Pinterest WINS! Food edition

March 28, 2015March 13, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

I’m sure all of you have spent a little time cruising Pinterest Fail: a blog dedicated to documenting Pinterest projects that didn’t quite work out (or crashed and burned miserably), or at least seen some of the best (worst) that have gone viral. If you’re like me, you’re the most skeptical the first time you make a recipe found on Pinterest—but lucky for you, I’ve had lots of time to experiment lately, so here are more than a few of the best!

Editor’s note: All photos in this post belong to the creator of each recipe, which are linked to within the copy.

BREAD
I’ve been making Red Lobster Cheddar Bay biscuits for so long that I no longer need a recipe—in fact I forgot I had even pinned it until I started putting together this post! They live up to their restaurant counterparts and are super quick and easy to put together. They’re a great accompaniment to soups and garlicky meat dishes.

Our family’s Christmas tradition is to stay home all day and spend the afternoon making and eating hors-d’oeuvres. We all have our perennial favorites, but we try to each bring something new to the party as well every year. A few years ago, my new app was Homemade Soft Pretzels and Beer Cheese Dip. They’re both putzy and time-consuming, but if you’ve got a couple hours, they’re great!

I love apple fritters—they might be one of my favorite doughnuts. So when I saw Apple Fritter Pull-Apart bread, I had to try it. Sure, it’s sort of semi-homemade, with the “bread” being Pillsbury biscuits, but it does contain fresh fruit, so that’s good, right?

PASTA & SIDES
Dining options in Bermuda are fairly limited when it comes to non-American or Western Europe cuisine. So to satisfy my cravings, I’ve been learning to cook Asian dishes—and this One Pot Thai Pasta is by far the easiest! I was skeptical because it seemed too easy, but the flavor was spot on and didn’t taste as though it had been created in 15 minutes with fairly mundane ingredients (I skipped the tamarind paste and fish sauce).

I love homemade pasta. I make huge batches of ravioli a few times per year so I always have some in my freezer. A few weeks ago, I had some girlfriends over for a ravioli-making party, but I wanted to make something else for dinner so we’d all have plenty to take home. In keeping with the theme, I whipped up some Lemon-Pepper Pasta. (Full disclosure: I didn’t really use this exact recipe, but melded it with my regular pasta recipe, which can be found here.) The lemon added a great hit of freshness to the tender pasta that went perfectly with a few shrimp and some pesto.

When I had had enough of my Thanksgiving leftovers (but still had a full fridge), I started searching for recipes that would use up some of the things I had the most of—including sweet potatoes. When used in Sweet Potato Gnocchi, they lend another level of flavor and make the fluffy little pillows even lighter and more delicious. Throw them in a pan with some browned butter and sage (you can even melt a little goat cheese on top—yum!) and they’re a truly delicious side or meal.

MEAT
I happen to live with a man who doesn’t consider it a meal if it doesn’t contain meat. While he’s happy with a simply grilled steak or chicken breast, I’ve been on the hunt for more interesting flavors—this Slow-Cooker Balsamic Pork is perfect! I’ve made it with pork tenderloin that I sliced to serve and a pork shoulder (butt) that I shredded for sandwiches.

A few months before I moved to Bermuda, Andrew took some house guests deep sea fishing. I’m not a huge fan of baked fish, but I needed to find something to do with all that frozen wahoo! Luckily, I had just stumbled across Baked Honey-Marinated Cod, which sounded sort of like the Black Cod dish from Nobu that I had been craving. Obviously it didn’t quite measure up to all that, but it was really good!

DESSERT
I have a pretty serious sweet tooth, but baking is really not my thing—all that measuring! So I’ve really just got one trusty, easy dessert recipe, and I’m sure you’ve heard of it: Three Ingredient Brownies. It’s not quite chocolatey enough for my taste, so I would recommend stirring in some extra chocolate chips. Or, for a fancier addition, I’ve also topped them with caramel and a sprinkle of sea (or Kosher) salt for salted caramel brownies! Now those are dangerous!

This Old House

August 27, 2012 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 2 Comments

I like old houses. I love their character and the way the spaces work together. I love their quirks and their potential. Realizing that I may not get to purchase an old charmer right away, I’ve been collecting ways to add a little character to any space.

First up: that beautiful molding. That 8-inch tall, expensive molding. If you’re not up for removing all your old trim or new trim just isn’t in your budget, try this brilliant idea from The House of Smiths: simply add a small piece of molding above your original trim, paint the wall and both pieces of trim the same color, and voila! Fabulous chunky baseboards without the price tag.

Exposed brick can add warmth along with character to any room. No original chimney to expose? No worries. A company called Brick-it offers real vintage bricks cut into thin slices, along with an easy installation system. My favorite is this multicolor specimen reclaimed from a building in Milwaukee.

