabric. If your quilt is 85″ or wider, you will need three times the length of the quilt top from 42″ wide fabric. (Quilting fabric generally comes in 44/45″ width, but only about 42″ is usable width so I base this calculation on that amount.) Pre-wash your backing fabric.
• Quilt Batting – Measure your quilt top and purchase enough batting to give you at least 3″ overhang at each side of the quilt. My favorite batting is Warm and Natural cotton.
• Masking Tape – to hold the layers of the quilt to the floor while you baste.
• Iron
• Straight Pins
• Ruler
• Scissors and/or Rotary Cutter and Mat
• Binding Fabric – You will need to cut 2″ wide by the 42″ width of fabric strips to make binding. To determine your yardage requirement, measure all sides of the quilt and add them together (X), divide that number by 42 = (Y), multiply Y by 2. Divide Y by 36. This is how many inches of yardage you will need. Round up to the nearest increment of a yard (yardage is usually sold in eighth yard increments, with the minimum being 1/4 yard).

• Basting Supplies:
200+ safety pins, depending on the size of your quilt. I recommend a box of 500 — that has worked on every quilt I’ve ever made, up to a large queen size.

• Quilting Supplies:
All-purpose sewing thread in a color to match your quilt. I usually purchase 500 yards for a queen size, 400 for a twin, or 300 for a small baby quilt. If you want to be safe, purchase 500yds.
A free motion, darning, or embroidery foot for your sewing machine and your machine’s manual to instruct you on how to set your particular machine.

Directions:

1. Gather up your supplies.

2. Iron quilt top, backing fabric, and batting.

3. Prepare the Backing Fabric. Cut backing fabric into the lengths required by your quilt top. My vintage quilt top required two lengths (shown here). Pin and sew the two lengths of fabric together along the long sides using a 5/8″ seam allowance. The seam needs to be large enough to sew the entire printed selvage into the seam without any of the white selvage edge showing on the right side of the seam after it has been sewn. If 5/8″ is not enough, increase your seam allowance to catch the selvage in the seam.

Trim the seam down to approximately 1/4″. This will help the seam be flat and less noticeable, and will prevent the selvage from shrinking in the wash. Press the seam open.

4. Basting the Quilt Layers
Tip: When basting a large quilt, a partner is helpful.

Lay the prepared backing fabric wrong side up on a smooth surface, such as a hardwood floor, and tape the backing down around the edges every 6 to 8 inches. Lay the quilt batting on top of the backing fabric and smooth the batting. Safety pin the three layers of the quilt together using your safety pins. Pin in a 5″ grid over the entire quilt top.

5. Quilting the Quilt. I like to wind 5-6 bobbins before I begin so that I don’t have to stop and wind bobbins while I am quilting. Set your machine, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, for free motion and attach the free motion foot. Thread the machine with all-purpose thread. Place the quilt under the needle and unroll the edge until you have the center of the quilt under the needle. Keeping the roll to the right of the needle will help the quilt fit under the arm of your sewing machine.

Move the quilt around as you sew, keeping your stitch length even by how fast or slow you move the quilt. Create loops, squiggles, box shapes, zigzags … the possibilities are endless. Fill the entire quilt with your stitching, moving from one section to the next, continuously stitching. Check your batting instructions by the manufacturer to see how close or far apart your stitching can be and still hold the batting together. (For free-motion quilting inspiration, check out some of the resources at the end of this post.)

6. Prepare your Quilt for Binding. Set your machine for straight stitching.

Trim the excess backing and batting with scissors or a rotary cutter, ruler and mat. If your quilt is slightly irregular at the edges, you can either cut with scissors and allow the edges to be irregular (as I have done on this quilt) or you can cut with the rotary cutter, using the ruler to square up the corners of the quilt top. I personally like the personality and charm that comes with flaws like this.

Cut your binding fabric into 2″ strips, cutting across the width of the fabric (from selvage to selvage).
Place one strip onto another fabric strip end to end, with the printed side of the fabrics facing each other, at a 90° angle. Mark a line from corner to corner 45° from the cut edge of the fabric strip. Pin the strips together and stitch on the marked line. Repeat, joining strips end to end, to make continuous binding. Trim the seams down to about 1/4″ and press the seams open. Fold the binding in half, wrong sides of the fabric touching each other, all the way down the entire length of the strip and iron.

7. Bind Your Quilt. Leaving about 10″ of binding free, begin sewing the binding to the front of the quilt with the raw edges of the binding aligned with the raw, outside edges of the quilt, using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Start sewing the binding on about 20″ from a corner of the quilt.

When you reach a corner, stop sewing 1/4″ from the corner and backstitch. Remove the quilt from the machine. Fold the binding up and away from the quilt at a 45° angle as shown in photo #4 (sew binding to quilt).

