Kathleen Rear

Dinner Tonight: Apricot-Curry Pork Chops

Kathleen Rear

April 30, 2011

It’s been forever since I posted a recipe. Sorry about that. I hope this makes up for my cruel neglect.

Apricot-Curry Pork Chops

4-6 Bone in Pork Chops
Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cups Chicken or Veggie Stock
1/2 cup Apricot Preserves
2 Teaspoons Curry Powder
1/2 cup Golden Raisins

Season your pork chops with salt and pepper.
Heat a heavy bottomed skillet or saute pan on medium high and pour in the olive oil. Brown the chops on both sides, then set aside.
You may need to brown the chops in batches if they won’t all fit in the pan.

Pour in the chicken stock and scrape the pan, add the apricot preserves, curry powder, raisins and a little more salt and pepper. Stir until well mixed and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add back in the pork chops and cover. Cook for 15 more minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with couscous or rice. This would be really good with chicken too!

Everytime I feel down…

Kathleen Rear

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April 22, 2011

Or frustrated that I’m not accomplishing what I want to, or stumped for an idea, or just need a healthy perspective, I look at videos like this.
This is us. This is here. This is home.

As Carl Sagan once said: “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”
Also: “If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.”

Happy Earth Day Earthlings
Please click to full screen, you won’t regret it.

video by Grant Wakefield via Phil Plait (Bad Astronomy)

Vintage Make-up with Lisa Eldridge

Kathleen Rear

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April 20, 2011

Recently my make-up guru and new girl crush, Lisa Eldridge visited with Madeleine Marsh and explored her amazing vintage make-up collection. The interview is in two parts, the first starting with the Victorian Era to the 1930’s and the second part, the 1940’s through the 1970’s.

I’ve recently started collecting vintage compacts and it’s so fascinating and enjoyable to hold and use a piece of history because, as Lisa explains, the history of make-up really is the history of women and feminism.

Here’s a my favorite compact from my collection:

It’s a Charles of the Ritz compact circa 1960 from a large collection by a local woman.

It still has powder in it! Though I’m not inclined to use it, because it would probably make my skin a mess of break-outs. Still, I love that the powder smells like my Grandmother.

Meet Mimi Kirchner

Kathleen Rear

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April 19, 2011

As you know, I love the internet. In this series I’ll show you the bloggers, vlogers and websites I get inspiration from

Mimi Kirchner is an amazing textile artist.

My favorite is her dolls. Her incredible dolls.

She of course has an Etsy store.

However if you’d like to try your hand at her craft there is a free doll pattern and tutorial over at The Purl Bee

Here’s how my Mimi K doll “Johanna” turned out

Favorite Things: Parisian Chic

Kathleen Rear

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April 12, 2011

I just received my copy last week and I’ve already read it twice. Jef has accused me of making out with it.

For the record I did not make out with it! I may have slept with it under my pillow a few nights…

Parisian Chic: A style guide by Ines de le Fressange
Wardrobe advice from France’s icon of chic.

It’s the advice your Mother and Grandmother gave you as a teenager but ignored because you were too busy buying whatever was in the window of Hot Topic!
I was pleasantly surprised to find I had most of the basic wardrobe pieces in my closet right now.

I have this exact outfit! Yeah and that’s what I look like in it too…

Other advice covers what to wear when: First date? Wedding? Cocktail party? Gallery opening?
Also, Ines’ favorite online shops, plus if you do get to Paris, her favorite shops and restaurants.

My other favorite thing about this book are Ines’ charming little “Parisian Girl” illustrations all throughout the book.

Seriously ladies, treat yourself and buy this book!

Batik Napkins Part 3

Kathleen Rear

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April 7, 2011

I had a change of mind when I went to dye the fabric a second time. I really didn’t want to muddy the bright yellow dye I’d achieved, so instead of dyeing the fabric I bleached it.

I forgot to take a picture of the bleaching process, but anyone who’s ever had to fix a white shirt or (I’m showing my age here) acid wash a pair of jeans, knows what to do. Simply fill the sink with half cold water, half bleach and let your fabric sit in the bath for about 30 minutes.

Because the wax was still on the fabric I didn’t want to put the napkins into the dryer. So I hung them out on a clothesline to dry.

The next step is to melt off the wax.

Cover your surface with old towels and sandwich your batik fabric between layers of paper toweling. Heat your iron to high and press the fabric, melting the wax onto the paper toweling. Repeat until all the wax is melted out of your fabric. This will take about 150 YEARS!

Just when you think, “There, that’s got it.” The fabric will cool and you’ll realize you still have a bunch of wax in the fabric. The above photo is an example of “not even close”

I went ahead and tried to get out as much of the wax via the ironing method. Then I popped the napkins into my biggest pot with hot water and boiled them for about 15 minutes. I skimmed of the wax that floated to the top with paper toweling and tongs.

That seemed to get the rest of the wax out. Then I washed them on hot and dried them in the dryer.

They turned out to be a really lovely lemony yellow. No wax left but, no pattern either.

Oh well, this fits my motto: “Make sure your endeavors are beyond your skill and require tools you don’t have.”
Recent advice about this project has it that silk is really the preferred material to use if you’d like to print in a Batik style.
Hmmmm….. maybe a scarf….

Favorite Things: Barnum’s Animal Crackers

Kathleen Rear

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April 2, 2011

There are three reasons that make these a favorite thing.

First, every time I see this package I’m instantly back in kindergarten and it’s snack time followed by story time then it’s time to go recess.

Secondly after you eat your cookies you have a lovely little carry case for, you know, stuff! My sister and I used to make them into evening bags.

The third and best reason these are one of my favorite things is when you eat them you can first go through the whole box and systematically bite the heads off everyone.

Are You An April Fool?

Kathleen Rear

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March 30, 2011

It’s coming in 2 days! You know what I’m talking about right? April Fools Day!

Now I’m usually a prank-ee rather than a prank-or on this particular non-holiday. But, I’m tempted to try out a few on this list on my teenage sons. I especially like “the avalanche” prank. My 13-year-old is a very sound sleeper.

Other inspirational sites contain the Top 100 pranks of all time.

This site makes me wish I worked in an office.

Batik Inspired Napkins, Part 2

Kathleen Rear

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March 21, 2011

So, we have our napkins dyed a lovely base color…

Next we’ll apply wax to the fabric to make a pattern before dyeing the fabric again.

Materials:
Paraffin or Bees Wax
Double Boiler
Paint Brush(es)
Parchment Paper
Design Pattern

Iron the fabric and trace or draw by free hand your design pattern onto the fabric. Remember this is where you do not want the second dye to reach. I drew a large simple Chrysanthemum pattern.

Melt your wax in a double boiler.

I used plain old paraffin wax, in the form of some unscented tea lights I had left over from Jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. Chop up the wax into tiny bits so it will melt faster and evenly. Bee’s wax holds up better and is less likely to crack causing the dye to bleed through.
Stir the wax while it melts and don’t leave it unattended. When the wax is just melted take it off the heat but leave it in the double boiler, you may need to re-melt the wax halfway through the next steps.

Place the parchment paper down onto your work surface, place your fabric on top of the parchment paper.

Now you’re ready to paint on your design.

I decided to free hand paint with the wax after the first one. I was just painting concentric tear drop shapes, that was pretty easy.
I had to re-melt my wax half way through this stage, plus I needed to add a little more wax to the pot.
I noticed that when the wax was cooler it did not penetrate the fabric all the way through. I liked the effect but if you’d like to have each napkin the same, re-heat the wax more often.