Sewing Adventures

Hello

Long time no sew!
(sorry, couldn't help myself) But in all seriousness it has been a while since I really sat down and got comfortable with the sewing machine... I've been feeling a bit burnt out sewing-wise and too busy with other projects. However I began to get terribly inspired from these patchwork and embroidery books:

And decided to sew new yoga bags for the shop and an upcoming market (more on this soon) I give you Tudor Roses and Apple Love:

And a little peek at the fabric for bags to come:

I've also whipped up two pairs of cotton pants for stretching and slinking around in the house (for slinking is exactly what one must do when wearing purple pants)

In other sewing adventures I want to spend a moment or two praising the gentle handiwork of etsy seamstress Lirola - who made this delightful dress for me in black to my exact measurements:

It is soft and lovely, and those pleats! Oh, I would happily take one of everything from her shop...

A Warming Lunch

For lunch I had home-made baked beans with the kidney and cannellini variety; also a little tomato, finely sliced capsicum, onions, bacon, mustard, treacle and bay leaves. It was simple to make, delicious and perfect for a cold and wet day like today.

I am going through a bagel-craze at the moment - its that they're so chewy, yet soft, and have a hole in the middle - this soy and linseed variety baked fresh at the local super market is especially delicious. But I can't go past blueberry bagels - they are my absolute favourite - I like them well toasted with a drizzle of honey, no butter, no ricotta...
just honey,
and a cup of tea,
and a cosy place to sit,
with a book (for the optimum experience)

I've decided to try my hand at making some in the next few days; I have a feeling they will resemble anything BUT bagels...

May your Wednesday be cosy and comforting
Love the Bean n Bagel Lady

A Quiet Winter Epiphany

Something brilliant
is growing
in my heart.

I feel it tingling
my toes
I breathe it into
my lungs -
I see it starry in
my eyes.

Something is growing,
and it is beautiful -
I know it.

Sahtayn!

I have a growing pile/list/stack of recipes and recipe books I want to use. Most of them are from little books I've thrifted - I love the feeling of cooking recipes from the past. None of this modern quick n easy nonsense; back to the good, wholesome food. For lunch today I made a Lebanese Cauliflower dish "Yakhnit al-Qarnabit" from Madelain Farah's "Lebanese Cuisine" published in 1972 it holds "over 200 authentic recipes designed for the gourmet, the vegetarian, and the health food enthusiast"and has an array of interesting, simple recipes. I love that she includes the original Arabic titles for each dish and gives an explanation on the origins of different recipes and the occasions they are made for.

"Yakhnit al-Qarnabit"

1 lb. minced or ground lamb (I used beef in this instance)
1 brown onion chopped
1 garlic clove finely minced
2 1/2 - 3 cups of vegetable stock
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper

Gentle saute onions in olive oil. Add garlic, spices and meat and continue to saute until onions are limp and meat is brown. Add cauliflower and stock (stock has to barely cover cauliflower). Bring to a boil, add rice and lower to a medium heat. You can add some extra spice here if you wish; I put in some ground coriander and little more cinnamon. Cover. Cook until rice is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before unmoulding. Serve with yoghurt, bread and tabouli or eat it on its own!

One of my hopes for these holidays (could a week have already flown by so quick?!) was to do a LOT of cooking - especially of recipes I have never tried. From the curious of stack of books above I have made a list of things I really really want to make (and never have before):

From Madelain's Lebanese Cuisine:

Shaykh al-Mihshi (Stuffed Eggplant)

Kibbi Qarnabiyyi (Lamb Stew with Kibbi)

Riz bil-Halib Lubnani (Lebanese Rice Pudding)"

From my all-Arabic Moroccan Sweets book:
(bought for $1 in Fez)

Kaab ghzaal (Moroccan Sweet Crescent biscuits)

Maakaroun (macaroons Morocco-style)

al-Masman (Moroccan pancakes)

From "Picasso + Pie" Blue Hill Buffet's Famous recipe collection by Lynne Thompson:

Homemade Baked Beans (with Burgundy)

Pate Style Meat Loaf

"One Dish Salad Super"

Cardamon Cake

Brioche

Minnesota Old Fashioned Spice cake (3 layers with white frosting)

From "The One-Pot Cookbook":

Flemish Stew

Baked beans (going to test against PP version)

From Family Favourites (all Vegan):

Dark Rye Bread

Granola

No-Egg Date Loaf

Tofu Burgers (will try making at least once)

And finally from "Chinese Dinner Party" 1971,

Prawn Dumplings

I have a feeling this list is growing bigger and bigger every day... Lets just wait and see what I can whip up in the next few weeks - I promise to post all of my attempts/successes/failures on here.

Bon appetit! Or as one can say in Arabic on completion of a meal Sahtayn! Two healths to you!

A great love

Thursday July 2nd, Berkelouw Books Newtown, 10.02 am

To breathe in your history

to run my fingers

along your dusty spine,

yellow wood, smudged ink -

To see great stories

take shape,

to be -

for a still moment

an emblem for 

humanity.

Celebrating

past, present, 

future -

to tell reality to go walk around the block

and let my eyes,

my nose,

my heart -

dance.

Will you join me?

Arncliffe Station

Monday June 29th,

I ride these tracks. I see this sky. I feel this breeze. So often.

Timely Advice

Sunday June 27th, 9.25 am 

Stumbling upon directive billboards early in the morning. Falling in love with the clouds behind. Recovering from a big adventure last night which included secret tunnels and climbing rocks by the sea. Giggling, and walking with a skip in my step. 

