Our first batch of Fire Cider

As I set off to research how one makes this spicy concoction, I noticed that the nice part about fire cider is that, at least from my point of view, you can generally speaking add-lib it as your taste buds like. So, this recipe was created using different ingredients and amounts from multiple recipes.

Grate, chop all of your veggies and place in your container then cover with apple cider vinegar. We used two large mason jars. Once full we placed a piece of parchment paper between the lid and liquid and sealed it tight. Place your jars in a dark and cool space for 4 weeks. Once the 4 weeks is over strain your liquid, add honey and serve. I found Fire Cider is really nice in broth, mixed with seltzer or served as an immunity shot.

I’ve always been into DIY and learning how to do things on my own; both helpful and also time consuming. Honestly, I am quite happy living in a place where Seamless hasn’t infiltrated and food delivery is scarce. Not having these “luxuries” has reminded me how much I love to cook, bake & explore. I’d have to say that one of my love languages if for sure feeding and taking care of people, so fire cider was an easy choice for me to experiment with.

Our fire cider batch contains the following Ingredients (from the top, left to right):

• Fresh Grated Horseradish (about 6”) - funny, when we purchased this our checkout person was so freaked out.

• Grated Fresh Ginger root (about 4”)

• Braggs Raw & Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (you’ll need this to cover all of your veggies) I used one 32 oz bottle

• 4 - 6 Habanero peppers chopped and with the seeds in

• 1 lemon, sliced and with the rind still on (feel free to include more if you like more of a lemon flavor)

• 1 orange, sliced and with the ring still on (feel free to include more if like more of an orange flavor)

• 1 large onion diced

• 2 cloves of garlic unpeeled

• Turmeric (we used about 3 tbs) - ours came from Bija Bhar

• Honey (to be used after you steep your concoction for 4 weeks) - our honey came from local beekeepers: Damn Good Honey Farm.

Madewell's Hometown Heroes Collective

Beyond excited to announce that in mid 2019 I was selected to be part of Madewell’s Hometown Heroes Collective. After months of secrecy and planning, today we went live!

Included in this class are:

Vacilando Quilting Co

Con-lo Common

Dale and Blue

FS Objects

Grl & Co

Why I Chose ABUNDANT As My Word Of The New Year

Looking back on a decade is a tall order and summing it up with one word felt impossible. It felt like a mixed bag, full of ups and downs so I took to my physical journal (yes, I keep one of those as well) to start sorting out all of the feelings and experiences that happened over 10 years. I won’t share the gory details but I found myself at my highest highs and in my darkest times all within the span of 10 years (I’m tired, lol) but during all of it I was incredibly determined. Typically determined is a word that I normally think about for myself - I feel more like "survive” on most days but my truth is that I was incredibly determined all this time to be an artist. I’m still not even close to where I want to be as a business and person but I feel like there is a light, an opportunity and even more determination that is growing within me, which is why I chose the word “Abundant” to describe what 2020 is going to be. If you believe in manifesting your future then I hope you pick abundance as well.

Adventures in Narrowsburg, NY

Like every Saturday date day, we set out towards adventure! This weekend we decided on Narrowsburg, NY. Roughly 50 mins from Mountain Dale, it’s not a quick trip but it sure takes us through some beautiful turns like the historic town of Bethel (Where Woodstock really happened). During our drive we read and look up terms, ideas, history, etc that we’re curious about. This trip we spoke of the differences between falcons, hawks and eagles. We quickly stopped to forage a little bit of Chaga mushroom that we found during our foraging trip earlier this month.

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We’re pretty familiar with this little big town located steps away from Pennsylvania but today we decided to explore it even more. Our focus for this trip was Captain Bludde’s Collectible’s, a toy & gaming store around the corner from main street. Filled with trains, miniatures, wooden ships and doll house parts, this store was super fun. It reminded me of a train store that was located in my hometown , Ridgefield Hobby. I was smitten.

Captain Bludde’s Collectible’s, Narrowsburg, NY

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Across the street a beautiful rustic building layered in texture called to us - Maison Bergogne. How did I not visit this beautiful location before? I couldn’t quite figure out what it was - time capsule, antique store, photographer’s dream, art studio, home? There are so many beautiful oddities collected and displayed that I wanted to touch and take home.

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After stopping by all of the main street shopping staples (Sunny’s Pop, Madame Fortuna, Narrowsburg Proper) we sat down at The Heron for a delicious brunch. My eggs prepared with cream cheese and scallions were amazing!

A Quick Note

This morning I sit at our dining room table sipping on tea just thinking about our first Christmas day of cooking, cleaning, unwrapping, hugging and laughing in our new home. It was a whirlwind of a day full of movement and emotion. As I prepare to head back into the studio, I feel as if I am recovering from a carb hangover. Today is slow moving to say the least. All I can muster this morning is a thank you. Thank you to those who helped make this season memorable. Thank you to new stores that asked us to be part of their family and to those who reordered. Thank you to everyone who is part of this magical journey. I am as always so humbled that this is what I get to do as my career. 2020 is going to be a heck of a year as we prepare to launch new products, embark on farming, offer new opportunities to get involved and much more.

Pork Chops were purchased from Majestic Farm in Mountain Dale, NY

Purchasing a Used Kiln - what to ask and look for

Kilns are essential to running a studio but typically come with a hefty price tag, so naturally I started scouring the internet for other options when building out our Catskills’ Studio. If you are a Tri State area (NY, CT, PA) potter you know that good used kilns and pottery equipment don’t pop up very often or for very long so I jumped on the chance when one presented itself. It was a bit of a risk as I’ve actually never purchased a used kiln before and had limited knowledge in how to inspect one. Now that I’ve lived with our used kiln for a little over 3 months I’d like to impart what I’ve learned in the process. I will say that used kilns are great for people who are more handy as you’re probably going to need to fix it up a bit.

Okay, so you’re to searching for a used kiln - Great!

First you need to decide what kind of kiln you are looking for - brand, type (electric, gas, etc), cone (temp the kiln can reach - make sure your studio has the right electric) and size. Then figure out how long you have to get a kiln up and running. For me, I was looking for an electric Skutt kiln around the size of a KM 1027 that could reach cone 5 / 6. Luckily for me I found a KM 1227 that could be converted to a 240 volt, which would allow me to fire to cone 6. It did however take a lot longer to get this kiln up and running than I had allotted for this studio.

Ask the right questions:

• How old is the kiln?

• What type of controller does it have?

• How old are the elements, thermocouple and relays (a good kiln owner will have a list of these things)?

• What has been fired in the kiln (is it typically low fired/high fired, lead glazes)?

• When was it last fired?

• What is included in this purchase (kiln furniture, vent)?

When inspecting a used kiln:

• Plug it in to make sure it turns on.

• Check out the exterior: there should be a name plate that tells you about the kiln, are there any burn marks on the metal, rust, things falling off?

• How does the interior look - crumbling bricks (look at the walls, bottom and top), glaze stuck to everything?

• Bring tools! Unplug the kiln and open the computer and inspecting the parts including pulling out the insulation to check on the relays etc - are all of the wires intact, is nothing melted, or burn marks?

All of this inspection will help you to determine what repairs need to be done vs how much you are paying for the kiln vs how much time it’ll take to get your kiln working. This is not a fast process and shouldn’t be rushed as used kilns can become money pits especially for someone who is hiring another to fix it all. Whatever kiln you decide on, spend time researching the price of replacement parts prior to seeing the kiln. You’ll have a much better chance of avoiding a lemon if you do.

Did I miss anything? Add your thoughts to the comments below.