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To market, to market!

May 26, 2010 by Joanna LeRoy

Oh, happy days:  the Copley Sq. Farmer’s Market is open once again! I love the farmer’s market. Being early in the season, the produce is still somewhat light, BUT…guess what I found over at the Siena Farms stand?  No, not fava beans…but fava bean greens.

Needless to say, being a somewhat new convert to the fava bean, greens were a new concept to me.  They were piled up in a basket with a little sign that instructed you to try wilting them in olive oil and serving with lemon juice and sea salt.

Did I try it?  Well, of course…  How could I not?

And how did it go?  Let’s take a peek:

Ta dah!  Success.  And how did it taste?  Well, yummy, yes, but I don’t suppose that tells you much.  Supposedly they were to taste like fava beans themselves, but really, well, they tasted like fava bean greens.  Not like spinach, as I might have suspected, but closer to perhaps fiddleheads or maybe dandelion greens, with a subtle nutty/buttery infusion of fava. I would make them again.

Back at the farmer’s market, I made my way over to the Fiore di Nonno stand.  I actually discovered their handmade mozzarella cheese over a year ago.  Based in Somerville, MA, it’s about as fresh a cheese as you can find in these parts.  Today, however, it was time for something special:  their fig burrata!  Burrata, if you are unfamiliar with it, is basically a mozzarella cheese ball with a soft, creamy filled center.  This particular one was filled with mascarpone and fig jam, making a very sweet burrata.

And of course, you have to see the inside!

The mozzarella was wonderful, as you would expect: fresh, creamy, nicely textured. The burrata overall was a bit too sweet for my liking, however.  It actually reminded me quite a bit of the inside of a good cannoli. I should mention that, while truthfully I’m a good old-fashioned American mutt when it comes to ethnicity, there are Italians on both sides of my family. Add a childhood filled with homemade pasta, tomato sauce, sausages and pizzelles, and I generally consider myself Italian, particularly when I’m speaking about food (which I often do, clearly). That being said, I have a confession to make, which I will say very quietly: I don’t like cannolis. Now, I’m not saying I won’t eat them — there’s a big difference between not liking something and not eating something.  Unless you are my boyfriend.  But I digress. Bottom line, if you’re not crazy about the filling of cannolis, pass on the fig burrata and save it for someone who will appreciate it. They’re rare enough that they deserve to be savored appropriately. Should I happen upon the Fiore di Nonna stand again when they’ve got their roasted garlic and onion burrata, though, all bets are off.

It’s going to be a good summer. Have I mentioned I love the farmer’s market?

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A pepper for your thoughts?

April 26, 2010 by Joanna LeRoy

So much going on in my world recently!  In a rare change of events, I found myself somewhat happy to wake up this morning and realize it was Monday.  Not, mind you, that I’ve had a bad weekend by any stretch of the imagination; quite the opposite in fact.  I pretty much did nothing but eat and drink for 2½ days straight, and quite frankly, my stomach simply needs to get back to routine so it has a moment to recover.

But on to the exciting news:  I’ve started my cooking class!  It’s the 6-week “Back to Basics” recreational course at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts (see link at right).  So far two classes have gone by — knife skills and eggs.  Up next week: soups and stocks. After that, we move on to moist heat cooking (braising, stewing, blanquettes & fricasees), followed by dry heat cooking (roasting, grilling, and sautéing), and end the series with sauces. So far the class has exceeded my expectations.  Too much fun.

What I would like to share with you today, my friends, is the epiphany I had last Sunday at the knife skills class. There is another way to cut a green pepper.

Now, I imagine that many of you, like myself, have traditionally attacked a green pepper in a manner something like this:

1). Take pepper and cut whole around top to pop out center

2). Cut into segments, using paring knife to cut out white inner yucky stuff (technical term) as you go.

3). Cut into misshapen curly-ended sticks

Now, presenting a NEW way to chop a pepper!  (Well, new to me, at least):

1). Start with beautiful pepper

2). Chop off both ends — enough so that you can see the insides

3). Make a vertical cut just to the left of one of the yucky white thingies inside.  Say hello to a fascinated Zoe.

