Lark Books entries

Lark Books publishes a lot of craft books, and the really cool part is the books usually have some sort of theme.
They announce upcoming books on their website and do open calls for submissions.

Those of you who quilt have an opportunity right now to submit one or more quilts for consideration.
How cool is that?
Entry form here

Unique Cookie Recipe

A friend of mine told me about a recipe that his co-worker's wife was making that seemed to be a hit in his office.
My friend didn't even give the cookies a try, saying a perfectly good chocolate chip cookie was ruined by the addition of blueberries, like it was a sacrilege.
I was intrigued by the combination.
And they're tasty!

Milk Chocolate Chip Blueberry Cookies

1 cup softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar (or another option is 3/4 cup of granulated sugar and 2 tsp of molasses)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cup flour
3/4 - 1 cup (or to your taste) blueberries (frozen or fresh, rinsed and patted dry)
Milk Chocolate chips, one 11.5 ounce bag (I thought that was a lot so initially used less, but the cookies really do need a lot of chips)

Cream butter with sugars.
Add eggs and beat until mixed well. Add vanilla.
In separate bowl mix together dry ingredients, then add to creamed mixture.
Mix well.
Mix in chocolate chips.
Carefully fold in blueberries.

Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 375 degrees for about 8 minutes, or to taste
Cool on baking sheet for one minute before moving to cooling rack.
Enjoy!

Dogs

AMAZING photos by Seth Casteel

Vintage Mermaid Valentines

Recent ebay auctions.
I would have loved to have owned these, but "deep down" sold for $32, and I can't justify that expense.
I'm especially a sucker for the red hair.
Adorable though.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Museli Recipe

One of the things I find helpful with having a blog, is I can post recipes that I want to keep, and always have a way to access them.

I tried a recipe for homemade granola after hearing Lisa Ann Walter talk about it on her radio show out of Los Angeles, on KFI 640AM.
It's fabulous (just like Lisa. Her show is The Fabulous Lisa Ann Walter).
She says, "I eat it every day and it's wonderful. I never feel hungry, and it doesn't make me feel like I want to go back to bed like when I have carbs or too much fat in the a.m."

To me, granola is something held together with honey and maybe maple syrup and baked.
That's fine, but this recipe is raw, and in my opinion more of a museli.
And I loooove museli.
Nuts are loaded with nutrients and good fat, and will help you feel satiated so you don't want to reach for that quick junk food fix.

Homemade "Granola"
1 cup raw, unsalted almonds
1 cup raw, unsalted pecans
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup psyllium husk (I skipped these. I think they're kind-of a laxative thing, but I'm not sure)
1/2 cup flax seed
1/2 cup flax meal (note Trader Joes sells all of these items)
1 box high fiber cereal (also TJ's) or you can use 3-4 cups organic whole oatmeal instead of fiber cereal (I used the oatmeal)
You can also add as much/little as you want of other nuts - pistachios, pepitas, etc - it's really up to you.
I added 1/2 cup organic unsweetened coconut

Lisa suggests, "Just buy a few bags of frozen mixed berries and pour a cup or more into a bowl, nuke and then add half a cup of plain greek yogurt on top, finish with a giant handful of the granola mix."
I'm not fan of Greek yogurt, so I use Whole Milk Cream Top Vanilla yogurt by Brown Cow (sooo sad that Stonyfield farm stopped making theirs. That was the best yogurt on the market).
Sometimes I add the fruit, sometimes I add the yogurt, sometimes I add both.
Sometimes I pour milk over it and eat it like cereal.
It's a great any-time snack.

Put the mix in a zip-loc bag and keep in the fridge.

Remembering 2011

A new year, a clean slate.
This is my favorite time of year.

I started a tradition for myself of remembering things I accomplished during the previous year.
I like the idea of reminding myself of adventures and accomplishments, versus the human tendency to lose ourselves in "what if", "if only", and failures.

