Phew…Happy Thanksgiving!

It's been a long time since I've tended to the blog! Family, work, holidays and back-tack 4 [I'll elaborate more on the back-tack experience once the exchange is over, I must keep things a surprise!] have been my focus the last several weeks. It seems the majority of my obligations and deadlines have been met, and now, I can enjoy the holiday season.

The gift list is shaping up nicely…a good combination of handmade by me, handmade by others and small, overpriced designerly objects.

While my fingers were doing the walking for some early Xmas shopping, I came across these beautiful Japanese craft scissors at dwr.com.

I also came across these at the Met in NYC last month!

Pretty fascinating how a single object has not changed over thousands of years…at least I think so.

Husband if you're reading…HINT, HINT!

Peace,

F&N

Tasty Things…A Fluffy Pancake

Breakfast is not only the most important meal in our house, but it is the most pleasant. No complaints, no food struggles.

One of our favorites and easiest is the "fluffy pancake". Most of you will know it as a "Dutch baby". Where on earth did that name come from?

Anyhow, I've tried several recipes, but this is the best. It rises like magic and has an incredible consistency.

Mommy's Fluffy Pancake

Ingredients:

• 4 Eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar [optional]
• grated rind from lemon or orange
• 2 tbs. melted butter

Directions:

Heat oven to 425º

Pour melted butter into a 9" pie plate or skillet, swirl until bottom and sides are coated.

Mix all ingredients in blender until foamy and bubbly, approx. 30 seconds

Pour batter into buttered pie tin

Bake at 425º for first 15 min., then reduce heat to 350º for next 10 min.

Remove from oven, squeeze fresh lemon juice on top and sprinkle with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar mix. Serve with vanilla yogurt.

Notes:

You can substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour, or use 1/2 of each type.

I don't use the melted butter anymore. I just spray my pan with Spam for baking very generously. However, it is important to "grease" your pan well to ensure the pancake will rise. If it doesn't rise a whole lot, don't worry, it will still be tasty! Finally, I don't think it's terribly important what type of pan you use, whether it's a pie plate, pie tin, iron skillet, etc. I've used a variety from my kitchen. I prefer the pie tin because the finished pancake fits on our service ware and holds fresh berries perfectly.

Enjoy,

F&N

Around Town…New York City

Phew, life has been busy lately! A last minute trip to New York City last week was wonderful. The moment we landed it smelled and looked like fall. It made me wish our seasons in the Bay Area were more distinct and less subtle. We also encountered some COLD, blustery and rainy days, but it didn't prevent us from venturing out and exploring SOHO and midtown Manhattan.

Some highlights:

Shopping at Purl Soho!
Shopping at Dean and Deluca
Eating goodies from Dean and Deluca
Riding the subway with my son
Walking in the rain with my son
The American Museum of Natural History

Tasty things from Dean and Deluca.

An old grape vine in Brooklyn…the best, meatiest, sweetest grapes we ever tasted.

Ricotta pancakes at Soho Grande, must get recipe!

Perhaps the sister store to our local Paxton Gate in SOHO…

A cake boutique near the Met.

Central Park in the fall.

A magical storefront in fall.

Ahh, what a great way to bring in the holiday season. So much to do and craft before 2009 arrives. But don't ya think 2009 will rock!?

Peace,

F&N

Crafty Things…Halloween Treats

It appears another Halloween will pass that I have not made a costume for my boy. However, I finally admitted to myself that this is my fantasy, not his. The good news is he likes to decorate AND make decorations…woohoo!

Here are two quick and fun projects to do with kids…or alone.

Jack-o-Lantern Trick or Treat Bags

This is a project I did with several kids. I wanted to do something they could take away and use for Halloween, plus have them create something unique. The solution was a trick-or-treat bag. In order to make the project run smoothly, I did most of the prep work prior to meeting with the kids.

What you'll need:

Orange and black felt
Black grosgrain ribbon, approx. 1 3/4" wide
Fabric glue

What to do:

1. Trace and cut pumpkin pattern onto folded fabric. Pin top and bottom together.
2. Sew contour lines onto both front and back pieces. Just eyeball your lines from top to bottom. They'll look good and very pumpkinish if not too perfect.
3. Sew grosgrain ribbon to inside of top and bottom piece. I used a zigzag stitch, but not necessary.
4. Cut out facial features from black felt.
5. Let kids design their jack-o-lantern using the black felt pieces. When they are done arranging the pieces, have them glue the pieces down with tacky glue, fabric glue or even a drop of elmer's. Make sure to get a glue that dries clear!
6. Top stitch/edge stitch the black felt pieces onto FRONT of jack-o-lantern only. Align front and back of jack-o-lanterns and top stitch all around leaving an opening at the top for treats!