How much is that doggy in the window?

Saturday June 27th, 12.35pm

I know its been a bit quiet around here,
I've been sporadic with posts -
but can I tell you I had my last exam on Thursday,
and though it could have been better it is done -
I got unexpectedly laid off from my job yesterday
at the little paper shop -
(due to financial constraints)
And I've also got four and bit weeks off for my winter break,
So I've got a LOT of free time banking up...

That means:
-crafting like mad
-baking daily
-polaroid taking
-finishing my quilt
-writing letters
-sketching new scenes
-going on day trips
-reading and reading and reading
-and of course, lots and lots of posting on here.

But for now here are some of my favourite things at the moment:

1. Wearing Foxy
2. Impromptu tree climbing at night
3. Everything about a certain Alex

4. Sewing new yoga bags for the shop

5. Drinking warm milk Turkish style with honey and rose water
6. Reading Resurrection by Tolstoy, and the book of Micah

7. Writing on foggy windows in the morning

8. Watching (and giggling) at John Safran's "Music Jamboree".
9. Listening to Bowerbirds "Hymns for a dark horse"

10. This plate - and imagining it full of fresh hummus and raw vegetables.

How about you?

I will kiss violets

Oh boy oh boy was I excited when I saw a myriad of violets growing in the geese pen in my friend Sabella's garden yesterday. In order to get at them without the geese attacking me with their mid-afternoon fury Sabella and I devised a plan for her to distract them with lettuce and stick waving. Meanwhile I jumped the high wire fence (kinda regretting that now) and picked as many as I could.

I love violets. They are my favourite of favourites. I love their gentle petals, fragrance and brilliant purple shade. I love to eat them too. There's not a great deal of violet recipes; they're a bit old fashioned but I'd like to see that change. Lets bring violets back in.

Next visit I'm going to try and pick a few more bunches so that I can make violet syrup - which can be used for cocktails, ice cream, sorbet, cakes, creme-brulee and more...

But today I savoured my dear little bunch in a crunchy salad:

And gently warmed with milk and honey:

Oh violets,
how you make me sing,
quote Wordsworth -
tap my toes,
lick my lips
smile so wide.
I dream of making
a soft bed out of you
or sewing your tiny petals
to make a marvellous
spring coat -
I would start a violet farm
and let the children pick
haphazardly with me
on Sundays.
Oh violets,
How I love thee!

Over and out,
from the violet lady

Once More

Tuesday, June 23rd

Winter sky though unexpectedly warm in the sun. Rode the train to visit my sweet friend Sabella - who looks so haunting and beautiful against the maple tree. She denies it - but we see it plainly. Timeless beauty. Fresh scones. Steaming tea. Bedroom laughter. Watching (and hearing) the various exploits of her eight siblings. Dodging angry geese to pick violets. Dreams of the future...

Monday finds

Morning sunshine on my face. Fallen gold underfoot. Watching shadows emerge on canvas. Gentle hands.

Breathing in my city chimney by chimney. Catching glimpses of the harbour. And the first star to the left. A perfect precusor to a beautiful night. Tree climbing. And to be in your arms...

Pola-time

Monday, June 15th, 2009, 4.48pm. Catching the last whisps of dusk.

A revelation while poking around my room for study notes:

100 Polaroid films! I went crazy and stockpiled last year when I found out they weren't producing the film anymore... and then forgot I had them tucked away in a drawer in my room. I was shocked and terribly excited; they expired in May - but now in the fridge they should last a good while longer.

In celebration of the great Polaroid and to get cracking on using the film I've decided to take at least 1 photograph every day for a month - staring Monday June 22nd. I will also attempt to write a short (up to 20 words) spiel or poem with each shot. You are quite welcome to join in too. My Polaroid flickr page is looking pretty bare but I swears it'll be looking more presentable in a month's time.

I just love how unexpected, blurry, bright, over-exposed, exciting, instant Polaroid film is. It has the exact opposite effect of my SLR and I love that. So completely.

A Day of Essays and Berets

Finishing essays,
wanting to crochet
berets -
and talk to the trees.
Instead marching on
making word count,
flurrying into the
international comparative literature
office,
essay in hand -
beret on head.

I've made a black one and red one now.
And they're so soft and comfortable -
I'm telling you
berets are back in
(not that they ever went out in my books)

Finding post on the way home,
Two little bird prints
by the beautiful
Mexican artist
Geninne D. Zlatkis
I think Mexico
produces some brilliant stars
(Frida especially)

And I also found
this beautiful leaf -
I'm certain that
it was smiling at me,
radiating up
from the concrete.

I hope you're having a bright Thursday.
Can I tell you that everything is marvellous?
That I am feeling really good.
Really good.

Sometimes

I want to let my

hair go,

and run barefoot

through the streets.

Sometimes

I feel like bursting

with laughter

on an overcrowded

peak-hour train,

or gently weep

at the library 

entrance.

There are days

when I twirl

my umbrella in my hands,

skip instead of walk,

smile when

everyone else is frowning.

There are moments

in time

when I will sing

at the top of my lungs -

the name of my lover,

and of ancient truths.

I will sail a paper boat

in the ocean,

I will kiss violets,

and let ribbons fly in the wind.

I hope

I will be remembered for my love.

Dusk dazzle

Dusky dazzle
When the day is closing in,
Treading home from work -
shuddering in our scarves,
the sky goes razzmatazz
(flames on the horizon)
and I laugh out loud
in pure joy -
Airy gold
of worth beyond our dollars,
reminding us that nature is never spent -
That life is mystery.
Life is good.