Apron Thrift Girl

Mod Mondays

Mod Mondays at Flavorstitch

I don't think the start of my week can get much better than writing a Thrift Share Monday post here at ATG and now a Mod Mondays post on Flavorstitch. When I came up with Mod Mondays I was really looking for a way to incorporate a bit of Mad Men into my food blog. As you know I heart vintage, especially around the style of mid century modern. I didn't want to call it Mad Men Mondays for fear of infringing on copyright issues on the name so hence Mod Mondays was formed.

Mod Mondays celebrate the vintage flair that encompassed kitchens in the late 50′s, 1960′s and early 1970′s. From the mod designs of Vera Neumann to the fabulous enamelware by Cathrineholm to the wacky and a little crazy recipes that filled magazines such as McCalls. Flavorstitch will features recipes, art, design and style from the Mod era each Monday.

At this point I'm not sure if I will turn it into a Link Share or not. But bloggers can take part and mention their link in the comments on each Mod Monday post. As I mention above, Mod Mondays isn't just about food. It is about anything that fits into the style of Mod whether it is a recipe you make, a piece of art you own or a 1960's car that you drive.

Did anyone notice Ashton Kutcher's house in No Strings Attached? His home was full of MCM furniture and design. He even had a a Broyhill Brasillia dresser which made my heart skip a beat.

This week's Mod Monday post featured a vintage ad recipe from French's Mustard.

You can read about my post here and find out if French's Cheeseburgers were fabulous or a complete recipe fail.

I hope you'll join me next week for Mod Mondays.

What's your favorite 1960's cookbook with some crazy recipes?

Lemon Icing

Keiran's Birthday Cake

Keiran was quite vocal about his birthday cake wishes this year.

• he wished for a spice cake
• he wished for a giant number on his cake
• he wished for fancy candles (colored flames)

Since the rest of his celebration was rather frugal I decided to go with it. We shopped local at a party store called Nancy's Fancy's where we found the candles. Since we've used beeswax candles for the last 7 years I agreed to let him choose this year.

For the cake we went with Namaste which has the most incredible Gluten Free Spice Cake ever. It's rich, moist and so delicious. You wouldn't ever guess that it didn't contain wheat.

I modified a recipe from Joy of Cooking for the frosting:

Lemon Frosting -

• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup earth balance 
• 3 teaspoons half & half
• Rind & Juice of 1 Meyer lemon

Combine the powdered sugar and softened earth balance (or butter) in a mixer. Beat until well blended. Add half & half slowly while continuing to blend. Finally add the zest and lemon juice and beat until smooth.

This frosting is fluffy and so full of flavor. The slight zing of the lemon dances perfectly with the spices in the cake. The cake was such a hit that Dave has asked for the exact same one for his birthday in July. (sans the number candle(s) of course)

What's your favorite cake & frosting combination?

Cold Press Coffee Update

Cold Press Coffee Concentrate    

Yesterday as I was reaching for the coffee concentrate out of the fridge, I realized that I haven't really talked much about our coffee since I wrote this post in 2008.

This summer it will have been three years since I wrote that post. Although I stop drinking coffee from time to time when I have fallen ill or I am trying to break up my relationship with half-n-half to this day we are still drinking this amazing alternative to regular coffee.

The thing that I have noticed most is that whenever I drink coffee at Starbucks whether it is a latte or a drip coffee it never taste as rich or as smooth. It certainly taste potent and the slap-in-the-face jolt of caffeine can be useful compared to the somewhat slow but steady dose of caffeine with cold press. But it just doesn't taste nice.

I consider this a healthy coffee because it contains considerably less acid than normal coffee.

Cath Kidston Mug from a Factory Outlet store in England.

When we last went on vacation and didnt' take our concentrate with us I could tell the difference in my body after a few days. I began to get small stomach aches and I became jittery. I couldn't wait to arrive home and go back to our home brew.

We still use our Filtron system but apparently there is a fancy new system on the market.

You can buy this fancy, modern style cold brew system at The Sharper Image for $49.99. The only drawback is that it makes only 8 servings of coffee. My favorite system is the Filtron.

I always take a to-go cup of coffee every Friday and Saturday morning so that I don't have to buy any conventional coffee while I am thrifting. At this point I love avoiding anything but cold press coffee. I never expected to break my Coffee Shop Latte addiction on my own. Not only is cold press coffee healthier but in the long run it is truly the frugal choice.

