We need a little Hanukkah…
If you have never shopped for them, you wouldn’t be aware of the atrocity that is store-bought Hanukkah decorations. Cheap, plastic, gaudy and not at all in the endearing way Christmas kitsch can be.
After scouring all my favorite shops online and otherwise, I am forced to make my own. Maybe by next season my creations will be available in the DimeStorePretty.Etsy shop. If you are interested let me know and I will put together a special order for you.
Hand cut and glittery white star shaped paper snowflakes are strung on yards of white satin.
A hundred shiny stars cut from vintage embossed foil and strung on silver yards.
A Hanukkah house made from Matzo and Gelt. This one took first prize at our community Gingerbread House competition.
Next year I plan to complete a collection of handmade Hanukkah ornaments and an Eight Night Advent Calendar.
Cheap Frills Retrospective
To Taste: Persimmons, Parsnips, Roasted Beets and Spanish Tapas.
To See: Where the Wild Things Are, Movie.
To Listen: Edelle
To Learn: Strip Quilting
To Visit: Bountiful Baskets.
Farm Fresh
Heather is amazing and I am thankful for her and that I may benefit from her hard work. Last week she found a local dairy to provide us with organic, free range eggs.
Two dozen, $4 and just beautiful. It takes effort to eat healthy in a city full of fast fried food and curb side pick up. Yes the eggs are not all bleached white to a porcelain finish and require a wash and a little prep before storing in the fridge, however it just goes to show you that with a bit of effort, it can be done.
For about a year we have been getting nearly all our produce from the BountifulBaskets.org co-op that requires I drag myself out of bed at 7 a.m. on Saturdays and wash the soil off my farm fresh fruits and veggies. Now we have eggs to add to the party. Both I might add are either priced the same or far better that I get at the supermarket. The added efforts to feed my family in a more conscience way also helps supports local growers and dairymen. Good for good for good. Buy local, Be Conscience, Be Well.
Loofas…Who Knew?
My neighbor across the street has been growing the most beautiful vine covered in thick green leaves and bright yellow flowers. 
It seemed overnight that long fruits looking much like English Cucumbers were hanging down from the trellis the vine has grown to cover. Although I have never been one to advocate trespassing during an afternoon snoop, she caught me peeking over the wall.
Turns out she has planted Loofas. Yes, like what you shower with.
Never in a million years did I think that these things grew much less on a vine. I suppose it is one of those things you dont really think about at all, it just magically appears in my shopping basket and then my shower.
My neighbor was kind enough to extend an invitation into her backyard for a closer look.
Apparently, Loofas or Lufas, are a member of the gourd family. They thrive in the heat (go figure) and are edible when ripe, tasting much like zucchini or squash. If you allow the fruit to dry on the vine, the fibrous insides pull away from the thick rind that then is easily stripped or peeled away. What remains is quite recognizable as a natural loofa that you purchase in the store. She gifted me one of her prized loofas and instructed me to allow it dry in open air overnight, shake out all the black seeds and wash in mild bleach in a lingerie bag. This will bleach the loofa to white and look even more like what we are used to purchasing commercially.
I am constantly amazed at the wonders of nature and neighbors.
Cauliflower AuGratin Soup
Out to dinner last fall I tried the most amazing Cauliflower AuGratin soup. Warm and rich and cheesy garlic delicousness.
Below is my tasty attempt to replicate the recipe.
Chop, steam to super softness and puree 1 generous head of cauliflower, set aside.
I include as little stalk as is reasonably possible.
In a medium soup pot, cook 3 cloves minced garlic and 1 diced white or yellow onion to translucent.
Add two cups of stock, chicken or vegetable is fine.
Add cauliflower puree to pot.
Add approx 1 cup whole milk or heavy cream.
Bring to a slow boil.
With a WHISK, add approx 3 cups of shredded of American cheddar by the handfuls. White or yellow either work just as well. You must whisk in the cheese by the handfuls or it will not incorporate smoothly into the soup. Trust me several lumpy trials proved the whisk is key.
Allow soup to cool just a bit before serving. This will allow the soup to set up and flavors to meld together. Serve with crusty artisan bread and enjoy! I think you will like it.
* Sadly all the soup was eaten in the making of this post and no photos were taken to share.
Persimmon Scones
The “ber” months are well underway and so begins the holiday crafting and cooking. I absolutely adore the cooler weather and changing leaves. The early hours are brisk and promise great things for the season.
Recently persimmons showed up in my Bountiful Baskets produce co-op offerings. A few weeks to ripen and having never eaten the fruit, provided me lots of time to research the possibilities.
I am a much better cook than baker, so often my baked ventures tend to be simple as to not muck up the recipe and waste time and ingredients. My persimmons were beautiful in shape, rich in color, ripened to perfection and deserved something more refined than being mashed into a quickbread, my usual baked good of choice.
Searching the web I stumbled on to a recipe for persimmon scones provided at AGITATE.blogspot.
Persimmon perfection, these treats are absolutely delish. The recipe is courtesy of AGITATE and is as quoted as follows;
“Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Use 2 large cookie sheets, buttered or lined with parchment or those new silicone liners.
