Don't you just love that reflection of the sun in the creek?
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Ice, Ice, Go Away - Come Again Another Day
Ahhhhh...much better...
Don't you just love that reflection of the sun in the creek?
Don't you just love that reflection of the sun in the creek?
Please excuse the broken images...
...it appears blogger is experiencing technical difficulties...
...which also, unfortunately, means that I can't post pictures of any of the amazing finds I bought while thrifting...boooo.
I'll try again tonight friends!
:) D
...which also, unfortunately, means that I can't post pictures of any of the amazing finds I bought while thrifting...boooo.
I'll try again tonight friends!
:) D
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Snow...err...Ice Day
I heard about the winter weather all week...it's supposed to sleet, no snow...no sleet...no a little bit of both...yada yada. It was so clear yesterday, we were all talking in the office about how we couldn't believe how nasty the weather was supposed to turn...well...it turns out the weather people were right...
I woke up to a dark morning...not unusual b/c it's usually dark when I wake up, at least this time of year...
But outside, I saw something...white...everywhere...even in the air...
Woohoo...snow day! Yea! Wait a minute...I'm not in middle school anymore...snow days are not good, unless you want to take vacation or can work from home or don't mind driving in the hazardous conditions.
Here's a shot from my balcony...phew...chilly out here!
Unfortunately, the snow quickly turned to a slushy, not so fun icy mix...
...which will surely make tomorrow's commute "not so much fun." :(
oh well, at least I got some good shots and got to enjoy the pretty snow, if even for an hour
I woke up to a dark morning...not unusual b/c it's usually dark when I wake up, at least this time of year...
But outside, I saw something...white...everywhere...even in the air...
Woohoo...snow day! Yea! Wait a minute...I'm not in middle school anymore...snow days are not good, unless you want to take vacation or can work from home or don't mind driving in the hazardous conditions.
Here's a shot from my balcony...phew...chilly out here!
Unfortunately, the snow quickly turned to a slushy, not so fun icy mix...
...which will surely make tomorrow's commute "not so much fun." :(
oh well, at least I got some good shots and got to enjoy the pretty snow, if even for an hour
Monday, January 29, 2007
Cozy Cherry Cobbler
Icy weather makes me think of seeing your breath in the air, icicles in the trees, and crackling fireplaces. Since I live in an apartment, I don't really have much of that, but I do have a kitchen, and cookbooks, and the ability to throw together a cozy cherry cobbler:
mmm...delicious-o!
mmm...delicious-o!
Pretty Rosy Plates
Ok, so I guess they're not really "plates" per se...but you get the point. I purchased this creamer/sugar set and 5 matching bowls from a local antique store. Aren't they gorgeous?
I had just checked out a new antique store (not so much new as in it just opened, but it was new to me), and I looked all 3 floors of it seeing, unfortunately, nothing turquoise and nothing green. *sad face*
Just as I was thinking my search would go empty, I happened to check one...last...shelf, and voila! I found this creamer/sugar set. There's something to creamer/sugar sets...I guess some people collect vases, and maybe this is just what I'm supposed to collect? Who knows...all I know is that at this moment in time, I am super drawn to them and am ready to grab up any reasonably priced set in turquoise, yellow, pastel green, or pretty floral...like the one pictured above. Anywho, I happened to remember the seeing the bowls arouund the corner, and the next thing I know...I'm headed home with a big grin and a grocery bag full of beautiful plateware.
I had just checked out a new antique store (not so much new as in it just opened, but it was new to me), and I looked all 3 floors of it seeing, unfortunately, nothing turquoise and nothing green. *sad face*
Just as I was thinking my search would go empty, I happened to check one...last...shelf, and voila! I found this creamer/sugar set. There's something to creamer/sugar sets...I guess some people collect vases, and maybe this is just what I'm supposed to collect? Who knows...all I know is that at this moment in time, I am super drawn to them and am ready to grab up any reasonably priced set in turquoise, yellow, pastel green, or pretty floral...like the one pictured above. Anywho, I happened to remember the seeing the bowls arouund the corner, and the next thing I know...I'm headed home with a big grin and a grocery bag full of beautiful plateware.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Healthy Chicken Dinner
I love to cook...I especially love to cook healthy stuff...I mean, don't get me wrong, all the baked goods I made all weekend were delicious, but I try to keep things on the healthy side when I'm doing dinner for my and my sweetie. This night, I made Pan Seared Chicken with Tender Leek by Rachael Ray (click for recipe)
I often find myself asking, "What can I cook tonight for a healthy and inexpensive dinner?" It's tough to do dinner cheap and it's tough to do dinner healthy, so when I find a recipe like this one, I usually add it to my list of "go-to recipes." I like to make the Chicken with Tender Leek recipe, but I usually just do the chicken and sub out other options for the sides. I love to prepare steamed veggies b/c they couldn't be easier to cook or healther to eat, so I like to think of it as a win-win situation...when you get the eaters at your table to actually eat it, of course. When the main part of a meal has a lot of steps, or just when I'm feeling kinda lazy, I'll sub a super simple starch like saffron rice, for the more complicated "recipe side dish." For this particular "Yum-O Queen's" recipie, I sub the wine in the recipe for chicken broth, and I actually like the flavor better. But all in all, I only used a couple tablespoons of olive oil to saute the chicken, a dab of butter in the saffron rice, and a dab of melted butter of the steamed veggies, so I'm thinking this is def good for you.