4).  Turning the pepper on it’s side, run your knife along the inside of the pepper, turning the pepper as you go.  Preferably do this with a knife that is longer than the pepper, unlike the short paring knife I have in this picture. Otherwise, your teacher will correct you the following Sunday, and you will have to either retake pictures of yourself cutting the pepper with the appropriate knife, or decide to suck it up and post the picture to your blog as is so that you don’t have to go to the store and buy another green paper and therefore delay your blog entry for another week.

5).  You are left with a nice neat rectangle of pepper.  Ignore the fact that it is now upside down in photo due to poor choice of knife.

5).  Slice…

6). …and dice!

7).  Note how nice and square your dice is, meaning your peppers will cook perfectly even.  Thank Nate for humoring you and leaning over your shoulder to take pictures of you chopping a pepper.

OK, so not my best work.  I will master the pepper yet, though.

In the meantime, as I mentioned previously, I’m so excited to have discovered fava beans!  Now, fava beans aren’t exactly easy to find fresh (or frozen, for that matter), as the season is short, supplies limited, and standard supermarkets may not carry them. Luckily for me, my sister spotted fresh ones at Russo’s in Watertown and was kind enough to get me some.  While there were many recipes I wanted to try, I finally settled on a recipe for Fava Bean Purée with Oil-Cured Olives, French Feta and Crostini. They were very yummy, and I would definitely make them again, although potentially not on a weeknight next time. Tasty and filling, they were all I needed for dinner.

And in case you were wondering, I enjoyed it with a nice Cabernet.

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Breakfast in JP

April 18, 2010 by Joanna LeRoy

I’ve decided that I like doing restaurant reviews. It’s a great way to practice writing while simultaneously expanding my palate. Not to mention the fabulous built in excuse:  Aw, darn, I’d better go out to eat again…  It’s for THE BLOG.

My latest dining adventure brought me to Bella Luna in Jamaica Plain. Better known as the restaurant arm of the Milky Way, the two establishments have settled in nicely to their new home alongside the Sam Adams Brewery.

If you’re familiar with JP, you already know that the only thing more renowned than the breakfast establishments there are the epic waits to get seated. Even on the harshest frozen winter day, or in the midst of a torrential downpour, you can always be sure to find a line of people standing in line on the sidewalk, coffee in hand, waiting for a coveted spot at one of the few JP restaurants serving breakfast on the weekend. Some would call it a loyal restaurant following; I call it foolhardy, myself.

The reigning JP breakfast champions are the Centre St. Cafe and Sorella’s, both of which I’ve been fortunate to have visited on several (sunny) occasions during the 2+ years I lived in JP. While both restaurants serve food that appeals to JP’s vegan, earth-friendly, buy-local sensibilities, they have very different vibes.  Centre St. is more deeply rooted in restaurant traditions, and serves dinner in addition to their popular weekend breakfasts.  Expect to see large portions of gourmet food featuring things like Vermont cheddar, hormone-free beef, and seasonal fresh veggies.

Sorrella’s, on the other hand, approaches breakfast from the diner side of the fence, with less formal waitstaff and tables, and frequent sightings of the cooks in their grease-stained aprons.  The food is served more casually as well, but is distinctly creative, with unusual offerings and multiple items to appeal to both vegetarians and carnivores alike.  A personal favorite of mine are any of the many french toast options made from quick breads such as pumpkin-raisin bread or cranberry walnut bread.  They also play with both Mediterranean and Mexican riffs on traditional breakfast items, and their menu is, well, huge.

So when I heard that Bella Luna had thrown its hat into the ring by serving a Saturday brunch, I was eager to check it out, but with no small sense of trepidation regarding the potential crowds. I got off the train at 11:30, a half hour after service began, and proceeded to power walk my way around the throngs of young hipsters emerging from the subway at the same tame. Surely they all were headed to Bella Luna for brunch as well — I must beat them there and get my name on the list!

Imagine my surprise upon arriving when I spotted by friend seated by herself in a little red booth in a near empty restaurant. Perhaps the new location wasn’t working out so well after all.

