🍏 dips + sharpies + publishing
ISSUE #163
MAKING
If you grew up in the Midwest it’s a safe bet that 90% of the snacky-appetizer-type foods served at your gatherings contained cream cheese or sour cream – we love our creamy, tangy cheeses.
Every family party included this Caramel Apple Dip served with Granny Smith apple slices. It may sound a little strange: how does cream cheese end up tasting like caramel? I don’t know – some kind of magical ingredient alchemy. But it does and it is delicious.
And dead simple: using a handheld or stand mixer, beat 8 oz cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 cup (~200 g) brown sugar (light or dark) until lighter in color and slightly fluffy – similar to creaming butter and sugar. Serve with sliced Granny Smith apples and roasted, chopped peanuts (optional).
Similar and equally delicious: dip strawberries in a bit of sour cream, then brown sugar. But keep this one in your back pocket until fresh summer strawberries show up at the farmers market. 🍓
LOVING
It’s just so satisfying laying down that thick black line onto a porous, eagerly accepting white paper. I’m partial to the Super size. The original (fine point, which is a strange name because it’s pretty chunky) and original metallic colors are close seconds.
THINKING
When I was little I went through a phase where I regularly and repeatedly said “ownself!” (or so I’m told — I don’t actually remember this). But I must have said it enough times for it to become a running family joke.
I still have that ownself spirit, I always have. With the delivery of this new production printer I’ve been thinking about self publishing. Not the upload-it-to-KDP kind but literally publishing something yourself: writing, illustrating, photographing, designing, printing, binding, and hand finishing a book.
From start to finish, all by yourself → Ownself Publishing
THIS WEEK ON ZINESTACK
You Don’t Need a Permission Slip to Make a Zine →
A guest post from Dave Conrey – writer and publisher of Manual Transmission and artist-designer of the Lost Mixtape clothing brand.
Ownself Publishing is a great name!