Monthly Planner available for Pre-Order!!

So here's what's kept me so busy I haven't written a word here since before I left for the beach (which, by the way, was a whole lotta wonderful sunrises, great people, tasty food, and hurricane-glass-etching winds kind of fun)! I am happy to present my latest project, a Monthly Planner! It's an organizational tool with recipes, tips, and gorgeous photography of food and pottery. The layout is set up with dates, but not days of the week, so you can use the Planner as a scheduling tool, a universal reminder book, a diary, a list keeper - the possibilities are endless! Plus at least 12 recipes with tips, variations, and other fascinating trivia. Beautiful photography, mostly taken by Laurie McCarriar, compliments the tasty dishes, and features many of my other tasty dishes (and bowls, and cups...).

If you'd like one for yourself or for the perfect holiday gift, place your pre-order by December 5 and you'll be able to pick up your copy from my studio or have it shipped to the address of your choice in time for the holidays! Pre-order at my website, or click the image below!

Sandbridge 2016

I think now that it's the third year, I can say "it's that time of year again!". I fired the kiln yesterday, it's cooling today, I'll unload, sort, and pack tomorrow, deliver pots locally on Thursday, drive a delivery to Tandem restaurant in Carrboro, NC on Friday, then Saturday head to the beach!!

My secret double life, and most definitely a working vacation, is here again. I'm headed to Sandbridge Beach in Virginia to cook for three successive weeks of fun and hungry hammered dulcimer players!

I got my newly sharpened knives back today, and the packing has begun - from the kitchen and the closet. I'm trading cars with a good friend, so I will be more prepared if we have any "weather", and also more room for the bags and bags of groceries I'll get every day. Even better, that very friend will be joining me as my "asst." for the third week! 

I'm looking forward to my pre-sunrise walks, daily market visits, and lots of music and laughter ... and really, really good food! I'm not bragging - when you can shop fresh fish and veg every day, the hard part is over!

While it's a lot of work, it's at the beach, and it's pretty much the only thing I have to worry about, so it's also a bit of a vacation. I will be working on another project at the same time, and I hope to share more of that here soon, too - stay tuned for it all!

Mid Year Catch Up

Well I guess I shouldn't complain if I'm so gratefully busy in the studio that I can't keep up a timely post on the blog, but I still miss the meditative quality of meandering through a post, revisiting an experience or a recipe and having an open-ended conversation about ... whatever. I'm much better at the 'immediate' chronicling that is available on Instagram and Facebook, but writing in the blog is kind of like writing a letter, long-hand. It connects me to the subject in a way that the passing shot and comment only touch upon.

Alas, major phone updates have squelched the time I set aside to do a nice, chatty blog this morning, but I am determined to cross at least one thing off the 'home-work' list, so here's a little combo of things that have been insta-posted with some notes, and maybe even a recipe or two. Kind of my "year to date in pictures":




I started the year off with color, and the bounty of my local farmers in western North Carolina has helped me keep a very colorful menu. Breakfast salad is one of my favorite meals, morning, noon, or night! Mixed greens, roasted veggies, an egg - hard, soft, or over easy, maybe some pickled veg. Endless options!!

Testing new forms for a restaurant client led to this lovely bowl, now a permanent add to my inventory rotation. It holds another favorite - oven roasted vegetables. Get your veg cut for even cooking (based on how fast they roast), then lightly massage them with coconut oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, turmeric, and any other spice/flavor you like. Roast at 400 degrees until tender to your tastes.




More testing of forms for restaurant ware, and of course they must be tested! Because I don't make 'flame-ware', my ceramics must be heated with the oven, so the baker isn't for restaurants (but for home use, it works wonderfully!), but the square plates are one of the forms I'm playing with, and this one has become a favorite in the studio kitchen (as was the quiche!).






My friend Kay sent me a counter-top Spiralizer, and I have been having a LOT of fun with it. The colors of the season continue, and it was delicious and looked great on a test plate for the restaurant ware, too!








