You will always be my favorite fisherman. I love you. Happy birthday.

* I think I’m probably eight or nine in this photo. My dad is an avid fisherman and took us with him out to sea all the time. This was in a hut on one of the islands we docked at, maybe for lunch (explains what appears to be the food coma that my dad’s in!). I used to complain about being on the boat all the time, because I was a vain little girl and hated the heat and humidity and the sticky saltwater that made my hair gross. But now, I realize my childhood was actually quite adventurous because of those trips on the water, and that one of my favorite memories of my dad is him squinting in the sun, with a beer in his hand, celebrating a catch. Now, I won’t trade those memories for anything in the world.

We were up at Lake Arrowhead at S.’ family’s house this weekend. It rained all of Saturday, so we spent the afternoon indoors making a big, glorious mess out of powdered sugar, starlight mints, cinnamon bears and all manner, shape and size of candy imaginable to build a wintry gingerbread village. All this while getting sloshed. We spent a good bit of time cleaning up after and STILL kept finding renegade candy hidden in different nooks of the house the rest of our say there. All in all, my first attempt at making a gingerbread house was smashing fun.

More pics from the construction site:

We had so much fun, even Johnny Depp stopped by!

Ahhhh, Christmas. I love you so.

I have the best friends! Thank you, Gad. I love your thoughtful, unexpected gift. I can’t wait until the holidays are over for some serious charity quilting!

Mostly because I’ve always wanted to sew for charity, and even more after discovering that Katherine Bell, who wrote this book, is a gradaute of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop (in my poetry days—yes, I had my poetry days!—several teachers spoke highly of the writing program). I found out about the book on the Sew, Mama, Sew blog today and reading about it makes me want to run to a bookstore at lunch to get myself a copy! (Though, I do have some points to spend on Amazon, which carries the book, too!) Katherine Bell says of her project:

…it’s a collection of stories about quilters who quilt to change the world. I interviewed an extraordinary assortment of women (and a few men) for this book. Some have organized groups of quilters to provide warm bedding to people made homeless by poverty, violence, or natural disasters. Some make quilts to comfort those who are sick, hurt, or grieving. And still others use their craft to raise money and draw attention to a cause—the AIDS quilt is the most famous of these. The quilters I encountered during the making of this book had a few things in common: practicality and old-fashioned resourcefulness; considerable persuasive and organizational skills; a firm belief in justice and people’s responsibility for each other; and a faith in patchwork’s ability to absorb the maker’s care, respect, and on occasion outrage, and to let whoever touches the quilt feel those as well. These needle-wielding activists made me believe I could do so much more to make a difference in the world, and I hope they’ll do the same for you.

It includes patterns and projects for newborns in need, quilts for soldiers, blankets for the homeless and gifts that support breast cancer charities, among others. Definitely something to look forward to in the new year: sewing projects that make a difference!

How are you coming along with Christmas gifts this year? I’ve decided I’m going to MAKE most of mine, which means these past days I’ve been sewing like mad. Tote bags, drawstring pouches, lavender sachets, scarves! I won’t be able to show you exactly what I’ve been making because a lot of the recipients read this blog, but I CAN say it’s been a lot of hectic, crafty fun. I’m desperately trying to squeeze in time to make all of these by Christmas, so please cross your fingers for me!

On the non-handmade front, I’ve been spending lots of time on The Open Sky Project recently. It’s a fairly new website that has experts (and usually bloggers) from many varied fields (crafting, food & beverage, baby and gardening, among others) recommending products they actually use, which you can then buy right on the shop. Through it, I’ve discovered many nifty new things—and lots of other awesome blogs, too!

My favorite things from The Open Sky Project:

The Knit Kit recommended by Vickie of Vickie Howell (knitting)

Tulumba Dolma Roller recommended by Dede of Dedemed (Mediterranean cooking)

Clover Pom-Pom Makers recommended by Amy Powers of Inspire Company (crafting)

Sylvie Bird Pillows recommended by Jay Johnson and Irwin Weiner of Design2share (interior design)

Chronicle Books Confection-ery Box Of Labels recommended by Kelly Lyden of The Party Dress (entertaining)

OXO Convertible Colander recommended by Kath Younger of Kath Eats (healthy eating)

Space Invaders Cutting Board recommended by Lisa Rogak of Behind The Knife (kitchen toolery)

Great website, and something you might want to check out as you’re deciding on Christmas gifts yourself.