Fold the binding back down towards the quilt, aligning the fold with uppermost edge of the quilt as shown in photo #1 (miter corners) and align the raw edges of the unstitched binding to the raw edges of the quilt. Pin in place.

Begin sewing again 1/4″ from the corner of the quilt, backstitch, and sew the binding to the entire quilt edge, mitering at each corner.

Stop sewing when you reach 10″ from the start of your binding stitching. Overlap the ends of the binding by 2.5″ and trim. It is ideal if the the overlap is centered in the section of the quilt’s edge where the binding has not yet been sewn to the quilt.

Unfold the ends of the binding and place them with the printed sides of the binding facing each other, letting 1/4″ of the binding extend over each of the cut ends. Be sure the binding is not twisted before pinning the ends together.

Mark a stitching line just like you did when joining the strips together before stitching them to the quilt. Sew the ends together on the marked line. Trim the seam allowances down to approximately 1/4″ and press the seam open.

Fold the binding back together with the wrong sides facing each other and sew the remaining seam of the binding and quilt.

Wrap the binding around to the back of the quilt and hand sew the binding to the quilt back. At each corner, first fold one side, allowing the corner of the binding to create a little 45°angle, then fold the other side over, also allowing it to create a small 45° angle. This will give you mitered corners. Hand sew the entire binding down to the quilt back.

Congratulations! You now have a finished quilt. You can wash it if you prefer, and let it air dry or dry in the dryer on low heat. Snuggle up and enjoy!

Thank Goodness for etsy! 

How to Eat Crawfish: Eat, Drink + Be Merry.

For those attending any crawfish (mud bugs) boils soon, I thought a quick guide would be handy so no time is wasted.  Cold bugs, not on our watch!  I "borrowed" this tutorial from the Eat Drink & Be Merry website.    

Friday Favorites

New blog crush, Love + cupcakes

the Quintessential Mint Julep

The Kentucky Derby and the Mint Julep is a rare convergence of sports and an extremely elegant libation.  It is truly the most exciting 2 minutes in sports.  We Kentuckians take the 2 minutes very seriously.  In fact we prepare for the day/week like a religion.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spend on primping and prepping for this day.  So don’t even think about making this drink without a hat and a proper frock.

The drink is so refreshing, and so potent make sure you collect all non-Kentucky folk’s car keys as they will not be able to handle all the sweet/bourbon-y goodness.  Proper is the point, so do it the traditional way. 

First you need the right ingredients and the right gear. Try Maker's Mark or pricier small batch bourbon like Basil Hayden's. Brown sugar and fresh mint give the drink depth and freshness.

Pewter julep cups are classic but an Old Fashioned or highball glass will do the trick. A wooden muddler is a must for crushing mint. If you're really serious, buy a Lewis bag for crushing the ice.

Crush 4 cups of ice.  Do not skip this step rookie!  In a pint glass or cocktail shaker, muddle 8 mint leaves and a teaspoon of brown sugar.  Or you can make a mint infused simple syrup in advance.  Whatever the case may be. Add 2 ounces of bourbon and stir. Pack a julep cup with ice until overflowing. Strain bourbon mixture into cup. Stir drink until the outside of the cup frosts.

Top with more ice, garnish with a fresh mint spring, and serve. 

Mint infused simple syrup:

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, 1 cup water, and mint stems. Place over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool. Strain through a sieve. Syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.

Sources: Bon Appetit and Martha Stewart living.  Long live the Queen.

friday

it is no secret that i hate A. getting my picture taken...and B. Photoshop.  so with that in mind i am teaching myself how to use Photoshop.  Shudder.  i am proud and embarrassed all at the same time!  YEA!

photoshop practice ​

Hermes inspired picnic

Procrastination

With the opening ceremonies for the Martín Rico exhibition over and the Museum Flowers show about to start in 5 days...I am feeling a little ADD. 

My thoughts keep wandering over to this website Adventures in Cooking.  Good luck trying to stay focused after seeing this masterpiece!