I realize this sounds completely like a paid advertising post but it's not. It's just something that I truly believe in. If you get stomach aches, painful caffeine spikes or the jitters, consider trying out cold press coffee. It might change your life like it did mine.

I adore coffee and my favorite way to drink it is a half inch of concentrate, hot water, a spoon of local honey and a far too large dash of half-n-half. What's your favorite way to drink coffee?

A New Whole Foods Market in Santa Rosa

I'm doing a bit of juggling between ATG, my thrift blog and Flavor Stitch my food blog. I'm heading to the Blogher Food 10 conference on October 8th and I am currently adding a lot of content to Flavor Stitch and getting used to writing about food rather than yard sales. I simply love to write so to me it's quite exciting to have a new topic to focus on. I'm not going to ignore ATG but for a few weeks there will be some crossover posts and I may switch from writing Monday-Friday to a few times a week. Hopefully after the conference I can figure out what balance I need to look after both blogs accordingly. I hope you'll stick with me during the next few weeks.

I was invited yesterday to a sneak peak of the new Whole Foods Market at the Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa, California. The store is set to open Wednesday September 22nd. The day will begin with a bread breaking ceremony at 9:45 a.m followed by tastings, prizes, give-aways, and live music. 

I've written a complete article with photos about our exciting new store. Many of my future blog posts may be written from their free wi-fi cafe.

I'm planning on being there at the opening tomorrow? If you are local, will you be there too?

a sneak peak at the new Whole Foods Market

gone fishing

I loved receiving a comment yesterday suggesting that I take a picture of me reading a magazine with the title "gone fishing." Well more to the point I'm going to thrift today. I plan on really trying to take it slow and make sure I enjoy the day with no pressure to find anything that I.have.to.sell.

Yesterday I spent three hours with Cathe, sipping coffee and discussing my goals and future of blogging. I left renewed and inspired. I picked up Keiran from his half day of school and took him to ice cream at Screaming Mimi's in Sebastool, followed by a visit to a thrift store.

We finished our day together grocery shopping. Two moments stand out from yesterday. The first is when we were eating ice cream. We were each on our own bench although the benches were side by side in a park in Sebastol. He said to me "I want to sit next to you and be closer." What a tug at my heart. The second thing happened when he was reading Martha Stewart Living on the ride home and he exclaimed "this is the best magazine ever!" Of course it was the Halloween edition which he is excited about. He's counting down the day on the fridge. Spending time with him yesterday was the perfect and needed reminder to slow down.

Cooking more is also going to help remind me to take it easy. I plan on spending a lot more time on my foodie blog Flavor Stitch and in the kitchen. Here's a favorite recipe of mine from my past Chicken Teriyoki.

Do you have a favorite taste from the past that you have tried to replicate as an adult? What is it?

an introduction ~ flavor stitch

When I returned home from Washington I was very excited to see a parcel from Pamela's, my favorite gluten free company. Followed closely by Udi's. Who was I to say to no about doing a review on brownies. I realized that day that in the last few months Apron Thrift Girl has really taken the path of focusing on Thrifting, Collecting and ReSelling. It doesn't mean that I shouldn't mention food here but since I have had my food blog sitting and waiting for me for six months, maybe it was about time that I used it. What do you think?

This was my first post, written last February. I had arrived home from Blissdom with a renewed energy for blogging.

February 22, 2010

Flavor Stitch

Welcome to Flavor Stitch. A food blog dedicated to the artistry of flavor and taste. Many of us have rediscovered the very essence of food. A journey for the many Chefs, cooks, bakers, farmers and those dining on and preparing our own food have embraced the stitching of flavor into this tapestry of our 21st century diet.

I welcome you to my new adventure in flavorful food.

I am my father's daughter in so many ways. My dad tends to leave a lasting impression on anyone he meets. He adores and loves food.  He wakes up thinking about food, flavors and how they intermingle.  He plans his daily meals in his head while lying in bed in the morning. My mother has kindly catered to my father and his obsession with food for forty-nine years now. She also likes food but she doesn't let her life revolve around food like my father has, and like I have.

I too adore food. I love how walking into a room and catching a scent of a food that I haven't tasted in fifteen years will bring back a wave of memories and emotions. I love how the chemistry of food can create a perfect cookie with the ideal amount of salt & sugar. I embrace the Autumn when pomegranates finally come back in season after too many months away and I can enjoy them on a weekly basis until they once again disappear. Food is simply my life.

