Pickling, sourdough bread & summer cocktails..

Summertime..and the living IS easy..a true statement for what my life is like right now living in the south..i've had some days off in a row from work, which gave me a chance to get back into the kitchen a bit and cook up some yummy foods like Soup Au Pistou & summer veggie frittata..and lest we forget the all time favorite and household staple-chocolate chip cookies..i had a little Fluer de Sel leftover from Sweets & Meats Market We also had a serious abundance of cucumbers from our garden share so i decided to try my hand at pickling..they're resting in the fridge for a spell so we'll see how they turn out in about 10 days! i can't wait..




These delectable tiny cocktails are a recipe i found in Fine Cooking, consisting of limoncello, gin, muddled grilled thyme and lime juice..served over ice..they would be even more wonderful with a touch of simple syrup added..but with both the gin and limoncello, it could get ugly if much more than one is consumed...but they sure are delicious and an excellent addition to a dinner party or a relaxing evening at the dads while soaking in the ocean breeze... :)


a.clay

Happy 30th Amy Mac!

Lemon Layer cake with homemade lemon curd filling and buttercream frosting, with lemon zest, lemon juice, edible flowers and a few raspberries...not too shabby if i don't say so myself..

Freelance Catering...

Alexis and I have teamed up and taken on some catering work the last few weeks so i thought i'd share some of what we've been creating...these pics are the selection of hors d'oeuvres we did for a marketing dinner a few weeks ago...more to come!

balsamic soaked strawberries with sweetened mascarpone on mini scones with mint and lemon zest
prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe with arugula and manchego
grilled pear with blue-cheese, candied pecans and quince paste
olive, sundried tomato and artichoke tapenade on FRVB baguette crostini
red and gold beets on spinach with toasted hazelnuts, goat cheese, orange and leek
..to name a few...

a.clay

30!

Sooo i'm 30. Big deal. I think i'm finally coming to terms with this. As it turns out, it's not the end of the world..so that's a plus. Actually though, it was one of the best birthdays to date with a few of my bestest peeps and a fantastic birthday meal! Everything was perfect, except, of course, for the ONE missing element that was to be a surprise but was kept from me no thanks to Mother Nature herself...my best girl..snowed in up in Maine with no way out for three days..i gotta give her credit for her perseverance, as she was to the point where i thought she might captain a snow plow or steal her brother's snowmobile to get down here. Do not underestimate the power of a woman when she's set her mind to something! However, her boyfriend delicately reminded her that all of new england was socked in and even if they attempted to drive, they'd probably get stuck on the highway and most likely freeze to death, which would most definitely ruin my birthday-not to mention, my life. :) As it would definitely ruin theirs...So i'm glad they decided to go the safe route and plan a trip for the summer, with all fingers and toes and sanity in tact..spring and summer in north carolina is quite lovely and full of refreshing newness, happiness and rainbows. Wisteria-the beautiful flowering vine i like to call the silent tree killer because of it's invasive, strangling nature-is found abundantly around here and just peaked last week...i know it's incredibly detrimental, but man i love it..and the smell....oh it's wonderful! There's an abandoned house across the street from us that's covered in it..which definitely helps the aesthetic of the dilapidated old structure..With spring in full swing and us getting settled into our new digs (yes! a house again-finally!), i've started some small container gardens for the front porch, picked up a couple of plastic adirondack chairs for hanging out on the front porch, hung the hammock and a few boston ferns and scoped out the new neighborhood on my morning walks..i'm ready for lazy, warm sunday afternoon cocktails on the front porch with friends....

a.clay

HAPPY 30th (THAT'S RIGHT...) DAY OF BIRTH TO MY SOUL SISTER!

XOXO

HOPE YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY! WISHING I WERE THERE WITH YOU.

a slow afternoon.

It is 50 and sunny...it is February in Maine...my sunporch is creeping up to 75 which leaves me pining for my garden, tank tops and afternoons at the beach with Finn chasing birds. But for now, I spent the warmest part of the day on the porch typing letters to good friends on my old Smith-Corona. These new-fangled computers are so sleek and quiet! I can actually hear myself think and correct all my typos.. oh how far we have come!

However it is nice to take a step back sometimes. When it takes effort, forethought, and deliberate pushing of buttons because there is no going back. Once that lever with the letter "A" on it has risen the ink will forever be imprinted on the page. Non of this backspacing with ease. Accepting the mistake and moving on. It feels kind of good and when I pull the letter out when I am finished there are no red squiggly lines all over as a constant reminder that I have misspelled or spaced one to many times. They are there hidden within the letter for the reader to pick out. It's kinda nice.

quotes for life....

Anyone who eats three meals a day should understand why cookbooks outsell sex books three to one.
L.M.Boyd

fun new cookbook.... exciting new take on eating local and fresh... oh..and he's pretty easy on the eyes too!

it has been too long....

It has been a while since I have been on to whisk and willow, and with the start of the new year, I figured I am going to be more diligent about keeping up with the blogs. This is just a primer, there is more to come...baking is still pretty fantastic, the beauty and creativity that is a part of the process is so satisfying. I realize quite often just how lucky I am to wake up every morning and go to work to bake. TO BAKE!! Not only to bake, but to bake what I want to be as creative as I like...which as I write I realize I need to take more advantage of. This year I will start logging all the sweat (and savory) treats that I produce and sharing them with you all. Here's to an inspiring New Year!








j.may