2010's list

In 2011 I:
*Finally had a Mai Tai at the Bali Hai (something on my San Diego bucket list)

*Splurged and bought myself an IPhone!

*I read 16 books (um, about half of last year's total. Due to that phone, lol, I spent more time on Facebook than reading. That's going to change this year)

*I heard Bruno Leone play piano, sing, and tell stories at the Atheneum (the La Jolla Music and Arts Library). It was magical

*I saw Amos Lee at Humphries

And spent a couple days at Tiki Oasis, listening to bands, learning how to apply pin-up make-up, and shopping for cool stuff like this vintage fabric

*I won second place in an essay contest that garnered me a $1000 scholarship. So I decided to go back to school!
When I talked to the enrollment person on the phone, she said,
"wow, not many people get a thousand. You must be really special."
That made me feel great.
I am attending the Institute for Integrative Nutrition
*With my school's assistance, I got my own website,
Wishing Wellness, focusing on health coaching (and eventually art classes)
*I got my own business cards

*I took a class to learn SoulCollage.
I intend to get certified to teach this art technique.

*I finally started selling on eBay

*I took my first Burlesque class

*I took a vacation to Seattle for the first time, and to Vancouver.
I never did blog about that, and I have so many cool pics to share...perhaps soon I'll blog it belatedly.
The trip included finally seeing Dale Chihuly's amazing blown glass art
(and I obviously fell in love with the Hipstamatic app)

*I finally tried a Suncrest Peach. Absolutely amazing (for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, read the book Epitaph for a Peach.This is how God intended fruit to taste.
Not the picked green varieties that are available in the grocery store now.
Those bland varieties are chosen because they ship well, but they have no flavor.

*I saw my first example of Urban Knitting, aka a Yarn Bomb

*I finally saw a movie at the La Paloma Theatre
(another entry checked off my local bucket list)

*I finally finished Jen's Mosaic Pot
*And I finished another set of personalized baby blocks (I still need to blog about these)

*I had boudoir photos taken for the first time. Definitely something I'll do again


*I met with a financial advisor in a huge step toward getting back on my feet and out of debt

*And, most importantly, my ex-boyfriend came looking for me and we got back together. It has been amazing

How was your year?

Gift Ideas

Some of my favorite gifts, both to give and to receive, are stocking stuffers.
Fun candy, I-tunes gift cards, gold coins, wool socks, art supplies, kitchen gadgets...
Here are a couple more ideas:


If you have long hair, this brush is a MUST HAVE.
The Wet Brush blows a comb out of the water. It is awesome!
And affordable.

I like these dog leashes that loop around to form their own collar.
This one is at LL Bean.

Hee Hee....Dog Slobber Hand Sanitizer
At Perpetual Kid.

I didn't mean to turn this into dog-related gifts, but I've just happened upon some cool stuff.Doggie water bottle adapter


T Rex tea strainer, at Fred Flare

What is on MY "gimme" list this year?
A food processor
New pillow (a chiropractic type)
Chanel foundation
curling iron with a wide brush, like this
a vintage Polaroid. Maybe the SX-70 (see this)
Fermenting class, from Nourished Kitchen

Green Dip-- YUM!

This is a delicious cross between a salsa verde and a pesto.
Serve it with tortilla chips, or use it as you would any salsa.
It's also a great alternative to guacamole, because you get a lot of salsa yet use very few avocados.

4 bunches cilantro (yes, I do mean bunches. Four sell units)
14 Tomatillos, husks removed (either raw or charred in oven, depending on your preference)
4 Avocados (not too hard, but not overly ripe either), use a spoon to scoop flesh from skin. Remove pit
4-8 Serrano chilies (depending on your heat preference), seeds removed
You can add jalapenos too, but I prefer just Serranos
1 full head of Garlic, skins removed and each clove crushed with your knife

Remove cilantro leaves (just use leaves, not stems), chop, and place in blender
Roughly chop rest of ingredients and add to blender
Add a bit of lemon or lime juice to keep avocados from browning
Add 1 white onion if desired
Salt and/or pepper if desired, to your taste

Blend until all ingredients are chopped and mixed well
Enjoy!

