My Little Frankenstein Coffee Scoop

Just in time for Halloween, this wee little coffee scoop is my little Frankenstein. The scoop is made of walnut wood but to jazz it up, it has a copper plate that’s attached with brass pins. It’s kinda different but hopefully this is just the beginning of many more mixed media journeys. I really love the combination of the wood and the metals. Ah… If only it had a little leather loop or something too and it would hit all my tactile feels! Can spoons be over accessorized? Hmmm…

Take a look and let me know what you think. I’m wondering if I need to invest in metalsmithing tools. Eek!

Copper and Brass Coffee Scoop

$69.00

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New Moon, New Spoon, And New Workshops Coming Soon!

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Copper Rivet Serving Spoon

$143.00

I can’t exactly call this spoon new as it’s been kicking around my shop for well over a year now but I’m so glad it remained because it is gorgeous! (Sometimes they become compost.)  It started out as a demo spoon.  It would accompany me to different workshops and events where I would carved here and there to show various techniques and let students explore the hardness of wood.  This Copper Rivet Serving Spoon is made from walnut wood and is a much harder wood than I usually provide for carving workshops.  Having this on hand helped educate budding spoon carvers around the hardness as a character of wood.

Anyway, this spoon has seen some hands. I can think of at least four individuals that spent considerable time with it, let alone the numerous others that whittled shavings over many months.  With time it developed its charm.  I wish I had some before photos because this piece was perpetually an ugly duckling.  The copper rivets were experimental.  I figured that drilling into this spoon was harmless because no one was attached and if things went south, no big deal.  Even with the added bling the ugly duckling prevailed.  But as many of us experienced in our youth, a little time allows us to grow into our own unique beauty.  Gouges got sanded down reminiscent of healing scares that eventually fade.  We are all a bit awkward as teens but that gradually disappears and we emerge with more refinement and a sense of maturity. A spoon is no different.  It just takes time…

Time transformed this spoon into a remarkable piece of kitchen art and it would be misleading to call it my own.  It’s everyone’s.   A community spoon, with a large bowl and sturdy handle, ready to be of service…  It was fostered beautifully by the generous hands that took the time to add influence, helping to cultivate the design.  I can 100% say this wouldn’t have happened without you!

And speaking of you, I have a couple of workshops coming soon!  The specific details are still coming together but for those of you in the New England area you might want to note the following dates:

October 17th & 18th- Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum in Bristol, RI

I’ll be hosting a Grain & Grain workshop which will include two days of carving and baking.  I taught this class here many moons ago but I’ll be revisiting this fall with a fresh twist. Rather than baking bread as we’ve done in the past, we are going to be making Dutch Babies! You know I love me some Dutch Babies so just imagine my excitement when I got the spin on this request!  And ummm… have you seen the gardens at Blythwold? The location alone should be enough to catch your interest.  It’s absolutely beautiful and it’s a great privilege to be going back after so many years.

October 25th & 26th- The Plant Work Shop, Orleans, MA

Nothing like rolling off one high right? A week later I’ll be heading back to Cape Cod and teaching the Joy of Carving at one of the most organically crafty studios on the east coast!  The Plant Work Shop hosts all kinds of creative events and to be part of their fall line-up again is a dream come true!  This year we are switching things up a little with the first half happening on Friday evening and finishing up on Saturday morning, leaving room for participants to linger as necessary. The real joy of carving is the journey in recognizing your own skill to craft a useful tool from your own hands.  It’s a personal process and lends itself well as an escape from the modern distractions. Having the opportunity to spill into the next day without strict time restraints will help support the meditative qualities carving bestows while fostering a casual social environment to make some new friends. 

Long story short, these workshops are going to be fun!  Keep an eye out for tickets through both Blithewold and the Plant Work Shop as space is limited to 10 participants at each location. You can also check back here as I will continue to update you with more details on my events page as things come together.

See you soon New England!

Spring Flash Sale

Hey Friends!

For those of you that have been waiting to get your hands on some one-of-a-kind kitchen tools, now’s your chance! In honor of Spring, and marking a quarter turn around the sun, I am celebrating Nature’s New Year with a 25% off sale on the last of my 2018 inventory. Get it while the gettin’ is good! Sale ends tomorrow.

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Copper Cutlery Set

Sale Price:$126.00 Original Price:$168.00

First addition copper cutlery set, hand forged from salvaged scrap copper.

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Oak Serving Spoon Set

$80.00

Hand carved set of serving spoons with storage pouch

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New Moon, New Spoon

I’m pretty focused on fresh starts right now and with a new moon upon us and spring around the corner, I’m starting to shift gears. Unfortunately, change doesn’t always arrive lockstep. It feels as though I’ve swapped one holding pattern for another, and waiting and time remain the constant backstory. After four years of sitting idle caregiving for my parents, they have both now passed and yet I remain. Even the dog is no longer company and so the question of home feels foreign as I remain in their house but lack everything else.

