Breakfast of Brides

I had an early start today because it's the day I picked up my marriage license!  It's less than a month to go until The Fiance and I are joined together in marital bliss and we whisk ourselves off to a sunny and beachy all-inclusive resort somewhere in NotMichigan...  


Well, I got the whole marriage license thing taken care of at about 8:15am and I thought to myself, "What bridal errand can I run at this early time in the morning?"


Naturally, the answer was: CUPCAKES!


[I am hoping to have some delicious cupcakes served at my wedding for dessert alongside some yummy melt-in-your-mouth-if-you-are-so-lucky-to-taste-them french macarons]


Anyway, I parked in front of the first bakery I saw and said "Good morning, I have a wedding coming up and I'd like to serve cupcakes for dessert."  And guess what? BAM! The bakery owner hands me a paper with cupcake pricing and- not one- but TWO cupcakes as samples!


People, this could become a really bad habit.

Door-to-Door

Yesterday I received my first shipment of organic (and locally when available) produce from a company called Door to Door Organics.  I found them via Groupon, which I subscribe to.

Little did I know that this "small" box of produce would contain a "veritable cornucopia of wholesome sustenance", as The Boyfriend put it.  By the way, I just called the shipment a "wonderful bounty" but The Boyfriend had to one-up me by throwing in a handful of 3-or-more-syllable words in there.


Take a look:

Included in this week's box were the following:
1 lb. Red Skin Potatoes
1 lb. Yams
1 ea. Spinach bunch
1 ea. Leaf Lettuce
1 ea. Green Bell Pepper
1 ea. Chard bunch
1 ea. Celery
1 ea. Cauliflower
1 ea. Broccoli
2 ea. Valencia Oranges
1 ea. Kiwi Berries (1/2Pint)
2 ea. Jonagold Apples
2 ea. Gala Apples
2 ea. Red Starkrimson Pears
2 ea. Bartlett Pears


YUM!!


I kept some fruits here at home and took the rest over to The Boyfriend's house where I cooked us all a delicious soup with some of the veggies.  Bliss!  Cooking a good, organic and healthy meal for my loved ones is something that I really love doing.  It's not just food... it's LOVE... in their bellies!


Check out Door to Door Organics!

Cozy Curry Soup

I made a wonderful soup last night and I wanted to share it online. I'm not very good at writing recipes down-  Mostly I just chop things up and put them together without a notion of how many cups of this or how many tablespoons of that I used.  

Make on a cool or rainy day for best results!

Ingredients:

Onion

Celery

Carrot

Napa Cabbage

Bok Choy

Shitake Mushrooms

Green Onions

Extra Firm Tofu (cubed)

Vegetable Boullion

Curry Powder

Ginger Powder

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

1. Chop all the veggies and tofu up and add them to a big pot, throw enough water in there to cover all the ingredients.
2. Add 1 big tablespoon of vegetable bouillion (or chicken, if you aren't vegetarian)
3. Add 2 big tablespoons of curry powder (add more if you really love it)
4. Add a dash of ginger powder
5. Cook over medium heat until the potato is soft but not mushy.

The end result should look something like this:

Serve in a big bowl, put in a good movie, cuddle up on the couch and enjoy!

Dally in the Alley

Happy Monday!


Can't believe the weekend came and went so quickly! In a flash it's over and it's back-to-work day again... Sadly.


This Saturday, The Boyfriend and I went on a little trip to downtown Detroit to go to the Dally in the Alley, a street fair in Detroit held in... well, the alley!  There was music, fun, artists, freaks, and tons of fun to be had. 

There were 4 music stages set up in the Dally, hosting a variety of amazing bands.  Detroit, by the way, has amazing music. 

We ended up at Slows Bar BQ for lunch.  Slows is an institution of Detroit (I say so), they have THE BEST bbq that I have ever had, in a really cool setting.  They have every type of beer from all over the world.  The Boyfriend and I had a seat at the bar and enjoyed a wonderful meal and conversation.  

If you ever find yourself anywhere near Detroit... VISIT SLOWS! You will not regret it!

Detroit is amazing. I love it, and it suits me.  I can imagine how gritty and maybe even dangerous it looks to outsiders, but the fact of the matter is that Detroit has CHARACTER.  It is real, it is raw, and it is not made up like some other cities are, yet it is beautiful, if you get to know it.

Detroit hosts a huge collection of buildings by Mies van der Rohe, called Lafayette Park, which was the first urban renewal project in the entire USA.  Not only was Detroit a main location for the industrial revolution, but also, it was an important stage for the Arts and Crafts Movement which countered it.  

I will have to write another post about the things I have learned about Detroit soon.  In the mean time, I would really like to refer you to Sweet Juniper! - a blog by James Griffioen, to learn more about the city from a person who actually lives and raises a family there.  His voice is amazing and I'm amazed how many great things I've learned about Detroit (history, places, things to do, etc) from reading his blog.  Even if you do not want to learn more about Detroit, Sweet Juniper! should still be on your to-read list.

With that, I leave you to go forth and earn my bread and butter.  I hope to have some new work on the shop this week.

PS: OMG! I totally forgot!  Please visit Tall Dark Roast for my interview with Etsy artist Ben Kafton and other yummy posts!

I Love September

Last Saturday was the first real autumn day that we've had here in Michigan.  It's like autumn can't wait to bust out in all its glory.  Here, autumn comes with hot apple cider, warm cinnamon donuts, beautiful foliage, cozy sweaters and cool breezes on sunny days.  I LOVE!


The Boyfriend and I went grape picking at a nearby farm.  It was amazing!  They had so many different varieties of sweet grapes and we ended up picking more than we initially thought we could eat.  Little did I know that there is no such thing as a limit to the amount of grapes we can eat.  We need to go grape picking again next weekend.