​Spiced Apple Cake

3 Eggs

2 and 1/4 Cups Flour

1 and 1/2 Cups Unsweetened Applesauce

1 and 1/4 Cups Granulated Sugar

1 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

2 and 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon Salt

3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 and 1/2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1/2 Teaspoon Cloves

1/2 Cup Golden Raisins

1/4 Cup Pecans

Salted Caramel Frosting

1 and 1/4 Cups Plus 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 Cup Whole Milk

1 Cup Plus 1/4 Cup Butter (unsalted), softened

1/4 Cup Plus 1 Tablespoon Flour

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream, at room temperature

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar, packed

2 Tablespoons Water

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Part two of Corinthia Christmas

ENTERTAIN: CHRISTMAS IN CORINTHIA

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2012

Yesterday we introduced you to our friend Marin Fiske-Rankin. (If you missed her incredible Christmas memories growing up on Corinthia, her family's horse-racing farm in Kentucky, you can check it out here. Trust us; her pictures will make you want to immediately move to the countryside and ride horses.) Hailing from Lexington means she is not only from the "Horse Capitol of the World" but also the "Bourbon Capitol of the World". Of course, we had to ask her how to make the perfect libation for cold, winter nights. With an English father who makes a mean mincemeat pie, she also shared her family recipe for Yorkshire Puddings. In return, we created the perfect tabletop for a Corinthia Christmas.

Top image: Marin Fiske-Rankin | Middle Image (from left): Mint Julep cup, Elise cut crystal wine goblet, Silver goblet / Elise double old-fashion glass / Christofle flatware: P.O.S.H. Couture Rentals. Floral arrangement by DEBBY JEWESSON AT BRANCHING OUT EVENTS & FLORAL DESIGN

P.O.S.H. PLACE SETTING: Jan Barboglio hammered charger / Mottahedeh Lace charger / Exotic Bird dinner + salad plate / Christofle flatware / Inset: Ivory Chiavari chair / White hemstitch napkin and berry red tablecloth

Wood Butter

One of my favorite gifts from my mom are wooden spoons.  Oh the joys of a new spoon!  Little ones, big ones, ones with holes for olives, and tiny ones for salt... Now, not everyone will shriek with happiness when present a tiny hand carved spoon.  But i do!  So I was thrilled to see this post from Creative Culinary (originally Bon Appetite Hon) Now I know what I will be making all my family and co-workers for Christmas.

Several months ago Wendi withBon Appetit Hon, did a post on Wood Butter; like you I had a moment of Huh? What? Well, typically called Spoon Oil, Wendi had decided that Wood Butter fit better and I agree; leave it to another food person to put the perfect name on this elixir that is so simple but so perfect for the care of the wood items we use in the kitchen. A necessity but also a bit indulgent…yes, butter is perfect! We need to take special care of our wood kitchen items in Denver due to the low humidity in our environment and I can be as lax as the next person. Making your own ‘wood butter’ makes it simple and inexpensive too. I was reminded by my friend Jennifer at Bread and Putter that it’s also magical hand lotion…and that it is!Though Wendi had to find an online resource for the beeswax part of the magic, I was lucky to find a local resource. Peak Candle Supplies provides beeswax in small pellets for easier melting; I bought two pounds which is enough for (48) 4 oz containers…um, that should be enough for awhile don’t you think? Finding the food grade mineral oil was easy once I finally remembered to put it on my grocery list; it’s typically available in the pharmacy. I now know why that poor guy gave me such a funny look when I lamented that I wish they had more than four bottles. I’ve always used it for wood conditioning; I’m thinking he was wondering why I needed more than four bottles of a laxative. Who knew?

The process is easy but can be messy. Most ‘recipes’ include heating the wax in a mid size Ball jar in hot water and adding warmed mineral oil to the wax once it is melted. I preferred using a large glass measuring cup with a pour spout as I was going to be pouring the combined liquid into a whole bunch of small jars. I also used a funnel just for canning and it worked perfectly. The only negative to this method is the removal of the wax from the measuring cup and funnel. I decided since I’ll be doing this again, I’ll just save those two utensils just for this process and candle making and not worry about the residue layer that remained inside each.

What better way to show you the magic of Wood Butter than a Before and After photo. Totally untouched, promise. Everything in this photo has been treated with an application of wood butter including the bottom board. Simply apply a bit to a paper towel or a piece of cheesecloth and rub a dollop onto the surface until it’s rubbed in. The bowl in front was an inexpensive one I purchased from World Market and it was apparently never supposed to touch water. It did, I thought it ruined but ‘the butter’ did the trick. I found the wooden rolling pin at a yard sale and can’t believe the difference myself. All of my cutting boards have a renewed luster; in fact they seem new again. It is not a sage compound butter but it is a miracle butter!

Wood Butter – A Recipe for Your Utensils!Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

A terrific homemade product to use for all of your wood kitchen products from wooden spoons to cutting boards.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces pure beeswax - measured dry. One package of the pellets that I purchased weighed 16 ounces and I used half a package at a time.
• 32 ounces of mineral oil - typically packaged with 16 liquid ounces per container so I used 2 containers.

