Do that.

A Hearty Soup for Winter Dinners

2012-02-15T20:00:00.000-06:00

This post has been sitting in pictures, just waiting for me to narrate. Thanks to a friend, I was reminded today that I should share this meal idea online. We had this meal a couple of months ago, but it's definitely a repeat performance waiting to happen!

While soup is enjoyed in our household year-round, winter seems to be the best time to create a hearty recipe that warms you on the inside. This creation can probably be called Soupy Meaty Hearty Goodness, or just Meatball Lentil Soup...

We'll start with the ground beef from our fabulous meat CSA. I seasoned it with paprika, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Next, I added one egg and a couple of tablespoons of panko (bread crumbs). I had a dutch oven heating up on medium high heat while I formed the meatballs.

The meatballs went into a drizzle of olive oil to brown on all sides.

Yes, you have to actually turn them after they've browned!

While the meatballs brown, you can start chopping the vegetables. I chopped half of a large white onion that I already had, a couple of green tomatoes (I honestly don't remember why we had green tomatoes during this time, but they were good!), a large tomato from the grocery store that didn't taste like much anyway, and some kale.

After the meatballs have browned on all sides, remove the meatballs and set them aside nearby. Add a little bit of oil to the pot if you need to (I usually do because the CSA meat is so lean) and throw in the onions. Get them sweating in the pot, then add liquid in order to deglaze the pot. I used water, the last bit of a vegetable juice that I had, and a cup or so of beef stock. I also added a smidge of tomato paste that I keep in the refrigerator (it's in a tube so I can squeeze some in and put it away).

After adding the liquid, bring it to a low boil, then add your lentils to simmer for about 20-25 minutes. The total simmer time is usually around 30 minutes, but you'll want to add your tomatoes and kale for the last 5-10, depending on how tender you want them.

I served up the soup with some pita wedges and garlic hummus. A nice local syrah came with our dinner guests and made a great pairing. Thanks to my sister and her Mike!

This meal was so hearty, so rich in flavor and substance that I would suggest making it for your family. Tweak the ingredients and simmer in whatever liquid suits you, but you can't go wrong with meatballs, lentils, a sturdy green and a tomato base.

Favorite Beanie for My Celebrity Family

2012-01-28T13:07:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite things about Fall and Winter is when I cozy up with some yarn and needles. Of course, there are a million things I'd love to make. I have entire books filled with things I had planned on making for relatives, friends, or my own children... However, I usually only get to make a handful of things per season.

The celebrity beanie formerly known as Mine.

CC's late Christmas gift

This year, I made this beanie twice (pattern taken from the book seen below). Why this one? Well, because I think it's more fun to knit a pattern that changes every row, uses a cable needle, seems complicated, but ends up being a feasible feat. I thought I would finally make something for myself, but I ended up giving it to my little girl because it didn't "slouch" on me. So if I can offer any advice about knitting, it would be to listen to that voice in your head that says, "check your gauge." If you knit, you know what I mean.

With the next one that is intended for my niece, my tension was really tight after switching to the larger sized needles (after you do the ribbing you switch up 2 sizes). It still turned out pretty clean and nice looking, but she'll have to do a bit of stretching and wearing to break it in. I'll probably suggest that she wash it and smash it up a bit to make it softer. The good thing is, her mama is a crochet master and yarn expert these days!

Last Christmas, Angela (the aforementioned mama) gave me a great little pattern book. I've used this book so much I would recommend it to anyone that loves to knit. You can nudge the patterns enough to size them for someone, or simply use the right yarn and follow the directions (that's a new concept for me) for a great result.

The first time I made the cable knit hat was with a smooth chunky blend and larger needles. Katie IS a celebrity, as far as I'm concerned. She makes that hat looook mahhhvalous.

Holiday Buhh-fay

2011-12-26T16:22:00.004-06:00

Or, as I like to call it, our new fence. Let me splain...

Several months ago, our buddy came over to help my husband measure the yard in order to calculate supplies and labor for a new fence. We had put aside some cash for the fence, and were really excited to have it done. Well, after considering the cost of everything, plus the rental of the jackhammer and labor for all of the bedrock we're sitting on... the boys asked me if I'd like a new cabinet in the kitchen.

Of course! I'd been wanting that for-eh-verrr. So, we began the kitchen DIY. Note the large, empty wall in our kitchen. Made no sense to us when we moved in, especially since there was just a small corner for counter space. This wall could definitely use a cabinet.

So, the guys installed 3 sections of unfinished cabinetry from our local home improvement store. Beau moved the outlet to be level with the light switch since the cabinet would otherwise cover it. Handy!

These cabinets pretty much match what came with the house, so we can make it look like it was built-in from the beginning. Actually, I mean to say we'll eventually paint all of the other cabinets to match the new ones. All we had to do to begin the process was prime, paint, install the top, then put pulls on. Really, it should only take a couple of weekends.

After a few weeks had passed, you'll note that we began to use the drawers from the top. They're pretty handy that way. I also hung some old paintings to cover the screws that were already in the wall from our vintage window pane that used to occupy the space.

What pretty much began as a two week project turned into several months. We had to begin with some primer so we used the least offensive, fume-wise. My smart husband put some wood planks across the top so that we could dry the doors, indoors.

Even though it was tough to keep the kids out of the kitchen, it was fun having them help me brush the dust off after sanding. They will be great helpers someday.

Slowly, but surely, we got to sanding, painting, and more sanding. Then more painting. After some concentrated effort and a chair barricade to keep out the little ones, we managed to get it to the next stage.

Yes, that is my colander sitting on top of the paint can. We were working in stages, people.

The bamboo chop block came as an 8-foot piece from Southeastern Salvage. They cut off the two extra feet and made me a nice cutting board, complete with a routed canal. That piece is still waiting to be sanded, but it's there! After installing the now 6-foot bamboo chop block top, the guys very carefully measured, pre-drilled and screwed in the pulls that I found at Target. They had a nice price for a simple brushed nickel pull.

And.... Voilà! Kitchen buffet. It sure came in handy during this holiday/birthday season since we've had two parties, and one more to go. I really LOVE my new fence. Many thanks to Beau West Home Improvement, my husband, and yes, myself.

Maybe if I can remember, I'll get a nice complete picture of it in use. Right now, it's in use, but you don't want to see all of the junk it's been collecting over Christmas!

Yarn Craft: Napkin Rings

2011-11-15T13:11:00.001-06:00

My 4-year-old has been asking to make napkin rings for weeks. She saw a craft video on Sprout's web site and has been determined to make the Wrapping Paper Napkin Rings ever since. I kept pushing the project with each holiday that was approaching, and finally landed on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Yarned Napkin Rings

Yesterday seemed like a good day to get crafty, so we started out with the instructions from Sprout. After my daughter counted the expected number of people at our Thanksgiving dinner, I marked up divisions on a paper towel tube that we had saved. Using her "kid scissors," she then cut the tube into 9 rings.

Next, we took out our Christmas wrapping paper (not very Thanksgiving-ish, but I humored the child) and cut 1" strips. Lucky for nerdy-me, there are nice little squares on the back of the wrapping paper to give us 1-inch guides. However, even that didn't help with the results. After wrapping a few rings in the paper, Mommy made an executive decision to switch gears.

"Let's wrap the cardboard in yarn!"

yarn vs. wrapping paper

I mean, take a look at the sample photo. Doesn't the yarn totally beat the paper? Puh-leeeez. The paper just didn't have the same...je ne sais quoi! Am I right, ladies and gentlemen?

Here's the new DIY, folks.

Tip: if you don't have a paper towel (or toilet paper) roll handy, cut strips from a cardboard food box (cereal, granola bars, etc). Staple the ends together to form a ring of similar diameter to the towel roll.
Find some yarn that has a nice color for your holiday of choice. We chose this great chunky burned orange for Thanksgiving.

Pull the yarn through repeatedly to wrap one ring (without any glue, but maybe some tape to reduce frustration).
Unwrap it and remove the tape. Use that yarn as a guide to cut similar lengths for the remaining number of rings.

Using a hot glue gun, or good craft glue, attach one end of the yarn to the inside of a ring and let the kids help you wrap the rest of the ring. (You could probably use a mini staple to attach the end, as long as you conceal it).

this is my 1-year-old "helping" the 4-year-old

When you get to where you started, glue the yarn inside the ring and snip off any extra yarn. If you're using a glue gun, you can try "ironing" down the end of the yarn inside the ring with the hot metal tip. This will keep it from fraying as well as hold it in place.
Holiday Napkin Rings in an hour!

Patio Garden Experiment: Fall Update!

2011-11-11T16:30:00.000-06:00

FALL

So, PGEII (Patio Garden Experiment -Take 2) was interesting! It was not as eventful as we'd hoped, but we did eat whatever we were able to grow. I think we ate more from our friends' gardens than from our own, but that is to be expected when you're using pots in lieu of a raised bed. More watering and smaller plants, but easy watering and bug/worm picking, with easy harvesting. Just enough to feed us and give our patio a nice border.

the peas & onions before harvesting

We had peas, potatoes and onions in the Spring, a couple of green tomatoes at the end of Summer, and are currently enjoying kale and collard greens.

SPRING

This summer's tomato crop turned out great for the squirrels. Saboteurs! Yes, nearly every tomato (green, yellow, orange) was picked off and nibbled by the little rats that live in our big oak tree. Thankfully, my husband ripped out the tomatoes and planted some kale, swiss chard and collard greens. We've been enjoying these veggies in our soups, sautes and sauces, and it makes up for the lack of produce this summer. I would do it again if I had to, but I think nothing beats growing things in the ground!

SUMMER... for the squirrels

Growth and rest.

2011-10-11T09:26:00.000-05:00

2011

For the past three years we have been taking a photo of my daughter in front of the hydrangea plants. She is usually sitting next to our plum harvest since the blooms on the hydrangea coincide with the fruit picking in early summer or late spring.

Last year, we were sorely disappointed when our plum tree did not bear fruit. We had a few little ones that fell to the ground, but nothing worth keeping or eating. This year, to our delight, we had a great harvest! However, the hydrangea decided to take a sabbatical this year...

Here is our daughter with most of the second batch (the kids ate a bucketful, I'm sure).

2011 - with added dramatic flare, "what-EVER will we do with all of these plums?"

Meatless Monday?

2011-08-26T21:04:00.000-05:00

Hey, even Mario Batali's doing it. Meatless Monday, Tuesday, or whatever day you choose, it's a good idea, I must admit. Sometimes we need to let our bodies digest easy stuff, or tip the scales on vegetables. Here is our family's "Meatless Monday" dish – which we actually ate on Wednesday. I was a couple of days late this week, but whatever.

Vegetable Bibimbap

I started (once again) with a recipe from this month's Everyday Food. Their version of this vegetable bibimbap is really easy, and very tasty. You'll just need a bit of prep time for chopping. The only seasoning used is a little bit of soy sauce (you can use Bragg's) and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

My tweaks:
* I used gai lan (or Chinese broccoli) instead of spinach. It gave it more...oomph, in my opinion.
* Instead of the fried egg on top (I LOVE fried egg, but we did that the first time), I drowned some tofu in egg. You can't see it very well, but it's under the vegetables.

My egg-soaked tofu:
1 brick organic extra firm tofu (cut into bite sized "brickettes" - or little bricks, not coal briquettes)
2 scrambled eggs
paprika
coriander
garlic powder
onion powder
salt & pepper

This meal was so good, I'm going to do it again as soon as I get more shiitake mushrooms!

Squash Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

2011-08-12T11:53:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you've heard of spaghetti squash. Well, this isn't it. I like spaghetti squash, but sometimes the stringy quality of that particular squash isn't what I'm in the mood for. This dish was great because it was simple, juicy, and really tasty.

For the sauce, I put together my "usual."
* brown CSA ground beef in garlic olive oil
* remove it from the pan, add in chopped onion in more olive oil
* sweat the onions and additional veggies (eggplant, kale, carrot, whatever you like) then add the beef back
* season the beef well (whatever you've got...I use garlic & onion powder, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, maybe some hot pepper flakes)
* add in tomato sauce, canned tomatoes or pre-made spaghetti sauce
* simmer for as long as you possibly can (even longer with fresh roma tomatoes)

I had some zucchini and yellow squash (from Robin's garden, once again) that I peeled and cut into long matchsticks while the beef sauce was cooking. I simmered the squash in water until they were tender -- almost limp. You could probably add some killer flavor by cooking the squash in some stock, but I didn't think of it until now.

Super easy – just takes some cutting time. If you have a handy dandy tool to help you cut, then go for it!

Yay for Recycling Services!

2011-08-11T12:32:00.002-05:00

People for a Better Tomorrow

I started 2011 with a post called "The Good, The Bad and The Awesome." One of the "bad" things that started off the year was our local recycling service going out of business. Sad times...but we found a replacement shortly after! I apologize for not posting this sooner, especially for my local friends.

