Second and Edgemont: Creating Space for Beauty & Simplicity by Amy Johnson

Thumbprints

January 13, 2018

Many moons ago when I was studying agriculture as a farm apprentice I became close friends with my bunk mate Ian. Ian and I didn’t have much in common at first other than the desire to learn how to grow vegetables but we quickly realized that what we did both love was food. When we weren’t out in the fields, we spent most of our time together in the kitchen. And when we weren’t in the kitchen we spent most of our time out in the fields talking about food. We spent hours chatting about our favorite family recipes and perusing through cookbooks, dog-earing new recipes to try. But what we spent most of our time together doing was baking.

We would make our tried and true favorite baked goods for each other and the other bunk mates to sample. We’d experiment and critique new recipes. I distinctly remember being so excited at making a successful batch of homemade fig newtons that year and falling in love with a sesame benne wafer. There were always fresh baked goods to nibble on in the farm house or wrapped up to pass out at break time in the fields. That year felt a bit like The Great British Baking Show. I never baked so much in my life and I learned so much from Ian.

Prior to the farm apprenticeship, Ian had worked at The Pink Rose, a tea room in Philadelphia that I had visited frequently as a child but has since closed. When he left he took with him his favorite recipes which he shared with me that year, my favorite being the Thumbprint. This cookie is extremely buttery (made with 1 pound of butter!), rolled in crushed walnuts and filled with your favorite flavors of jam, the perfect cookie in my opinion. I made this particular batch with raspberry and ginger preserves. I am especially pleased with the ginger!

Ian and I still keep in touch. We don’t see each other as much as we’d like but the recipes we shared and made together that year keep us connected. Today felt like old times at the farm as I pressed my thumb into the dough and drizzled in jam. Instead of bunk mates I share them with you. Enjoy!

Thumbprints

1 pound of butter (yep, that’s 4 sticks of butter!)

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

4 cups flour

1/2 pound crushed walnuts

3 egg whites

Jam or preserves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a mixer, combine butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and flour. Roll into balls, dip in egg white and then roll in walnuts.

Place balls on greased cookie sheet and press thumb in gently. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Fill thumbprints with jam after 30 minutes of cooling.

The Lemon Drop

January 7, 2018

Happy new year friends! It’s so nice to be back here in this space.

I do love a fresh year full of possibility, new beginnings and intentions. I tend to not make resolutions but rather be a bit more mindful and open to trying new things that will bring me joy and health. January, being a quiet and slow month, always feels like the perfect time to reflect on how I want to make change or continue with what feels good.

Making time for health of mind and body is at the top of my list these days and I have already begun to make an effort for self care through diet, exercise and good quality, well made products. I am striving to shift my mind around issues that challenge me. Steering away from comparison and resistance and working hard at staying in my own lane as a mother, a partner, a businesswoman and overall human being is an important goal this year. I am ready for you, 2018!

One of my self care goals is hydration. It has been bitter cold here this past month and my body has been feeling parched. My skin is dry, I wake feeling a bit shriveled up and I am thirsty. Thanks to the many wonderful recommendations from friends over on Instagram, I have purchased some new and natural skin care products. This and this to soothe my dry cracked hands and this for a more supple face. I have been keeping a tin of water on my radiator next to my bed each night with a few drops of lavender to keep from waking up feeling like a dried out prune and I am working on drinking more water. I am not a big drinker of anything really but I know when I do make an effort to consume water on a daily basis I feel so much better! Adding citrus to my water (some thing I crave in the wintertime) makes it easier to drink more. I like to start my day with a hot cup of lemon water. It warms me up and it gets the digestive juices going. I have also been filling a large pitcher with water each morning and dropping in slices of lemon, orange or grapefruit with the goal of finishing it by the end of the day.

I recently have been working on replicating a hot lemon frothy drink I first tried at a local coffee spot . I am not a coffee drinker but I love coffee shops and it’s sometimes hard for me to find something hot I actually want to drink. I have found a few places that make a tasty homemade chai latte (stay tuned for my own recipe soon!) but this hot lemonade left me craving for more. I am embarrassed to admit just how often I would find myself driving completely out of my way just to get one until I realized I could just make it myself. After many trials I am quite happy with my own version which I call “The Lemon Drop” because that is exactly what it reminds me of- that little tin of lemon candy I would find in my Christmas stocking as a child.

The beauty of this drink is that you can tailor it to your own taste buds. Up the ginger for a little more spice or cut back on the honey for a little less sweet. Play around with it and make it your own. Pucker up and enjoy!

The Lemon Drop

1 1/2 cup water

Juice of 2 lemons

1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger (a quick and easy ginger for when I don’t have fresh on hand)

1 1/2 tablespoon local raw honey

A dash of lemon zest

A pinch of cayenne pepper

Heat water, lemon juice, ginger and honey and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. With an immersion blender blend until frothy and pour into your favorite mug. Dust with lemon zest.

