summer manifesto | kimberly ah

Apr 30 2013

Forest Park, Oak Park, gardening, summer manifesto

Guess Who Got a Garden Plot?

Spoiler alert: I DID!

Shortly after posting this on Thursday night, I got an email welcoming me to the Forest Park Community Garden! They assigned me to plot #6 so Naoto and I went over on Sunday afternoon to check out our space and get a feel for the garden. Plot #6 is in the middle of the garden and it’s looking pretty weedy right now. But, hey, it also came with a few tomato cages!

This week I will be trying to decide what we are going to grow and (hopefully) picking up a few plants or getting a few seeds started here at home to move over to the garden. And we have a gardening orientation on May 11th…just in time to start planting full force. I’m looking forward to the orientation because both times Naoto and I have visited the garden, it’s been deserted…it will be good to get to know some of the other gardeners in our community.

The garden is within walking (& biking) distance of our apartment. It’s located at the corner of Harlem Avenue and the Eisenhower Expressway, tucked between those two roads, an alley and an apartment building. It’s very “urban gardening”…kind of a weird spot, but it totally makes sense when you think about open space in a city.

I’m definitely excited to get started and to hopefully (crossing fingers, crossing toes) enjoy some fresh vegetables throughout the summer. And so far, Naoto is just as excited as I am–I hope our enthusiasm continues through the hot summer!

Are you a gardener? What is the best thing you’ve grown? Do you have any advice for two newbies?

Tagged food, forest park, garden, gardening, homemaking, summer

Sep 17 2012

5 Comments

cocktails, summer manifesto

cocktail perfected: the sidecar

A few weeks ago, we had friends over to try out my third classic cocktail of the summer–the sidecar.

Admission: I had never had cognac or brandy before this. Needless to say, brandy will be finding its way into some more cocktails this fall, I promise.

Sidecar

2oz cognac

1/2oz fresh lemon juice

1/2oz Cointreau

Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker and serve in a cocktail glass. Enjoy on a summer afternoon, or (as in our case) use it as payment for a haircut. Thanks, James, for working your magic on Naoto’s unruly hair!

Tagged cocktails, summer

Aug 30 2012

5 Comments

gardening, summer manifesto

this is why i love geraniums

There have been many losses in the garden this year…the over-watered geraniums (the pot wasn’t draining properly), the under-watered Japanese shiso, the non-producing tomato plant and under-producing mint plant…so much sadness. I blame it a little bit on the dry weather, but mostly, it’s me. I didn’t water it enough. But there has been one success with the garden–the sad peachy pink geranium above.

This geranium is two years old and it lived in our spare room (that faces north but gets limited sun thanks to the tree and the building next door) over the winter. When I brought it out, the poor geranium was a pale green single stalk with one tired leaf. I threw it in this hanging pot with my ivy geranium (the pink one), some filler and some petunias (which were another garden casualty this year). I didn’t have much hope for the little guy, but look at it now! It’s flowering and it has a new little branch coming from the bottom! So maybe the garden wasn’t such a huge failure this year after all…

Tagged garden, summer

Aug 22 2012

4 Comments

summer manifesto, thoughts

i love a rainy night

It’s been a really dry summer. It’s been bad for farmers, bad for gardeners, bad for people who love green grass…and bad for people like me–people who love rainy nights. Last night we got the best steady, heavy rain, so I poured a glass of wine and sat out on the balcony for a bit. It was damp and chilly enough that I could curl up in a blanket. The cool air reminded me that fall is coming and these warm summer days are numbered yet again…time to check off the last few items of that summer manifesto!

Are you looking forward to fall, or are you still trying to soak up the last bits of summer?

Tagged summer

Aug 06 2012

5 Comments

home is a 1970s apartment, summer manifesto

the tiny tv

We are in the market for a new TV. Right now, we watch the tiny 13-inch television I got for a Christmas gift sometime in the mid-nineties. It was my college TV. And, it is not Hi-Def or flat screen (in case you couldn’t tell), it’s a tube TV…so basically, an antique. Also, to see the TV from the kitchen, I sometimes use binoculars…especially if I need to check the score of a game or something. When it comes time to get rid of it, I’m not even sure Goodwill will take it. (I placed a stapler next to the TV below for scale.)