This service, PBT Curbside Recycling, is amazing. They provide a bin but they also will accept anything in your own bins (in addition to theirs). This makes it so easy because we already had bins for recycling and we usually have more than what their bin can hold. Most weeks we end up with more recycling than trash.

They accept just about everything that can be recycled and you don't have to sort it! Well, you do need to separate the glass items. We simply have an extra smaller bin and taped a sign on the top that says "GLASS." This ensures every one's safety and fulfills their expectations.

It is a weekly pick-up and they usually have come and gone before 8am. PBT has several payment options and we opted for the annual payment (only $12/month for purchasing a year in advance).

WE LOVE PBT!

Drink those veggies.

2011-07-30T13:58:00.001-05:00

Cleaned and ready to juice.

Here is a colander full of vegetables and fruit.
"How will you drink them," you ask?
Call it drinking, eating, cleansing, living... whatever you want. Any way that you cut it, it's good for you. Some people have asked what combination of fruits and vegetables we use when we juice, so here is the little "recipe" for today's batch.

Saturday Juice Lunch
Prep Time: 5 minutes
8 carrots
1 large cucumber
1 apple
5 asian pears
2 small beets
1 hunk of ginger

leftover pulp

I acquired the beets and asian pears at the local farmers market, the cucumber from Robin's lush garden, and the rest is organic produce from a store. You can omit or decrease the ginger if you're not into the taste, or the spicy edge it gives the drink. If you want sweeter tasting liquid, simply add more apples.

Play around with ingredients that you love... I've used spinach, broccoli, and other greens, but unfortunately our juicer doesn't extract much from those greens. I really do love this juicer -- it is actually my parents' machine that we're babysitting. You just have to make sure the item can fit through the opening and it will extract the juice and dump the stems, seeds and other dry pulp. The pulp is great for your compost pile too!

Voilà! Beautiful AND yummy.

This amount of vegetables and fruit gave us two full glasses, plus some leftover. I'm drinking it as I type this post, being sure that I swish the first few sips. This gets the digestive juices going and reduces the tummy shock. Some people experience nausea with such a concentrated amount of nutrients, and some get headaches (our bodies these days aren't used to raw food). I experience both sometimes so I try to drink it slowly, nursing it for a while. This fills me up and I don't need a huge portion of food for the rest of my meal.

The other common question I get after discussing healthy eating is, "do your kids like it?"

My son sure does! My daughter likes it on occasion, but since she had a bowl of fruit for her snack I didn't ask her to drink this batch of juice. She did like the last batch, which didn't have as much ginger. You never know until you try, so keep asking them to taste it. Use fancy straws or favorite cups to make it even more enticing!

Free Shipping on Everyday Minerals!

2011-07-25T10:33:00.002-05:00

FREE SHIPPING on JULY 25, 2011

I've posted about my love for Everyday Minerals (since their products are so great, they have good colors, and it's healthy for your skin), and today is special because they're offering a promotion for free shipping. Even if you don't catch the promo, please check them out. No paid endorsements here, just pure love of the product.

Whimpy's Turkey Sandwich

2011-07-09T21:29:00.006-05:00

I was cutting this mammoth sandwich in half to plate it when my husband said, "what's the name of that guy on Popeye? Whimpy. It looks kind of like Whimpy's burger!"

I should have put a fork on the plate to show you how big it really is...those tomato slices are Better Boy hamburger sized slices, next to thinly sliced zucchini (the larger end of a foot long vegetable). I hope that gives you some perspective. I can't go back to shoot another photo because I ate it. I wanted to jump up and down, it was so good! How did I eat this giant thing? I took alternating bites, top...bottom...top...bottom. It was heavenly with the freshly baked, super thin crisp crust and chewy layers of remaining bread.

I tweaked a recipe from this month's Everyday Food – one of my favorite things that sparks inspiration. There are plenty of great ideas for summer meals, and today's meal was a perfect way to use our produce from this morning's visit to the farmers market on the square.

Whimpy's Turkey Sandwich

Make a one pound peasant roll from the master boule (or buy a good round artisan loaf). After slicing it in half (like a hamburger bun), carve out a nest in the top and bottom of the roll. Spread a nice spicy or brown mustard in the bottom nest. You can do the same in the top nest but I used a bit of truffle paste (the original recipe calls for olive tapenade).

Layer in your turkey meat (I used the Natural Choice Cracked Black Pepper Turkey). Layer thinly sliced zucchini and tomatoes on top of meat. Nestle some Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar in the top of the bun and carefully put the sandwich together.

Wrap it up tightly in foil and put it in the oven at 450º for about 10 minutes (or 350º for around 25 min). Slice it up and serve with homemade pickles!

If you get this Everyday Food issue you'll see that I replaced a few of the ingredients with my own, which worked perfectly. The cheese option (which is lactose free because it's made correctly) went perfectly with the truffle paste. The mustard and peppered turkey worked nicely with the creaminess of the vegetables and cheese.

This cobbler's for you, Mom!

2011-06-28T14:17:00.002-05:00

This month has been very busy, so this post is a bit late. It's worth posting because of the recipe so I hope you have the opportunity to try it!

Growing up we always had special celebrations with family on Memorial Day weekend. Not only were we commemorating several family members that served in the armed forces, but also celebrating Mom's birthday. This year, as we displayed the flag, I thought of my mom and how my parents worked so hard to give us a good life. They are now living on the other side of the world, so I choked back my emotions and went to the kitchen to make some cobbler.

Anyone that came for Sunday lunch from around 2005-2008 will remember one of my mother's dessert staples, peach cobbler. There was even an incident where the timer went off, the cobbler came out of the oven, then it was quickly grabbed by a guest and locked in the bathroom to avoid anyone else taking the first corner piece. I still remember Katie pounding on the door yelling, "Mel! You better get that cobbler out here RIGHT NOWWW!"

We made some great friendships during that time, and we bonded with several people that were living away from their own families. Now our holidays are spent with a few of these friends that are still around. Even though Mom wasn't here to enjoy it with us, making peach cobbler from her recipe was to celebrate her – her hospitality, and the contribution she made to forging tight bonds between us and our friends. Here's to Mom & Dad in the Philippines, Katie in New York, Mel in Spain, and all of our other Sunday lunch friends that have scattered all over the world. Missing you all!

Peach Cobbler Southern Style
1 c. self-rising flour
(or add 1 1/4 tsp baking powder & 1/8 tsp salt to 1 c. all purpose flour)
1 c. sugar
1 c. milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick unsalted butter
1 can peaches in light syrup

Mix flour, sugar, and milk until well blended. Add the vanilla & mix well.

Melt the butter and pour into glass rectangular pan. Pour the peaches & syrup into pan and mix with butter.

Add flour mixture (Mom said not to stir it too much--blending the ingredients together TOO well is bad in this recipe)

Bake 40-45 minutes @ 350º. See how nicely it chunks up?

Enjoy that favorite corner piece!

Calzone for Two

2011-06-06T16:25:00.000-05:00

Once again, we start with the boule...

I had just an apple sized amount left in the refrigerator so I decided to try a calzone recipe from my artisan bread book.

The quandary was the lack of ricotta in my kitchen. I thought for a moment and decided upon my tweak for the day... Silken tofu! So, here is what I came up with:

1/2 c. silken tofu
generous tbsp of plain yogurt
a palm full of grated fresh mozzarella
salt & pepper to taste

Mix this up (roughly, no need to overdo it or it may get soupy). Heat the oven to 425º with the pizza stone and an empty boiler tray on the rack below it (like when you bake an artisan loaf). Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface until it is nice and thin. Let it rest for a bit while you finish up the filling.

Sauté some fresh spinach in olive oil and garlic (I used the garlic infused oil I mentioned here) until the spinach is wilted. Dispose of any liquid that you may get in this process then fold the spinach into the tofu. Go back to the dough and roll it out some more if you need to. Place the dough on a well floured pizza peel (or use fine cornmeal if you like).

Layer some salami (or whatever you like in yours) on half of the dough, leaving 1/2-1" border. Spoon the filling on top of the meat. Using a brush or your fingers, wet the border then fold the empty half of the dough over. Press the edges together firmly then make a few slits in the dough with a serrated knife.

Slide the calzone onto the hot pizza stone and bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden. Slice it up and ENJOY! Be careful though, the filling is HOT.

Music From a Tree

2011-06-03T14:09:00.000-05:00

Thanks for sharing this one, Jay. You should just be called the Inspiration Station.

For those that love rhythm, strings, recording, or musical creativity – check out Diego Stocco's Experibass!

Taters & Plums

2011-05-31T23:08:00.001-05:00

We have potatoes! My husband was "cleaning up" the compost pile last week and pulled out a volunteer potato plant. He wasn't sure what he would find since he had transplanted the potato from a different place (we made room for other things but the potato decided to grow anyway). We have more potatoes coming, but they are in pots on the patio.

These beautiful red potatoes disappeared that very night after we roasted them.

volunteer red potatoes

PGE 2011 has been pretty fun. Those peas are still growing tall -- not producing much right now, but still growing and there are still flowers so I'm assuming we'll get a few more peas out of them. We have volunteer tomatoes, squash (or cucumber, not sure which), onions and shallots sharing the pea pots, so as soon as the peas are done there will be something to take over the soil.

What am I most excited about? Something that is NOT on the patio. These babies right here! They're green right now, but before we know it we'll be knee deep in sweet-tart red plums (and elbow deep in our sorely missed plum preserves).

red plums (not quite red yet)

Ooh, bonus cicada for you on the right. This could be the one I almost sat on today in the car. Or, the one that flew into my windshield as I pulled in the driveway. Or, the one that decided it wanted to be in my face and my hair while loading my kids in the car. Or, the dead one that was on the play set today...

This little guy thinks he should eat everything round he finds on the ground.

Afternoon Snack Attack: Truffles and Muffins

2011-05-30T11:52:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's right. I said, truffles and muffins. Since I've been so excited about the little things lately I'm going to start sharing my favorite afternoon snacks with you (well, technically the cookie post was the first).

My buddy ol' pal, girlfriend for life, BFF, la la la la la (she's a bombtastic friend) gave me a parting gift when I left California. To put it plainly, she sacrificed an extra jar of heaven. She has been totally in love with all things truffle and thankfully, she has shared this passion with me.

After melting a tablespoon of butter in a pan, I added garlic and salt. I took some leftover whole wheat spaghetti and tossed it in the butter, then took what looked like a smidge (maybe 1/2 teaspoon) of this Le Trifole and tossed it with the pasta in my plowl (that's what we call the hybrid plate-bowls in our house).

JUMP UP & DOWN HAPPY – that is what I called that dish. I immediately sent my friend a text message to thank her once again for that delicious jar of wonder. Oh, we've used it on plenty of things since I've been home... This is just one of those things that blissfully highlighted the flavor.

No, I wasn't satisfied with a bowl of pasta for my afternoon snack. My daughter and I baked an adaptation of Bananaberry Muffins from Raising Homemakers. We took their recipe and replaced one of the bananas with 1/2 cup plain yogurt.

To use my husband's reaction, they were "Deee-LIGHT-ful!" This is a very moist muffin that did not disappoint. Mind you, I've been trying to bake a good blueberry muffin for a few years now. I've tried different recipes from reliable sources but this one seemed to be the crowd pleaser. I guess experimentation with substitutions pays off!

Enjoy your afternoon snack!

No more ice packs!

2011-05-26T11:53:00.000-05:00

Just saw this today so I have to share. I haven't purchased one yet, but I definitely will!

This product is ingenious. If you're a parent or caretaker of a small child you are familiar with ice packs, blue ice, reusable gel packs, and all means of keeping milk or food cold while out of the house.

PackIt Freezable Cooler Bag | Daily Grommet

During our vacations has been especially difficult because I don't want to have a bulky cooler on the plane, and I want to pack as much food as I can into the cooler bag so I only bring one ice pack. With this product it looks like I can pack as much food & drink as possible without having to make room for the big ice pack that lasts the longest.

More positives?
* Freeze a little drink container of tea in the bag, it'll be nice and slushy for you by lunch time. (see Daily Grommet video)
* You won't forget the ice pack since the whole bag is the ice pack.
* Earth friendly solutions are having items that you can re-use, and help you remember to pack your own lunch, for a long period of time.
PackIt website

What's the buzz on the patio?

2011-05-22T12:12:00.000-05:00

crisp, fresh peas from the patio garden

I know there has been much debate about whether or not the "year of the cicada" is actually as bad as people say it is. In parts of middle Tennessee it really has been! In our little subdivision (which has not been around for more than 13 years - the length of time in between said years of said bug's invasions) we have not experienced the tremendous volume of bugs. However, in the tree line that was undisturbed, on the edge of the neighborhood... You can hear them buzzing like a giant stereo needing to be grounded. How's that for an analogy? That one was for my siblings.

While harvesting the peas shown above, I was startled by some loud buzzing coming from the pea plant. Lo and behold, my first sighting. Ugly bug, yet fascinating.

This particular cicada did not fly away, but it's companion did. This one hung on to the plant and subsequently died while holding on. My little boy decided to squeeze it and I heard my daughter yell, "eeeeuw! He has cicada juice on his fingers!" Nice.

