Into the Wild

My husband's REI catalogue came in the mail this week. Cooking in the woods? Ask my Mother, this is the last place you'll find me if I have a choice in the matter. She has slept in her one woman tent in the mountains of Chile and the deserts of Yemen, even inside her hotel in Vietnam. I suppose the window screens didn't keep out the critters to her satisfaction. As I thumb through the "spring collection", I can appreciate the love of the gear and note how civilized roughing it has become.

This GSI kettle designed for the solo hiker caught my eye; one liter of hot water for your morning brew and some instant oatmeal. Halulite Ketalist cookset [$29.95] includes a kettle with top, an insulated mug with a Sip-It lid, a bowl, and a telescoping Foon (I always thought they were called “sporks”.) Anyway, they all nest together and fit into a handy stuff sack. There is a full cook set too [$59.95], should I ever be invited to join the "fun."

http://www.rei.com/product/798276

A Bowl of Oats

I am big fan of cream of wheat - smothered in melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. My daughter Cordelia fancies a bowl of the Trader Joe's steel cut oatmeal with Grade B maple syrup and blueberries. The agave syrup got a solid rejection.

In the 80's it was all about the rough oatmeal from Silver Palate. Morning Mush is what my Father called it.

Since this has become a daily ritual, I am intrigued by this porridge stick. I also quite like the idea of a designated porridge pot.

 
Now I just need a kitchen elf to clean up the breakfast dishes for me.
 

http://www.ancientindustries.com/shop/#home&appState=conveyorState/green%20porridge%20pot&id=34?appState=productDetailState/

The Silver Palate Oatmeal, Thick & Rough, 16-Ounce Box (Pack of 4)

Put a Lid on It

I have a friend who is moving back to New York City to more "cozy" quarters. We talked about the importance of having a few beautiful things especially when space is at a premium. Storage comes up a lot in conversation. I thought about what one wants "out" for the world to see, and the remote control falls low on the list.

This lacquer box from Jonathan Adler hits the design spot.
For once and for all, we can end the age old "Has anyone seen the...?"

http://www.jonathanadler.com/shop/product.php?cat=&productid=17917#

Puddle Jumping

My Mother told me that I must blog about rain boots. Everyone in New York is looking quite chic in them, she says. The "fancy" girls are wearing the Hunter Boot with the thick sock liner, the "I only wear black" women are in the Aigle riding boot version.

And the "fancy free" girls are in the patterned ones from J. Crew.

Even though I live in Los Angeles, my newest acquisition is a pair of navy blue rubber boots with light blue whales from Target.

I am also eyeing the LL Bean pair for old times sake. I suppose I fall into that "preppy" girl category.

Hunter: http://www.zappos.com/hunter-original-gloss-graphite

Aigle: http://www.shoesgotsole.com/Aigle-87909-36-AGL1000.html

J.Crew: http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Shop_By_Category/shoes/bootsbooties/PRDOVR~25096/25096.jsp

Whale: http://www.target.com/gsearch/ref=in_se_pagelist_btm_next?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&fromGsearch=true&searchNodeID=1038576%7C1287991011&searchRank=target104545&keywords=rain%20boots&searchPage=3&searchSize=30&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Ctarget_com_age%2Ctarget_com_gender-bin%2Ctarget_com_character-bin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin

LL Bean: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/52279?from=SR&feat=sr

Herbavore

My daughter came home with a plastic bag of salad leaves in her backpack yesterday. She goes to a school where gardening is part of the curriculum. This green thumb absolutely skipped a generation. My Mother has a garden that rivals Martha Stewart's. The difference is my Mother actually does all the work herself.

For those of us who do do not have such an amazing garden (or one at all for that matter) it's important to keep what we've got fresh. The Cuisipro Herb Keeper does the trick.

The clear plastic container is 9-1/2-inch tall and holds large bunches of herbs.  The tray is designed to allow the herb stems to hydrate while the leaves stay above water. Like fresh flowers, herbs need fresh water, refrigeration and a little space to remain fresh, colorful and crisp.

In the words of Michael Pollan: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

My Oscar Party

I am selective about who I am inviting to my house tonight. I don't want a lot of chit chat when I am judging what everyone is wearing, yet I do need to share my fashion opinion to anyone who will listen. Imagine missing Uma's ethereal lavender gown, or the painful vision of Drew braless in that green dress, just because someone was yakking?
Afterwards, we will need to have a detailed discussion of what/who we would wear if we were nominated.

I don't think we will do any sort of ballot game, but you never know.
What I am sure about is there will be plenty of food and sweets. Oh, and good wine. I will also pull out the TV trays from the garage.

Friends - enjoy the evening and let's be sure to compare notes on Monday morning.

Java Logs

My husband is out of town for the week and while I feel totally capable running the house, there's one area that's all his: making a fire in the fireplace. I leave it to the Boy Scout to crumple up the newspaper, find the kindling, and pile up the logs just so...
I heard they make fireplace logs from coffee grounds. They are called Java Logs and you can find them at Whole Foods.

I may need to stock up and buy some before the weather turns tropical here in Los Angeles.

It's S'mores for dinner when Dad's away.

http://www.twigandthistle.com/blog/2009/11/diy-smores-kits/

What makes your garden grow?

My Mother is a great gardener. Part of that success she believes is because of composting. On the side of our kitchen sink in Massachusetts, we had a very fancy Tiffany ceramic bowl with butterflies and flowers on it. In it, we put egg shells, coffee grinds, orange peels, you get the picture. It was my job to go outside and dump this very fragile bowl into a large wooden bin full of stuff. I was terrified. It was less about the wrath of breaking the Tiffany bowl, but more about what might be lurking inside that compost bin. I imagined that there might be a beast with sharp teeth gnawing on my apple from the last "delivery." Alas, it never happened, and my Mother's garden does look gorgeous every year. And thankfully, that Tiffany bowl still rests in one piece on the side of the kitchen sink.

        

Want your own compost pail? Please follow this link: RSVP Compost Pail