Black Eyed Susan's Kitchen

LEARNING TO LOVE BLUE MONDAY'S

                Looking around our house, anyone could tell that we love color. Mostly, I am a "green" girl as you can see much of the decor is centered around several different shades of green, but since I found Smiling Sally's blue  Monday posts, I am really starting to love the idea of decorating with blue. Today, I am finding inspiration in vintage tablecloths, with a decidedly blue motif. These are two of my favorites. I hope that you are enjoying your blue  Monday, when you have a minute, hop on over to Sally's blog and check out all of the other "blue blogs" today.   
♥, Susan

REVISITING INSPIRATION AND FOODIES IN THE HOUSE

            On January 3rd, I wrote a post about finding inspiration in the blogs that I read. It was not necessarily a New Years resolution, so much as a move toward common sense to enjoy more of what is being offered. Over the last few months, I have read more books, walked more treadmill miles, and tried more new recipes than I have in years. One of the newest recipes that I had the honor of eating tonight, came from Pat's blog, Mille Fiori, Favoriti. She wrote a recipe for lasagna of Emilia- Romanga, in response to the Daring Baker Challenge for March. Please click on the link to her blog to read more about it and her amazingly detailed recipe...with pictures.
             There is a personal story that goes with this particular lasagne and it involves a very romantic memory of a meal enjoyed many, many years ago. My husband and I were in Middlebury, Vermont, enjoying some vacation time when we found a little Italian restaurant in the upstairs portion of an old building. I recalled having a spinach lasagne that was one of the best, ever. I do tend to have memories that revolve around amazing meals and for the most part they do tend to be romantic...but I digress. Fast forward over all these many years, and what do my wandering eyes find last week, but Pat's lasagne recipe. Now, my husband loves good food, especially good Italian food, and he loves a good challenge. A reason to use his many toys in the kitchen? Well, thats a bonus. So, I printed out the recipe and asked him what he thought. Just as I suspected, he was up for the challenge. First there was the ragu, or sauce with its multiple meats and steps to prepare, and then the was the spinach pasta to make. Is that like the most beautiful shade of green? Then of course there was the pasta to be rolled and cut, and some of it was saved and dried on the back of the chair (improvisational drying rack). There he is my own personal chef...a foodies dream come true. Then of course came the moment of truth... Absolutely delicious! Thank you Pat for this recipe, and thank you my darling husband for giving this incredible recipe a whirl...I was a little intimidated by it, but of course, you were up to the challenge, and maybe, you are now becoming inspired by the some of these blogs too.
♥, Susan
        

THE GREAT ESCAPE

               Who doesn't love Fridays? It is the day of change, the day to wrap it all up and the prelude to the weekend. Melissa of the Inspired Room  talks about sweet escapes. She brings up topics every now and then that are already in the back of my mind and this was one of them. Just this morning, my husband and I were discussing the idea of a vacation, the great get-away, knowing full well that our budget is not set up for a grand vacation this year. Planning to reorganize our house and paint inside, prepare the gardens, and address so many other items on our to-do list, the question looms, how will we make time to escape?
             This is what works for us, a little time spent by the lake in Vermont and the added happiness of visiting with  family.
Evenings sitting out on the screened in porch, watching the bats come out at twilight and  enjoying dinner and a bottle of wine together by candlelight.  This is a place of bliss to us. No television, no computers, just laughs and giggles and good conversation alone, together, or shared with neighbors and friends. This is the true "get-away" that we look forward to all winter. Time on the porch.....it clears our heads and lowers our blood pressure. Looking forward to warmer days and evenings on the porch. What will your sweet escape be?
♥, Susan   