Sift 3 cups of unbleached flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. each of ground cinnamon and allspice, 1/8 tsp. of nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. salt together.
In a larger bowl, with an electric mixer, beat 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter and 1 cup sugar until light and frothy about 2 minutes. Beat in 1 large egg. Fold in the 2 cups persimmon pulp. Stir in the flour mixture, making a soft dough. Finally, mix in 1 cup chopped walnuts and 1 cup currants. You can also use dried cranberries instead of currants. I did.
If you prefer cookies to scones, use one cup less, each, of flour and mashed persimmon.
Drop a scant tablespoon of dough, each about 1-2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly brown. You should get about 24 -30 smallish tidbits.
I won’t tell you that you’ll have to take the jumbles out of the oven, let them cool by whatever method you prefer, and either eat them yourself, or share them with others – whatever you deem fit.
I think you’ll like them.”
Fashion Noir
There is something terribly romantic about the darker side of life. Vampires and pirates are sexy have launched social media trends for decades. Fashion follows.
Skulls and roses, daggers and hearts, noir is a balance of striking edgy elements and soft sensual sentiments.
I am smitten with this particular piece of silk.
At first glance it appears to be an abstract watercolor mix of black, white and bits of red. Like many beauties a second look is required to see the details that make it so. Delicate red orchids lay gently between a variety of skulls in shades of grey outlined in charcoal black.
In a couture world, I envision a proper flowy blouse with full gathered shoulders, long slim wrists and a row of dainty black glass buttons up the cuff sides and down the entire ength back that meet two long lengths at a high neck that tie in to a loose bow at the side.
Now comes the dilema of where to wear such a piece. As observed in recent a recent post, New York and the continental east provide more opportunity for such a bold show of fashion.
Alas, instead I think a scarf will do just fine. A long billowy scarf to effortlessly compliment my west coast flats and skinny jeans and warm winter cardigans.
Keep an eye on the DimeStorePretty.etsy shop for a limited quantity silk skull scarves for purchase.
Holiday Countdown
It seems the holidays are quietly creeping up the calendar once again. After much deliberation my son has decided to be a magician for Halloween. That defined I have created the most magical of crushed velvet & satin capes, complete with double chain vest , top hat and rabbit to pull out of it.
Thanksgiving will be here before we know it and so it was time to cook the surplus turkey I had stowed in the freezer from last season. Delicious and I am ready for another. Even though this may mean short-ribs for Christmas, I am ok with it.
A rash of birthdays, Christmas and Hanukkah are just around the corner and so I must begin my crafting for that as well. It doesn’t seem like more than a few months ago my girls and I were churning out tamales by the dozen, yet here we are again.
As you embark on your holiday countdown, please keep an eye on the DimeStorePretty.etsy shop for lots of wonderful handmade one-of-a-kind gifts. Hairpins make lovely gestures for sisters and friends, fine china tea-candles are great for teachers and co-workers. Aprons are always loved by Mom’s.
Last, please consider, for those gifts you cannot find at DimeStorePretty, shop local and shop handmade. Keeping your dollars in your community are what allow small businesses to thrive. Supporting artists handmade works are what make our homes, lives and global world a more unique and beautiful place. Anyone can run to a mall, make the choice to seek out something more personal.
Cheers to another season!
Coastal Dime Store Couture
There is something just so chill about the Southern California coast. Everyone looks cool in jeans and whatever they throw on with them. Out to a fine meal or walking the shore, the vibe is definitively SoCal.
Recently I visited the east coast and felt myself sticking out amongst the crowd. Everything there seems so much more intentionally put together. Where my west coast wardrobe is appropriate for anywhere I go at home an up the coast; Back east I couldn’t help but feel a bit disheveled compared to my polished counterparts.
The left side of the country is decidedly more effortless than the right.
DimeStorePretty has readers and subscribers from all over the US and the western world believe it or not. The DimeStorePretty.etsy shop has been shipping international orders since it opened and I am always delighted when I find a piece being sent to someplace new. I am tickled to think that in a time of such political turmoil, DimeStorePretty has reached beyond the left and right to make the world a prettier place.
What kind of DimeGirl are you?
German Glass Buttons
Among my favorite find from the SoCal markets came direct from Germany. Hildegard a tall immigrant woman her seventies, shared with me the most gorgeous collection of vintage glass buttons I have ever seen. Hilda does not have a website or email and so my heart was torn in having to choose so carefully which beauties would come home with me. Ultimately my selection included an assortment of 2″ white faceted milk-glass buttons, candy apple and orange-red 1/2″ buttons with a molded band, 1/4″ periwinkle blue, and matte black made to look like braids. The biggest challenge now is creating something worthy of such beautiful bits.
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- How to Keep it Bountiful at Andais NicEssus on Persimmon Scones
- Robin on The Problem w. Pomegranates
- Ms.Jessi on The Problem w. Pomegranates
- msjessi on Flour Sack Apron
- Jessi Feltmann on Special Order