May Day for Cooking

The Broadway St. Farmers' Market opens on Thursday...time to get back to sharing my love of quick cooking. When it's with fresh ingredients, nothing could be better. Every Wednesday morning I'll post a list of ingredients you'll need to either have in your pantry or to shop for at the Farmers Market. Thursday morning I'll post the recipe. The majority of the recipes will be 30 minutes to cook. I don't know about you but cooking all day, no matter how great the results just isn't for me. Here's a short list of some of the vegetables in season for Spring: Artichokes Asparagus Beets Carrots Chard & other greens Leeks Pea greens Radishes Sweet onions Turnips

Happy cooking, Elizabeth

7 Maternity Fashion Tips

It can be so frustrating to shop for clothing and now that you're pregnant it maybe even more of a chore! Embrace the changes your body will go thru to bring your beautiful bundle of joy into the world and keep these fashion tips in mind.

1. Try on clothes based on your pre-pregnancy clothing size.

2. Invest in a good pair of black pants & a black skirt, they go with everything.

3. Mix brights & neutrals in your wardrobe to avoid falling into a color rut.

4. Don’t buy everything at once. As your belly expands, so may other areas of your body.

5. Try on styles and colors you ordinarily wouldn’t wear.

6. Invest in good supportive bras, but also wait to buy a few more after the baby is born as your cup size will probably change.

7. For those days that you’re tired of your wardrobe, jazz it up with accessories.

A mother's joy begins when new life is stirring inside...when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone ~Author Unknown

Cabin Fever

OK Mother Nature, you've proved your point (mind you, I didn't need the reminder), you're in control!! We've just had enough of the snow and ice already. This is Western Washington, not Wyoming (maybe your MapQuest needs updating?).

Can I say cabin fever? Who has it or is about to get it? Who's ready to run screaming into the night just by looking at ice cubes? Children in the house, no school for the last 4 days? Think you may have an advanced case of cabin fever? What to do?

Put something in the oven to cook for a few hours and get outside.

Oven Beef Stew
Ingredients
•6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
•1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
•1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
•1-1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
•1 medium onion, chopped
•1 tablespoon canola oil
•3 garlic cloves, minced
•3 cups beef broth
•1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, cut up
•3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
•3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
•3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
•1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

Directions
•In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 4 tablespoons flour, salt if desired and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.
• In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown beef in oil in batches. Remove and set aside. Add onion to the pan and cook until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in remaining flour and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in broth. Add the beef, tomatoes and thyme. Cover and bake at 350° for 1-1/4 hours.
• Add the potatoes and carrots. Cover and bake 1 hour longer or until meat and vegetables are tender. Stir in peas; cover and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings.


I know, outside, really? Last night I thought about ice fishing, of all things. Of course we're not setup like Michigan or one of those other REALLY cold states to really go ice fishing. However, with a bit of imagination, the kids could have a good time.

Ice fishing 101 for kids:
Supplies:
sticks (the trees are dropping them everywhere)
string
magnets off the frig
small shovel

Tie the string to a stick and attach a magnet. Dig a hole into the snow/ice, drop magnets into the hole. Start fishing!

The cure for cabin fever, a great big sense of humor!!!

Running with the classics

Today's going to be a busy day, starting with a business meeting at 8am and ending with a ballgame that starts at 7pm.

I've put together a look based on Nina Garcia (Project Runway Judge)10 must haves.

- white oxford shirt Enro Casuals 100% combed cotton
- dark pair of denim Riders
Both pieces were part of a $5 everything that fits in a brown grocery bag sale at the Salvation Army Puyallup
- Van Heusen Vneck sweater $4.00

Nina's list:
1. camel coat
2. striped breton shirt (not sure what this is, so I'll look it up)
3. denim
4. black pumps
5. trench coat
6. white oxford shirt
7. tuxedo jacket
8. statement clutch
9. ballet flats
10. cardigan
What's in your secondhand closet?
Elizabeth

Classic Jean Jacket $4.00

The temperature has dropped almost 20 degrees from yesterday. What I had so lovingly chosen last night for today is back on the hangers for another day.

I've decided to fallback on a piece of clothing that should be in every woman's closet - Jeans. A pair of jeans (although I don't know anyone who has just one pair of jean pants), a jacket and a skirt. The darker the color of the jean the easier it is to wear it from day to night.

Did you know? Denim refers to a type of cotton cloth called "Serge de Nimes". Which literally means "cloth from Nimes" a town in the south of France.

So for today you'll see me sporting:
Gap jean jacket $4.00 Value Village in Puyallup
Fred David blouse, $7.00 Nine Lives Vintage at Freighthouse Square
White Stag pants $1.00 The Thrift shop on 72nd


What's secondhand in your closet?
Tschuss,
Elizabeth

Saturday, 14 August...National Garage Sale Day

Great, just what I need, a day to celebrate what I do as naturally as breathing. Yard sales, Goodwill, etc. they all call my name! What did you pickup today? I bought a small school chair, a child's art easel, a white teapot, wooden box with handle and a memo board.