Flavor Stitch will offer a combination of recipes, stories about food, photography, giveaways and the romance of food. Food should leave you inspired as it dances across your senses.

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Today I've written a food review for Pamela's Single Serve Brownies as well as a small giveaway.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on my new blog. It won't get enough attention of ATG until school begins (21 days and counting) but I figure that I had better get going on it since I have a ticket to BlogHer Food '10. I should at least arrive there with a working food blog, right?

How to Host a Frugal Party

Traditionally we always have a small party during the major summer holidays. They include Memorial Day, 4th of July and Veteran's Day. We were hesitant this year to have one because we weren't' sure if it fit into our frugal goals or if we were really ready to entertain. We haven't hosted a single party in our rental house and have only had a few dinners here with friends. While Dave was away on business and couldn't talk me out of it, I decided that we were going to have one.

To begin the party prep I used Pingg for the first time after receiving a very sweet invite from Rachel of No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Pingg is a free online invitation site that offers paperless options. I chose this Martha Stewart design. It was very easy to use and best of all free.

Our rental came with three long picnic benches and combined with our thrifted patio set $45.00 for table & chairs, we had enough seating for everyone.

I may have been tempted to buy disposable plates and silverware. Instead I stayed green and cheap by using our Ben Seibel dishes (I've collected over 40 of them) & flatware from the kitchen which I placed them in Ben Seibel creamers.

I was inspired by my friend Holly to keep it even greener by using cloth napkins. Here's a small sampling of my Vera collection. Most were purchased for .25¢ - $1.00.

I brought out many of our glasses, a combination of thrifted, won on Reluctant Entertainer or bought from Ikea. The glasses on the right were featured in a Mad Men episode. Well not my glasses, but the same style exactly.

Instead of buying juice for the children I made some herbal iced tea and mixed in some honey.

W used our $5 thrifted vintage cooler to hold the beer. We did buy ice which came to $8.83. The beer we had in our pantry that I had purchased on sale in the last two months.

Although it wasn't planned, costs were kept low when people offered to bring food. Cathy brought a pasta salad and Kathleen brought a potato salad. Wine was also an unexpected gift. The flowers were picked by Cerys from our garden.

 

The biggest expense of the party was the organic ground beef. We did buy it at Costo which offers 3 pounds for around $12.00. We bought 6 pounds although we didn't use it all. If you were really on a budget you could ask your guests to bring their own BBQ options. I also made a huge serving of Sangria. It included 4 bottles of cheap wine. It went a long way and tasted incredible.

While we only invited a handful of people to test the waters, I'd say doing a party on the cheap was successful. Our next party will be bigger and we will try to keep our expenses even lower. It was a lovely touch the following day when Pingg sent out an automated Thank You note to our guests.

Do you throw frugal parties? What tips do you have to share with us all?

Everyday Food - Martha Stewart

I was looking through the current issue of Everyday Food on the way to the Farmer's Market on Saturday when I saw that they had published a second cookbook. I nearly jumped out of my seat startling Dave and the children.

I adore everything about this magazine. I use their original cookbook nearly every single week. It is by far my favorite one in my collection. I am crazy about it because the recipes are fairly simple, they do use everyday foods but add a few key ingredients like lemon zest or cilantro to make the dish mouthwatering and fabulous. I must have tried at least 50 if not more of their recipes and have only been disappointed with a few. Some of the recipes like their turkey burgers have become our family regulars showing up at least once a month in our menu plans. 

My day was complete when we found the book at Coscto for $14.99 

I am really looking forward to diving into this book and planning our meals around their recipes. They decided to go with a different format than with the original book. The original was broken up into seasons. I loved opening the Spring section and planning my meals. Now I have to instead look through main course and then go to the side dish section. It is still packed with beautiful photographs and pretty effortless recipes.

My friend Guusje told me a couple weeks ago about an App for Everyday Food. I finally bought it today for .99 cents.

I've barely had a moment to explore this App so I don't have much feedback at this time.

The last Everyday Food bit of news to share is that in this month's issue offers a subscription card that not only gives you Everyday Food Magazine but also Body + Soul for only $12.00. They are also going to send 2 grocery totes as a bonus with my subscription. That equals to .60 cents an issue.  Personally I've yet to see a lower price on these two magazines. I filled out the subscription card in the car and had Dave make a small detour to the post office.