Pots in Action! I am so grateful to have met and to be working with Chef Younes and his wonderful partner, Emma, and to have designed work for their fabulous restaurant, Tandem, in Carrboro, NC. I was able to taste their delicious creations on my own creations, as well, when I made a delivery this spring. I'm looking forward to making more and new forms for them this year!




 We have been feeling the heat of summer, here, and since I found my popsicle molds, I've been having fun coming up with refreshing treats. These "Raita Pops" were a blend of bananas and yogurt, with a dash of maple syrup for the pop base, with cherries and blueberries dropped into the molds to make a patriotic pop for July 4. In the freezer now: watermelon, blended with a ginger lemonade.








More July 4 celebrating, this time it's the annual "Waffle-palooza" to celebrate a studio mate's July 4 birthday. I don't have it at my fingers, but I will share my version of this really good, gluten-free waffle. I tested it out to make on the side, for the GF members of our studio, but it was so good, I decided it should just be 'the waffle', and it was scrumptious!







A new trend swept across social media: Sweet Potato Toast! It calls for cooking slices of sweet potato in a toaster. I tried it, and it works great, although it's kind of a time-suck to keep re-toasting, and depending on how evenly your toaster toasts (mine, not so much), flipping the pieces for more toasting. Enter my faithful Foreman Grill, and I have the same great results, with grill marks, even! Just slice evenly - don't put anything on it, just grill/toast it. I've used it as a crostini, a burger bun, and in this lovely shot, the base for an eggs benedict with a lovely cashew hollandaise (I may have posted that recipe already, gotta check). LOVE the sweet potato!


I love it when clients share pictures of my pots in action! I loved making this 'tree' dinnerware set with service pieces for this lovely couple, and now I want to be invited to dinner - looks yummy!!

 And my most recent fun with food and forms continues the color-fest! A smaller, test version of the restaurant ware is perfect for a couple of colorful tacos. Tacos and/or nachos have become my favorite way to deal with smaller amounts of ingredients or left-overs. These lovelies were seasoned flounder with leftover sweet potatoes, tomatillo salsa, avocado and a quick slaw of red cabbage and carrots marinated in lime, lemon, and ginger, with a bit of salt. The leftover juice from the watermelon/ginger lemonade blend for popsicles made a great margarita base, too!

Mid Year Catch Up

Well I guess I shouldn't complain if I'm so gratefully busy in the studio that I can't keep up a timely post on the blog, but I still miss the meditative quality of meandering through a post, revisiting an experience or a recipe and having an open-ended conversation about ... whatever. I'm much better at the 'immediate' chronicling that is available on Instagram and Facebook, but writing in the blog is kind of like writing a letter, long-hand. It connects me to the subject in a way that the passing shot and comment only touch upon.

Alas, major phone updates have squelched the time I set aside to do a nice, chatty blog this morning, but I am determined to cross at least one thing off the 'home-work' list, so here's a little combo of things that have been insta-posted with some notes, and maybe even a recipe or two. Kind of my "year to date in pictures":




I started the year off with color, and the bounty of my local farmers in western North Carolina have helped me keep a very colorful menu. Breakfast salad is one of my favorite meals, morning, noon, or night! Mixed greens, roasted veggies, an egg - hard, soft, or over easy, maybe some pickled veg. Endless options!!

Testing new forms for a restaurant client led to this lovely bowl, now a permanent add to my inventory rotation. It holds another favorite - oven roasted vegetables. Get your veg cut for even cooking (based on how fast they roast), then lightly massage them with coconut oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, turmeric, and any other spice/flavor you like. Roast at 400 degrees until tender to your tastes.




More testing of forms for restaurant ware, and of course they must be tested! Because I don't make 'flame-ware', my ceramics must be heated with the oven, so the baker isn't for restaurants (but for home use, it works wonderfully!), but the square plates are one of the forms I'm playing with, and this one has become a favorite in the studio kitchen (as was the quiche!).






My friend Kay sent me a counter-top Spiralizer, and I have been having a LOT of fun with it. The colors of the season continue, and it was delicious and looked great on a test plate for the restaurant ware, too!








