tiny pies!

I have two interviews today. Eek!
I'm nervous, so I'm baking.

Today I'm baking strawberry tiny pies.
Recipe improvised, mostly.
However, I was initially inspired by the Tiny Pies at NotMartha.org

I decided to do a crumb topping, because, well, I like them most.

Currently Knitting: Lace circular scarf

Currently Hearing: Van Morrison

Currently Loving: the smell of fresh strawberries!

Seeing colors and celebrities.

Isn't it funny how people see so differently?
Sometimes I wonder if we see colors differently from each other and all have the same favorite color.
Sometimes we link things that other people don't see, kind of like when someone tells you that you look like someone and it makes you think: "...is this person smoking crack?"
Here are some people who I've been told I look like, and I've seriously considered the sobriety of the people telling me so.
(However, I do think Peppermint Patty's the most accurate. We have the same hairstyle, after all.)

Laura Veirs

Peppermint Patty

Joni Mitchell

Jan Brady

Truth: People are kook'd.

Pet Sounts Acapella

How did I not know about this?

Also, so I don't forget.
Cinnamon Oat Biscuits (Vegan)

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup quick oats
  
• 2 1/2 tsps yeast
• 1 cup water (1 1/4 cup all together, really)
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1 tbls cinnamon
• 4 tsps sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400* F.
2. Put yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, let sit for 5 mins.
3. Mix dry ingredients together.
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the yeast in, but an additional 1 cup of water.
5. Knead together a bit.
6. Let the dough rise for an hour.
7. Knead the dough, and roll out with a rolling pin.
8. Take a glass (I used what I like to call my goblet) and press it into the dough to cut out your biscuits.
9. Grease a cookie sheet and place those mothers on there to cook for 8 mins.
10. Take the biscuits out and sprinkle some sugar over them. Cook for 4 more mins.
11. Take out and let cool.
12. Eat!
    

If you're not vegan, honey would taste really fantastic on these as well.
Enjoy.

Truth: only people who hate sunshine, kittens, and happiness give up carbs.

The recipe I've been using as a backbone for my bread.:

• 2 1/2 tsp yeast (that's equal to one packet)
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt

Add some fun!:
Sweet: cinnamon, sugar, chocolate chips, nuts, yum!
Savory: pepper, garlic, sundried tomato, onions, whatever the eff you want.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400* F.
2. Put yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Let it bubble up. You know.
3. Put the flour and salt and whatever else in a mixing bowl.
4. Dig a little well in the middle of your dry mixture and pour the yeast in. Add an additional cup of water.
5. Knead the dough together a bit.
6. Let the dough sit for an hour.
7. Knead dough, grease your pan and I usually put olive oil over my bread and season it.
8. Bake for 15 min.
9. Fin!

Fabulous fabric!

I baked a huge strawberry mango tart out of the strawberries Jason and I picked from the front yard. It was delicious, however, I didn't really keep track of the recipe, so I will have to try to make it again before posting it here.


In other news:

1. Interview with AmeriCorps Tuesday! woo!
2. I've been baking my own vegan Italian bread everyday. So fun, so easy, so yummy, so inexpensive! ($1 for a loaf freshly baked bread is 10 times better than the arm and a leg normally paid!)
3. Did you know IKEA has a killer selection of fabric? Me neither!

Here are a few of my favorite groups:

Cecilia Fabrics
$2.99 / ydFredrika Fabrics
$6.99 / yd


Yes please!!

Currently Knitting: a lace circular scarf
Currently Hearing: Georgy Girl. Love it!
Currently Loving: Cute!

Strawbellies!

Jason and I have tiny strawberries growing in our front yard!

Honey, I'm going to bake something special out of you!

Cute!

Dear Dad,

My dad (right) and his best friend Paul (left), a photobooth in NYC, early-mid 1970's.

Dear Dad,
Since we can't be together this Father's Day, I wanted to do something special.
So I got to brainstorming.
There are three things about you that I know will never change:

1. Your love for my sister, my mother, and me.
2. How you love skiing and your guitars about a fraction less than you love us.
3. Your particularity of cookies.

My dad loves hard cookies. He just loves them.
Actually, anything that is not burnt is basically considered undercooked for him (I blame it on the fact that we're Italian Americans.)

So even though these cookies aren't hard, I've created a cookie recipe for my dad that could easily be overcooked and still taste great!
This recipe is perfect for making with kids, or your dad who still acts like a kid (like mine. Hence why I named this recipe...)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies for Lost Boys.

A perfect mix of what you would expect from an oatmeal cookie and a chocolate chip cookie into one!

What I used:

• A mixing bowl.
• Cookie sheets.
• My hands!
• A teaspoon and a tablespoon, or if you're fancy, you can use a cookie scoop.
  

