here are some shots of what i’ve been up to for the last month or so:

our first fire in the outdoor fireplace!

an apple pie with my very first homemade crust

berry pie with a graham cracker crust

the new bbq

afternoon tea break with a sweet sandwich of poundcake, nutella and sliced banana

one of my favorite people, anna joyce, was featured on housemartin today and i had to share! go here to read the post. congrats anna!

1950

model 3C

instructions on the handle

i really love the styling on this mixer. i like the variety of colors that the new ones come in, but i really love the shape of this old model. i have had this mixer for a few years, but haven’t used it much. this model was made from 1950-1962. the beater above is the only beater attachment that it came with, no paddle, no dough hook. it’s great for whipping, but not creaming or really even stirring anything like cookie dough. anyway, last weekend i found a box of attachments that went with this mixer and had to try at least one out right away!

the juicer attachment

i think my favorite part is the strainer basket. i am not a fan of pulp in my juice, so this is especially nice for me!

in action!

almost done

the pretty label is enough to make you want to buy it, but it tastes good too!

the juice of one grapefruit makes the perfect greyhound when mixed with a little Lovejoy Vodka, made right here in beautiful portland, oregon. i mean, if you’re going to the work of juicing your own fruit, you don’t want to use just any old vodka… i anticipate sipping many fruity cocktails on our deck this summer, thanks to this wonderful juicer attachment.

part of the groundwork organics stand

i am out of the habit of shopping there and didn’t get enough veggies for the week. it’s only monday and we’ve eaten most of what i got already! i purchased a leek, spinach, french breakfast radishes, multicolored carrots, black and white anemones, and sausage. that night for dinner i made pasta with sausage and leeks with a side of sauteed spinach. so you see how at least half is already gone?

carrot rainbow

earthy

french breakfast radishes aka easter egg radishes

tonight i’m making tostadas for dinner and these radishes will be a delicious part of it!

there's nothing like fresh flowers

i fell in love with black and white anemones while i was planning my wedding. i saw them in various photos of bouquets and went on a hunt to find them. well, they didn’t end up in my bouquet, but last saturday i finally got my own little bunch of these gorgeous flowers. they were a steal at fifty cents a stem. i combined them with some camelia leaves i clipped in our yard. i bought this vase on a clearance table at anthropologie a couple of months ago and am really happy to be finally using it!

next week i’ll be better prepared to load up on veggies and i just might have to get more flowers too!

it is in perfect condition, aside from a tiny bit of warping.

last spring i read Julie and Julia and have wanted to get Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking ever since. i’m certainly not going to make all of the recipes in it, but i know i’ll be dabbling in the sauces section.

yesterday we went to goodwill to see if there were any treasures there. i didn’t find anything on my list (mini tart pans, pasta maker, gardening shears), but i did find this wonderful book for $4.99! it looks like it has never been used. there aren’t any stains or splatters on it at all. if i’m cooking with a cookbook it doesn’t stay clean for very long.

the exterior is matte with shiny dots, while the interior is soft and shiny with matte dots.

handmade binding

i LOVE this fabric! it has a nice weight and feel to it. the shiny side is so soft and feels really good against your bare shoulders. i really love how the dots catch the light. it is a great contrast against the matte surface of the fabric. you can find it here!

i want to be here right now

via shelter

six super ripe bananas

we had an abundance of spotty brown bananas and now i have banana bread to spare.

it's a banana bread family!

i think these mini loaf pans are technically my mom’s, but they’ve been in my possession for quite a while now. they make the cutest little loaves of bread! i should really utilize these during the holidays.

ready for the oven

last week we were invited to a birthday party that was a dessert potluck. i decided to try something new, which is always risky when baking for others.

i love how the powdered sugar highlights the fleur-de-lis

it turned out perfectly! it was rich and moist and chocolatey. i found two recipes for this cake. i used this one, but this one (scroll down a bit to find it once you click through) looks good too! i used Maker’s Mark, but any whiskey will do. just make sure it is a good tasting one since it really does flavor the cake.