We started off with coffees — hers with Amaretto, and mine, to keep her company, with a side of Mimosa. (What? Mimosa not a side? Says you.) The menu was small but engaging; enough so that we just had to order a basket of blueberry fritters to buy us more time to decide on our main dishes.

Blueberry Fritters at Bella Luna

The fritters were the highlight of the meal for me personally. Gloriously deep-fried, the confectioner’s sugar-dusted outside was crunchy but not hard, with a pristine cake-like center. Dipped in pure maple syrup, they were a treat of complimentary textures and flavors. (Plus, one had “feet” formed from dripping dough, so I got to play with my food, too, which is always a nice bonus.)

The Footed Fritter

If Vegas had odds on things like “What Joanna LeRoy is most likely to order off a restaurant menu,” you’d find a strong correlation between certain ingredients and the likelihood of the plate ending up in front of me. Mushrooms, cheese, asparagus, sweet potatoes, pasta, rosemary, duck, blood oranges, apples, pistachios, or chocolate? Check. Capers, pine nuts, beets or refried beans? Not so much… Needless to say, the sweet potato, apple & bacon hash appeared in front of me shortly following the fritters.

The hash was sauteed with fresh thyme, onion & butter, and came hidden under 3 fried eggs and a side of wheatberry toast. The eggs and toast were standard, and the hash was sweet and tasty, if a bit overly greasy for my liking.  I’d love to try mixing it up with some bread crumbs and making a stuffing; the flavors would be awesome with chicken.

Having polished that off, I reached back into the basket to fish out the last blueberry fritter, when I had a revelation.  There, in the bottom of the basket, was a solitary blueberry that had escaped from any trace of batter — but not from the fryer.  Yes, a naked fried blueberry.  Now, I know that the last thing America needs is the introduction of another fried food, but think about it!  You go to a Maine county fair in August, and there among the vendors is an unassuming stand with a big sign reading FRIED BLUEBERRIES.  After forking over $3, you’re rewarded with a small paper cone of deep-fried blueberries, perhaps tossed lightly in a sweet lemon glaze… Imagine THAT on top of some fried dough!  But I digress.

Happily for Bella Luna, by the time we left at 12:45, the restaurant was now quite crowded. As I headed out the door, I overheard the hostess answer a new patron, “Party of five? That’ll be about 45 minutes.”  Ahh.  I was back in JP after all.

Bella Luna on Urbanspoon

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Nine

April 11, 2010 by Joanna LeRoy

There’s a long-standing theory that I was a cat in a past life. I have a penchant for snuggling up in soft blankets in a patch of sunshine, I do (somewhat embarrassingly) enjoy my boyfriend’s lap and a good rub of the head, and I like to take “time outs,” where I simply curl up and rest with my eyes closed, half awake and half asleep. On the other hand, I’m pretty sure I don’t have nine lives.  I do, however, think I may have nine stomachs. One for each course of the meal I ate Friday night.

Yes, you heard right. I had a NINE course meal. The adventure began when my friend Marcy befriended a chef down in Providence, RI, and was invited to come down to check out his restaurant.  Knowing that I would probably throw a tantrum if this event occured without me, she wisely invited me to come along. We arrived at Zooma around 7:30 after a mildly fear-inducing ride through the center of a heavy rainstorm. I figure fear is good for the appetite, though — by the time we got out of the car, I was thankful to be alive and ready to indulge in some carnal pleasures. And indulge we did.

We were shown to the “Chef’s Table,” which was something akin to pulling up a bar stool to the edge of a kitchen island. Sitting side by side, we had a clear view into the kitchen and were able to meet the chefs preparing our food, as well as catch up with Chef Jeff Burgess, who was expediting orders to our left.

We started with a bottle of Crios Malbec from Argentina, and that was the last decision we made for the evening, aside from answering “Would you like another course?” with a resounding YES. And another. And another. Jeff put together a tasting menu that walked us slowly through their menu of regional Italian food. As a general rule, all of the food at Zooma is based on principles of simplicity, quality, and fresh, local ingredients. The exception that proves the rule being the buffalo mozzarella and pasta flour, which are imported from Italy, and San Marzano tomatoes during the off-season (otherwise, the tomatoes are actually grown on Zooma’s roof!)

