Good Things by David

Have you ever tried fresh red spinach from the farmers market?  I hadn't until a few days ago when I spotted it while shopping at one of my favorite markets. At first glance I thought it was a mesclun of salad greens, but the sign said it was 'red spinach' so I took a closer look.  Never having laid eyes on red spinach, I bought a bunch intending to try it that very night.   After looking up information on red spinach, I came to realize that this variety is from the genus Amaranthus , and its species is A. dubius .  What we know of as flat leaf or curly green spinach is from the genus Spinacea and its species S. oleracea .  Both, however, come from the same family, Amaranthaceae .  Red spinach is also known as Chinese spinach (yin choy). Either way, it's worth bringing home a bunch from the market if you ever spot some in the produce aisle. The first order of business is to rinse it very well in cold water. After picking through it for bl...

We can't seem to get a break from the snow here in the Northeast.  As much as people like the idea of snow and how it looks in the landscape, I assure you that it can be rather tiresome after a few days of it.  The month of February has been especially snowy and brutally cold for a lot of us in this part of the country.  With single digit temperatures and blustery days, it's been an effort just to get out the front door!   In years past I've shown you photographs of what our home looks like with the first snowfall or a subsequent one, so I am a bit late in providing those for you.  I'm not sure if it was the cold or what, but I hadn't been in the mood to take pictures of the outdoors until a few days ago. Friends of mine on the west coast can boast of warm temperatures, sunny skies and outdoor activities that they're enjoying right now, but I say to them, empathize with our 'being done with winter' sentiments here on the east coast, even if it...

This picture video from 2013 that was made for me by Google, is one I've never shared here on the blog.  It's nice for me to go back and review an entire year of posts, but it's even better when a short video condenses my posts through photographs.  I know it's a little late, but I hope you enjoy it anyhow. Good Things by David 2013 Video (Please sign onto your Google account in order to view this.) I'll be posting very soon what my home currently looks like with all of the snow we've been getting here in the Northeast.  In the meantime, stay warm!

Baking bread while it's cold out is a good way to warm up one's home.  Over the past few months I've been baking Swedish Limpa Bread on a regular basis because it seems to have a little bit of everything.  There is a hint of sweetness that is just right with every bite, and yet, it's perfectly savory to have with eggs for breakfast because of the rye flour.  The recipe I turn to, which I'm quite spoiled by, is from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads . If you don't own this book you really should add it to your cookbook library, because there is a lot to learn from Bernard's recipes, tips and anecdotes. Have you ever had limpa?  If so, then you understand that enjoying a slice of it slathered with butter or some marmalade is one of life's little pleasures.  I love having this toasted bread with my tea or with a cup of coffee if I can help it. Don't tell anyone, but I've also had it with some nutella spread and it is amazing! ...

However you're spending your day and whether you're enjoying chocolates or cookies, I want to wish you and your loved ones a sweet Valentine's Day.   xoxo, David

I came across this wonderful crafting idea via PBS on my newsfeed this morning and thought I'd share it with you.  For those of you who have kids, making play-dough or having it in your home is nothing new.  Tinting play dough in reds, pinks, and white for Valentine's Day is a great way to get the little ones to create beautiful hearts.  Photo Credit: PBS Parents Contributing editor to PBS Parents, Jamie Reimer, takes you through easy step-by-step instructions .   Jamie Reimer also hosts a wonderful website which has an abundance of crafting ideas & projects.  I highly recommend taking a moment to peruse through it. Jamie's website: hands on: as we grow . Why am I posting this here on Good Things by David, you ask?  Well, for the simple reason that I love doing this with cookie dough whenever I'm baking different flavors or colors.  Jamie's creations remind me so much of the cookies I love to bake.    For the adul...

Valentine's Day gets everyone in the mood for something sweet.  If you want to express your love by baking sugar cookies for your sweetheart(s), then I highly suggest doing so in the shapes of hearts.  Heart cookie cutters are everywhere baking supplies are sold, and with the multitude of online sources, you can create a variety of shapes and sizes to suit your whimsy.  I have a few heart cookie cutters in my collection, so for these, I turned to some of my favorite. The Best Valentine's Day Cookies! I  love these heart cookie cutters by de Buyer. Made in France, the set of graduated heart cookie cutters  are deep, sharp and seamless.   To my mind, they have the perfect heart shape. Let's get to the cookies because I know you're going to want to make some this week for Valentine's Day.  You can make a few of them for your household or you can make batches of them to take to work, to your kid's school or for a bake sale.  Roll ...

Dear David, I have a piece of vintage glassware in my possession that I've been trying to do some research on.  It is unmarked, however at this point I think it is likely Fenton.  It is possible that it may be a rare Chalet piece.  I don't know that Chalet ever made any jadeite pieces though.  Can you help? Truman J. Truman, after doing some quick research on jadeite baskets, I've come discover that several glassworks created jadeite baskets for the home during the 20th century.  These included, Fenton, Mosser, L.E. Smith in the United States and Stevens & Williams Glass in the United Kingdom.   Not being familiar with glass baskets myself, I asked several collector friends of mine what they thought.  I also turned to a Facebook forum on identifying antiques to see what people had to say about your basket.   As it turns out there wasn't one definitive answer from anyone.  Without any markings on the basket, it h...