SENTIMENTALITY IN THE KITCHEN

             Our dishwasher kicked the bucket...that would be the appliance, not the human being who had to fill in for it...because we all know that for the most part, that would be me. It happened at the very beginning of the new year. My husband pulled it out from under the counter and saw that the motor was corroded. I was in no hurry to replace it, after all, we have a sink and are capable of washing by hand. And we did wash the dishes by hand for two and a half months...I refused to use a credit card, and waited till I had the extra cash, but I was stunned to realize that there was a sentimental attachment to the old appliance. When we bought the house 12 years ago, we were very house poor. The only new item that we bought was the dishwasher because the one that came with the house was rusty inside. It has seen us through countless family dinners, holiday parties and even a huge 50th Anniversary party for my parents (more than 100 guests in a tent in the backyard using real china dishware and glasses). So, a dozen years later, there it is, our shiny new dishwasher. It is bigger inside than the old one and can fit the largest platters. It uses less water and electricity than the old one, and frankly does a much better job. I'm just glad to have the hole under the counter top refilled. We will use it often, because.... we love to cook as you can see by this lovely cioppino made this weekend by my husband. This is one of my favorite dishes as it has shrimp and clams and other fishiness with a light but spicy tomato broth. We usually include mussels, but the Lusty Lobster was sold out. We also include some monk fish or cod or halibut, but this one has mahi mahi in it because it was on sale.  All you need to go along with the cioppino is some nice crusty warm bread. Just delicious, and now you can see why I am so happy to have replaced that dishwasher. When you have a husband who loves to cook, and enjoys using most of his "toys" in the kitchen, having that new dishwasher makes the experience so much more pleasant on the clean up side of the meal.
♥, Susan          

BLUE MONDAY AND THE SECRET TO MAGGIES GRAVE

                        They call it Blue Monday, and it is a very good reason to find the beautiful shades of blue in the house. Like this wisteria decorated vase or the Arabia Finland teapot. The bluebells in this Texas picture might also qualify, and so might the blue sky in this watercolor painted by my daughter. If I were feeling particularly blue, I might consider a blue tea party table setting, perhaps with a vase full of dried globe thistles, which have kept their lovely blue color. I am, however, not feeling blue at all. I like Mondays. It brings me an empty house for a few hours, a little time to clear my head and yes take that walk on the treadmill (still reading Middlesex), and put the house back in order. Stop by the Smiling Sally blog to see more Blue Monday pictures  They are sure to put a smile on your face.
             While I was drinking my coffee this morning and gazing out the dining room window, I noticed once again that this plant, is in bloom. It never stopped blooming last year  and now it is producing flowers again. The little cement sleeping cat in the garden covers Maggie the cat's grave. A long time ago when we lived briefly in a town house complex, our then seven year old daughter brought me a kitten. We already had a cat, I was pregnant with our daughter in the middle and did not need something else to deal with. I sent her back from whence she came. A little while later, standing in the kitchen, I noticed the little furry feline slip under the barely open garage door and walk brazenly right into that kitchen. I picked her up and sent her on her way, explaining that I had no room in my life for more at the moment. One hour later, standing in the living room I glance to the sliding glass door by the back patio and to my disbelieving eyes, there is that cute little calico hanging from the screen on the doors by her claws. Who could be more stubborn...she had clearly chosen me. There was no option any more, she was ours. Maggie lived with us through several moves to 3 other houses. She saw us add a dog to our lives in addition to 2 other children. She became my best friend and little sweetheart. She is still missed today, but I am so glad that she chose to live her life with us. The mystery comes with that plant over her grave. I never put it there, just noticed it one day, and it continues to thrive year after year producing the prettiest flowers. Perhaps Maggies good karma has come back in flowers.
♥, Susan

