The Farm Chicks

Barbed Wire

One of my favorite "great finds stories" of all time was from Elaine Tolson. One day, while out thrifting, she stumbled upon a box of old barbed wire, which for me, is a beautiful piece of our Western American history, and one that speaks volumes about the hard work that went into shaping our countryside - dating back to Abraham Lincoln and the Homestead Act.

So naturally, when I heard about her find, I had to see it for myself.

A meticulously labeled collection, identifying each piece, including the year, like this one from 1899.

Farmcollector.com describes the history of barbed wire as the original tool used by farmers in the west to protect their crops from roaming buffalo and cattle.

And its rustic beauty is not lost on me. I can't help but get lost in the miles and miles of barbed wire that twists and turns its way across the back roads of the west. Our home.

It's also a reminder that sometimes, we forget about what we see. The things we pass day after day. And it makes me wonder what am I missing? What have I overlooked?

And it makes me want to take the long-cut home. Because I don't want to miss a thing.

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Ceilings

Chuck is finishing up the installation of all of the ceiling boards and I'm so happy with the job he's done. Here he is just getting ready to get all safety geared up. That ladder is high!

I went with wider boards in the high point of the living room ceiling, and narrow beadboard in the rest of the main floor. Here's the kitchen so far: (All of the ceilings have yet to be caulked and painted).

Hallway: (Can you believe how straight Chuck's lines are)?

I opted for "butt joints" in the wood where the boards meet up, rather than the flat edges meeting together.  Because every house experiences some settling and movement, inevitably the boards will not stay perfectly butted up to one another.  By using "butt joints" when there is some movement, it will be very difficult to notice with the naked eye.  (And for the record, who in tarnation named them "butt joints"? Couldn't they be called something cuter than that? Just saying....)

Dining Room:

Into the kitchen from the dining room:

The tile installation has begun, windows and doors are getting framed out, and I've been working on finding some key light fixtures.

It's beginning to look like home - in my mind at least.

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Mini Donut Cupcakes

What's cuter than cupcakes? Donut Cupcakes!

It all started at Carolyn's when I spotted this most darling little pan:

Wouldn't these make the most special little Valentine or anytime treats?!, I thought. So, I whipped up a batch of my favorite mini cupcake batter and baked them up in my new pan.

Next, I prepared the perfect Cupcake Glaze:

Cupcake Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

6-7 tablespoons cream

1 drop food coloring

Whisk together until smooth. If necessary, add more cream to reach desired consistency.  Then it was just dip and sprinkle, dip and sprinkle:

Donut Cupcakes are F-U-N! ...

  

Donut Cupcakes are *Sweet*... Donut Cupcakes are the perfect Valentine treat!

But what if you don't have a little donut pan? It's Mini Cupcakes to the rescue!

And *good news* ... they're just as tasty!

Sources:

I bought my donut pan at Carolyn's in Spokane.  A sweet little mom and pop shop. Carolyn's does ship, so if you want a pan for yourself, you can call Carolyn's and they'll take your order. And then you're supporting mom and pop.  And nothing can be better than that.  Carolyns: 509-489-3631

The cupcake recipe is from Country Living.  Click here for the recipe.

 

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An All White Palette

I visited a magnificent house recently that was done in an all white palette.  I'm a huge fan of white, and love how they brought in other natural elements and textures to make it come alive.  And although it's definitely over the top, I thought you might enjoy taking the tour just as much as I did:

I really admire the mixture of surfaces as well: pavers, tile, wood, rock, stucco. It all comes together so beautifully.

Although this landscape is obviously very lush, it's a good reminder at how lovely some greenery can be when added into your home environment.  We can't all have lovely little ponds, yet, some simple pots of succulents would be a wonderful way to add serene and natural elements indoors.

I can't say enough about all of the textures here.  This is another way to really take a home to a higher level of well thought out design.  And textures can be introduced on any budget.  Rocks, mosaics, foliage, wood, metals, etc.

Oh my, well that was a lovely little break from winter now wasn't it?

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Following Through

I've never been much for making New Year's resolutions, but this year I made a promise to myself that I would take a cake decorating class. It's something that I've wanted to do for years and I finally decided that the time has come.

We who live in Spokane are so lucky to have the local cake decorating shop, Carolyn's. It's been a fixture in our city for years.

