Monday, May 31, 2010

Starry Night Cupcakes

My friend Dave had a gourmet Dinner Party to kick off Memorial Day weekend.
He hired me-Amanda Cupcake! to make some cupcakes for the dinner party.
My inspiration for the cupcakes: Starry Night painting by Vincent Van Gogh.
They were a hit.  Not to mention how delish they were.
The Amanda-esque flavors were chocolate chip cookie & red velvet.


The painting that inspired me by Van Gogh
























tea for three





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



the details:
1. the girl. 3 years old. very, very happy.2. The dress: Libery of London for Target3. The crown. Card stock, plastic pearls, glitter, and hot glue. 100% easy.4. The banner. Fabric swatches (I've been saving for years from back in the day when I sold Modbe) + string5. the "tea": Archer Farms Italian Soda6. the hats: the boys' came from a party

three.

I was so nervous when they told me you were a girl. A girl!How would I do it? Dress you?Do your hair? (gulp)Teach you?What do girls play with?I was afraid I was going to really mess you up!But look at you. Growing. Three!You love to twirl in the fluffiest of dresses, but at the same time, you can make the biggest grossest mess I have ever seen!You love to dance and sing at the top of your lungs,

Sunday, May 30, 2010

la la liz

photo by jesse o'nealThis is Liz. Liz has the cutest family.Liz lives in an adorable house.Liz and I met online (is that weird?) and were penpals for over a year before we met face to face.Liz makes me laugh so hard.Liz can throw a mean party.Liz is probably one of the most creative people I know.Liz is a vegetarian.Liz loves yoga.Liz blogs.Liz is pretty awesome.....wouldn't you agree??But. Liz

Spiced Chicken with Couscous

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It is not even June and it is some kind of hot around here.  Sheesh... I want to melt just thinking about the idea of late July.  Since I can't control the blazing temps, I've decided to move on to enjoying the great produce that comes along this time of year.  It's always nice to find a filling and light meal that tastes especially great with summer tomatoes.  I also love any recipe centered around couscous since it is about the simplest thing you could possibly make in the kitchen.  So if you are looking for an easy, summery dish, give this one a try.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.
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Spiced Chicken with CousCous
Serves 4
Adapted from Real Simple
Recipe Notes
I went ahead and made four portions of this and it made great leftovers for lunch the next day.  It can be served cold, hot or room temperature.  If you are going to eat as leftovers, you can heat the chicken but serve the couscous salad at room temperature. 
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces each)
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
kosher salt and black pepper
3⁄4 cup couscous
3/4 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 pound snap peas, thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup torn fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Step by Step
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with the paprika, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes per side; transfer to a plate a wrap with foil to keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil.  Once boiling, remove from heat, add couscous and cover.  Let rest off of heat for 5 minutes; fluff with a fork.  Add the tomatoes, snap peas, basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and toss to combine.


Slice the chicken and serve over the couscous salad.

Friday, May 28, 2010

friday love: condensed

Oh what a week!!! So full it will be spilling over into next week....guranteed!Let's start out with the food....and how much we loved Sam's Chowder House!If you are ever ANYWHERE even close to Half Moon Bay....please please please go!! (the covered porch was perfect for the rainy afternoon!)I will forever be dreaming about that Salmon Burger. (and robby highly recommends the lobster roll!)mmm....

Thursday, May 27, 2010

brooke schmidt winner!!!

Angela!! Please email Brooke at flypeterfly at hotmail dot com with your address.Thanks so much to everyone who entered! Thank you Brooke for sharing your talents!Check back next Wednesday for another great giveaway!

just a note.....

I am WAAAAAAAAY behind on my email!!! Just wanted to let you know...if you are still waiting, or thinking I am dead. I am not. You will hear from me soon!

What to look for when buying hens and What to Do with an Abundance of Eggs

This post is to accommodate my talk on BTO for Thursday, June 26th, 2010.

****EDITED TO ADD 5/29/2010 the link for battery hens in the UK, down where the links are.
And at the end of this article, more things to do with an abundance of eggs!****

I wanted to talk about buying full grown hens, since I figure that many people must be like me, in that when they are ready for chickens, they are ready for eggs too! Meaning they don't want to wait 6 months for fresh eggs by raising chicks. The minute my hen house was ready I was out purchasing laying hens from anyone I could find. I made a few mistakes, so now that I'm a little wiser, (just a little) I wanted to share what I've learned.