PREPARATION

1. Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a gentle boil.
2. Place your beeswax inside a 2 quart glass measuring cup or a 1 quart glass jar; set the glass into the gently boiling water.
3. Place the container(s) of mineral oil inside another medium saucepan filled with water and heat to low.The mineral oil just needs to be warmed to mix with the beeswax; no need for a rolling boil.
4. Once all the wax has melted, turn off the stove and carefully add the warmed mineral oil to the beeswax;stirring with a spoon to combine.
5. Using a towel around the handle of the measuring cup, carefully pour the liquid into each jar fit with the canning funnel;filling them almost to the top.
6. Finish filling all jars and wait for to cool and firm up before using.

Re-blogged from  Creative Culinary

I am working on it!

The busy bee has no time for sorrow. ~ William Blake

My parents have the unique pleasure of working with Reg and John.  They are Kentucky Bluegrass Bee keepers and all around interesting people.  I don't know what they would think about these bee hives, but they are really too cute to not share.

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13681ancient_beehives

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Vacation time!

Don’t leave the chickens to the last minute!  Your chickens deserve the best concierge.  Please email me for prices.  Prices depend on where you are located.  I will happily provide the following.

• AM visit: Let the birds out of the coop, feed, and water, collect eggs.
• PM visit: Close the birds up in the coop, feed, and water, collect eggs.
• Extended Service: Watch the birds for an hour while they free range in the yard.
• Coop maintenance: bedding change, mulch flip, straw fluffing.
• Emergency vet visit: Take any birds that appear sick to the vet.

PS. Have a kitty or a dog?  Not a problem!  For an additional fee per pet, I will make sure your furry family is in as excellence shape as your feathered one.

Sad times around the yard.

Sorry for the lack of posts, but Lola died the other day and I just have not felt up to it.  I am pretty sure she had a heart attack or stroke.    She just dropped dead.  I have been keeping an eye on the other ladies, but they are all fine.  Lola was always the runt of the flock and would have been culled on another "farm" ages ago.  She was a great little chicken though and will be missed.

Bardot + Bouillabaisse = Bastille Day

I love the Tour de France, the Rivera, and Champagne.  Last Saturday was Bastille Day so we had an impromptu dinner party.  It was super fun, and my wonderful friend Tamytha was there to capture it all.  Here are some of my favorite snaps from the evening + my super easy take on Bouillabaisse.

[caption id="attachment_1240" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Nubi and Scott[/caption]

Nubi and Nik

Fiske Fish Stew (feeds 6 people)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

• 2 dried bay leafs

• 2 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes with juice, crushed

• 1 1/4 cups dry white wine

• 1 cup bottled clam juice

• 2 pounds shell-on king crab legs (or Dungeness crab legs), cut into 2-inch pieces (optional)

• 24 littleneck clams, scrubbed well

• 1 pound firm, skinless white fish fillets (such as red snapper, sea bass, or halibut), cut into bite-size pieces

• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1 1/4 pounds large shrimp (about 30), peeled and deveined, tails left on if desired

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Heat butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until onion is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in thyme, oregano, red-pepper flakes, and bay leaf.

2. Add crushed tomatoes and their juice, white wine, and clam juice; bring to a simmer.

3. Let this simmer for a little while.

4. Add crab and clams. Simmer, covered, until crab shells turn bright pink and clam shells open, about 10 minutes.

5. Season fish with salt and pepper. Add fish and shrimp to stockpot. Simmer, covered, until fish is opaque and shrimp are pink, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Discard bay leafs and any unopened clams.

7. Remove pot from heat.

8. Stir in parsley.

9. Season with salt and pepper.

Plants That Repel Mosquitoes

My Mom and I are mosquito magnets.  I know mosquitoes bother everyone, but this is different..  Plus with a pretty weak winter, were in big trouble this summer. Here is a list of plants that repel them.  A lot of these plants will not survive under 50 degrees, so they will need to come in for Winter.  These plants and trees provide only limited and short-lasting protection, but its better than nothing.

Catnip (Catnip is said to be 10 times more effective than DEET in repelling mosquitoes.) Citronella, or West Indian lemongrass, Rosemary  Marigolds  Lemon balm  Garlic  Clove  Beebalm, Horsemint Eucalyptus  Tea tree  Lavendar  cedar verbena pennyroyal pine cajeput cinnamon basil thyme allspice Peppermint 

[caption id="attachment_1122" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Beebalm, Horsemint[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="385"] Citronella, or West Indian lemongrass[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="347"] Catnip is said to be 10 times more effective than DEET in repelling mosquitoes.[/caption]

Happy Friday

"You've been mostly-dead all day"

oh my my my.  What I thought were allergies turned out to be a horrible case of strep throat.  I will not bore you will details, but I am happy to be back with the living! Here are some wonderful reasons to get out of bed:

Thanks Timber press for the inspiration to get moving!