Pots in Action! I am so grateful to have met and to be working with Chef Younes and his wonderful partner, Emma, and to have designed work for their fabulous restaurant, Tandem, in Carrboro, NC. I was able to taste their delicious creations on my own creations, as well, when I made a delivery this spring. I'm looking forward to making more and new forms for them this year!




 We have been feeling the heat of summer, here, and since I found my popsicle molds, I've been having fun coming up with refreshing treats. These "Raita Pops" were a blend of bananas and yogurt, with a dash of maple syrup for the pop base, with cherries and blueberries dropped into the molds to make a patriotic pop for July 4. In the freezer now: watermelon, blended with a ginger lemonade.








More July 4 celebrating, this time it's the annual "Waffle-palooza" to celebrate a studio mate's July 4 birthday. I don't have it at my fingers, but I will share my version of this really good, gluten-free waffle. I tested it out to make on the side, for the GF members of our studio, but it was so good, I decided it should just be 'the waffle', and it was scrumptious!







A new trend swept across social media: Sweet Potato Toast! It calls for cooking slices of sweet potato in a toaster. I tried it, and it works great, although it's kind of a time-suck to keep re-toasting, and depending on how evenly your toaster toasts (mine, not so much), flipping the pieces for more toasting. Enter my faithful Foreman Grill, and I have the same great results, with grill marks, even! Just slice evenly - don't put anything on it, just grill/toast it. I've used it as a crostini, a burger bun, and in this lovely shot, the base for a eggs benedict with a lovely cashew hollandaise (I may have posted that recipe already, gotta check). LOVE the sweet potato!


I love it when clients share pictures of my pots in action! I loved making this 'tree' dinnerware set with service pieces for this lovely couple, and now I want to be invited to dinner - looks yummy!!

 And my most recent fun with food and forms continues the color-fest! A smaller, test version of the restaurant ware is perfect for a couple of colorful tacos. Tacos and/or nachos have become my favorite way to deal with smaller amounts of ingredients or left-overs. These lovelies were seasoned flounder with leftover sweet potatoes, tomatillo salsa, avocado and a quick slaw of red cabbage and carrots marinated in lime, lemon and ginger, with a bit of salt. The leftover juice from the watermelon/ginger lemonade blend for popsicles made a great margarita base, too!

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day to all who are or have a mother, but most of all to my wonderful, beautiful, loving, hard working, funny, supportive, heroic, talented, creative, and stunningly gorgeous mom! 

My own love for a life creative got its start in my mom's kitchen, and watching her craft her businesses as a designer, dress maker, sales person, and entrepreneur. I couldn't have had a better role model!

We'll celebrate in person later this month when she and Don come for a visit to Asheville (my best birthday gift!), but I never want to miss a chance to celebrate her every and any day - I love you Mom!!

And a special shout out to my sister, Becky, who has been a stellar mother to her three boys, and now gets to enjoy a special first Mother's Day as Grandma! 

A Circle of Gratitude

Happy New Year! 

I am once again surprised that with all my regular posts and online sorts of chatting, I managed to neglect my faithful little blog at the end of the year. I don't know if this makes any sense, but I always feel a sense of sitting with a good friend when I come to write here. It's ready to listen, and the way I write and pause and read, it often gives me feedback in those second thoughts and revisions. So when I get too busy to get here to post, I feel a little like I've neglected a good friend. But like a truly good friend, there is no judgment, just a welcome page ready to listen again.

the Gratitude Jar, with last year's Mandala puzzle

Last year at this time, I started a 'Happiness Jar', based on a re-post by my friend Jen of a post by Elizabeth Gilbert (yay social media!). I took a nice, big jar and designated it for the purpose, and prepared a smaller covered jar with lots of small slips of paper and a pen, ready to record any thing, place, person, or event that caused me happiness during the year. I renamed my jar the 'Gratitude Jar', as that was my word/theme for 2015 (plus, everything that makes me happy makes me grateful!). Last year, my meditative tool in setting all these intentions was the Great Happy Ass Adult Coloring Book (if you don't have one, get one!), and after completing a page titled "Squeeze the Day!" I attached it to my Gratitude Jar for further inspiration. In grabbing this picture for today's blog, I am reminded that when my Atlanta framily was visiting over the 2014 holiday, we started a large puzzle of a lovely mandala, and I worked on it well into the new year. Several milestone breakthroughs, in fact, are noted in my Gratitude Jar.

