Who Thought Trenton could be so Hip?

This weekend was another Filling Station Studios weekend with my partner Nancy and I holding our March Open House this weekend.  The small paintings are very popular, especially the goats which I love.  What is it about the goats?  They are so charming!

We now have a Facebook page so please take a look (Facebook/fillingstationstudios) as well as a new Pinterest page.  We are very excited that we received notice that we are getting an Ox to paint as part of the Hopewell Valley Arts Council 'Stampede'.  We are waiting for its arrival and are trying to figure out how to get the thing in the door through the gas station office and into the studio door.  It is huge!  I mean REALLY huge. 

Sunday we went to the 'Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market'.  Nancy and I thought this could either be really bad ( such as lots of people selling tube socks) or funky -- and it was great!!!  So many young talented artists.  The place (old Roebling works) was fabulous and such a great vibe.  Lots of young families and our favorite - Food Trucks!  (NJ is so behind the curve on fab food trucks compared to CA).  Too bad it was rainy and cold, but loved the talent.

Look at the decoupaged figures, some made into lamps. 

And these tiny toy trucks for sale.

Irv turns 70

Last weekend Irv turned 70 - a milestone indeed.  We decided to go to the hippie house and celebrate with folks older than Irv ( I admit that I wanted to have a blow out rock and roll dance party in Lambertville but Irv said 'no' but perhaps a bowling party in the future?).  At any rate, it being Lent that means Friday Fish Frys!  I called my Dad about going to the Stonington Holy Ghost Society Fish Fry ( I really just like the name) but he said that the food was much better at the St. Edmunds Retreat fish fry in Mystic.  Sold.  I have lived on and off in the Mystic area and have never been to Enders Island which is right on Long Island Sound.  I have seen it by sea but not by land, and I wanted to visit because the chapel was build by Harald Hefel ( who was the previous owner of our house). It was a somewhat cloudy evening but here is the chapel that Harald  built.  Really beautiful.  

Here is the link to the retreat (better pictures).  https://www.endersisland.com

The food was fantastic.  Average age at the dinner was perhaps 65.  My Dad brought our long time neighbor Ruthie who bless her is 90 and still living by herself.  I realized that next to my father Ruthie has known me the longest - probably over 50 years.  I remember Ruthie as one of the ladies who sat on the beach the whole summer talking and watching the kids.  Lovely Lady.  

A British Bangers Weekend

I doubt if your average American can tell you what 'rusk' is.  I have read hundreds of cookbooks and never came across that ingredient.  But this weekend Irv decided he wanted to make British Banger sausages and a key ingredient is 'rusk'.  So I learned something this weekend (beside the fact that the spice Mace is not only hard to find but very expensive) - that rusk is basically a hard biscuit that then gets ground up somewhat like breadcrumbs. 

Very exciting. It is not every day in our house that the following ingredients are used, much less in the same dish:  hog casings, pork shoulder, mace and nutmeg (seemed a bit redundant), sage and ginger.  But they came out great - fragrant and creamy just like a good banger should be.  

The bangers did not disappoint but all the hype about the snow this weekend sure did.  I was expecting snowmagheddon and all we have so far is a dusting and delays.  I don't know whether this constitutes March coming in like a lion or a lamb?  I only know that we have a lot of sausages to eat.

Next weekend we will be at the Hippie House and celebrating Irv's 70 years young birthday.  We are hoping to have a drink at the Ocean House in Watch Hill.  There is a new film about Watch Hill (the hippie house is across the bay from Watch Hill).  See link to the trailor:

http://www.thewatchhillconservancy.org

Post script:  Irv cooked up a banger this morning-it did not disappoint!  Very yummy.