Martha Stewart's American Made Summit 2014

Having just attended the Martha Stewart American Made Summit in New York City this past weekend I am still in awe of the passion, creativity, innovation and dedication that the small business owners who attended and presented displayed. All of their companies are based on American made product, utilizing the workforce here in the United States. Some of them revitalizing communities that are in dire need of this kind of interest and assistance to reinvent themselves. Some of them bringing to life an idea born of a passionate hobby. Some of them displaying incredible levels of excitement and energy born out of a desire to change their every day environment and lifestyle. To control their own destiny so to speak. In order to do that though, they all agreed, that they have never worked so hard in their lives and have never enjoyed that work so much!

The Summit was held in the Martha Stewart Omnimedia Headquarters in New York City which was fascinating for me to see. I have to confess that I have followed Martha Stewart since the late 1980's, reading her books, watching her television specials on entertaining and crafting and then subscribing to her magazine as she broke new ground in elevating the art of "keeping a home."  Being newly married and a creative soul, there were very few personalities at that time who celebrated "Home Keeping" in a stylish and beautiful way that was do it yourself and could be accomplished all by yours lonesome and in your own home. I was hooked, through all five children and tried to elevate the "everyday" steered by Martha's ideas. She really was the one who propelled me to create more of my own ideas and integrate them into my family's life.

The workspaces of Martha Stewar'st Living every day operations were shrouded in huge white shades that rolled down from the high warehouse ceiling above.

The space was light filled and all white, perfect for highlighting the design, decor and products of the finalists and winners of the American Made Summit.

Of course, the opening reception the night before the event was done in true Martha fashion with each part of the country being represented by food and beverages indigenous and symbolic of that region. 

(That is our neck of the woods!)

Inventive ways of displaying the food was the norm and and creative ways of mixing the flavors was even better. I do have to admit that nibbling never really fills me up so afterwards I did find myself drawn to one of the many open diners to enjoy an omelet, solo at 10:30 pm. LOVE NYC for you can ALWAYS find food at any hour!

After a yummy breakfast of Chobani Greek yogurt, fresh fruit and homemade granola served in compostable bamboo bowls, we were treated to a day long seminar composed of various panels of experts in their fields; recent winners of the 2014 contest, business owners and executives, social media gurus, shop owners, company founders and many more. A wealth of information was disseminated from a white stage clothed in white and punctuated by the large silver map of America that hung behind the stage.

The founder of Alex and Ani spoke to the topic of Building a Brand - From Dream to Reality. She gave her story of how she revitalized the jewelry capital of Rhode Island by utilizing the talented labor force who had been silenced in that area due to companies taking their business overseas. 

We met successful business owners who started their companies from a passionate idea and have persevered to bring these companies to fruition and run them successfully today. Included in that panel was the Executive Editorial Director for the Crafts Department of Martha Stewart Living, Hannah Milman.

We were treated to Words of Wisdom from three of ten award winners this year, Floret, Detroit Dirt and Clark's Botanicals. Rachel Shectman told her story of the founding of her hugely successful and unique store in New York City named Story, whose business model is anything but the norm.

Martha interviewed her friend and neighbor who also happens to be the actress Blake Lively on her new venture as CEO and Creative Director for the online site of Preserve.us.

We then broke for lunch which was creatively served in bamboo trays and dishes that are again compostable. Me being the recycling tyrant at Life's Patina, LOVED those trays!

The salad was delectable with grains, kale, sweet potato, dried fruit, pepitas, pears and an unknown dressing that I will be sure to try and replicate. I cleaned not only my plate but my entire tray. It really is all about the food you know!

We were treated to a variety of topics in the afternoon sessions from Show Me The Money: Financing Your Business in Today's Market to Crafting a Brand to Social Chatter and the Role of Social Media in Building Your Brand to an Ask the Expert Panel at the closing. Entertaining panelists were sprinkled throughout and some even kept us laughing, such as the large personality of Barbara Corcoran, Founder of Corcoran Group and Investment Shark on Shark Tank and the well spoken and also humorous Charlotte Beers, a Speaker, Author and past CEO of Ogilvy & Mather in New York City. My brain was on overload taking in all of the pertinent and valuable information as well as processing the inspiration and ideas that kept pooping up in my own head as how to add to and change some of Life's Patina mission. 