I often find myself asking, "What can I cook tonight for a healthy and inexpensive dinner?" It's tough to do dinner cheap and it's tough to do dinner healthy, so when I find a recipe like this one, I usually add it to my list of "go-to recipes." I like to make the Chicken with Tender Leek recipe, but I usually just do the chicken and sub out other options for the sides. I love to prepare steamed veggies b/c they couldn't be easier to cook or healther to eat, so I like to think of it as a win-win situation...when you get the eaters at your table to actually eat it, of course. When the main part of a meal has a lot of steps, or just when I'm feeling kinda lazy, I'll sub a super simple starch like saffron rice, for the more complicated "recipe side dish." For this particular "Yum-O Queen's" recipie, I sub the wine in the recipe for chicken broth, and I actually like the flavor better. But all in all, I only used a couple tablespoons of olive oil to saute the chicken, a dab of butter in the saffron rice, and a dab of melted butter of the steamed veggies, so I'm thinking this is def good for you.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Vintage Turquoise Heron "Jar"
In addition to visiting my mom this past weekend to spend some quality time for her birthday, I also managed to get her out of the house...not an easy task to get a QVC fanatic out and about. We headed to the local flea market, but we didn't make it out until waaaaay late. The outside part sucked big time. All I saw were tables of Nike shoes, stereos and a whole bunch of produce. I must have seen at least 15 tables of each and twice as much over with the product. Just when I had given up hope, we headed to an indoor section, which was marked "commercial vendors." I thought it would be a bust - full of only Mary Kay, Tupperware, and other mass-produced items, but to my shock, there were 3 or 4 grandmother-types selling their personal collections. I picked up a few awesome pieces, including this gorgeous, turquoise number:
The ceramic-looking "jar" (I'm not really sure exactly what it is) is imprinted with litle herons and tall grass motifs, but it's just that color that keeps me intrigued.
The woman told me this had been in her house for years, but I really just wanted it for the color. I mean, just look at it! I spotted it from a mile away and ran over to the table, swooped up the bowl, quickly asked the price and carried it around while I perused the table like I was carrying around a small baby. I ended up getting a gorgeous vintage lamp from this same lady, but I didn't have time to shoot that today...sorry!
The ceramic-looking "jar" (I'm not really sure exactly what it is) is imprinted with litle herons and tall grass motifs, but it's just that color that keeps me intrigued.
The woman told me this had been in her house for years, but I really just wanted it for the color. I mean, just look at it! I spotted it from a mile away and ran over to the table, swooped up the bowl, quickly asked the price and carried it around while I perused the table like I was carrying around a small baby. I ended up getting a gorgeous vintage lamp from this same lady, but I didn't have time to shoot that today...sorry!
La Galette du Roi
I've loved the French language since I was a teenager. My dad tried to get me to learn Spanish, articulately explaining how that would be the more useful language to learn, but being the stubborn teen I was, I explained to him that I really wanted to learn French. I took many French classes in high school, which led to me being one of the first students of my high school to participate in a new program - a foreign exchange to France. It was exciting, nerve-wrecking, gleeful, and exhausting all in one, but it was an experience that I wouldn't trade for the world.
I stayed with a French family with a girl named Maude and they lived au centre-ville (downtown) in the city of Besancon. I lived with the family for almost 2 weeks and had the pleasure of experiencing true French culture first hand. I ate what they ate, went where they went - even school. One of my favorite experiences was taking part in a celebration with a "Galette du Roi." Actually, quite a few galettes as the family cooked one nearly every night I was there. I wasn't about to complain - this tasty goodness was to die for, and now that I have the money and capability to bake, I plan on baking one of these every year to celebrate (read eat really good cake).
Now, this ain't your grandma's cake - there's no Betty Crocker mix - no sugary sweet icing...nope! This is a flaky pastry dough filled with a sweet and creamy almond mixture and though it's super simply in it's ingrediants, the taste would say otherwise.