Labor Day was relaxing.  We ended up going to the Apple Store to marvel at the technology (no purchases, though) and imagine having his and her iMacs with huge screens, we got groceries, then we watched some TV and then we went to the gym for a mini-workout.  It was the perfect day- but how could it not be? Everyone knows that a great day is to be had when one buys fresh basil and shaved parmesan cheese.


I'm putting the final touches on a new print and will hopefully have it in the shop soon.  I'm also excited to be an upcoming contributor to Tall Dark Roast and hopefully I will have my first article ready soon!


Life is good and I am grateful.

A Cherimoya! A What? A Cherimoya!

I started my day off with a quick trip to the gym (lame workout, but I am still glad I went), a coffee run to my nearest Starbucks, and then a stop at ye ole grocery store.  I haven't done groceries in a long time! I've been surviving on bread, tuna, a gigantic zucchini bought at a farm stand near The Boyfriend's house last week, and coffee for a while now (bad idea).  


Anyway, I saw this beautiful thing in the "exotic" fruits section of the store and I just had to get it.

It's called A Cherimoya!

There's really no other way to say it (or write it) other than "A Cherimoya!"

Here is what it looks like-

Now, I grew up in Mexico, so I'm no stranger to fruits that are considered "exotic" around Michigan, such as papaya, mango, maracuya (passion fruit), mamey, etc.  But until today, I didn't know that A Cherimoya! existed.  So I got one.

I got to my apartment and began my analysis.  The first thing I noticed was that it was pleasantly heart-shaped (liking it already).  The next thing was the skin.  The skin of this heart-shaped fruit is like armor, or like crocodile skin.  I grabbed the knife and proceeded to slowly dissect the armored specimen, secretly hoping the inside was a peachy, pinkish color.  It wasn't.  It was just a creamy white.  

It smelled a little pungent. But not in a bad way.  It has big brown seeds shaped like whole almonds, which I removed in order to take a bite.

Now, after all this build-up you're probably expecting me to say that it tasted like heaven sprinkled with rainbows.  Sorry to disappoint you, but no.  It tasted like the child of an orange and a nut.  A Cherimoya! tasted a little bit bitter too.  But not in a bad way.

So, in short, my adventure with A Cherimoya! this morning was a little underwhelming.  But not in a bad way.  

At least now I know what A Cherimoya! tastes like!

Wishing for Figs

I have been daydreaming about figs lately.  Up until a few days ago, I hadn't eaten one in over 10 years, and I wanted to get some just to remember what they taste like.  I wasn't actively pursuing the figs (i.e. going to the store and buying them), but I just kind of new that they would somehow magically find their way into my hands (and then my tummy!).  And on Monday, completely out of the blue, I got my figs!  Turns out The Boyfriend had gotten them as a gift from someone and decided to share them with me.  Sweet Boyfriend...


This just reaffirms my belief in the law of attraction- the idea that thoughts influence reality.  I believe in "The Law", not in a cult-y, weird way... but as just another truth of life (like gravity, life and death, or nature) because it has been demonstrated to me over and over and over throughout my life.  And the figs are just the latest demonstration that sometimes if you want something, and you direct your thoughts towards it, it will come to you.


Hopefully this post inspires you to put The Law into practice for something you wish for.  And if by any chance you don't wish for anything in particular, at least think of abundant happiness.

The Freshness

Hello there! 


One of the things I enjoy the most during the summer and fall is the bounty of fresh produce that we get in Michigan.  There are so many farm stands all around and it's wonderful to stop in and pick up some fresh sweet corn, some crispy kale, gigantic zucchini, a wonderful assortment of berries and cherries, crisp apples, or the sweetest peaches you can imagine. It is delightful to know that any given day I can get my produce locally grown and so fresh! 

The Boyfriend and I have been diligently working on painting the dining room/kitchen and we're almost done.  We're exactly three beers and some Thai takeout away from finishing, and it's exciting to see that the end of Crazy Home Makeover Week is thisclose.  It's been wonderful so far, though.  We work well together and I'm enjoying helping make his home a little more welcoming and cozy.


In more upbeat news, I've been stealing tiny bits of time here and there to work on the prints and I am happy to report that I have a total of 7 prints ready.  This means that I'm almost to my self-imposed goal of 8 prints, which in turn means that I'll be in business in no time... somewhere around 5 grande caffe americanos, 2 Red Bulls, and 4 Diet Cokes.  


And yes, around here we measure time in food and drink sometimes.


I can't believe I started Swell Papel only 2 weeks ago (approximately 1 bottle of wine, 4 Diet Cokes, 70 oz of french pressed coffee, 6 cereal bars, one yogurt, 2 bags of popcorn, and a tuna sandwich ago).  


Wow.

The Handmade Marketplace

I picked up a copy of The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin the other day.  I'm finding it amazingly helpful and I'm so glad she rounded up other people out there who know a thing or two about the business.  

I'm getting some great pointers from this book and I highly recommend it!  So far I've followed most of the recommendations on Chapters 1 and 2, and I'm making great progress! In just one day I was able to come up with a name, set up a blog, set up a shop at Etsy, file for an LLC, draw up some sketches, and order a few materials I need to get Swell Paper started.  Whew!  It sounds exhausting but it has been surprisingly enjoyable.

I'm especially looking forward to tomorrow because I should be getting my copy of Illustrator in the mail.  I really need to get re-acquainted with it.  It's been a while since I last used it and I'm somewhat scared (but in a good way)! 

Now I'm off to make dinner for The Boyfriend who's stopping by shortly.  

Tonight's Menu

Tofu with zucchini, and mushrooms

Brown rice

Fresh arugula salad with hemp/lemon dressing