Recipe for Hard Tack

'Tis widely known o'er land and sea alike that hardtack has the gold medal for knocking out the most teeth whilst somehow remaining totally bland and unassuming. Kind of like a hippopotamus.

For anyone unaware as to the story of hardtack: It's a biscuit/cracker that was widely used by sailors, soldiers and gold diggers for sustenance during the 1800's. The biscuits were so dry and hard that they remained edible (if you can call it that) for the duration of lengthy sea voyages and the entire Civil War. Imagine an impenetrable Saltine. It's quite likely that if you miraculously stumbled across a bit of ancient hardtack today, it would taste just the same as it did in 1865! Yum. But, it's more likely that these sea biscuits simply outlasted the lingering memories of sweethearts left behind. Thus, they held a very special place in both a sailor's heart AND stomach.

Synonyms include, but are certainly not limited to: ship's biscuits, water crackers, tooth dullers, molar breakers, pilot bread, sea bread and, my personal favorite, worm castles. Seeing as hardtack was often improperly stored for years and even decades, I'll let you use your imagination as to the origin of this last one.

HARDTACK

• 2 cups of flour
• ¾ cup water
• 5 pinches of salt
  

1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Mix all ingredients to create a dough
3. Roll or press out dough onto a baking/cookie sheet (thickness should be ½ inch)
4. Using a fork, poke neat little rows of holes into dough
   
5. Bake in oven 1 hour, then remove from oven
6. Cut dough into 3-inch square crackers (or use a cookie cutter to make round ones), flip them over on the baking sheet, and repeat the the poking of holes
   
7. Bake in oven for another ½ hour
8. If you're feeling like you'll want these to last for a really long time, feel free to bake them for an additional hour at 250°

If you've baked your hardtack correctly, it should be pretty darn uncomfortable to take a bite. So dunk it in coffee, brine, whisky, or anything else that's handy to soften it up.

Store away from buggies for a few months or a few years.

Handmade Hellos

Yay! The book is published at last!

Sabrina and Eunice Moyle of Hello!Lucky had the brilliant idea of compiling a collection of most crafty card-projects contributed by a handful of talented artists, and publishing them in a book with simple instructions and darling illustrations (expertly drawn by Sarah Labieniec). I'm not exactly sure how I was fortunate enough to be included in all of this awesomeness, but there must have been a fortuitous star a-shining in the sky when Matt and I made the Moyle Sisters' aquaintences in 2006. They are wonderfully creative, super sweet and I can't thank them enough for their encouragement and commradery. And so here I am: a published crafter.

Handmade Hellos: Fresh Greeting Card Projects from First-Rate Crafters is published by Chronicle Books (a local publisher that continually pumps out top quality artsy literature, among other publications). I'll be adding the book to the Hearts & Anchors website soon with details on how to purchase it from me. In the meatime, its being sold on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Here are some images, as well as a few of my favorite projects from the book. :o)


Below is a portable post card project designed to keep your loved ones clued in to your many road-trip adventures. Contributed by Francois Vigneault, I've been scheming my own version for my nautical travels (which, sadly, were few in 2008 but 'tis a new year, so I must venture off shore soon!).

This congratulatory card was one of Hello!Lucky's lovely contributions. They always find the best ribbons and other darling details.

And this one is just all around great! Simple, direct, and nautically themed - a combination that cuts straight to my heart. Thank you, Kate Sutton, for such a perfect rainy day project.

And here's a picture of what my project looks like when it's hanging up for birthday cheer. It's featured on page 47 of the book. Yay!

Studio Space

As some of you know, Hearts & Anchors is lucky enough to share a studio space with Ollie Ollie Press, owned by the wonderfully talented and kind Allison Phillips Connorton. We have made a cozy home-away-from-home at Catwalk Studios and are housed amongst a menagerie of brilliant creators ranging from pyrotechnic wizards & crossword extraordinaires to filmmakers & stuffed animal/puppet crafters. Thanks to the eco-conscious Chris Schardt, the entire warehouse is solar powered so I don't feel so guilty when I'm still printing into the wee hours of the morning.