If you like to get inexpensive magazines, keep an eye on Savings With Amy blog or follow her on Twitter. Amy alerted me to an offer subscription for Everyday with Rachel Ray for $3.50 last week. Amy also has the latest on many discounts and coupons. It kind of makes your frugal head spin with excitement.

Do you have a favorite coupon or deal blog or website?

Menu Plans Feb 28 & Giveaway Winner

Thanks to everyone for taking took part in our Sharper Uniforms Apron Giveaway. Also a big thanks to Rebecca from Sharper Uniforms for generously donating a beautiful pink apron for this giveaway.

 

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

14

Timestamp: 2010-02-28 18:33:49 UTC

Congratulations to Katie! Katie, I'll email you for your address and send your new apron off this week. You are going to love this apron.

Menu Planning

Dave is heading off to New York on business this week after having been gone all of last week. I have a million exciting things on my plate including meeting up with Holly & Cathy this week. This leaves me little time to spend making complicated meals. I usually turn to family favorites that don't require a recipe when I am short on time.

Sunday: Shrimp & Rice Parsley pg 22 Everyday Food Magazine (current issue) & Salad w/ homemade Green Goddess Dressing.

Monday: Meatloaf - Fanny Farmer Cookbook & steamed broccoli

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Baked Potatoes covered in vintage cheese & avocado slices with Murray river sea salt

Thursday: Egg Fried Rice

Friday: Amy's Kitchen Frozen Rice Crust Pizza ($4.99 from Grocery Outlet)-adding additional toppings

Saturday: BBQ Steaks, Baked Fennel w/ Parmesan & Thyme pg 110 Everyday Food (current issue) & cherry tomato salad.

What's your favorite staple dish when you are tired and need to get something out on the table?

Quick & Simple Spaghetti Cabonara

I grew up eating American staple meals like baked beans and Jell-o, hot dogs, fried chicken and mashed potatoes and of course meatloaf. My mother mostly cooked out of her Betty Crocker Cookbook, copyright 1950. I loved her food and didn't know that other food even existed since we didn't eat out much.

When I met Dave in 1996 and I traveled to England to visit strange form of dating he opened up my world to food. I had never had a curry, a mango or spaghetti cabonara. I still remember sitting at Blenheim Palace on a picnic blanket when he gave me a piece of mango. A sensational taste hit my mouth and I remember saying that I don't understand how I could go into adulthood without having tasted a mango.It was simply divine.

When he made me spaghetti cabonara for the first time, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Although as I watched him prepare it for me, I couldn't believe how complicated it was. In the years since, we have only had this dinner a handful of times. Mostly because it can be complicated depending on your cooking skills. It's the egg part that makes me nervous.

This quick and simple recipes happened by accident last week when I was searching for something to eat for lunch. We had some leftover garlic noodles in the fridge and when I added some other ingredients in, I was reminded me of spaghetti cabonara.

Spaghetti Cabonara - serves 2 adults 2 small children

• 6 slices of Havarti Cheese - diced
• 6 slices of Ham - I used Applegate Black Forest - diced
• 1/4 cup half/half or whole milk
• 4 garlic cloves diced (or to taste)
• 1 pack spaghetti
• Pepper & Salt to taste

The ham replaces the bacon making this a quick recipe while the Havarti helps create a rich creamy sauce while omitting the egg.

Cook the pasta per directions on package. This is gluten free Tinkyada rice pasta. I do prefer Bionaturae but we didn't have any in the cupboard. Bionaturae is from Italy and by far the best gluten free pasta that I have tasted. It isn't as starchy as most of the other gf pastas and to me it taste just like wheat pasta would taste. Why wouldn't it? it's from Italy.

After the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta, rinse (especially if it is a starchy gf pasta) and return to pot. Add minced garlic and stir while heat is low slightly cooking the garlic.

Add all ingredients together under heat low. Stir until cheese is just about melted and smooth.

I added a mixed bean salad to go with the spaghetti. Dave rated the meal and gave it a 4 out of 5 stars for easy to make, 4 out of 5 stars for children liking it & 4 out of 5 stars for taste. Since this is his recipes I was pretty delighted by the rating. And he's not one who is afraid to tell me if my dinner doesn't work. Although he tries to let me down gently and I him. We are just that way about food.