current work

It's no secret, I've been horrible about updating lately. Instead of re-running old posts, I thought I'd give everyone a little reading. Below is a recap of the work I've been up to in the past month or so. I may not be putting together a ton of content for Numie, but I promise, I've been making the magic happen somewhere. 

Lilah Nick & The House of the Setting Sun

Home tour with two talented artists and makers. They constructed a summer home with their own two hands, and it has an entire wall made from found windows so they can watch the sun set each night. This post also includes an interview with Lilah that - I hope - will fill you with as much inspiration as I felt meeting her and her beau in person.

Read It Here

Chilled Pea & Garlic Scape Soup

Adam & I constructed this refreshing recipe for our friends at Greensgrow. It's zesty, lemony, and perfect for hot weather.

Read It Here

Food & Ferments: The Kombucha & Beet Kvass Experts

I highlighted one of my favorite local Philadelphia vendors, Food & Ferments, for the Free People blog. Get a peek into their world + basic Kombucha and Beet Kvass how-to's.

Read It Here

DIY Fresh Flower Wreath

I let my hands get busy with some of nature's most beautiful objects, and wrote up a step-by-step for trying out the project yourself.

Read It Here

Recipe: Ginger Kohlrabi Slaw

This is a recipe that I got obsessed with making when kohlrabi was plentiful in the CSA. I brought it to a 4th of July party, and was later told by a friend that he had a, "coming to jesus moment," while eating it. Enough said?

Read It Here

DIY Sunglasses Case

I've been using this little bag like crazy - both for sunglasses and my cell phone. I love it. The bonus? It is a great use for scrap fabric. 

Read It Here

Blueberry, Peach, & Ginger Fruit Leather

Another recipe that Adam & I pulled together for the Greensgrow blog. This one is great for brining along on a summer hike. It's lightweight, won't squish, and tastes mighty great after a long day of walking through the woods.

Read It Here

Greensgrow Instagram

While I haven't been doing it as much as before, I've still been contributing to the Greensgrow Instagram from time to time. Be sure to follow along if you're interested in urban farming, gardening, farm-to-table, or artisinal foods. 

Follow Greensgrow Here

--

Now, I'd love to see some of the work you all have been doing. I'm finding that most of you are pretty darn inspiring, and I'd love to get to know you better. Leave a comment below and tell me what you're up to!

recipe: upside-down mother’s day cake

Note: This post was previously published as a part of my freelance work here.

Your mom. She’s the woman who breathed you life, the one that gave you your place in this world. When Mother’s Day rolls around, you don’t have to do anything extravagant to tell her you love her. Something thoughtful will do.

So why not bake a cake? And why not make it the most fantastical cake you could ever imagine? Try figs and dates and cranberries simmered in whiskey with apple cider, cinnamon, and aromatic rosemary. Delicious pears covered in a vanilla bourbon batter. The top of the cake looks wild like a garden. The fruit, the herbs, its intoxicating power – it is Mother Nature’s own masterpiece. 

This is a recipe to celebrate every mother and her graceful beauty. Mother’s Day is almost here…

Ingredients:

½ Cup Chopped Dried Figs (pick your favorite kind or do a mix)

½ Cup Dried Cranberries

1/3 Cup Chopped Dried Dates

½ Cup Apple Cider

½ Cup Bourbon

1 Cinnamon Stick

1 Sprig Rosemary

2 Pears

1 ¾ Sticks Butter, Softened

¾ Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar

1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 ½ Tsp Baking Powder

¼ Tsp Salt

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

2 Eggs

1 Tsp Vanilla

½ Cup Whole Milk

2 Tbs Bourbon

Directions:

1.       Simmer cranberries, figs, dates, ½ cup bourbon, cider, rosemary, and cinnamon in a pan over low heat. Cook down until liquid is mostly gone.

1.       Remove rosemary & cinnamon. Pour into a colander, and let liquid drain into a bowl underneath. Set aside liquid for reserve.

2.       Preheat oven to 300F.

3.       Butter a 9-inch pan using ¾ stick of butter, and then evenly spread brown sugar on top.

4.       Core pears, and place them face down onto the brown sugar. Fill in extra spaces with the dried fruit mixture.

1.       Mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) in a medium bowl.

2.       In a large bowl, beat together sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time followed by vanilla, reserved liquid, and 2 Tbs bourbon.

3.       Mix in dry ingredients, alternating with milk until fully integrated.

4.       Pour batter over fruit.

5.       Place 9-inch pan on a cookie tray to avoid any drip overs (bourbon on the bottom of an oven is never a good thing), and cook for about 45 minutes. Do the toothpick test to make sure it’s fully cooked through.

6.       Let cool, flip onto a plate, and serve.

breaking the silence

Please excuse the silence, it has been a busy time of year! So busy, in fact, that the camera has really just been out for special projects. Above are outtakes from a shoot I did last weekend with NJ health food blogger, Alicia. That is all I can offer up for now, so I hope you enjoy. Promise to be back full force in the New Year!