TIPS:
I used jack-o-lantern face templates from Martha Stewart and just scaled them to fit my pumpkin pattern. I've included both the pumpkin pattern and the face templates in the file below. It's great to let the kids choose the pieces and make their own faces!

Download Pumkin_bags.pdf

Halloween Bunting

With all the left over felt from the trick-or-treat bags, we made this Halloween bunting. Pretty basic and super easy. I was worried an orange and black bunting would look like it belonged in a gas station or a high school gym, so I incorporated three different size triangles and added a printed paper triangle with clip art from Martha Stewart [again!].

A rotary cutter and a straight edge can cut through several layers of felt at the same time, making this a quick project. I used more of the 1 3/4" grosgrain and folded it in half while I was sewing the triangles in the middle. Binding could work too. If you intend to hand it on a wall where the back won't be visible, I'm sure you could just sew it to a narrow ribbon. Since I am planning on hanging this bunting from a ceiling where both sides will be visible, I used the folded grosgrain. If you intend both sides to be seen, make sure you print twice the amount of triangles with images, one on each side.

Not that I think any of you are daft, but I've also included a pattern for the triangles. This is for those of you who want to get started ASAP and not mess around with drawing the triangles first. Here is a link to Martha Stewart clip art.

Download halloween_bunting.pdf

Happy Halloween!

F&N

Crafty Things…a Small Smock

I've been observing and following the crafting community via the internet for a year now. Two blogs, which are tremendously popular, have been a constant source of inspiration and information for me, angry chicken and purlbee. It's amazing how much people love to share their handiwork, ideas and tips. So, I've decided to participate in this huge and sharing community by giving back.

Sharing topic #5…Crafty Things.

DISCLAIMER

Before I proceed any further, I'm going to state my disclaimer [or CYA note as we like to call it]. I am not a formally trained seamstress or pattern maker. I took a sewing class in 8th grade, I disliked it tremendously. It was boring and slow and full of girls. I much preferred my woodshop class with hand tools, power tools and testosterone. I also loved the precision of a hard material that you could shape and form. So, I gave up sewing after one semester and never looked back…until college.

Long story short…I studied industrial and product design in school. I designed a theoretical product that was made from fabric. I had to learn how to make a tangible object that fits the body from a sketch. I LOVED IT! So, here I am today, still trying to sew things from my sketches. I learn from books, blogs and just ripping things apart. It's extremely gratifying to me when I complete a project, big or small. I look forward to acquiring more skills and knowledge as I continue this pursuit.

With all that being said, please feel free to use any project here as a guide or starting point. I will do my best to give enough information to complete the project I have posted.

A Small Smock

This smock was originally made for kindergarten students, meaning they had to be able to put it on and secure it without assistance. I used velcro tabs for easy on and off, but feel free to experiment with buttons or ties. The project is very basic and ready for embellishment. Have fun!

What you'll need:

Download smock_pattern.pdf

• Fabric
• Bias tape approx. 4 yards [more if doing a pocket]
• Velcro, ribbon, buttons, or anything else you want to do with the "closure"

What to do:

1. Print out pattern. I am assuming most people print 8.5" x 11", so you will have to "tile" the pages together.

2. Trace or pin pattern to fabric and cut.

3. With RIGHT sides together, stitch across shoulders.

4. Sew the shoulder seam flat on the WRONG SIDE. This is my lazy method for a fell seam.

5. Cut pocket if using and sew bias tape across top. Pin in place.

6. Sew bias tape around neckline.

7. Make tabs for closure. Cut [2] 4" x 5" pieces of fabric. Fold in half, RIGHT sides together, along 5" side and sew across bottom and one side. Turn right side out and top stitch around 3 finished sides. Sew loop side of velcro [approx. 2" long] at finished edge of tab. Repeat for other strap.

8. On WRONG side of the back piece, pin tabs where indicated on pattern. Make sure to pin the unfinished edge of tab to align with the edge of the smock and loop side of velcro facing DOWN. Pin other tab.

9. Sew bias tape around unfinished edge of smock. I usually use one long piece of binding about 3 yards. If using the pocket or tabs from the pattern, make sure the edges are sewn between the binding.

10. Flip tab over so loop side faces up and away from smock. Stitch down the tab along outside edge of bias tape. Repeat for other strap.

11. Sew hook side of velcro to front of smock. DONE!

TIPS:

The bias tape on the red smock is "hand made" as opposed to store bought. I love to make binding because most of my projects are simple, so a patterned binding adds detail without being fussy. Purlbee has a great tutorial on making your own bias tape. And, check out Angry Chicken's hilarious demo on sewing with bias tape.