Why have we lived so long with such a tiny TV? This one fits perfectly in the cabinet (which is really a wine/liquor cabinet from Ikea). It’s so convenient. (I mean, who doesn’t want to mix a cocktail and watch Law & Order?) And, I’ve been really picky about what I want to set the TV on (since nothing larger than a 13-inch will fit in our current cabinet!) I didn’t want to buy something from Ikea; I wanted something with a little more character. I originally had been searching for a decently priced Mid-Century Modern credenza, but that has proved impossible since Mid-Century is so “in” right now. Then, last month we were at Yearbook, a little designer antique store here in Forest Park, and I fell in love with a beat up old hardware store (?) cabinet with lots of little labeled drawers. Naoto noticed my expression, went right up to the counter and bought it for me! I didn’t even protest…it was too sweet! (My husband sure knows the way to my heart–vintage furniture!)

So, we didn’t have a plan for the hardware store fixture (Does anybody else out there buy furniture without a plan?) , but it is the right height for a TV and it has the uniqueness I was looking for. I hate shopping for electronics–it’s such an investment & I know nothing about these newfangled new televisions, but the search begins this weekend. It’s time to take the plunge into the 21st century!

Tagged decorating, home improvement, homemaking

Jul 23 2012

5 Comments

cocktails, summer manifesto

cocktail perfected: the old fashioned

Last week, we bought some new whiskey, Cedar Ridge…(yes, it’s another one from our favorite Iowa distillery!) I thought I would try my hand at making another classic cocktail–Old Fashioneds.

Classic Old Fashioned

2oz whiskey

1tsp sugar (or 1 sugar cube)

2 dashes bitters

splash of soda or water

Place sugar in glass and add bitters and a little bit of water. Muddle to help the sugar dissolve. Add ice and whiskey. Garnish with cherry and lemon peel (we skipped the lemon peel.)

This one is delicious, but definitely a sipper! And perfect for happy hour!

That’s two cocktails down, one to go for the Summer Manifesto! Any suggestions on a good classic for the big finish in August?

Tagged cocktails

Jul 14 2012

watermelon rum salad

When you have dinner with your married friends, do you say “I’m having dinner with the Nickersons” or do you say “I’m having dinner with Ned and Nancy”? Saying the couple’s last name seems quite old fashioned. On Leave it to Beaver, the Cleavers were often talking about playing Bridge with the Rutherfords and I think it’s charming. I think I’m going to try to bring it back–calling couples by their last names…unless, of course, they don’t share a last name. Our married female friends each took her husband’s last name…except for me. (I did, I just kept my own, too.) I don’t mind being called the Hasegawas…if you come over to dinner, you can say you’re dining with the Hasegawas and that’s okay by me. You just better hope Naoto is doing the cooking.

So, back to the salad. We had dinner with the Hustons last night and I brought this watermelon dessert. I used up the rest of Peggy’s mint (which lasted a lifetime in my fridge in a glass of water!) and a little bit of delicious Iowa rum!

Watermelon Salad with Rum & Mint

(recipe here, courtesy of your friend and mine–Martha Stewart)

1/2t freshly grated lime zest + juice from 1 lime

2T light rum (I used Cedar Ridge dark rum. It’s our favorite, and another Iowa find!)

1/4t sea salt

6pound piece of freshly cut watermelon, chilled

2T slivered fresh mint leaves

*I just noticed that Martha’s recipe called for 2T light brown sugar. I didn’t add this, but you can! We all agreed that is was sweet enough without the brown sugar, but maybe it adds another taste dimension?

Of course, Martha used a melon baller. I don’t own one of those. I kind of want one, but I’m not sure we eat melon enough to justify the gadget. I just chopped my watermelon (which was a medium-sized seedless) and added the other ingredients right on top and stirred everything around. Martha’s way is much more dignified… We also added the sea salt right before serving. It was the perfect summer dessert.

