Cupcake Assistant

I love witty food art.

via Ted Roden

Seeing Stars, 3.30.09

It's time for this week's edition of Seeing Stars, where I share some of my favorite blog posts that I've starred in Google Reader from bloggers I admire.

Here we go!

I don't celebrate Easter, but I love the colors, symbols, and CANDY associated with it.
DIY Homemade Marshmallow Peeps by Kathleen at Twig & Thistle














Birdy pick of the week by topbird at Wee Birdy










Sneak Peek: The Jewels of New York by Grace at Design*Sponge. I need a chicken coop pantry, please.


















Cakesicles by Nicole at Baking Bites


















Seven Vegetable Couscous with Chunky Onion Harissa by Sarah at Pink of Perfection












Butterscotch, Baby! by Bakerella












In the Kitchen With: Petrina Tinslay by Grace at Design*Sponge


















Sudoku Pizza by Adam at Slice via Serious Eats














Bonne Maman, Recycled by Emily at Wide Open Spaces


















White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups by Erin at Erin Cooks

The Colors of KitchenAid

I know I wrote a mixer post less than a week ago, but I'm slightly obsessed with KitchenAid and colors. My husband sent me this video about the history of the colors of KitchenAid. He knows me so well!

Via BoingBoing



P.S. Mine's the Blue Willow color. Its name is Little Blue. I have the matching blender, toaster, and food processor. What color is yours?

A Cookbook Revelation

Greetings from Omaha! I made a new-to-me discovery very late last night when I was wide awake on West Coast time. I'm obviously a huge fan of Google and all its products (who isn't?)... but Google Books? I can't believe I've never played with this before. I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what's available there, but what I did look at was cookbooks. Wow.






I adore cookbooks, even though I don't use them as often as I'd like, so I feel like a kid in a candy store. Or...an amateur cook in a free cookbook store? There are many, many cookbooks that are either partially or entirely online and available for public viewing/printing/use. I used the advanced book search feature with the limited preview and full view option, and entered "cookbook" in the subject field.

I've been adding books to my shared public library. You can see my picks here. I'd love to know if you come across other interesting finds.

See? Here's a screenshot from the Moosewood Cookbook.






















p.s. Still working on that RSS feed post layout issue. Sorry for the ugliness.

CSA Week 8

- Fuji apples
- Oyster mushrooms
- Kiwis
- Navel oranges
- Arrowhead cabbage
- Baby spinach
- Carrots
- Green leaf lettuce
- White onion

The Lane County Farmer's Market starts next weekend! I've been counting down the days since it ended last year. I'm thinking about putting the CSA on hold when our subscription runs out in a few weeks, so I can play at the Farmers' Market, one of my favorite things to do. It's nice to know that the CSA will always be there if we want to go back.

We found some old pictures recently that I thought I had lost forever. Among them were some shots of my first visit to the Farmers' Market here.







I'm headed "home"* to Omaha, Nebraska tomorrow for a long weekend with my dearest mommy (yes, I'm in my late 20s and I still call her mommy). I'll surely be Twittering away while I'm there.

*Omaha is one of several places I'm lucky enough to call "home."

KitchenAid Glass Bowl

It's been rumored for a while now that KitchenAid was developing a glass mixer bowl to commemorate the 90th anniversary of their stand mixer. Well, it's true, and it will be available for purchase next year (it's available this year only with the new candy apple red special edition mixer)! I'm thrilled about this news. Why do I care so much? I have a strange aversion to metallic kitchen utensils, specifically the kind of brushed metal that lines the inside of my KitchenAid mixer bowl. It gives me the chills. Plus, it'll be neat to be able to see through the bowl and also to use the bowl as a liquid measuring device.
via The Kitchn



















p.s. If you read Playing House through an RSS feed, I've been having some post layout issues in feed readers since I rearranged the blog last weekend. Please bear with me 'til I straighten it out.

Seeing Stars, 3.23.09

Today's Monday, which means it's time for Seeing Stars, my weekly feature where I share inspiring posts written by bloggers I admire, from my Google Reader starred items, past and present.

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad by Rachel at Coconut & Lime















Roasted Pepper Crackers by Katy at Sugarlaws














When the Moon Hits the Sky by Cathy at Noble Pig, featuring crave-worthy Pasta Pie


















Locavore 1.0: Find Local, in Season Food on Your iPhone by Serious Eats (I purchased this app last week, I'd say it's worth the $2.99)















Online Cooking Shows by Anne at EAD Living













Fairy Party by Sara at Party Perfect















Cheddar and Blueberry Pancakes by Aleta at Omnomicon



















Lemon Custard Cakes by Kelly at Design Crush

















Craving Pao de Queijo by Emma at The Kitchn














And last but definitely not least, Red Velvet Cake by Nicole at Pinch My Salt














Have a great week!

