Signs of Spring

Slowly but surely the signs of spring are emerging. The lush green daylilies have popped through the ground in full force, and the first Star Magnolia bud has started to open. We missed the blooming season for this tree last year since it was planted just a tad afterward. It will be a nice treat to see it in full bloom this season. I think we'll be dusting off the seat cushions and spiffing up the front porch this weekend. Spring is definitely in the air!

Weekend Date, Weekend Sewing

I think I've mentioned before that hubby and I love to spend time at Borders on the weekend just browsing through books and magazines with a beverage in hand. Saturday evening we did just that. And the very best part?? I had a forty percent coupon in hand. I'd heard great things about Heather Ross' new book Weekend Sewing and thought I'd check it out. It's very nice.

I'm hoping to improve my overall sewing skills and the projects in this book will be just right for getting started. You can catch of glimpse of some of them here.

Yeast Matters

Hubby named this post and I think it's quite appropriate. After the dough rested on the counter for over 18 hours, it still wasn't very bubbly on top. This could be due to two reasons:

1) The yeast expired in October and had not been refrigerated (I'm definitely not Julia Child)

and/or

2) Our house temperature is kept at 64 degrees and the recipe called for a 70 degree location in which to rise.

I decided to move forward with it and just see what happened.

It never doubled in size, but I cooked it anyway. Here's the finished product. Maybe we could just call it Rosemary Lemon Flatbread. The inside was nice and tasty, but the outside was quite hard and it was very, very flat. Do you think it's worth trying again? Given that it's a 24 hour or so process and kind of messy I'm not so sure. I'm smitten with our mini breadmaker. Nice and compact and the process is neat and tidy. I will, however, most definitely invest in a new jar of yeast.

Baking Bread

This recipe for no-knead bread seems to be a very popular one. I've been wanting to try it for quite some time. My cousin Julia tested it out and was very happy with the results. I saw a Rosemary Lemon version of the no-knead bread in the Williams Sonoma catalog and thought I'd give it a whirl. I just finished mixing the ingredients together and now it needs to rest on the counter for twelve to eighteen hours. Can you see the writing on the lid of the yeast jar? I just noticed that it expired last October. Hmmm....I'm not quite sure how I missed that. If this loaf doesn't turn out I can blame it on the yeast. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Victory!

I have a friend who loves to shop. She. Really. Loves. To. Shop. The idea of thrift shopping, however, sent shivers down her spine. Well, several months ago I persuaded her to go thrift shopping with me (there was lunch involved). She was the biggest spender of the day, but she still didn't like the thought of thrift shopping at all (that day was just a fluke). Since then she and I have thrifted together on several occassions. We browse, make our purchases, and return to the car. She whips out the anit-bacterial hand cleanser before I can get my seat belt buckled. On Tuesday we went thrifting again and do you know what she said???? She said, "I'd like to do this twice a month". Twice a month!! I'm going to call that a victory. I found this fabulous vintage sheet that someone made into a coverlet by adding trim around the edges. She thought I was kidding when I added it to my "purchase pile". I wasn't kidding. And these are from a thrifting trip a few weeks ago: The cross-stitch picture was ninety-nine cents! It is stitched on linen. On the back it says Made (By) Rose Miller, 1934. I'd love to know more about Rose, like where she lived and how old she was when she made it. Was it hanging in her home or did she make it for a friend? What did her home look like and did she make quilts too? I picture her working on this while her laundry was drying on the line and bread was baking in her oven. I guess I'll never know for sure, but it's fun to imagine. And these Pyrex salt and pepper shakers definitely make my heart sing. They match my favorite mugs and fit right in with the golds and greens in my home. And by the way, my friend is now sporting a "new to her" Ralph Lauren handbag. Victory.

Special and Cherished

Instead of photographing a corner of my home today, I thought I'd gather up some special little items that I've received as gifts over the years. They are old, new, handmade and thrifted and each one was given with thoughtfulness and love.

Do you see that gorgeous yellow daisy? I spotted it while thrifting with a friend. I passed it by because the price tag was a little higher than I wanted to pay. We stopped for lunch and I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw that little pin sitting next to my plate of hummus and veggies. Aren't girlfriends the best?