Brie en Croute

(photo stolen from The Girl Who Ate Everything)

Three words for this recipe: Oh.My.God.

Amazingly good.
I could have gobbled the entire thing, but a girl has to maintain her composure in a crowd.

This is a great recipe to bring to someone's house for an appetizer.
DEFINITELY a keeper.

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen (The Food Network)

Show: Paula's Home Cooking Episode: Formal Entertaining
Total Time: 58 min.Prep10 min. Inactive20 min. Cook28 min.
Yield:8 servings, Level:Easy

Ingredients:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, pre-packaged
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup walnuts
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (8-ounce) wheel Brie
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
Crackers, for serving

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Defrost puff pastry for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and unfold.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Saute the walnuts in the butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes.
Add the cinnamon and stir until walnuts are coated well.
Place the walnut mixture on top of the Brie and sprinkle the brown sugar over the mixture.
Lay the puff pastry out on a flat surface.
Place the brie in the center of the pastry.
Gather up the edges of the pastry, pressing around the brie and gather at the top. Gently squeeze together the excess dough and tie together with a piece of kitchen twine.
Brush the beaten egg over top and side of Brie.
Place Brie on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown.

Serve with crackers.

To give a special look, cut extra pastry into heart or flower shapes and bake until golden.

Note Paula has another version of this recipe that uses raspberry jam

I heart pudding

Those of you who know me well probably know that my white trash guilty pleasure, especially around the holidays, is chocolate pudding in a pie shell.
I love it.
It has been my favorite treat for as long as I can remember.

You also probably know that I love to bake, and I'm a snob about it.
No mixes, thank you very much.
All my baking is from scratch, using the highest quality ingredients.

Except for this.

I have tried multiple recipes for pudding pies, and chocolate pies.
I have tried multiple brands of gourmet chocolate bars and pain stakingly chopped each one.
I have not found anything as yummy as, I'm embarrassed to say, Jello brand.
And it has to have that skin on the top that recipes say to get rid of by refrigerating the pie with plastic wrap on the top.
Why would you want to do that?!

The only thing possibly better than eating the entire pie a slice of pie is taking a spoon to the pan after you've emptied the contents into the pieshell, and licking up every last drop (equally as delicious as licking the beaters after mixing cake batter. I am still eight years old when it comes to the delights of baking in the kitchen).

This is ironic considering I'm attending nuitrition school, and am learning to shun processed foods.
Sigh...
I'll keep trying new recipes, but for now the Jello stays.

That being said, today in the mail I got a package from an unfamiliar address.
Inside was no note of explanation.
No letter of reference.
Inside was one box of Jello brand chocolate pudding.

Interesting.

Whoever was so thoughtful: I thank you.

Random quote...
"Your face makes my soul want to eat chocolate pudding!"
~Andy Milonakis

I promise I will get back to regular blog posting again.
I was without a computer for awhile, so I got out of the habit, and Facebook tends to fill the gap.
But I have multiple catching up posts of gifts received, a trip to Seattle, etc.

And bear with me if some of my photos aren't visible.
I am trying to get my pics off Flickr, but not finished yet.

Bringing Sexy Back

Many of us, especially women, turn to food in times of stress, depression, or boredom.
Emotional eating is used like a narcotic to self medicate.
Impulse eating is what I think I need RIGHT NOW, versus caring about true nourishment for body or soul.
And all that emotional eating leads to weight gain, which impacts self hate...and it's a vicious circle.

After my dad died in 2003, and my boyfriend pulled a surprise exit a year later, my weight shot up about 60 pounds.
Sixty!
I wouldn't exactly say I shut down, because I continued to grow emotionally and gain strength in terms of how I felt about my own character, but I lost interest in putting myself out there into the dating world, and I lost interest in being the best I could be physically.