It turns out that my neighbor's dad is actually French, so she's fluent in the French language and though her mom is American, she has grown up with many French traditions, including the Galette du Roi. It made perfect sense, to me at least, that we get together around the beginning of the year to bake one of these bad boys for ourselves. We didn't make the actual day for celebration, but we did manage to get together this past weekend to put together this tasty treat. Wouldn't our parents be proud?
Here's another site with more info on the actual festival and some more yummy shots
I stayed with a French family with a girl named Maude and they lived au centre-ville (downtown) in the city of Besancon. I lived with the family for almost 2 weeks and had the pleasure of experiencing true French culture first hand. I ate what they ate, went where they went - even school. One of my favorite experiences was taking part in a celebration with a "Galette du Roi." Actually, quite a few galettes as the family cooked one nearly every night I was there. I wasn't about to complain - this tasty goodness was to die for, and now that I have the money and capability to bake, I plan on baking one of these every year to celebrate (read eat really good cake).
Now, this ain't your grandma's cake - there's no Betty Crocker mix - no sugary sweet icing...nope! This is a flaky pastry dough filled with a sweet and creamy almond mixture and though it's super simply in it's ingrediants, the taste would say otherwise.
It turns out that my neighbor's dad is actually French, so she's fluent in the French language and though her mom is American, she has grown up with many French traditions, including the Galette du Roi. It made perfect sense, to me at least, that we get together around the beginning of the year to bake one of these bad boys for ourselves. We didn't make the actual day for celebration, but we did manage to get together this past weekend to put together this tasty treat. Wouldn't our parents be proud?
Here's another site with more info on the actual festival and some more yummy shots
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Baking & Coffee
It was a chilly weekend here in the south. My SO and I went to visit my mom for her birthday (a couple weeks late, but we made it nonetheless). Saturday was clear but cold, and though we all slept in late, we did manage to get some good stuff done. My mom is a big kitchen gadget fanatic, so I woke up Saturday to a new coffee maker
She apparently got this coffee brewing contraption at the local Asian foods market - she made Vietnamese coffee - a very strong brew and served it with sweetened condensed milk, which served as both the cream and sugar
Then we managed to enjoy a sleepy, cozy home-cooked breakfast and head out for a late trip to the local flea market. I did find some great vintage goodies, which I'll have to post about later, but in the meantime, let's talk about the baking! To me, there's not much better on a cold winter day than home-made baked goods and a nice big mug of steaming coffee or tea - talk about comfort food!
Since we were in town for my mom's bday, we asked her what she wanted instead of bday cake - being Asian, betty crocker yellow cake mix and super sweet icing aren't really her thing. I actually think the whole bday cake w/ loads of icing is more an American tradition than anything else, but since I've only been to France, I can't say for sure. Anywho, since I've already mentioned my mom's fascination with kitchen gadgets, it may be obvious already that she's a Pampered Chef fiend too. She has all the cookbooks and cookware and plateware and probably anything else she can squeeze into her kitchen, so we made a recipe she said she had been interested in trying - Pecan Praline Triangles (at least I think that was the correct title). Basically, these babies are like a pecan pie (her fave) in the form of gooey little bars...delicious-o!!
Fresh out of the oven
Quality Assurance
Anywho, I actually have more baked goods to share, but it's bed time for moi, so I'm off for now. Good night!
She apparently got this coffee brewing contraption at the local Asian foods market - she made Vietnamese coffee - a very strong brew and served it with sweetened condensed milk, which served as both the cream and sugar
Then we managed to enjoy a sleepy, cozy home-cooked breakfast and head out for a late trip to the local flea market. I did find some great vintage goodies, which I'll have to post about later, but in the meantime, let's talk about the baking! To me, there's not much better on a cold winter day than home-made baked goods and a nice big mug of steaming coffee or tea - talk about comfort food!
Since we were in town for my mom's bday, we asked her what she wanted instead of bday cake - being Asian, betty crocker yellow cake mix and super sweet icing aren't really her thing. I actually think the whole bday cake w/ loads of icing is more an American tradition than anything else, but since I've only been to France, I can't say for sure. Anywho, since I've already mentioned my mom's fascination with kitchen gadgets, it may be obvious already that she's a Pampered Chef fiend too. She has all the cookbooks and cookware and plateware and probably anything else she can squeeze into her kitchen, so we made a recipe she said she had been interested in trying - Pecan Praline Triangles (at least I think that was the correct title). Basically, these babies are like a pecan pie (her fave) in the form of gooey little bars...delicious-o!!
