Time for this week’s Thursday Things:
1. It’s Skylar’s first day back to school today, Thursday. She’s a big girl now and in first grade. I don’t even know where the last five years have gone.
We went to an open house at her school Wednesday evening and everyone’s feeling a lot calmer and more settled about things after doing a dry-run. Here’s where your lunch box goes, here’s your desk, and so forth.
Last year on her first day, it was me that was the bundle of nerves. I didn’t know what to do with myself while she was at school and thought that making pink cookies for my pink-loving princess as an after school treat seemed like a good idea. Apparently it was because she still talks about the time I made pink cookies for her.
Strawberry Cookies with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
2. While little girls go back to school shopping for pencils and crayons, big girls would like to go shopping for this platter, $58 from Anthro.
I had it in my hands earlier this week in the store but exercised restraint and put it down. But I’ve been thinking about it ever since. That means I’m supposed to go back for it, right?
3. President Obama has been brewing his own beer at the White House for a while now. The beer, called White House Honey Ale, is brewed with honey from Michelle Obama’s garden beehive and has recently popped up on the campaign trail. A petition was started demanding the recipe be released to the public. 25,000 signatures are required and there’s about 4,941 signatures so far, with September 17 being the deadline to meet the quota.
Regardless, I kind of doubt they’ll be sharing their secret brew recipe.
Homemade Kombucha (also here and here)
5. Perpetua Tray from Pottery Barn, $108
It would be a beautiful serving tray for holiday parties. And it would also do double-duty as a fabulous surface for food photography since I don’t throw too many martini parties these days. Or ever.
6. Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls from Saveur
They look delicious, but the recipe looks like a fair amount of work.
7. Cinnamon Bun Pie. Almost no work and ready from start to finish in a half hour.
I put these up against Cinnabons, which are my own gold standard for carby, comforting, white dough with zero nutritional value.
8. The aubergine wine goblets in this photo are on sale. A set of 4 for $23.96
I really want the chandelier but the purple glasses would do.
9. Want to drop a grand on one knife? This Henckels Santoku can help. It’s now on sale from $1695 to $999.95
“Made of true Damascus steel, this knife is not only the first German made Damascus knife but also the first forged Damascus knife with a bolster from a single piece of Damascus. Made of 160 layers of hand-folded steel it results in a blade that is exceptionally hard and durable. This hollow-ground santoku knife chops, slices and minces meat, fish and veggies.”
I use my 7-inch Henckels Santoku every day, about 10 times a day. It’s the number one knife I reach for.
It’s a Henckles but it’s the $85 version, not the $1000 version. I always wonder what exactly makes a knife from the same company, that’s the same length (7-inches) and the same style of knife (Santoku) so radically different in price?
$85 versus $1000.
10. Thanks for the Capresso Froth Plus Automatic Milk Frother Giveaway entries
What are your Thursday Things?
If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous recently, feel free to link it up in the comments.
Do you have a favorite knife? What do you love about it?
I have problem of restraining myself whenever I’m in Anthropologie. You have a very strong will power my friend :)
I want pink cookies…and I totally go by the rule if I am still thinking about it next day – it is a must have :-)
I know what you mean, my little girl started 1st grade last week. Time flies. I really like that Anthro platter, I think you should go back and get it. lol
OMG – my first Thursday thing is your Wednesday thing – I don’t know how I missed that soup but it SOUNDS amazing and it LOOKS spectacular!!! That is straight one of the BEST food photos I have ever seen!!! Bravo, girl, bravo. And I love that you included coconut milk.
Luck to Skylar on her first day – 1st grade is serious business!!
Thanks for the photo compliments – seriously high praise coming from you b/c your images are textbook perfect and I always look at them and think, ahhh, so beautiful and delicate and gorgeous lighting :)
Congrats on Skylar’s first day of school–to you AND her! She’s certainly a cutie and I know she’ll have an awesome first day. Pink cookies round 2? I think so! I think you need to serve them on that Anthro plate :) your collection of Anthro and vintage pieces are drool-worthy, Averie. I love it! I also do the same thing where I’ll abandon something I really like in the store, and if I’m still hopelessly dreaming about it a few days later, I’ll come back. I would totally come back for that platter and then some!
Yes the ‘wait and see if I’m still thinking about it’ litmus test. Many times the cravings pass…but sometimes (especially with Anthro stuff) they don’t. Haha!
