Author Archives: Victoria Vitale

DIY Dragonfly Earrings

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DIY projects don’t always end the way I had anticipated, which is one reason why I love them so much.  They force me to see things in a new way, and think up alternate routes to a final product.  When I bought Sculpey clay a few months back, I thought that I’d be making a ring dish for my nightstand.  Yet when it didn’t work out the way I had envisioned, I began brainstorming.  What could I make instead?  I tested what the clay looked like with alphabet stamps pressed into it.  Much to my surprise, it worked quite nicely!  My alphabet set came with a few image stamps, too — a tiny dragonfly being one of them.  I quickly got to work.

DIY Dragonfly Earrings

Materials:

Preheat the oven to 275°.  Gather a pea-sized amount of clay and roll into a ball.  With a butter knife, flatten the ball onto a clean, flat surface until it is about 1/16-inch thick.  Stamp the flattened clay with the dragonfly stamp.  With the tip of a head pin, pierce a small hole into the top of the clay for the earring to later connect.  Carefully place the earring onto a cookie sheet.  Repeat for the second earring.

Bake the two earrings in the oven for approximately 7-10 minutes.  When they completely cool, coat the front  with clear nail polish.  This will give them a nice finish.  Allow them to dry for 20 minutes.

Using the pliers, bend the two ends of the wire into small loops (see finished product below).  Before closing the loops completely, attach the clay and hook ear wire.  Now close the circles as to avoid anything falling off.

Ta da!  My earrings were about a 1/3-inch wide, although any size would work (note that the baking time may vary).  They are the perfect earrings for spring and summer!

“Gnocch-gnocch.” “Who’s there?”

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With graduate school over, and Anne off from teaching for the summer, it finally feels like we’ve got our feet back on the ground again.  It’s been a crazy few months to say the least, but we’ve taken the last two weeks to recuperate by spending time with our families and friends, going for bike rides through Philly, and cooking up one hell of a storm in our teeny weeny kitchen.  We challenged ourselves to make homemade pasta, and we decided on ricotta gnocchi.

We found a delicious and easy-to-understand recipe from Italian Food Forever.  Her recipe uses only four ingredients, and does not require any rest time or chill time.  All we added was the use of a wooden gnocchi board to make ridges in the dough.  The ridges help catch sauce and cheese — mmm!  Check out a video of our process on Instagram.

Ricotta Gnocchi (via Italian Food Forever)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb full fat ricotta
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, and egg with a fork until blended.  Add one cup of flour until blended.  Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface, and add any remaining flour until the dough is not too sticky.

Break off one fist-sized piece of dough at a time, and roll it into a one-inch-wide snake.  Be sure to coat your hands in flour as you work to avoid too much stickiness.  Then, with a sharp knife, cut the dough snake into 3/4-inch pieces.

If using a wooden gnocchi board, take one cut piece of dough and gently flatten it out over the board.  Then, roll the dough into a pinwheel.  (Note that this is an unconventional way to do this.  We boiled a few gnocchi as we rolled them to taste-test, and found that this method resulted in much lighter, fluffier gnocchi.)  Place the finished gnocchi on a floury cookie sheet.  Repeat this process until all of your dough is in gnocchi formation.

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.  It’s best to give gnocchi its space — don’t cram them all into a small pot.  When the water comes to a rolling boil, gently place the gnocchi into the water.  When they float to the top, they are cooked.  Use a slotted spoon to take them out of the water as they are finished in case they are different sizes and have differing cook times.

Top the gnocchi with a sauce of your choice.  Anne and I used a tomato sauce with lots of sautéed garlic and fresh basil.  Be sure to have a glass of wine in one hand and a gnocchi-filled fork in the other, and it will surely be a successful dinner!