It looks like a mechanical bug, or the alien thing that is featured in the opening montage of Men in Black.

Here is a lovely shot of the onion flower that shares the pea plant's pot. I didn't want to leave you with a cicada nightmare image.

Toasted Bliss!

2011-05-21T14:35:00.000-05:00

toasted oat flax bread with coconut oil & sunflower seed butter

Part of yesterday morning's breakfast involved a new product that I just purchased. I don't even know where to begin... I'm a bit too excited about this toast!!

Ok, I'll start with this:

1) I received an offer on Daily Candy – $10 for $20 of soap.com products. You can still get in on this if you've never ordered from them before!

2) I purchased a list of things I've been needing, plus a few things I want to try. One of those things is Coconut Oil (as a food additive or supplement).

3) I opened said coco goodness and spread it on my oat flax toast. I topped that with my new sunflower seed spread (I've developed an allergy to peanut butter so I'm trying substitutes) and took a bite.

4) I ran to grab my camera and took a picture of it to share with you all! I just couldn't believe how incredibly delicious it was!

I felt ridiculous, but at the same time there was an urgency. When something is THAT good, my friends that love coconut need to know. They just need to know.

Patio Garden Experiment 2011 (May)

2011-05-16T11:46:00.000-05:00

Pretty little pea flowers at sunset

One of the most spectacular things about living in the mid-south is the miraculous growth of all things green, once the weather warms up. While we were away in California, lightning, rain, wind and warmth all brought abundant life out of our potted wonders.

Check out the size of our pea plants! Sheesh, they were just creeping onto the first ring when we left. Now (as you can see from the pea flower shot above) they are towering above the top ring!

We've been eating peas this week and it is a wonderful thing to see our kids appreciate their greens. My daughter loves that she has participated in planting, watering and harvesting vegetables.

Here is one of our potato plants, which has already grown a few inches since this photo was taken at the beginning of the week. The cute little white flowers have also bloomed on top.

another potato plant, accompanied by hosta, strawberry and young japanese iris

The rest of the photos are some of the iris flowers that I look forward to every year. It is so nice to see our planted areas filling up with lush greenery!

Thanks to my mom, Auntie Melodie (and a few of Mike's former patients), we are enjoying a variety of colors and frills in our iris beds.

Glassical Music

2011-05-09T11:36:00.000-05:00

We're back! After 2 weeks in California I am ready to get back into the groove of our life at home. While I prep the photos of the patio garden, take a look at this musician Carrie shared with me. It made me laugh because we spent one evening ardently arranging my wine glasses into a glass harp -- just to play the theme song from Doctor Zhivago, "Somewhere My Love" (or "Lara's Song")! We had another piece that we started but I can't think of what it was... All I know is that we were SO excited when someone came home so that we could share our magnificent musical feat. It is a LOT of fun, so if you're looking for something to pass the time or to entertain your guests, try a glass harp challenge.

By the way, the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor is the video I first saw. It is over 7 minutes long so you can leave it playing, or just check out the first few minutes to understand the brilliant musicality of Robert Tiso (search "roberttiso" on YouTube). He has other familiar pieces uploaded so you can listen to your heart's delight.

Aruuuugula!

2011-04-27T19:08:00.000-05:00

I know that I've been talking about it SO much.
I can't help it! I love it and can use it in so many ways.

Today I had the opportunity to eat at a swanky little joint in Pacific Beach. My friend and I took our cues from my daughter to "eat lunch on the beach," and found ourselves at JRDN at Tower23. Apparently most of my friends have experienced this culinary gem on the PB strip, and now I can say that I have too.

So how is this post about arugula? I was reminded how much I LOVE arugula when I ordered the Hanger Steak Salad. Perfectly cooked steak on a chimichurri sauce, next to a bed of arugula with mushrooms, roasted peppers, hard boiled egg and fingerling potatoes.

Please don't hesitate to stop at Tower23's restaurant and bar if you're ever in Pacific Beach. Great service, ambiance, terrific food and steps from the sand. Yep, we sat outside. Then we took a blanket down to the beach and relaxed for a bit in the breeze, soaking up the sun, watching the waves. Thanks for a wonderful afternoon, Jannell!

Quick It Up

2011-04-13T10:13:00.000-05:00

My centerpiece for the weekend, fresh from the yard

Hey, I just made that up. "Quick It Up" is a great title for a post about a last minute dinner idea, don't you think? I like it.

Anywhooo, we had a yummified stovetop shoulder roast the other day. I browned all sides of a seasoned roast in a heavy pot (I don't technically have a dutch oven but this pot works), snuck some garlic cloves and onions underneath the hunk of meat, then added some red wine to simmer on low for about 4 hours. The photo to the left is the reheating process of the leftovers on the day after. You can see how it fell off of the bone and created a nice bit of liquid.

On the first night we had the roast over a brown rice orzo mix, accompanied by some broccoli. That was pretty delicious, but would take more cooking time than I had on the second night. I decided to throw a pot of water on the stove and boil some pasta. I boiled some giant rigatoni while I crushed some garlic, heated my large skillet/wok (I don't have a real wok, sorry), and pulled out my trusty spinach-arugula mix.

I threw the garlic in the pan with some olive oil to get the aroma going. After the pasta was done, I drained it and literally tossed it in pan with the garlic. I threw in my spinach and arugula, tossed some more to wilt, then added more, then tossed more. After a pinch of salt, a grind of pepper, and a quick shave of parm, I plated the pasta to accompany the beef. 15-20 minutes, tops!

Rigatoni tossed with Spinach and Arugula - Pasta & veggies in one dish!

Breakfast is great for dinner, and it's good for you too!

2011-04-07T14:12:00.000-05:00

When you hear, "breakfast for dinner," you generally think of a greasy mess or sugar rush, right? Well, here is a nice little hearty, yet healthy, breakfast meal.

Remember Liezl, my friend that started the whole "pizza for visiting friends" thing? She was here a few weeks ago and we had pizza for Sunday lunch. Dinner rolled around and I didn't know what I was going to do since all I had envisioned that day was lunch! I know, not the ideal Mom thing to do. Anyway, I assessed the sit-chee-ay-shun and discovered that I had great ingredients for frittata.

Vegetable Frittata: Preheat the oven (I think it was around 300º-350º). Be sure your pan is oven-safe. I like to use my trusty stainless 10" Calphalon with a fitting glass lid for frittata. First, I sautéed onion with garlic in olive oil, on medium heat. While those were getting to the sweating stage, I scrambled about 6-8 eggs in a large mixing bowl with a sploosh of water. I seasoned that with the Fab Four (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder), then tossed in a pinch of dill. Or was it thyme? Don't remember, but toss in whatever you like. Oh, and I also dolloped some plain organic yogurt in there. You can try Greek yogurt too (works just as well as sour cream).

Next, I added the asparagus to the sauté until they were tender. I grabbed a big handful of arugula & spinach mix, threw them in the pan with the asparagus and stirred them up until they wilted down. I added the eggs and stirred it a bit in the pan to evenly distribute the veggies. At this point I left it alone on a lower heat and let the eggs cook to a separation layer in the pan (this is when the eggs make a nice fried layer that allows your spatula to slip nicely underneath without disturbing the form).

I grabbed the pre-grated (thanks, husband!) goat cheese and parm from pizza-making earlier in the day, and sprinkled it into the wet egg. When it started to look like it might be coming together, I covered it and stuck it in the oven (I think it was at around 300º or 350ºF). After about 8 minutes I checked to be sure it was cooked and then slid the whole egg disc onto a plate. Voilà! Frittata. (Slice wedges easily with a pizza cutter.)

"What are those little pancake deals next to the frittata," you ask? Quinoa Cakes! Yes, I said quinoa (pronounced keen-wa). Check out Martha's recipe from the Everyday Food magazine. It's SO yummy, and my favorite way to eat quinoa. They go swimmingly (literally, or figuratively) with Target's Archer Farms organic 100% maple syrup. Not a fancy boutique syrup that would make our east coast friends proud, but a decent, inexpensive alternative.

What have you made when you eat "breakfast for dinner?" Let me know if you try either recipe!

A Colorful Month in the Yard

2011-04-04T20:14:00.001-05:00

Magnolia Saucer and Forsythia

I cannot even begin to express my excitement this year. Seriously, it's inexplicable. Since we've lived in the mid-south (oh...almost 8 1/2 years), my husband and I have dreamed of having some local favorites in our yard. We've spent a lot of money trying to foster baby trees, adopt transplants, and have even received gift trees... yet they all died or simply did not bear one flower... until THIS year.

Call it a spiritual rebirth, a new season in life, whatever you like. The fact of the matter is, this is the year of flowering trees.

Our Magnolia Saucer (which normally looks like a bunch of tulips on a tree) was frost bitten a few years back. We left it alone since in it's first healthy years had not produced one flower (we frowned, a lot). After thinking it was completely dead, it decided to grow back like a spindly bush. For two years or so it has been trying to make a comeback.

One day, after loading the kids in the car, I noticed a few pointed buds on the tiny bush-tree. "Could it be? Maybe it's just leaves," I thought. The next day, I took this picture (singing on the inside)! Our first Magnolia Saucer bloom!! Do you know what this means? Yet another lesson in life after death. Oh, and next year will be even better.

Another sweet surprise was the Redbud. We've owned approximately five Redbud trees, most of which have been long gone. These suckers grow in the crevices of the stone cliffs by the road, in ditches along the countryside, and in every neighbor's yard it seems. Why and how we were not able to maintain a living Redbud that could actually show its reddish pinkish buds is a complete mystery.

After getting rid of a large diseased tree that almost flattened our house in a storm, one of the fostered Redbuds seemed to flourish. They are underlings, so we planted it...wait for it... UNDER another tree. It was tattered and broken, so it too decided to be a bush-tree. In its second year of being left alone--Houston, we have bud. There is nothing like having a flowering tree looking back at you when you look out of a window. Spectacular.

Nectarine Flowers

As for the rest of the yard, everything is doing pretty well. I've mentioned a few posts ago that our plum tree is back in business, and our nectarine looks like it will bear more fruit than ever. The Yoshino Cherry Tree makes me smile every morning when I pull the curtain back in the living room.

Plum Flowers

Enter a Contest??? Do that.

2011-04-02T10:19:00.001-05:00

One of the bullet points from art school is

• Enter a contest, competition, or submit art for a juried exhibition

In fact, it was a requirement for senior classes. Artists and designers everywhere know that it is an important part of growing, sharing and improving your art.

Issue 52

While all of that is very artsy worldish, I've never been one to get excited about a contest! Something must have been in my coffee the day I decided to submit a DIY project to ReadyMade. The knitting pattern I posted last November (Sophia's Baby Leg Warmers) seemed to be a perfect example of what Do that is all about. To be honest, I think I posted the pattern just to share my first experience of explaining a pattern step-by-step. I have been reading recipes, patterns and other people's instructions to make things, so it seemed like a fun thing to do, to put "pattern language" to use for my creation.

So, lo and behold... I received an email yesterday that said Sophia's Baby Leg Warmers... "made it into the Honor Roll of our ReadyMade 100 contest. We gave you a shout out in our April/May issue and plan to include your project in a special print on demand issue that we’re putting the final touches on as we speak."

Shocked? Sure. There are a ton of amazing projects on there! Not to mention it's been well over a decade since I've been on any kind of Honor Roll. To be one of the 100 finalists (page 4, bottom row), let alone have a little graphic in the corner indicating the Honor Roll, was a complete surprise.

Thanks for making my week, ReadyMade!

Friendship Food

2011-03-28T17:28:00.000-05:00

I love when my foodie friends visit me and we talk about food.
I love making food for my foodie friends, then talking about it again, and again.

Last weekend I had to fulfill a special request for homemade pizza. Pizza again? No argument from me! This was of course from the friend that told all the other friends last year to request pizza when they came to visit. So once again, it's a pizza post – but this time with a bit more detail on the recipe.

I had some 50/50 boule in the refrigerator (made the same way as the artisan master boule, just substituting 1/2 of the flour with whole wheat) so I was able to make three pizzas for Sunday lunch.

Remember the War Eagle Mill flours that I mentioned a while back? I use their organic White Cornmeal to dust my pizza peel. It is silky fine, unlike some cornmeal that I've purchased at the big box stores. It makes it easy to slide the pizza onto the stone, and it doesn't give you big crunchy pieces on the bottom of the dough.

After dusting my peel with this great white cornmeal, I roll out an orange or apple sized piece of dough on a lightly floured surface (after turning it under just like an artisan roll). Once I get it nice and thin it is placed on the peel and brushed with olive oil. I like to use a garlicky magic oil that lovely Trish taught me to create. You crush up some fresh garlic, cover with olive oil and microwave for 25 seconds. Seriously, it's the best thing EVER.

After the olive oil comes the tomato sauce, then the toppings. Shimmy the pie onto a preheated pizza stone and bake for about 10 minutes in a very hot oven (maybe 475-500º).

