brooklyn grange rooftop farm dinner

We went to our Outstanding in the Field dinner last eve

at the Brooklyn Grange, a one acre rooftop farm in Queens, NY.

Unbelievable.

 jim denevan, the founder with the staff from ABC Kitchen.

jim is also an accomplished artist.

 andrew loves it!

 glazed donut + peach + blueberry crostada = dessert

 ben flanner, the founder + farmer sat next to me.

lucky me...I asked him a zillion questions...so interesting.

 katie + jim giving a little history about 

outstanding....this was their first rooftop dinner.

 

brooklyn grange heirloom tomatoes with chilis + basil = DEElish

 view of manhattan skyline + farm

 see the table in the background?

usually there is one long table...but last eve there were 3.

 menu
everything was perfect.

a part of the staff from ABC Kitchen.

Last eve was a very high light of my summer!
Thank goodness Irene did not hinder our plan
+
Hallelujah! Our power went back on yesterday!

hurricane irene

 

 Hurricane Irene from space via yahoo news.

Yikes.

I hope it's not as bad as they say.

image from here

sweet room for girl

Sweet.

so sorry..don't recall where I found this.

tivoli mercantile

On our way back from our farm/camping trip,

(Most scenic non-highway drive thru Catskills)

we stopped in Red Hook, NY to visit

Jill of Tivoli Mercantile.

Jill has been following 

Paper Oranges and we have chatted a bit via facebook.

It was a very, very special treat to see her shop.

I met her husband, Arno who invented HUDSON PAINT, 

a chalkboard paint that comes in an array of my favorite colors.

(He is now doing paint for walls + floors)

I met their daughter, Stella who is Everett's age (5)

+

teens Josh (son) and Lola (daughter).

WHAT a shop!

I LOVED EVERYTHING!!!!

(no joke)

Amazing books for children + adults, 

simple perfect jewelry, toys, key chains, purses,

t-shirts, baby tees, soaps, aprons.....

I found the most special things + gifts...

You must make the trip to 

TIVOLI MERCANTILE

5 E Market Street

Red Hook, NY 12571

Tell Jill I sent you!

(click here to follow Tivoli Mercantile on Facebook)

Jill:  I know I went on + on!  I had to!!!

 the shop

(photo from rural intelligence)

 arno + his paint

(photo from rural intelligence)

another shop shot

(photo from rural intelligence)

 everett shopping

arno + jill

 see jill in her gorgeous dress 

+ 

navy

saltwater sandals?

(I have the same ones ;)

there is the red sign on the right!

stony creek farm

Everett and just I went to a 

Feather Down Farm

in Walton, NY

to have some one on one time together.

We camped in a tricked out tent
(no electricity),

bought our food at the 

"honesty shop" in the big red barn, which was fully stocked 

with all you need to make 

delicious meals
(Kate's home baked bread=delish),
+ all organic produce + meat right from the farm,
+ I made the fires to cook all our food.

I could go on and on about

how incredibly wonderful 

the experience was.

The snaps tell a bit of the story.

We will be going again for certain!

and YES!  I did feel the earth just quake.
Wild.

Stony Creek Farm

making our supper on outside grill

our tent

our new friends + pigs

 breakfast cooking on the wood burning stove

 french toast, blueberries + peaches

 

Everett + tractor

 pork chops + fresh string beans + water for tea

 Everett + new friends on the gator

 picking blackberries with the beautiful Kate, the farmer + her children

 the chicken coop (yes! old lockers=brilliance)

 Everett finds 8 eggs!

 Ryan + Everett + Abby the milking cow

(raw milk for my coffee=yum)

Everett milking Abby

 feeding chickens

 getting ready to roast marshmallows

proud mary

 

New bag from great shop called

Proud Mary.

Great textiles too.

Originally found via

simple lovely.

tent days

Everett and I are off to stay in a tent on a farm

so we will be off the blog wave for a few days.

I'll tell you about where and what

when we return.

This photo is from my new favorite blog

called

That Kind of Woman.

spaghetti with roasted zucchini

So glad I tore this recipe out of People Magazine.

I made it last night.

I added grilled sweet italian chicken sausage.

It was DELICIOUS with little stripey zucchini

from Red Rooster Farm.

Lightly browned bread crumbs sprinkled on top adds a little crunch.

You must try while the zucchinis are in season!

kh skateboarding

Suzy pinned this on pinterest.

I just had to post.

Katharine Hepburn skateboarding.

She was so cool.

She also baked the best brownies.

Her recipe is my go-to brownie.

Easy.

q body intense lip treatment

Do you need a little

pick-me-up?

This will do it.

An intense lip treatment for

those sun-kissed lips of yours.

Feels tingly with tea tree oil+mint.

A nice gloss so no lipstick needed.

My new favorite thing.

Get yours here.

percy thomson meadows farm

We were lucky enough to get a wooden crate

full of the most beautiful veggies from
Dana+Ken's

Percy Thompson Meadows farm
in Bethlehem, Connecticut.
In the box:
yellow+green string beans, purple peppers,
yellow+red cherry tomatoes,
big tomatoes, turnips, purple little potatoes,
yellow squash+patty pan squash
a head of cauliflower, turnips+6 ears of corn.
What did I make?
I made
Ina Garten's garlic roasted cauliflower
+
a chopped salad
with everything else
+ cucumbers from our garden.
I grilled chicken
+
made garlic bread
+
couscous
+
watermelon for dessert.
Perfect August fare!
Thank you Dana+Ken!

wildwood

A new book for children called WILDWOOD.

Love the clip...don't you?

It's available at the end of the month

HERE!

august scenes

First zinnias from the garden

 

Everett on Nina's new Vespa

A shrine in memory of my sweet mama.

She died 6 years ago.

Hard to believe that much time has gone by.

So much has happened since.

Happy things I am happy to say.

Here is to a memorable weekend!

words

 

Need I say more?

Found here.

lounge

 

I would like to lounge here.

Simple. White.

Or you can hang under the porch up above.

oh I think this is from Rue.