From Scissors & Sage

Lead chef and hand model: Anne Kenealy

48 Hours in Durham, North Carolina

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This past March, Anne and I took a road trip to the South to visit Durham, Charleston, Savannah, and Asheville.  We spent two nights in each city, and started to get the flavor for each place we visited.  It was a lot of driving from Philadelphia – over 2,000 miles in eight days!  I knew early on in our trip that I wanted to write a travel post for each destination, so I started taking notes on the fun and delicious experiences we had while we were away.

This week’s post is dedicated to all things Durham.  I have been here several times, as my older sister went to college in Durham, and decided to stay for a few years after graduating.  It was Anne’s first time visiting, though, so we had a lot of exploring to do!  I’ve broken down my travel guide by category: food, drinks, shopping, and activities.  Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions in the comments section, or add to my list of great things to do in Durham!

48 Hours in: Durham, North Carolina {A Travel Guide}

Food

Elmo’s Diner: This might be my favorite breakfast spot in all of Durham.  The service at Elmo’s is excellent, they provide coloring supplies while you wait for your food, and their well-designed t-shirts are sold in a wide variety of great colors.  I can’t leave without ordering their sunflower seed French toast.  Elmo’s is on my list every time I visit Durham.

Cosmic Cantina: Mexican food is a hot commodity in Durham, and Cosmic is a great stop for lunch.  The service is quick, and the food is even better.  Cosmic is open until the wee hours of the morning – 5 a.m. for those out late!

Geer Street Garden: I’m going to cut to the chase here: Geer Street’s jalepeno-cheddar hushpuppies are a must.  While I’m at it, I’d also recommend their fried green tomatoes.  This establishment has inviting seating both inside and outside.  Anne and I sat at the outdoor picnic tables, which had a very nice ambiance with lots of happy customers and good lighting from stringed lights.

Caffe Driade: This cafe is off the beaten path – literally.  It is tucked into a pretty wooded area between Durham and Chapel Hill.  The inside is quite small, however Caffe Driade has ample seating on the outside patios.  Relax in nature while you enjoy a pastry, sip hot tea, or nurse a fancy coffee drink.

Toast: Another absolute must.  My sister introduced me to this slice of heaven many years ago, and it’s still better than ever.  What steals the show for me is their side salad.  You’re thinking: “A side salad?!”  Yes.  It gets me every time.  Pair it with Pick-Three-Crostini and you’re good to go.  Just make sure to prepare yourself for what will be a very enjoyable eating experience.

Dos Perros: Although Anne and I did not eat at this restaurant, it has an excellent reputation.  We experienced chef Nora Mendez’s cooking at a local event, FARE Project.  The featured short film, Vida Propria, sheds light on Mendez’s journey as an immigrant kitchen worker and mother.

Drinks

Fullsteam Brewery: This brewery, which is right next to Geer Street Garden, is a fantastic watering hole.  Their beers come in half pints (yay!) and full pints.  Three of our favorites were the Fullsteam Amber Lager, Beasley’s Honey Wheat, and The Common Good – a delicious cidery beer that had my name written all over it.  What might be Fullsteam’s coolest factor is their Forager Project.  Fullsteam puts out a call for harvest, community members bring in items such as wild pears or figs, and then Fullsteam makes beer with these goods!  Foragers even get their own shmancy Forager Hat.

The Pinhook: The Pinhook is a great venue for trivia, open mic nights, disco dance parties, and more.  It’s a safe space for LGBTQ folk, and can be BYO food and BYO dog.  Pretty neat.

Whiskey: This is a high-class establishment for 23-year-olds and over.  Whiskey has a dress code after certain hours, and offers all kinds of specialty drinks.  It’s located right next to Toast, so be sure to stop by while you’re in the neighborhood.

Shopping

Cozy: Cozy is situated between Elmo’s and Cosmic Cantina, and is a cute store for jewelry, accessories, clothing, shoes, and knitting supplies.  The workers are quite friendly, and are eager to help whenever possible.  I’ve gotten some nice things from Cozy over the years!

