Every year I am unspokenly in charge of Elena’s Birthday Cake. Having designed and baked everything under the moon (except the moon) for her summer birthday, my options in creativity are definitely stretched. It is a project lightly in the back of my head throughout the year, so my inspiration tends come from very odd and random places…

This year: Sky Mall Magazine.

I read it often when in flight, several time over per sitting, in fact,  but always wonder: “Who actually buys this stuff?!”. Well, this year I found out. Me. I am one of the unknown though assumed millions keeping Sky Mall and its Inventors in print.

It was an over sized 8″ Cupcake Cake mold that brought me to submission. “HOW CUTE!!!” I resisted as long as I could, but with the page tear out poppng up in my desk drawer throughout the year, I just had to try it. And, it was a hit.

Very Easy, Super Cute: There was even a insert in the mold to create a cavity in the cake for an Icing or Ice Cream Filling.

When you hear the term “Party”, typically, one might envision: a gathering of a dozen plus close, and even unmet, friends,  menu planing, venue selection and decoration, and, ultimately, a relatively significant reason for celebrating: Birthday, Anniversary, a Holiday, Diner etc…

However, I have found that some of my most enjoyed “Parties” have been thrown last minute, with one or maybe two other people, and for absolutely no reason at all!… or at least for a quite insignificant reason. In particular, I am referring to the last “Party” I hosted: My “Ingredient Party!”

I saw an article in one of my Home & Style Magazines about the new wave of flavored Simple Syrups and Summer  Cocktails.  Ingredient de Jour: Lavender Simple Syrup! The giant picture in the middle of the page of a crystal clear Lavender Spritzer bubbling in a chilled glass tumbler garnished with one full sprig of fresh Lavender looked so excitingly unique and refreshingly delicious. It made me feel that if I had one,  my life would be just as such!

Though not quite convinced any “real life” recipe could fully satisfy the whimsical flavor to which this picture alludes, I bought the Lavender Simple Syrup on my way home from The Studio, as well as variety of ingredients I imagined to pair well: Seltzer Water, Lemon/Lime Juice, Rosemary, Mint…  My thoughts were that if this actually was as “Simple” and as satisfying as it looks, how fun would it be to serve as this summer’s signature refreshment for my stop by and last minute guests?!

Unloading my groceries at home, I noticed I was going to need more than one cutting board, and began wanting another set of taste buds to create this contest: My mother was in town and I called Ross to come over. I set out a tray of ingredients, ice bucket and a variety of drinking glasses types: Champagne, Tumbler, Tom Collins etc in the living room. When Ross arrived, our “Party” began. As we sat around the coffee table each poured our own ratios of Syrup to Mixer, Juices and other herb flavors; passing each around for everyone to taste and upon which to comment.  The Ingredient Test came to a close once our Taste Buds were all in agreement, and just in time to grab a quick bite for dinner down the street.

It was an easy and unique excuse to all get together on what is usually an uneventful Tuesday. And, yet,  it was even more fun for me to achieve my goal in the form of an event with good company vs. standing solo by the kitchen sink: pouring, sipping and dumping failed combinations.

In short, I encourage that maybe what seems to be nothing is just the right something to inspire you to invite a neighbor or visit with a friend you don’t usually see! And let me say, “Ingredient Parties”  have so far proven a safe bet… I mean who doesn’t like to eat and drink!

Oh, and P.S. This Lavender Simple Syrup is recommended for mixing with Iced Teas, Sparkling Wines, Cocktails, Sparkling Waters, and Sorbets… We tested the Sparkiling Water path and decided it best served in a Champagne Flute of Club Soda and a TINY splash (like 1/4 teaspoon) Lavender Syrup over Ice!

Enjoy!

-Palmer

Remember it is a sprawly vine, so be sure to plant your patch in an open area with little traffic, ie. the corner of your back yard…  A little trick that I came up with to save some space with the vines, however, was to keep “re-routing” the direction in which the vines were growing, as in an “overlapping” sort of fashion, so that it remained contained in one particular area.

Hope you can enjoy not only watching your pumpkins grow, but also the fun of picking your very own pumpkin to carve from your very own pumpkin patch!…

See our Pumpkin Carving Party from Last year:

Good Luck!

-Palmer

P.S. I hear word that The Nursery is looking to expand its offerings this Summer, as a Resident Landscape Architect, a Florist, and possibly an Organic Farm Stand are buzzing about setting up permanent shop on-site!… I will keep you posted on that for sure.