How can I encapsulate the event and what I took from it? Wow, tough question, but I would have to say that it was truly inspirational to see how people, just like you and I, took a dream that they truly believed in and took a risk by leaping into bringing that dream to fruition and are doing what they longed to today. 

The atmosphere...

The concept...

The products...

The food...

and the originality, all combined to create an event that helped me to refine some of the goals and the direction in which I hope to move Life's Patina. I certainly hope that I will be as fortunate to attend again next year. 

Maybe the weekend's perfection was in part due to the fact that I got to then met up with my college friends of thirty years...ahem...not sure how I have known them that long since I am only thirty nine but that is for you all to figure out! We had a killer time catching up, hitting some cool places in the city and laughing until our sides hurt. Now that is what I call a perfect weekend!

New York City is such a city of contrasts.

The old,

the new, 

all blended into one seamless city.

 It is kind of like a friendship of thirty years, cemented in the  shared experiences of the past but enriched by the newly made experiences of the present.

Thanks girlfriends and Martha for giving me two enriching memorable experiences this past weekend!

I will be following up this blog with a highlight of the vendors who will be participating in this coming weekend's barn sale. All of whom are AMERICAN MADE!

~ Until then~

Meg

Amazing Zucchini and Pumpkin Bread

I had received a few requests to post the recipe for the pumpkin bread that I had put on my status before Halloween. This recipe is from my sister in law who happens to make the best pumpkin roll ever, as well as this pretty tasty pumpkin bread. I packaged this bread up this year to send to my kids in college as well as to give for little Halloween gifts. I have to caution you in that it is incredibly moist, yummy and  most likely you would be better off if you just smeared it on your thighs instead of sneakily, guiltily ingesting it for the week and then slowly but surely, have it reach your thighs in the long run.

Here it is anyway:

PUMPKIN BREAD

4 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. canola oil
6 eggs
1 large can of pumpkin (not pie filling)
5 1/4 c. sifted flour
1 c. milk
3 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Grease and flour loaf pans (above recipe makes 5 loaves)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix all ingredients together in the order above. Pour batter to 3/4 full in each pan. Bake for approx. 45 mins and then check loaves with a knife inserted in center. Most likely will have to leave in oven for another 15 mins.  Take out of oven once knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Since I am tempting you with sweet treats I thought I would include this recipe as well. I found it when I was searching for a good zucchini bread recipe to try and use up the overabundance of zucchini I had from the garden this year. ALL of us LOVED this one and I made it with the half oil, half applesauce version. A little more healthy, although the streusel topping most likely cancels out the health benefits. DO NOT make without the streusel! Let's face it, once you have tasted it, a zucchini bread without the streusel is like...Christmas without snow or summer without swimming or fall without  the smell of burning leaves. One of my sons, who does not like zucchini, asked where was it in the bread for he did not taste it or see it. Mission accomplished!

 Definitely double up on this recipe to make 2 loaves.

Award-Winning Zucchini Bread and Muffins

This award-winning zucchini bread gets an upgrade with buttery oat streusel, brown sugar, melty chocolate chips, and lots of sweet flavors like cinnamon and vanilla. No wonder it won first place!