I also want to mention that raising chicks, or buying fertile eggs and hatching them yourself is the safest way (less likely to have disease) by far. Also people have mentioned to me that it is rewarding raising them from chicks to hens.

1. Determine what breed suits your needs

Do you want hens only for the eggs?

Do you want them to be raised for meat and for their eggs?

Do you care what they look like, do you want them to be pretty? And what's your definition of pretty?

Do you want a rooster to eventually raise chicks yourself? I don't recommend getting a rooster at first, unless you are sure you are going to want to raise chicks soon. And if you do get one, I'd suggest reading up on the pleasures of dealing with a rooster.

If you do want to raise chicks you will want at least a few hens that will go broody. (Which means they will want to sit on eggs to hatch as chicks. If you don't want to raise chicks you will want birds that have the broodiness bred out of them. (A common example is a Rhode Island Red.)

Do you want them to be "nice" and let you handle them? Cochin's are good in that sense.

Do you care about the color of their eggs? Brown eggs and white of course are typical, but there are chickens (a popular type is an araucana) that lay "Easter egg" colors. Like pink and blue. That's a fun thing to have.

Here are a few guides to different breeds of chickens to look at.


Backyard Chickens-Breed Chart

Department of Animal Science, Oklahoma State University

The Omlet Guide to Buying Chickens A UK site

UK site for battery hens

another UK site for chicken adoption for battery hens



2. Find a local source that sells the breed you are looking for

call them and ask some questions.

How many chickens do they have?

How long have they been raising chickens?

What is their method of preventing bugs/worms?
If their answer is they spray the birds and the coop with Sevin, be aware that is a poison, and you need to wait 10 days or so after spraying to eat the hens eggs. That's how toxic it is.

A good way of preventing or doing away with worms is food grade Diatomaceous Earth. Read more about DE here Wolf Creek Ranch. Including dosage amounts for animals and humans.

Some will say they don't really do anything, and they've never had a problem. Be aware if they are free range chickens wild birds can come and bring in bugs with them.

Have they been vaccinated?

Note that if you want a more natural approach to the raising of your chickens, you might want to find a source that raises organic chickens.

You might not find a source that has everything on your list of criteria, but you can concentrate on what's most important to you.

3. Go and look at the birds in person

Now that you've found someone that has birds you are interested in, it's time to look at the birds for yourself.

Note that some farms have tight bio security, meaning they don't like visitors coming on their land and tracking in diseases that may spread to their flock. If this is the case, find out if there is a way to use plastic bags to cover your shoes, and if wearing gloves would be o.k.

Also if they are free range birds you are going to want to go when the sun is going down for the day and they are going in to roost for the night, it's not fun chasing after chickens.

Pick up the chickens. Look for bright eyes, make sure their eyes aren't watery.

You want them to be heavy, not skinny feeling at all.

You want them to be feisty, trying to get out of your hands, and flapping their wings. If they don't have alot of energy, I'd be concerned. Note that chickens are prey animals so they are good at hiding their sickness. Once they are showing sickness they have probably already been sick for awhile.

Look at their vent. This is where the eggs come out of. Make sure it looks moist. Make sure there are no signs of worms, this is where you see them usually. Also make sure their vent feathers are relatively clean.

Look at their feet. Make sure they are smooth. Not scaley. If they are scaley they might have scaley leg mites. also make sure they don't have swollen pads at the bottom of their feet, which is something called Bumble foot.

If you live in the city, here is a good site to refer to

City Chicken

I hope you find some great hens and that you enjoy raising them as much as I do!

What to do with an Abundance of Eggs

1. Make powdered eggs

It's pretty straightforward, you can do it in an oven, or a dehydrator. The video below is directions on how to do it in a regular oven. They will last 5-10 years at room temperature.
A video on how to dehydrate eggs

2. Freeze Them
There are a few ways to freeze eggs. All of them are without the shell.

*Freeze the yolks and whites seperately

*Scramble them and freeze them in ice cube trays. It will take roughly 2 "egg cubes" to equal one egg. After they are frozen remove them from trays and store in a container, or in a ziplock bag. Thaw at room temperature, or in the refrigerator. Don't thaw them in the microwave. This can cook parts of it and leave other parts still raw. If you are in a hurry, place the frozen egg cubes in a baggie, in some warm water.

*Cook them first. This can be done in a few ways. First you can scramble them and pour in a jumbo muffin pan to create the size used for a breakfast sandwich. You can do this with the eggs alone, or you can add chopped bacon or sausage or even veggies. Think of it like an omlet sandwich. You can store them in baggies to remove when needed. Or you can make up whole breakfast sandwiches and freeze those. You can also scramble them and cook them up and use them for breakfast burritos, then freeze the burritos.