Cheers,

F&N

Introductions

As a kid, did you ever release a balloon with your address and a note attached hoping someone in some interesting place would receive it and respond? I did once and got a lovely note from an older couple saying when and where they found it. Initially, I was very excited that my balloon was found, but soon disappointment arrived when I realized my balloon had only gone a few blocks.

Anyhow, I've released the "balloon" once again, but this time with wonderful results. I submitted this blog to back-tack, a blog where you exchange crafty things with a random partner and fellow blogger somewhere in the world. My partner is pillarboxred hailing from the UK. For us Americans, this is a pillar box.

Thanks,

F&N

Around Town + Object Love = Succulents

Hmm…I think this post combines two topics, Around Town which I've shared and Object Love which is new. Object Love is like show and tell. It's intended to share objects that I find interesting. Perhaps you will too!

Topic #4…Object Love.

Succulents

Over the holiday weekend, my lovely mother and her wonderful boyfriend hauled a pick-up truck full of succulents, soil, pots and tools to our place for planting [or is it potting?] on our barren deck. The survival rate on our deck for the last 10 years has been grim. It never occurred to me that succulents could be the answer until I was admiring them in my mom's garden. And by all accounts, they don't need much, so they should be well matched with my minimal TLC.

I love these plants. They come in so many textures, shades and shapes. I like how they can be randomly combined or just use one type in different sizes for critical mass.

Coincidentally, I've been wanting to visit Flora Grubb Gardens, the namesake of the owner. What a name! Talk about your name reflecting your vocation. Anyhow, I've read articles on the new location and heard great reviews from friends.

So, before we got to planting, we headed over to Flora Grubb's. The design of the gardens and site were amazing. It's an oasis in an industrial part of town. It's modern and simple. The site is propped with an old pick-up truck and car surrounded by plants, great retail strategy. Unfortunately, we didn't get to try the coffee as it was not staffed while we were there.

What I didn't realize was the breadth of succulents and cacti I would find. BEAUTIFUL! They even had bug eating plants…very cool.

I would say it's definitely worth the trip to Flora Grubb, even if you don't intend to buy anything. Get a cup of coffee, wander through the gardens and enjoy touching the plants. Be careful of the cacti though! I got a good piercing that still hurts when I think about it.

Enjoy,

F&N

Good to Know…Emergency Preparedness

OK, we have some momentum behind us now with this blog. Thanks to all for your positive and encouraging feedback via email. In my announcement, I mentioned there will be useful and helpful information to most of you on this blog.

Introducing topic #3…Good to Know.

Emergency Preparedness

I have lived in the Bay Area my whole life and felt many earthquakes. I was at the 1989 World Series at Candlestick Park when the Loma Prieta earthquake hit. I still remember the sound of the ground rumbling, the way the upper-deck undulated like a wave, and the silence when everything went still. I remember the tortuous and scary drive home on 280 that took 5 hours instead of the usual hour. In spite of the danger and damage, we did not educate ourselves on "preparedness".

The attacks of 9/11/2001 and the fear afterwards, only prompted me to buy a cell phone so that I could be in constant contact with my new husband should any disaster strike. We had a camping box with a propane stove, canned foods, flashlight, etc. that we felt was sufficient should an emergency arise.

A few years later, we had a baby. It was then, that I really started to think about being prepared and what that means. What are we preparing for? What do we need? Where should we go? Although it was on my mind, I did nothing to answer my questions or ready my family. Then I noticed these billboards around town.

These were provocative. They made me imagine being separated from my child during an emergency. It scared me into action. I visited ready.gov, a site and service provided by the U.S. Government. You will find checklists for supplies and kits, a Family Emergency Plan, and a Pet Preparedness Toolkit.

I also went to 72hours.org , a San Francisco/Bay Area initiative for emergency preparedness. I actually prefer this site to ready.gov because it's better designed and extremely informative. Here is a pdf of the entire site. Print it. Read it. Use it.

Please, please take the time to navigate these links and prepare your family! The supply list seems long. You'll think you will never have the time to put a home survival kit or a go-bag together, but you can. Getreadygear.com is almost a one stop shopping solution. I'm sure there are hardware stores or sporting good stores that sell assembled survival kits if you don't want to pay for shipping.

Once you get the basic go-bag and survival kit together, go through it to familiarize yourself with the contents. Add any additional items necessary for your family. I kitted out our to go bag with headlamps, work gloves and these packets, which include a whistle, family pictures, and a print out of our emergency plan, for each family member. The "dog tags" might be over the top I realize, but it was fun to do.