And speaking of girlfriends, I am lucky enough to have shared the last thirty years of my life with a very special friend from high school. We've been through dating, weddings and children together and our friendship is stronger than ever. The last time we got together, she surprised me with this fabulous necklace that she made. Isn't it stunning??

This little shadow box is one of my most treasured gifts. It was handmade by my aunt and given to me about thirty-five years ago. I wish I'd written the date on the back so I'd know for sure how old I was when she made it for me. Maybe she'll remember. It was difficult to get an accurate close-up. The top photo is more representative of the color. Can you see how it's three-dimensional? Those tiny pieces were cut out applied to the background. I remember sitting on our sofa in the living room admiring how beautiful is was. It has travelled with me from home to home and has a few accidental dings, but to me it's still perfect.

And last but certainly not least, this special little pull toy was given to me by my dad over twenty years ago. How many dads pay attention to what their grown daughters are collecting? Mine did and he still pays attention to my interests today.

There's no question that I hit the jackpot when it comes to the family and friends in my life. You are all special and cherished.

Food, Food, and More Food

Is it strange to photograph your dinner? You do it too, don't you? Well, I didn't make this dinner, but it was so beautiful I couldn't run for the camera fast enough.

:: avocado sushi ::

:: steamed spinach in some kind of wonderful sauce ::

:: seaweed salad ::

I'd never had seaweed salad before but it was really very good!

Where's hubby's plate you ask? Well, his was slightly different than mine but right up his alley and he made it himself.

:: Filet Mignon with caramelized onions ::

:: baked potatoes with all the fixins ::

:: no vegetable anywhere in sight ::

Sorry, no photo. It wasn't very colorful and I'm all about color.

In the kitchen this morning I'm making more Sweet and Savory Nuts. I'll be taking them to a friend as a hostess gift today.

And here's a recipe I've been wanting to share with you. It's so simple to make.

Bake some sweet potatoes. When finished baking and still very hot, peel and place in food processor. Add eggs (I use one egg per one decent sized sweet potato) and process until smooth. The heat from the potatoes "cooks" the egg and you end up with a heavenly sweet puree that has protein too! I keep this in the refrigerator for those times when I just want a little something. A heaping tablespoon straight from the fridge is just enough to satisfy me. And it's beautiful to look at too.

Heavenly Day

It's a gorgeous day here today so we spent a little time in the garden. Mr. Rabbit's been hibernating in the shed, so we dusted him off and returned him to his place of honor. There are some tulip and crocus bulbs popping up around him and we've planted a little something for him to munch on.

:: Lettuce ::

We have five different varieties of lettuce seeds and will plant one type each weekend so they are ready to be harvested at different times. Hubby and I aren't very experienced vegetable gardeners but it sure will be fun to see what we end up with. I can almost taste those fresh crunchy salads now. I was listening to my iPod Shuffle while gardening and one of my favorites songs came on. It was so appropriate for today. If you haven't heard Patty Griffin's song titled Heavenly Day, you might want to check it out (you can listen to a clip here). Beautiful!

Hoping your weekend has been full of warmth and sunshine.

Spring Cleaning

I've got some serious spring cleaning to do this week! I am going to dig down deep and be very responsible :: do what needs to be done! Well, it's not exactly what you might think of when you imagine spring cleaning, but it's sort of similar to spring cleaning.....kind of..... Alright, let's just call it Spring Cleaning Sewing. There's a pile of unfinished projects in my sewing room closet that are begging to be completed. That's why I'm just going to have to force treat myself to a whole week of being chained to hanging out with my sewing machine. There's a summer table runner to finish, some pieced tops to sandwich, quilt and bind, and some pillows to put together.

It's going to be an exhausting incredibly fun week! What are you working on?

Super Efficient Meal Prep

One of the things that hubby and I love to do on the weekends is take a trip to our local Border's Book store. We sit with a pile of books/magazines and a beverage (a cup of tea for me and a Javanilla shake for hubby) and enjoy a couple hours of browsing. Occasionally, if I have a coupon in hand, I'll buy a book that catches my attention. Fix, Freeze, Feast, by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik was one of my recent purchases.