If wanting a bit more of a kick or if you are feeling like you are coming down with something add a dash of cayenne pepper.

Kombucha

May 27, 2017

Hi Friends!

First off let me apologize for disappearing for a few months. For those of you who follow me on Instagram you may have figured out that I had a campaign to run. I sit as an elected official on borough council for my home town and was up for re-election. It took up quite a bit of my time and I am happy to report that I won the primary election on May 16th! It feels good to have worked so hard but also to have more free time. I am excited to jump right back into this space. I missed you all!

To make up for my absence I would like to finally honor a request made by many of you about sharing how I make my own Kombucha.

Kombucha or as we like to call it, booch, is a lightly sweetened fermented drink that is produced by fermenting tea using a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). You can enjoy it plain or with fruits, spices or herbs for an added punch. There so many flavor possibilities and combinations and it has been fun experimenting.

I had tried store bought Kombucha a few years back and liked it but it wasn’t until I tried my friend’s homemade batch that I was hooked and had to try making my own. She walked me through the process and I got right to work collecting my supplies. I admit to calling her each time I made a new batch to make sure I had the calculations just right but over time it definitely got easier and part of my weekly routine.

Making your own kombucha may seem intimidating (it was for me!) but I can assure you it really is quite easy, requires only a few ingredients and supplies and is much more affordable than store bought brands. There are many online sources and videos along with starter kits. But most of what you need you can find in your own kitchen or from a friend or local source.

Supplies

+1 gallon crock or glass jar (I own a 2 gallon crock for when I want to make larger batches)

+1 dozen airtight glass jars/bottles .

Note: While essentially any glass container with a lid can be used to store kombucha, to achieve the best carbonation, it is important to bottle kombucha in airtight bottles. While canning jars work well, they are not truly airtight, allowing for carbon dioxide to leak from them reducing the fizziness of your kombucha. Since I love a really fizzy booch, I use these 16 oz EZ cap bottles. They work great for the second fermentation/carbonation phase and they are the perfect serving size.

+plastic funnel (plastic utensils are recommended as metal is generally detrimental to kombucha. The only possible exception is stainless steel.)

+plastic or wooden stirring utensil

+tightly woven cloth like a cotton dishtowel

+large rubber band

+measuring cups

Ingredients

Makes up to 8 16oz bottles

+ 10 organic green tea bags

Note: The type of tea used to brew kombucha can affect the health of the SCOBY as well as the taste of your finished brew. If you’re just getting started, it is recommended to use plain black tea to insure a healthy SCOBY. I have used both black and green tea, both of which have worked well. After getting a few batches under your belt and allowing your SCOBY to grow big and strong you could experiment with white tea, rooibos, oolong, Yerba matte and other herbal teas.

+ 1/2 cup organic sugar

+ 16 cups filtered water

+ Active SCOBY (Read here about where to find a healthy SCOBY.) Anyone who is making kombucha tea usually has more than enough to share. I got mine from a friend. Ask around, or check for fermenting groups in your area. I have even seen posts about SCOBY sharing on Facebook and Craigslist. When you find a good source for a SCOBY also ask for 2 cups of starter tea, enough to make your first batch.

+ 2 cups starter tea (See above. If you can’t obtain starter tea from a friend you can use a bottle of store-bought raw, unflavored kombucha tea.)

+ 2 cups organic juice with no added sugar. We have used sour cherry, pomegranate and grape. You can also use fresh fruit, herbs and spices. Use seasonal fruits. I just tried a homemade strawberry rhubarb booch that was to die for!

Instructions

Bring water to a boil.

Turn off heat and add sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Add tea bags.

Cool the mixture to 68-85ºF. The tea may be left in the liquid as it cools or removed after the first 10-15 minutes. The longer the tea is left in the liquid, the stronger the tea will be.

Remove tea bags

Add starter tea.

Add active SCOBY

Cover crock or jar with a tight-weave towel and secure with a rubber band

Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed at 68-85°F, out of direct sunlight, for 7-30 days, or to taste. The longer the kombucha ferments, the less sweet and more vinegary it will taste. Time of year will affect the rate of fermentation. My booch takes much longer to ferment in the winter months. I keep it on top of our radiator to help speed things up. In the summer months it ferments much quicker. I typically let it sit for 10 days. How do you know if fermentation is taking place? Flavor becomes less sweet and more vinegary, SCOBY thickens, look for stringy brown yeast particles, tea has lightened in color.

Remove SCOBY and 2 cups of tea (this will be your starter for the next batch) and hold in a separate container.

The finished kombucha can be flavored and bottled, or enjoyed plain.