I stopped by today to sign up for my class and to peruse their wares. I tell you, there's just something about a local mom and pop shop that I can't resist.

 

My class is starting soon... I hope to be piping like a champ.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Carolyn's is at 1705 N. Hamilton in Spokane. And if you stop by, I bet you'll understand why it's such a beloved Spokane establishment. There's nothing like service from people who are experts at what they do and are passionate about it too.

*Post Edit*

Carolyn's ships nationwide. You can reach the shop at 509-489-3631.

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Roasted Corn Pasta Salad

This delicious pasta salad is the perfect accompaniment to Black Bean Burgers and it's always the side that I order with my meals at the Elk in Spokane. I've adapted their recipe to make at home. And although I'm definitely not a fan of chipotle peppers, the flavor works perfectly here, adding just the right kick of spice, yet staying anonymous, making everyone ask the question: What's in here?!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon melted butter (skip this to make it vegan)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup onion (finely diced)
• 1 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1lb uncooked curly or twisty pasta (such as Gemelli or Fusilli)
• 1 cup lowfat mayonnaise (use vegan mayonnaise to make it vegan)
• 2 cups packed fresh cilantro (roughly stemmed)
• 2 tablespoons chipotle puree

Directions

	Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine corn, onions, butter, and oil together on a baking sheet. Using a spatula, mix together to coat corn and onions. Roast until corn and onions begin to brown, approximately 15 minutes. Once cooked, remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack until ready to use.
	Meanwhile, puree a can of chipotle peppers. (Use the entire contents of the can). Once pureed, measure out 2 tablespoons and set aside. Reserve leftovers by freezing them for later use.
	Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. (Yes, this goes against everything you've ever read about not rinsing pasta but it's necessary here). Once pasta is completely drained, add into a large mixing bowl and set aside. Combine cilantro, chipotle puree, and mayonnaise in a food processor (or blender). Once throughly combined, add mixture to pasta in bowl. Add roasted corn and onions and stir to mix all together. Salt to taste. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Please note: If not served immediately, you'll need to add more of the mayonnaise mixture or it will taste too dry).

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Building Sources

A lot of you have been asking about the sources we've used in building our new house.  So here goes:

Windows: VPI. We think their product is absolutely the best and love the fact that they're made right here, in Spokane, Washington, and are sold all over the country. VPI is owned by our friends, Burke and Muriel. VPI 1-800-634-1478.

Tile: Dirk Elliott Tile. Dirk is a good friend and creates amazing tile. His beadboard tile caused quite a stir when I posted about it recently. It's also made right here in Spokane, Washington and is available throughout the country. Dirk Elliott Tile 1-888.245.7248

Doors: Harry at River City Glass. Harry worked with us to determine what style doors we wanted and then which manufacturer would be the best fit for our needs. We used different sources for the sliders, exterior, and interior doors, based on Harry's recommendations. He did a great job for us.
Harry 509-951-8818.

Siding: James Hardie. We've grown to love the Fiber Cement Siding made by James Hardie. I talked a little about it here. James Hardie www.jameshardie.com

I'll be sharing more building sources once the job is complete, sometime this spring.

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Donut Bites with Jam & Cream

The first time Colin and I visited Dahlia Lounge in Seattle, I fell in love with their donuts, made fresh to order. Quite possibly one of the best desserts of my life.  Just recently I decided I'd like to try and make my own version, to see if I could duplicate the magic. The results are what I deem to be the lightest, airiest, most scrumptious little pillow bites of happiness.  And better yet, the boys agree.  I dare you to try and eat just one.

Ingredients

• 1 cup lukewarm milk
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 cups cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast

Directions

	Add ingredients into the bread machine, in the order described in your bread machine manual. Set machine to the dough setting. Once the dough cycle is complete, turn out onto a generously floured surface. pat dough into a rectangle that is approximately 3/4" thick. Cut 3/4" wide strips of dough. Then cut strips into approximately 2.5 - 3"" pieces and place onto floured baking sheets, leaving room for the dough to rise.
	Cover each pan loosely with a dish towel and set in a warm place for the dough to rise for one hour. In the meantime, combine 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a paper lunch bag and set aside.
	Prepare cream by combining 8 ounces mascarpone cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and set aside.
	Once dough has risen, fill a saucepan with vegetable oil or shortening and heat over medium-high heat until oil is hot for deep frying. Cook 5-6 donut bites at a time, depending on the size of the pan, turning once the bottoms are golden browned. Once both sides are browned, remove from oil, and drain on paper towels. Drop each batch of Donut Bites into the paper bag and dredge by folding the bag closed and shaking in the Cinnamon/Sugar coating.
	Serve Donut Bites warm with little bowls of the cream and a sour jam of your choice. (I love Sour plum). Dip the donuts into the cream and then into the jam (or use tiny spoons to scoop cream and jam onto the donuts) and bite!

