High Tea: L.A. Style

The Great Wall of China

We live just a block away from the intersection of Beverly and La Brea Boulevards....shops to the left of me, restaurants to the right, here I am stuck in the middle of cool.  I go wobbly when I find amazing products with outstand- ing packaging displayed in over the top creative ways.  It's the retail trifecta for me.

Rolling Greens is the most amazing boutique meets nursery meets florist located in a venue that leaves you gobsmacked.  You know you're in L.A. when the area where you order the flowers is called an "arrangement bar".  The Beverly and Gardner venue is the second outpost for Rolling Greens and is located in the historic Tire Town Co. building.  

Tea anyone?

 A few weeks ago we stopped in and I was perusing books in the back area when I noticed a wall hanging of sorts.  For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what it was.  A huge smile came to my face as I got closer.  Tea bags!  It was absolutely the most brilliant use of materials I've seen in a very, very long time.  I'm extremely careful about photographing stores... especially ones that really go above and beyond in the realm of visual display, but today we popped in again and I couldn't resist.  I asked one of the employees if it would be okay if I photographed the tea bag wall.  She was lovely and said the owner doesn't have any issues with people taking photos inside the store.  All she told me about the work....which I consider a work of art....is that is was done by students from FIDM.  Kudos to them! 

If you live in L.A. and you haven't been to Rolling Greens, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to the best of the best of product and display.  And now maybe you have a new use for all those old teabags!  That certainly gives the concept of repurposing a whole new meaning.....is it your cup of tea?

English Breakfast or Earl Grey?

Repurposing: Jam Jars

Some people would say I'm cheap.  Others might say I'm frugal.  I choose to think of myself as "resourcefully green".  But seriously, as I've mentioned before, I love finding new uses for objects that have seemingly already served their intended purpose.

I adore repurposing jam jars.....my all time favorite being Bonne Maman jam jars.  From their little red and white gingham lids to the light they emit when used to hold a votive candle, there is something utterly magical about them.  They are scattered around our house taking up residence on tables and the mantel.  The light from the candles seem especially perfect on the nights we decide not to turn on the TV, but instead put on a Diana Krall CD and sit curled up on the sofa reading our books.

You may have noticed one of the Bonne Maman votives in the photos of our Valentine's Day dinner table.  They look equally at home....at least to my eye....dressed up with china or kicking it casual outdoors on a terrace or patio.

They also find many uses in my office.  There is always a jar filled with brightly colored paperclips and butterfly clips on my desk.  Sometimes they are used to hold pencils, pens, and markers, but I always leave the label on as I think it only adds to the charm.  Raspberry Preserves. Orange Marmalade.  Wild Blueberry Preserves.  No matter the flavor....they are all perfect full of jam or empty and awaiting their next incarnation.

I don't know what it is about the French, but they do know how to tug on my desire to repurpose with their charming jars and timeless packaging.  For casual flower arrangements, I prefer the elongated St. Dalfour jar.  Daisies, daffodils, or queen-anne's-lace look especially cheerful and cottage cute above the navy printed label.   

We throw too much away needlessly.  The next time your knife hits the bottom of the jam jar and you get ready to toss it, think about all the things you have in drawers or at the bottom of purses that might find a new home in that vessel previously occupied by unctious sweetness.  Loose buttons.  Tea bags.  Coins.  Stamps.  There are tons of tiny things that could be contained or displayed in a pretty little jam jar.

What's Up Doc?: Gluten-free Carrot Bread

Wishing everyone a Happy Spring!  By all accounts, it appears a good portion of the country has jumped right over Spring and landed in the middle of summer.  The sycamores in our neighborhood have started to green at the tippy top, my favorite bird has been singing beautifully, and Spring showers are predicted for this weekend.

Since I gave up white flour, my baking has come to a screeching halt.  I've wanted to experiment with some of my old recipes substituting gluten-free flour, but never got around to it until last weekend.  I thought the beginning of Spring and approaching Easter holiday would be as good a time as any to give our family's Carrot Bread recipe a go.  Amazingly, I think it actually turned out better with the substitution!

A little background before the actual recipe.  Most people who go gluten-free do so because of celiac disease or a wheat allergy. Why did I give up white flour?  Aside from my new eating regime, I had started to suspect white flour triggered a pain point on my lower left back.  Within a few hours of eating a product made with white flour, I would experience excruciating stabbing pains in that one very localized area.  When I eliminated white flour the pain went away.  In the years since banning white flour from my life, there have been occasions when I couldn't avoid eating it.  Like clockwork, the pain came back.  Some people might say it's all in my head.....what isn't in my head you might ask....but I can only respond to what I have experienced and I truly believe there is a connection.

 Gluten-free Carrot Bread 

4 free-range eggs
2 cups organic sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 cups Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour
1 teaspoon Bob's Red Mill Xanthum Gum
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups coarsely grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour the loaf pans.  This recipe will produce 2 full size loaves or 4-5 mini loaves.  Beat eggs and sugar together.  Add the oil, flour, xanthum gum, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix well.  Add the grated carrots and mix well.  Spoon into the greased loaf pans.  For regular size loaves, bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the top.  For the mini loaves, bake about 40 minutes.