Jul 12 2012

2 Comments

crafty adventures, summer manifesto

summer minibook update

In my free time (while I’m not sorting mail, working or taking naps), I’ve been slowly working on my Summer Minibook. I bought my minibook here, pre-made from Elise Blaha Cripe. I sometimes feel silly buying a book of paper…I mean, I work at a paper store, I have a huge collection of paper already…but Elise’s books are amazing, the colors are perfect and it’s already DONE and ready for the fun part!

So, here it is…I’ve only made it through mid-June for now, but I think it’s coming together nicely.

I already have a little stash of papery goodness ready to add in for the rest of June and the start of July. I can’t wait.

Supplies used: embellishments from Ormolu, A Life Handmade & Hey Jen Renee, labels from Martha Stewart Avery & Paper Source, stamps from AnnMarie Loves Paper & Elise Blaha Cripe’s (now closed) Pop-Up Stamp Shop, washi tape from Target & Japan

**If you have a question about anything specific, please ask in the comments!

Jul 05 2012

1 Comment

adventures, summer manifesto

Fireworks

Naoto & I ventured out to the Forest Park fireworks show tonight. I hate crowds. Anything everyone wants to do, I would rather avoid–the only exceptions: a really good concert and fireworks. We didn’t take any chairs, we just stood in the community center parking lot (away from the little “festival”) and saw everything. I took my camera and tried to capture some of the magic.

Happy Birthday, America!

Tagged forest park, holidays, photography

Jun 25 2012

3 Comments

cocktails, gardening, summer manifesto, what's for dinner Aside

I have been making progress on some of the Summer Manifesto items–even if it IS only the easy ones!

* dine outside (whenever possible)

I have been eating my lunch outside almost every day, and when Naoto is home, we always eat dinner outside (pictured above is the somen we enjoyed for dinner last Thursday…please notice that I am the one using the chopsticks!)

*eat watermelon

We sliced open a watermelon last night. It wasn’t the sweetest, reddest, most delicious melon I’ve ever had, so I would like to revisit the watermelon again…I ate mine with fleur de sel because salt makes everything better. I think Naoto was channeling his inner produce manager in the picture below.

* raise mint & basil for drinks and dinners

My basil is flourishing but my mint is growing so, so slowly that I wonder if I ever will enjoy a mojito this summer. I replanted it on Saturday, so I’m hoping it takes off before winter.

* try 3 “classic” cocktails

I’ve perfected the Tom Collins at home and I think it just might be a new summer favorite. And on Saturday night, I tried a Negroni at a local Italian restaurant. It was bitter, but a little bit sweet and delicious, but not one that I loved so much that I want to perfect it at home right now.

* document summer & FINISH my summer minibook

I’m making slow progress on this. I hope to show the beginnings of my book this week!

The other stuff on the list are set for July & August, but I’ve already had a couple of failures on two manifesto items (sad face).

* tend to my garden daily (no dying plants in September!)

Although I have tended to my balcony garden almost daily, I am sad to report we’ve had a few plant casualties already. My daisy plant never grew or bloomed and it keeled over this weekend, my cilantro missed a few waterings and couldn’t be revived and one of my geraniums got too much rain (a while ago, back when it actually rained) and never recovered. It’s stem was black, it’s leaves were yellow and brown and it had to be removed this weekend. My balloon flower might be the next to go. But everything else is looking green and bright and healthy…the 2011 geraniums I had inside all winter are even back to their dark green and blooming selves. I think next year, I might go 100% geranium. Chin up, green thumb.

* wear sunscreen & sunhats when I’m outside

I am super-good about wearing my sunhat, especially in the morning when I don’t want to comb my hair. But, I slacked on the sunscreen, both in Iowa and while dining al fresco, and I paid for it. I bought some sunscreen last week and have vowed to be more proactive. And, I have a pretty new wide-brimmed sunhat that I’m excited to wear.

So, that’s the state of my summer so far. Right now, I’m heading outside to enjoy the gorgeous weather and read a bit (wearing a hat & sunscreen, of course!)