Fresh out of the oven
Quality Assurance
Anywho, I actually have more baked goods to share, but it's bed time for moi, so I'm off for now. Good night!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Gourmet Dessert With Panettone
I first heard about panettone on the Food Network when my fave chef, Giada deLaurentis, made a Panettone Trifle dessert. Intrigued with this new cooking component, I thought surely I'd never find a panettone in the south. Yet, lo and behold, I am grabbing lunch at one of my fave lil Italian-styled eateries when I notice a whole wall full of panettones...it must have been a sign. I looked up the panettone trifle recipe online, but when I heard about the panettone bread pudding with amaretto cream sauce, I was sold! I had a friend over for dinner and while we went low key with dinner - just spagetti with meat sauce - I decided to go upscale with dessert:
Mmmm...look at all those candied fruit pieces...they add an extra sweet bite in the pudding!
All Chopped up
Soaking up a bit
Baked and ready to be served with some yummy amaretto cream sauce
The dessert came out delicious...the sauce was amazing, but I do recommend, as the reviews mentioned, to bake the bread pudding an extra 15 minutes. The panettone is not only expensive, but it's seasonal, as well, so I highly recommend saving this recipe for your next Christmas holiday or New Year's eve celebration.
Click here to see the recipe on FoodNetwork.com
Mmmm...look at all those candied fruit pieces...they add an extra sweet bite in the pudding!
All Chopped up
Soaking up a bit
Baked and ready to be served with some yummy amaretto cream sauce
The dessert came out delicious...the sauce was amazing, but I do recommend, as the reviews mentioned, to bake the bread pudding an extra 15 minutes. The panettone is not only expensive, but it's seasonal, as well, so I highly recommend saving this recipe for your next Christmas holiday or New Year's eve celebration.
Click here to see the recipe on FoodNetwork.com
Sunday, January 14, 2007
My Fave Vintage Find to Date!
I love shopping thrift stores...you can find some of the most amazing things there if you don't mind the hunt, which is probably the part I love the most. Ah...the thrill of the hunt...wondering what treasures you'll find that day...if any. I stopped by the Salvation Army this weekend to see what I could dig up. I found an almost complete set of plates - 3 small and 4 large - with vintage yellow flowers. They don't even have a stamp on the bottom, so I'm guessing that means they're really, really old? Anyone know what that means when plateware is blank on the bottom?
Anywho, I'm checking out the mugs when I see a treasure that makes me gasp slightly. Could this really be sitting here with all these other people checking the shelves about? How could they not see this amazing find just sitting there!? It's a delicate little vintage-turquoise teacup. I quickly checked the shelves for others, but alas...could find none. Still, I was beaming! How precious was this dainy little teacup? I could have left there and been done for the day...for weeks even, but I kept browsing. I picked up a couple little white bowls with slightly swirled edges that I thought may make excellent dessert serving dishes one day. Then, for whatever reason, I decided to check the rest of the plates. I normally don't check the plates...I normally look for mugs, sugar bowls, butter dishes, but today I looked at plates and boy am I glad I did. The thing is...it's so much work to dig through plates when your arms are already full of vintage finds that you're trying oh-so-careful to not drop. But, I decided, what the hay, I'll take a looksee. I started through some of the piles - boring white...ugly brown, dirty...broken...stacks of generic Wal-mart looking plates, and then at the bottom of one of them...Oh my!? Could it be? I stared at that last, bottom plate of the pile. Turquoise...and perhaps...I lifted the plate to the delicate turqoise teacup I had just found not 10 minutes ago and....YES! Hoorah! I couldn't believe it...I had just unearthed the matching plate for the teacup! I didn't even know it had a match, but how amazing for everything to come together under such a whim!
After shooting the teacup today with a previous vintage sugar bowl find, I decided to add the image to my header. What do you think? Not too shabby, eh?
Anywho, I'm checking out the mugs when I see a treasure that makes me gasp slightly. Could this really be sitting here with all these other people checking the shelves about? How could they not see this amazing find just sitting there!? It's a delicate little vintage-turquoise teacup. I quickly checked the shelves for others, but alas...could find none. Still, I was beaming! How precious was this dainy little teacup? I could have left there and been done for the day...for weeks even, but I kept browsing. I picked up a couple little white bowls with slightly swirled edges that I thought may make excellent dessert serving dishes one day. Then, for whatever reason, I decided to check the rest of the plates. I normally don't check the plates...I normally look for mugs, sugar bowls, butter dishes, but today I looked at plates and boy am I glad I did. The thing is...it's so much work to dig through plates when your arms are already full of vintage finds that you're trying oh-so-careful to not drop. But, I decided, what the hay, I'll take a looksee. I started through some of the piles - boring white...ugly brown, dirty...broken...stacks of generic Wal-mart looking plates, and then at the bottom of one of them...Oh my!? Could it be? I stared at that last, bottom plate of the pile. Turquoise...and perhaps...I lifted the plate to the delicate turqoise teacup I had just found not 10 minutes ago and....YES! Hoorah! I couldn't believe it...I had just unearthed the matching plate for the teacup! I didn't even know it had a match, but how amazing for everything to come together under such a whim!