Here are some dishes that use eggs

*Hard boiled eggs
*egg salad
*deviled eggs
*homemade mayonaise
*bread pudding
*french toast
*fried rice with scrambled eggs
*egg drop soup
*frittatas
*quiche
*custard or creme brulee
*crepes
*spaghetti carbonara
*egg nog
*pound cake

here are a few that use yolks only

*lemon curd
*custard based ice cream
*creme brulee

and whites only

*angel food cake
*pavlova
*meringues

What is your favorite thing to do with eggs? Let me know in the comments. Also let me know if I've forgotten any! I'm always looking for more ideas!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

and we're back...

...kind of. technically speaking I guess.....seeing as though we are here, in our home...with stuff EVERYWHERE, and no idea where to start. But my brain is still confused as to what day it is (any one?), what time it is (late), and whether or not it needs to switch out of vacation mode. (it does)Oh....and I somehow need to get ready for my parents to come (tomorrow/today?) and get ready for a

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

artist spotlight: Brooke Schmidt

I am so happy to introduce you to Brooke Schmidt of Wyndmoor, PA, and her fabulous shop!How long have you been creating things for your shop?I opened my Etsy shop in January 2009 primarily as a way to shuffle off some of a large pile of drawings from art school. It was winter, and I was decluttering. But as I got to know Etsy better, I realized what a gem it was: instant contact with the artists

Sesame Chicken Lightened Up

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I sure do love a good night of takeout. However, we make almost all of our meals at home during the week and to be honest, I still haven't found my absolute favorite chinese place that would deliver around here.  The combination led me to find a good sesame chicken recipe.  And the fact that it is healthier is always a bonus.  If you took my advice and froze some of these, bust them out of the freezer and add some edamame and you'll have a great little takeout meal from home.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.
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Sesame Chicken Lightened Up
Serves 2 main dishes; Serves 3-4 with other dishes
Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food
Ingredients
3/4 cup brown rice

3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed with a garlic press
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch chunks
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 pound broccoli, cut into large florets, stems peeled and thinly sliced
Step by Step


Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, and fill with 2 inches of water… set aside for broccoli. Cook rice according to package.

Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, combine honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and garlic; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites and cornstarch. Season chicken with salt and pepper; add to mixture and toss to coat.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add half the chicken; cook, turning occasionally, until golden and opaque throughout, 6 to 8 minutes. Add sauce and scallions, and toss to coat.

Meanwhile, place saucepan with steamer basket over high heat; bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, and cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve sesame chicken with broccoli and rice.


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Friday, May 21, 2010

happy weekend

Well.....I am off again. By the time you read this I will be somewhere between here..... and there.But before you think that I am going to do something wild and crazy like this:I am actually going to do a little of this:I found a Lyme specialist (remember my little secret I told you?)We are hoping that he is the one....and will make me better with the push of a button! (wishful thinking never

birds of ashmae winner!

The winner is Hayley!Thanks to everyone who entered....and if you missed it, be sure to check out Ashley's cute shop!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

friday feet

erin: traffic:)sheena: bride and groom feet

Sugar Ducky Experiment

I created these last weekend for my nephew Griffin's 1st birthday.
Being the perfectionist that I am, this was my trial run, so I fed this one to Dan. 

I call it the Sugar Ducky Experiment.

My inspiration was from a book called "What's New, Cupcake?"
I am going to make better ones this weekend and Fed Ex him some special Sugar Duckies!
Sigh, creating sugar treats truly makes me the happiest woman on the planet.



don't forget!

the giveaway ends tonight!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

today.

today we took off our shoes.the earth squished between our toes.it was smudged on our faces, and is still refusing to come out from underneath our fingernails.today we dug.deep.and not so deep.we watered.tiny plants.seeds.and each other.today didn't stop until the last piece of sun fell out of the sky.we smelled of compost. and chicken poo.I wish more days were like today.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

artist spotlight: Ashley Mae Hoiland

I am so excited to start up our artist spotlights and giveaways!! Check back every Wednesday!Kicking things off is Ashley Mae Hoiland of Provo, UT and her shop Birds of Ashmae.I have seen Ashley's work come up on a few other blogs and I am in LOVE with her style! How long have you been painting? How did you get started? I've been painting for as long as I can remember. I used to stand behind my

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

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Nothing much to say today... Just a really good recipe.  I will try to be more entertaining tomorrow.  Happy Tuesday (can Tuesday be a happy day? it's so far from Friday...)

