What you can't see :: 425 Magazine Vintage Christmas

It's always way less glamourous behind the scenes than in front of the camera.  If you're at a party that is doubling as a shoot - first, sorry - but it's usually not too intrusive except that you can't touch the food until Jeff has been there and you may be asked to take the same bite of food several times until we get it right.  Luckily, my friends are super patient and usually get a kick out of the process.  And we all adore Jeff.

From a Vintage Christmas :: Noel Fruit Bars

These entirely vintage bars are cake-y and light.  Studded with candied cherries and citron, they taste a little elegant and a lot delicious.  Smear the top with frosting for a decadent (and delicious) treat!

Noel Fruit Bars

2 eggs

1 cup sifted confectioners sugar

¼ cup melted butter

½ teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup candied cherries, chopped + ½ cup unchopped

½ cup candied citron, chopped

1 cup dates, chopped

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Blend together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl – set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla.  Slowly add flour to stand mixer, mixing until just combined.  With a wooden spoon, mix in fruits and nuts.  Spread batter into a greased 9x9 pan and bake 30-35 minutes.  Remove from pan and cut while still warm. 

Let cool before dotting the top of each bar with frosting and a half of a candied cherry.

Frosting

½ cup softened butter

3 cups confectioners sugar

Whip together butter and one cup of sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer.  Continue adding sugar until frosting becomes light and fluffy.

Inspired by Better Homes and Garden’s Entertaining at Home 1969

Extra Photos :: 425 Magazine Vintage Christmas Party

This month's issue of 425 Magazine features a vintage inspired Christmas party that I hosted last year around our plastic white tree inspired by a vintage copy of Better Homes and Garden's Guide to Entertaining.

You know I love to have a theme.  Shake a martini, melt some fondue, and don a fabulous jumper - it's Christmastime!

For the entire article, pick up a copy of 425 Magazine in Western Washington.  Or subscribe online, after all, I'm in every issue so you know it's good.

photos by Jeff Hobson 

As Seen on TV :: Apple Cider Extravaganza

Tune into Q13 Fox News this morning at 9:45 to catch me LIVE with my ideas for what to do with fall's most fabulous by-product...  Apple Cider! 

While apples are in season - and delicious - it's the cider that I get really excited about.

Here are the links to the recipes I featured on the show today::
Cider Braised Pork Shoulder
Apple Cider Cake

You can pick your own apples around the state as well.  We pick ours every year at our friend Matt's house.  You don't have to drive quite as far to get there, but you could, if you wanted to.  Click here to see the locations Red Tricycle has already scouted out for you.

Want to see more of how my shoot for 425 Magazine came together?  Click here and here or scroll down to see posts from earlier this week.  Enjoy!

Cook it :: Cider Braised Pork Shoulder

This is possibly one of my favorite things to come out of my experiments cooking with cider.  It is the perfect fall dish: it's warm, comforting, and evocative of knit sweaters and fireplaces.

Cider Braised Pork Shoulder

2 pounds pork shoulder spare ribs

¼ cup flour

2 large onions, sliced

1 fennel bulb

2 cups apple cider, divided

1 cup beef broth

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 spring rosemary

salt and pepper

canola oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Pour ¼ inch of oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven (leaving the lid off) and set over a medium heat stove.  Place flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.  Dredge meat pieces through flour and place in hot oil.  Be careful of splatters.   Brown meat on all sides, remove from pan and set aside.

Pour off excess oil so only two tablespoons remain in the bottom of the pan.  Put onions and fennel into the pan and sprinkle remaining dredging flour over the top.  Stir gently.  When flour has been absorbed by the liquid, and you can’t see anymore ‘white’ flour, deglaze the pan with one cup apple cider.  Stir once to ensure all liquid is evenly distributed.  Let cider reduce to a thick ‘gravy.’  Add remaining cider and broth and bring to a boil.  Drop rosemary into the pan.

Very carefully, place reserved meat on top of the cooked apples being sure to keep the browned edges intact.  Place the lid on the pan and put the pan in the preheated oven.  Bake for two hours. 

Shred meat gently with two forks.  Serve hot over cooked egg noodles. 

If you read the magazine you'll note that while the recipe is called "Cider Braised Pork" we accidentally told you to buy beef in the recipe.  Yikes!  You can buy beef, but if you do, change the amount of salt you use.

What you couldn't see :: 425 Magazine Cider Press

If you pick up a copy of the magazine {425 Magazine, that is} you'll see a gorgeous spread of my family and me pressing apples into cider - and then three ways to use that cider.  What you won't see is this ::

The good light was in the dining room.  The ladder is vintage.  I was sure Jeff was going to fall any moment.  It didn't help that the earlier rain had driven everything that is usually outside in.  

Lars drew on chalkboards too.  He wanted me to photograph them just like Jeff did with my chalkboards.

Behind the Scenes :: Cider Pressing in 425 Magazine

This month's issue of 425 Magazine features one of my favorite activities - making cider.  When I was a little girl, my grandparents had an ancient apple press.  Every fall my sister and I got to press apples from their property into cider which my grandmother would serve hot at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  That old apple press is no longer ours - so we decided we needed a new one to create the same memories with my own children and their grandparents.  

Pick up a copy of 425 Magazine on news stands across Western Washington and tune into Q13 Fox News this Thursday around 9am to see a little bit more!