Don't forget to photocopy those important documents; passports, birth & marriage certificates, medical records, eye glass prescription, etc. Consider a portable hard drive to back up your photos, music, and any important information. Also, don't overlook disaster and emergency kits in your car and office.

Role play with your child about what to do if there is an emergency…try not to freak them out though. Teach them how to use 911. Make sure they know their parents' names, their home address and phone numbers.

You might think I'm overzealous, but I know from experience, when you are evacuating your house at 4am because of a fire, it's worth having a plan and a go-bag ready and accessible.

I would love to hear any ideas or tips you have about emergency preparedness. Please feel free to post here!

Hope this was helpful and Good to Know.

Get to it!

F&N

Tasty Things…Potato Salad Salad

One of the reasons I enjoy trolling other blogs is discovering new recipes or an author's interpretation of a recipe. [You'll notice in the sidebar a couple blogs that are solely devoted to food.] It's a sneak peak of the finished dish with commentary and tips!

I also love photographs of food, taking photographs of food and making tasty dishes both sweet and savory. So, like many other people, I now have a forum to bring all these together, this blog! It's also practical to have a topic devoted to food and recipes as it's much easier to post once instead of frantically scribbling and including your own notes or trying to recall from memory.

Welcome to topic #2…Tasty Things.

Potato Salad for a Picnic

Actually, you can use this recipe anytime. I like using it for picnics or big parties because there is no mayo or other perishable ingredients. Plus, the potatoes are roasted so they hold up nicely and it's unexpected. This is the original recipe from foodnetwork.com

Here is our variation. The quantities listed below are for larger gatherings, say 15-20 people.

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds red potatoes, quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 9 roma tomatoes, halved horizontally, seeded, and cut into wedges [you can use as much or as little as you like]
• 1 cup finely grated Pamigiano-Reggiano
• Dressing:
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2-3 shallots finely chopped [feel free to substitute 1 small red onion]
• 6 tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons salt [you may want to add more, i'm being conservative]
• 5 oz. mixed greens [you can add more or less greens depending on how "salad" like you want the dish to be]

Directions:

1. Par boil potatoes until slightly soft [strange "slightly soft" i know, stay with me]

The original recipe does not require this step, but we've found that by par boiling the potatoes prior to roasting results in a soft interior and a nice roasted exterior.

2. Drain potatoes and arrange on a baking sheet lined with foil [foil optional, but always provides consistent results for us] and drizzle with olive oil and chopped garlic. Roast at 450º F until brown, turning as necessary to prevent burning.

Perhaps this is helpful

3. Make dressing:

Whisk shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Add remaining oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.

4. Toss greens, potatoes, tomatoes, 3/4 cup of Pamigiano-Reggiano, and dressing. Sprinkle remaining Pamigiano-Reggiano over salad.

Notes:

For the greens you can use a variety or a single type, like just spinach or frisee. We have used mixed baby greens, mesculun, frisee and spinach. I've found that the frisee holds up well and doesn't get soggy. For the dressing, you can moderate the quantity to taste. I generally have a heavier hand than my husband does, i.e., i use all the dressing; he uses a third. This recipe is easy and tasty. Feel free to experiment with quantity, it's pretty fool proof.

Enjoy,

F&N

Around Town…Presidio Social Club

One of the hang-ups that has prevented me from blogging sooner is the absence of a theme or the lack of a singular topic like books, sake, fly fishing or cupcakes. Unfortunately, I don't have the attention span [or time] to solely devote an entire blog to a single subject, and, as odd as it sounds, I need SOME structure or parameters for any creative endeavor, personal or professional. So the initial thinking for Fiddlesticks & Nonsense is to create 4-5 topics that will enable any or all family members to participate and contribute [with the understanding, of course, I get to art direct].

Here is our inaugural entry for topic #1 Around Town…enjoy!

Sunday dinner at the Presidio Social Club.

Ironically, I just recently learned about this local restaurant while traveling this summer! I was also surprised to discover that they have been open for almost 2 years [note to self: leave the `hood and explore more of the city!]. The article was complimentary of the food and the photos were great, so we gave it a try.

The building located in the Presidio has an interesting history as the enlisted men's barracks. The exterior gives no clues that the interior is a restaurant, but that's the most interesting element about PSC.

Exterior

The bar, cocktails, menu, interior and location were excellent.

They even had "entertainment" for little people! How awesome is this?

But despite all the promise, the food was OK as was the service. Would we go there again? Yes, but I would order the really traditional items like mac `n cheese or fish and chips. I would also insist on sitting in the main room as opposed to the back room, where as we discovered is where families are seated. If any of you go, let us know your thoughts and experiences.

Best,

F&N