After shooting the teacup today with a previous vintage sugar bowl find, I decided to add the image to my header. What do you think? Not too shabby, eh?
Chicken Saltimbocca a la Giada
I was feeling the "cooking mood" sometime last week and decided to try one of the recipes from one of the 2 Giada deLaurentis cook books I have. I went for Chicken Saltimbocca...a dish I've had a Macaroni Grill many times and one that I wanted to try making myself.
It starts with chicken cutlets or thin-cut chicken breasts - top with paper-thin-sliced pancetta and spinach and freshly grated parmesan
Roll the chicken up and saute - then add chicken broth and simmer...yummy
I served my dinner with fresh angel hair - easily found in any regular grocery store. I think fresh pasta tastes ten times better than the dried version ever could. Top with more fresh grated parmesan and you have a feast. If you do try this recipe, be sure to use non-colored toothpicks...we learned the hard way that the color will stain your chicken. Luckily, my SO doesn't have the same unwarranted paranoias that I do, so he got the really colored chicken.
Then it was time for dessert. I decided to try an Ina Garten recipe, so here are Palmiers a la Barefoot Contessa served on one of my vintage finds from a couple weeks ago.
It starts with chicken cutlets or thin-cut chicken breasts - top with paper-thin-sliced pancetta and spinach and freshly grated parmesan
Roll the chicken up and saute - then add chicken broth and simmer...yummy
I served my dinner with fresh angel hair - easily found in any regular grocery store. I think fresh pasta tastes ten times better than the dried version ever could. Top with more fresh grated parmesan and you have a feast. If you do try this recipe, be sure to use non-colored toothpicks...we learned the hard way that the color will stain your chicken. Luckily, my SO doesn't have the same unwarranted paranoias that I do, so he got the really colored chicken.
Then it was time for dessert. I decided to try an Ina Garten recipe, so here are Palmiers a la Barefoot Contessa served on one of my vintage finds from a couple weeks ago.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Monday, January 01, 2007
Amazing Vintage Finds
I heard my favorite bead store was having a sale, so Saturday morning (read early afternoon) I headed over to that side of town. I had a little too much fun bead shopping and decided to hit up the Salvation Army on my way back. Boy, am I glad I did! I found some amazing vintage finds, including one piece of furniture I'll be posting about on Designing Sass...as soon as it's done, of course. The furniture was my weekend project, but the stupid hardware store down the road is seemingly never open and I need a knob to finish my handiwork. Anywho, here are my finds:
Not sure what this is...looks like candle holders, but I'll prolly use it to hold beads, sequins, or other artsy components
My fave find - is this straight out of a Martha Stewart magazine or what? This is going right on my desk...ASAP!
What a cute mug...I couldn't pass up for only 50 cents
Another adorable 50 cent mug - plus it's huge! This will be great for those lazy mornings or afternoon teas!
Silver-lined floral plates...I only found 2, but that's enough for having a friend over for brunch
A bowl set - at least it looks like a set...the one on the left is slightly flatter and lower, while the right one is taller and fits inside the other
Amazing stuff, right? I may have to hit this Salvation Army up every weekend! So much better than an overpriced antique store!
Not sure what this is...looks like candle holders, but I'll prolly use it to hold beads, sequins, or other artsy components
My fave find - is this straight out of a Martha Stewart magazine or what? This is going right on my desk...ASAP!
What a cute mug...I couldn't pass up for only 50 cents
Another adorable 50 cent mug - plus it's huge! This will be great for those lazy mornings or afternoon teas!
Silver-lined floral plates...I only found 2, but that's enough for having a friend over for brunch
A bowl set - at least it looks like a set...the one on the left is slightly flatter and lower, while the right one is taller and fits inside the other
Amazing stuff, right? I may have to hit this Salvation Army up every weekend! So much better than an overpriced antique store!
Thursday, December 28, 2006
A Couple Christmas Photos
I forgot to say it, but better late than never, right? Happy Holidays everyone! Hope you all have had wonderful celebrations so far full of fun, festivities, family and friends. I snapped a couple photos from this year's Christmas that I thought were kinda interesting.