So without further ado, our menu:

1st course:  tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella with olive oil, sea salt and vin cotto

2nd course:  grilled asparagus topped with an egg, shaved pecorino romano, sea salt, and olive oil

3rd course:  bucatini served al dente with ramps and garlic in olive oil

4th course:  handmade tagliatelle with fava beans in a light butter sauce

5th course:  artichoke raviolis with braised lamb sauteed with a hint of olive oil, marinara and a mirepoix medley

6th course:  pan-fried trout over an asian-inspired slaw of carrots, sauteed ramp bulbs and diced ramp tops, topped with a citrus-cilantro salad

7th course:  seared sea scallops with romesco and warm spinach

8th course:  rib eye steak with mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini

9th course:  passion fruit and peach gelatos from Ciao Bella

Really, it was all insanely good. The mozzarella was to die for — softer, creamier and more subtle than your standard supermarket fare. The asparagus, egg and pecorino dish was one of my absolute favorites. Simplicity at its best, the asparagus was young and fresh, no doubt first of the season, and grilled to perfection, keeping its verdant color intact.  It’s pretty much an ideal lunch for me, and I plan to mimic this one at home frequently.  The tagliatelle and fava beans was another favorite.  The butter sauce was incredibly light, especially considering that, well, it’s made of butter; a purposefully light hand when saucing the pasta helped. Handmade tagliatelle — enough said. But the FAVA BEANS. Oh my. I’m a convert. I need to learn more about them and start looking up recipes, because they are now my new favorite bean. They were like a more buttery, meaty version of edamame. Just delicious.

I do enjoy a good braise, and this one was appropriately tender to the point of falling apart. It reminded me that I do in fact like lamb, which I somehow had managed to forget in the years between now and my childhood, when a good rosemary leg of lamb was a staple at Easter dinners. Speaking of childhood, I had to start clapping my hands with glee when the trout came out, as that’s another beloved food that brings me back to the early 80s. Summers in Newfoundland during that time involved my frequently being woken by the smell of fresh trout, dredged in flour, crackling away in a cast iron pan on the stove, the tasty outcome of that morning’s fishing expedition.

I hit the wall about the time the sea scallops came out, but pushed on through to the rib eye course, which was where I first reluctantly had to have the plate taken away without eating everything on it. The lip-puckering passion fruit gelato was the perfect end to the evening, even if it did upstage the more delicate peach gelato.

A nice side note about Zooma is that, with the exception of Chef Jeff, most of the cooks are students at Johnson & Wales, the well-respected culinary school also in Providence. Maybe it’s the old Northeastern student in me, but I definitely like the whole work/study concept, and admire Zooma for supporting the school and Chef Jeff for helping them get a hands-on education. They all did themselves proud.

Now excuse me while I go resew the button that popped off the top of my pants on the ride home.

Trattoria Zooma on Urbanspoon

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Spring!

April 10, 2010 by Joanna LeRoy

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Filets Mignons in Cognac Cream Sauce

March 22, 2010 by Joanna LeRoy

The title says it all, really.  I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.

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A pleasant surprise

March 21, 2010 by Joanna LeRoy

First, the exciting news — my sister eloped last weekend!  Well, being a blood relative of mine and all, even elopements need to be properly catered — enter the explanation as to why I’ve gone missing for the past few weeks.

It’s been a lesson-learning sort of experience.  Lessons in limitations.  Lessons in remembering to breathe.  These are good lessons, truly.  But in the interest of getting back on the blog bandwagon, I’ll leave the details on that for another post.

Instead, let’s start with the food.  (It’s a very good place to start.)  My sister will be honeymooning in Italy, so we decided on an Italian theme for the food.  Owing in no small part to the Italian blood that likes to hijack all sensibility during menu planning, we had not one, not two, but three different eating times set up during the day.

First up was the pre-ceremony course (because even elopements require a certain amount of ceremony).  We agreed on an antipasto course for the pre-ceremony, including breads, cheeses, meats, condiments and miscellaneous other bite-sized mouth poppers.

Before I get into the details, take a look and commence salivating!  Oh so yummy.