 I posted about these for an order I did a couple of weeks ago and here is the follow up with the recipe.  I have actually made a simplified version to share with you because I don't see the need to make the cupcake from scratch.  It was good, but what is so special about this is the icing.  If you want to go the extra step and make the original cupcake, email me, but I will probably never again do so myself.

 From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes
Recipe Notes
If you have a favorite brand of chocolate cake mix, use it! I just have found that I really like the Devil's Food chocolate.
Ingredients
1 box devil's food cake mix
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1/4 cup Oreo crumbs (remove the icing and finely crush the cookies), plus additional for topping
Step by Step
Prepare chocolate cupcakes according to directions on box and allow to cool completely.

Mix the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Gradually add the powdered sugar, then add the milk and blend until smooth.  Using a spoon (not mixer) fold in the Oreo crumbs until blended through the frosting.  Top each cupcake with frosting and garnish with extra cookie crumbs.

Monday, May 17, 2010

"fancy" brownies

Ok. They are actually regular brownies. But for some reason a cute little tart pan makes me feel like they were really fancy. And that I was really fancy. And I liked it.Brownie Tart(tweaked and halved from this recipe)1 stick butter4 ounces of good quality dark chocolate2/3 cup of sugar1 tsp pure vanilla extract3 large eggs1/3 cup all purpose flour3 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder1/2 tsp

over the weekend....

a few from the weekend....more coming soon!....is the weekend really over? I am still unsure as to what day/time it actually is. It was very full of:-quick plane rides-humidity + my hair don't mix-a pretty wedding-camera strap tan lines-10ish hours with a pbj as my only fuel....which only lead to-drastic measures -eating a hamburger -at 10:30 at night -and loving every bite -and maybe

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Lemon Arugula Pasta

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This is my first official garden to table recipe (if you can consider a "garden," a pot on my concrete driveway and a "table" the tv tray that Mr. Hungry and I ate this on while we watched Lost).  Well, whatever you consider it I am very proud of the arugula in this dish.  I grew it from seed and I still consider it a complete miracle.  If you have been following me for awhile, you might have caught this disaster, but the only slightly green thumb thing I have ever done is to keep a few basil and parsley plants alive for a couple of weeks.

I wanted to try my hand at really growing something and arugula fit the bill perfectly.  You see, I often use a sprinkle of arugula on pizza or in a pasta, but you have to buy a huge tub for about five bucks and the rest goes to waste.  So I thought it was a perfect thing to try and grow.

This was such a great and refreshing summer pasta... now all I have to do is wait a month or two for more arugula.  This whole growing what you eat thing is exhausting.... but delicious.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.
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Lemon Arugula Pasta
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti, dry
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup baby arugula
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Sea salt and pepper
Step by Step

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, heat oil and butter over medium-low heat. Stir in garlic, lemon peel, lemon juice, broth, salt and pepper and raise heat to medium-high. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes.

Drain pasta, return it to its cooking pot and immediately pour the heated sauce over it, along with the arugula, parsley and basil. Use tongs to gently toss the pasta and sauce together. Top with extra parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot. 

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Fabric flower cake!

Nu var det verkligen alldeles för längesen jag uppdaterade bloggen! Jag har haft en hel del att göra, och har även fått några spännande erbjudanden som jag inte tänker berätta om just nu. I väntan på recept, håll till godo med bilder på tårtan jag gjorde i torsdags! Inspirationen till tårtan kommer såklart från Holy Sweet. Tygblommor är perfekta att dekorera med när man inte haft tid att göra dekorationer själv!



Chokladbotten, fylld med hallonmousse och passionsfruktchokladmousse

Friday, May 14, 2010

Happy Weekend!!!

Happy Weekend Everyone!! I'm off to shoot a weekend wedding--I'll be back soon with lots of fun stories to tell!Thanks so much for all the pizza tips--I can't wait to try them all out!Get out in the sunshine and play this weekend--oh and while you do, listen to this song.....it is awesome.toodles!!haha sister. that was for you.{image}

Thursday, May 13, 2010

my mom's banana nut bread

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There are some foods that are made a thousand ways and everyone has their "special" way of making it. You know, that special chocolate chip cookie or that family recipe for chili.  Banana nut bread is one of those things people put all kinds of ingredients in and no matter how many I try, I cannot find one I prefer more than my mom's banana nut bread.  I never bite into this bread without having tons of memories of family road trips and holiday baking days.  My mom would even send me these in college and would bake up a batch any time we would go on road trips with friends.  Not until I baked them myself did I realize that there are ingredients in here that make them a little different and special.

