Wall of Ball Jars
little epiphanies
daydreams, discoveries, declarations, and design
Posts tagged kitchen:
I have a feeling this chart will come very much in handy as a reference. “We’ve gotta eat these right now, before they turn into sevens.”
I’ve Discovered a Cure for Hiccups!
I am delighted to report that last night, I discovered that hiccups can be cured by ice cream. I know, it sounds too good to be true, but it isn’t.
I was in the midst of a rather schmancy night out with my bf at Chicago’s swanky Wicker Park hot spot the Violet Hour (which I always want to type as Violent Hour, which sounds like the worst bar in the world). Suddenly, I was overcome with a monstrous case of hiccups. This happens to me just about never. I am prone to the singular, rather loud hiccup, but never an unstoppable string of them. But there I was, trying to relax in my extra-high-backed armchair and sipping my delicious hot buttered rum, absolutely unable to control the squeals and honks coming from my throat. It was the worst. When our bartender came to check on us, I couldn’t even tell her how much I loved my two cocktails without sounding like a drunk in a cartoon.
Our cabdriver couldn’t help but laugh at me on our ride back to Lincoln Park, and when we pulled the ice cream out of the freezer at home, I was still hiccuping like a madwoman. Then it came to me. Maybe cold will freeze the spasms in my throat. I let my next bite of ice cream go down real slow, and lo and behold, it worked. Instantaneously! Not a single hiccup escaped me after that, I am happy to say.
I feel that it’s important to spread this bit of news to as many people as I can. It may be a cure that’s already out there, but it wasn’t one I’d heard of, and it sure beats the pants off the others, as far as deliciousness goes.
I was at Chicago restaurant Perennial over the summer, and though the meal was absolutely delicious, what I remember most was the mason jar chandelier they had hanging over one of their large round dining tables. Throughout our lengthly meal, which included many courses of small plates and delicious wine, I studied the fixture in an effort to decide whether or not I could make something similar. Now, looking at all these photos of lighting design involving jars, I’m even more inspired.
There is nothing more charming or more useful than mason jars. Aside from preserving sauces, jams, and other homemade treats, they are the perfect shabby chic drinking glasses (and you don’t even have to worry about your friends breaking them at parties). They’re also great for storing all sorts of store bought snacks, from pasta to cookies, and making even the most commonplace foods look pretty on a shelf. I recently made a display of all the random candy leftover from Halloween in our apartment by putting each type in a randomly sized jar and lining them up on a shelf, and it was like having a delightful little candy shop in our kitchen.
Mason jars also make great vases, bathroom storage containers (for Q-tips and the like), and they display houseplants beautifully. I could go on and on about them, and I’m sure they have dozens of uses I haven’t even thought of. In any case, the next time I need a new lighting fixture, I’m going for one of these.
Rosemary Sea Salt Caramels by Katherine Anne Confections. Yes, they are as amazing as they sound.
I just got one of these little pillows of heaven from The Grind, my favorite coffee shop in Lincoln Square. Katherine Anne, I’ve learned, is based in Chicago, where she creates her confections using sustainable and local ingredients and packaging. She works with a small staff to make truffles, caramels, and other treats, which she sells at farmers markets and stores around the city. She also offers truffle-making classes at her kitchen space in Logan Square, which involve wine and sound fantastic.
The Grind also sells Chocolate Walnut and Vanilla Honey caramels, which I’m sure are very good and I might try someday if I somehow get sick of the revelation that is Rosemary Sea Salt.
Mmmmm.
Thanks for the tip, Dyan! These are crazy cute!
Why have a normal fridge?
(I mean, money aside … )
After determining a few weeks ago that rosemary is one of my top 3 favorite herbs (alongside mint and basil), I’ve been paying extra close attention to the foods that I eat that contain this delicious herb. Recently, I’ve had rosemary potato chips, a rosemary lemon sugar cookie, rosemary potato salad with jicama, and a rosemary infused cocktail. All of these were amazing and have inspired me to try to use rosemary in my own cooking more often. I’m open to any and all (meatless) suggestions.
The Cadillac of refrigerators.
I love this blue!
