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Every once in a while there are things I want to write about that might not fit into the food aspect of this blog. Instead of not sharing it or (worse) starting a separate blog, I’m starting a new section called Stuff I Love. These will all be products I really enjoy, and hopefully are things you’ll be interested in too! After August 10 some of the stuff I talk about in this section will be available for purchase in my OpenSky store. Anything else will include links on where to purchase.
Please note: none of the posts that are involved with this section are sponsored. Any item that I happened to receive for free or at a discount will be noted, but my opinions are solely my own.
Meme’s Boutique
I admit it, one of the most fun things about being a parent is buying adorable clothing for kids. This summer my son has been rocking a polo shirt and plaid shorts, and we found a tux for him to wear to my brother’s wedding when the kid was just 14 months old. Come ON! If you have a working biological clock and love dress-up it’s impossible to not die of cute every time you walk into a children’s clothing section.
Unfortunately with all of that cute sometimes you still can’t avoid buying the same thing as the six other boys in the daycare class. Not that the kids care, of course, but that’s not the point! Thankfully, there are stores like Meme’s Boutique to help us out.
The shop is run by a mom whom I got to know when we were both pregnant with our sons. Now she has two kids and in between taking care of them, creates t-shirts, dresses, bibs, and more.
My son rocked this super-soft T-shirt at my recent brunch, and even after a few more wears and washes, it’s holding up really well. I love the car pattern (as does my car-obsessed child) and of course its super snuggliness. I’m looking forward to buying more shirts, as well as picking up items for the multiple pregnant friends I have this year!
The prices are really reasonable for handmade items, ranging from $3.50 for a newborn tank to $16 for a girl’s 5T shirt.
Currently Meme’s Boutique is taking custom orders via the Facebook page, so visit and drop her a line!
What do Michael Ruhlman and I have in common?
If you said “nothing”, you’d be wrong! Besides our astonishing good looks, starting August 10 we will both be sellers on OpenSky.
That’s right, soon I will be following in Mr. Ruhlman’s foodie footsteps and creating a personalized store on this site. Personalized shopping is what OpenSky is all about, and I’m really excited about the concept. Being a home cook and a mom means a lot of stuff has the potential to enter my house, and I only want the best, most useful items. And I love talking about the stuff that really finds a home with me, so it is a perfect fit to be able to do that right here and provide a way for you to get it directly.
What kind of stuff will I be selling? Things like the home canning kit that is essential for making all those jams I am constantly talking about. My absolute favorite kids’ toys from Melissa & Doug will also be on there. Seriously, why wasn’t there a play sushi kit when I was a kid?!
OpenSky really works hard to get suppliers and sellers connected, so if there is something I think y’all would love, I’ll try my hardest to get it available! This store will be a very open, welcoming, and transparent environment, and I will be here to help YOU!
If you’d like to find out more about OpenSky, take a look at this segment on Good Morning America, where they were recently featured. If you want to become a seller on OpenSky, visit here.
I’m not a pickle person. The vinegar usually is what throws me off and keeps me away. However, after I made and tasted the pickled asparagus I thought I might be willing to give regular pickles another shot.
It was perfect that the July Can Jam challenge was cucurbits. That is, cucumbers, squash, melons, and the like. As I was casting about for ideas, I was hit by inspiration. By Eclipse.
To be clear, I am not a fan of the Twilight series. It just so happened that the weekend I was set to make these was the same weekend I ended up supporting a friend in need and seeing Eclipse with her to cheer her up. Since I find the series really fitting the word ridonkulous, what better way to honor it than with a food that in general vampire canon would kill them?
Makes total sense.
View the recipe over at Examiner.com
When a few of my blogging friends decided to make a project out of Bon Appétit magazine’s RSVP section, I knew I wanted to participate. The RSVP section is for recipes re-created at the request of readers who loved a certain dish at a restaurant.
For the July issues I chose the Mini Buttermilk Corn Muffins. I knew they would be perfect for my Cook for the Cure brunch, but I wanted to make them a little more savory to balance out the pastries I knew we would have. Luckily I had some Dai Due molasses bacon on hand, as well as roasted hot Hatch peppers I chopped and froze last summer.
The result was a super yummy bite-sized morsel with a bit of fire at the back end. These are perfect for any meal – with an omelet, a salad, or a bowl of chili.
Mini Hatch & Bacon Corn Muffins
(Slightly adapted from Bon Appétit July 2010)
Makes 16
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon (generous) kosher salt
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 slices bacon
1 tablespoon chopped roasted Hatch peppers
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat 16 mini muffin cups with nonstick spray.
Cook bacon until crisp and set aside on paper towels to drain. Chop into small bits.
Whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk sour cream, buttermilk, and egg in another medium bowl. Whisk in melted butter. Stir in dry ingredients. Add bacon and chopped pepper; fold just to incorporate. Divide among prepared muffin cups, about 1 generous tablespoon per cup.
Bake mini muffins until puffed and brown around edges, 13 to 15 minutes (tops will not brown). Cool slightly. Remove muffins from pan. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
I had such a fantastic time hosting my Cook for the Cure brunch yesterday. There was good company, good food, and plenty of yummy coffee to go around! Thanks to everyone who came, especially RetroBizzaro for the fantastic Austin Cream Pies and mini scones, and the amazing Kohana Coffee for bringing their cold brew and brewed-on-the-spot hot coffees. I’m really familiar with Kohana Coffee by now but I always learn more from them! Thanks guys!
I’ll have a longer recap on the brunch once I get some photo permissions (apparently hosting duties means I can’t remember to take good photos!) and the final donations.
For now, why don’t you head over here? I’m happy to say I’m now writing for Examiner.com as the Austin Farmers’ Market Examiner. My newest post is a recipe for the bread salad I served yesterday.
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