Now for the breakdown.  First, the lovely meats & cheeses, which I got from Salumeria Italiana, an Italian food importer in Boston’s North End. (I should add that, conveniently enough for those of you not living in Boston, they do mail order business around the country as well).

The cheeses:

  • Pecorino Toscano Fresco (my favorite):  Young Tuscan Pecorino is made from the milk of pure-bred ewes. Mild, pliable and full of sweet grassy flavor, the cheese has a D.O.P. designation that guarantees it is produced within the region of Tuscany and meets special standards.
  • Umbriaco del Piave (my mom’s favorite): Cow’s milk cheese immersed in Cabernet, Merlot and other red wines, from the Veneto region. Ubriaco del Piave is very mild, but the wine must and grape leaves from its 40 hours soaking give it a special character, a fruity finish, and a lovely aroma.
  • Taleggio: Rich and creamy cow’s milk cheese from Lombardy, named for Val Taleggio near Bergamo in Italy’s Lombardy region. It is an uncooked, semi-soft cheese made from whole cow’s milk that is aged in cool cellars.
  • Bianco Sardo: Sheep’s milk cheese from Sardinia. The flavor could be compared to Manchego, but with a freshness and sharpness from its six months of aging that make it unique. The texture is smooth, and there’s a little nuttiness in the aftertaste.

The meats:

  • Finocchiona Soppressata: Rich, moist, fennel-studded sliced soppressata with a robust flavor. As authentic as those made in Italy centuries ago, the rich and distinctive flavor of the meat is enhanced by a natural, two-month aging process.
  • Bresaola:  Air-dried, extremely lean beef; an exquisite delicacy originally from the mountainous Valtellina area of northern Lombardy.
  • Leoncini Prosciutto Cotto with Rosemary (this was TO DIE FOR good!!!!): Cooked Prosciutto accented with herbs and black pepper; made in Italy.  Baked with lots of black pepper, rosemary and other herbs, Prosciutto Cotto resembles American-style baked ham in appearance.

For condiments, I made the following:

  • Cipolle e arancia (Caramelized onion & orange conserve)
  • Castagne al miele aromatico (Chestnuts in spiced honey)
  • Composta di pere e zenzero (Pear & ginger compote)
  • Gelatina di mango al moscato (Moscato & mango gelatin)

Then to round things out, I served some artichoke hearts, mixed olives with caperberries and garlic, pepperoncini, grissini, crostini, and ciabatta.

ROUND TWO:  Post-ceremony cocktail hour

The cocktail itself was a unique creation called the Proserpina, a mix of Plymouth gin, ginger, club soda, and pomegranate seeds.  The drinks were accompanied by Scallops and Applewood Bacon with Port Reduction.  I really can’t recommend this recipe enough as it will make you a superstar for the evening.  Not to mention it tastes damn good.

For good measure I also added my ubiquitous Pepper Clam Dip — a family recipe that has a way of showing up at nearly every event I have a hand in planning.

PEPPER CLAM DIP

  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 med onion, chopped
  • ½ green pepper, chopped
  • 1 t. oregano
  • 1 t. parsley flakes
  • dash black pepper
  • 2 cans minced clams
  • 1 t lemon juice
  • dash tabasco
  • ½ c italian bread crumbs

 

Sauté first 6 ingredients until soft.  Add clams with liquid;  bring to boil.  Add lemon juice, tabasco, and Italian brad crumbs (use more or less bread crumbs as needed).  Turn into baking dish (may now be frozen).  Sprinkle with Italian grated cheese and bake 20-30 min at 325-350° until hot and bubbly.

Pepper Clam Dip, before going into the oven

The final phase of food took us to Waltham, MA, for a sit-down meal at La Campania, where I got to hang up my chef’s coat and revert to my preferred role of Skilled Eater.  The Salt Encrusted Branzino (sea bass) was delicate and finely seasoned, the chocolate soufflé delightful, and the red wine plentiful.  I would be remiss if I weren’t to add that the wedding itself was intimate and personal, the company highly enjoyable, and my sister stunningly beautiful.