Here are some photos of the space, as well as the beautiful 1954 Heidelberg Windmill press. Alli and I are still figuring out her name. I'm sure it will call out to us like an epiphanous flash of lightning - sparks flying and all that, it just hasn't happened quite yet.











That's Alli (above left), clad in a green smock. She's hand-printing wedding invitations on her table-top Kelsey.






















In the back of the studio is the mighty Craftsman Cutter. He is electric and always ready to cut super-duper thick reams of paper but is also courteous not to chop off fingers and limbs, even though this would be quite easy.






















Inside the belly of the whale (Oh, the beautiful Heidelberg Windmill Press!) we found a fantastic array of former owners' projects. They were perfectly preserved via oil saturation and we found some awesome sandwich menus and high school book club seals, among other things.

Etsy Shop!

Huzzah! Hearts & Anchors has opened a little shop on Etsy. I have to admit, since discovering this site, I've become completely addicted to shopping handmade. Truly, the wealth of talented folk that are selling their wares on Etsy can't be beat.

I'll be updating the Etsy shop with new cards and crafty goodness as projects are added to the main website. Please feel free to check it out at http://shopheartsandanchors.etsy.com.

Ode to those who have left us recently

The Little Ship
Author unknown

I stood watching as the little ship
sailed out to sea. The setting sun tinted
her white sails with a golden light,
and as she disappeared from sight
a voice at my side whispered,
"She is gone."

But the sea was a narrow one.
On the farther shore a little band
of friends had gathered to watch
and wait in happy expectation.
Suddenly they caught sight
of the tiny sail and, at the very
moment when my companion had
whispered, "She is gone" a glad shout
went up in joyous welcome,
"Here she comes!"

It is with a most heavy heart that I dedicate these words to the beautiful persons who can only be remembered from this point on: Eva, Alice, Alli's grandfather, Traci's grandfather, Christine's grandfather, my colleagues' relatives & friends, and of course, the lovely Moe.

Festival of Sail

Festival of Sail San Francisco!
July 23rd―July 27th, 2008

Oh how my heart swooned yesterday as 32 Tall Ships floated gallantly passed me with sails billowing and cannons rumbling! The Parade of Sail began at high noon under the Golden Gate Bridge and bluegreen waves cheerfully sparkled as the bay filled with maritime merriment. Hoorah like 1896! Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my handkerchief to wave enthusiastically at sailors and pelicans, but I did bring a camera.

The Festival of Sail brings us ample nautical revelry throughout the entire weekend along the waterfront: mock cannon battles, daily sails on some of the super-awesome boats, roving entertainment by such acts as Skip Henderson & the Starbord Watch, The Seadogs, and Sons of the Buccaneers, among others AND... (are you ready?) "Ye Olde Velocity Circus Pirate Academy!" I, for one, need to brush up on my scallywagging skills, so you can count me in for official pirate lessons. For information, tickets and event schedules, www.festivalofsail.org is great.

Above is the beautiful HMS Bounty. She starred in the 1962 classic Mutiny on the Bounty alongside Marlon Brando and is still a Hollywood darling today.

The Gold Star and HMS Bounty under the Bay Bridge (at least I'm pretty sure its the Gold Star).

The Californian. She's is a replica of the 1847 Revenue Cutter C.W. Lawrence, that patrolled the coast of California enforcing federal law during the gold rush. Nine sails make her very speedy indeed.

Booth at Renegade Craft Fair

A sincere & humongous THANK YOU to all of you who came out to Fort Mason to support Hearts & Anchors and enjoy the RCF! As some of you know, I was extremely ill (and am still quite under the weather) so my reporting, unfortunately, is a bit brief.

A good time was had by many and we met a ton of talented folks, some of whom will soon be featured on the main website. Anywho, here are a few pics of the booth, courtesy of Mr. Matthew J. Adler. The punk marching band is Mucca Pazza and they were quite entertaining indeed.