Mother's Day is Sunday

 Ideas for Mother's Day:

A beautiful vase filled with her favorite flowers.

A tiny dish with the word "LOVE" stamped in it.

A handmade mug for her morning coffee.

A beautiful serving dish for her favorite meal.

ART for anyplace she might need a Mother's Day reminder after the day has come and gone.

The Food and Pottery Connection:

Serve This:

... because I'm a Mom and vanilla ice cream is my all time favorite

In This: 

wheel thrown hand painted bowl with floral motif  - yes, it's my very own...

I'll be working at the Dedham Square Artist Guild on Saturday, May 12th from 2pm-6pm.  Stop by the shop at 553 High Street in Dedham, MA.  There are many beautiful things to make your Mother's Day one to remember after the day has come and gone.

Lily of the Valley

1982 Postage Stamp

On Saturday, my cooperative studio, Potters Place has their BIG studio clean up in preparation for Spring Show & Sale on May 4,5 & 6. 

I've been concentrating my work on the show's theme: Flora & Fauna

Using postage stamps for inspiration, the "LOVE" stamp has proved to be a favorite.  I use small square dishes or tiles, as a painter would use oil sketches, to do much of my experimenting for larger work. For this series, I began by playing with the flowers that make up each letter in the LOVE stamp.

L

O

V

E

I liked the "E" dish best and although it did not start out as Lily of the Valley on the stamp, it became that to me.  I choose that design and translated it to other forms.

Tumbler with white liner and baby blue rim

Bowl with floral motif

Wheel thrown mugs with slip-trailing decoration

Plate with carved rim

The Food & Pottery Connection:

 Today, it is the pottery that inspires the food...

Fill the Plate with carved rim with roasted asparagus; it's in season! Fill one bowl with floral motif with jasmine rice and the other bowl with a green salad with cut veggies to bring in color.  Fill a tumbler with your favorite beverage to complement your menu, the other tumbler can hold a small bouquet of flowers for the table. The finale: a cup of tea in a mug with slip trailed decoration and shortbread cookies served on "E" dish. What a delicious spring meal inspired by my Lily of the Valley spring collection!

Roasted Asparagus

2 bunches asparagus, dry ends snapped off

Line a roasting pan with foil and spray with olive oil

Place asparagus on pan in single layer, coat with more olive oil

     and sprinkle with kosher salt

Roast in a 450 oven for 12 minutes

In a small skillet, brown butter, add balsamic vinegar and reduce

When asparagus is done, move to serving plate and drizzle with

     vinegar.

Visit my website to see more Flora & Fauna inspired work.

Cup of Coffee. Mug of Tea.

Sue Brum's (Hogwild Pottery) high fire mug on the left.

There is nothing better in my book than a cup (or two) of coffee in the morning and a mug of tea in the afternoon.  The biggest dilemma I have is choosing the vessel.  I'm a big fan of the story behind the pottery, so it will come as no surprise that I choose my cup or mug based on who I want to share the time with.

The top shelf in my kitchen cupboard is reserved for my collection of handmade mugs.  These are the ones I reserve for tea in the afternoon.  

Each has a story and is symbolic of something I love.

Debbie McCarty's elements of surprise, paintings, and mug shape make this a favorite.

Couldn't live without this Wayne Fuerst soda fired Mug - purchased at Harvard. 

One of two given by to me by a dear friend.  It's the glazing that I love!

A Lizanne Donegan mug...the textural quality could only be made in clay.

This little gem I made in college.  I love the glazing and the awkward handle that fits just right in my hand.

On my way to the Dedham Square Artist Guild for my afternoon shift this past Sunday, I stopped into Mocha Java.  I'm trying their signature lattes as a special treat that I spend the afternoon at the Guild sipping away on. First it was their Pumpkin latte, this week their Cinnabon latte, next time I might try their Nutty Irishman! Many of the Guild artists have their art up around town. My handmade mugs are displayed and for sale at Mocha Java.

Mocha Java in Dedham Square

The shape, size, color and design of a mug, whether it be for coffee or tea or hot chocolate, has to work for the person utilizing the pottery.  

Handmade functional pottery is all about 

finding that connection.  