You can make this with regular flour if you prefer.  The recipe is exactly the same and the quantity of white flour is the same, simply omit the xanthum gum.

One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Four

For me, St. Patrick's Day gets off to a similar start every year.  My Mom calls early in the morning and, immediately after wishing me a Happy St. Patrick's Day, asks if I'm wearing green.  My response is always the same.  No.  Mind you, I do own a couple articles of green clothing, but more often opt for something cheerful from the black hole section of my closet.  Needless to say, I'm left feeling like the worst 1/4 Irish person in the world.

As some of you may know, I've been working on a collection of pillows that are a modern take on traditional patchwork designs.  After struggling with the specs for a pattern called Tumbling Blocks, I came to the realization I must be more of a Tumbling Dice girl a la The Rolling Stones and took to the kitchen to work on the potato soup for dinner.

I hate to admit this, but up until today, I had never made potato soup.  Mom ran through the family recipe which was pretty straight forward.  Throw everything (butter, onion, celery, and potatoes) into a pot of water and cook until tender and then add milk.  When I commented I was surprised it wasn't made with a roux or at least by cooking the onions and celery in butter prior to adding them to the liquid, she commented that "in the olden days women didn't have time for that sort of thing because they always had a baby on their hip when they were cooking".  Dear God, you would think we came from a family as big as the Duggars based on that comment.  I assure you, we did not.

This soup is super, super easy.  In an attempt to reduce calories and fat...as much as one can with potato soup...my recipe doesn't use heavy cream or half and half.  Instead, I used a roux as a thickener and then added 2% milk.  You could absolutely use whole milk, but I don't know how the roux would respond with half and half or heavy cream.  Trust me, it's really very creamy with only 2% milk.

In the end, I figured out the correct ratio for the Tumbling Blocks pattern, but still think Mick and Keith's Tumbling Dice has it all over the Amish.  Creamy potato soup and crusty bread, topped off with Irish coffees in front of the fire was the perfect dinner for a rainy St. Patrick's Day.....now if we could just find that pot of gold....well, we'd be golden!

Newfangled No Baby on the Hip Potato Soup

5 pounds of Yukon gold potatoes
2 cups water
4 cups vegetable broth
1 large onion, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
5 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Bob's all purpose flour*
3 1/2 cups milk, warmed
salt and pepper

Peel and cube the potatoes and place in a large pot with the water and vegetable broth.  Cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender.  Season with salt and pepper.

While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in another pot and add the onions and celery.  Cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, but not browned.  Add the flour and stir until smooth.  Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium low heat.  Add the warm milk a ladle or two at a time, stirring constantly.  This mixture should be lovely and thick.

Add the thickened onion, celery, and milk to the pot of potatoes and liquid.  Stir to incorporate and add salt and pepper to taste.

*You can use regular flour if you prefer.  Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour is gluten free

Walk It Off

With everyone a buzz over rising gas prices, it seems like a good time to introduce everyone to Walk Score.

I adore Walk Score and think it's a handy tool for anyone looking for a new residence.  When we were searching for an apartment in L.A., my primary source of listings was craigslist.org, but my "living index" reference was Walk Score.  In addition to all the quirky things we were looking for inside an apartment, it was imperative we find a residence that allowed us to walk to the majority of our daily needs.

Tilework  on an apartment building in our neighborhood

For anyone who hasn't heard of Walk Score, it's a free service that scores an address on a walkability index ranging from 0-100.  Not only does it provide a numerical value, it also maps the address and shows you where grocery stores, schools, restaurants, parks, etc. are located in relation to that address.  It's a fabulous reference tool!

Our apartment is rated an 85, which places it at the high end of the "Very Walkable" slot.  They were spot on in their assessment.  We walk to the grocery store, post office, shopping districts, book store, restaurants....well, just about everything.  It now feels "off" if we have to get in the car to run an errand.  I recently plugged in an address in Portland, Oregon only to have it come back with a Walk Score of 100!  It was the veritable Holy Grail of a walker's paradise.

Nasturtiums in a garden

Walk Score's mission, as stated on their site, is to promote walkable neighborhoods.  Their overall vision, however, goes further as their ultimate goal is for every property listing to read:  Beds: 3 Baths: 2 Walk Score: 84.  Walkable neighbor- hoods benefit the environment, economy, and healthy living.

In my experience, walking provides much greater and far more encompassing benefits.  We have met neighbors (and new friends) as we "ooh and aah" over their dogs they are walking.  It allows us to appreciate the beautiful architecture most people never notice as they whiz by in their car.  When things are crazy or we're stressed, a simple walk to the store provides a breather so we can decompress.  Not to mention, it makes getting the recommended 30 minutes of daily walking/exercise a breeze for us.

How does your apartment or house rate? Check it out....www.walkscore.com  

Welcome to Hancock Park!  A balcony on route to Trader Joe's complete with a pink flamingo.

Being: My 13th Lifeday

March 9, 1999 was the day everything in my world changed.  That would always be the line of demarcation.  That was when dates in my life shifted to b.c., but my b.c. stood for "before cancer".

