printed hand towels

i block-printed these hand towels with carved wood and rubber blocks, using my arrow and laurel wreath blocks. ink is black speedball for fabric. hand towels from west elm.

talkin with my mouth full of zucchini bread

i recently finished talking with my mouth full by the lovely gail simmons. good read. i recommend it to anyone out there that likes food and / or books about food. gail is a gem. anywho, the final section of the book includes some of her favorite family recipes, including a recipe for zucchini bread.

i stumbled upon said recipe right as i had also found myself with an abundance of zucchini from the summer CSA box. what is one to do with three zucchinis per week?  make zucchini bread and eat it everyday, that's what. 

i learned that it is also nice to give a loaf to a friend. That is, if you find friends who appreciate sweet quick breads made mostly of vegetables. My secret tip: just tell your friends it's cake, made from pure cake ingredients. [Cake is a more popular and socially acceptable gift than vegetable bread.] They'll never know the difference. That's just how charming you are, how gullible they are and how delightful this treat is. 

ZUCCHINI BREAD
Adapted from Gail Simmons' Talking with My Mouth Full
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp table salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two loaf pans. Mix dry ingredients and set aside. In a stand mixer or mixing bowl beat the eggs, add in the sugar, oil & vanilla and mix. Add in the zucchini, mix until just combined. Divide the batter between the two loaf pans. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.  

the zingiest pasta of summer

hey peeps. just devoured a pasta like this at cuoco.  i'm all about lemon, garlic & spice and have been all over this since i figured out how to replicate it at home.

Dan isn't big into carbs so it's my go-to when he's not home.

SPICY LEMON, GARLIC & PARM SPAGHETTI
If you're eating for 1, here's what you'll need (multiply accordingly if there are other guests in your party, or extra hunger in your belly):

8 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup parsley (finely chopped)
1 tbsp butter
splash of olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (use your microplane)
zest of half a lemon (or zest of a full small lemon, use your microplane again)
spaghetti for one, can be quinoa or regular gluten pasta (cooked al dente in heavily salted water)

cook your spaghetti in heavily salted water (i heard somewhere that pasta water should taste like the ocean). drain and set cooked pasta aside. add butter, olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes to your pan. cook about 5 minutes on low heat, until garlic is cooked and not brown and the spice of the flakes begins to develop. add in lemon zest. add in your pasta. toss. remove from heat and add in your finely grated parm.

get that pasta into a bowl and slurp it up.    

green arrows

ARROZ VERDE (spicy green rice)
2 cups long grain white rice (jasmine or other)
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup verde salsa or sauce (Herdez)
1/4 cup cilantro
4 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno
1/4 of a white or yellow onion
1 package of cotija cheese, crumbled
1 cup of cheddar, grated


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cilantro, garlic, onion & jalapeno in a food processor, pulse until chopped. Bring broth & verde salsa to a boil and stir in rice and cilantro/onion/garlic/jalapeno mixture. Cover and reduce heat to low, cook for 20-30 minutes or until rice is done.  Stir in cotija and 1/2 cup of cheddar until just mixed. Transfer to a baking dish and cover with the remaining cheddar. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and slightly browned.

lard guy

i'm pretty into anything spicy, tangy & salty, and the absolute best is when the three flavors combine.  larb gai is quick to whip up and can be served hot in the winter or cold in the summer, or medium temperature any time of year.

LARB GAI

2 tablespoons roasted rice powder (available at Asian markets in the spice aisle)

16 ounces ground chicken breast (you can also use dark meat, pork or beef)

1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder, preferably Thai or Lao

8 teaspoons fish sauce (nam pla)

2 limes, juiced

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup slivered red onions

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons sliced green onions

10 whole mint leaves

Iceberg lettuce leaves for serving

4 cups cooked sticky or jasmine rice, for serving.

Mix lime juice, fish sauce and sugar in a small bowl and set aside. In an oiled wok on medium heat, cook the ground chicken, stirring to break up any chunks.  Remove from heat and place chicken in a mixing bowl, add the rice powder and chili powder and stir. Add in the onions, cilantro, green onion and mint.  Pour the lime, sugar and fish sauce mixture over the ingredients and stir to combine.  Spoon onto a plate and surround with mint and lettuce leaves. Serve with rice or scoop larb into lettuce leaves.

sleepy in the tepee

Because 1) I like to remind charlie & henry that they are 3/32 shawnee and 2) it's important to sleep in style even if your preferred water source happens to double as a toilet for humans. the tepee is from loyal luxe, who also sells a line of sharp doggy bow ties.

smiley side up

savory biscuits make the best bookends for bright and early weekend breakfasts. bake those biscuits and while they're still piping hot, stuff with your favorite morning meats. my go-to combo is ham, fried egg and better cheddar.

Smiley Breakfast Sammies for Two
2 fried eggs 
4 slices ham
2 slices cheese of your choosing
2 savory biscuits (recipe below)


Savory Biscuits
½ c milk 
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
½ stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
¼ cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup grated cheese (cheddar or cheese of your choice)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat together the milk and the egg and then set aside. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt. Rub the butter into the flour mixture, working until you have no butter lumps bigger than a pea. Add the green onions and cheese and toss to mix. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, reserving just a little bit of the milk-egg mixture to use as a glaze. Bring dough together gently with a wooden spoon. Turn dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead it a few times. Pat dough into a round, approximately ½-inch thick, and use biscuit cutter or small glass to cut into rounds. Place on an parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, glaze biscuits and bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and fill with your breakfast sandwich fixings.