Chop it, melt it…
December 24, 2014
mix it, roll it. Does a classic Christmas treat get any simpler? Perfect if you have a bit of free time before the Christmas Eve festivities start, this recipe for Bourbon Balls found in Garden & Gun. And, if the South doesn’t know their Bourbon Balls…who does? Merry Christmas.
Rhonda Ruckman’s Bourbon Ball recipe can be found here:http://gardenandgun.com/article/bourbon-ball-recipe
Photos: gp
Cookie?
December 15, 2014
Nothing says Christmas like a plateful of homemade Christmas cookies. If you have the time, great, but who wants to run out for that list of ingredients? Relax. Simple shortbreads…using only 3 ingredients you have on hand…to the rescue. Pull out that rolling-pin, some vintage cookie cutters and turn on that oven. If this is the only baking you do this season, no one will be disappointed.
photos:gp
Where’s that list?
December 12, 2014
I find it’s easy to refer back to gifts that I have received and have enjoyed when trying to come up with a gift idea for someone else. While most of them could easily fall into that “stocking stuffer” category budget wise, you’ll hear down the road that their impact was greater than something more extravagant. Really…it’s the small things that make the difference, don’t you think?
A journal or sketch book…always a clean sheet at hand. The perfect place to record a thought, a plan, a sketch, a dream.
Ras el Hanout…Mix up a batch of this Moroccan spice blend from the recipe found here.http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/ras-el-hanout While great in meat, vegetable and cous cous recipes, you might include this recipe for Roasted Cauliflower soup to get things started. http://www.kirstenjohnstone.com/2012/10/roast-cauliflower-soup/
Heath holiday tall modern cups…ruby red inside, red suede outside. Peppermint hot chocolate will feel right at home, as would coffee, tea or a fistful of tulips or winterberry. You’ll be thought of with every use.
Clementines, cloves and snow…really. “Winter” fragrance 3 wick candle at Bath and Body Works.
Deerskin gardening gloves…indispensible. Protection for your hands when gardening or to keep in the car in the event you make an unplanned stop at the nursery. I’m never without a pair…or two.
Luxurious yarn in a gift card from Purl Soho, Jimmy Beans Wool or Yarn.com. Who wouldn’t be excited with a gift of cashmere, merino wool or alpaca? And, for the fiber freak…it’s all about the picking. It’s almost like two gifts.
The mini wisk. I received this one as a gift years ago and it’s still in my top 5 favorite utensils.
The “Ropey”…who’s special kid wouldn’t love a new one?
Modern cup photo: Heath Ceramics. All other photos: gp
Pumpkin Spice Overkill
November 24, 2014
Too much of a good thing when gaining popularity and then randomly applied everywhere…well, that’s just too much already. “Pumpkin spice” is the perfect current example. Starting in September it flavors everything from a latte’ to caramels to anything that doesn’t move and back again. Nothing has missed being hit. By the time Thanksgiving arrives, just a hint of the aroma could trigger a bit of nausea. Let’s keep the warm Autumn spice thing going and yet reel it in simplequietmodern style, editing the spices down to one….say Ginger. Fresh, dried or candied…Ginger can add its distinctive spicy warmth and sweetness to cocktails, desserts or savory dishes alike without being cliché.
Top to bottom:
Whole hands of fresh ginger root might add additional interest to your bountiful tablescape this Thanksgiving. I think I’ll pick up some extra myself to compliment my arrangements of Bosc pears, mixed shelled nuts and oak leaves.
During the weekend a bit of ginger will elevate the pears poached for another dessert from everyday to holiday.
Ginger syrup made from fresh or crystallized ginger can be added to a glass of Prosecco, Cava or Champagne for a gingery pre-dinner cocktail or added to a glass of soda for a delicious home-made ginger ale.
Home made fresh cranberry sauce could not be easier. Adding a little grated fresh or minced crystallized ginger to the mix brings a fresh unexpected note.
