Piecing it together

From yards of fabric
Trimmed puzzle pieces take form
Soon you’re wearing art!

What's the Dill?

Try our launch party sandwich sensation! Light and refreshing, these tasty open-faced sandwiches spruce up any luncheon, bridal or baby shower menu. They even work as hors d'oeuvres for a light snack the office, or any event or birthday party. It's all about simple and fresh ingredients with these sandwiches. One of these days I may even home-make the Italian cream cheese spread with fresh herbs and spices. First time making these finger-friendly snacks, I wanted to cover every inch of the bread with the spread, but held back, letting the cucumbers shine in the limelight (lemon, in this case). A little bit sure went a long way. What I couldn’t anticipate was how delightfully delicious they are from first to last bite. You can make the spread ahead of time (and refrigerate) but the sandwiches are best when assembled shortly before serving. They will disappear fast; be sure to plan for a second plate!

Cucumber Sandwiches
          *adapted from Cora Wallin’s recipe

- Medium/large Cucumber (thinly sliced, with skins ON)
- Cream cheese, one package
- Package powdered Italian dressing mix
- Bit of milk – about 1 Tbsp
- Pumpernickel Rye, sliced and halved or quartered
- Dill (dried is fine)
- Lemon juice

Soften cream cheese at room temp, mix in salad dressing mix and enough milk to make the cheese spreadable. Spread on bread, top with sliced cucumber. Go ahead and begin to lay them out on a serving platter. When one layer is completed, spritz with a few drops of lemon juice over the cucumbers all over the plate, but be careful not to drizzle too much (unless you like lemon-soggy rye bread). Sprinkle with dill. Enjoy, and try to save some for your guests.

Wearing Art

        Carol Beal, artist of Bead Unsupervised, makes extraordinary jewelry creations from beads, felt, clay, fused glass, and assorted natural stones. And her pins and buttons make special appearances on some of Nonnie & Squeaks’ aprons! Fret not - these little works of art are made to last, built to endure, structured to stand the test of time (and washes, at least the buttons). But as is always recommended, handling with utmost care leads to longevity. 

        I can just see Carol sitting at her table, African Gray bird on one shoulder, clay rolled out, pieces set aside ready to bake, and other colorful scraps and morsels lying around. Each button is handcrafted from a polymer clay, and they sport a range of designs from funky spirals to abstract doodles. The time it must take. Some of the intricate designs rival cinematic-still depictions of a frenetic time warp. While your eyes are still spinning, consider how the detailing in her beadwork exceeds even the intricacies of her clay work. Wild colors and stunning contrasts characterize each piece. Reiterated motifs dance throughout, be it necklace, pin, or what-have-you. Her sculptures are little metropolises of bustling beads. They are miniature coral reefs, with a beautiful and delicate balance between vibrant flashes of color among the foundation’s more subtle, quiet hues. And these versatile pins can be worn on any other garment – a coat, a dress or skirt, a blouse, and even on a headband! When you have the time, take a gander to her online shop:beadunsupervised.etsy.com. The photographs give you a suspicion of an idea of the incredible craftsmanship behind each item. And look for her pins and buttons on more of our upcoming aprons at nonnieandsqueaks.etsy.com.

Blueberry Mint Lemonade

What does summertime bring for you? Grilling out - BBQ ribs and veggie kebabs, spending some time on the water soaking up the sun, fresh guacamole with crisp corn tortilla chips - roasting marshmallows and making gooey dark chocolate s'mores. Mmmmm! Those neighborhood kids with their sweet lemonade stands. Ah, brings back memories of overly tart lemony watered-down from too long in the sun you-call-that-lemonade?. But now, being eh-hem years old, taste buds demand more sophisticated and flavorful fruity drinks. That's why this recipe came in handy when throwing the Nonnie & Squeaks' Launch Party. Here's the Blueberry Mint Lemonade we served - hope you enjoy the refreshing taste as much as we all did. 

Blueberry Mint Lemonade

• 2 cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 12 lemons)
• 3 oranges (med to small) worth of freshly squeezed juice
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 fry pint of fresh blueberries, rinsed and stems removed
• 1/3 cup fresh mint, rinsed and patted dry
• 8 cups water
• 3/4 cup vodka (optional)
• 
  
•          First collect the lemon and orange juice in a large pitcher (pulp to your preference). In a separate container, mash the blueberries until they are a deep magenta color, and resemble the texture of a rather soft jam. Strain the juice from the blueberries into the lemon-orange juice (I used a spatula to press the fruit juice through the strainer, as the pulp started to clog at the bottom). Chop up or crush the mint leaves and add them to the mix. Whisk in the sugar until dissolved. Refrigerate overnight (or an hour if you are on a time crunch - but it's better after 10 hours or so). Next day: strain the mint out of the mix, stir in the water, and pour over ice. Blueberries and fresh whole mint leaves make a lovely garnish. Hot Pink Lemonade!

This recipe was inspired by one served at Bottega Louie in downtown Los Angeles, and adapted from Gaby Dalkin's own creation on http://whatsgabycooking.com/blueberry-mint-lemonade/

Ready, Set, Launch!

      The idea for Nonnie & Squeaks began earlier this spring, during a conversation between two sisters. Squeaks had been teaching a friend to sew. During one of the frequent Skype video-chats, Squeaks shared her idea of making unique vintage-inspired hosting aprons to sell online. A little idea sparked in my head -my irresistible chocolate chip cookies. I too had thought of selling homemade goods, but one doesn’t always have a bakery in her backyard. In any case, such an undertaking at this point in life would simply not be possible. So brainstorming led to: instead of selling the baked cookies, how about a dry cookie mix? Done. Now the hard part: a business name. We went back and forth for a few days. Wanting the emphasis to be on our product, with the freedom to add future products of any sort, round and round we went, suggesting different business names, mulling on a couple at a time. Finally, after much consideration, we came back to the first idea thrown out of using our childhood nick-names, Nonnie and Squeaks. Catchy, cute, nostalgic and still sophisticated; all things we hold within the vision of what our products encompass.  Officially on April 26^th, 2011, we co-founded Nonnie & Squeaks. Today we are in business, and we want to thank everyone who helped and encouraged along the way. A special thanks to those who came to our Launch Party, which went swimmingly. PS. That Blueberry Mint Lemonade disappeared like water in a drought!