Dan and I have often gone away or out for dinner to celebrate.  Yes, celebrate.  I know.  I've seen the various emotions and shock on the faces when I said we were celebrating my cancer anniversary.  Celebrating?  A cancer anniversary?  For anyone who has battled cancer or loved someone who has, you know and understand the date of the diagnosis also becomes the date from which everything is measured.  Survival rates are determined in years....2 years....5 years....10 years.

We all have birthdays.  I also have a lifeday.  Today is my 13th.  I am lucky on so very many levels.  I know that and never take it for granted.  Recently, I happened upon survival statistics for my stage of breast cancer.  Yes.  I am lucky and I quickly closed the link with the chart on my computer screen.  Some things are better left in the past knowing you chose the best line of defense all those years ago.

I think of everything I have done, seen, experienced, and lived over the last thirteen years.....a veritable lifetime...and realize I am truly blessed.  I wouldn't have wanted to miss any of it.

          I got engaged at the stroke of midnight on the millennium
          I got married
          I saw both of my stepdaughters graduate from college
          I saw one stepdaughter get married and the other engaged
          I helped welcome the first grandchild into the family
          I have watched Dan win awards for his art
          I have won awards for a store I loved dearly
          I have made new friends
          I have visited magical places
          I have discovered things I never knew I could do
          I have held Dan's hand more times than I can count

I have also lost loved ones.  My Dad, my Gram, family, friends, and pets.  It has been uniquely difficult when the loss has been that of friends my age who were also battling cancer.  I wonder why them and not me which, subsequently, results in a weight I carry.  It leads me to believe I should do something big or great to justify my still being, but more often leads to an inability to do anything for fear it will not be good enough or worthy of what I have been granted.  But that is an entirely different issue that exists in my head.

This is a day I share with Dan.  He was the one who spent hours in the hospital waiting rooms, sat with me through every chemo infusion, shaved my head when most of my hair had fallen out, laughed with me about "free calories" when I would get sick, and made it clear very early on it was not about aesthetics.  Needless to say, when the man you love looks at you and says it doesn't matter if you have one breast or no breasts he just doesn't want you to die....it makes all the hard decisions remarkably easy.
 

Life's not about the destination, but rather the journey.  Rand McNally doesn't have a road map for this one and that's why I'm very open in talking about my illness.  Cancer is scary and the not knowing makes it worse.  If there's anything I can say or do that alleviates even a little anxiety or uncertainty for someone it's worth it.

To all the women battling breast cancer, please always know you are not alone....there are legions of us cheering you on.  To everyone who lost their battle, you are remembered and loved.  To the doctors and health care professionals who have dedicated their lives to keeping us alive, you rock.  To my family and friends I send big hugs, great thanks, and more love than you will ever know.  You make life worth living.

Celebrations: The Queen Mother's 80th Birthday

Sorry there has been such a lapse in posts of late, but my Mom...aka The Queen Mother...was out for her annual royal visit.  In the past, she has visited between Thanksgiving and Christmas to partake in holiday spirit while avoiding the airport craziness, but health issues made a trip a couple months ago impossible.  As a result, it was decided she would fly out the first week of March to celebrate her 80th birthday with us in L.A.

The birthday fairy must have waved her magic wand because all the candles on the cake aligned perfectly for Mom's visit during which she found herself on TV, reconnected with family, dined with wonderful new friends who might as well be family, and met the newest addition to the family.

My Mom is loved by all.  She has a sharp mind, a keen wit, and a youthful exuberance which only seems to grow with time.  I was so proud of her in 2008 when she called to let me know she was volunteering for Barack Obama's campaign manning the phones.  Most people her age are lucky to manage normal daily tasks let alone set out to be a part of an historic election. 

She is known for her "Bettyisms".....a term coined by my stepdaughter, Nicole....to mean any one of a number of old-fashioned expressions, words of wisdom, or adages.  I grew up with them.  "Life isn't a dress rehearsal", "The world is your oyster", "Take time to smell the roses", etc.  Nicole always gets a chuckle when she hears them.

Mom also has a penchant for wacky socks.  Her collection is extensive and encompasses every holiday, season, color, and pattern imaginable.  One year I gave her a pair for Christmas with holiday lights that lit up when they moved.  She said she just about had a heart attack whenever she opened the drawer and they started blinking.

She refers to herself as "a tough old bird", takes pride in being able to do what many women her age cannot, and loves to use the rallying cry, "just do it", when things get dicey or seem too difficult.  For years she told me I wore too much black and should branch out and wear more "colorful" clothes like those that reside in her closet.  I still wear black....she still wears colors.

My best friend, Kathy, from whom I was probably separated at birth and is now an adopted member of the family found what turned out to be the most perfect gift for our Queen Mum.  The tiara, emblazoned with "it's my 80th birthday", took up residence on Mom's head for the better part of the birthday weekend festivities.  I even have a photo of her sleeping in it.

My Mom is an amazing woman and I love her dearly.  I am such a lucky woman to have grown up with her as a mother, role model, cheerleader, provider, ally, and best friend.  Happy Birthday, Mom.....and many, many, many more!

The Queen Mother