There’s an emptiness here that I hope holds space for a new beginning. However, cold starts are a struggle and the days are slowly slipping into months. It’s hard to grasp the slowness though. Whereas before the nothingness dragged, I am now consumed by the clock ticking and yet, I have nowhere to be. No job, no curfew, no obligations to be accountable to… Just me and again, this strange relationship with time.

The Pleiades Slotted Wooden Spoon is available in the shop. Click here.

If you read my father’s obituary then you know Space was a big deal for this household. Like, as in “lunar landing/ satellite telemetry ” big deal. Growing-up with a human calculator was no easy task for a girl afraid of math. But somewhere along the way I gathered the significance of measurement relative to his passion for Space. I remember him giving me a gyroscope once as a gift and forever trying to get it to spin upon a string. Only now, as an adult, am I making sense of it. In watching this gyroscope video and seeing one in action do I realize how planetary this gift was and his own interest in celestial movement.

Time often accounts for change and those changes parlay seasons. And now, amid all the change that lays so heavy in my air, I am reminded that the seasons of life can account for nothingness and without much attention, life just passes by. So, if you have ever come to this page and wondered about the Full Moon Baking Club or my obsession with time it’s probably worth noting that the space-time continuum is some complicated mathematical model that I’ll never truly understand but thanks to the gyroscope, I can trust that this time will pass. Nature is cyclical… Seasons are cyclical… And if there is ever a clock worth trusting, it’s not the one that tells the time; it’s one that tells where we are in the cycle.

It’s understandable that the seasons of life can be difficult and if you are anything like me, you might find yourself far from one that brings a good harvest. The growing ain’t good right now cause I have nothing much to sow. I’m just now sorting seeds. It’s not realistic to assume life will magically fall into place. But time itself is a kind of magic and so a little intentional seed planting now will surely grow into something later. What better time keeper than the moon? (I think my dad would agree.) And what better way to track change than pursue a craft? Time lends itself to the artisan maker and good craftsmanship can take a lifetime. For the moment all I have is seeds. Time will tell but until then… new moon, new spoon!

February 2019: Handmade Flour Tortilla Recipe

Hey Full Moon Bakers!

I’m trying to ease back into all the things after my father’s passing and that includes the Full Moon Baking Club. There is really no better way to make that happen than with a good friend. To be honest, that’s what this baking club is for. Gathering friends, attempting kitchen crafts and ideally eating said crafts with good company. As much as I believe in breaking bread and the power of sharing food to foster togetherness, this was the first month in which I have been able to participate in that vision. Lucky for me (and us) I happen to know one of the best handmade flour tortilla makers this side of the border. He happily shared his recipe, technique, and personal counsel for an epic night of tacos. It was a true reminder that no matter life’s circumstances, good times still await us. We just need to make the time.

Speaking of time, hand making tortillas takes some… Individually rolling out 15 to 20 small pieces of dough is a workout so I suggest enlisting a friend (duh…) to help with the pan frying. You’ll find a rhythm and have fun in the process. And I mentioned the tacos, right? Just make the tortillas. Surely you know how to apply the fixin’s. Check below for the recipe and some step-by-step visuals.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp.baking powder
• 4 to 5 tbsp butter
• 3/4 cup hot water

Directions

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Add in the butter and cut it into the flour until you roughly have pea sized pieces throughout.
3. Pour in the water and stir to combine forming the dough
4. Knead the dough on the counter until the ingredients are well combined and the dough is smooth and well formed.
5. Then cut the dough into 15 or 20 individual pieces and form into small balls roughly the size of a golf ball.
6. Place them on a plate, cover, and let them rest for 20 minutes.
7. Warm a dry skillet over medium-high and let it heat all the way through.
8. With a rolling pin, individually roll out each piece of dough. (You want them thin and a good size for serving.)
9. Without using oil, dry fry the tortillas on each side, turning after bubbles forms in the dough.
10. Do them one at a time. As you get a feel for the timing you can start to roll the next tortilla out as the previous one is frying. Just be sure to keep and eye on your pan and flip them before burning.
11. Keep them warm by boiling an inch of water in a pot. Once the water boils, turn the heat off and place a plate with a clean cloth towel or napkin folded on top. Place each tortilla within the cloth after frying. This will keep them nice and warm until all of them are ready to serve. (Sorry, I forgot to take that picture.)

Pork tacos with roasted poblano peppers, arugula, avocado, and fresh papaya salsa with handmade flour tortillas.

These were 100% worth it. Good luck and let me know if you make these tortillas!