The photo below shows our "leftover" version of Grilled Chicken Pizza, made with marinated chicken from our grilling the night before. The hickory grilled meat (NO lighter fluid, NO chemically treated charcoal) got chopped up and surrounded by leftover grilled vegetables (asparagus and onion), a jarred organic pasta sauce, and topped with a mix of grated mozzarella, Dutch goat cheese and parmigiano-reggiano.

I don't want to honk my own horn, but (*honk*) SUPER (*honk-honk*) DUPER (*honk*) YUMMY. The smoky flavors of the grilled meat and vegetables were matched perfectly with the bite of the goat cheese.

What's next? Breakfast for dinner!

The Meat Ball

2011-03-12T15:06:00.001-06:00

Dear Deer,

I'd like to set you up with my friend, Beef. I think your qualities are quite compatible, so you'll surely make a great match. I know your recent sausage makeover dressed you up a bit spicy, but Beef is so lean and mellow that he'll balance you out (he's grass-fed, you know). I have recommendations from some local farmers, the Dixons and the Truslers.

See you at the Meat Ball! Don't worry about what to wear, I've got it covered. I've got a groovy little mushroom sauce that'll be gravy with a little heat. You're going to look YUMMY.

Sincerely,

Mix Master Meat Eater

* * * * * * * *

This one's for you, Jennifer R. Thank you for loving the food enough to ask about how to make it! There's no greater compliment...

Venison-Beef Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy Sauce
Disclaimer: All measurements in this recipe are estimates, as I put it together for a friend's party and am trying my best to remember the process! Sorry, folks. I'm pulling that "Mom's recipe guessing" card.
If you don't have a friend or relative that hunts, you'll have to find one. Remember my husband's venison chili? I used the last half of that 2 lb. tube...

1 lb. tube venison sausage
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg, lightly scrambled
1/2 c panko bread crumbs
1/4 c wheat germ
2+ tbsp soy sauce or bragg's liquid aminos (you can use worcestershire if you need to)
olive oil

*spice list follows...just eyeball it for your taste buds!
chili powder
Emeril's essence
garlic powder
onion flakes or powder (or both)
dried parsley
thyme
salt & pepper to taste

Mushroom Gravy: Trader Joe's has a mushroom soup in a box. Simmer about 5-6 cups of mushroom soup, add some white wine and a bit of cream if you so desire. Make sure it's a nice creamy consistency. You can make this ahead of time and freeze it or keep it refrigerated for a few days.

Materials: large mixing bowl, small skillet, medium saucepan, large skillet, casserole dish with lid or dutch oven

Chop up the onion and garlic and sauté in a bit of olive oil. Meanwhile, place your thoroughly thawed meat in a large mixing bowl together (both venison & beef), then gently break apart the tube shapes (or blocks) so the most of the meat is exposed. After the onion and garlic are nice and sweaty (maybe close to 5 minutes on medium-low heat) take off of the heat and set aside (start heating a separate large skillet with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and reheat the oven to 275ºish). Add egg, wheat germ, bread crumbs and soy sauce to the meat. Sprinkle on your spices and once the onions and garlic have cooled, add them as well. Using your hands, start mixing the spices and bread crumbs into the meat. Don't overwork the meat, just gently push everything together until incorporated.

You can immediately begin forming meatballs about the size of a ping pong ball. Brown them in the large skillet, turning the meatballs to brown all sides. (Yes, you have to turn them). Place them in the casserole dish after you've browned them. Pour the mushroom gravy over the meatballs (to cover them) then place in the oven with the lid on for about 45 minutes to an hour. I don't even remember how long I had them in there, but I remember they were bubbling pretty good and the meatballs were given enough time to flavor up the gravy. You can also place the meatballs in a crock pot, cover with the gravy and simmer them on low for a few hours.

If you're making them for a party like I did, make the gravy and meatballs ahead of time -- freeze meatballs in layers with parchment in between. On party day, thaw, brown, then bake them in the gravy.

Have fun!!

Patio Garden Experiment 2011

2011-03-07T23:27:00.000-06:00

Can you believe it? Spring is almost here! One of our little daffodil/narcissus plants is in full bloom, the iris leaves are stretching up past 12" now, and the plum tree is about to bust out in beautiful flowering fireworks. Yay!! Plums this year!! (Our tree took a Sabbatical last year)

So, Patio Garden Experiment 2011 is underway. You can see PGE 2010 right here. We began PGE 2011 by starting some seedlings indoors. These are plants that can handle being planted before the last frost. Some of the seedlings didn't push through but we did plant what came up, in addition to a few purple potatoes that we had saved. I'm looking forward to trying potatoes in a pot! We will have to mound them up somehow.

Here's how we began this year's experiment....

1) The seedlings were started in a compostable egg carton a couple of weeks prior. Daddy-daughter bonding time. We kept this in our kitchen until planting day.

2) I cut out a section of the carton with the seedling to plant.

3) I punctured the bottom with my trusty fiskars, to help break down the carton or help the roots escape if the carton takes a while to break down in the dirt.

4) We planted the seedling, carton and all, in our large patio pots. My husband had added some fresh compost to the pots a couple of weeks prior and we noticed a nice number of worms in the dirt. My daughter loves handling those little guys (no, really! She loves them).

We also had to dig out the acorns (they fell by the millions this winter) as they were already starting to bust out and root. Yikes! We may have a nice oak forest on our hands this summer...we'll have to keep our eyes on the dirt and do a lot of weeding.

Note to self: "Self, don't put the acorns you rake up into the compost pile."

5) We had our assistant gardener make sure the plant was sufficiently buried. (Yes, I documented this moment when our assistant was convinced that a t-shirt and jeans would be appropriate planting attire. She prefers to dig while wearing a dress or tutu with pink galoshes).

6) The head gardener (that would be my husband) inserted the ring. Just like that....We're in the observation stage!

Fun times. Be sure to check back for more fun with our experiment.

Magic Bear

2011-03-03T11:57:00.002-06:00

LuckyVitamin.com

Every time we visit my in-laws we make a stop at War Eagle Mill. This mill is great... it has a beautiful view of the river, a bridge to walk over the water, and a couple of times a year they hold a very large arts festival on the grass fields.

One of our "must have" items in the kitchen was purchased at the mill a few years ago and frankly, it's a "must share." The Brown Sugar Bear has changed my baking life! Have you ever had one of those days when the recipe calls for a packed 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and all you can get out of the bag is a huge rock of sugar, or large clumps that won't break evenly into the measuring cup? After I made the switch to organic brown cane sugar, it seemed impossible to break up the clump. Well, my friends... Bash, crash and stash this sugar no more. Get yourself one of these babies and you'll have smooth and silky brown sugar heaven!

By the way, you can also purchase the most amazing stone ground corn meal, mixes, organic flours (the rye is really smooth), and enameled cookware. Check out War Eagle Mill's online store.

Salad Inspiration

2011-02-24T15:08:00.001-06:00

So here's my favorite salad of the week...

Summery Winter Salad, inspired by Mexican taco night!

I had leftover ingredients from last week's Mexican food night

(I finally made homemade tortillas! I didn't shoot any photos, but if you want a recipe to try I'll give it to you),

so I thought I would toss them into the salad last night. We've made this salad during the summer when scallions, cilantro and radishes are plentiful at the farmer's market, so having them out of season is a treat. I know, I know, I'm not eating locally for this particular meal. I don't like it either but there has to be a balance. The amount of off season goods available at the grocery store is ridiculous, but I do take advantage of it sometimes, seeing it as a luxury of our times that may not always be around. That's a story for another day...

Anyway, grab yourself a spinach and arugula mix like Organic Girl's washed greens. Shave off a few very thin wedges of purple cabbage. Slice up some scallion and radishes. Chop up some cilantro. Whisk together some red wine vinegar and olive oil... and you're in business! This salad is so savory (it actually tastes "meaty!"), crunchy, and has so many levels of flavor.

I know you'll thank me later when these ingredients are coming out of your ears during summer CSA season.

De nada.

Holy Cowl

2011-02-21T10:03:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted much about knitting this winter (the season for all things yarn and fuzzy) and the reason is this... I've been knitting gifts for months! If I post the knitting projects as I am working on them I reveal the surprise, so I have chosen to post after the recipients open up their mail, or hold out their hands when I say so. It would also help to actually take pictures of what I've been making.....

wrist warmers
cowls
slouchy beanies
nappy liners for newborns (for a friend that uses cloth diapers)
...and I'm looking forward to making more baby gifts in a hot minute. (NO, not for myself)

Ok, the REAL reason for not posting is that I'm still dealing with the frustration of a little digital camera that likes to work sometimes, and likes to sleep sometimes. It's an interesting dilemma but I'm working through it. I've asked the Great Giver to bless me with a new camera that takes great photos.

Pretty J wearing her möbius cowl

Anyhoooo, I was inspired by a video posted by Cat Bordhi, "Intro to Moebius Knitting." Unlike most patterns and instructional videos out there, this was a true möbius form, not just a double twisted strip. There is no twisting, sewing or manipulating. Follow her instructions with a circular needle and you get a half-twist by knitting continuously. It's pretty fun and amazing to see the results!

Here is a phone shot of my long distance buddy sporting her Christmas gift. I knitted half a dozen of these beauties in all different colors, and I'm not done yet! I chose to knit more shallow cowls (instead of the hoodie kind) because most of my friends live in warmer climates that have cooler, but not freezing nights. I also thought it looked like a more chic, sleek, understated winter accessory.

Thanks, J - for wearing the cowl, in public! Thanks, Sher - for taking and sending me this photo. You'll get yours soon!

Turquoise möbius on Lani!

Update: Thanks for the photo, Lani! The blue suits you.
For anyone interested in the pattern...
I doubled up a worsted weight yarn (wool blends and alpaca blends) on a 24" US15(10mm) circular needle. Just cast on like Cat Bordhi teaches (as many as you want to fill up the loop) and proceed with your desired knitting stitch on the loop. I chose a garter stitch (k all rows) for the two cowls shown, but also made a couple of seed stitch pieces too (k1, p1). I discovered that you do have to mark your first stitch, knit one round, then watch the stitches to do HALF a row in one pattern, then switch when you see it needs it (I had to purl half a row for the garter stitch pattern). This will keep the entire piece in a consistent seed or garter stitch. You don't want to stockinette this cowl because there is no "front" or "back" – you'll get an obvious seam.

What a tool.

2011-02-17T10:51:00.000-06:00

I have to say that I didn't believe in having Christmas lists until I became an adult. How great is it that you get to give your family a list of things you would like, then you happen to get most of it for Christmas? Of course, giving gifts that are unexpected is wonderful too, but sometimes it's nice to check a few things off of your personal wish list!

Interesting thing...all of the things on my list this last Christmas were kitchen items! Here is one of the great little tools that has been a valuable addition to my kitchen:

The Chef'n Mixer Spatula from Williams Sonoma.

Can you believe it? It's a bowl scraper, spatula, and scooper, all in one! Fabulous.

It is even heat resistant up to 650ºF so you can cook with it too.

I love that it scrapes around the electric mixer attachments so nicely, and uses little effort to get the bowl emptied.

I also got a set of WS mini spatulas. They came on a little ring... Red, yellow, green and orange. So cute! They were a welcome addition to the tool drawer since my only remaining baking spatula is gigantic. Now muffin cups and cupcakes will be a breeze!

Super Bread Bowl Sunday

2011-02-12T16:21:00.001-06:00

My husband has some really great ideas sometimes. Last Sunday was no exception... For Superbowl Sunday he prepped early and had homemade chili ready to eat during the game! He requested some fresh artisan bread to make a Super Bowl of Chili so I put a boule together and, voilà! There's nothing like a hardy piece of bread to sopp up a hearty chili.

I snapped a photo before he ate his yummy venison sausage and beef sirloin tip chili (with black eyed peas and kidney beans). Funny enough, his particular loaf looked like a football before he cut it!

What super duper food did you have on Superbowl Sunday?

Mixed Bowling

2011-02-09T16:47:00.001-06:00

There is something so appealing about a set of mixing bowls. Or, maybe it's just the appeal of bowls nesting within each other...filling that nurturing hole in a woman's being. Comfortable, sweet, proportioned – whatever best describes YOUR prerequisite for a set of bowls – here are a few of my favorites that I've seen lately.

Lost & Found: le souk olive wood nesting bowls

I love the olive wood set above from Lost & Found. I can imagine using this sweet family for ingredients while cooking.

My mixing vessels? Well, I own a set of 5 shallow metal bowls that have the same height but different circumferences. Suits me fine, but when I get more kitchen space, I'm getting a set of deeper nesting beauties. You see, there are plenty of artsy nesting bowls out there, but the perfect set is where form meets function.

Tropical Nesting Bowls at Patina

Of course, there is my favorite Cinderella vintage bowls (as seen on the "What I'd Love" tab above). I have the second blue bowl.