Last week, I got an email from a reader (hi, Kimberly) who was wondering if I had a good recipe for banana bread.  I was thrilled to be able to share this one and can't believe I haven't posted this earlier.  So, here's my favorite and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do (thanks, Mom).

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Banana Nut Bread
Recipe Notes
My favorite way to eat this is to make a loaf and make big slices to eat, but when you are making them for a crowd or want a great portable way to keep them, I choose the muffin form.  The only other key is to make sure you have very, very ripe bananas.  I mean, you almost want them black because it provides the best flavor.
Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups of sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 8 oz can of crushed pineapple (with the juices)
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 4 medium sized bananas)
1 cup chopped pecans
Step by Step
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, add the oil, vanilla, pineapple, eggs, bananas and pecans.  Stir together until well combined.  Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.  

To bake into muffins:
Line two 12-cup muffin tins with liners.  Fill each cup almost full.  Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick tests clean.  Do not over bake.
makes 24 muffins

To bake in loaves:
Fill two loaf pans evenly with batter.  Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, until a toothpick tests clean.
makes two loaves
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Strawberry and Almond Scones

Before we get started today.....I want to share a little secret with you. A few bloopers.Did you know, that for every decent food photo I get, there are about 5 bad ones to go with it?? Most of which involve:My child's finger, pointing, touching, or tasting. or, my child's face......smelling.Just thought you should know.*******************Whole Wheat Strawberry and Almond Sconesrecipe adapted

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Calling All Artists!

I love art.....in all forms. I love getting my hands dirty and creating something!And I love meeting others who like to do the same.....don't you?If you are an artist/creator/craftsman/woman/general maker of things/shop owner, and think the world (or all 14 people who read this) should know about your shop--I would love to feature you on The Little Red House, and do a giveaway of one of your

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

a cupcake factory

Okay, so I'm not exactly a cupcake factory, but it feels that way a bit. I have made quite a few in the last week. I have loved each and every batch and just wanted to share. Things have been slowing down a bit around here (by around here, I mean this blog... definitely not in my life or the little kitchen, but that's usually a direct correlation to not being able to share as much!) and I will try to get back on top of things and get back to some recipes because yes, we have still been eating. So for now, here are some toppers...

These were double lemon cupcakes that were ordered for a festive mojito filled 30th birthday party...
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And these were cookies and cream cupcakes ordered for an engagement party...
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and there was my friend's birthday...Happy Birthday Mel!
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a love letter

Dear Ponytail,sitting atop my head. Oh how I have missed you my friend! It has been over two years since you flopped about so carelessly up there.You are still small. You are young. A bit awkward looking at times, and a little unsure of yourself....but I know some day you will be big and strong like the ponytails that came before you.You are always so quick to come to my rescue on early mornings,

a plea for help....

i like pizza.Doesn't it look good? It was so fun to make. The crust--I found the recipe in an old Living issue--it was from a popular pizzaria and I knew it must be good.The smell....oh it was perfect. The toppings....a perfect combination:-tomatoes-kalmata olives-garlic-artichoke hearts-spinach-basil-fresh mozzeralaBut. It was no good.nope.I wanted to cry.How?? The crust was a bit on the tough

Monday, May 10, 2010

twins!!!

I've never had this happen.....I still feel weird about it...post edit: AAAAAAAHHHH!!!! It just happened again!!! Twice in a row....what??!!!

over the weekend....

....best weekend ever!! Good food, working in the sunshine, and lots of time just to play with my favorite people.... perfect!the end.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Friday Love: Special Edition

I love moms. It's true.Big ones.Small ones.Short ones.Tall ones.I love MY mom.I love her mom.I love your momand "your mom" jokes.my grandma and her mom.my mom and her mom.me and my mom.Today I am feeling so lovey, if you are a mom, or plan to be, or have a mother, then I probably love you.But mostly I love BEING a mom.It is reallytrulywithout any doubt the best.It is HARD. They tell you it will

Pasta Making Party

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I lose track of how much I have shared about myself on here (and still a little bit shocked that other people besides my parents read this blog),  but in case you don't know, I work at a private school in the development office.  Every other year, our school has a gala to raise money for the school. Faculty and staff offer different things in order to raise money so I decided to throw a pasta making party with my coworkers.  A couple of years ago, I learned to make fresh pasta in Florence, and while I could go on for hours about that (and one day I will), right now I just wanted to tell you about our party.