Yield: 1 loaf or 10 muffins (can be easily doubled)

prep time: 20 MINUTES

total time: BREAD: 1 HOUR, 10 MINUTES MUFFINS: 40 MINUTES

Ingredients:

BROWN SUGAR OAT STREUSEL

• 2/3 cups (60g) old-fashioned or quick oats
• 1/2 cup (100g) light or dark brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons (16g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, cold
• 1 Tablespoon (10g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

ZUCCHINI BREAD & MUFFINS

• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup (100g) light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (I used canola and it was great~ heard that you can also use melted coconut oil but did not try that
• 1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 large)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour (careful not to overmeasure)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional (or use pecans or walnuts) or use both but try not to skip the chocolate chips if you love chocolate!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9x5 (or 8x4) loaf pan with nonstick spray. If making muffins, preheat oven to 425F degrees and spray a 12-count pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Make the streusel first by combining the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the cold butter with two knives or a pasty cutter (preferred) - or you may use your hands. Mix until the streusel resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips with a spoon. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the beaten egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, zucchini, and vanilla until evenly combined. In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate chips together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Avoid overmixing.

Spread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake the bread for 20 minutes at 350F degrees. Remove from the oven and top with the streusel - press it down into the top. The reason you are adding it after 20 minutes is to prevent it from sinking to the bottom of the bread as it bakes. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I covered the bread loosely with aluminum foil after 35 total minutes to avoid the top from getting too brown. Allow bread to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before removing from the pan and serving.

If making muffins, fill 9-10 muffin cups all the way to the top. Press the streusel into the tops of each muffin. Bake for 5 minutes at 425F degrees and, keeping the muffins in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350F degrees and continue to bake for an additional 13-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before serving.

Bread and muffins stay covered tightly at room temperature or refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bread and muffins freeze well for up to 3 months. Recipes may easily be doubled, tripled, etc and baked in batches.

Recipe source: Quinn family recipe

*Healthy bonus: I tried swapping half of the oil with applesauce and didn't notice much of a difference as far as taste and texture goes! However, to avoid a rubbery texture, I would not swap any more than half of the oil for applesauce. 

Bon Appétit'~

Meg

Treasures in a Trunk

I recently posted about a collection of books that I just purchased from an estate sale. We have unloaded the massive amount of books but much to my chagrin, there is no time right now to do the books justice. By that I mean that these books are meant to be perused curled up in a comfy chair, piles upon piles stacked to my side, as I go through them cover to cover to find all the treasures tucked in between their pages. No, I am not speaking of dollar bills but of mementos of the past, funeral cards, pressed flowers, newspaper clippings, letters, photos and the likes. These items give you a peek into the life of the books' owner. They obviously had enough meaning to be placed amongst the pages of the book to be saved for future perusal. Perhaps this winter there will be time to engage in such a pleasurable task when the pace is a little slower and I just might be able to loose myself for an afternoon or two.

For right now, sorting through the trunks that I acquired at the same sale will have to suffice! I can pick one out as time allows, sort through its contents gingerly, for some have been in an attic for close to a hundred years and then carefully clean the trunks and their contents. This afternoon, after working in the barn where I had been jump starting the Christmas season, I grabbed a trunk and began that process.    The trunk that I chose today was one that upon initially opening, I saw that it contained some Halloween goodies. The mice left me some perfectly intact decorations that really look quite frightening  but very much like the reproduction ones I have seen of today.

 The majority of the trunk was filled with several children's costumes. Most of the costumes need some TLC but they are nothing like the nylon ones of todays packaged numbers from the Halloween store. Constructed like they were made to be worn everyday, they obviously had been tucked away to be saved for another season. 

Tucked underneath the costumes with all of the contents spilled about was a board game copyrighted in 1898.    .

The players pieces are made out of wood and the die are the tiniest little things I have ever seen. There was the card game PIT which my kids still play today and a cardboard box entitled PLAY CLOTHES. Folded up inside was an army outfit or police officer costume that looked like it had never been worn.

The most fascinating bundle in the whole trunk though, was a paper wrapped parcel of torn out magazine pages from all the fashionable publications from the time period of the dated pages...1921.  Ladies Home Journal, Harper's Bazaar and of course Vogue. I am not aware of who the owner of this trunk is but I sure know much about her from the tear sheets she left in a trunk over the course of a year in 1921. I know that she must have been quite fashionable for there are pages of what look to be the latest fashions. I know that she loved photos and artistic renderings of all aspects of family life. She saved many a short story and poem that were printed upon the pages of the aforementioned magazines. She clipped advertisements on beauty products and home care items. She had many a selection on decor of the day and design of a "good home" as one article was entitled. 