A nice, big pile of Grateful!

On New Year's Eve afternoon of this past year, I first took a moment to be grateful that I had a very full jar to empty. With a nice cup of coffee and a few sugar plums, I emptied the jar and started reading back through my year. I had already been thinking about how I might want to commemorate this years worth of Gratitude, and while I was reading I was imagining mosaic collages and mini-origami projects. As I was pondering this, I picked up a slip that said "got to see Karen Crane!", which is a happy moment in itself as she, like my blog, is a good friend I don't see as often as I'd like, but when I do it's immediately comfortable and free of any guilt for our mutual absence. But I digress - another happy memory that came to me in thinking of Karen, an artist and Art Therapist among many other dazzling talents, was that of another visit she made when we made Mandalas. Nothing fancy, rather quickly done and that was that, but mine still hangs in my studio and I often doodle in a similar way when I need a momentary meditation. I immediately saw how I could capture the spirit of my year of Gratitude while enjoying a full meditation on each entry as I recorded them into a Gratitude Mandala. It also gave me the opportunity to sharpen some of my colored pencils, so I felt incredibly efficient as well as indulgent in spending a couple of hours writing in a growing circle.

My 2015 Gratitude Mandala

It was a wonderful meditation, and I happily had more entries than I had room on one page! There were many repeats throughout the year, like time in my studio, my wonderful studio mates, my furballs at home, and a host of other delights, surprises, and wonders. 

I see that my last post was just before I made my annual pilgrimage to Sandbridge Beach, so here are a few images of other events of the last quarter that also made the Gratitude Jar. I know I'm not listing everything, and perhaps that's another reason to be grateful! Here are a few:

Ploughman's Lunch by Budy Finch Catering, on my pots!

Most recently, and several slips into the Gratitude Jar worthy, I had my pots gracing the cover of Plough to Pantry magazine. I was also among some other very talented potters profiled in a lovely article inside (page 36, because I know you were wondering!). It was a wonderful experience from start to finish, with an incredible team of thoughtful and caring editors, writers, photographers, and gracious clients, too! Spreading the message about how handmade ceramics is the perfect partner to homemade/chef-made dishes is an ongoing quest of mine, and one that will see me expanding production in the new year to design and develop forms to attract partnership with others who believe the same. 

A giant bucket of Gratitude

The Village Potters wrapped up the year with another fabulous Holiday Market with our neighbors at Riverview Station, and it saw the opening of our new Independent Study & Mentoring Program studio. New kilns are still being built, expansions being completed, and more new artists are bringing great energy and passion in clay to the studio with us daily! And for me, every day in the studio with these incredible artists and people brings multitudes of gratitude.

Me in the Sandbridge kitchen, with one of many glorious salads
in the foreground. Picture by Laurie McCarriar.

What is happily becoming an annual pilgrimage of sorts: my three weeks at Sandbridge. Sandbridge is a series of three, consecutive, week-long retreats for hammered dulcimer players, and I get to cook for them! Outside of a few marketing duties that seep in and compete for my attention, pretty much all I need worry about for three weeks at the beach is planning menus, shopping the local farmstands, fish and other markets, and creating meals for 24-29 people each day. And this year, I even snuck in several secret lessons on the hammered dulcimer for my grand debut of 'Twinkle Twinkle'. Recording contract is certainly soon to follow... My working vacation always feels more like vacation than work, but I'm extremely fortunate (and grateful!) that most of what I get to do daily, be it in the studio or the kitchen, is such a joy to me that the hardest days in either are better than most days doing anything else. 

A benefit to mostly overcast mornings at the beach:
incredible reflections of sunrise in the clouds.

I have already started making entries into this years Gratitude Jar, and as I set my intentions for the new year ahead, I am excited, eager, and more than anything, grateful.