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter (room temp)
  
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar (lightly packed!)
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups quick oats
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbl vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbls milk (I used soy milk)
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Cream butter in mixing bowl. Add the rest of those ingredients and mix them up, baby!
3. Place the dough in the fridge to chill for about a half hour (or however long you can keep yourself from sneaking nibbles of cookie dough, in my case...)
   
4. Take a teaspoon to scoop out the dough, and help to shape it with a tablespoon.
5. Place the shaped cookie dough on the baking sheets.
6. Bake for 11-13 mins (or 15 if you're like my dad and you like hard cookies.)
7. Take those babies out to cool.
8. Eat!

Happy Fathers Day, Dad!
Love,
Connie

First summer day and JJ.

She likes adventures, birds, carrot cake, being the boss,
and reading multiple books at a time.

Happy birthday, big sister.

I wish we were spending it together!
"Secret Address" -- The Motifs

The best part of living in Wisconsin.

Let's please pretend the yummy picture

is not really a picture of Jell-o.
Yuck-o!

Fresh Cherry & Oat Scones

Last week I created my first baking recipe, and I perfected it two nights ago while Jason and his bandmate, Tom, were playing music in the livingroom.
They seemed to love them, and I hope you will too!





Summer, I'm bringing you in, Pt. V:

Fresh Cherry & Oat Scones

Photo on Photograzing

What I used:

1. 2 mixing bowls
2. 2 baking sheets
3. a wisk, a fork, or whatever you disire for mixing
   
4. Your sweet little hands!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
  
• 1/8 cup quick oats (Just for a little texture. Also, a bit for sprinkling on top of the scones.)
• 1 egg (lightly beaten)
• 3/4 cup milk (I used soymilk.)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh cherries
• 6 tbls chilled butter (Cut into small pieces.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400*F.
   
2. Mix dry ingredients together in one bowl.
3. Mix wet ingredients together in one bowl.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
5. Pit cherries, cut into quarters.
6. Add cherries to ingredients.
   
7. Add the chilled butter, cut into tiny pieces.
8. Knead mixture together with hands, and separate into 9 triangles (or whatever shape you prefer.)
9. Place triangles onto your baking sheets with room for them to spread as they bake (I put 5 scones on one baking sheet and 4 on he other and they were fine.)
10. Once the oven is preheated, bake the scones for 15 - 20 mins, then add a pinch of oats to the top of the scones.
    
11. Bake for 5 more mins or until you can place a toothpick in those badboys and it comes out without anything wet and icky sticking to it.
12. Remove scones from baking sheets to cool.
13. Eat up!
    

Enjoy! Let me know how they come out and what you think of them!

Currently Hearing: Buddy Holly
Currently Sewing: Hanging Shoe Organizer
Currently Loving: Not getting lost.

My new home.

I arrived in Madison safely on Sunday night.
I live in a lovely area of town that is mainly inhabited by young families and couples in their late 20's. I live only a few blocks from the sweetest little fabric shop, and the loveliest market called Jenifer Street Market. I always think of my sister when I go there, not only because of the name they share but also because I know she would love it.



Currently Hearing: Patti Smith (I've been on a real Patti kick lately. What a sassafras!)
Currently Sewing: A Jumper, childrens size 2
Currently Loving: My new town.

HOLD UP!

Quick break from my Summer Stuff and onto some ultra sweet news!

My friends John and Mandie just got married in December and they just found out that they're expecting a baby in February.

Needless to say, since I found out I have been in a brainstorming wonderland of ideas of what I want to make for this baby, and for Mandie, too!

Item #1
A freaking CUTE reversible baby sling.

ex: Lotus Sling by JosieMichelle

Summer, I'm bringing you in. Pt. IV

Day Four:
Buy some Gelato and sit on your front porch with someone sweet!

Summer, I'm bringing you in. Pt. III

Day Three:
Buy seasonal fruit!

yummy and inexpensive!
(I bought a huge mango today for 40 cents!)
yay!

Summer Fruit Buying Guide via foodnetwork.com

P.S. I'm moving to Madison, WI in 6 days! I'm so excited!

Summer, I'm bringing you in. Pt. II

Day Two:
Rent a tandem bicycle with the one you love.

...or 8 of your best friends!

Summer, I'm bringing you in. Pt. I

It's starting to feel like summer to me,

although the weather is not cooperating, so I've been trying to compensate.

Something for everyday of the week to get
In the spirit of summer!

Day One:
Looking at lovely blast from the past bathing beauties.
Check out Millie Motts' stunning set of vintage beach photo's.

Things that are new.

1. I'm home from tour.
2. I've started signing up for the AmeriCorps.
3. Yesterday was my birthday. I received an Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer from my parents. I am so in love with her. I'll post pictures later.
4. I am going to Madison, WI (for a few weeks, for a few months, forever, whatever.)
   
5. Coney Island. My new side project. Go listen!

In other news:
Besides playing around with my dulcimer, I have been spending the majority of my first days home looking at illustrations from vintage children's books.
My favorite illustrators are:
Ruth Mary Hallock
Mabel Betsy Hill