November is just around the corner so I've got to get myself in gear. These pieces will be the beginning of my bazaar items or used as display pieces. My theme for the Spanaway Bazaar is words. Have you ever thought about the power of words?

Speaking of words...earlier today I was at a light waiting to turn right when I heard loud profane language across the street from a woman. At first it seemed like she was screaming at a car waiting at the light but the next glance confirmed that she was screaming at another woman who chose to keep walking down the street. I kept glancing across the street hoping it would continue as a war of words and not escalate into anything else. "Don't worry", I heard, "It won't get any worse, you always hear arguing around here". That was news to me, I've been driving in this area for over a year and take the Link 4 times a week. The messenger was a man in his truck waiting to merge into traffic. "It's a lot better than it used to be" he continued, "getting quite nice around here except for this block" and THEN, "I used to carry a gun but don't need it anymore". This from a white guy perhaps in his early 60's! Save us from folks who think we're back in the Wild West. More people have a weapon turned on them rather than saving themselves or someone else. When are we going to get it?


On a much nicer note...how's your garden? Mine is in overdrive! There's a pear tree in the back that's doing much better than last year but I'm just not familiar with this type of pear and there's way too much zucchini. My husband's coworkers, our neighbors and my fellow shop owners are going to get zucchini next week. I'll be really nice though and include a recipe for a salad and/or bread!
Tschuss,
Elizbeth

Saturday, 24 July...Tell an Old Joke Day

Knock, Knock
Who's there?
Lettuce!
Lettuce who?
Lettuce in, it's hot out here!

Hey fellow Tacomans, it's hot out here. I'm not complaining just saying. The garden wasn't doing much of anything but suddenly it's in overdrive. I've got to pull out all sorts of recipes to make use of what we have and we'll still have plenty for co-workers and friends. Here's a quick recipe for spinach. A loaf of bread and iced tea, and I'll be ready to finish a few things on my continually growing to-do list for the shop.

Spinach & Green Apple Salad
2 T. olive oil
1 T. cider vinegar
1 T. Dijon mustard
salt & freshly ground pepper
5 oz baby spinach (about 5 cups)
1 Granny Smith apple
1/3 c. walnut pieces, toasted in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 2 minutes

- In a small jar with a lid, mix the oil, vinegar and mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss the spinach with dressing until evenly coated. Then divide among 4 plates.
- Core the apple and slice into matchsticks. Sprinkle 1/4 of the apple pieces on top of each salad portion. Follow with walnut pieces. Serve immediately.
Tschuss,
Elizabeth

Thursday, 27 May...National Sunscreen Day

It maybe a bit premature for sunscreen but it's a nice day in Tacoma, the sun's shining AND the Farmer's Market is open on Broadway!

Today I picked up fresh spinach for dinner and decided to fix -
Bay Scallops with Spinach.

2 lbs. of fresh spinach,stemmed & washed
1 lb. bay scallops
3 large cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of white wine
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 t. olive oil
2 t. salt
1 t. of grated lemon zest
freshly ground pepper to taste

- Heat 1 T. of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat
- Add the garlic & lemon zest, cook for 20 seconds, stirring continuously
- Add the spinach, toss until wilted
- Drain off the liquid, season with 1 t. of salt & pepper. Keep warm
- Heat the remaining 1 t. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallops, saute for 1 minute or until just cooked through.
- Remove the scallops, add the lemon juice and wine.
- Cook, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Remove from the heat, toss in the scallops, season with the remaining salt and pepper.
- Serve by placing a mound of spinach in the middle of a plate and surround with scallops.

A loaf of bread (there are several bakeries at the market) and a nice bottle of wine (I recommend Abby's on Broadway - inside Sanford & Son Antiques)and you have a meal worthy of bragging about!
Tschuss,
Elizabeth

Thursday 15 April - High Five Day

This is a nod to the things Moms do for their children, no matter how old they are! My daughter just had a baby. I'm sure all of you remember the food cravings you had while pregnant. One of my daughters' became cupcakes. She and her husband have transferred across country to TN and they don't have one of those cute cupcake places. However Mom lives in Tacoma and we do. Ring, ring of the phone: Mom, when you come out here, would you bring some cupcakes from Hello Cupcakes? Of course, the answer is, no problem.

In hindsight perhaps I shouldn't have been so hasty! Here follows my tale of taking cupcakes from Tacoma, WA to Clarksville, TN.