Note

• Please please please don't try and substitute regular flour.  Cake flour is a must.  Trust me, I learned the hard, not so fluffy and wonderful way.
• Since this is a big batch of dough, make sure your bread machine is capable of mixing the ingredients. In my machine, I need to stir everything together with a wooden spoon, in the machine to help it get started.
• I started out thinking donut holes would be perfect for this recipe but learned that the frying results can be inconsistent, due to the thickness of the dough.  By making the thinner dough shapes, you'll experience much better results and no doughy centers.
• Don't overcook the dough.  You don't want the donuts to get too dark on the outside as it makes each bite much less tender.
• I realize that finding mascarpone can be a challenge if you live in a small town.  Don't worry. Simply substitute 1 cup heavy whipping cream for the mascarpone and whip with the vanilla and powdered sugar until stiff.  If you're going to keep the cream on hand for more than one hour, add in 1 teaspoon of honey while whipping, so the cream doesn't separate.  Substituting cream for the mascarpone results in a cream that isn't quite as decadent, but still very tasty.  I do not recommend substituting cream cheese, as it will overpower the flavors in this dessert.
• Makes about 60 bite-sized donuts.

To make dough by hand:

Warm milk and butter in a saucepan until butter is melted.  If milk is hot, let it cool to lukewarm.  Add yeast, sugar, eggs, and salt and whisk until combined.  Add 1 cup of the cake flour and beat well.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until light and bubbly, approximately one hour.  Add remaining 3 cups of cake flour and stir until smooth and combined.  (The dough will be stiff).  Cover and let rise in a warm place again for another half an hour.

Continue recipe by following the directions above, starting at the point the dough is removed from the bread machine.

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A Short Novel About Fashion

Thank goodness my sister was into fashion. She used to order us Esprit catalogs which we'd pour over, learning what was cool at the moment. When we were done with them, we'd pull the pages out and hang them on the walls of the little travel trailer she and I shared as our bedrooms. It opened my eyes to a beautiful world I never knew existed. I thought being a fashion model would be amazing, but I was going through an awkward phase, so I set my sights on being a hand model. Oh my goodness.

When I was in fourth grade, my family moved deep into the woods outside of the small Northern California town of Yreka. I loved when we'd get to make the trip into town and I could gaze in the windows of my favorite store, Directions. The window displays were always done by a beautiful woman named Yoni, who I admired very much. When I got older, I would pick her brain about how she created those amazing displays. And it's definitely where I learned to appreciate a good display, especially one with cute merchandise.

My mom eventually took a job at a shop in town called the Second Hand Rose, which sold used clothing. It was like a dream come true for me because I got to be in charge of window displays. And sometimes, there wasn't as good of a selection as other times, so I learned to be resourceful with outfit displays, leaning on a few good key pieces to pull the looks together.

Along the way, I met my uncle who was a very successful doctor in San Francisco and I began to visit him on holidays. He shopped in wonderful department stores like Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue and would take me there to shop, carte blanche. It was a shocking experience for me, as his world and mine could not have been more different. Now I could have the Esprit outfits I had only seen on my travel trailer bedroom walls, never even imagining that one day they could possibly be mine.

When I was just beginning my life as an adult, I'd still order fashion catalogs and would fill out huge orders on the order forms, sometimes taking several days at a time before I was done. Once complete, I'd tuck them away and wait for the next season's catalogs to arrive. For many years I wasn't able to place the orders, but the process made me happy. Like I was in touch with fashion.

I still love seeing each season's collections and look forward to every catalog that arrives. Each season (I break it up by spring/summer and fall/winter) I try to think about one main color I'm going to build my wardrobe around so that everything works well together and my dollar goes farther. For spring/summer this year, I'm loving navy blue. And so many colors look great with Navy.

