Tip of the Week - Coffee

Add your coffee grounds to your rose bush, they love it.

The Owings Residence

Big Sur, California

Architectural Digest 1996

Quote of the Week - Henri Matisse

You study, you learn, but you guard the original naivete. It has to be within you, as desire for drink is within the drunkard or love is within the lover.

How to Make a Sparrow Veggie Burger

I love sloppy food, particularly old-school vegetarian sloppy food. My love of sloppy food attracts me to the show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. In Astoria, NY, this episode of The Sparrow Tavern and Chef Pablo Garcia's wicked Veggie Burger sent me off on a search for the recipe.

I found it!

Thanks to Yum Veggie Burger: Veggie Burger Reviews, Ratings and More reader Beth for posting the Sparrow Tavern veggie burger recipe.

What you need:

These are all approximate based on the video clip—toy around with them. 

Veggie Patties 

• 2 shredded carrots
• 1 large shredded zucchini
• 1 cup barley
• the corn off of one corn cob
• 1 cup green peas
• 1 large sweet potato
• handful of scallions
• Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 diced red pepper
• 5 large chopped mushrooms
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• pita bread
• lettuce or bean sprouts
• pickles (optional)

 What you do:

• mix all ingredients together and let sit for one hour
• measure out six-ounce portions - about the size of your palm - and form little patties
• place patties on a lightly oiled baking sheet
• cook in the oven till done in the center - worked out to be about 45 minutes on 325, but monitor them
• remove from the baking sheet and cook in a lightly oiled frying pan until crunchy on the outside
• drizzle sweet cayenne sauce in pita
• add lettuce (and whatever else you want)
• add pattie
• add more sauce

Sweet Cayenne Mustard Sauce

• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt (or mayo or Veganaise)
• 3 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup brown grain or Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup agave or maple syrup
• mix them together

Yield -  about six thick patties. Next time around, I'd make eight out of the same recipe.  

** We've done variations in a wrap with asiago cheese, bean sprouts and tabouli



Big thanks to Yum Veggie Burger: Veggie Burger Reviews, Ratings and More reader Beth for posting the Sparrow Tavern veggie burger recipe.

Last Weekend I Deleted the Memory Card

I spent last weekend snapping pics of the demolition of another piece of significant West Vancouver architecture - 2362 Haywood - and scouring West Van church flea markets. Shot some great images saved them and then accidentally deleted them. Just means I need to go back to the house as I had a great convo with the guy doing the demo. He had no idea (of course). He showed me the paper lined walls - dated September 16, 1954 - which I snapped but lost.

Here are some snaps from 'the big camera' (that doesn't usually accompany me) and a few from 'the little camera' after a quick drop in to our local thrift shop yesterday.

 

Sometimes I crave pickled herring. Other times I crave feta stuffed jalapenos. Parthenon on Broadway (in Kits) has the best ones I've ever had.

I thought this would work to hold our turntable as the glass is very thick.

Here's its taller sibling. Might pick this up for our dining room to act as a room divider.

I know I just wrote about getting a picnic table for our deck but the ball and claw with six distressed leather seat chairs is only $250. If it's still there next week (when we have access to a truck) I'm getting it for our deck.

Flo's first venture on the deck (she's not fat, she's fluffy).

We picked up the IKEA Brimnes daybed for the spare room. I'm thinking about decoupaging it and then staining it - like the little demo we did here.

New neighbour. No lap dog eating bald eagles - yet.

We have concrete beams on the deck which needed some creative thinking in order to hang our outdoor lamps. We're using thin wire wrapped around each beam.

The led lights are going to be webbed through the beams and loosely hang on the wire. Stay tuned - picked up three more boxes of them yesterday.

Sunday's moon from the deck.

Currently listening to

- call the video a study in what you will culture (I don't say that word anymore).

B.Y.O.J.K. - Bring Your Own Jackknife

Free in a back alley in North Van - unfortunately too rotten

The Selby - if we can't find one we'll go this route

good ole Canada Parks version - Okanagan, BC 1994

Goldstream Provincial Park - I recommend staying in one of their yurts.


facing West

North - it wraps around the corner to the left as well

to the East

One of the first things I'm going to pick up for our deck is a picnic table. Not some highly varnished one or one from an outdoor store, I want an old school one like those ones at our provincial parks. One made by some local handyman or maybe even one made by a group of us friends one drunken Spring afternoon. The point being, we want to make it something reflective of us and our pals. Carve, graffiti and grind those bottle caps in as much as you want because that's why we love you.

So many choices - or not

exposed beams and Mexican Equipale leather chair and table


black acid stained concrete floor


zebra wood

You're buying one of those prefab condos and you have a choice of three different kitchen finishes - heavens to betsy you'd want to have your own taste reflected in your own home and select your own bloody finishes - I digress, which of the three of these hot kitchens would you choose? I'm torn, I want something from each - the black acid stained concrete floor, zebra wood cabinets, blue wall, white ceiling with exposed beams and the Mexican Equipale chairand table. I just moved out of a place with those exact white appliances so I'll pass.

I'm on a boat

Just pretending.

I've actually been moving for the last few days and am still knee deep in boxes and crumpled up newspaper. No Internet access at the new place for two weeks. 

Here are a few snaps of what's been going on:

A new little den with a big mess

Flo discovered the new fireplace.

One never can be too safe.

Cheap shiraz moving boxes, one of Blake's illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy and Tilley

These were at the SPCA Thrift but I've decided they're a little too 'retro' for me

The wall color in the new place is disgusting. I think I'm opting for Benjamin Moore White Diamond - it has a blue undertone. Saving my pennies for the Saarinen Womb Chair. I want it in that color too.

First food stuffs on the deck.

Happy feet experiencing the first fresh air and sun of 2012

The new view

On Earth Day - from Nietzsche

We like to be out in nature so much because it has no opinion about us. Nietzsche 

Pacific Northwest Modern - Seattle

An insightful new documentary about mid-century northwest modern architecture, MODERN VIEWS illustrates how designers today can learn from sustainable and economic choices made as many as 50 years ago. Through the personal histories and insights of five prominent northwest modern architects, the film offers a deeper understanding of this unique style of architecture happening in the Pacific Northwest in a period that is often overlooked.

Wendell Lovett

From the Archives: 8 Tips for a Living Room Layout

Originally published October 18, 2008

1. The classic - useful in front of a picture or large window

2. For a long narrow space

3. The right angle creates its own domain in a small space

4. Practical for a larger living space

5. Smaller cocktail tables give a lighter look

6. Works well in large open plans or a fairly small room

7. An optional arrangement for smaller spaces

8. An arrangement for a room too small for a full sized sofa

If you enjoyed the post please pass it on.

Related Posts:

How To Make An Industrial Chic Table

How To Make A Cool Headboard

How To Make A Cool Floor Lamp

Quote of the Week - Eleanor Roosevelt

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.