Orange Tangerine Halloween

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

Un lieu sur terre on TV

I mentionned it before. 
Well, the " project " did happen and the TV crew did come. 

It will be on TV on Sunday the 31st  at 11:00 am 

on Teva Channel in a show called "TEVA DECO".

I was a bit nervous about several things after saying "yes" to their asking me to film our house and interview me. First of all Tv crew are known to be "invasive". Secondly, I am NOT a good speaker. Never been, never will. But the TV Crew was so nice that those fears melted away quite rapidly. The interview part was - and still is - the dreaded part of the show. I hope it turned out okay. I was very nervous all day long, but it sure was fun to be treated just like "Pretty Woman" and having my make-up ajusted to the light every so often! 


Last time I got my hair & make up done professionally it was for my wedding ten years ago! My friend Caroline was able to take some pictures. Thank you, Caroline! You made my day since most of the time I am very seldom on pictures since I am the one taking them...!

[P]umpkin [P]rincesses

This little girl likes to listen to pumpkin

This little girl likes to dig in pumpkin

This little girl likes to to scoop the  pumpkin

This little girl likes to "talk" to her pumpkin

This little girl is serious about carving her pumpkin.

And this little girl was so tired that she fell asleep...

* * *

The Snow Child :: the story behind

Following & celebrating the seasons, I recently added a limited serie to my "Simplicity of the Season" collection. It is called "The Snow child". 

It is a combined inspiration from documentaries/movies that moved me at different times in my life, among them : Nanouk, L'enfant des neiges,and most recently Rendez-vous en Terre Inconnue . In the latest,  I discovered and learned about a "tribe" called the Nenetses.  The land of the Nenets  is the tundra and coniferous forest, a land of permafrost, with many rivers and vast marshy areas. Nenets religion is based on a shamanistic and animistic beliefs: the land and its resources.  

Ancient Chinese sources tell us that already the 6th and 7th century, north of Lake Baikal, male reindeer harnessed like horses to transport goods. Despite the forced march of the Sovietization - learning Russian, collectivization, and the upheavals of the post-perestroika, these pastoralists, the Nenets have managed to perpetuate their traditions. They knew, through the ages, to reconcile identity and modernity.

The limited edition Snow Child is at the crossroads of my two collections "Simplicity of the Season" and "Pastoral."

* * *

Suivant et célébrant les saisons, j'ai récemment ajouté une série limitée à ma collection "Simplicity of the Season". Elle s'appele "The Snow Child".

Elle est le fruit d'une une inspiration combinée de documentaires / films qui m'a ému à différents moments dans ma vie. Parmi eux: Nanouk, L'enfant des neiges, et plus récemment Rendez-vous en Terre Inconnue. Dans la dernière, j'ai découvert  une «tribu» appelé le Nenetses. Le lieu des Nenets est la toundra forestière et de conifères, une terre de pergélisol, avec de nombreuses rivières et de vastes zones marécageuses. La religion Nenets est basée sur des croyances chamaniques et animistes: la terre et ses ressources.

D'anciennes sources chinoises nous disent que c'est déjà au 6e et 7e siècle, au nord du lac Baïkal, que des rennes mâles etaient attelés comme des chevaux pour transporter des marchandises. Malgré l'avancee forcée de la soviétisation - l'apprentissage du russe, la collectivisation, et les bouleversements de l'après-perestroïka, ces éleveurs, les Nenets ont réussi à perpétuer leurs traditions. Ils ont su, aux travers des âges,  concilier identité et modernité.
L'édition limitée de "The Snow Child" est a y reflechir à la croisée de mes deux collections "Simplicity of the Season" et "Pastoral".

Poppytalk Pre-holiday Market is up !

Poppytalk launches today 
its pre-holiday market !

I am so happy to be part of it !

Come and have a look at the really nice selection 
of creators right here !

*K*itchen *K*orner

A new Friday ritual around our passion for "grown you own produce" 

or at least local, in season and organic. 

Some photos  around what happened 

in our kitchen & little garden 

this week 

+ 

a recipe to share.

If you are inspired to do the same, 

please leave me a Love Note 

with a link back to your own *K*itchen *K*orner.


Wishing you a "bountiful" week-end!

Why I am showing you one of our sweet white bunnies ?

No, this sweety is NOT part of the soup recipe.

NO, we are vegan... so not a chance.

But Miss "Neige" is the reason WHY 

I can not show you our beautiful mint plant...