P.S. If you know me and you love me but don’t know what to get me for Christmas, those Clover Pom-Pom Makers would make me all sorts of happy!

UPDATE: Vickie Howell has some $15 off coupons to give away on The Open Sky Project! More details HERE.

 Long overdue, I know! But in the shuffle of turkey, mashed potato and stuffing, I misplaced my camera and couldn’t post these until today.

 For my family, I made this toot-my-own-horn-good Pumpkin Cheesecake. The crust was made from crushed gingersnaps—a season-appropriate spiced twist from the traditional graham-cracker one. I piped whipped cream (yes, made from scratch, thank you) blobs on top (Bake It Pretty’s Round Giant Pastry Tip was perfect for this!) , and sprinkled some toffee brickle on them. The chocolate pieces you see were made from a chocolate “mat.” I melted some chocolate chips, dipped a fork in the mixture and whipped it back and forth over some wax paper so it made some sort of cross-hatched pattern. Those pieces you see on the cheesecake were simply broken-off “shards” from the mat. More crushed gingersnaps in the middle completed the dessert. (I’m very proud of it!) I think I’ll be making this cheesecake for Thanksgiving from now on.

For E.’s family (who are self-confessed chocoholics!), I made this autumn-themed Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting. I baked it in a disposable sheet pan, just like these. They’re handy because they come with their own cover and there are no worries about a forgotten cake pan wherever the baked treat is sent. The leaves are made from marzipan that I tinted, rolled out and cut out with autumn mini cookie cutters. I used the back of a knife (a Martha Stewart trick so that you don’t cut all the way through the marzipan) to score veins on the leaves and marks on the acorns. 

The holidays are always an excuse for me to cook and craft even more, so may the Kitchen and Craft Gods be with me in the next few weeks as Christmas draws near. Hope to keep you posted of all my adventures in thread and flour!

Here’s what came of my first improv-pieced quilt block, from that class taught by Alissa over at The Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica.

My very first improv half apron! Made with scraps from my stash and muslin. Inspired by Denyse Schmidt’s Shimmy, Shake and Bake Apron.

Ever since that class, I’ve been quietly rooting through my fabric stash and building a new one—for my new fascination with modern quilting. It’s this pseudo-serious project for me, because now I’m starting to recognize fabric I can just live with, and fabric I NEED! I’ve also joined the LA Modern Quilt Guild, read Denyse Schmidt’s book as much as I can, read up on color, even art (which is a stretch for me!).

It’s opened a lot of doors in crafting for me. I’m falling deeper and deeper in love with this craft, and can’t wait to keep trying my hand at it until I get better.

THIS is kind of that moment in my crafting life I’ve waited for. I don’t know if you’re a crafter, or if this has ever happened to you, but I’ve collected fabric for along time, with pieces I knew I could NEVER cut into because they were too special. With improv piecing, no block you ever make can be wrong. With the freedom modern quilting allows, NOW I know I can, have, need to use this fabric!

L-R: Japanese cottons from a recent trip to Manila; Italian Cottons from a trip to Bassetti Tessuti in Rome

All this makes me really miss my grandmother. Lola Acay was the big quilter in my life, and though she made very traditional pieces, she had an artistic eye for fabric and color, and would LOVE all the things I’m discovering as I learn more about modern quilting.

L-R: My first improv-pieced block, my grandma’s rail-fence throw-pillow case

I think, one of these days I’ll visit her old house in Dumaguete, just to piece a couple of improv blocks on her manual sewing machine, the one she used to make all those quilts up until her 90’s. That would be awesome: me with my FreeSpirits, Heather Rosses and Alexander Henrys, sitting at Lola’s decades-old sewing machine.

Thank you for being the always-willing (albeit mysterious) second set of crafty hands in my blog photos. And for being the Best Turkey Spaghetti Maker in the world. You are awesome.