Firstly, check out the madness near my office. I work near (read right smack in the middle of) a shopping center, so when Christmas time hits, my co-workers and I are trapped in the office and forced to explore the local eateries within walking distance. Why? You may ask. Well, because around the holidays, our parking lot turns into this:
The mad race for a parking space
This is the view from my window...it's actually kinda amusing to watch the shopper-stalkers (you know, the cars that follow people leaving stores in hopes of taking over their space when they leave) and the cars that literally fight over a space. Ahh...the madness of last-minute Xmas shopping.
Here's an up close shot of my family's Christmas tree:
German shepherd tree ornament
My mom decided to go with a turquoise Martha Stewart-esque theme this year, in lieu of the normal assortment of handmade ornaments from my sister and I's childhood. It looked really nice, especially with this lovely German shepherd in the tree. It represents our dog, Teddy, who unfortunately passed away almost 2 years ago. He was our only dog, and we really miss him, so the ornament was a nice sentiment for all of us.
I have lots of other pictures of presents and all that fun junk, but these photos are a bit representational of a different side of Christmas...and...I dunno...just interesting I guess.
Firstly, check out the madness near my office. I work near (read right smack in the middle of) a shopping center, so when Christmas time hits, my co-workers and I are trapped in the office and forced to explore the local eateries within walking distance. Why? You may ask. Well, because around the holidays, our parking lot turns into this:
The mad race for a parking space
This is the view from my window...it's actually kinda amusing to watch the shopper-stalkers (you know, the cars that follow people leaving stores in hopes of taking over their space when they leave) and the cars that literally fight over a space. Ahh...the madness of last-minute Xmas shopping.
Here's an up close shot of my family's Christmas tree:
German shepherd tree ornament
My mom decided to go with a turquoise Martha Stewart-esque theme this year, in lieu of the normal assortment of handmade ornaments from my sister and I's childhood. It looked really nice, especially with this lovely German shepherd in the tree. It represents our dog, Teddy, who unfortunately passed away almost 2 years ago. He was our only dog, and we really miss him, so the ornament was a nice sentiment for all of us.
I have lots of other pictures of presents and all that fun junk, but these photos are a bit representational of a different side of Christmas...and...I dunno...just interesting I guess.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Food Day
Every year, my company has a Food Day, usually around Christmas time, and everyone brings in a different dish - storebought or homemade. Needless to say, it's a delicious day of stuffing your face with yummy treats and all-day grazing over any leftovers
I was super happy to see my taco ring, a la Pampered Chef, fly off the table in record speed.
At the end of lunch time, there was one lonely piece, which I was going to wrap up for my sweetheart to take care of after work. But, when I went back to collect my scraps, the lone piece had been accounted for, and all I had were lettuce strips and crumbs...not such a bad thing...the worst is when your food is still sitting there at the end.
I was super happy to see my taco ring, a la Pampered Chef, fly off the table in record speed.
At the end of lunch time, there was one lonely piece, which I was going to wrap up for my sweetheart to take care of after work. But, when I went back to collect my scraps, the lone piece had been accounted for, and all I had were lettuce strips and crumbs...not such a bad thing...the worst is when your food is still sitting there at the end.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
No Accent For Me!
Ha! I tried to tell you guys I didn't have a southern accent...here's further proof:
How bout you? Any accent?
| What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio. | |
| The West | |
| The Inland North | |
| Boston | |
| North Central | |
| The Northeast | |
| The South | |
| Philadelphia | |
| What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz | |
How bout you? Any accent?
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Happy Bday Sis
My sister just turned 21...you may think I'd take her out to the hippest bar/club in town and try to get her drunk...but I didn't...it's not really her thing. Instead, I decided to cook her dinner and my fiance took us all out for dessert.
I made chicken parmesan and linguine alfredo. Yes, I said "linguine" alfredo. I know...it's a bit bizarre, but I wanted to take some help from the store on dinner, while still having fresh pasta, and they just didn't have fettucini...oh well...it tasted about the same. My sister really seemed to enjoy it, and that's all that matters :)
The three of us had a nice relaxing dinner together...Gen X (or is it Y now) style on the coffee table. This may be partyly to do with the fact that I have, unfortunately, covered the entire dining room table with craft supplies (you may recognize it in the learning to sew post), as I'm prepping for a huge 3 day craft show in G-Vegas. Ok, ok, so I've basically covered the entire apartment in craft supplies, but the show is the first weekend of December, so I'm almost done...phew! Things have just been so crazy...I've been swamped and been half going insane, but I think I'm gonna make it. *crossing fingers*
Last night, I stayed up till midnight packaging items for shipment and printing labels. Last night was only the 2nd night I've used the online postage printing software, and since I'm Type-A and pretty paranoid, I worked very slowly and carefully, so as to ensure less chance of error. We'll see how it works...the whole dropping packages off in the mail kinda scares me, but I know that one package I've shipped this method has arrived safely, so I'm feeling pretty good about it...
