14 12 09
Today, the apartment is almost unrecognizable: there is a modern, sunny kitchen with new cabinets and appliances; refinished pale wood floors; a bedroom with a restored marble fireplace; and a newly tiled bathroom with polished fixtures and teak accents. And the Caprons did it all themselves, with the assistance of a few friends.

It helped, of course, that they had the knowledge to pull it off: Mr. Capron runs a furniture-making company called Build Fabrication, and Ms. Capron is an account manager who represents designers at the public relations firm BDE.

Today, the apartment is almost unrecognizable: there is a modern, sunny kitchen with new cabinets and appliances; refinished pale wood floors; a bedroom with a restored marble fireplace; and a newly tiled bathroom with polished fixtures and teak accents. And the Caprons did it all themselves, with the assistance of a few friends.

It helped, of course, that they had the knowledge to pull it off: Mr. Capron runs a furniture-making company called Build Fabrication, and Ms. Capron is an account manager who represents designers at the public relations firm BDE.

10 12 09

Stu says: December 10, 2009 at 9:23 am I’m a huge fan of Kona and find it the least bitter of the world’s coffees. The key is to use less of it when brewing. I use 2/3rds the amount of what I would use in traditional brewing. This cuts the cost significantly and it helps to buy direct from the farm.

We buy it direct from a great family farm on the Big Island. http://www.shop.sweetokolecoffeecompany.com/category.sc?categoryId=3

6 pounds with free priority shipping for $109.95 and they frequently will give you $10 off the next purchase. Add it all up and you are paying $11/lb. for the freshest smoothest coffee I have ever tasted. Get a burr grinder and a good coffee maker and you’ll never stop in a Starbucks again.

We’ve visited the farm and it is completely legit. It’s a really nice family as well and they send us a holiday card every year that is hand signed.

I really miss Hawaii.

Another thing, Genovese pesto is famous in part because it is often made with young, small basil leaves. For us non-Italians it is easy to find Genovese basil in stores and at farmer’s markets particularly in the summer, but chances are it wasn’t picked young. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, simply by hand chopping all your ingredients, you will see a major shift in personality of your pesto. If you grow your own basil, I’m enviousHow to Make Pesto like an Italian Grandmother Recipe - 101 Cookbooks
09 12 09