From Boden. Wouldn't this be a cute start to my navy spring/summer? :

From EmersonMade:

and from Made by Hank (any of these would look so cute with my wardrobe):

And even the color of the year looks great with navy!

Look sis, it's me! I'm a hand model.

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Doors and Trim

The front door finally arrived.  (I love that Craig is keeping it totally protected).  It's bigger in person than I had imagined, which makes me happy because I think big front doors are cool.  (And no, that isn't the color of the house or the front door, but we'll be waiting a long while before any exterior surfaces are painted, due to our climate).

I'm happy to announce that World Headquarters has gotten the recognition she deserves, thanks to Mike, the finish carpenter.  And you know, it just gives it a higher level of importance don't you think?  I can just imagine it now, as they go about their day at the worksite:  "Hey, watch that wall! You don't want to damage World Headquarters, now do YOU?!"  hee hee

And speaking of Mike, he's been toiling away on all of our trim work.  He sure runs a clean operation.  I like that.  I like that a lot.

Here's one of our doors, installed, along with the trim.  The doors and trim arrived primed, and will be painted later.  I'm really happy with the simple, classic look, and love the dark hinges I opted for.  I'll be going with dark doorknobs everywhere as well.  And didn't the panel doors turn out nicely? I ended up going with solid doors, even though they were a bit more expensive.  It's one of the areas that I really wanted to get right the first time.  Because can you ever imagine replacing a whole house-worth of doors? Neither can I.

Top of door trim:

Bottom of door trim:

And Chuck is just getting started on the ceilings.  I can't wait to see how much the beadboard changes the whole feel of the house.

In other news, much of the painting is done.  The colors I've used most are Sherwin Williams Zurich White and Ermine.  And I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't completely hung up on the colors not having Farm Chicky names.  I think I should rename them Winter Prairie and Farmstead White.  Are you listening, Sherwin Williams?

The tile installation will begin soon.  Dirk has put together some really beautiful designs, complete with a special new tile he is creating that will cap everything off in one of the rooms. Here's the mold that will go into the machine that makes the tiles.

Yeah, he's pretty much amazing, that one.

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Treat Bags!

Well hello! I have sweet treats on my mind.  Cutely packaged treats.

I have some fun (and sweet) things in store for you this year. I've been hearing from lots of you, missing my online shop. And although I won't be selling things online anymore (we just couldn't keep up with the demand), I thought about something that would be even better. Free things. Cute things. Sweet things. So, for my first treat just for you, with Valentines Day in mind, I give you..... Treat Bags!

Perfect for packaging any little things you like.

Here's what you do:

Step 1.) Download my treat bags file onto your computer and print.  Follow my instructions (provided in the download) for cutting and glueing.  Click here for the download. (PLEASE NOTE: This file is very large and will take quite some time to download).

Step 2.) Gather up your favorite treats or doo-dads or whatever you love:

Step 3.) Plunk your treats into your cute little bags that you just crafted, all by your little self (or with your best pal or kiddos):

And then give, give, give! Make someone's day.

Or wait for Valentines to pass out your surprise treats, Farm Chicks Style.

Happy day, sweet friends. Happy day.

Note on directions: If you're not crazy about glueing the bags, double stick tape is a great alternative.

Candy sources: The Sweet Sticks are from Trader Joes.  The Valentine M&M's are from Target.

Special thanks to Elle's Studio, for bringing these bags to life for me to share with you. xo

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Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there, Username: thefarmchicks

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Black Bean Burgers

One of our favorite Spokane restaurants is the Elk, which is a great spot to enjoy brewpub style food in a neighborhood setting.  And one of the great things about living in the Pacific Northwest is the "come-as-you-are" attitude.  Things are relaxed here, but the food is great.  One of my favorite meals at the Elk is the Bean Burger, which they serve from time to time.  I've adapted their recipe to be quick and simple, yet still tasty.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup onion (diced)
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper (diced)
• 1/4 cup carrots (diced)
• 1 15 ounce can black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 egg
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 - 5 slices provolone or pepper jack cheese

Directions

	Add the olive oil and veggies to a frying pan, and cook at medium-high heat until veggies begin to soften. While the veggies are sauteing, add the beans into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mash them up a bit with a potato masher, leaving about 1/4 of the beans whole.
	Add the sauteed veggies to the bean mixture and stir to combine. Add the remaining ingredients (reserving the canola oil for frying the patties in) and mix together. (It's best to use your hands to mix everything together at this point).
	Divide mixture into 4 or 5 patties, depending on your preference of patty size. After forming the patties, fry them in the canola oil until golden, about three minutes per side, over medium-high heat. Top with the cheese of your choice, once bean burgers are flipped.
	Serve on hamburger buns, with mayonnaise, greens of your choice, and tomatoes.