Yesterday, my college student and I spent a few hours in the kitchen preparing three different recipes from the cookbook. Each recipe makes about three entrees that serve four people. So, we made thirty-six meals for him to take back to school and have ready and waiting. He did the preparing and I cleaned up along the way :: it was definitely super efficient meal preparation.

Chicken Parmigiana

The chicken, sauce and cheese are in the bag and ready to go. It just needs to be popped in a pan and baked for twenty minutes.

Rose City Teriyaki

This is flank steak in a marinade that smells heavenly! Thaw and cook for 20 minutes and dinner is ready.

Basil-Balsamic Chops

Another heavenly-smelling marinated dish. These need to be cooked for eighteen minutes.

Also included in the book are breakfast, side dish, soup, sauce and dessert recipes. Our plan is to continue preparing ahead so that an entire meal can be pulled out of the freezer when needed. We give this book five stars for ease of preparation and efficiency. We'll let you know how the recipes rate once they've been taste tested.

Gratitude and Inspiration

I am a huge fan of Amanda Soule's blog, Soule Mama . Although I'm finished raising children I still thoroughly enjoy reading about her fresh ideas for creative parenting. There's something in her words that bring about an enormous sense of serenity and warmth. She's also pretty fantasic in the sewing and knitting department. A while back, Amanda generously posted a tutorial for something she calls a Gratitude Wrap. I fell in love with it and went to work on making a couple of my own. I constructed mine differently and made some modifications on the inside, but the inspiration definitely came straight from her tutorial. Since that time, my Gratitude Wraps have been buried in the depths of my UFO pile. I'd pull them out every now and then, look at them a bit, and then put them back in the pile to be completed later. Well, guess what? Today was the day. I completed one of the wraps and I'm really happy with it!! This one was sewn right sides together and then turned and topstitched. The one that has yet to be completed will need a binding around the edges. I have a bit of a binding phobia so I saved it for last. My goal is to complete it next week. I'll show you the end result :: no matter what the outcome :) Here's how it looks right now:

Wish me luck!!

Shelves for Mom

Our college student, who is soon to be our college graduate, is home for spring break. He's a very handy guy to have around, and he's building decorative shelves for our Keeping Room. They will hang on either side of the fireplace and will be absolutely fabulous for displaying some of my vintage treasures.

I barely finished my question (would you be interested in building some shelves...) and we were drawing designs and heading out for lumber. That was yesterday and today they are more than halfway complete. I'm a very lucky girl.

Snacks and Show and Tell

Snacks

I made this Sweet and Savory Snack recipe for the second time. It is that good. Really, really good. And there's not much to feel guilty about when indulging in this treat. I found the recipe here, and modified it to my liking. I used agave nectar instead of pure maple syrup, and deleted the raw pecans since they are quite expensive. I also deleted the raw pistachios since I couldn't find them in my local health food store. Instead of cooking in the oven in high heat, I dehydrated mine. I was out of pumpkin seeds yesterday so I only used almonds and cashews. It was still good :: really, really good. Here's my version:

3/4 cup raw almonds

3/4 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup shelled raw pumpkin seeds

1 T agave nectar (instead of pure maple syrup)

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Mix all ingredients, stirring well to combine. Spread on dehydrator tray in a single layer. Set to approximately 110 degrees and dehydrate for four hours or until no longer sticky.

Show and Tell

This photo is of the gift that I was making last week. I used this tutorial, but made several modifications since the person I made it for has a very small frame. I made the apron a couple of inches shorter than the one in the tutorial, and the ties are also a couple of inches shorter on each end. The recipient will probably be able to tie a bow in front, but since I'm doing the modeling, a simple knot it was. I also made the waistband and ties more narrow by two inches. It's a great tutorial for beginners and so much fun to make! The fabric is from Amy Butler's Lotus collection.

Forward and Back

:: Missing ::

Spending our weekends on the baseball field watching our favorite player do what he loves most.

:: Enjoying ::

Spending time in my sewing room playing with fabric, creating, and dreaming about projects to come.

:: Looking Forward To ::

The lush green of spring, vivid floral color, exercising outdoors, and eating meals on the patio.