She [well, with the help of her other bunny friend, Lady "Lumi"] ate it ALL.

GREEN PEAS & COCONUT SOUP

1 kg of green peas

1 cup and half of coconut milk

Fresh leaves of lemon verbena

Fresh leaves of mint 

Pour coconut milk in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil.

Add the mint & verbena leaves to infuse.

Remove mint leaves. Leaves verbena leaves.

Add peas.

Mix to very smooth and creamy.

Add water or cow or vegetal milk to your taste and consistency.

Serve warm or cold.

Enjoy!

Have a seat

I love chairs. 
Ask my lovely husband. 
I have several projects  or sometimes works in progress  ( that one may wonder when this will actually be done with...).


So today  is  a quick  post to share those two FINISHED projects made by talented designers.
I love The One day chair project.
I love the one hundred chairs in one hundred days project.




J'aime les chaises. 
Notre garage peut l'attester... ainsi que mon gentil mari!) 
J'ai toujours plein de projets pour re-cycler, transformer de vieilles chaises trouvees en vide-grenier, chez Emmaus ou trouvees sur le trottoir. Ceartaines trouvent le chemin de notre maison et d'auutres celui de mes e-shops. 
Mais aujourd'hui, je voulais simplement partager ces deux sites de designers que je trouve vraiment astucieux et elegant.

[R] Nesting

The utter simplicity of knits, wool and linen. 
Layered. 
A cup of camomille tea is set nearby to invite a late afternoon nap by candle lights.


I finished those two small pillows this afternoon.
They will be for sale in my e-shops tomorrow (since I am now running a bit late for school pick up... Ahem..).


(as a consequence of being late... Kitchen Korner is postponed too...)


L'extrême simplicité des tricots en laine et du  lin.
Par strates.
Une tasse de thé camomille invite a une sieste en fin de journee après-midi et a la lueur des bougies.


J'ai terminé ces deux petits oreillers cet après-midi.
Ils seront en vente demain dans mon e-boutiques ( dans la mesure ou je suis un peu en retard pour la sortie d'ecole de mes filles... Hum ..).

Transparent utopia

A little post about my work in the studio lately. 
Working on transparency effect. 
On worlds colliding. 
Working on new screens. New designs. 
Hoping to have some finish products to show in few weeks.

Making a collage is a fantastic tool when you want to create a utopia.

What is your utopia?

Petit article sur mon travail en studio ces derniers temps.
Je travaleil sur les effets de transparence.
Sur les mondes qui entrent en collision.
La technique du collage est parfaite pour creer un monde d'utopie.
Nouveaux écrans. Nouveaux designs.
En espérant avoir des "produits de finis" pour voir dans quelques semaines.

S is for :: Studio + Symbols

[ Simply because :: I found again my vintage mini 2CV 

and felt like creating a vignette]

[ Simply because :: I wanted to share a photo of an artist I totally "worship":: 

Antonio Tapies and all the symbolism behind his Art]

[Simply because :: I had a drawing I made of one of my favorite chair from Eames. 

I wanted to make a stamp for my own artwork for a while now.

I love the original chair but this interesting  version too]

[The sheep? Simply because soon we will be "greeting" the cold season ahead 

and the promise of more hand knitted goodies. 

And also because I don't like to waste and I had some carving stamp leftover...] 

[ Simply Bah !]

I like that :: "Print is not dead"

A new design magazine found via Design Sponge

Homegrown pasta?

A new Friday ritual around our passion for "grown you own produce" 

or at least local, in season and organic. 

Some photos around what happened 

in our kitchen & little garden 

this week 

+ 

a recipe to share.

If you are inspired to do the same, 

please leave me a Love Note 

with a link back to your own *K*itchen *K*orner.

Wishing you a "bountiful" week-end!

[the above photo was taken by Alana]

:: "Homegrown" pasta  :: 

(according to our little girls we also "grow" pasta ...) 

INSTRUCTIONS

(for 4 people)

Preparation Time

40 minutes

Makes

550g

Equipment

You usually need a pasta making machine to make your own pasta.

 But you can also use a sharp knife to make ribbons easily. 

It would looked even more homemade!

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• Plain flour, extra, to dust

Method

1. 
   