Great list and I remember your kombucha days, how fun! So exciting for Skylar! Think I’ll pass on the knife, I can think of a lot of better ways to drop a grand. Currently I like Victorinox knives, they’re well made and inexpensive as well as recommended by America’s Test Kitchen. An low maintenance which is good for me. :-)
You need that tray, it is gorgeous!!! I always mean to ask you, does brewing Kombuka make your house smell? I had a friend who told me it does so I have been afraid to try it!
Make your house smell? Not really. However, it’s a fermented beverage and when the kombucha is ready, there’s a day or two period once a week or every 10 days or so, that I can catch a whiff of ‘ripe’ or ready to go kombucha if I walk into my kitchen. But it’s not an all-over permeating smell and it’s a little whiff here and there that smells like vinegar. I like it and it tells me the batch is ready! I actually think if it smells too much like your friend says it *could* mean that there’s an imbalance in her brew with the yeast ratios. Not necessarily but possible. You should brew!
I meant to comment yesterday on your soup recipe…. completely my kind of recipe and will absolutely be making that this fall. I often snack on cold baked sweet potatoes with coconut milk drizzled all over it, so I already love that flavor combo.
And I was in anthro yesterday… luckily the closest one is an hour from me. I somehow managed to not buy a thing but oh my I could do damage in there if I let myself stay in there any longer.
Wow that was admirable of you! I did the same thing earlier in the week. Because there was a long line at checkout and I didn’t want to wait, that sort of ‘saved me’ from buying the smaller ‘maybe’ items I had my eye on so I bailed. But didn’t want to!
And yes, your kind of soup!
My favorite knife is my santoku–it’s a Cutco so it’s not super fancy but I keep it sharp and it has served me well for many years. I just cubed some daikon radish and roasted it with some baby carrots to take for lunch. I’ve only had daikon raw until today but it is so mild and I’m loving it this way…I just put a little garlic powder and sea salt on it. Me and my roasted root veggies….!
I’ve heard of Cutco and glad to know it’s served you well over the years!
I absolutely love trays. I’m obsessed. And yes, if you think about something all night (I loose sleep over not purchasing things sometimes), it’s supposed to be yours (within reason of course…don’t go buy a Ferrari because it kept you up at night). I love Anthro! I’m slowly collecting all of the dishes in the store.
Oh I know who’s cupboard and shelves to raid then! Lucky girl!
We’re Henckles fans in our house. It’s a great brand and worth the money. I love that platter. I’m sort of obsessed with platters and have to reel myself in from buying them since I have no storage for them all. TJ Maxx usually has some great ones for even better prices too. So hard to resist! And how on earth is she in 1st grade?
My mouth is watering! The Anthro plater is BEAUTIFUL thank god I am hundreds of miles from an anthro. Good luck with the first day! Hope hers is Drama free
LOTS of love and happy wishes to Skylar (and mommy!) today on her first day in first grade! She’s going to do wonderfully! I am OBSESSED with that yellow serving platter from Anthro. They just put up an Anthro in the city and I haven’t been there yet. I’ve recently become OBSESSED after spending at least an hour online looking through all of the kitchen plate ware. And YOUR pictures. You have so many amazing Anthro and vintage pieces – I am jealous! It’s funny how my “want list” has changed from high heels and purses to rolling pins and plateware. I am SO boring these days! Wouldn’t have it any other way though. :)
My wish list, the way I spend my free time or spare cash, pretty much everything is pretty polar opposite to how it was when I was in my early 20s. If you told me then that I’d rather be at home baking cookies with a $28 cookie scoop from Williams-Sonoma on a Friday nite so I could have them ready for a Sat a.m. shoot with all my camera gear, I’d have laughed in your face :)
They actually released 2 of the 3 beer recipes on the white house blog over the holiday weekend.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/09/01/ale-chief-white-house-beer-recipe
Arent platters fun? The one you posted is beautiful! And the houndstooth knife is awesome! So not necessary but very cool. I do have a favorite knife–it’s actually a ceramic knife that I bought from a nearby Japanese marketplace. It’s so sharp and works really well. I hope it lasts!
I have a ceramic knife that I never reach for – I need to start using it!
Oooh, I like the Aubergine glasses! It’s still hot, which means no baking, which means my Thursday thing is…you! Haha. In case people want to take a circular link-age trip:
https://scrumptiousgruel.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/balls-too-late/
Balls!
And thanks for the linky love!