My type of jewelry.

I love these pendants from The Weekend Store. They're repurposed old typewriter keys. Just love 'em. They make rings, bracelets, and earrings too.

She's baaaack.

Martha's new episodes start today. Hopefully, they will inspire me to do some good things.

Magical Ice & Homemade Fluff

I had no idea that it wasn't common knowledge that marshmallows could be made at one's own home until recently. My co-workers were pretty surprised that this could be done. So I had to make some for 'em, of course. The reason this topic came up was a cookbook I had heard about on MSL Radio, "Marshmallows" by Elaine Talanian. I have got to procure this little baby. Another one I heard about on the radio recently is "Granita Magic." Who knew this was such a lively topic? The author was on Everyday Food chatting abou this book. Granitas are sooooo easy and apparently, the possibilities are endless. Saffron & Honey! Balsamic Red Pepper and Horseradish! Crazy stuff, but I'll try anything once.

Did I eat what?

I think I'm a fairly adveturous eater, so I took the bait. I found this over at Very Good Taste. Here’s what I was told to do:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.2) Redden all the items you’ve eaten.3) Italicize any items that you would never consider eating.4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bow
l33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

50% - Not sooooo bad. At least I knew what almost everything was, right? Let me know if you play along!

I'm a winner!

I won 2nd Place in the Tennessee Valley Fair for my Blackberry Jam! And 3rd place for my Blueberry Jam in the "Other Jams" category. I'm very pleased, since this was my first experienc in canning. As a matter of fact my blackberry jam was only my second try after a mediocre first try of Strawberry-pineapple jam at the beginning of summer. Next year I'll get the Blue Ribbon!

Things I'm Liking . . .

RIng Toss Necklace at Sundance

Gelsey Wedges and Adele T-straps at Sundance (sundancecatalog.com)

Maryjane Pumps by Wanted (at Piperlime.com)

Blogging By Mail

I just signed up for Blogging By Mail. A swap for foodies! You just sign up to send a package with 10 of your favorite things by October 18 and promise to blog about the one you receive. Last time the swap was hosted by Dispensing Happiness hosted BBM, 85 people participated. Remember to sign up by Sept. 21!

Light up your nest.

I love the New Haven Chandelier from anthropologie. I think it'd be great in a nursery or small child's room. Here's the description from their site: Sheltered under a peaked bower of woven ginkgo branches, a hooded warbler watches over her nest, warm with illumination from a trio of radiance.

My name is Tina and I'm a canaholic.

Can anyone say intervention? I really will stop soon. After tomato sauce, blackberry jam, blueberry lime jam and .............. fine, I'm not stopping. This weekend I canned crushed tomatoes (some with italian herbs and some with mexican spices), blueberry jam, vanilla-plum jam, salsa, and tomato preserves. I have a lot more tomatoes and cucumbers to go.

What's a girl to do with all these tomatoes?

I'd say: juice, paste, sauce, jam, salsa. Hmmm . . . there must be all kinds of things I'm not even thinking of, right? I plan on canning these babies tomorrow. I'll let ya know. We went to the annual Grainger County Tomato Festival in Rutledge, Tennessee today. Home of the Tomato Wars (which we missed, but saw lost of folks wearing the remains of overripe tomatoes on their backs.) It was a fun day. Lots of interesting foods and music. And of course lots of farmstands. We walked away with these, peaches, new potatoes, and poblano peppers.