Cute kitchen gloves!

Aren't these cute? They're "Gloveables" and come in a huge variety of colours and patterns. I've seen them on a few tv shows--Bree Van De Camp was wearing them in an episode of Desperate Housewives a while back. Does anybody know where they can be purchased in Canada?

Victoria Magazine

Victoria Magazine is coming back! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I was so sad when they quit publishing it a few years ago.

I was actually visiting my mom the other day and when we went to check the mail...surprise! An invitation to subscribe to Victoria! At first my mom thought I'd put it in her mailbox as a joke--she could hardly believe it. I've been a Victoria reader since it started up in 1989 (I was 7 years old!!). My mom was a charter subscriber and would read through the magazine with me each month when it arrived. I consider my stack of Victorias one of my mom's most generous gifts--I adore each and every issue.

There is no doubt that the magazine majorly influenced my life. The romantic style of Victoria magazine is very much a part of my personal aesthetic and probably was a major factor in my decision to study victorian history and culture. I was even introduced to the Arts and Crafts movement through Victoria! My fiance sometimes teases me that Victoria is partly responsible for my preoccupation with old fashioned things and ideas, and he's right. Parents, your kids will absorb the information and ideas found in the books and magazines you have in your home.

To find out more about the magazine, visit: http://magazine-directory.com/Victoria.htm

My only fear is that the publishers will make the same mistake that led the magazine to fail a few years ago: tinkering with the message of the magazine (a return to loveliness) and morphing into a composite of Vogue, Better Homes and Gardens and Town and Country. They also messed with the classic Victoria font and stunning visuals in order to attract advertisers--which turned of subscribers.

I ran across a blog with a fabulous post on the demise of Victoria http://laniersbooks.com/2006/02/10/a-lament/

Let's hope they don't make the same mistake with the relaunch of the magazine!

Indochine

On a whim, my mom and I decided to visit Indochine restaurant in Tacoma, Washington yesterday http://indochinedowntown.com/. It was a lovely experience. I strongly recommend the restaurant to anyone who enjoys asian fusion cuisine.

We started off with several "Blue Mermaid" cocktails, which we'd eyed enviously at other tables. A delicious combination of coconut vodka, curacoa, alize, limoncello and lime juice, they were topped with a fresh orchid. At $8.50 a piece for doubles, I felt they were fairly priced, at least by Canadian standards!

We weren't feeling quite hungry enough for dinner, so we shared several appetizers instead. First came the curry chicken satay skewers with peanut sauce and green papya salad on the side ($8). They were incredibly moist and lightly seasoned. The sauce was smoothly textured and had the perfect amount of spice without being overly hot. Next we tried the toasted seseme chicken wrap ($12). Although I wouldn't have called the dish a "wrap" (it came served with a pastry-like flat bread on which you could place the chicken--asian fusion tostada would be more accurate), it was deliciously seasoned and presented beautifully. The chicken was seasoned with peanuts, roasted cashew nuts, mango and basil in a tangy soy-based sauce.

What attracted us to the restaurant initially were the lovely orchids that lined the windows facing the street. The interior was positively breathtaking. The cherry wood, blown glass and brushed aluminum instantly give off a chic yet exotic vibe that marries perfectly with the aesthetic of the cuisine. While I am always wary of restaurants that appear to have invested all their energy in creating an urban chic dining environment at the expense of great food, this place seems to have struck a happy balance between the two without sacrificing comptetitive flavour to their dishes or creative flair in their architecture.

For a feast for both eyes and palate, be sure to visit Indochine while you're near Tacoma Washington.

Banana Bread

One of my favourite creations-I'm quite proud of it!

I've always felt that healthy food should be delicious. This banana bread is more flavourful than the original and far more nutritious. You can use all wheat if you would prefer, but as whole wheat absorbs a great deal of liquid when it cooks, your bread will be somewhat more dry (I would suggest adding another banana if you use all whole wheat).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together:
1 3/4 cup flour (for additional texture, use a combination of whole wheat and unbleached)
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add in:
1/3 cup olive oil (use extra virgin if you like the flavour)
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
dash of lemon juice
1 beaten egg
1 1/4 cups ripe banana pulp (2-3 ripe bananas)


Bake in a greased bread pan for 1 hour or till done.

By using olive oil in place of butter and maple syrup rather than sugar, you get an incredibly moist, delicious bread.

Charles Dickens

I remember being truly disappointed during my second year of University to hear one of my favourite professors dismiss Charles Dickens as a writer.

While Dickens might not have been one of the most accomplished writers in the english language, he has certainly been one of the most influential. This is particularly remarkable when one considers that he had just three years of formal education in his lifetime!

I ran across a great Dickens website the other day http://charlesdickenspage.com/index.html

Check it out! The author even has a great little "Dickens Glossary" where you can find the meanings of some of the more obscure words found within the pages of your favourite novels.

Not sure what to read first? A Christmas Carol is always a great option, as is Great Expectations .

William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Home

"If I were asked to say what is at once the most important production of Art and the thing most to be longed for, I should answer, A beautiful House"--William Morris, "Some Thoughts on the Ornamented Manuscripts of the Middle Ages," 1894

With sumptuous illustrations and well-researched prose, this book is a thorough joy. The authors have done an excellent job of transmitting William Morris' philosophy of home decor through photographs and facsimiles of his work, while at the same time giving life to the work through numerous anecdotes about his life and work.

The book begins with the story of William Morris: his personal and professional life, with particular focus on William Morris and Co.--the company he founded along with several friends in order to create a space where artisans could create true works of Art for the decoration of houses. Morris hoped to offer an alternative to the gaudy, poor quality assembly-line goods that were so prevalent as a result of the industrial revolution, as well as to give artists an opportunity to make a living wage while preserving ancient crafts. Unfortunately, paying artisans good wages for their work meant pricing goods fairly, and the book also highlights Morris' disappointment at the fact that the goods he and his friends produced were generally much more expensive than commercialy produced products.

The last quarter of the book is devoted to case studies of contemporary homes that integrate William Morris' principles of decoration and design into a more modern design ethic. The results are very inspiring and help to give homeowners and useful ideas for how to incorporate William Morris' designs without turning their homes into museums devoted to displaying unadulterated Arts and Crafts design.

The Art of Tasha Tudor

As I child, I loved thumbing through my mothers Tasha Tudor's books (I still do!). Next to Beatrix Potter, her illustrations were probably my favorites. I remember being particularly excited to see her being featured in Victoria magazine when I was in elementary school.

She's written many books for a more adult audience, but her children's books "One is One" and "A is for Annabelle" are two of my alltime favourites. What better way to learn the alphabet than with Tasha Tudor's charming illustrations! I recently ran across two websites that carry a wide variety of her work.

http://www.theworldoftashatudor.com/cgi-bin/cellardoor/index.html Cellar Door Books is a Concord company that specializes in Tasha Tudor's work.

Tasha Tudor and Family http://www.tashatudorandfamily.com/ is Tasha's family website. Quite a treat--especially for those who want to catch a glimpse of Tasha's corgis!(If you read her books you'll know what I mean! They are so cute!). Her garden is also gorgeous. Tasha Tudor leads such a relaxing looking life. It's really inspirational to see a woman in her 90s living at home and continuing to create beautiful things--whether works of art or homemade pies!