Regulator Bookshop: This is a great neighborhood bookstore.  Regulator has a wide selection of books with a nice sitting area toward the back of the shop.  The service is friendly (this is becoming a southern trend, isn’t it?) and very helpful.  Be sure to check out the basement, which has many books on sale.

The Makery: While Anne and I waited for a table at Geer Street Garden, we wandered over to The Makery for some eye candy.  This little shop is chock-full of locally made gifts and accessories.  They even hosted an Etsy craft party a few weeks ago.

Parker & Otis: Parker & Otis is a restaurant and gift shop in downtown Durham.  Their store is stuffed with fabulous cookbooks, kitchen gadgets, and stationery.  Anne and I picked up some chicken feet gummies that made for an entertaining afternoon.

The Scrap Exchange: This is one stop that is an absolute must for any crafter.  The Scrap Exchange is a warehouse filled with scraps ranging from test tubes to bathroom sinks.  If you’re planning on going, be sure to carve out at least an hour.  This place is large and in charge.

Activities

Eno State Park: Get out of the city for an afternoon and venture around the Eno.  The park is minutes from Durham, and offers wilderness trails, shallow streams, historic mill sites, and an overall fun and quiet time.

Cat’s Cradle: Famous artists such as Nirvana, John Mayer, Iron and Wine, and The Head and The Heart have frequented this Carrboro joint for over 40 years.  Be sure to check out their event calendar if you plan on visiting the area.

Again, please feel free to add any Durham favorites in the comments section!  I’d love to hear about some of your favorite things to do in Durham.  Happy travels!

Father’s Day Card Crafting

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Looking for a last minute Father’s Day card?  I made this card fort my dad in under 15 minutes, and he loved it!  There isn’t much to it.  I cut up a few pieces of colored paper in the shape of a popsicle (I wasn’t neat and tidy about perfect lines — on purpose!).  Next, I glued the paper down and then hand-wrote the words in a few different fonts.  I got this card idea from Paper Source, as I often like to do.  This card could even be used for a dad or grandpa whose birthday is in the summer!

IMG_1310 IMG_1314Happy Father’s Day!

Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies

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I had never eaten a peanut butter cookie until I met Anne’s family — specifically, her grandmother Virginia.  Now, Virginia is kind of famous, and it’s not for her award-winning lemon meringue pie, or for her 400+ Scrabble score on most evenings.  It’s not that she’s enrolled herself in French classes, or that she re-taught herself how to play the piano later in life.  Virginia is a Super Ager.  You can read an article about her here, or watch a video of her here.

But back to the cookies.  Oh, the cookies.  I’m not usually one for crunchy treats (I’m more of a melt-in your-mouth-gooey-cookie kind of gal), but Virginia’s cookies had me singing a different tune.  I scrounged up this recipe in hopes of creating something like Virginia’s delicacies, and this recipe from Better Homes & Gardens could not be easier.  It requires minimal kitchen equipment and average pantry ingredients.

Read on to learn how to make perfect (literally, perfect) peanut butter cookies!

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Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies (via Better Homes & Gardens)

Prep time: 20 minutes | Bake time: 7-9 minutes for each batch | Yields: 40 cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I sifted mine)
  • Additional granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 °F.  In a large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter with either a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder.  Beat until combined.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined again.  Beat in the flour, adding a little bit at a time, until an even consistency.

Hand-shape the dough into 1-inch balls.  Roll them in a small bowl of additional granulated sugar.  Place balls 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet (ungreased or nonstick).  Using a fork, create criss-cross hatches on the cookies.  Bake for 5 minutes, and then rotate the cookie sheets in the oven for an even bake.  Bake for an addition 3-4 minutes until bottoms are light brown.  Transfer to a cooling rack.

Enjoy within 3 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.

From Scissors & Sage

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These cookies are an amazing combination of crunchy and a little bit chewy.  I can already tell they will become a staple this summer — they pair perfectly with homemade vanilla ice cream!  Make them and find out for yourself!

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