...though...
Did I just jinx myself? Doh!
I made chicken parmesan and linguine alfredo. Yes, I said "linguine" alfredo. I know...it's a bit bizarre, but I wanted to take some help from the store on dinner, while still having fresh pasta, and they just didn't have fettucini...oh well...it tasted about the same. My sister really seemed to enjoy it, and that's all that matters :)
The three of us had a nice relaxing dinner together...Gen X (or is it Y now) style on the coffee table. This may be partyly to do with the fact that I have, unfortunately, covered the entire dining room table with craft supplies (you may recognize it in the learning to sew post), as I'm prepping for a huge 3 day craft show in G-Vegas. Ok, ok, so I've basically covered the entire apartment in craft supplies, but the show is the first weekend of December, so I'm almost done...phew! Things have just been so crazy...I've been swamped and been half going insane, but I think I'm gonna make it. *crossing fingers*
Last night, I stayed up till midnight packaging items for shipment and printing labels. Last night was only the 2nd night I've used the online postage printing software, and since I'm Type-A and pretty paranoid, I worked very slowly and carefully, so as to ensure less chance of error. We'll see how it works...the whole dropping packages off in the mail kinda scares me, but I know that one package I've shipped this method has arrived safely, so I'm feeling pretty good about it...
...though...
Did I just jinx myself? Doh!
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Re-learning to Sew
Yep, that's right...re-learning. I think sewing is almost like one of those weird hobbies or abilities...like riding a bike. You never really forget how to do it...it just kind of...comes back to you.
I remember, vaguely, creating little pillows and other hand-woven goods when I was younger...I made a lot in my fiber arts class back in high school...that was a fun class! I actually still have some of my creations at my parent's house. They were little fabric-based creations of a kid with a wild imagination...pillows embellished with a multitude of yarns, buttons, and other interesting finds. Those were the days...
I asked my mom for a sewing machine several years ago. I asked her and didn't rush out to buy one b/c she loves her QVC shopping and enjoys finding the good deals and neat options on QVC TV. Well, she purchased a sewing machine for me about 3 years ago, but I never had time to use it...then, I didn't have the space (when I lived in the 2 bedroom townhome w/ 3 people). But now, I have a craft room and all the space I need to get my craftin' on for real! I am re-learning how to sew now, and I'm having a blast! Just like hopping back onto a bike, the art of sewing is coming back to me. Instincts kick in, telling me how to thread the machine, how to fill a bobbin...that I have to backstitch when I start and end...things I just know w/o having to read a book, though I have purchased a couple for inspiration.
I love doing all kinds of crafty things, so here's another fun hobby to add to the list. I can't wait to start making lovely creations, and don't worry...if you keep reading this blog or designing sass, you'll be the first to see them!
I remember, vaguely, creating little pillows and other hand-woven goods when I was younger...I made a lot in my fiber arts class back in high school...that was a fun class! I actually still have some of my creations at my parent's house. They were little fabric-based creations of a kid with a wild imagination...pillows embellished with a multitude of yarns, buttons, and other interesting finds. Those were the days...
I asked my mom for a sewing machine several years ago. I asked her and didn't rush out to buy one b/c she loves her QVC shopping and enjoys finding the good deals and neat options on QVC TV. Well, she purchased a sewing machine for me about 3 years ago, but I never had time to use it...then, I didn't have the space (when I lived in the 2 bedroom townhome w/ 3 people). But now, I have a craft room and all the space I need to get my craftin' on for real! I am re-learning how to sew now, and I'm having a blast! Just like hopping back onto a bike, the art of sewing is coming back to me. Instincts kick in, telling me how to thread the machine, how to fill a bobbin...that I have to backstitch when I start and end...things I just know w/o having to read a book, though I have purchased a couple for inspiration.
I love doing all kinds of crafty things, so here's another fun hobby to add to the list. I can't wait to start making lovely creations, and don't worry...if you keep reading this blog or designing sass, you'll be the first to see them!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Brown Sugar Shortbread
Among other things, I'm trying to (re) learn how to bake. I've been semi-obsessed with the Food Network, really since childhood, but especially the past couple years. I'm pretty picky about my food, so it kinda goes with the saying, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." I don't mean that I dislike other people's cooking...but if I'm in the mood for Chicken Parmesan and fettucini alfredo, why should I waste a ton of money at Olive Garden when I can make it at home? I mean, a trip to Olive Garden is almost always nice...I freakin love the place, but sometimes it's nice to be able to enjoy that kind of meal in the comfort of your home and with the satisfaction of knowing that you made it.
