Pics to come!

We’re also expanding our Kraut & Kimchee syllabus to include Kombucha, a tart carbonated tea whose unique flavor comes from the fermentation process. Taught by Master Food Preserver Delilah Snell, instructor for our popular Summer in a Jar classes, this class definitely makes the most of produce at its seasonal best. There are still a few spots left, so come take advantage of this fantastic Fall class while you can!

Angharad taught a Crochet Granny Squares and Stars class, perfect for beginners looking for a single session class to get started. I love these little squares because they can be created in many simple variations and colors, then sewn together as a blanket or poncho!

My obsession is with the classic Thai soup, Tom Kah Kai, (I prefer tofu substituted for chicken) a spicy coconut soup with lemongrass and more. The unique flavors of the soup have let me to an obsession with all things coconut. Coconut ice cream, coconut lime cupcakes, young coconuts that I crack open myself with a cleaver, etc. The book “The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbetto” has an amazing recipe for coconut lemongrass sorbetto that I tried out last week. The creaminess of the coconut balanced with the light herbal citrus flavor of lemongrass was such a tasty treat! There are hundreds of other recipes to choose from like green tea gelato, Mexican chocolate gelato, pomegranate champagne sorbetto, blood orange sorbetto, and maple gingersnap gelato, just to name a few of my favs. You can even make your own simple syrup, which turns out to be just sugar and water heated up! With all the food science that is often present in manufactured ice cream, it really feels good to know exactly what is in your frozen treats.

Another foodie book we got in is “Porch Parties, Cocktail Recipes and Easy Ideas for Outdoor Entertaining.” This book has over 50 recipes for simple cocktails, as well as non-alcoholic drinks, many of which use blended fresh fruit sure to gussy up any party or get-together. There is so much inspiration here, including simple classics like an Arnold Palmer (lemonade and Iced Tea) and recipes I would never think to make and already love like Hibiscus punch or Agua Fresca de Honeydew. These recipes pair perfectly in glass serving pitchers with spigot tops, topped with thinly sliced fresh lemon. These serving pitchers are fun to find at flea markets and some of them are really fancy, tall, vintage apothecary jars with glass etching and pedestals. To balance out all these indulgent drinks, the book also includes a section of hors d’oeuvres like cherry tomatoes filled with jalapeno pimiento cheese goodness, baby crab cakes w/ lemon garlic aioli and fig and walnut brie.

Friends are always impressed with new things I cook, but I honestly feel like I’m cheating a little, because I’m just following steps from my cookbook! There’s something exciting about cooking a new tasty recipe that makes the energy in the house a little more lively, a little less boring,

It’s happened to all of us. We see our friends breaking out their most impressive projects and we feel the need to show off our own skills. Occasionally bragging will ensure, and sometimes a dare or two will slip into an otherwise civil conversation. Last night when Amy brought out her new quilt project, she discovered Rhea also had a quilt project in the works. Two crafters, two projects, both at the same stage of completion. What began with a few harmless jokes ended in a challenge; a race to see who would finish their quilt first.

The odds are difficult to judge. While Rhea’s quilt is certainly bigger, Amy is trying a new sort of binding on this quilt and may run into a few problems while mastering the new technique. With the outcome so uncertain, excitement is definitely in the air at the UCC.

In Transform Your Tees students had the opportunity to explore different kinds of alterations on their favorite shirts, from adding fabric embellishments to screenprinting new designs. Our soy candlemakers left the class with a collection of all natural soy candles, individually scented with a variety of essential oils and personalized in decoupaged jars. Spa Goodies students learned how to make a full line of natural bath treats designed to pamper and indulge, from bath salt sachets to handmade soap to lip gloss!

Last week, Victoria and I had the amazing opportunity to teach Zine and Screenprinting workshops at the first annual Rock ‘N Roll Camp For Girls Los Angeles.

Over 50 girls ages 8-17 formed bands, wrote their own songs, learned how to and played all their own instruments and had a finale performance at the Troubador this past Saturday. Camp directors Mona and Becky were amazing leaders, along with a group of talented and accomplished female volunteers. One volunteer instructor was Allison Wolfe of Bratmobile, a Riot Grrrl whose music, zines and presence in Olympia was super influential to me and my growth as an artist.

The girls were split into two groups depending on their ages. In our zine workshop they created a collaborative zine that was passed out to each girl at the end of camp. In our screenprinting workshop, each band designed their own logo and we created contact paper stencils that we then attached to screens and printed in their favorite colors. Lucky for you, the entire week was documented and you can watch the wrap up video by clicking on the link below!

Rock and Roll Camp For Girls Los Angeles