Cinderella bowls (vintage pyrex) at Modern Findings

For Once In My Life

2011-02-02T13:12:00.000-06:00

I've mentioned in the past that I'm a fan of PBS, Independent Lens, documentaries, and the like. It's difficult to describe the "boring adult" phase of life that creeps up on you (well, in my case it was slow), when suddenly you realize that you prefer to watch public television instead of crime dramas, sitcoms or scandalous reality shows. I have been noticing a desire to be indulged by another culture... a need to be inspired by other people's challenges... or simply LEARN something, gain knowledge, absorb history, fire up my brain cells with exciting facts... You get the picture.

Last night's feature on Independent Lens was inspirational, to say the least. Again, we see music as a force stronger than we give it credit. The ability to play an instrument, or just be a part of a band, gives life meaning to these people – life we assume to be lower than the rest of us. We should never underestimate the power of a music program. After I saw this film I firmly declared it is yet another reason that music should be taught to all children, in all schools, of all mental and physical capacities. Amen.

For Once in My Life | Documentary on Spirit of Goodwill Band | Independent Lens | PBS

Music Underground

2011-01-31T10:17:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted much in the realm of music, which is so odd since I was raised in, by, and all around it. I'm reminded by this video that music is so important because of how a message can be told, who can hear it, and how it makes a person feel. Thanks, Miss J for sharing your gift (and to Tia & Linda for sharing on fb).

Boombox Series // Jessie J from Arcade44.tv on Vimeo.

Piano-Desk

2011-01-20T13:53:00.000-06:00

Get OUT.
For real?
I'm scouring the internet for ideas on how to design our new office built in, and I run into this image of a piano-turned-desk. This might be the coolest workspace build-out I've EVER seen.

lifehacker.com

Read the whole story here at Lifehacker.

The Good, the Bad, and the Awesome

2011-01-15T13:02:00.001-06:00

They weren't kidding when they said it is a NEW year. Here's the breakdown, the lowdown, the showdown, if you will. Life changes are good, even when there's sad news!

RollingHillsFarm.com

* We've joined a Winter CSA that is pretty good so far. It's a meat CSA, so we receive approximately 10 pounds of pastured meats plus 2 dozen farm fresh eggs. I pick up our half share once a month so we don't overload ourselves with frozen meat. Rolling Hills Farms has a nice online cart too so I can purchase the CSA share plus additional eggs once in a while. I still maintain a relationship with our favorite grass-fed beef farmers, Dixon Family Meats. The flavor, pricing, and quality of the meat is fabulous, not to mention the wonderful Dixon Family themselves! They deliver to a local spot every 2-3 weeks.

* Our local small town recycling service has gone under! They blame the economy, a busted trailer and the inability to recover from the current losses. Boo. Not only do I feel badly for them, but I am sad that a great service has reached its end. It's back to sorting, loading and driving our recyclables to the big metal bins.

Lil' Cakes

* I ran out of prep time and had to buy cupcakes for my son's birthday last month. A new local business, Lil' Cakes, provided really GREAT cupcakes, and we will certainly visit them again for a treat. Wonderful customer service, quality ingredients, baked fresh daily, and quite possibly the best cupcakes I've purchased in a local eatery. Two thumbs up.

It has been a busy year so far, but I am really looking forward to more exciting times in this new decade. More reviews for products will be coming, as well as more recipes and tips for my crafty friends and family out there. Happy New Year!

Eggciting Times!

2011-01-03T13:27:00.000-06:00

I hope you all had a great Christmas. Now that the new year has begun, we've been sifting through our old toys, clothes and miscellaneous stuff...

Some ideas for your 2011 organizing? Give things to friends, families in need or charitable organizations when you can, recycle or simply "up-cycle" some goods.

ice dental

Do you have any board games that are old, missing pieces, or just need to be thrown out? We had one of those games that we tried but really didn't like, so my husband decided to recycle the paper and cardboard and was left with an egg timer. He remembered reading somewhere that egg timers can help with brushing teeth for the recommended amount of time, so he suggested this to our four year-old.

WOW. She can't brush her teeth without first declaring that she needs to use the timer. Then after brushing, she announces that she brushed her teeth with the timer. We couldn't ask for a better motivating tool to help keep our kid's hygiene up to snuff!

Christmas is around the corner!

2010-12-23T10:38:00.000-06:00

Well, things have been busy in my home, to say the least. With birthdays, Christmas, and work projects, there hasn't been much time for posting on Do that! If you've been busy this month and still need a few small gifts, I have a few ideas for you. If you can hoof it, I've included where to buy them. I think you will love these items for yourself too, so you can order online anytime.

1) I love the Aubrey Organics Sensitive Skin Regimen (Vegecol Formula) listed on my "Products I Use" page. You can purchase the travel set with sample sizes to give it a whirl, but the best thing is that it comes in a pretty little gift bag. A great stocking stuffer! I purchased mine at Whole Foods for about $10. If you're looking for other skin types to try in the future, go to the Aubrey Organics site.

2) Speaking of travel size or sample size skin regimen...Give Kiss My Face a try. SuperTarget has the Kiss My Face Potent & Pure Facial Starter Kit in their organic/natural make-up section. In addition to the cleanser and moisturizer, the set comes with a great little face cloth, night cream and sunblock. Prices range from $8-14, depending on where you find it.

3) Alice.com has gift cards! This site is so wonderful, with its promise to ship for FREE with a minimum of SIX items. Just 6! You can buy 6 tiny things or 6 large things. Another great home shopping resource for moms that want to keep their products shipped on a schedule.

Don't Forget Delicious

4) Put together a meal. Purchase some fun colored pasta at World Market, add an Italian spice packet, and garnish with some goodies. Easy for you, easy for the cook! You can even include this recipe from "Don't Forget Delicious!"

Have a very Merry Christmas, everyone!

Holiday Gift Ideas: Online Finds

2010-12-09T13:00:00.000-06:00

For the gardener in your family...
They look like chocolate bon bons but they are made from compost and clay!

Moultonology Garden Bon Bons $14.95

Daily Grommet says, "Seed balls presented as chocolate truffles. Available in Italian herb selection or assorted tea selection. Place Garden Bon Bons on top of soil, water and watch them grow."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

$20 chopshopstore.com

For the typophile in your life...

A Helbotica t-shirt from Chop Shop that will melt a font-fanatic heart.

Comes in a rainbow of colors for men or women.

Holiday Gift Ideas: Daily Grommet

2010-12-06T11:34:00.001-06:00

Today's Daily Grommet looks like a winner for people like me. There are so many cables, chargers, and random things that go with my electronic devices. As a mom, I also like to have a few of those "just in case" items in the backpack. Here is a great new product to keep it all organized in your bag, drawer or suitcase. You can use the grid of elastic bands to choose a perfectly snug spot for your items. Love it!

Click on the photo to get to the Daily Grommet site page. The small Cocoon GRID-IT! starts at $14.99. There is a small, medium and large (medium size for $19.99 is shown).

Cocoon GRID-IT! Elastic Organization System for Electronics-Grid-It Medium

Holiday Gift Ideas! Starting with 5 easy ones...

2010-12-03T13:08:00.001-06:00

The concept is simple – I've compiled a short list of gifts based on two things...

I have it and can give you an honest review,
OR
I want it, for a very good reason.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

1. Roku Master
Seriously, folks. This item has been the biggest star of our home this year! Instead of paying more for cable channels, we have opted for this handy dandy device that streams Netflix to our television. We pay a low low price for streaming Instant Play, giving us access to oodles of documentaries, foreign and independent films, children's shows, Discovery Channel series, etc. It's like having our own public television library to fulfill our nerdly needs. "Regular TV" has lost its luster in our eyes so the Roku has my pick for #1 gift idea. (By the way, there are other devices out there that do the same thing. We just happen to have the one that was specifically designed to stream Netflix and Hulu Plus).

2. Everyday Minerals Make-up
This make-up has been the greatest thing for my skin. It doesn't take long to put it on and never feels heavy. LOVE LOVE LOVE this make-up. They have plenty of promos for free sample sizes with a purchase, plus they're always offering a great deal on a new color of blush, eye shadow or bronzer. Get a gift set for that special girl in your life and she can try it out. I guarantee you won't be disappointed in the prices.

3. Williams Sonoma Silicone Utensils

Williams Sonoma

I received my first WS spoonula about 5 or 6 years ago from my mom-in-law. GREATEST. SPOONULA. EVER. I am just now seeing signs of rough wear and tear so I've asked for more silicone utensils this year. They are heat resistant up to 800ºF, perfect to cook and bake with. As you can see, you can get them personalized too!

4. Pizza Please
As I've mentioned in previous posts, making pizza at home is fun, easy and pretty darn delicious. How about a pizza stone, pizza peel and all the starting ingredients for a great gift set? You'll reap the benefits.

5. For the knitters in your life...
...bamboo double pointed needles, organic sock yarn and a pattern. Trust me, knitters and crafters never feel like they have enough supplies! The queen of all gifts is the circular knitting needle set, but if they're just starting out the bamboo set is great.

I hope these suggestions help! Have a great time shopping and we'll see if I can't give you a few more tips soon...

soup du jour

2010-11-24T14:53:00.000-06:00

It's drizzling outside, a bit chilly, and overcast. Don't you just love a good soup day? A nice hot pot of soup always hits the spot! Below are a couple of soups I've made in the last 2 weeks that were very successful as comfort food goes.

wellsphere

Simple Potato Soup
(serves 8. I cut recipe in half and served 8 in mugs)

My husband's Grandma Bobbie used to make potato soup so he always finds it quite comforting. Lucky for me it's SO easy to make! I used red potatoes since they are nice and creamy, but you can use whatever you've got. I also added fresh garlic and then grated parmesan over the bowl instead of cheddar. Here is the recipe straight from the compilation my mom-in-law gave us.

Peel about 5 lbs of potatoes and place in a large pot and cover with water. Add to this 2 chopped onions and a cube of butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Boil until tender and drain a little of the liquid off. Mash the potatoes and onions slightly. Add milk to desired consistency. Heat through again. May be served with shredded cheddar cheese.
* * * * *
One day last week I was looking for something to make for lunch. The following recipe is what I ended up putting together with what I had available in my kitchen. Lo and behold, my finicky 3 year old gobbled up an entire bowl full.

Homemade Chicken Soup
(serves 4)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 carrots
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
1/4 red onion
1 lb. chicken meat (I used breast but it can get dry)
chicken stock
pasta (I used farfalle)
spinach
salt & pepper to taste
fresh parsley (optional)

patent and the pantry

Chop up the carrots, celery, garlic and onion then sauté in large soup pot or dutch oven on medium heat in olive oil. Season with salt and cook until tender and sweating, around 5-7 minutes. Cut the chicken into 2" pieces while your veggies cook. Turn up the heat a bit and add the chicken pieces, tossing every couple of minutes to brown all sides. Add chicken stock (and water if you don't want it too rich) to cover the ingredients and give your pasta a bit of room to swim. Bring to a boil then add a cup of pasta, cook until tender. Add spinach and cover for a couple of minutes. Serve with a sprig of fresh parsley and freshly ground black pepper.

Chihuly at night

2010-11-16T16:49:00.117-06:00

One of the nice things about living in the Nashville area is the "small town, yet big city feel." We get to see musical talent and art exhibits without an overly crazy or impossible wait. Sometimes it's so easy to access world class cultural experiences, I can hardly tell I'm not living on either coast. Well, that might be a bit over the top...

A prime example of this Mid-South small town benefit was the installment of Dale Chihuly's glass sculptures at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens. Did I say easily accessible and not overly crazy? Well, that changed for us when we tried to have a dinner & art date night with some friends. The line of cars went down the block, around the bend and down another block...We had to try the following week, and a bit earlier in the evening. With better planning it was a success. Chihuly Nights at Cheekwood was so popular that the exhibit was extended a couple of weeks past its deadline!

The weather turned frigid on us but it was a surreal experience nonetheless. Not every piece or installation was cleverly lit, but each one was certainly unique and beautifully created. I did hear, however, that the exhibit was pretty spectacular during the daytime as well.

These photos were the best of the lot that I captured with my little digital doohickey. This post is so late because my doohickey decided to go all doodoo on me and not function properly. The last couple of posts have featured pictures taken with my phone (boo), and will continue as such until I save up moolah for another doodah (...doodah....).

luxurytyme.com

I have been in awe of Chihuly since my first visit to the Bellagio Resort in Vegas. A-freakin-MAZING. There are also great documentary films of his installations that you can get at the library. It's mesmerizing, really.

Sophia's Leg Warmers: Knitting In the Round

2010-11-07T21:25:00.000-06:00

Now that Fall is in full swing and we've got freezing temperatures at night, it inspires me to knit and crochet for loved ones. Here is a great little project that is easy for an intermediate knitter (or even just slightly past beginner).

one complete leg warmer & one in the round
(I haven't done any blocking yet)

These leg warmers are for Baby Sophia, who was born in July. She is a precious baby, growing quickly just as she should. However, Auntie "Do that" is taking forever to knit her baby leg warmers! I started them in early July but kept putting it away... Hopefully she will not be too big to wear these by the time I ship them off to her parents.

knitting in the round with 4 DPN

I put Sophia's pattern together by mixing a simple tube with my own little flair (you can find other patterns on knitting pattern central). I chose some organic cotton yarn in a natural "malted milk" color. Knit Picks has a wonderful selection of cotton, wool, cashmere and everything else, in terrific colors. Their prices are pretty good and they shipped promptly. Give them a try if you're looking for a place to buy organic yarn.