Extreme Makeover: Blog Edition

I gave my blog a little makeover with some help from my wonderful programmer husband! The original plan I had to redo my blog fell through, so we took a bit of a DIY approach. I'm really happy with it, at least for now until I change my fickle mind in 5 minutes... hope it's easy on your eyes too!

CSA Week 7

I'm sure none of you noticed, but we skipped a CSA box, so I'm calling this Week 7. Last week we gave our share to some friends since we were out of town for a bit.

Here are this week's goodies:


- Red chard
- Asparagus
- White onion
- Lemon
- Celery
- Daikon radish
- Granny smith apples
- Clementine tangerines
- Ruby grapefruit

Pretty routine, except for... what the heck to do with the daikon? I think I'll head to Food Blog Search for that one.

Some other food & garden-related snippets:

- My blogging buddy Anne K. wrote an informative post about CSAs for EAD Living today.

- The Obama family plans to break ground on their White House veggie garden tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

- Give what you grow... an important reminder about an easy gesture to share your garden bounty with those less fortunate. via Kirtsy

What's Your Cooking Personality?

Oh I'm so excited, I can hardly type fast enough! Just found the neatest thing. Cooking? Personality test? By researchers at my alma mater, Cornell University? Check, check, check! This food-related personality quiz was developed by Cornell researchers and printed in the New York Times yesterday. You can find the article here. My result was overwhelming, and not at all surprising:

A) Giving: Friendly, well-liked and enthusiastic, giving cooks seldom experiment, love baking and like to serve tried-and-true family favorites, although that sometimes means serving less healthful foods.

Ok here it is! What's your personality?

1) When I prepare a meal, I typically:

a) Rely on classic dishes my family has always enjoyed.
b) Follow a recipe step-by-step.
c) Substitute more healthful ingredients.
d) Go all out and try to impress my guests.
e) Rarely use recipes and like to experiment.

2) Some of my favorite ingredients are:

a) Lots of bread, starches and red meat.
b) Beef and chicken.
c) Fish and vegetables.
d) A trendy ingredient I saw on the Food Network.
e) Vegetables, spices and unusual ingredients.

3) In my free time I like to:

a) Visit with friends and family.
b) Organize the house.
c) Exercise or take a fitness class.
d) Be spontaneous and seek adventure.
e) Take part in creative or artistic pursuits.

4) My favorite things to cook are:

a) Home-baked goodies.
b) Casseroles.
c) Foods with fresh ingredients and herbs.
d) Anything that lets me fire up the grill.
e) Ethnic foods and wok dishes.

5) Other people describe me as:

a) Really friendly.
b) Diligent and methodical.
c) Health conscious.
d) Intense.
e) Curious.

There may be overlap in the answers you give, but is there one letter that you picked most often? Here’s what your answers say about your cooking style:

a) Giving: Friendly, well-liked and enthusiastic, giving cooks seldom experiment, love baking and like to serve tried-and-true family favorites, although that sometimes means serving less healthful foods.

b) Methodical: Talented cooks who rely heavily on recipes. The methodical cook has refined tastes and manners. Their creations always look exactly like the picture in the cookbook.

c) Healthy: Optimistic, book-loving, nature enthusiasts, healthy cooks experiment with fish, fresh produce and herbs. Health comes first, even if it means sometimes sacrificing taste.

d) Competitive: The Iron Chef of the neighborhood, competitive cooks have dominant personalities and are intense perfectionists who love to impress their guests.

e) Innovative: Creative and trend-setting, innovative cooks seldom use recipes and like to experiment with ingredients, cuisine styles and cooking methods.

Portland vs. Seattle

We came to Eugene from Los Angeles in 2006 with plans to stay a while. We even bought a house. Since then, I've come to realize that while it's lovely, I don't think it's the right match for the long term. We will be here at least another year until I'm done with graduate school. Hopefully by then the housing market will be starting to stabilize. We love the Pacific Northwest, and I've kept Portland in the back of my head as the front runner for the next place we'll live in. When we were in Washington last weekend, though, we started talking a bit about the possibility of Seattle.













source

I don't know much about Seattle... Although I've been through and around it a lot, I haven't spent any time there, especially compared to Portland, a city I know pretty well by now.













source

So, my questions for anyone out there who's been to or lived in either city or both: Pros/cons? Opinions? Similarities/differences? Please share! This is a decision that's still far off in the future, but I'm a planner, so I'll take all info I can get.

Seeing Stars, 3.16.09

Happy Monday! I'm officially on Spring break. Can you hear my sigh of relief from way over there? Here's this week's edition of Seeing Stars (some of my favorite posts, past and present, from bloggers I admire). Enjoy! (All images come from the site they're listed with)

Edit: I originally posted the wrong video for the last item. The one below is the one I meant to post.