If wanting a flavored non-carbonated booch, add 2 cups of juice. Mix and store in glass jars in refrigerator for up to 14 days. You can also add fresh fruit whole or pureed and strained to each jar. Have fun experimenting. An easy one is adding lemon rind and a large chunk of ginger to each jar or bottle.

If wanting a plain non carbonated booch, simply pour into glass jars and store in refrigerator.

Now if you are wanting to bring it to the next level for a delicious, refreshing fizzy carbonated brew there are just a few more steps, but well worth the trouble and wait!

Making A Fizzy Carbonated Booch

To make a fizzy Kombucha, a second fermentation is required.

A second fermentation period allows the flavors to meld and achieve a deeper and more complex flavor. Additionally, if bottled in an airtight container, the carbon dioxide produced during fermentation will remain, giving the kombucha the fizzy texture.

Add the desired flavoring and mix to combine.
Using the funnel pour flavored kombucha in to airtight bottles leaving a few inches of head space.
Leave the bottled kombucha to ferment for 2-14 days at room temperature.
Once the second fermentation process is complete, store in the refrigerator.

When it’s time to pour yourself a glass of booch use caution when opening bottles. Creation of carbon dioxide during the secondary fermentation period means the contents of the bottle will be under pressure. Cover the bottle with a cloth to catch any spraying liquid and open the bottle slowly over the sink.

And now it’s time to make yourself a whole new batch of Kombucha!

I know this is a lot of information to absorb but before you know it you will have a continuous brewing routine and system and a fridge full of refreshing Kombucha to enjoy. You will have fun experimenting with different flavors and get to know your booch. It has a mind of it’s own and with intuition you can work with it for the perfect texture and flavor.

Let me know if I can answer any questions you may have. Or for you fellow booch brewers out there please share your tips!

Enjoy!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

March 17, 2017

Happy St. Patrick’s Day my friends! I’m donning my Celtic brooch and we are headed to over to my mom’s for an Irish dinner and celebration. I’ll take you along for the ride over on Instagram with some snippets of the evening.

The month of March is a magical time as little bits of spring begin to emerge out in nature as well as inside my home. Rather than bringing out all of my easter and spring decor at once, I like to create at a slow pace. In the beginning of the month the lambs come out reminding us of life and renewal, a tradition I grew up with. My mom has a beautiful collection of lambs herself. She gave me that one pulling a little cart last year. I squealed when she handed it to me as I was always admiring it at her house.

At this time of year there is always a trip to the nursery for an Oxalis plant or two which resembles the shamrock, another symbol of rebirth. I prefer the deep purple and the variegated ‘Iron Cross’ varieties.

For fun I am sharing a few photos of a trip to Donegal Ireland that Chris and I took with my family almost 22 years ago. It was an amazing experience spending time with our Irish relatives and traveling the countryside. My most favorite memory was a day we spent our on the strand (the beach) collecting mussels and seaweed to bring back to our cottage for a big family feast. We are dreaming of our next trip to the Emerald Isle, this time with our girls.

This Week’s Vignette

March 16, 2017

this week's vignette

This week’s vignette or shall I say vignettes live atop my piano. I wrote about this piano a few years back and am happy to report I still love it here. I haven’t played as much as I would like to admit but it works beautifully as a place for vignettes. Because the piano is a centerpiece in our home I like to create little scenes on top that change throughout the seasons showcasing some of my favorite things that I have either foraged or collected over the years.

Sitting to the far left is an antique silver ice bucket etched with the letter B for Boston (my mother’s maiden name) that was given to me by my mom. It holds a Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’ plant that I overwintered from my window boxes. Next to the ice bucket sits a stack of books (two of Chris’s favorites) paired with an antique lamb which I found this summer while away at the lake. Next to the lamb sits a thrifted tiny studio pottery bowl which I use as a votive holder.

To the far right sits my handmade ukulele made by Chris. Next to it sits a mercury pedestal holding a foraged bird nest and feathers with blown out quail eggs. In front of it sits an antique pewter handled vessel which I adore. It is adorned with tiny pewter flowers, bull heads and horns and reminds me so much of this favorite story of mine. Inside sits a handmade beeswax candle made by a friend.

A stack of antique dishes and bowls that get used daily at meals also sits on top along with two prints- a pointillism drawing made by my mom in college and a watercolor titled “The Humming River” gifted to me by my mom.

In tomorrow’s post I will talk more about lambs, the month of March and spring inspired decor.

Scone (like gone)

March 15, 2017

Irish scone bread

With St. Patrick’s day just a few days away I thought I would share with you a recipe passed down by my great grandmother, Sarah McMonigle Jennings. Sarah was my mother’s grandmother from Letterkenny, a town in Donegal, Ireland. Sarah died before I was born but I remember her husband, my great grandfather James Joseph Jennings who was from County Mayo. He looked like a leprechaun with his twinkly blue eyes and he had a thick Irish brogue that was hard to understand at times. As a child I remember helping him in his vegetable garden and he always let me blow out his match after lighting his pipe.