Have fun with the pattern! You can substitute the needle size to whatever you have, as long as you have 2 sizes apart. If you're using worsted weight, cast on as many as you think will make a diameter of a wrist of a glove (with a single stitch rib).

Sophia's Leg Warmers
by Nicelle Priebe

Materials

Knit Picks 100% Organic Cotton (Sport Weight)

#2 double pointed needles (DPN)
#4 double pointed needles (DPN)
Cable needle

Pattern
CO 60. Divide evenly onto three #2 DPN, mark beginning of round.
K1, P1 (standard single rib) for 8 rounds.
Switch to #4 DPN and knit stockinette (K all st) for 6 rounds.
*[K27, cable 3 in front, K3, transfer cable stitches back onto DPN then K to end. K 5 rounds] then repeat from * 5 times. K stockinette until the tube is desired length (around 8" is standard for babies). Switch to #2 DPN, K1 P1 rib for 8 rounds. Bind off.

Note: I actually knitted the end cuff with the #4 needles for a looser cuff. That way the ends can lay over shoes in a bit more relaxed cuff. You can see this in the first photo above.

Saved by Imperfection

2010-11-04T15:11:00.000-05:00

Sometimes being a perfectionist pays off. Well, many times in my book. In this particular instance, I'm speaking of benefiting from the imperfection, as a result of perfectionism. (head…spinning…and we begin our dramatic sequence)

[Opening song]

For the last two years we've been canning our tart red plums and giving them to loved ones for Christmas as a sweet-tart preserve or jam. Earlier this summer I mentioned the sad news about our plum tree being bare this year.

[bassoon dips into a dirge]

The grief was bearable, just barely. Why? Because it meant no plum preserves on our winter breakfasts, and no sweet jars shipped off or as parting gifts for visitors during the holiday season.

[the flute and oboe begin to create a beautiful melody]

After dinner the other night, lo and behold, my husband found something in the pantry to put on his ice cream.

[drums roll in...building with the tubas and cellos]

The Last of the Mohicans.

The Remnant.

The imperfect that became perfection.

[big drums, full orchestra]

We had saved one jar of plum jam because the jar had an imperfect lid. It was too ugly to give away, so it was rejected… Rejected last year, only to be savored with sheer delight, THIS year.

[…aaaand scene. Curtain falls]

Food finds... a taco at a pizza joint?

2010-11-01T21:47:00.000-05:00

I was pleasantly surprised by the Korean BBQ Tacos at CPK. This was my second order, in lieu of dessert.

Tangy, spicy, goodness! The beef was tasty, with just enough cabbage, cilantro and sumptuous sauce. I didn't even use the lime (that's almost against the law with a "fo real taco").

Before and After with Eddie

2010-10-28T11:58:00.001-05:00

Behind the Scenes of The Nest

One of the things I love about design blogs is the opportunity to see a "before and after" scenario. Here is a room done by Eddie Ross (eddieross.com) using flea market finds on a shoestring budget. What's new? Everyone has a tight budget when renovating an old room, but it certainly doesn't have to look cheap! Eddie is a master... Behind the Scenes of The Nest

function as one with Clothes4Souls

2010-10-22T11:14:00.000-05:00

Remember the online clothing company that I painted the table cover for?

You know... We did the Tomato Arts Festival together?

Well, now function as one is partnering with Soles4Souls new clothing charity, Clothes4Souls.

Check out Soles4Souls blog about the great new charitable deal.

For every shirt that is purchased, one article of clothing will be provided to a child in need!

What do you think?

2010-10-21T11:41:00.000-05:00

The other day, my brother-in-law sent me a link to this photo of Munkiana Devil Rays moving in a massive group. It has had me thinking about how the earth changes and some animals just know what to do instinctively... The photographer said that even the pilot of this aerial expedition had never seen anything like it in 20 years of surveying this area. What do you think? Rare occurrence? Or just never recorded by humans? Either way, it's simply amazing.

CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year 2010

Speaking of original art to buy...

2010-10-19T21:51:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for a quality original 5"x7" painting, you can check out Paul Ferney's commission project. I follow his wife's blog, Oh Happy Day! and she posted about the project this morning. What a great idea... Send Paul a photo and $200, and he'll send you a painting by December 1, just in time to adjust those Christmas lists. Hurry though, the first 100 people get the deal. After that, the price goes back up to $350. I love this guy's style.

Jordan Ferney | Oh Happy Day!

If I had a studio, a nanny and a production assistant, I would love to dream up a venture to paint for people on demand. Hmmm, that's three strikes so I guess I'll have to keep living my own life.

A Positively Crafty Fair Find

2010-10-18T22:21:00.000-05:00

There are times when I want so badly to be positive. I try to look at the situation from many angles in order to come out with something good to say, even if a day turns out to be only 10% of what I hope for.

Well... I must say, Saturday was a tough one. My husband and I have been wanting to take a trek down to quaint little Bell Buckle (and I mean, "downtown" is all of one cute block) that touts an annual art show, sponsored by the local prep Webb School that has been there since 1870. In years past I have seen indications of a juried exhibition, but this year the town was proud to host "over 500 other booths...with something for everyone."

Silly me, I looked at the web site for the wrong year. Apparently, the Webb School Art & Craft Show used to be a bona fide show, even as recently as 2006, accepting juried applications for "high quality, hand crafted work in the traditional fine craft media." What happened in the 34th annual show? It turned into a giant festival, flea market, bizarre bazaar of knock-offs, cheap goods and manufactured holiday notions. The art show? It was hidden in the park, and didn't seem to attract a host of magnificent artisans.

Sorry, Webb School.
Sorry, Bell Buckle.
You need to rename the event, the "Bell Buckle 10% Art and 90% Craftlike Almost-Goods Fair."

My ounce of positive? We found a very friendly craftsman that made wooden spoons, just around the corner from the doggy hair bows. My lovely spoon and oven rack tool are handmade from South American hardwood.

my new oven rack tool & spoon

Score! A lovely gentleman (whose name I failed to acquire) also gave us directions to the few artisan booths that were really a part of the Webb School Art Show (you know, hidden in the park). We found a few interesting booths, some good pottery, but not anything we wanted to come home with.

Oh yes, and it was a positively GORGEOUS day spent with my family.

Everyday Minerals: DEAL ALERT

2010-10-13T13:58:00.001-05:00

Hey, I've been shouting about this make-up for months... If you aren't receiving their promotional emails then you'll just have to keep coming back to Do that for some inside info. This week they have a fantastic deal. Check out the cute NEW 100% hemp make-up bag, then fill it with the Autumn Love Triangle Kit. $18. Seriously!!!

Travel Size

2010-10-11T20:41:00.000-05:00

I've been on vacation for a week so things have been slow on the blog front. I thought about taking some photos and sharing some things but I traded that idea for a true vacation. I didn't check my email more than once, checked facebook maybe twice, and didn't bring a laptop with me (airport security is plenty of work with kids, without having to take out a computer).

One thing I can share from my trip is the great travel size toiletries that I found at Whole Foods last month. I wanted to test some products before buying so I gave Aubrey Organics a try. I liked it so much I've purchased the regular sized bottles! It worked out perfectly because they had a trial size gift set for sensitive skin, which I have typically found to be appropriate for my skin. I still had my mini bottles so I refilled them for my trip.

I also can add some hairspray to my "Products I Use" page. I found a nice little bottle of Giovanni Organic Styling Mist that didn't take up much space in my bag and worked great for styling in the humidity. Yes, San Diego felt like Hawaii when we landed!

There were plenty of great highlights on this trip so I may share more this week. California weather is typically predictable, but this trip went from hot & humid to cold & rainy. Then after the rain, perfectly sunny in the 80s. What a great way to end the week!

Here's my afternoon snack and the recipe from the experts.

2010-09-30T11:43:00.000-05:00

Note the nearly empty cup of coffee (stovetop espresso...we'll talk about that later).
This means that I had already eaten a cookie or two!

One of my favorite things about where I live has to be the local public television station. Seriously, folks. Most of my friends and acquaintances in the area will tell you the same thing... Their household's most watched local TV station is NPT.

There is a great show on Saturdays called America's Test Kitchen that I get to catch once in a while. They have the most fabulous tips, delivered in a very technical manner, which I love! This last weekend they showed how to tweak the famous Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe. The adjustments were easy, although seemingly labor intensive. Trust me, don't be intimidated. I was tired on Sunday afternoon but making these cookies was a breeze. You can watch the show right here.

Ghirardelli.com

I noted in the recipe below that I love the Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chips. On the episode you'll see they do a chocolate chip taste test and they came to the same conclusion! See how big the chips are in my cookies? They are larger chips and such a great quality of chocolate. The taste does not leave a weird, chalky finish either. These cookies are buttery, chewy and chocolaty smooooth!

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
From the episode: The Cookie Jar

Makes 16 cookies

Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter; the dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is browned. Use fresh, moist brown sugar instead of hardened brown sugar, which will make the cookies dry. This recipe works with light brown sugar, but the cookies will be less full-flavored. For our winning brand of chocolate chips, see related tasting.

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces) (see note)
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (the BEST are Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet)
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)
5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Still hot enough for gelato!

2010-09-23T20:48:00.000-05:00

Banana Pudding over Black Chocolate

Yup, we are still hovering around 90ºF around here. Even though I am SO ready for Fall, I like the idea that the heat justifies a cold treat! Last week I visited a little shop in Cool Springs named Nucci's. I opted for two scoops of gelato in a waffle cone, but my sister (who apparently frequents this place enough to be recognized when we walked in) chose a Coppia, this delectable nugget you see pictured here below.

Coppia at Nucci's

Gelato... on top of Italian Ice... on top of more gelato.

My sister was in the middle of "mining" for the bottom layer of gelato when I snapped this shot. This is the method she uses in order to enjoy all 3 flavors together instead of waiting to finish the top layers to get to the bottom. Brilliant.

The Coppia was such a hit with my sis-in-law that she left the place grinning from ear to ear. Her words were, "I'm ruined. I will probably not find a place that compares to this where I live!"

Thank you, Nucci's for a great treat. My family had a wonderful time. Next time, it's a Coppia for me!

Happy with my puffs!

2010-09-20T10:11:00.001-05:00

One of the new signals that my 2nd child is using is a "grrrrowl." He is at the stage when creamy, mushy baby food is simply annoying, and a filler at best. When the blended vegetables and fruits start to get tiresome during a meal, he begins to growl and turn his face from the spoon. What does this signal mean, do you ask? Well, he wants something more difficult, more challenging to gnaw on. He has a lot of nerve, as he does NOT have teeth. Asking for something more "toothy" means Mom has to find something acceptable that he won't choke on.

So there's bread, rice, soy soaked kashi, potatoes, la la la... All great things, but nothing compares to the ultimate saving grace -- Happy Baby Organic Puffs! Seriously, folks. No joke. No endorsements. No pat on the back. I'm just happy to share my love of this wonderful baby snack that actually has vegetables in it! He can eat 'em up at every meal, in between mushy slushy bites of his regular baby food and remain happy. I've also dumped a few on his stroller tray to occupy him while I shop, and they are a great appetizer/distraction while we wait for our food in restaurants. I love these puffy things so much that I bought a carton of six on Amazon!

So far I've found them at Target, Whole Foods, and online. No puffery here, I swear.

Nashville gems

2010-09-18T21:30:00.000-05:00

Union Station

One of downtown Nashville's gems is Union Station, which is also the Wyndham Grand Hotel. It is located next door to the Frist Center, the Flying Saucer, and just blocks away from both the Gulch and Lower Broad. If you haven't made a visit to the Union Station lobby, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how beautiful it is. It is fairly small so it is "cozy," as far as elaborately detailed train stations go. They have renovated the hotel and refreshed the paint so that it looks like a modern, yet still vintage hang. A great place to take visitors for a photo opp! I love the eclectic collection of chairs.

hotel lobby

What struck me today was the hotel's restaurant menu that was posted in the lobby. A $$$ restaurant, Prime 108, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Prime 108

"The signature menu is derived from the finest products available including organic vegetables, hormone free meats, and sustainable seafood."

Way to go, Wyndham. Maybe we'll hit that on a future date night!

Locally grown goodness

2010-09-15T23:02:00.000-05:00

Here is my farmers market stash from the other day. Really great peppers, perfect eggplant, crisp zucchini and shiny tomatoes. I thought things were winding down but this farmer had some great produce.

Not pictured... 10+ pounds of grass-fed beef from Dixon Family Meats and a loaf of honey whole wheat bread. In the corner... Great Harvest cherry muffin and blueberry scone (in the bag). SO delicious. I L-O-V-E Great Harvest. Thanks to the Baughn family, Great Harvest is available at the Rutherford County Farmers Market every week until the end of October!