HOOKED ON AND TRYING TO ORGANIZE VINTAGE COLLECTIONS

Melissa at the Inspired Room is talking about stylish ideas for getting organized. This is a concept that I have only recently begun to consider. Mostly, I am finding that I need to organize my collections. With the Spring season upon us, and therefore, the yard sale season too, it is time to do a bit of purging and a bit of organizing.  As a rule, I will have a big yard sale at our house once a year to let go of some of the items that have not seen the light of day in years. We have boxes of vintage linens and dishware, cookbooks, and household items in the basement. In addition to that, I still have boxes of unsold inventory from when I closed my store. So, next month, when I am sure that it will be warm enough, I will devote one weekend to a yard sale. My best idea for getting organized, is to keep like things, such as a collection of something, together. The rose china was kept in a hutch, but I have since started obsessing over other things, so the china will wind up at the yard sale this year. 
   Julia at Hooked on Houses , has asked what we have been obsessing over (what are you hooked on?). My latest  obsession is still my greatest collection, which is the vintage hammered aluminum. Mostly hand made, from the 1940's, the craftsmen have now passed on, and  for the most part, this is an American craft that I find to be both decorative and useful. It is an art form that has, in my opinion, not been given its due. Showing the pieces together in an  oak hutch, keeps them organized and pleases the eye. It also keeps them handy for when I want to use them. The set with the glass dish is used at Thanksgiving every year for our cranberry relish, and the bamboo cups make great and unique vases.
          Another item that I am "hooked on" is white dishware. Milkglass is a favorite to use in all ways. This compote has a million and one uses as everything looks good in it. Fruit, Shiny Brites at Christmas time, and right now, it is filled with marble Easter eggs. It is a pretty centerpiece for the dining room table. I will be on the hunt for more milk glass this year when the yard sales begin.
          So, I guess I am trying to organize all of my vintage collections which I am still hooked on.
♥, Susan       

WHAT HAVE I BEEN UP TO???

           Seventeen years ago today, right around now, I was holding my new baby in my arms and marveling about the fact that I now had a son. I was worried that I would not know how to raise a boy, given that he had two older sisters. I assumed that raising a boy would be a lot like raising a girl...boy oh boy was I wrong! Boys are a whole other energetic ball of wax. With a little girl, you can say, "don't do that because you will hurt yourself" and that is usually enough. With a boy, his little mind moves toward a different thought process..."how will I hurt myself?" and, "I think I will try that and see what happens"...I must say that it has been my pleasure to be a part of my son-shines upbringing. He has opened my eyes to things that I would never have expected and taught me to always check the pockets before putting the jeans in the washer....and check very carefully, lest I wind up with a handful of worms again.
            Last Friday, my friend Jenny, from Supplies Overflowing, invited me to attend the Sugarloaf craft festival with her. We had lots of fun. There was quite a bit of unique talent to see, some gorgeous jewelry, some outrageous hats, and overall lots of whimsy. One of the vendors there sold puzzle boxes. A perfect gift for a 17 year old. The challenge of taking it apart and then putting it back together, combined with the secret stash nooks and crannies made it a fun little gift for my birthday boy.
         Saturday, I was treated to a ladies day out by my sister in law, Elizabeth. We went to the Tea Hive, a lovely teashop  and restaurant in Newton, NJ, in a vintage house. The tea was wonderful, and the food was fantastic. We were accompanied by my niece Alexandra, who is just as sweet as can be. She was thrilled to be answering the texts of my son, who was at the high school working on their latest production, Into the Woods, which is this weekend, and my daughter, who is up in Vermont at college. Nothing like modern technology to keep a tween busy and keep a family together. We were seated in a lovely room in front of a huge window overlooking the fields. It was oh so very country and hills, which was a nice change from the flat shore area where we live. As we were leaving, we glanced into the other dining rooms, and that is where I saw, what I believe they call the Victorian room. The room is painted white, with a lovely all white fireplace.  The wall over the fireplace and   the mantel were decorated with different pieces of purple, lavender and lilac staffordshire ware. There were transferware plates (I am so tempted to start a collection of these things!)  hanging on the wall, no doubt from England and vintage tea pots and pitchers. Now I will need to go back and enjoy tea in that room too...it was just beautiful as was the entire day. Thank you Beth, I had a great time.
            Other than that, I have been having a jolly old time still reading and walking, and running those never ending errands, and doing a little laundry just for the fun of it. Now I am off to see what you have been up to.
♥, Susan
           