I had to park 3 streets up and walk down to Hello Cupcakes. Worth it though, Hello Cupcakes is a delight to the senses. It's cute, warm and inviting. Luckily my daughter had been on the website and had an idea of what she wanted. A quick phone call and I'd ordered and picked up 1/2 dozen. The cupcakes are cushioned in its own little round slot to ensure only the slightest of movement and then enclosed in a pink box, announcing to the world, "Sweets Inside".

Not so fast!! On the way back to the car, a bicyclist whizzed past me and in my effort to save the cupcakes, I fell! How are the cupcakes, is my first thought not have I broken anything! Luckily, the cupcakes are OK and I haven't broken anything but my pride. Wouldn't that have been something, a trip to the hospital hours before leaving for TN!

My suitcase is packed and I'm on my way to the airport. My ankles throbbing but I'm determined to ignore it. Suddenly I have a thought, what if TSA decrees I can't take the cupcakes thru security!?? It's a bit late to have that thought, so I'm going to pull up my big girl panties, suffer the consequences if it happens and eat 6 cupcakes before getting on the plane!

Going thru security for the first time in years, the buzzer goes off. Ma'am, step over here, take off your belt and necklace and come back thru. OK, all done and clear. Time to put my shoes and jacket back on, laptop in my bag and most important, pickup my cupcakes. I spoke too soon!!! There are 2 TSA women standing in front of my things. Ma'am there's a problem, the cupcake frosting can't go thru security. It's amazing how fast I forgot the big girl panty thing...I rolled my eyes and thought, you have got to be kidding me, what scrape off the icing! I opened my mouth to complain and they burst out laughing!! We're kidding, the cupcakes look so good and we're both on diets. Who are they for?? Laughs and hugs and I'm on my way.

All airports are not created equal. Some have way too many escalators. Ever try to get on one with a tote bag on your shoulder, rolling suitcase and a box of cupcakes? Not so easy. Thank you to whoever invented elevators.

I made it to my daughter's home, cupcakes in hand. My grandson is adorable, my daughter and son-in-law are tired but healthy. The cupcakes are pronounced divine. High Five to Hello Cupcake on Pacific Ave!

Thursday, 1 April - International Fun at Work Day

I certainly have fun at work! I own my own shop, Anew Thyme. I'm one of over 20 independently owned shops inside Sanford & Son Antiques. I sell stylish, gently worn maternity clothes, handcrafted baby items and other gifts.

This past Monday, 29 March was National Mom & Pop Business Owner Day. A great celebration of what made America what it is today. How sad though that in the last few years, small businesses are struggling. How many of you know of a small shop with great customer service or the knack of having just the right item for that hard to buy for person? Do you tell others or keep it a secret? Keeping it a secret will cause that "cute shop" on the corner to close along with the cozy coffee shop next door!

Break that habit, celebrate what makes Tacoma unique! Believe me that's not WalMart, Target, WaldenBooks or any of those type of stores you see in any major city in America. What makes Tacoma who we are? Check out Cappy's Produce on 72nd and Portland, Nine Lives Vintage at Freighthouse Square, Vanity on 6th Ave, Millesime Designs on Broadway. These shops are just the very tip of what's offered in Tacoma. Support them and it all comes back to you and the City of Tacoma!
Tschuss

3 March - I want you to be Happy Day

I'm happy! Today I explored the 72nd/Portland St area.
My first stop - Thrift City,904 72nd St. E,the parking lot is filthy! What,you say, does that have to do with anything? We all know we shouldn't judge but first impressions? Life's an adventure so I'm going in! Oh boy, first glance inside, not filthy by any means but not too inviting. This shop is definitely for thrift shopper pros, ready to roll up their sleeves and wade in. Ladies, don't think about trying on anything in this store, the smallest, most dismal dressing room ever and it doesn't lock! Although the comments so far have been a bit negative, I found a 100%silk dress for $9, YES!

As I'm walking back to the car, I noticed a Taco Bus, Taqueria El Jacalito. I guess I was so fixated on the dirty parking lot that it didn't register on my brain - FOOD. I've already had lunch so I'll have to come back. A nice size menu, tacos listed at 99cents. The area around the Taco Bus is very clean.

Just down the street is Cappy's Produce,1232 72nd St.E. A farmer's market stand inside a converted store front. Fresh produce, great prices. I bought basil with roots attached, 2 for $2.99 and Yukon Gold Potatoes for 99cents lb. (these are the best potatoes, reminds me of the ones I ate while living in Germany).

Across the street is Goodwill. Today green tags were 99cents and purple was 50% off. I walked out with 3 wide belts, less than $3 and a beautiful maternity top that I'll take to my shop.

Time to go home!

I passed the Portland Street Nursery and it reminds me (again) that I need to start spring clean-up and set an appointment with the women of Serenity Gardens to give me some help with my yard. We can't know it all, so go to those that are experts in their field.
Tschuss