The love of letters

2010-09-08T10:51:00.000-05:00

Call it...
font fever.
Or maybe I'm a...
wannabe Typophile member
Typography enthusiast? = Typothusiast?
Letter lover?
Type A-B-C personality?

Whatever it is, I am that. Here is my latest loved item found online. If you're a font lover/typophile/typothusiast, you'll understand!

veer merchandise

Can't can.

2010-08-31T23:24:00.003-05:00

2 0 0 8

The past several years have been a maze of home economics for me. Trial and error...left, right, dead end. Start again, cruise, breeze, then turn to the finish at the end of the year. Once again I find myself turning down an unknown path, hoping to find a way to cruise for a bit as we head into a change of season.

2 0 0 9

For the past two years we've been able to harvest, wash, cut, cook and can our lovely little sweet-tart plums. It's been fantastic! We thought we had a family tradition going with Christmas Plum Preserves, enough for the whole family on both sides. Well, this year we hit a wall. I guess we pruned the tree at the wrong time last year so the productivity of the tree was stymied. I hear that weird buzzer sound going off in my head...the two toned one that goes, "bum-merrrrr."

2 0 1 0

(sans plums)

Seeing the lack of flowers on our plum tree in the spring, we looked to the savory option. Pickles, okra, peppers, tomatoes. We planned the Patio Garden Experiment to hopefully yield a boat load of tomatoes, then preserve them as sauce or stewed tomatoes. Ambitious, you say? Well, last year we had cucumbers, okra and peppers coming out of our ears with friends unloading them on us, not to mention the CSA box. I was just thinking we would add to the bounty and have enough to make gifts for Christmas with no problem. I was wrong.

First, we had to opt out of the CSA plan for delivery location reasons.

Second, our tomato plants fed us, as well as our summer guests, but will not be bearing enough fruit to pull out the canning supplies.

Third, we have eaten the few generous gifts of vegetables that we've received from others' gardens, but nothing has overflowed into our pickle jars.

SO, all of that to say, I'm a bit bummed as August comes to a close. I won't be standing like a mad scientist over a hot stove with my microwave cart ready with tools for extracting colorful boiled jars of goodness, and our pantry floor will not be lined with jars of pickles or preserves waiting for the appropriate label and date.

I sigh, yet I smile.
There's always next year!

Another summer dinner...turkey BLTs with beets & brussels sprouts.

2010-08-28T11:42:00.004-05:00

As the summer drags to its end we are seeing the last of the tomatoes in our Patio Garden Experiment. We've definitely been pulling more Roma and Cherry from the compost pile than from any of our potted plants! In the bowl to the left are the sautéed beets with brussels sprouts from our garden. The pretty yellow spaghetti squash in the corner was a volunteer pulled from our side flower bed. You can see the brussels sprout (and broccoli) in that same bed below. Scroll down for the sauté recipe.

Now for the main course... Turkey BLTs on homemade bread! We also had a light salad on the side: spinach, arugula, tomatoes, snap peas and cucumber. So crisp and fresh!

Arugula/Rocket/Roquette/Rugula/Rucola

Ingredients that I used for the sandwich:
slices from an artisan roll, made from the master boule

spicy brown mustard

mayo

turkey bacon
arugula
a good aged white cheddar or gouda
(any cheese with a bite goes well with the arugula)
juicy, ripe, fresh beefsteak tomatoes from someone's garden
red wine vinegar
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

The crispy, chewy bread really held up to the juicy tomato and grease rendered from the bacon. The cheese stood up as well since it was an aged cheese, balancing out the acidity of the tomato, vinegar and mustard. WOW, this was a great sandwich! My 3 year old daughter even thought so.

Beets & Brussels Sprout Sauté:
Mike washed and trimmed 2 cups brussels sprouts from the garden. I chopped and peeled 1 large beet that I had left in the refrigerator from our juicing veggies. After heating up my Green Pan, I added chopped red onion to some garlic infused olive oil. I had that going a bit (not too long) then added the beets and sprouts. I tossed in more crushed garlic, salt, pepper and a bit of onion powder... flipped it a few times over the course of five minutes, then covered and steamed the vegetables for another few minutes. The vegetables were cooked just to our liking, tender but not soggy (al dente). This dish was so aromatic, and beautiful to watch the fuschia pink get more brilliant with the heat.

Feel free to substitute ingredients and let me know how it goes!

Be my guest! Introducing, Laura...

2010-08-24T18:05:00.000-05:00

It is always great to compare recipes and share stories with friends. Laura was kind enough to create a post to share her experience with Blackberry Clafoutis. Thanks, Laura!!

* * * * *
I like to cook and try out new recipes. I also want to be healthy and do what I can for the environment. These are my reasons for joining a CSA or community sponsored agriculture group. When I first joined I was living in an apartment so growing my own veggies was not an option. I now have a house with space for a garden, but I don’t have the patience for gardening so I decided to stick with the farm.

Doe Run Farm

My personal favorite is Doe Run Farm. They have a mini-share that is the perfect size and they include fruit in almost every box. Every Tuesday I pick up a box of organic vegetables and fruits that have been freshly picked from the farm. It’s like Christmas every week. I never know what I’ll get because I don’t get a choice; it’s whatever is in season. This means that I have to be creative and try vegetables that I would normally leave on the shelf at the supermarket or even at the farmer’s market, and every now and then this means I find something new that I love.

That’s sort of how I ended up making this clafoutis. It is pronounced kla-foo-TEE, which makes me feel very French. I had seen recipes for all sorts of variations featuring just about any fruit you can imagine – cherry, pear, peach, and so on. I’ve been meaning to try it, but never got around to it. Then we got blackberries in our box.

I like blackberries, but I don’t love them and there was an unfortunate incident with a blackberry cobbler a few years back, so I was looking for something different. I found a recipe on Baking Bites, a food blog I have been reading for a few years now. I thought I’d give it a shot... It was oh so good and super easy to make! It was custardy, not too sweet, and so pretty. Well, the first day. After that the blackberry juice stained some of the custard grey, but it still tasted good! I had leftovers for breakfast right out of the fridge. I think it’s better warm, but is also pretty good chilled. Enjoy!

Blackberry Clafoutis

12-oz fresh blackberries, about 2 cups 
1/2 cup all purpose flour 
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp sugar, divided
1/2 tsp baking powder 
1/2 tsp salt 1 cup milk (low fat is fine) 
3 large eggs 
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425F and lightly grease a 10-inch round baking/tart dish (a deep 9-inch pie plate will work, too).  Place berries in a single layer at the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, milk, vanilla and nutmeg until very smooth. This can also be done in the food processor. Pour mixture on top of berries and sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp sugar.  Bake for 15 minutes at 425F. Turn oven down to 350F and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, until clafoutis is golden brown and a tester (sharp knife) inserted into the center comes out clean.  Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

Serves 8 (supposedly, I think we got 6 servings out of it)

Birthday Zucchini Muffins

2010-08-22T10:08:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine mentioned once that one of his favorite things is zucchini bread. I decided to try something new and made him some zucchini muffins!

They turned out pretty good, cooked evenly in less time than the loaves I usually make, and still moist inside. I hope he likes them.... we threw in a bag of coffee to go with the muffins so hopefully this morning he had a nice little breakfast snack before he tackles cleaning up party central.

Happy Birthday, Bryan!

I modified Paula Deen's Zucchini Bread recipe below, just a bit. I halved it then poured into muffin cups. Half the recipe yields one dozen muffins.

Zucchini Bread

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time:: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time:: --
Cook Time:: 1 hr 0 min

Level:: Easy

Serves:: 2 loaves

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

Salon Quality Blow-out at Home!

2010-08-21T12:47:00.001-05:00

image: Daily Candy

Thanks, Daily Candy.
Thanks, Julie Dickson of Fox & Boy Salon in NYC.

It really works! I have very thin hair so it takes just a few minutes, but for those with thicker hair I'm sure it will be just as useful. Check out this video on how to blow dry your hair at home, just like the salon does it.

Pizza from the Master... Boule, that is.

2010-08-16T22:09:00.000-05:00

As much as I love love love the master boule from my favorite bread book, I've discovered that I disagree with the authors on one small point. When using the boule for pizza, I've found that using the dough just after it's risen (and has started to fall a bit) is the best time. The dough doesn't spring back when you roll it out so you can achieve a really nice thin crust. I admit, it is much easier to handle the wet dough if you wait until after it's been chilled, but I'm just saying I like it BEST at room temp. The chilled dough also rises more in the oven, giving you an unpredictable dough:topping ratio.

the pizza work flow: one already in the oven,
one on the peel getting toppings, and one getting rolled out.

The pizza party photographed here occurred when my best buds visited last month. They heard (through another visitor in June) that they should request pizza when they got here...so, pizza they had! I think we made 8 or 9 total. There are oodles more pictures (one pizza with each of the girls) but they were taken with another camera. If I get any of those soon I'll post a follow-up!

asparagus & fontina (Trisha's idea... Great combo!)

One of my favorite toppings is Hormel's Natural Choice uncured hard salami. I can find it down the street at my local grocery store as well as in the SuperT. The flavor is great on the pizza and there are no nitrites or nitrates added. Hey, it feels less guilty that way. I think they have a pepperoni too.

salami with marinara sauce and mozzarella

I also love to make my own sauce with a simple tomato sauce base, italian seasonings, loads of garlic, and onion powder. When I have the chance I experiment with store-bought pasta sauces. Newman's Own Organic was our sauce of choice this weekend. Good basic start.

There is a puttanesca that I found works GREAT for pizza, made by LaFamiglia DelGrosso. Oooooh, this sauce is yu-um and even won some awards! It's just the right consistency, and has a nice brine to it (as Linda, my genius cook friend, pointed out). It plays well with veggies, salami and any type of good pizza cheese. (Image: Supermarketguru on ivillage) Trader Joe's also makes a great puttanesca.

Sunday lunch

2010-08-16T10:20:00.001-05:00

Colorful summer meals are so fun, and so wonderful when made by family. Yesterday's lunch was par for the course, and I was not responsible for ANY of it. Even better!

Linda made the caprese skewers (mozzarella, basil, tomato, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper). Michael grilled the beefalo sliders stuffed with goat cheese (the tomatoes are from his garden). Nennette & Michael made the soy bean & corn salad (with red onion and special Owens house dressing). Nennette made a passion fruit spritzer with lime.

For dessert...

Mike explored the produce section at Publix for our fruit toppings. Linda's bowl pictured above has the fruit on top of vanilla frozen yogurt, drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Berries, horned melon, brown turkey figs, and dragon fruit!

Splendid meal, all around. Thanks, everyone!

Working in the closet

2010-08-13T20:59:00.002-05:00

With the recent addition of a second child, we decided that while the kids are little they can share a room. This gave us the third bedroom to use as an office and playroom. So far it's been a wonderful idea and I love being able to work on bills or email while the kids play in the same room. The one casualty, however, was a space for Mommy to paint. I have everything put away, scattered between the garage shelving and office closet shelving. I didn't know that I would be needing any of it this week!

My new (well, temporary) closet studio – complete with TV tray for supplies, folding stool for brushes and cutting mat for my feet. Not sure why I chose the x-acto mat to stand on, maybe just because I ran out of drop cloth? I can't remember because my brain has been a bit foggy for a few days! Just ask Pam (founder/owner/designer extraordinaire of function as one)... our conversations have been filled with, "what's that word? ummmm..." I've been out of my normal routine trying to get some things going for this show. The good news is, she's got great product to showcase for our Booth #101.

Painting a logo

2010-08-12T15:23:00.001-05:00

Working on function as one table cover for Saturday's Tomato Art Festival.

Wow, I can honestly say it's like riding a bike. I haven't had a project like this in quite a while and I'm really enjoying myself! I hope it looks great on the table... 100% cotton duck, pre-laundered to give it that "natural, earthy look." The paint will look distressed too, as if I had stamped it on. I think it will go well with the organic cotton and recycled material Ts that function as one will have in the booth!

This little tomato went to the festival...

2010-08-09T14:39:00.003-05:00

http://www.tomatoartfest.com

In a town to the east
not very far away
on a weekend day
not far from this day
a festival
devoted to
the spectacular
stupendous
magnificent
TOMATO.
Red & yellow
black & white
orange
purple

even striped.

Look for booth 101
Organic Ts by Function As One
I'll add some artwork to set a tone
of natural things
sans flesh and bone
The sun will shine
summer's heat will beat down
LOVE, HOPE & PEACE on your chest
I'll be wearing HOPE too
at the Tomato Art Fest.

No, I'm not a poet, but that was fun.
Hope to see you this Saturday at Woodland and 10th!

