Roll on

Fabric roller shades: a how delightful post at bohemian hellhole

Hello, Fall

Let there be lighting

When choosing lighting for my early mid-century house, I considered Rejuvenation, who have been offering quality period lighting for thirty years. I like their products, but was looking for even more classic, streamlined options.

Then I discovered that schoolhouse rocks. Schoolhouse Electric Co., that is. This company, also based in Portland, creates hand-blown glass shades from cast-iron moulds and laboriously shapes brass fixtures to craft beautiful lighting designs reminiscent of those used in schoolrooms, office buildings and homes of the early- to mid-20th century.

I chose fixtures and shades for five rooms (and shot crap photos of them).

a glass of white

One of my favorite warm weather drinks is a glass of dry white wine. Pair a crisp Orvieto or a fresh Vinho Verde or a tart but not-too-grassy Sauvignon Blanc, like this inexpensive variety from Washington’s Columbia Valley with your favorite grilled protein and green vegetable. A simple delight.

When maple floors are hiding under the carpet

Some shots of the floor revealing process in our new (old) house.

The cat’s meow

Oh dear, oh dear! I just bought a house and ergo should probably not be looking at shoes. Maybe just one pair of 1940’s style wedgies to match my 1940’s era house?

See more new designs with vintage styling at Remix vintage shoes – the website can be challenging to navigate, but with keen shoes like these, you can forgive them.

Who doesn’t like the taste of bacon?

I’m not a regular meat eater. But boy the smell of fatty bacon sizzling up in a pan is almost always a temptation.

I’ve been fascinated by the bacon renaissance of the last couple years – the classic cured pork product has inspired new creations by gourmets and doughnut makers alike. Possibly the most awful contemporary recipe I’ve found is this so-called ‘bacon explosion.’

When I heard about baconnaise I thought it might be just the thing to put the ‘B’ back in my BLT… but I’d hate to be stuck with a whole jar if it ends up being dreadful. Oh yeah, they make bacon salt, too. I think it’s time to give them both a try.

Classic American

The O’Neill

Ingredients:
Rye whiskey (e.g., Old Overholt)
Lemon juice
Simple syrup
Maraschino liqueur* (e.g., Luxardo)
Ice
Cocktail cherries – Sable & Rosenfeld’s Tipsy Cherries are a step up from the typical cherries they call maraschino.* Or if you can find them or make your own, try fresh sweet cherries preserved in whiskey or maraschino liqueur.

Tools:
Cocktail shaker
Strainer
Juicer

Steps:
Squeeze one half lemon to yield 1 oz of juice.
Add several ice cubes to a shaker or mixing glass, then add 2 oz rye, the lemon juice, ½ oz simple syrup and ½ oz maraschino liqueur.
Shake vigorously.
Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with fresh ice.
Garnish with a cocktail cherry.

*Maraschino is a bittersweet liqueur flavored with marasca cherries from Dalmatia, Croatia. The recipe for this distilled liqueur dates back to the 16th century. Maraschino cherries may have originally been marasca cherries preserved in maraschino liqueur. Now they’re just light-colored cherries soaked in red dye, syrup and artificial flavors.

I couldn’t decide what to call this classically inspired cocktail, which was created for Our American Theater Co. They went with “the O’Neill.”

with cheeseburgers

Oh how I love this picture. You can go see William Hundley’s site for more of his photos.

veg candy

Wow, how did I live this long without enjoying roasted cauliflower?

These days I’m always looking for tasty ways to get more vegetables into my diet. Someone suggested roasting cauliflower (apparently I missed the trend from a few years ago). Okay, truly, this is delicious – roasting brings out so much sweetness you never knew was hiding within that lumpy white head of veg! It’s easy too.

There are several recipes out there; here’s how I did it: Pre-heat oven to 450°. Cut a head of cauliflower into 1 1/2″ pieces, arrange in a shallow baking pan, toss with a couple tablespoons olive oil, some salt and pepper, and some herbs if you like, maybe fresh thyme. Roast for 15 minutes. Add a couple cloves of minced garlic and toss (with more oil if needed). Roast for another 10 – 15 minutes.

Eat like candy. Or as an accompaniment to some protein.