I've been cooking pretty steadily for the last couple years...basically since I graduated college. One thing that I haven't practiced in forever is baking...I thought I'd give it a whirl this weekend:
Brown Sugar Shortbread
a la Pampered Chef
It came out pretty good, but I forgot how dry shortbread was...I did manage to make a quick powdered sugar glaze that I drizzled over the slices as they were served...gave them a little kick...yummy!
I've been cooking pretty steadily for the last couple years...basically since I graduated college. One thing that I haven't practiced in forever is baking...I thought I'd give it a whirl this weekend:
Brown Sugar Shortbread
a la Pampered Chef
It came out pretty good, but I forgot how dry shortbread was...I did manage to make a quick powdered sugar glaze that I drizzled over the slices as they were served...gave them a little kick...yummy!
Sunday, October 22, 2006
What's Wrong With Me?
"To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly." ~Henri Bergson
Today I subscribed to Martha Steward Living. I sat there, staring at my computer screen, wondering, am I really about to subscribe to Martha Stewart Living? What's wrong with me? I don't get Martha, I get Cosmo, Lucky, Glamour...
I remember one time in college, when I had moved from the dorms to an apartment, I did something...maybe I cooked, or I ironed something...I can't remember...but what I do remember is how my friends remarked, "Oh my gosh...look at domesticated Diana!" Hmmm...domesticated? I think I've always been "domesticated." Even back in middle school, my favorite TV shows were FoodTV and HGTV. I've always loved cooking, crafting, garage-saling, and other stereotypically "domesticated" things. And yet, it was almost as though that person took a step back in college to let a different person develop, and now those two entities are growing together. I've taken up garage-saling again. I run a jewelry business, so I do crafty stuff all the time. I've started evening out my TV time with Style and The Food Network and HGTV. My mom bought me a sewing machine, so I'm trying to re-teach myself to sew. It's weird and refreshing all at once, sort of like when you revisit your parents house after you've moved out...it's unfamiliar and comfortable at the same time.
Today I subscribed to Martha Steward Living. I sat there, staring at my computer screen, wondering, am I really about to subscribe to Martha Stewart Living? What's wrong with me? I don't get Martha, I get Cosmo, Lucky, Glamour...
I remember one time in college, when I had moved from the dorms to an apartment, I did something...maybe I cooked, or I ironed something...I can't remember...but what I do remember is how my friends remarked, "Oh my gosh...look at domesticated Diana!" Hmmm...domesticated? I think I've always been "domesticated." Even back in middle school, my favorite TV shows were FoodTV and HGTV. I've always loved cooking, crafting, garage-saling, and other stereotypically "domesticated" things. And yet, it was almost as though that person took a step back in college to let a different person develop, and now those two entities are growing together. I've taken up garage-saling again. I run a jewelry business, so I do crafty stuff all the time. I've started evening out my TV time with Style and The Food Network and HGTV. My mom bought me a sewing machine, so I'm trying to re-teach myself to sew. It's weird and refreshing all at once, sort of like when you revisit your parents house after you've moved out...it's unfamiliar and comfortable at the same time.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Linguine With Shrimp Scampi
Oh Food Network, how do I love thee?
I love weekends that I can wake up late, keep my comfy, cottony PJ's on and sit in front of my couch and watch Food Network and make jewelry. Give me a cup of coffee...maybe a bacon, eg,g and cheese bagel from Bruegger's, and I'm a happy camper. Every once in awhile, I stumble upon a recipe that becomes a staple in my home. This is one of them:
It's Linguine with shrimp scampi, and not only is it delicious and relatively healthy, it's pretty darn easy to make. There aren't a lot of ingrediants to it, so that helps keep things simple, but the food is cooked over medium low heat, which means that things don't really burn all that easily. I first made this meal a couple months ago, and we must have had this half a dozen times already since then. Oh, and it's not too expensive to boot!
Click here for the recipe
I love weekends that I can wake up late, keep my comfy, cottony PJ's on and sit in front of my couch and watch Food Network and make jewelry. Give me a cup of coffee...maybe a bacon, eg,g and cheese bagel from Bruegger's, and I'm a happy camper. Every once in awhile, I stumble upon a recipe that becomes a staple in my home. This is one of them:
It's Linguine with shrimp scampi, and not only is it delicious and relatively healthy, it's pretty darn easy to make. There aren't a lot of ingrediants to it, so that helps keep things simple, but the food is cooked over medium low heat, which means that things don't really burn all that easily. I first made this meal a couple months ago, and we must have had this half a dozen times already since then. Oh, and it's not too expensive to boot!
Click here for the recipe
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