Come join me and a bunch of other talented Austin Designers this Saturday April 11 from 10-5 at Cherrywood Coffee House on 38th 1/2 street just past the Fiesta. Cherrywood has a great brunch menu and additionally you can be smart and pick something up for mom and get Mother's day knocked out early with some locally made art and design.
You Better Believe I'm Green!
Guess what? Some kind soul within the Austin Independent Business Alliance nominated BDJ Craft Works for an Armadillo Local Business award in the Green Business category. At first glance this may seem a bit odd as I don't typically pitch what I do as being green but despite that, the truth, in my opinion, is what I do is actually quite sustainable. This is something I've thought about before and this nomination, though unexpected, is something I will gladly accept and also use as a reason to discuss a different side of sustainability that I think often gets left out of the discussion.
In my years as both a small business owner and a wood worker I have bought products from and worked in conjunction with various green or sustainable business's. The green business model, thanks to good old human progress, has become fairly commonplace especially in a modern urban environment such as Austin. Something I've noticed and come to understand about such business's is that regardless of there level of commitment to sustainability, how green they are and even their ability to call themselves such is a pretty open and subjective matter. Unlike organic which has certain standards, the terms sustainable and green fall more along a spectrum and where that is actually takes a lot of work and research to discern. Despite some green washing that no doubt goes on with an eye toward marketing and profit, I believe the vast majority of companies who base there business's on green principles are doing it for the right reasons and if they get some positive differentiation in the market well bully for them.
An idea that came to me a number of years from ago regarding sustainability is that when something is of good design, well made and special, it tends to last. Unlike so much these days that is mass produced and seemingly designed to fail so you have to buy a new one ( a little conspiracist, I know), I like to think that the furniture and decor I have made over the years brings value and maybe even a little warmth into people's lives and this is something they want to hold onto and maybe even pass down. Unlike that ikea bookshelf destined for the land fill within a decade, hand made woodwork encompasses a level a sustainability that I think gets left out of the discussion.
Next time your buying something from an artist that is handmade, keep in mind that not only are you supporting this person in their work at putting something special out into the world, you are also engaging in a sustainable act. If its from a local artist, well that's even greener, better and more beautiful.
Evolution's Pretty Cool
I went for a nice after dinner stroll with Louie last night in the neighborhood where we live adjacent to the lovely but often overlooked Eastwoods Park near the University of Texas. I really love meditative walks in this older Austin hood, and Lou really loves to stretch his little legs after a long day cooped up at my work shop. I have always been a fan of Eastwoods and when I moved here almost 3 years ago, I intended on spending time there. As with so many good intentions, it was something that never really happened much. That changed when I adopted Lou. Him taking me to the park is how I like to think of it and was one of the first of many ways I realized he was adding real value to my life.
I have been reflecting on our relationship recently and the incredible bond between people and dogs. Man's best friend is beyond cliche at this point and it seems the popularity of dog ownership is at an all time high. That said, I don't know of another relationship between two species , short of cats, which are also awesome, quite like the one that has evolved over the past millennia between humans and the domesticated canine. Its just too cool when you think about it. Such a perfect fit these two have become. A dogs ability to give love and connection seems almost boundless at times. And I think its safe to say for the majority of people, receiving love and attention is top on our list whether we admit it or not. A perfect fit indeed.
The other things that I value in my relationship with Louie is that it has given a certain depth to my life that would otherwise be lacking. Considering I am a single, lets face it, self absorbed creative type, having to take care of and think of another little being in my life is very healthy for me as it gives me the perfect chance to get out of myself which is an exercise I have found to be very beneficial. And even some of the little hard ships that we have gone through in our two years together have given the relationship a certain character and depth that I find helpful in my own personal growth toward a more meaningful existence.
In a few months it will have been two years since I signed the dotted line and took Louie home from Austin Pets Alive. Since then he has become a regular part of my schedule and my life, from being a road buddy through our summer long journey in Colorado, to helping man the booth at different art and craft events he is generally with me and weaving him into my day has become second nature. I have mentioned the many ways he has added value to my world. The greatest and perhaps sappiest ( but I don't care because its true) is that multiple times per day, pretty much every day without fail, I look at him, connect and have this warm, intense feeling of love well up inside. That has just got to be good for a person mentally, spiritually and physically. With that intuitive thought comes a lot of gratitude, another life ingredient I've found most helpful. Thanks Lou, you're the coolest.
Wood shop yoga
Snoozin' in a wood pile
No one knows the Louness that lurks beneathe ....
Craft Works Dialogue #19 Joel Mozersky Interior Design
Sit in for the first CWD of 2015 as I have a great talk with the talented Joel Mozersky. Learn about Joel's unplanned entry into his vocation and how his degree in art history informs his much beloved design work as well as the importance of point of view. A fun but unexpected part of the discussion was Joel's love of cooking. Below is the recipe for French Onion Chicken Meatballs which Joel was discussing at the end of the talk. Enjoy!
French Onion Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
Onion Mixture
4 sweet white onions, halved, and sliced very thin
2 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
4 cups chicken stock
1 ½ tsps fresh thyme
1/2 bottle white wine- I used chardonnay
Meatballs
2 lbs ground chicken (breast or thighs or both)
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
3 cloves crushed garlic
handful of basil, minced
2 eggs
handful of chopped garlic chives
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for frying
Topping
¾ cup Comte cheese
¾ cup Gruyere cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese
garlic chives
Method
Chop the onions very thin. Put the butter and oil in a stock pot on medium low heat. Add the onions and thyme, and cook them down until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, and let simmer on low until the liquid concentrates- about 20 minutes. You want it to be a somewhat thick soup consistency.
While the soup is cooking down, combine all of the meatball ingredients in a bowl. Then form them into meatballs, a little larger than a golf ball. They might be a little wet, but they should stick together well enough to form. Heat some olive oil in a cast iron skillet on med high heat. Fry the meatballs on all sides until they have crispy edges and are cooked through- about 5 minutes per side. When they are cooked, but them in the pot with the onions and let them simmer for about 5 minutes.
Transfer about 1/2 contents of the pot with the meatballs into a casserole dish, and top with the cheeses and garlic chives. There should be liquid underneath and between the meatballs, and the onions as well.
Broil until the cheese melts, serve in shallow bowls with crusty bread.
Serve the rest of the soup on the side