WALKING AND READING AND WINNING AND LOSING

            Reading through blogs can be very addictive. There is so much information out there, and there are so many beautiful blogs. Every now and then, I find blogs with give aways and for the most part, I just move on. Kari is very into give aways and since I have been following her blog for a while now, I will leave a comment every now and then. Last week, I won a Yoplait give away on her blog, and received a big box in the mail,  just a few days later. I expected a cents off coupon...but this is what I received. A big, insulated bag with a water bottle, notebook and coupon for a free 4 pack of yogurt. The bag will be great for the market, and the coupon was sent up to daughter in the middle to use at college as she does not care for the cafeteria fare and loves yogurt. Sonshine swiped the water bottle on his way out to track the other day, and so we all made out with this give away. Thanks Kari.
    So, I am still walking and reading. Remember this plan that I had a while back to read the pile of books on my night table while walking on the treadmill? Julie and Julia is finished, and Eat, Pray, Love is also finished, and then I just finished A Map of the World. A little more difficult for me to read, but I got through it. Ten pounds lighter, I am starting Middlesex today...you will note that I am sitting at my desk writing (stalling) instead of walking. I have a feeling that this might also be a sad book. I will let you know. After this, there is only one book left from last years yard sale books, which by my calculations should perfectly coincide with the start of this years yard sale season. Okay, enough procrastinating, time to get on with it.
♥, Susan

PERFECT DAY AND PUSSY WILLOWS

             Days like today, are an extra blessing for me. It is warm, in the 60's, and very overcast. I love grey days like today, because, I can be outside doing things that are fun. Being somewhat allergic to direct sunshine, its a lupus thing....days like today I consider my gift from mother nature. When we realized that our youngest, sonshine, of our lives was busy at the high school today, working on the school play, we would need to stick around, but what a perfect reason to do some yard work. First, we got out the seeds because it is time to plant the peas. So they are now planted and then I walked around the lawn and gardens and noticed this..the pussy willow tree is budding. This tree has been my early spring warning system since we moved to this house 12 years ago. The tree is more that 15 feet high, and even my husband needs to get out a ladder to trim it. But, looky here, we have a new pussy willow growing from a twig that snapped off last year!  These pussy willows in the vase are from last years  crop, and these pussy willows are about two or three years old and funny enough, the basket was bought at Shutters several years ago. When the pussy willows dry, they have a sculptual quality to them.
         Getting back outside to my lovely, cloudy day, I found these growing on the front lawn and they are a sure harbinger of warmer days to come. Unfortuately, with all of this springtime beauty, comes other chores, like dealing with this bad, bad ivy which has run amok! So, break over, time to get back outside and pick up more twigs and pull more yucky ivy. It really is my kinda day.
♥, Susan         

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE....EYE CANDY FROM SHUTTERS IN NEW JERSEY

                  Hello friends, this post was promised to you last week, however, one of those germy things sidelined me for a few days. So, tardy as I am, I bring you many lovely pictures from one of my favorite shops in town. Go into your kitchen and grab your cup of tea or coffee, because you are going to want to take your time and click on these pictures to enlarge them. I guarantee that you will find something here to swoon over.
                   This is what you see when you enter the front door of Shutters.. The cool greens and creams, the pitchers and statuary, the table and bench, it is all so soothing and serene.  Personally, I absolutely love this pillow...perfect for my living room sofa. As we meander our way through the store, we come upon this Springtime vignette.  How sweet are these little chicks...love them! A close up of this stand, which would make the coolest cake plate. Then we move on to color, the cool blues, and the medium blues, and then there are the nautical blues shown here in the squid and octopus pillows, and this adorable dresser. There is color everywhere, the turquoise displays, and the pale aquas, and then there is the pink. As in pink poodle bookends...fabulous!  And there is lavender.. but my heart starts beating a little faster when my eyes fall upon this grey hutch. Stunning! I would redecorate my entire dining room around this piece of furniture...and I love the way my dining room looks. This lamp is another favorite. There are signs, everywhere and they are so funny. Some are sentimental, and some are just clever.  There is lots of red to catch your eye, and lots of seaside decor. Some faux geraniums to make you smile, and a little fungus to keep it natural. A happy heart vignette,   and some more of my favorite greens. Bunnies for Easter, and a sign that says it all ...Welcome to the Most Beautiful Place on Earth. Who wouldn't like to hang that in their home? There are candles and giftware,  furniture and pillows,  lamps and dishware,soaps, and this one little kitchen towel that I love..  because, when all is said and done, this is the truth. Home is where your mom is.
           Now you can see why I wanted to share this with you. Shutters, in Fair Haven, NJ, is one of my favorite shops. If you would like to contact Kris, you can email her at shuttershome@comcast.net, or you can email me for their phone number and directions to the store.
♥, Susan