Viva la CAPERS!!!!!!

Happy Bastille Day all. Happy, hmmmm. I do love most things French and an excuse for a celebration. So, a lovely day in July seems fitting for a celebration of all things French. I was recalling the celebration last year in the alley at Campagne. It was a warm summer evening and the place was packed with revelers. How fun. The dinner later at Maximilien on the rooftop was a fitting end to the celebration. [If you haven't enjoyed the rooftop at Maximilien you should go. The view of the Sound and mountains is spectacular. The food is pretty fabulous too]. So, back to the shop, and our celebration. Today's happy hour features "All Things French" in the store at 1/3 off. Stop by for some The des lords over ice and a French treat before joining the festivities around town.

THE SPECIAL: All things in the store that are French or French inspired 1/3 off

THE DETAILS: Le Jacquard Francais linens, anything with an Eiffel Tower, Cavallini stationery, Gift wrap with Maps of Paris & the Eiffel Tower.

FAVORITES: My favorite is Le Jacquard Francais Linens. I love the design and color but most of all the quality of the product. As I tell my customers, I have owned napkins and tableclothes for over 20 years and they only get better with age. The fabric is colorfast, stain resistant and does not shrink. Love them.

THE DEAL: 1/3 off anything French in the store 3-6 p.m. today. Viva la CAPERS!!!

And the Winner Is......

Congratulations to Linda Beinikis......the winner of our bucket of Caldrea Homekeeping Products. The new Sea Salt Neroli collection is featured in: hand lotion, hand wash, all-purpose cleaner, dish soap and counter top cleaner. What a fun and aromatherapeutic treat!!!

Whew, it's summer.......

We just wrapped up the trifecta......July 4th, West Seattle Artwalk and Summer Fest. Three in a week, what a great way to start summer up! And, with fabulous weather to boot [sans yesterday......and today, for that matter]. Today we begin Summer Happy Hour at CAPERS. Every afternoon from 3p.m.-6p.m. we serve up a wet one and offer a Deal of the Day in the store.

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Caldrea Homekeepping products.

[Isn't it time to clean up after the weekend]?

THE DETAILS: Aromatherapeutic Cleaners for Home. Made of plant derived ingredients, natural essential oils, biodegradable, no harsh chemicals, cruelty-free.

FAVORITES: Love the ginger pomelo hand soap, sea salt neroli dish soap, lavendar pine all purpose cleaner. It makes homekeeping pleasurable.

THE DEAL: Buy one get the second of equal or lesser value for half off.

It's Not Too Late..........

To bring in your gifts for the Hickman House Giving Tree. If you didn't shop for a gift you can bring a check or a gift card. Remember, these are women and children who have fled an abusive situation and are starting over. They often show up at the shelter with just what they are wearing. Your thoughtful and generous gifts make a huge difference for these families. Please bring your gifts to CAPERS by Monday, December 22nd. A huge THANK YOU to all who have donated this year and in the past. Your support has been huge in making the Hickman House program a success for so many families in our community.

soup beautiful soup

Margaret was one of the first chefs at CAPERS back in the early '90s. Her tenure was cut short when her husband, the scientist, was transfered back East. Her legend lives on in the fabulous recipes she created. She was an artist by training and had great food sensibility............her creations such as: the Aunt Pat, Margaret's Favorite, vegetarian black bean buriitos, tomato carrot rosemary soup, lemon tea bread and many others were favorites of our customers too. This seasonally appropriate soup was one of the many Margaret developed for the CAPERS cafe. I found it as I was going through some things and made it up this week. With the temperature in the 20's and the wind whipping about it seemed a perfect thing to make to warm up.

Butternut Squash Soup
2 c carrots
1c onions
1 c celery
1/2# peeled butternut squash
coarse chop all of the above
5 c chicken stock
3 apple peels
3 T butter

Melt butter, add carrots, onions, celery. Salt, pepper & thyme to taste. Cover and saute on low heat until translucent. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add butternut squash and apple peel. Simmer until squash is tender. Remove apple peel. Puree in batches in the food processor. Return puree to soup pot and finish with stock. Add curry powder or half and half to taste [optional]. Garnish with creme fraiche and chopped chives. Note: I'd consider sauteeing a variety of sliced mushrooms with onion, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, a pinch of red pepper flakes, some white wine and a finish of good balsamic vinegar. Stir this into the soup at the end and then garnish]. This mushroom saute was taught to me by former staff member Julie Brown. She was a baker and cook in the CAPERS kitchen for a couple of years back in the day. I've used this combination on crostini with lemon chevre, alongside a nice piece of pork or beef, and stirred into eggs.

As we continue adding to the blog we will be sharing the various recipes that were so popular in the CAPERS cafe for 23 years. We are working on testing them, cutting the serving sizes down and developing the instructions for execution from a mere list of ingredients.

Bling.......bling

Susan Goodwin will be here this Sunday, December 14th for her Annual Holiday Trunkshow. This is a perfect opportunity to see her current work and choose a holiday gift for someone special........ Hope to see you then.......12-4

RECYCLING AT IT'S FINEST

The hot item of the season is the Haute Goat recycled cashmere scarf. Made here in Seattle, our new friend Heidi is saving those cashmere sweaters from the landfill one sweater at a time. And then she is repurposing them and viola.......a fabulously soft and warm scarf......and oh so hip. We coerced our good friend, Susan Goodwin, local jeweler extraordianire, to pose for a photo. She's modeling the narrow scarf which retails for $36. There's a wider version too, that's selling for $39. Each scarf is a fabulous combo of color and texture....... and some neutrals too. Don't miss these great finds when you're in the store. They are the perfect gift for guys and gals of all ages. And recycled too.