Finally, earlier this year I decided to enroll in a nutrition school, basically as a mentor to get me to a better place.
In the meantime, my ex-boyfriend belated figured out he had made a mistake, sought me out, found me, and said,
"I lost you once, I don't want to lose you again."
What?
So we're back together (!!!), and surprisingly, my weight gain doesn't bother him.
It bothers ME though, and I want to get back to a healthy place.
I decided, however, to embrace my weight at the present, and have some boudoir photos taken.
Might be a nice little giftie for said boyfriend for his upcoming birthday.
The steps to get there were all about self care: I got my hair cut and highlighted, my nails and toes manicured and painted, my eyebrows tinted and waxed, my ears re-pierced, and I bought some new lingerie.
It was all somewhat magical.

I saw this absolutely amazing post by Health Coach Cora Poage on Michelle Perrone's website, about body image.
Her comments rang so true for me, having experienced similar circumstances when I was younger that carved wounds in that nasty chatterbox in my head that continually tells me I'm not good enough.
You know that voice--we all have it, and we all need to learn to ignore and quiet the noise.
Cora says, "I began wearing looser clothing with less shape, dark colors (Nun-esque). I tried to hide my curious and confident Spirit behind a demure smile and quiet presence. I attempted to 'blend in'. I started working out as much as possible to straighten out the curves. Sexy was my enemy. I was playing very small. In other words, I stopped being ME. I let one man's random comment keep me from experiencing the fullness of who I am, my Wholeness."

It saddens me just reading that, knowing I did the same for years and years.
But, like Cora, I'm finally coming back into my own.
Cora says, "My Sexy is part of my Power. As a woman, this is my Divine Birthright."

Why would I post boudoir photos, you say?
Well, why not?
It's the ultimate expression of self acceptance.
As Cora says, it's time to bring sexy back.
To be perfectly honest, the photos posted to the public here are the tame ones.

I like what Handcrafted Hitching Post says about her shoot,
"Even if you don't have a perfect model body, I still encourage you to do a boudoir shoot. It was so empowering, and really boosted my self esteem! I never thought I'd get a chance to feel like a Victoria's Secret model, or like I was on ANTM. I'm just amazed that I can look that good..."

She also talks about how some people will be shocked by the fact she posted these online, but really, how different is it from photos on Facebook of girls in bikinis at the beach?

I went online and looked through photographer's galleries to see what resonated with me.
I ended up choosing Sherry Martin of Sherry Martin Photography

Make-up and hair by Jackie Ellis of Je'llis Faces

Creme Brulee French Toast

(from All Recipes)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
6 slices French Bread
5 eggs
1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon brandy-based orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)
14 teaspoon salt
(note--I think a pinch of cinnamon would be good)

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Mix in brown sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Remove crusts from bread (note--I thought this step was silly, so I skipped it).
Arrange bread in the baking dish in a single layer.
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, vanilla, orange brandy, and salt.
Pour over bread.
Cover and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove dish from refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes, or until puffed and lightly browned.

Here's a slightly different version by Smitten Kitchen, using brioche. Yum!

Patriotic Recipe Ideas

A girl at work today was talking about fruit kabobs shaped like an American Flag, so I googled and found this fun blog post on 4tunate, by Chandler + Brianne.
So I just kept on looking for ideas because it's fun, and I love the whimsy of the red, white and blue.
Check out this cute idea from Lisa Storms

Patriotic Sangria, from Recipe Girl.
Recipe girl also makes Patriotic Cheesecake Bars. Yum.

Fireworks cookies from Dainty Chef.

Happy Fourth

This is such a fun vintage photograph from Charles Phoenix.

It's a beautiful sunny weekend in California.
Tomorrow I'll be poolside with a South Carolina-style hot dog, macaroni salad, deviled eggs, and of course watermelon.
Happy Birthday America!