It’s that time again, time for the Homespun: Modern Handmade crew to pull together another fabulous INDIEana Handicraft Exchange Holiday Mini! We hope you can join us for the fun THIS Friday, December 5th from 5-10pm at the Harrison Center for the Arts. Yelp Indy will be handing out free swag bags to the first 100 attendees, come early as some totes even contain super swag! Free parking is available on the streets around the Harrison and in the parking lot behind.
We have carefully selected 45 talented craftspeople to awe you with their talent and beautiful displays of contemporary handmade goods. In addition, come see the talented Haley Neale of Little Robot Photography at the holiday themed photo booth. You’ll also be able to visit The Underground for a series of eight different craft food demonstrations by the Indy Food Swappers Superstars. We’re talking marinated olive mixes, vegan shortbread cookies, spice mixes and more! A treasure trove of information, techniques and great ideas for the kitchen, FREE! See the complete schedule for the evening below. Also in The Underground, Trade School Indy will be teaching us mail art: learn how to make good ol’ fashioned snail mail great! Not to mention it’s First Friday, so you’ll be able to visit the Harrison Center’s three floors of open studios and galleries.
After all that fun you’ll want to refuel, so be sure to take part in wine and hors d’oeuvres and the great food truck offerings available right outside the Harrison Center. You can also walk right around the corner to Foundry Provisions for a delicious latte or treat.
Thanks to Yelp Indy, Little Robot Photography, Trade School Indy, Indy Food Swappers and of course, the Harrison Center for the Arts for helping us make this the best IHE Holiday Mini yet! Keep up to date with all the Handicraft hype by liking us on Facebook.
See you there!
Indy Food Swappers Demo Schedule
5:30pm – 6:00pm
Marinated Olive Mixes
with Keri Geiger
Add flavor to the holiday table with a homemade, marinated olive mix. Keri will demonstrate how to make a unique mix using Castelvetrano olives, oranges, figs, chiles, and almonds, and teach you the principles of creating your own custom mix at home. They are perfect appetizers for holiday parties, and great gifts for the food lovers in your life.
Keri Geiger is a full time technologist and mom whose true passion is growing food, creating in the kitchen, preserving, and teaching her two children to eat fearlessly. Her current obsession is fermentation, and she stands by her belief that if you feed people real food, they will love real food.
6:00pm – 6:30pm
Vegan Shortbread Cookies
with Jenn Nickels
It’s not the holiday season without homemade cookies. Shortbread cookies, a traditional holiday favorite, are known for their melt-in-your-mouth, buttery richness. But did you know you could make them without butter? Jenn will demonstrate a simple, six-ingredient recipe that’s friendly for vegans, and everyone else who loves a delicious cookie.
Jenn Nickels is a food swapper, kitchen bartender, cookie baker, tea maker, and master crafter. Her shortbread cookies are famous in these parts.
6:30pm – 7:00pm
Everyday Spice Mixes for Home Cooking or Gift Giving
with Christina McDougall
Spices add flavor and nutrients to food. Christina will show you how to blend three common, yet frugal, spice mixes for sweet, spicy, and savory dishes. These are great to have in the pantry for quick meals at home, or paired with complementary culinary items in unique holiday gift baskets.
Christina McDougall is a writer for the news website The Examiner, and owner of Potentia Consulting, where she works with sustainably minded nonprofit organizations, farms, and businesses. She loves eating local, healthy, fresh, seasonal gluten free fare, and sharing her passion for frugal living.
7:00pm – 7:30pm
Cooking with Coffee
with Jessica Weaver
Cold brew coffee and cold brew coffee syrup are the perfect addition to holiday brunches, cocktails, and savory dishes. Jessica will demonstrate how to enjoy cold brew coffee this holiday season, including delicious drinks, and an updated take on a traditional side dish. Take your sweet potatoes to a savory level, with the creative use of cold-brew coffee syrup.
Jessica Weaver is an avid home cook, food preserver, food swapper, and owner of Black Heart Enterprises, where she thoughtfully produces small batch cold brew coffee products in the heart of Indianapolis.
7:30pm – 8:00pm
Creative Gift-Giving with Homemade Cheese Dip and Hot Chocolate Mixes
with Dassie Rice
The gift list can add up during the holiday season. From aunts, cousins, and teachers, to babysitters, co-workers and more. Dassie will demonstrate how to make custom mixes for homemade cheese dips and hot chocolate drinks, and package them in re-usable holiday ornaments with recipe cards. It’s a holiday gift they can return to year after year.
Dassie Rice enjoys cooking, baking, event planning, designing, arts and crafting, and participating in the Indy Food Swap. Her work can be found on Etsy, and at Homespun Modern Handmade in downtown Indianapolis, under the name DassonMass.
8:00pm – 8:30pm
The Healing Properties of Dehydrated Herbs
with Cara Dafforn
Learn how to dry herbs grown at home, or by local farmers, and use them in your kitchen and medicine cabinet all year long. Cara will demonstrate a variety of strategies for dehydrating herbs, and then use them to make Ipocras, a spiced wine used historically as a digestive aid. With the season of celebration in full swing, a natural home remedy like Ipocras is a great gift for friends and family this holiday season.
Cara Dafforn is the Executive Manager of U-Relish Farm, a company that solves the chore of dinner with crockpot meals, teas, and other goods at the historic Indianapolis City Market. She represents the Mid States Living History Association, and is interested in teaching historic food preparation and preservation techniques.
8:30pm – 9:00pm
Infused Vodkas and Gift Cocktails in Jar
with Mary Pouch
Why spend a lot of money on infused or flavored drinks when you can make your own at home, easy and inexpensively? Mary will teach the basics of infusing alcohol with interesting and creative flavors, including Red Hot Vodka and Candy Cane Vodka. She’ll also provide fun ideas for gifting cocktails in a jar, including a white cranberry cosmopolitan. Cheers!
Mary Pouch is a food enthusiast, food swapper, middle school counselor and mother to one zany three-year-old. She believes you can cure many evils just by sharing food with people, and sitting down to dinner with your family.
9:00pm – 9:30pm
Homemade Harissa
with Suzanne Krowiak
Every year, a different condiment seems to get extra lovin’ from the D.I.Y. food community. If 2014 belonged to sriracha, 2015 may be the year of harissa. A spicy paste that’s a staple in North African and Middle Eastern cooking, harissa can be used in everything from traditional ethnic dishes like shawarma or spiced couscous, to old standbys like scrambled eggs or spicy cheese dip. Homemade harissa in a jar, with a creative but simple label, is a great holiday gift for those who love food as much as you do.
Suzanne Krowiak is a Master Food Preserver and founder of Indy Food Swappers. She teaches classes and gives presentations year-round on food preservation and other D.I.Y. food topics.