She definitely was drawn to photos of women in peaceful and tranquil settings.

Children were also a common thread as well as Norman Rockwell scenes and Vogue illustrations.

ALL of it could have been applicable today...the themes of a woman's life...past and present...bound inextricably together through the years. Yes, the gentility and social graces that were apparent in these pages are mostly absent from today's publications which is a sad commentary but the subject matter is much the same. (Except for the one article on how the Chicago Public school system had just installed water closets in all schools so that the children could wash their hands at school and thus increase the children's learning.)  I certainly got lost in this activity and could have read these pages of the past for hours but pick ups and Target would not wait. In my fairly quick inventory, I was struck with the similarity of how my files look much like this mystery woman's "file" of images. I often get flack for my files and my torn out magazine pages. Yes, I am aware of a thing called Pin-terest that is all the rage these days and I even have an account but use it way to infrequently. I am such a kinesthetic visual that I cannot "tear" myself away from my old habits. Maybe someone will find my files almost one hundred years from now and wonder at the life that I lived... as I have today. 

Inspiration comes in many forms~

Meg

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I know that I signed off in my last post as, until my canning experience, or something akin to that. Well, my canning is not looking so good, since I seem to be finding treasures left and right that I just cannot refuse but are causing me to stay out of the kitchen. I am so excited to bring those treasures to you at our next sale in November but for right now, it is all about dinner and the lack there of, if some thought is not put into it. I just made my go to recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup when Shane came home for his Fall break this past week. It is one of my family's favorites and so incredibly simple that I have to share it with you. I am fully aware that with the busy schedules of the kids after school with sports and activities paired with homework and showers ( for me that is... who finally might get one) dinner can often be problematic. Here is one recipe that if thrown in the crock pot in the am, it will delight in the pm. Unless you have a child who has sensory issues and asks, "What smells so bad in the kitchen?" Give him a clothespin for his nose and feed him rice.

Ingredients

1 pound shredded cooked chicken ( I boil the chicken in a pot of water first and then shred it or saute chicken breasts in a saute pan with a little olive oil and then cut up.)

1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed or canned diced tomatoes

1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cups water

1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth (I use low sodium)

1 tsp each cumin, chili powder and salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn

1 Tbls chopped cilantro

 *7 corn tortillas (optional)

   vegetable oil

Assorted toppings of choice such as cheddar cheese, salsa, avocados, sour cream and rice

I double all of the ingredients to make a large pot to feed a family of 7 and have a little for the next day.

Directions

Place all ingredients except for tortillas and oil in a slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. I sometimes leave it on for longer and the longer it cooks the better the flavors meld. It is even better the next day!

 * Before serving, Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10-15 mins. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup and any toppings that you would like. I lay them all out in bowls and it is a help yourself affair.

If you have little time before serving or if you have a child who has sensory issues and cannot eat spicy things, cook up a batch of whole grain rice and serve a scoop of that in each bowl and a plain bowl of rice to the sensitive child.

This recipe makes a hearty meal for a chilly fall or cold winter night. Serve with a side salad and rice and it is quite filling!

Enjoy, and let me know what you think should you try it!

~Meg

Summer's Last Vestige

It truly was a magnificent Fall day today. One could not help themselves to the call of the outside given by the crystal clear blue of the sky and the crispness of the air. With the forecast of a possible freeze warning tonight, I made way to the vegetable garden to gather some of the last of the harvest still clinging to their life giving vines.

I picked enough tomatoes to hopefully can some salsa this week and some peppers to make pepper jelly. If my goal is achieved, I will certainly pass on the recipes if they are a hit! I love to give homemade gifts from the kitchen at Christmastime. There have been years that my cup has runneth over in that department and years where I never found the time to fill that measuring cup! This year...