   
   Sift the flour and salt together onto a clean work surface. Use your hands to shape the flour into a circular mound. Make a well in the centre. Place the eggs in the well and use a fork to lightly whisk. Use your fingertips to gradually blend a little flour into the egg mixture. Working with your fingertips, continue to gradually draw the flour into the centre (being careful the egg mixture does not run out of the well) until the mixture forms a dough. To check if the dough is the right consistency, press a clean, dry finger into the centre of the dough. If it comes out clean without being sticky, it is the right consistency. If not, knead in a little more flour and test again.
2. 
   
   
   Lightly flour the surface if necessary. Firmly knead the dough by using the heel of your hand to firmly push down into it and then away from you. Lift the dough with your fingertips and fold it back on itself towards you. Turn the dough a half turn and repeat. Continue and repeat. Continue kneading the dough for 6-7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Kneading is an important part of the pasta-making process as it develops the gluten in the flour, giving the pasta a firm, tender texture.Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and wrap each portion in plastic wrap or cover with a clean, damp tea towel. This will prevent the dough from drying out. Set aside for 10 minutes to rest. This helps make the pasta more pliable and easier to roll out.
3. 
   
   
   Attach a pasta machine to the side of a workbench and adjust the machine's rollers to the widest setting. Spread about 4 clean, dry tea towels over the work surface close to the pasta machine. Unwrap a portion of dough and use the palm of your hands to flatten it into a rectangle. Dust the rollers with flour and roll the dough portion through. Dust again with flour and repeat on the same setting. Fold in the shorter sides of the dough to meet in the centre to form a smaller rectangle and feed through the machine again. Repeat this process 5-6 times or until smooth.
4. 
   
   
   Reduce the width between the rollers by 1 and roll the dough through as before. Repeat the process, reducing the setting each time until the dough is 1-1.5mm thick. The settings on all pasta machines vary. The last setting on some machines may roll the dough too thin, resulting in it sticking to the rollers and tearing. So be careful to only reduce the setting and roll the dough until it reaches the desired thickness.
5. 
   
   
   Spread the pasta sheet over the clean tea towels. When laying out the pasta sheets, they must not touch or overlap each other as the moist pasta will stick together. Repeat steps 3-4 with the remaining portions of dough. Set the pasta sheets aside for 10-15 minutes (depending on the temperature in your kitchen) or until dry enough not to stick together but pliable enough not to crack. Trim the edges of the pasta. Cut into 14 x 25cm pieces to make lasagne sheets or see step 6 to make fettuccine.
6. 
   
   
   To cut the pasta into fettuccine by hand, loosely roll up a pasta sheet starting from the shortest end. Trim the ends and discard. Use a sharp knife to cut the pasta crossways at 5mm intervals. Unravel the pasta. 
7. 
   
   
    Cook immediately or store individual portions as loose nests.

• 
  
  

  Variations
• 
  
  
  Beetroot pasta: Omit 2 eggs. Place 180g drained canned whole baby beetroot in a blender or food processor and process, scraping down the side occasionally, until pureed. Add with eggs in step 1.
• 
  
  
  Fresh chilli & coriander pasta: Add 3/4 tsp chilli flakes and 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh coriander leaves with the eggs in step 1.
• 
  
  
  Fresh herbed pasta: Make the basic pasta recipe to the end of step 4. Gently press 5 mint leaves, 9 coriander leaves and 1 1/2 tsp snipped fresh chives in a single layer over half of each sheet of pasta. Fold pasta over and roll through pasta machine once more to enclose herbs.
• 
  
  
  Fresh pesto pasta: Place 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, 1 crushed garlic clove, 2 tbs finely grated parmesan and 1 1/2 tbs toasted pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the basil mixture with the eggs in step 1.
• 
  
  
  Fresh spinach pasta: Omit 1 egg. Trim 1 bunch English spinach and wash leaves. With water still clinging to the leaves, cook in a medium saucepan over low heat for 3-4 minutes or until it just wilts. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Use your hands to squeeze out any liquid. Finely chop the spinach and add with eggs in step 1.
• 
  
  
  Fresh sundried tomato pasta: Omit 1 egg. Add 75g (1/4 cup) sundried tomato pesto with the eggs in step 1.
• 
  
  
  Orange pasta: Add 1 tsp finely grated orange rind with eggs in step 1.
• 
  
  
  Saffron pasta: Combine 1/4 tsp saffron threads with 1 tbs warm water. Stand for 5 minutes. Add saffron water and threads with eggs in step 1.
  
  
  HAVE HAPPY PASTA DAY !