The United Plates by Emily at Wide Open Spaces


















Meyer Lemon Curd and Chamomile Vanilla Mousse Verrines by Helen at Tartlette


















Gap Lightweight Striped Hipslung Pants by Outblush


















Still the one... featuring white chocolate chip banana toffee pound cake by the ever-witty Peabody at Culinary Concoctions by Peabody


















Weeder's Digest: Daffodils by guest blogger Sarah of Saipua on Design*Sponge (Daffodils and poppies are my 2 favorite flowers. This is my dream bouquet!)
















Gumdrop Cookie Shop's Couture Cookies from Mackenzie at Something Old, Something New









Fabric covered magnets by Jess at How About Orange












Sweet Find: Laura's Left Hook featuring Etsy seller Laura's Left Hook from Rebecca at Oh So RB












Cucidati (Italian Fig Cookies) by Chelle at Brown Eyed Baker














Everyone is Beautiful Video from Mary at It's Pretty Good. (I usually have an irrational aversion to Youtube videos, but trust me. Watch this.)

Who Likes Presents?

One of my favorite blogs I that read while planning my wedding was Elizabeth Anne Designs. I was excited when, not long after I got hitched, the ladies behind EAD launched EAD Living, for their readers who are former-brides-turned-wives (and everyone else too, of course).









Today, Anne posted a fun pay-it-forward game, and I jumped in to play along. For a long time, I was a fanatic of swapping at Swapbot until I had a really unfortunate experience that turned me off to it a year or so ago. I enjoyed doing it so much because I love giving/making things for other people, but sometimes I need that extra structured motivation! This kinda reminds me of that, but much better.

Here are the rules. If you want in, shoot me an email at amysgotmail {at} gmail {dot} com.
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The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations so please read carefully:

• I make no guarantees that you will like what I make but I will do my best.
• It'll be done in the next couple months.
• You have no clue what it's going to be - that's the fun part!

It could be something paper, something sewn, baked goods, a mix CD, a collage, an embellished matchbox, another surprise, or some combo of these items. What will it be? You'll have to wait and see! I reserve the right to do something completely bizarre or completely normal.

Here's the fine print:
In return, all you need to do is post this text into a note of your own and make 5 things for 5 others. What could be more fun!!!! (change the above to stuff you do) Some ideas you could do for others: (artwork, CD's, Burn a DVD, write a poem, make a mini book, send a photograph (a printed one, not e-mailed. etc...) Oh, and you will need to provide me with your snail mail address. Send it to the email address above.
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Thanks Anne for including me!

Back In Town, For Now...

We had a lovely getaway this weekend. It's always nice to visit Port Townsend, if only for less than 48 hours. Such a quaint, historic Victorian town with awesome shops and superb restaurants. The digs aren't too bad either, my uncle has a property in the middle of nowhere on a bluff overlooking the water. It's part of a land trust, so the area can never be developed. The perfect place to escape civilization for a while.

Our friends Eric and Shelby, along with their dog Lindsay, joined us up there. The weather was nuts: it was sunny, rainy, cold, blizzardy, warm, rainbow-y, and everything in between during our short stay. It was nice to escape, but it's wonderful to be home. I have one giant paper standing between me and 2 weeks off from school... which, of course, is why I'm blogging.

Now the fun part, pictures!

My uncle's cozy cottage:


View from the deck, complete with rainbow (I will never get sick of this view):


Oliver made a new friend:


Lindsay loves Andy:



Ollie enjoying the scenery:


There are a bunch more pictures here.

Fresh Spring Rolls

There's a little Asian market here in town that also has a cafe with decent Vietnamese food and some assorted pan-Asian dishes. We're fans (mostly for lack of anything better around here). We had lunch there the other day, and while poking around the market afterward, decided to pick up the ingredients to attempt to make fresh spring rolls. We already had some ingredients at home, so we just needed wrappers, vermicelli noodles, and hoisin sauce for dipping.

The wrappers were pretty unwieldy at first (they came flat and stiff and need to be very wet to be pliable/edible), but once I got the hang of it, I had fun making these. I used tofu, vermicelli noodles, and lettuce and carrots from our CSA, but you could put whatever you want inside. I also put cilantro (aka the abomination of the world) in his. I couldn't find any Thai basil in my quick grocery search, next time I'll add that in. For the sauce, I added some crushed garlic and crushed up peanuts to the hoisin. This meal was a definite make-again success.



Also, I was highly excited about the baby carrot that came in the bunch from the CSA. Don't mistake this baby carrot for the impostor baby carrots that are actually big carrots shaved down and mass-produced. No no no, this was an actual baby carrot! I'm very easily amused.



In other news, we're headed off on a weekend getaway to Port Townsend, Washington (one of our very favorite places) tomorrow. This is the view from our digs there. Have a great weekend!