I just hope everyone had as much fun as I did. We had a wonderful brie for an appetizer, fresh pasta with three sauces, and a lemon blueberry tart for dessert. Oh yeah, and chewy amaretti nutella sandwiches as a favor. It was a fun party, but I will say everyone definitely worked for their lunch.  Homemade pasta is a labor of love, but well worth the effort.  After 3 hours of cooking and eating, I needed someone to roll me out of there. I'll be back with all of the recipes and hope at least someone out there will attempt to make homemade pasta... seriously it's worth it.



First, we ate a wonderful brie topped with sun dried tomato pesto that my boss, Allison, made...
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Then, it was on to make pasta...
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Lots of long strips of pasta being made...
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And there were sauces being made...
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Then, on to drying...
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Finished off with a delicious lemon blueberry tart made by my coworker, Frances.
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giveaway winner!!!

thanks to everyone who entered!! email me your address and your journal will be on it's way!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

friday feet

erin: Me and my sweet-eco-friendly-goodie-packed-free Kokua Festival Bag, about to enter a special 'before the show' show with Jack Johnson.sheena: these feet better hurry up and get in shape. seriously.

happy mother's day to carson

a few photos of her new baby over here

naan

What is naan? Some people call it flatbread. I call it one of the best inventions....ever.I cannot even begin to describe how good this was.....and how easy!! It makes me nervous that I could whip it up any time....it could become hazardous. I don't make very many 100% white flour recipes, but I needed my first attempt at naan to be in it's true form. Next time (yes, there will be a next time) I

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Lemon Sorbet Margaritas

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Happy Cinco de Mayo! I don't know about all parts of the country, but it is officially hot down here.  So to combine the idea of our 95 degree weather, with Cinco de Mayo, I thought I would share a very refreshing drink.  This is so simple that you could easily make it a part of your celebration tonight, but it's also a good choice for the rest of the blazing summer I am sure we have awaiting us.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.
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Lemon Sorbet Margaritas
Adapted from Real Simple
Ingredients
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
1/4 cup sugar
1 pint lemon sorbet
1/4 cup tequila
Step by Step
Rub the lime wedge around 4 stemmed glasses.  Place the sugar on a small plate and run the rim of each glass through the sugar.   Place two scoops of sorbet in each glass and pour 2 tablespoons of tequila over sorbet.  Garnish glass with lime wedge and serve immediately.  Optional: Sprinkle with lime zest.
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breakfast!

I am not a lover of pancakes. I am not really a lover of blueberries. But something about the combination of the two......wow!!! These are my favorite pancakes by far--I cannot get enough into my mouth!Blueberry Pancakes adapted from Martha's recipe1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour1/2 cup cornmeal1/8 cup ground flax seed2 tablespoons sugar1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon coarse salt1/2 teaspoon

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

she wanted one too....

writing it down......a giveaway!

Let's talk about journals....shall we?? I'm already nervously sweating little drops of guilt.I used to be really good at journaling.......and I am so thankful. I started in the 6th grade....that is some hilarious stuff to read!! I continued on through high school, and into college when Robby and I started dating. I love that I can go back and recall every little thing about our younger (uh yeah..

Monday, May 3, 2010

it's roid week!!!

the next generation.I have 7 polaroid cameras. seven. why? why not.but I only have six precious exposures left in my trusty SX-70 Sonar Onestep.Polaroid film production was stopped (NO!).....but then thankfully started up again thanks to the Impossible Project. Film is back in the making.....but until it comes down a bit in price (or I win the lottery that I always forget to play) I'm left with

over the weekend....

....I don't have too many photos to show for it....but it really was a doozy.We spent hours organizing and dejunking our laundry room/storage room/cave of wonders. And by "we" I mean mostly "me", and by "organizing" I mean getting distracted and looking through old photos and college papers.We spent hours building shelves and organizing the garage. And by "we" I mean mostly Robby, especially

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Too Faced Cosmetics

Too Faced Cosmetics.
I love this makeup company, so I was honored to create an Amanda "cupcake cake" to deliver to their office this last Friday at lunchtime. When I was a cosmetologist back in the day, I never would have dreamed I'd be delivering one of my treats to them at noon on a Friday.

Their office was super cute-all girly and glamorous just like the personality of their cosmetics line.
Everyone was so excited to receive an Amanda Cupcake creation.
I was ecstatic to share.

I made everything from scratch.
There were three different flavors mixed into this creation:
Sugar Cookie, Vanilla, and Strawberry.