Five things you won't know from reading the magazine ::

- Lars is the only one truly featured in this issue because Judson slept the entire time and Pearl woke up super crabby.

- We shot this at Whidbey Island looking out onto a fabulous fall day.

- Apples were not yet in stores - we were about two weeks too early - so the apples were outrageously expensive!  Yikes!

- Because the apples weren't cheap, we bought as few as possible to make the shoot work.  That meant we filled the bottom of the cute dot bag with loads of newspaper before topping it with apples.  And we only had one shot at pressing apples because we were going to run out fast.

- The pork recipe went through six iterations before becoming a new favorite.  The first was too sweet, the next was too bland, then too much vinegar, too much salt, and we honed in on perfect.

Happy Hour Friday :: Singapore Slings

When I was planning a shower for Shirley, I immediately knew I was going to make Singapore Slings. Shirley loves to travel, loves the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, and was dreaming of a honeymoon somewhere in the Orient.

Singapore Slings are also pink.

Singapore Slings
1 cup gin
1/2 cup cherry liqueur
4 cups pineapple
1/2 cup lime juice
4 tablespoons cointreau
4 tablespoons benedictine
1 tablespoon bitters
3/4 cup grenadine

Mix all together in a pitcher and serve over ice.  This makes enough for a crowd - not an individual serving.

Get the Look :: Shirley's Shower

For more, click here or pick up a copy of 425 Magazine - available on newsstands in Western Washington.

lanterns :: pitcher :: hanging fans :: plates :: fabric

Celebrating Shirley :: Baked Egg with Spinach Salad

photo by Jeff Hobson

Baked Eggs with Spinach Salad

Serves 12

12 large tomatoes

12 large eggs

6 strips of bacon

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place strips of bacon in a large skillet and cook over low heat.  Remove when bacon is crispy and reserve rendered fat.

Using a melon baller or ice cream scoop, scoop out the center of the tomato and discard.  Place hollowed out tomatoes on a cookie sheet.  Divide crumbled cooled bacon amongst the tomatoes.  Crack an egg – carefully – on top of the bacon in each tomato.  Season tops with salt and pepper. 

Place all tomatoes in the oven and bake 45-50 minutes until egg white is completely opaque. 

Spinach Salad

10 ounces spinach, washed

2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon Worcestershire

salt and pepper

In a mason jar combine all ingredients except for spinach.  Shake really well.  Toss dressing over spinach. 

Place a handful of salad on the plate, top with one baked egg and one mustard toast.

Celebrating Shirley :: Behind the Scenes

In case you ever thought I staged parties and then took photos - I don't about half the time.  This shower for Shirley was a real live shower that I hosted and had my photographer tag along.  Lucky for me, my friends are used to me taking lots of photos - telling them to wait a moment - and we all adore Jeff.

Follow along all week!  I'll share more...  And you can check out the new issue of 425 Magazine to see the whole article!

Celebrating Shirley :: Extra Photos

This spring my friends, Jack and Shirley got married.  Because I was the one who set them up, it seemed only fitting that I was the one who threw a shower.  And oh, what a day!  To see the whole thing, grab the current issue of 425 Magazine on newsstands across Western Washington 

 Trophy Cupcakes!

Personalized napkins 

 

We wanted to be outside... but we live in Seattle

coloring pages are super easy to make in Photoshop 

These are so good

 do you use your china?

photos by Jeff Hobson

Mad about Masin's

Last night I had the pleasure of being hosted by Masin's for a fantastic evening of food, fashion, and furniture.  Their "Eastside Style" event featured the very best of the best - including yours truly.  I sold some books, met some amazing people, and ogled beautiful furniture and clothing.  My very favorite (obvious choices like Brooks Brothers aside) was Trillium.  A custom clothier for the Mr. featuring the most amazing hand sewn clothing.  

Masin's also shook up my cocktail recipe!  And it was a hit - come back this afternoon for Happy Hour and I'll share the recipe with you.  Have a great Friday - see you soon!

Backyard Camping :: You can do it, promise

I hear your snickers when I say "no, it's easy."  And I see the eye rolls when I promise it only takes ten minutes.  I get it.  You don't have time.  The thing is, it really doesn't take that much time.  {insert eye roll}

To prove it to you, I've condensed everything into one hour of your time to create your own backyard camping adventure.  Which means no more excuses.  Don't have time after work?  Then do this on a weekend.  Or a Friday after you leave work a little early.

This is not about being the coolest person on the block (that's a byproduct).  This is about creating some cool memories for your children, your friends, your spouse.  When you do something like camping in the backyard, you are removing options like the television and the Wii.  It becomes about having a conversation and being a family.

Backyard Camping :: Get the Look

This month's issue of 425 Magazine features the most adorable shoot you have ever seen.  And I am not joking.  My kids are cute (clearly) but my friend Wynne's kids are so stinking cute.  You can see more behind the scenes photos here, and subscribe to 425 Magazine here.  

And you can get the look of this shoot yourself.  This is the PERFECT thing to do with your family for the 4th of July!  Go outside!  Enjoy the summer and have fun with your kids.

1. blanket :: 2. men's plaid shirt :: 3.  kids john deere hat :: 4. cooler (similar) :: 5. cake stand :: 6. child's wheelbarrow