One of the things I love most about older homes are the elegant details. An easy way to add elegance in a big way that doesn’t impact your house’s footprint is to simply look up. Your ceiling can be ignored or become a showcase—it’s up to you. Is your style formal and elegant? A decorative molding treatment like the one above might be for you. More cottage casual? Try faux wood beams. The possibilities are endless!

Ruffle Crochet

June 7, 2012 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

I like ruffles. Just ask my coworkers—I don’t think more than a day or two goes by that I don’t show up at the office in them. It was one of the things that drew me to this blanket, which I’ve made much progress on over the last few months! I’ve experimented with different techniques and I think I’ve finally figured out what works the best: Once you have your first row of stitches (in a circle), do two or three more rows at a two-to-one ratio—or even triple it if you want a lot of fullness—stitches, then finish it off with a one-to-one ratio of stitches in each row. Once you like the size, gather up the edges with a row of single crochets and you’re set!

An old soul

January 10, 2012 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 3 Comments

My sisters like to call me an old soul. I wouldn’t define my style as retro by any standards, but I do like old things: Bess, my press, old houses, repurposed furniture, and lately, heirloom crafts. In the last couple weeks, I’ve rediscovered my love for embroidery. I’m not going to lie to you—it’s putsy and incredibly slow, but there’s something lovely about single strands of glossy thread laying just right against a fabric. Plus, I’ve been trying to pare down the amount of stuff I own—and this is the perfect thing to create so as not to accumulate even more!

This morning I thought I’d share a few of the embroiderers who are inspiring me—enjoy, and look for new work from yours truly soon!

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: I’m a typography nut. Typography-inspired embroidery has been my latest project… and while I’m still working out the kinks, I love it! Look for new work in the shop soon, otherwise I found the examples above on Pinterest!

I always admire artists who can create something truly abstract, as that’s something I struggle with. I beleive art has to be made with purpose in order to be art, so I have a difficult time just working with pattern or texture and no subject. I love this simple color progression from Sometimes I Swirl. I say simple because the design is clean and modern and the stitch is repetitive—but after my recent projects, I know this took a lot of work!

There’s something weird and wonderful about a technical drawing reproduced in thread—or any unexpected medium really. Why wouldn’t you want a 9 inch illustration of a Buckminster Fuller Dymaxion Car on your wall? I can’t think of a single reason.

Last but not least, something a little more traditional. I love simple and clean traditional motifs—they always look modern but can work in with any decor style. This miniature version in the form of a brooch by Skrynka is a great example. I told you I was an old soul!

And finally, my own embroidered wallhanging was included in several treasuries not too long ago. Thanks to Lotus and Janneke Hoekstra for the inclusions!

On blogging

January 1, 2012 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 2 Comments

Happy New Year! 622 press has had some exciting developments that I’m so excited to share with you this morning!

First of all, I owe you a big thank you! On December 29, this blog had 216 page views—our biggest day yet! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and checked out 622 press. And welcome to any new readers!

Next up: While I took a break from blogging last week, I of course didn’t really take the week off. I’m happy to announce that Bess (my letterpress) now has her very own fan page on facebook. Follow her for up-to-the-minute updates on what we’re printing and even more photos and content… all from Bess’s point of view!

And finally, if you’re a comment reader, you noticed that Spin. Sew. Sketch. nominated me for a Leibster blog award in December. Honestly, I’ve never heard of this award, so while I was honored to be nominated, it took me a little while to get a grasp of what exactly it is. In the best way possible, Leibster kind of reminds me of a chain letter you used to send as a kid. Passed from blogger to blogger, it’s simply a way to share the love for small blogs just doing their best to create great content. Without further adieu, here are my nominations for Leibster awards!

I know I said I wouldn’t write about Mollie for a while, but if I’m being honest, hers is the only blog I read with any consistency these days. She lives in Utah, she has a cool life, funny dogs, beautiful insights and great adventures. What more could you want from a lifestyle blog?

Second, Fashion at Liberty—hub of all things fashion, fair trade and fabulous. Stephanie Carnes was an intern at BRAVA many semesters ago, where we were all impressed with her interview skills as well as her home decor aesthetic. She’s extended that taste level beyond the home to bring light to designers, manufacturers and retail outlets with a conscience.

While I’m certainly not getting married again any time soon, I do love the idea of throwing a beautifully decorated party. I follow the Perfect Palatte on Pinterest like nobody’s business and I love all the inspiration she lends!

One Fine Day is a production company based here in Wisconsin. Their blog isn’t exactly a blog for blog’s sake, but if you are seeking inspiration (or are in the mood for a good cry—seriously, these videos choke me up every time), just hit play!

And finally, Peach Farm Studio’s blog. A letterpress-photo-poetry studio, I appreciate the organic nature of their blogging and navigation, it encourages getting lost in their world!