SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT

rarebeasts is located in Canberra, Australia. It was started in 2007 as a part time business selling musical gadgets that were played in their own bands. In 2009, rarebeasts became full time to put more energy into new designs and making popular items available for sale. rarebeasts shared some photos he took of local sunsets.

The Recipe Corner - Spicy Pepita Brittle

½ tsp. Vegetable Oil
¾ cup Pepitas (hulled Pumpkin Seeds)
¼ tsp. Cinnamon
¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
¼ tsp. Kosher Salt
1½ cup Sugar
¾ cup Water
1 tbs. Light Corn Syrup

1. Place vegetable oil in a small skillet and set over medium heat. Add pepitas and toast, constantly shaking the pan, until they turn golden and start to pop. If you stop moving the pan they will burn. Remove from heat and mix in cinnamon, cayenne pepper and salt. If pepitas are already salted, omit extra salt. Set aside. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Lightly rub the sides of a 1 quart pot with vegetable oil. Add sugar and water and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the the sugar dissolves. Stir in corn syrup. Cover and cook for 5 minutes undisturbed.

3. After 5 minutes, uncover and continue cooking. Do NOT stir during this process. Place in a candy thermometer in the sauce pan and cook until the temperature reaches 350°. The mixture will turn an amber-brown color when it is done. This will take about 10 minutes.

4. Immediately pour the brittle onto the prepared cookie sheet. Spread the brittle thin and distribute the pepitas evenly.

5. Once the brittle has cooled, break it into pieces.

This recipe compliments of whimseyfish.

Tuesday Tinker - altarspace

altarspace began making intention charms for friends. “I had a friend who just broke up with a boyfriend and I thought it would be nice to give her something pretty and positive, so she could find her true love. She not only found her fiancé, she rekindled her love of music and art”, says April Judd of Altar Space. “I made another for a friend who was pregnant with her third child and was feeling a little down about not having time for herself. I made her a charm full of feminine energy, self confidence, and love. If anything, it’s a reminder for the people I make the charms for that I am thinking of them and that they have someone on their side.”

SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT - On location with our next Tuesday Tinker

altarspace was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, but now calls Connecticut home. She has a degree in Studio Art, with an emphasis on painting. “Nature has always been my church and I try to paint the essence or spirit that my painting subject holds”, says April Judd of Altar Space. This philosophy made its way into the crafts that Altar Space now creates for her Esty shop.

The Recipe Corner - Cold Shrimp Soup

1 quart buttermilk

12 medium cooked, cleaned shrimp

1 cucumber

Fresh dill (dried may be used if you can't find fresh)

Serves 6.

The night before serving, put 1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill into the quart bottle of buttermilk and place back in the refrigerator. 

The day of serving, pour the buttermilk into a bowl. Peel the cucumber, cut length-wise and remove seeds. Cut the cucumber into thin slices and add to the buttermilk. Cut the shrimp into about 4 or 5 pieces each and add to buttermilk mixture. Chill at least 2 hours more.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with a small sprig of dill.

Recipe compliments of CabArray.

Tuesday Tinker - storybeader

storybeader is a frustrated writer who likes to put words and colors together to create usable art. Each of her journals and notebooks come with a haiku, written by her specifically for the piece!

Browse her shop and see her other wonderful items.

SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT - On location with our next Tuesday Tinker

storybeader likes to travel. Here are some pictures she took while she was visiting Ireland. They were both taken on Greater Blasket Island which is the westernmost island of Europe.

The Recipe Corner - Grandma's Apple Pie

Assorted apples - I use Empires, MacIntosh, and Granny Smith. If Rome or Cortlands are available I throw one of them into the mix, too.
1/2 cup granulated sugar*
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
cinnamon - at least 1 tablespoon but I put in 2
1/2 cup of heavy cream
Pie pastry for a 2 crust pie

Preheat oven to 425 ̊.
Line a pie plate with pastry. Sprinkle flour over the crust bottom. Slice apples and arrange in crust so they pile up about an inch or so above the edge of the pie plate. Cover with sugar and sprinkle cinnamon over the top of the sugar. Make very thin slices of butter and dot it around on top of the sugar and cinnamon.
Cut the top crust so that it is just a tad smaller than the open surface of the pie. You do not want it to touch the edges of the bottom crust; it has to just float on the apples. Place the top crust on the pie and cut vents or use a pie bird (see picture).
Bake at 425̊ for 15 minutes then turn oven down to 350̊ and bake another 40 50 minutes.
Immediately after taking the pie from the oven, using a wide spatula (or even 2) lift the top crust off the pie. Pour the heavy cream around over the apples and replace the crust. If you do this while the apples are still very hot they will absorb the cream.

* you may use more sugar if you like a real sweet pie - Grandma used a full cup but I've found that it isn't necessary.

Recipe compliments of AuntMartha.

Tuesday Tinker - ManicManx

Manic Manx makes her living with costumes, sort of everyday costumes: fancy things you can ware on a daily basis that stand out. In her words, "It's a joy to design and create a garment. The trimming and embellishment of that garment is the stuff that makes me jump up and down with glee."

Browse her shop and see her other creations.

SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT - On location with our next Tuesday Tinker

Manic Manx loves fabric or as she puts it, "My work justifies my passion for collecting pretty fabrics. My living-room has several shelves of this stuff. It comes in handy when I get those fun orders where someone says "I want a coat, make it weird, use purple, fuschia and green. Chances are somewhere on those shelves is the perfect combination of patterns, colors and textures. Its both fun and difficult living so close to the LA fabric district. So easy to come home with more than you can fit on the shelves. That is my barometer. If I cant fit it on the shelve, I have too much. My new years resolution. Sew up half of what I own. "

The Recipe Corner - Five Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

4 TBS plain flour
4 TBS sugar or stevia
2 TBS baking  cocoa
1 egg
3 TBS milk
3 TBS oil
3 TBS dark choco.  chips
Small splash of vanilla
1 coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well.
Add egg and mix.
Pour in milk and oil and mix.
Add the chocolate chips and vanilla and mix.
Put mug in micro. and cook for 3 min.
The cake will rise to the top of the mug.
Don't be alarmed.  As it cools, it falls a bit.


Recipe compliments of TheArtfulFlamingo.

Tuesday Tinker - whimsyfish

whimsyfish poses a question we all might take a moment to ponder, "What is life without art?

Come browse her shop.