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.

A Weekend for Soup

February 2014 seems like the longest month and we are only 2 weeks in.  Irv is solo in CT working on sanding and painting the walls and trim of one of the bedrooms.  Because of the snow I stayed in NJ with our dog Lewis - who has not helped one bit with the endless driveway shoveling.  And, with the prospect of more snow I thought the only sensible thing to do (alone on Valentine's Day) was to make soup.  

When it comes to my top ten favorite cookbooks (and I counted recently- I have 175 in my personal collection and another 150 for sale when we have room in the Studio), The Daily Soup is my go to book for soup.

 Soup making seems to run in the family as my Dad is a big 'soup man' so whenever I come across a soup cookbook in the thrift store I pick it up for him.  So far, nothing beats the recipes in this book (ok a close second are the Moosewood cookbook soups and the sublime Curried Cream of Chicken soup from the Silver Palate).  Organized by ingredients (grains, tomato, potato, lentils, etc) I like books that feature a prominent ingredient since I am usually looking to make something that I have in the fridge or freezer and don't want to waste (I did not live through The Depression but some how I picked up this waste not, want not trait).  Cuban Black Bean, Chicken Garlic Bread and Butternut Squash with Parmesan are a few favorites, but for winter I head for the barley soups - chicken and beef.  

Barley must be making a comeback.  Trying to find it in the grocery stores used to be quite a hunt.  Usually when I asked a clerk where it might be, more often than not they didn't know what it was or where to locate it.  But recently I have found that it is sold out.  What?  Who is hoarding the barley?  Now I am going to have to stock up to get through this snowy winter.  Yes, indeed, it felt like a chicken and barley weekend.  I will try to save some for Irv when he gets home Sunday, but I found out that Lewis likes chicken barley soup too.

A long and snowy winter

Irv spent the weekend at the Hippie House assembling - installing inside shutters in the living room and putting together a table .  No small feat especially those darn shutters!

Nancy and I decided to take a drive to Chadds Ford and Kennett Square to check out some painted furniture and antique places.  We got lots of inspiration from signs to furniture to colors.  Here are a few:

Love the colors on these Foo dogs.  Watch for a new birdhouse in these Easter colors.

Great signs

I didn't like the color choice but I loved the feet on this table.  Weird and creepy and it reminded me of the toes of the garden dragon we saw in Newport

We tried to get into one of our favorite restaurants - the Cafe at Terrain in Glenn Mills PA but it seemed like everyone in Eastern PA was out that day....we settled for a hot dog and heartburn at John's Doggie Shop.  Love the sign!

A Glamorous Weekend

I did not expect the snow but it is winter so I guess I should not be surprised.  If you have to get stuck somewhere by snow, it might as well be here at the hippie house where we have plenty of work to do and a cozy fireplace.  This weekend Irv and I did the following glamorous things ( not in glam order):

1.  Cleaned up dog vomit

2.  Cleaned up dog vomit again except this time off the (NEW) couch

3.  Washed previously mentioned dog vomit from couch and blankets

4.  Ironed couch covers and got a vigorous workout trying to put them back on the couch (they resisted but I fought back)

5.  Steamed wallpaper off of walls (Irv - brave man.). Recently someone in a paint store told me they loved removing wallpaper - I said 'what are you nuts!'  One of the worst jobs in the world next to cleaning up dog vomit.

6.  Scraped paint off of French door windows

7.  Visited by a neighbor who wanted to let me know that she saw what she believed was a rabid raccoon in our yard.  All I could think about was me walking down the street with a foaming rabid raccoon heading my way and Irv does his Atticus Finch thing and shoots it.  So far, we have not spotted the critter (and don't want to) and Irv does not have a gun ( unlike the rest of the neighbors).  BTW:  this weekend was the end of hunting season.  Irv said earlier in the week it sounded like an artillery range in the back of the house with the locals getting their last licks at the resident duck population.  Daffy can rest easy for a while.

8.  Primed over VERY RED bathroom walls (me)

9.  Primed over ceiling, trim and wainscoting in (former) wallpaper room.  I am on a primer roll.

10.  Cooked what had to be the largest turkey meatloaf on the planet ( size wise - I mean it called for 5 lbs of ground turkey which should have been my first clue. Lesson to self:  READ the recipe before you begin).  It goes without saying that the dogs and Irv were fueled by turkey meatloaf for days.

My newly primed bathroom.  The claw foot tub is going to be a pain to redo but one step at a time

The good news is I just met another neighbor ( very nice young couple next door) while walking the dogs this morning.  He says he loves living here and apologized that his dog barks a lot (he says her bark is much worse than her bite).  Until now I have been calling it the mean dog house .  I can now call it Cary and Maureen's house.

Finally on another good note Nancy called to say the Ox design has been submitted.  Operation 'Secure the Ox' at Filling Station Studios so far is on course.  Another sneak peek - she is fabulous!!!  ( both Nancy and the design). 

    Agricolox the Ox!

A Gray Winter's Day - Time to Make Jam

January is usually the month that Seville oranges arrive in local markets and the month 2 years ago that Irv and I traveled to England to learn how to make real British marmalade.  Today we went to Whole Foods to see if they had Sevilles since I want to try and make the Seville Orange Black Pepper Jelly we also made 2 years ago.  Nothing.  The produce guy said they had some but they can't keep them on the shelves they get sold so fast. What?  When did all these Princetonians start making marmalade?  Now I'm on a freaking waiting list to get called when they come in.  Crazy!

So I went home and made a mixed berry jam using some blackberries I had picked in our garden over the summer with some strawberries and raspberries.

The house smelled like summer.  They came out great.  

In the meantime, Nancy has been working on a design for our Hopewell Valley 'Ox' that is due next week to the selection Committee.  Here is a sneak preview - 

Now I have to capture in writing the 'essence' of the design - Summertime in the Hopewell Valley??  Maybe the smell of berry jam will get me inspired.....