Business was doing well, because all the locals knew that dishes made from the flowers that grew around the apple tree in the Waverley garden could affect the eater in curious ways. The biscuits with lilac jelly, the lavender tea cookies, and the tea cakes made with nasturtium mayonnaise the Ladies Aid ordered for their meetings once a month gave them the ability to keep secrets. The fried dandelion buds over marigold-petal rice, stuffed pumpkin blossoms, and rose-hip soup ensured that your company would notice only the beauty of your home and never the flaws. Anise hyssop honey butter on toast, angelica candy, and cupcakes with crystallized pansies made children thoughtful. Honeysuckle wine served on the Fourth of July gave you the ability to see in the dark. The nutty flavor of the dip made from hyacinth bulbs made you feel moody and think of the past, and the salads made with chicory and mint had you believing that something good was about to happen, whether it was true or not.

- Garden Spells, Sarah Addison Allen

Someday, I’d like to be able to say I’ve cooked the world.

I imagine a curiosity about world cuisine is common for a lot of people who love to cook. For me, though, it’s a deep-seated fascination simply because it’s an ingredient in my very own immigrant experience. Living in Los Angeles has exposed me to a rich tapestry of different cultures—something I didn’t grow up with in the 25 years I lived in the Philippines.

When I first came out here, one of the ways I knew to explore my new life was to acquaint myself with the food my new friends grew up with. I would talk about my Lola’s adobo, and they would have me taste the Lubia Polo (a Persian rice dish with ground beef and green beans) their nanny had made for them for years. Nothing was more delicious than exchanging memories about food. All this started my now ever-growing love affair with world cuisine. I guess I felt that I could somehow distill part of my often-crazy immigrant experience…in a pot.

This was what prompted me to take a two-hour Moroccan Cooking class at Surfa’s in Culver City. Surfas is a restaurant/culinary supply warehouse and is, in itself, a sort of mecca for me. It’s where I bought my first honest-to-goodness bottle of (pricey) vanilla extract with my first paycheck. I go back to it time to time each year to explore, wide-eyed, its wondrous shelves and shelves of food things: from European butter, to cake decorating thingamajigs…

…and pots and pans and pastas.

And don’t get me started about their tubs of chocolate. TUBS. Valhrona, help me.

Now, back to Morocco. I’d always thought that if I were to take a cooking class, it would be for something I’d never done before. I’ve had many chances to try my hand at Italian and American food, and was on the lookout for something more exotic (exotic for me, at least). I found Chef Amanda Cushman’s cooking class by patient online sleuthing, and when I discovered it was in Surfa’s (very near my house), I signed up without so much as a blink.

I didn’t know what to expect, because I’d never taken a cooking class before. And frankly, I’m a very solitary cook, just like my grandma. I was worried other people in the class would annoy me, but I actually loved every minute of it. There were two girlfriends, one of who was a new transplant from Australia, a married couple (the husband cooked the meals in their home, and the wife made dessert!), two mothers and myself. Chef Amanda had us all chip in doing parts of all the dishes we prepared over the course of two hours.

Our mindblowingly delicious menu:
- Chicken Tagine With Prunes
- Stuffed Flatbread with Mint and Feta
- Couscous Pilaf with Roasted Vegetables
- Phyllo Bundles with Fig, Apricot and Almonds, served with hand-whipped cream

We each had our own chopping board and apron, and ironically, one of the tasks I was assigned to do was chop the cilantro, which I have a categorical hatred for!

I tried to snap as many pictures as I could, when my hands were free.

After two hours of happily chopping, and stirring and roasting, we sat down to our feast. If you’re familiar with couscous, we used Israeli couscous in the pilaf below, hence the larger grains—a first for me!

Nom…

…nom…

…nom!

How do you say, “I’m hungry” in Moroccan?

All yummy noises aside, I had an inspiring, awesome time at my class (so much that I forgot all about the cilantro!) I was heady with giddy cookinghappiness when I came out of it. I’m excited to recreate this meal at home, hoping to someday do it in a traditional tagine (we made ours with a regular pot—it came out extremely juicy and mouthwatering nonetheless).

And yes, I hope to see many more days of learning to cook the world, one strange, exotic, delicious dish at a time.