Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day from me to you!

This is how I spent my Valentine's Day so far:

1. Volunteering with Citymeals-on-Wheels delivering food and Etsy Valentines.
2. Perusing the vast offerings of the Union Square Greenmarket. (I returned home with many treats! Maybe another cooking post is on the horizon.)
3. Being a human bookmaking machine in preparation for the ACC Show in Baltimore that is sneaking up on me...

What did you do for Valentine's Day?

Tools of the Trade: Antique Embosser

Drumroll, please... I present you my brand new/antique embosser. I have been using this to emboss all of my handmade books. I think the embossed seal takes my books to the next level! This is definitely my new favorite tool.

Wintery Potage Recipe

As you may know, I am a devout farmer's market goer. Every Saturday morning, I religiously pore of the week's offerings from the fine local farmers at the green market at McCarren Park. This time of year, the vegetable pickings are a bit sparse and I am always craving a piping hot bowl of soup. So, inspired by a recipe in Deborah Madison's cookbook, Local Flavors, I have been making this potage a winter staple.

Here's the recipe:

-3 small potatoes
-6 small turnips with tender skin
-5 1/2 cups vegetable stock (or water)
-3 large leeks
-sprigs of fresh thyme
-a bit of cream
-salt and pepper to taste

Add all the vegetables and a few sprigs of thyme to a large pot. Simmer for 5 minutes in a cup of vegetable stock. Add the remaining stock (or water). Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in a few spoonfuls of cream. Garnish with thyme (or parsley). Serve with good warm bread. Enjoy!

P.S. This is one of those soups that tastes even better the day after!

How-Tuesday: Make a Weekly Planner Book with Your Secret Admiral

Check out my latest how-to video made with wonderful Etsy admin Michelle and Eric!

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"This week, Etsy How-Tuesday helps you get organized for the New Year with Etsy admin Julie aka YourSecretAdmiral / julieincharge. Julie shows you how to make a weekly planner, which you an give as a handmade stocking stuffer or keep for all that organizing you'll be doing in the New Year. You can use your own design or download our pdf template."

Don't want to make your own? Buy one here and I'll ship it off to you post haste!
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The video also got a nice mention on Whip Up today!

Congrats to KnitKnit!

I just want to send a big ol' congratulations to my pal, KnitKnit! She will be Etsy's Featured Seller for the next couple of days. I am a proud owner of one her her eyeball ornaments. In fact, after my first excursion to the Acme Smoke Fish Co, Annalise and I picked up a Christmas tree. So, far the only decoration on said tree is a crowning KnitKnit eyeball ornament in place of a star. (Photos of that to come.)

Thanksgiving Feast

Dinner setting.


Homemade cranberry sauce.


The feast, in all its glory.


The pie parade.

A delicious Thanksgiving feast full of homemade treats! A 6 desserts to 7 person ratio always is a recipe for success in my book.

Scientist Dance-off

Of all the news I heard on NPR this weekend, there is one tidbit that stood out from all the rest... I venture to say that there is something very memorable about this equation: scientists + interpretive dancing= Dance Your PhD competition. Yes, competitive interpretive dancing for astrophysicists, molecular biologists, and the gang.

John Bohannon started this contest earlier this year and results were announced this past week. The rules of the competition are as follows: using no words or images, interpret your Ph.D. thesis in dance form. The grand prize awarded to the winners was a year's subscription to Science. If you'd like, you can listen to the whole NPR story here.

Although not voted as a winner, this video (above) by Christin Murphy about hydrodynamic trail detection in marine organisms, is one of my favorite entries. I'm not sure if the hula hooping or music selection or lobster outfits won my heart first.