Crystallized ginger presented alongside dessert allows even those who are too stuffed to indulge a little something sweet that also acts as a perfect digestivo. A couple of pieces with coffee is just enough sweet for me after a Thanksgiving feast. You might even try dipping candied ginger into dark chocolate if you’re in the mood to gild the lily.
photos:gp
Pilgrim Modern
November 21, 2014
What a perfect setting for Thanksgiving dinner, followed by an evening around a roaring fire. The large gathering space and minimal yet ample kitchen bridged by a simplequietmodern favorite, the planked table. You can almost smell the aromas, hear the logs crackle. It’s inspiration like this that reminds me…there is always something to be thankful for.
photos: http://remash.tumblr.com/
To Whet, Not to Sate
November 10, 2014
Appetizers. A savory little something to the whet the appetite…a prelude of what’s to come. On Thanksgiving there is always plenty, so the idea of keeping these little bites simple makes sense. With a cocktail or a glass of sparkling wine there could be no better paring than Frico…a baked Parmesan crisp. If these were any easier in fact, they’d make themselves. And, only one ingredient…parmesan cheese. Pre-heat your oven to 375 and drop tablespoons of shaved Parmesan cheese onto a parchment lined baking tray. Spread the mounds to a uniform thickness approx 3″ in diameter. Bake the trays one at a time for about 8-10 minutes, watching closely, until golden. Remove trays from the oven and cool slightly before moving the Frico to a rack to cool completely. These can be made a few days ahead and stored in an airtight container getting one task out-of-the-way earlier in that busy week. Why not check the fridge, turn on the oven and knock out a batch now? Think of it as a little taste test for the holidays ahead.
Show Me Your “Ugly”
November 2, 2014
Less than a month until Thanksgiving and Christmas right on its heels. Still, you have no idea how to handle your ugliest interior design dilemma before the crush of holiday revelers start popping in. Well, help is here. Take a quick snap of an area in your home or garden that could benefit from a new set of eyes and send* it to me. I’ll select one submission at random, come up with a plan and post the simplequietmodern resolution. There’s no time like now…I spotted my first installation of Holiday lights only yesterday.
Keeps the pics to a few… add any detail that might help… and get them to me by midnight November 8, 2014 at gpettyint@comcast.net with SQM in the subject line. Your place looks great but your holiday cooking or entertaining skills have you in a knot? I’ll take that submission as well. Let’s get started.
Soups On
October 20, 2014
Changes in weather…changes in schedule…additional Fall projects…all have me in need of a little break and a little grounding. I can’t think of anything better to get me back on track and slow me down than a big bowl of soup. And if it’s simple…even better. Marcella Hazan’s recipe for Venetian style Rice and Smothered Cabbage soup fits the bill perfectly with just a few simple ingredients. If you plan ahead, prepare enough cabbage to have as a side, then transform the rest into the soup
The recipe can be found here:http://food52.com/recipes/27213-marcella-hazan-s-rice-and-smothered-cabbage-soup photos: gp
Now that it’s Fall…
October 5, 2014
what’s inspiring you?
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The scale of this burlap weave gives some indication of how tiny this found nest actually is. What might you discover on a walk around your yard or neighborhood? And, if you have an idea as to what small bird called this home, let me know.
The local farm stands are loaded with the seasons bounty. Skip the crowds at the cider mill and pick up an armload of beets, take ’em home and roast ’em up or turn them into a soup for the week ahead.
A chill in the air calls for wool…maybe a cap…maybe in hand dyed Autumn reds.
Starting to collect and recycle packaging materials now will save you from picking up a few tacky rolls of gift wrap closer to the holidays. I’m thinking this expanded kraft paper is going to be the perfect addition to my classic crisp white tissue. It’s looking pretty modern to me.
This Lingham stone always seems to move to a more visible location in the Fall so that I can better enjoy it’s unique natural colorations. A quick spin and edit of your interior accessories will have everything looking new as you start to spend more time inside.
A Coffee Break rose, left to dry to a new kind of beautiful, will continue to add interest throughout the Fall, into Thanksgiving…possibly even Christmas. Start by enjoying then drying them now and they’ll be ready to put into service again when the time comes.
all photos: gp
No chickens were harmed…
October 1, 2014
in the making of this dish. More and more I find myself looking for a way not to handle raw chicken but it’s kind of hard to make Chicken Paprikash without it. For this meal the solution was easy…substitute Baby Portobellos and you’ve got, well, Mushroom Paprikash. Easy, easy, easy to make with only a few ingredients and, you could easily have this on the table in 30 minutes. Make some on the next chilly evening and it’ll be like a big hug from a Hungarian grandma. You will never miss the bird.
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