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Eating, writing and ‘rithmatic

February 28, 2010 by Joanna LeRoy

So today was a baking sort of day.  I’ve found myself at a bit of an impasse with my sewing project as I battle back and forth with the pressing debate of to buy a serger or not to buy a serger?  How badly do I want to avoid having to do french seams on this whole project? And so I bake.  It’s as good a way as any to work through a dilemma.

Breakfast was blueberry scones.  YUM.  There’s an entire stick of butter in there, so it really can’t help but taste good.

Moving into the afternoon, it was time for some good old fashioned bread out of the bread machine.

I’d been experimenting with modifications to a simple white bread recipe, and this final version has become my standard go-to bread for the machine.  I can be down to next to nothing for groceries in the house and always have the ingredients on hand; and when there’s not much food in the house, there is certainly nothing better than good bread!  Here’s the recipe:

Jo's Yogurt Bread

Jo’s Yogurt Bread

  • 3 T. melted butter
  • 3/4 c. water
  • 6 oz. plain, non-fat greek yogurt (I use a single container of Chobani)
  • 3 c. all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 c. wheat flour
  • 1 T. sugar
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1 package ready-rise yeast (2 1/4 t.)

Put all ingredients except for the yeast into the bread pan in the order listed.  Make a well in the dry ingredients (about 1″ deep) and pour in the yeast.  Cook on basic bread cycle setting for 1.5 lb. loaf.  Be sure to eat the heel while still warm!

After bread was done, it was time for a dinner of garlic chicken sausage in white wine with orzo and diced tomatoes:

Next time I think I will nix the tomatoes, add basil and more parmesan, and finish with butter instead of oil.

While I’m on the subject of food, I should take a minute to brag about the wonderful meal I had last night at Garden at the Cellar.  I started off drinking “The Crule,” which I will have to assume is French for “Ginger Cosmo,” as it was simply vodka, cranberry juice and ginger beer.  Excellent combination, which I will definitely try to recreate here at home. With five of us there to celebrate my sister’s birthday, we got to taste a lot of different little plates including:  Chicken & Thyme Croquettes with Smoked Pepper Aioli, Glazed Short Ribs with Quinoa, Grilled Brussels Sprouts & Parsley Salad, Bacon-wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese and Curried Apple Hash, a handmade Chorizo “plate of the day,” and finally, a Duck & Fig Flatbread with Goat Cheese, Scallions & Arugula.  It was hands down all as good as it sounds.

Dessert brought us to Cafe Pamplona for cappuccinos, chocolate mousse, and a few rounds of word games.  I think my sister should have birthdays more frequently.

So there’s the writing.  As for the ‘rithmatic?  I think it’s time to go balance my checkbook.

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Minor setback

February 22, 2010 by Joanna LeRoy

So, this weekend’s crafting adventures would have gone much more smoothly if I had had this:

Pattern pieces have been cut.  More to come…

Posted in Crafts, Sewing | Tagged | 3 Comments »

Project #1!

February 20, 2010 by Joanna LeRoy

I am craving spring.  What else could explain why project #1 is a bright green, short sleeve shirt made out of cotton voile?

The pattern is “Prairie Girl” by Favorite Things, and the fabric is from Anna Maria Horner’s “Little Folks” line of fabric (see link at right under People; she is one of my absolute favorite fabric designers)

Prairie Girl Pattern by Favorite Things

I’ll be making the shirt on the left, although depending on how that comes out, I can certainly see myself continuing on to do a dress or two.  Needless to say, based on my last post, I will NOT be making the optional “dickie.”

And here’s the fabric:

Little Folks cotton voile in Meadow, by Anna Maria Horner for Free Spirit Fabrics

Yes, that’s my cat, Zoe.  Expect frequent cameos by Zoe in this blog.  I can’t help myself; it’s genetic.  (A side story:  for my one year anniversary of quitting smoking, I bought myself a lovely silver Victorian locket.  People who know me well asked, “Are you going to put a picture of Nate in it?”  People who know me even better asked, “Are you going to put a picture of Zoe in it?”  Sorry dear, the cat wins.)

Work in progress photos to follow…

Posted in Crafts, Sewing | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments »

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