According to my mom, this recipe was made for parties and church functions and was always accompanied with tea (although almost everything is accompanied with tea in Ireland). This is not an Irish soda bread as it calls for baking powder instead of soda. It is very moist and resembles more of a cake with the taste of a scone or as my mother pronounces it, scOn, with a short o. Apparently there is quite a debate on how to pronounce the word scone depending on where you are from. Some argue the proper way to pronounce the word is scone like gone but some say scone like bone. My mother must have only heard her grandmother say it like gone because when asked by my sister recently for the recipe for scone (like bone) my mother replied “I don’t know what you are referring to. Oh do you mean do you mean scone (like gone)?” It’s a running joke now in our family (sorry Mom).

When researching about the proper pronunciation I stumbled upon this little rhyme which made me giggle.

I asked the maid in dulcet tone
To order me a buttered scone;
The silly girl has been and gone
And ordered me a buttered scone

Scone

4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup cold salted butter

2 eggs

2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease a 8 or 9 inch skillet with butter.

Mix sugar, flour and baking powder. Work in cold butter with a pastry cutter or knife until pea sized.

Whisk together eggs and milk and pour into dry mixture.

With rubber spatula mix until just combined (the dough will be wet).

Pour batter into skillet and lightly sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 1/2 hour or until golden brown on top.

I make this bread plain (because of some picky eaters around here) but grew up eating it with both raisins or currants and caraway seeds.

To get you in the Irish mood…

A beautiful Irish legend.

A favorite I grew up singing along to.

Anything played by these guys.

The Bodhran!

This week’s vignette

February 23, 2017

vignette

A bookshelf is the ideal venue for a vignette . Each shelf acts as a little stage for props to be set up and designed on creating that perfect scene. It’s almost as if a little performance is about to begin at any moment!

This built-in lives in my kitchen and holds a variety of things, many of which get used daily. When creating your own vignettes I urge you not to shy away from things that get utilized on a regular basis. Little clusters or groupings of objects that are both beautiful and useful can make a room feel inviting and give purpose. Just grab what you need and after you are finished back into the vignette it goes!

The top shelf holds a basket of linen napkins that get used on special occasions. On each side of the basket sit an antique copper candlestick that gets used on my dining room table when we are seating a larger group and the leaf needs to be put in. A Tulip Poplar branch found on a hike sits on top of the basket.

The second shelf holds an array of well loved cookbooks. My Joy of Cooking, gifted to me by Chris on our first Christmas together as a married couple, is so ell loved it is held together by a rubber band. It’s my go to for baking. An antique English Adams farmer mug holding a cluster of wood handled steak knives acts as a book end. A white scalloped pedestal bowl holds apples. Leaning up against the books is an antique hay barn pulley and a little watercolor I painted.

On the third shelf sit more cook books, pottery and utensils. A ceramic serving tray acts as a backdrop.

The fourth shelf on the bottom holds even more cookbooks, a Tiviola radio, and a pottery pitcher and chicken tile. On top of the radio sits a hand carved grouping of mushrooms made by a woodcarver friend. A wooden hand painted, floral serving tray leans behind.

As I have mentioned before vignettes are not meant to be permanent. These shelves are in constant flux. As the seasons change along with my mood so do the vignettes that live here.

I’d love to hear from you my friends. Let me know if you are enjoying this series and what other types of series you might like to see!

The Peacock Hat

February 22, 2017

peacock pattern hand knit hat

I know I wrote about the peacock hat here a few weeks ago but I am back with more. I just love this pattern!

I made the black and white one for my sister for her birthday and the purple and grey one for my mom this past weekend while we were away. We have similar styles so it was fun to create each one with it’s own individual personality making each one a bit different so we wouldn’t be too matchy-matchy.

Now we are all strutting around proud as peacocks with our new (not so matchy) hats.

Spring is in the air!

February 21, 2017

backyard chickens snowdrops

Oh what a glorious, fun-filled weekend we had! The weather was beautiful allowing for the perfect mix of outdoor time spent sledding, hiking and snowshoeing along with indoor time spent cooking, baking, reading, knitting and playing games. The whole weekend was the perfect way to celebrate Hannah’s 15th birthday.

We came home to 60 degree temps! Spring is definitely in the air. The snowdrops are up and our hens are laying again now that the days are getting longer.

On another note just a reminder that you can follow along more with S & E on my Instagram account where I share daily. I had fun posting over the weekend and even started sharing little videos on my story:) You can click on my Instagram account (the little camera icon) on the sidebar to the left.

Winter getaway

February 20, 2017

Winter get away

winter get away

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