Summer Pits

2010-08-01T23:15:00.003-05:00

Dressed up a bit for a family visitation, I was sitting very still today as my husband put gas in the car. I was trying not to move so that I wouldn't break more of a sweat than necessary and mess up my "dressed-up-ness." You see, it was SO hot that even having the windows down felt like a good oven preheat. We thought we might catch a breeze for the kids but it was blowing against the rear of the car instead of into the side, like a nice little breeze should. Thankfully the gas pump didn't take too long to fill'er up.

flickr: Chuck “Caveman” Coker

As we drove off, I somehow took a mental jaunt to hot summer days as a kid. Riding in the van up the Grapevine to visit the relatives on the farm, feeling that strong summer breeze that didn't let you feel the sweat because it was playing a blow dryer on high. I couldn't wait to get to the Central Valley to see the rows of trees. The agricultural landscape meant I was that much closer to spending my days in the pool, eating fresh fruit, being loved-on by my long distance family. Those days are most cherished in my mind and will forever be where I go for safety in my dreams.

Kelly at Make Grow Gather posted about her weekend summer-finding. I left a comment on her blog (below) and found that I wanted to write more about it since I had experienced, just hours earlier, that trip down memory lane myself. It really reminded me of the fruit stand stops on road trips, spitting fruit pits out the window, and driving with my family in the heat of the summer. Thanks for the inspiration, Kelly!

This totally reminded me of summers as a kid! My dad would drive us up to his sister's little farm in Central CA. We'd cruise in our van with the funny windows popped open, just enough to catch the warm breeze and pitch the pits. Many fruit remains and nut shells made it to the dirt banks of 99. I used to wonder if we would see fruit trees growing the next year by the side of the road. Ahhh, summer! -Nicelle

Ahhh Nashville: FREE Gelato on Saturday!

2010-07-30T16:55:00.000-05:00

A flurry of Nashville blogs have featured a local shop, Bravo Gelato. Ok, three that I found, but that's plenty! That is enough reason to check it out... Maybe I'll see you at the Village Green location on Saturday. (12-3pm)

StyleBlueprint

Bravo Gelato: Free this Saturday. | StyleBlueprint
Bravo Gelato | Erin's Food Files
Chef'n Giveaway Winner (and Oh My Gelato!) | Love & Olive Oil

Nashville Food: The Garden Brunch Cafe

2010-07-28T17:51:00.014-05:00

This year for Mother's Day, we decided to go out for brunch on Saturday to avoid crowds. I was browsing through my emails when I saw a restaurant in my airline-mileage-dining-club-thingy. I had never heard of it before so I did a bit of clicking to discover that the Garden Brunch Cafe in Nashville had great reviews. Former patrons had discovered the owners (Karl & Jennifer Carpenter) to be really friendly and attentive, even serving and visiting tables themselves. What struck me, however, was the opening paragraph of their web site that states they serve "seasonal variations on pancake delicacies" and they have a "healthy take on Southern favorites."

Well, that did it for me. I was in, and my husband was excited to try something new. We discovered at the restaurant that they serve local organic eggs (from Mamushi Nature Farm in Franklin, TN), turkey sausage/bacon in lieu of pork products, whole wheat toast, and fresh organic produce whenever possible.

images: gardenbrunchcafe.com

The atmosphere was pleasant... Housed in a quaint bungalow on the North side of Jefferson Street, the cafe has a history you can read about as soon as you walk in the door. Colorful paintings decorated the walls, fresh wildflowers were placed on each table, and friendly people greeted us. There was a certain urban, jazz appeal about the place, even in the daytime.

As for the food, it was certainly very tasty. What I appreciated the most was the comfort in knowing the food was prepared with the intention of supporting healthy living. There wasn't a ton of grease, and the flavor wasn't compromised by the lack of pork fat. Hey, I love me some bacon on occasion, but this particular experience was all about the healthy attitude a Southern brunch can have.

Give them a try! You'll be supporting a local small business that supports other local small business!

Click here for a bonafide article on the restaurant.

Oh yes, and this weekend they are having a special event. I can't make it, but if you happen to go please come back and leave a comment.

* * *

An Evening of Wine & Art
Enjoy sumptuous wine tastings while meeting
and sharing with the artists with art displayed at The Garden,
along with Live Music by Singer/Guitarist John Richards.
The admission price of $20.00 will include
varied appetizers, desserts, coffee, and our fine wines.

924 Jefferson Street
Nashville, TN 37208
615-891-1217

* * *

Patio Garden Experiment: Part II

2010-07-28T11:55:00.002-05:00

L to R: Green Zebra, Yellow Cherry in bowl,
Yellow Pear, Riesentraube, Roma, Cream Sausage

The other day (as I cut up these beauties from our patio garden) I told my husband that summertime is one of the best times to cook because it's so colorful and fun. It wasn't until we signed up for our first CSA box (with Avalon Acres) that I realized tomatoes came in such wonderful varieties in color, size, and flavor.

Sure, I should have a general knowledge of produce as a California native, but somehow it got lost in all of the modernization of food. If you're in for some great information on how that happened, check out some books by Pollan or my current fave, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

So far our patio garden experiment has proven to be less than ideal. Of course, the potted plants bring the ease of watering and harvesting. It's the productivity that we've been disappointed in, as well as the amount of ants that seem to invade the plants as soon as the fruit begins to ripen. With the amount of rain we've had, the fruit has been cracking. Some crack and mend up (see Green Zebra in the photo), and some crack open to be eaten alive by the ants. These tiny black boogers actually bite!

Yesterday I was harvesting what I could from Sophie's Choice, Arkansas Traveler and Yellow Pear. As I was holding a bunch in my left hand and picking with the right, I suddenly felt little ants biting in between my knuckles. They were obviously upset that I had disturbed their meal. Rarrrrr!

Here's the 4-1-1 on potted tomato & herb production (as far as our patio goes). I'll save seeds and replant the ones in bold:

* Sophie's Choice: short plant ideal for pots, slow to ripen, ideal for ants

* Cream Sausage (aka Banana Cream): VERY productive, no cracking.

* Japanese Black Trifele: very productive, sweet and full of water. The ants get them before they turn black.

* Cherokee Purple: little to no production. Seriously disappointing! Native plant that probably wants really badly to be in the ground.

* Arkansas Traveler: strong, sturdy looking plant with only a handful of fruit. Again, the ants love it.

* Green Zebra: not much fruit, but the cracked skin mends itself better than the others. We'll give it another try next year.

* Riesentraube: decent production, but not necessarily prolific. Great fruit, hardy skin and tasty.

* Yellow Pear: ridiculously productive! Even with the cracking and ants it produced enough for us all to enjoy.

* Sweet Genovese Basil: who doesn't use fresh Genovese in just about everything, all summer?

* Lime Basil (our new FAVORITE!!): a definite YES to this plant. Amazing flavor, aroma and growth!

Grilled Free-Range Chicken with Fresh Garden Tomatoes & Lime Basil Salad

I'll let you know how the saving of the seeds goes. Something else I need to learn and grow with! Exciting.

Here's an article in Mother Earth News about open-pollinated varieties vs. hybrids.

Livin' La Vida Verde

2010-07-26T15:13:00.001-05:00

Green! Honestly, I never realized how much I loved GREEN until I started to see things pop that match my new stuff. I chose these items as my favorites in Anthropologie as I was browsing on the last day of a visit from my friends. I didn't know my pals were fishing for my preference for a reason!

ceramic measuring cups and magnetic timer

Maybe you can relate to, or just imagine, having friends that are so close they are family.

The lines get blurred in my family's culture. I can't count the number of times I've heard the question, "are you all related?" If you spend enough time with someone you start to look like them. Not just hair, clothing, and make-up (all of which has happened over the years)... I'm talking about expressions, mannerisms and vocal intonation. Likes, dislikes, opinion, conviction. What I'm trying to say is that there are people in my life that fit the bill, and I was SO blessed to have them for 5 wonderful days.

I certainly can't describe the feelings of that bipolar final day together. What I CAN tell you is that I walked away with a fabulous weekend stash! Ok, I really was quite emotional, but I didn't want to let the violins eek on for too long.

The goods...

A new Game of Things! Thanks, Matt & Lani, for introducing us to this game...and for making me laugh so much, it literally hurt.

Thanks, Trish, for the invaluable advice on the garlic olive oil. Seriously, this has totally changed our lives. Those Vinni bags were amazing, thanks for bringing the wine! I'll look for that yummy Frascati, but I'm not holding my breath.

My lovely husband took a trip to the superT and got me the large Green Pan skillet. Oh, sweet man... Another thing to make my experience in the kitchen even better! (Glad you got the pans, Jen & Priss. Pretty sweet, right?)

See how perfect this timer looks on my fridge, Jannell? By the way, those cute little van Gogh deals are souvenirs from my sister's latest jaunt to Amsterdam.

Thanks, Jen, for the cute denim dress. Thanks for driving so far by yourself with the kids – and you never complained about being in that tiny room with both of them all weekend. Dude, you're a rock star mom.

The darling "California mission tile style" measuring cups (from Lani) sit just above my sink. I can be reminded every day of my home state...and my homies.

Thanks for an amazing weekend, girls!

Smokey eyes, here I come.

2010-07-26T08:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I hope I can at least meet you halfway this morning. Then magically, you'll just be awesome on my eyes.

I do have those "lidless asian eyes," you know. Not much of a crease, barely any lid. Most of the time my eye shadow's main goal is to give the appearance of a deeper crease and larger lid. Why? Well, because that's what the modern world says looks good. I think. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind having these eyes.

Maybe Smokey Eyes will help make me look more awake than I'm feeling?

;-)

Did I mention that I have a sleepy eyelid?
When I wink in type I'm actually just representing my standard smile. Sheeeeesh, this may prove to be more difficult... more than I bargained for. Well, I didn't actually have to do any real bargaining, but I did GET a bargain.

Smokey Eyes set of 5 colors (mineral shadow & liner) plus bamboo eye brush: $12.

my new EM stash

In addition to the brushes and EM collection I already have, I got a few more things like pressed powder and summer bronzer, threw in a couple of murumuru lip balms... then qualified for a FREE full size pink shimmer and black shimmer eye shadow. Sweeeet! Like I told you, Everyday Minerals is worth a try.

At least I can sleep well knowing I'm putting safe make-up on my face and eyes. That's worth much more than I paid. ;-)

Note: I'm an not getting paid to write this post. I just love the product!

Yo, Vinni...Who you callin' a wine bag?

2010-07-24T17:16:00.001-05:00

This has to be one of the best travel buddies of the year. Imagine inflatable water wings for your wine... Thanks to Trish, we saw the Vinni bag in action this last weekend. She brought us some fabu Frascati, originally sampled by her trusted palate, in Italy. I swear it was one of the greatest white wines I've tasted, and not just because it came out of this rad bag.

Treat Your Face Well

2010-07-22T16:46:00.003-05:00

Everyday Minerals promise

A couple of years ago I was visiting my "girlfriend-slash-cousin" and she gave me some mineral make-up that didn't match her skin tone. Lucky me, I was a match! She also mentioned that if I went online to the web site of Everyday Minerals I would be able to try samples of any color, for FREE.

"Whaaat? For mineral make-up? Isn't that so popular right now?"
I had to give it a try.

So, here's my Top 10 Reasons you should try Everyday Minerals:

1) The products are organic, all natural and cruelty free. (Yes, even the lip balms and lipstick!)
2) The mineral base actually helped my sensitive skin to "normalize" after a period of dealing with really frustrating dry, irritated spots.
3) It has great coverage without making me oily or breaking out.
4) They sell amazing bamboo brushes that work fabulously.
5) The color selection is pretty great.
6) It doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
7) The products last a long time.
8) You can buy large or mini sample sizes, or simply try out colors for free in sample size (that still last quite a while).
9) They always have good promos that include free samples, new colors or products, and discounts with a certain dollar amount.

(Screen shot of Everyday Minerals site)

I had tried so many different products, but this one really worked for me! Go to the About menu and hit Everyday Tools. Then click on "Let us help you get started" to find your color. You'll receive free samples and you'll just have to pay for shipping. After you figure out your color(s) you can buy the full sizes, which only cost around $12 each. Seriously.

www.leapingbunny.org

10) They are a part of the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics. Know what you put on your face.

Shout out to Jen and Trish... They're givers. Thanks for introducing me to EM!

Quesapita for lunch?

2010-07-12T13:38:00.008-05:00

What's quick and easy, healthy and gone in 5 minutes or less? Yup, you guessed it.... Quesapita! I'm certain that I am not the only mom that makes this for their kids' lunch, but I still wanted to share it. That's what this blog world is about, right? Share the health.

I made this Quesapita with my Green Pan in about 2-3 minutes. Take one whole wheat pita (sans partially–or fully–hydrogenated anything) and cut it in half. Spritz both sides with olive oil (or use butter, whatever is your pleasure). Take one slice of meunster cheese (melts nicely) and cut diagonally into 2 triangles. The triangles fit perfectly into the 2 semicircles you just cut the pita into. Lay the pieces into your pan on medium-high heat and flip over after a minute or so. Cook until golden or until the cheese is melted, cut with a pizza wheel and serve!

Have the kids help you and they'll have fun with the shapes!