I picked lots of herbs and just found a recipe for herb oils that you freeze in order to preserve the taste of the freshly grown herb over the winter. Rosemary, thyme, dill, sage, oregano and mint, my hands wore the scent of all for the remainder of the day. I will be sure to post a blog about what I do with this harvest in the very near future.

There was one large patch of color left in the vegetable garden and that was of the nasturtiums. They are growing wild so I had to pick some of their autumn hued flowers to bring some fall indoors.

In other areas of the yard, as I walked back to the house with my load, pops of color beckoned me to them. Upon viewing them, if not for the crispness in the air, it certainly looked like the summer months. The flowers seemed to be screaming with their final display of color as if to say, breathe me in one last time before I fade into the grey and colorless landscape of winter. They were putting on a show almost as if they know their days are limited.

Sure the mums are still in bloom and the asters, the proverbial signs of fall but these are the species of the warm summer months.

Even the lavender was showing a few bursts of a last hurrah.

The garden will soon be put to bed for the winter months. The garden and patio sets will be housed in the barn for the cold months. Sure enough though, they will all be brought back after their winter slumber to give us great pleasure...yet again.

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting
and autumn a mosaic of them all. -   Stanley Horowitz

Until the canning projects have come to fruition~

Meg

Zumba Under the Stars

I am sure that you are wondering what the heck is Zumba Under the Stars? Most of you who have come to our Preview Parties before are probably saying, "No way that any stars will be seen that night since there is usually a deluge on the night of the Life's Patina Preview Parties!" Tsk, tsk...such negativity...We have been kind to mother nature and we seem to have won her over since the last two events we have held at the barn have had delightful weather. We are ecstatic that the weather again looks promising for this Friday's Zumba Under the Stars with Dr. B., otherwise known as Bhavana Shymalan. She has garnered an impressive list of accolades in the Zumba world and rumor has it, she teaches an amazing class! She will be with us this Friday evening, October 17th to lead us through an energy filled Girls Night Out Under the Stars to benefit Philadelphia Public Schools. Bhavana and her husband M. Night, have been vocal advocates of reform in education. 

We at Life's Patina are honored to be hosting this event. The spearhead behind it all is Bonnie Koss, a dynamic women herself, who likes to impart change in the FUNdraising events that she has put together and led in the past few years. She is a dynamo of good will and her energy and her positive spin on life are apparent when you meet her. She has put this event together as a successor to last year's that we held in the barn where two van loads of school supplies were collected and then donated to Philadelphia Public Schools. 

All you have to do to attend is to clear your schedule, show up at the barn at Life's Patina at Willowbrook Farm at 6:00 pm with school supplies, $15 to cover dinner,  and your dancing shoes (in this case make them gym shoes) so that you can join in on a fabulous night of camaraderie and fun to make a difference! If you would like, it is a BYOB event so feel free to bring the bevy of your choice. Water and non alcoholic beverages will be provided. Of course, being that it is at Life's Patina, shopping will be involved if you so desire. It will be your last chance to peruse our Fall displays and decor before we break down to get ready for the Holiday season and as always, we will be donating a portion of our proceeds to Philadelphia Public Schools and the purchase of desperately needed basic school supplies and books.

On a side note, I think it should be called Zumba in Front of a Mirror. I love to go the gym when time allows, for while I am physically active with a lot of heavy lifting, sanding and the likes, there is nothing like being in a room full of women working out together...except if it is a Zumba class. If you are an avid Zumba goer, you go girl for you will rock it! If you are not, please do not let that deter you. I have taken only one Zumba class in my life, probably because I was not in one led by Dr. B, and I came out of that class with a huge smile on my face. Not knowing the moves, I certainly felt like I had two left feet. Considering that it was done whilst looking at myself in a mirror, I could do nothing but laugh as the image in front of me was going in the wrong direction of the other images and my hips were certainly not moving in the direction that they should have been. If you are taking yourself wayyyy to seriously and are a novice, come out and break that habit!

For more information and to let the organizer know you are coming for an accurate count click on the following link -

Zumba Under the Stars - Facebook Event Page!

See you on Friday night the 17th!!

~Meg