I find the story of the mug - who made it, where they made it, why they made it - works in tandem with the enjoyment I feel while sipping what it holds.

You can check out more of my handmade mugs on my flickr photo sharing site. 

21 days til Valentine's Day

Luxurious Hot Chocolate 

- recipe makes enough for 4 servings

Pour 2 1/2 cups milk into a saucepan followed by 3 1/2 oz dark chocolate. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate has melted. Bring mixture to a boil, then whisk in 2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream until frothy. Test for sweetness, add sugar to taste.

Pour into handmade mugs, like the one pictured here... and enjoy.

This recipe will give you and your sweetheart 2 cups each :)

More Valentine's Day gifts ideas are featured on my website.

Food and Pottery

Thanksgiving is the ultimate food and pottery connection.  Choosing the best food to serve on your favorite pottery is one of the many joys of eating well and buying handmade.  Setting the table for a gathering can initiate talk about the upcoming feast and discussions like... "Where did you get this beautiful patter?' - tell me the story....

Here are some of the food and pottery connections I'm thinking about for my Thanksgiving table...

a perfect little plate for gathering an appetizer ... leaving another hand free for your holiday "spirit"

bowls for all the sides you'll be serving!

A platter for the turkey

a big bowl for stuffing...and my favorite!

choosing the best vase for a centerpiece bouquet of flowers

When the meal concludes and there are a mound of dishes still to be done: stop... sit.  Fix a warm cup of tea in your favorite handmade mug and take stock of all that you are thankful for this year.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The Mug

One could make a case for "The Mug" as one of the most important elements in the pottery and food relationship. Most of us start our day with coffee or tea in our favorite mug.  The Mug functions as a drinking vessel and a conduit to nourish our body and soul.

In anticipation of farm stand sales this summer, I threw a variety of mugs.  A successful glaze kiln yielded the fine assortment pictured above. In order to understand my mugs better, I filled each with water.  Why?  I wanted to see exactly how much liquid each would hold.  As a functional piece of pottery, food and beverage usage needs to be considered. Here's what I found:

18 ounces

16 ounces

14 ounces

12 ounces

What's local and good to eat while you are sipping your morning java?  This is a favorite when Blueberries are in season...


Blueberry Pound Cake 
Cooking Light 1998

2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light butter
1/2 (8-ounce) package 1/3 less-fat cream cheese -- softened
3 large eggs
1 large egg white
3 cups all-purpose flour -- divided
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) carton lemon low-fat yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cooking spray
1/2 cup powdered sugar 4 teaspoons lemon juice                                                                                                     
1. Preheat oven to 350.


2. Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg white, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 tablespoons flour and blueberries in a small bowl, and toss well. Combine remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blueberry mixture and vanilla; pour cake batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray. 


3. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. 


4. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl; drizzle over warm cake. Cut with a serrated knife.

I'm selling these beautiful mugs at the Powessit Farm Stand today, August 2nd from 1:30-6:30.

Willow Avenue Pottery

Becky makes all the stoneware pots of Willow Avenue Pottery. She and her husband live in Panora, Iowa, where they raise chickens and ducks, have beehives, and, belong to a CSA called "Small Potatoes"."


"Taking a ball of clay and turning it into a functional piece of art has always been the alluring aspect of ceramics to me.  I enjoy that there are an endless variety of techniques, materials, and firing methods." says Becky of Willow Avenue Pottery

When asked about her relationship between food and pottery, she sent me this recipe.  The ingredients were fresh in her refrigerator!

Becky's Killer Salad
a mix of lettuce, hard boiled eggs, soy nuts, two kinds of shredded cheese (both local, from the farmers market), croutons, and a handful of 'trail mix' which is a bunch of dried fruits/nuts, and some parm-cheese yogurt dressing.

She recommends any of her dent bowls.  They would be great for salads.

At every point in her life, clay has been an outlet for her creativity. In middle school, she started using the wheel.  Since then, Becky has looked for a way to make pots whenever she can. 

"My pottery is one of a kind. It is made for every day enjoyment." 

For more information on Willow Ave Pottery, check out Becky's blog, website, facebook and Etsy store.