Note

The chefs at the Elk recommend starting your patties in a cold pan to give the patties a nice crunch on the outside.

For delicious go-to lunches at home, wrap patties individually and freeze.  When you need lunch in a hurry, just grab a patty, microwave until hot, and assemble as usual.

 

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Dirk Elliot Tile

We're heading into the finish work phase on the construction of our new home, which I am loving.  One thing I've been so excited about is the tile.  And it's made right here, in Spokane.

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But even better than that, it's designed by our good friend, Dirk Elliot, of Dirk Elliot Tile.  For months now, I've been looking at samples:

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And I have to tell you, Dirk and his wife, Christina, have impeccable taste.  Being able to work with friends and to have them share their design expertise with me has been amazing.  Night after night, we've met to go over options, designs, and measurements.  They've really put in a lot of their personal time.

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And since I love having a connection to what's going into our home, they allowed me into the factory to see the tile being produced.  Would you like to join me for the tour?  But… ahem…. please forgive my description of the process, and Dirk and Christina, if you're reading this, please don't have a heart attack when I slaughter the description you so eloquently walked me through.  Okay, deep breath… here we go:

The raw materials arrive at the factory in Spokane via rail from places such as Omak, Washington.  It is offloaded and brought into the warehouse where it's stored, according to its content, until needed:

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A mixure of the materials enter into the factory, via a conveyer belt overhead, and into a multi-step, multi-machine process, with the end result of almost all of the water content being removed from the mixture:

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And then the Oompa Loompas come along…. okay okay, just testing to see if you're still with me here.  Okay, this is where it gets even cooler..

That mixture, now almost completely free of moisture, is then put into one of several presses where it will be pressed into a pre-determined shape (designed by Dirk), with such incredible force and a gabillion (made that up) pounds of pressure that it gives each tile its strength:

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Tiles like these classic subway tiles:

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And beveled subways:

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And these: So sweet, no?

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And hold your breath for this….

Beadboard tile.  I repeat.  Beadboard. Tile: Can you even stand it?!

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The tiles are set on wooden racks until ready to bake and glaze:

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Into the kiln where the tiles are baked:

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These tiles can be made into any color imaginable.  Really.  I have a crush on their lab.  Dear family, If for some reason, this whole new house thing doesn't work out, you can find me living here.  In the color lab:

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Need an exact color? Bleep bleep blip blop bloop! This little machine (and a super whiz color tech) can make it happen:

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But alas, today, we're going with white glaze:

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And oh my! What is that coming down the line?

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And getting all boxed up just for me?

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It's that super wonderful and amazing beadboard tile.  For my laundry room. *sigh*

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I can't wait to see it installed.  That's coming soon!

* Update *  Why hello! Turns out many of you love Dirk Elliot tile as much as me.  Thank you for your emails.  I can't wait to tell Dirk and Christina!  For those of you wanting to find out where Dirk Elliot tile is sold, you can call 888.245.7248 for more information.  And yes, Dirk Elliot tile is available nationwide.  Hooray!

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Honeysuckle

Welcome 2011 and welcome Pantone 18-2120, aka Honeysuckle - the official color of 2011!

I've dug through my images to find Honeysuckle and how it's colored my world over the years.

Flowers, St. Martin (2004):

Me, Jennifer Wood, Penny Simonson, The Farm Chicks Show (2005)

Bongo, Whitewater (2006):

Seafood Shack, Anguilla (2007):

Annie Mae, Whitepass, (2008):

Colin's fishing trip, Alaska (2009):

Chairs, New York (2010)

How will Honeysuckle swirl through my life in 2011?  I can't wait to find out!

Chairs image by Tiffany, from a recent trip of ours to NYC.

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