One of the things I loved most about this evening was that setting up our impromptu style kitchen in an unexpected scene, outdoors in the front yard, lended itself for the prep work as well as the actual cooking (deep frying!!!) to play the part as our evening’s entertainment. It was interactive, conversational, simple… and DELICIOUS!

Thanks for coming over Ladies!

-Palmer

For our Valentine’s/Presidents Day long weekend, Ross and I drove West  with no other plans than to see what we could discover… and what we uncovered was quite literally a “Trip”.

We began in the direction of Fredricksburg, stopping for a quick try at a roadside fishing hole, and tasted our way through the traditions of the quaint historic German town. The map then showed Marfa, TX to be the next point of interest, 6 hours away. Stopping once for a quick bite to eat at The Gage Hotel in Marathon, TX, we reached our destination, Marfa, just in time (at Midnight) to witness the controversial Marfa Mystery Lights dancing about the West Texas desert…seriously, we both saw them… CRAZY!

However interesting, the true mission to our quests was revealed to us previously at dinner in Marathon by the hotel concierge, Stephen. Initiated by my uncontrollable interest in others’ conversations, Stephen not only informed us of a nearby natural Hot Springs camping spot (4 hours away), Chinati Hot Springs, that lay tucked below in the side of a dried up canyonous ravine system, he also mapped out his favorite rout for seeing the most of West Texas’ offerings…Big Bend!

From County Roads that most would call “Desolate Dirt Trails” , Wild Horses, and “Do it yourself” Plumbing provided by our Chinati Hot Springs host, “Hippie Dave”, to Champagne Snacks and Pandora radio on the iPhone, Ross and I never once noticed that we had driven 1,000 miles, round trip!

Any blind adventure seems it would be a great one; however, I definitely recomend trying this Rio Grande Route at least once… you’ll see what I mean

Whole Foods offers not only cooking classes in their culinary curriculum, but also a romantic date night opportunity. For Christmas, Ross bestowed me with this Friday night cooking class for two, and we had a delectable time!

With our syllabus provided and our ingredients prepped, the five kitchen room was stationed in twos: Two cutting boards, two knives… and two glasses of champagne. As our instructing chefs floated the room advising on timing, substitutions, and other pointers, Ross and I (OK, mostly “I”) sipped champagne and giggled at our own impressions of Julia Child and Bobby Flay… I even made my own apron for the event!

Our chefs were so kind, knowledgeable and entertaining that they even indulged our personal curiosity in alternative  Gluten Free Ingredients. Once we plated our dishes, we all sat down family style to the fruits of our labor and enjoyed not only the conversation of  new friends, but also savored the delicious  taste of disbelieve… that “I actually made this?!?!!”

Do be warned, this activity is geared more towards the pleasure of your entertainment, rather than an in-depth “Tricks of the Trade” style crash course. Whole Foods offers other classes for that, if such is your goal. If you don’t have a Whole Foods in your home town, I am sure your local gourmet store does or will offer such classes if you ask!

-Enjoy

I was on the Decorations Committee for this annual fundraiser hosted by The Junior League of Austin this year and a year is what it took to put on this show.  This year’s theme was It’s a Wild Holiday, so we dressed all of Palmer Event Center as that of a Christmas celebrated on an Old World African Safari.

The Event has come and gone, but we are re-selling all the decorations from this event Friday Dec 4, through Sunday Dec 6 to help further raise money to be donated back to the Austin community.

To spare you a years worth of words collected, I will simply let the pictures do the talking!

I met many of you on this very occasion just last year, and look forward to opening our doors once again for this community wide open house event, though this year will be a little different.

As all doors to every art studio in Austin’s “East Side” of town this weekend in November, so will The Gilt Studio’s. But, this year Patrick Puckett, a very talented and creative artist and painter, will be hosting our space introducing his art: Paintings, Stamps, Photography, Graphic Designs, and may even spin some of his fun Mix Music Masterpieces…

We are serving our favorite Tito’s Vodka and Pineapple Martini, yummy snacks and creatives galore…and invite you to come by The Gilt Studio to meet Patrick in person and enjoy the creativity of his talents…Though, you each are already familiar with and repeatedly report enjoying his work!…How so?!?!!!

Patrick designed our logo and crest for The Gilt Studio!!!

We look forward to seeing you and happy “E.A.S.T’ ing” (Nov 13 & 14 and Nov 20 & 21)

-Palmer

While, carving Pumpkins, that is!

For my 29th Birthday Party, which is the day before Halloween, I converted my back yard into an outdoor living room and invited everyone to come on over and pick a pumpkin from my very own pumpkin patch.