getting crafty

I kind of like paper crafts. They are fast and fun. In a short period of time you can make something cute that serves no purpose at all. I sat down with my papers and a craft book and decided on a birdhouse for spring. The first thing you need to is enlarge a pattern by 200%. Since I don't have a copier large enough to do this I decided to test my math skills and create a template by hand. After a fair amount of time and much measuring and fractions, I successfully did this. Excuse me a moment while I pat myself on the back.



Next is choosing papers that compliment or contrast one another. This is the funnest part. I chose pinks and greens.



Almost there



And the finished home complete with bird. Slightly off-kilter but I plan to make a couple more to hone my skills. The next time you see this house I'm hoping it will be as part of a spring decorating theme on my fireplace mantel.

this is my prayer

Dear God,

I'm not sure I believe in you. I believe in something and it might be you. I find too many little coincidences in life not to believe that you or someone like you is out there. I have been given a gift. A gift to examine my life and find myself anew. Please don't let me squander it. These are the things I like to do. Cook, bake, exercise, organize my closets and drawers, paint and wallpaper, sew, paper craft, watch movies, blog and write. I like physical labor, working with my hands, being on my feet and moving, talking to people,connecting with people and pleasing people. I like to be with people and I like to be alone. I like animals especially cats, birds and rodents. I like to take long hikes. I love nature. I love sunsets. I love to think about how I would decorate a room. I love color and how colors work together. I like to plan meals and set pretty tables. I love clothing and shoes and putting together outfits. I love music but I'm not musical. I love theater and the arts but I'm not particularly artistic.

I'm not so hot on numbers, managing people or politics. I'm ashamed that I don't care for these things because I feel that they are the things that smart people care about. The things that could get you a good career.

So please help me fashion a life from the things I love. I am searching for a purpose. Searching for work that consumes and soothes my body and soul. Asking for patience and determination. But I am floundering here. Guide me.

Angel of God
My guardian dear
In whom God's love
Entrusts me here
Ever this day be at my side
to light and guard and rule and guide.

frivolous vs frugal me

frivolous....carefree and not serious

frugal.......sparing, thrifty, prudent or economical in the use of consumable resources such as food, time or money

Who am I trying to kid? There is no frugal me.

There is a constant battle in my mind. I want to be frugal but fear that I'm frivolous. Not even fear, I know I am frivolous. I made a vow to myself to stop spending money. I have so much more than I need. I have enough shoes for fifty people to have a nice selection of shoes. And still, after my baby sister posted pics of cute shoes she found at Marshalls....my car seemed somehow to make a trip there. With me in it. I had no control. Against my better judgement, I walked into Marshalls and walked out with three pairs. Three pairs and three tops. After my solemn vow. Okay, I've renewed my vow.

I have been spending less at the grocery store. And today I stopped myself from making a trip to Goodwill and Amvets. But I did have to buy groceries and there were two bins full of very interesting books reduced to $3 each. A wiser person would have walked away. A wiser more frugal person would read some of the many books that she already owns. But frivolous me added eight of these $3 books to her grocery cart. Seven novels and a craft book about knitting and crocheting shawls with beads. A wise and frugal person would know that she would never knit a lovely shawl. A frivolous person can dream.

winsome wednesday

Yes, it was engaging, fetching, charming. A day when I rediscovered myself a little bit. A day when I introduced myself back to some of the things I love.
I awoke at 7 am and spent a bit of time with coffee relaxing in bed reading, Facebooking and Wording with Friends. I had a coffee date with my new friend, Julia, at 10 am. I didn't laze long because I wanted to get a 5 mile walk in before meeting her so I would have the rest of the day to pursue something without exercise thoughts looming in my head. I've been such a good girl these past couple weeks. Trying out yoga, cardio kickbox and a body sculpt class by another instructor. I've been running and walking everyday and not really thinking much about food. I dressed and headed out the door. I timed my walk perfectly. At 10 I arrived at Panera and although Julia and I hadn't seen one another, spoken to one another since last Wednesday when we had agreed to meet again, there she was at Panera at 10.
We ordered bagels and coffee and talked. When I announced that I had better get going, I was shocked to discover that the time on my phone was 1:30. Yes, Julia and I seem to have a lot in common and a lot to talk about.

When I got home I did some organizing and cleaning and had a bit of lunch. What could I do that would have the biggest impact and be noticed the most? Our yard was full of branches and pine cones and the temp was nearly 70 degrees. So I hauled out the garbage cans and the rake and spent 3 hours raking the entire back yard and hauling out the garbage. This was incredibly soothing and healing. I actually love fairly hard physical labor and when I was finished, I could look upon my yard and say....I did this.

Then I made another nice dinner. We repeated the beet salad except I used walnuts this time and a Dijon vinaigrette. I had marinated a butterflied lamb leg in Wegman's lemon salad dressing for a couple hours and I baked this and served along with brown rice cooked in half water, half chicken broth, 1 t curry powder and dried cherries.

After dinner B and I watched Run Lola Run, a movie that we remembered liking the first time we saw it and we wanted to revisit it.

This day charmed me. I felt relaxed and peaceful. I felt a little more like that person I used to be.

halibut for the hellavit

B and I have a tradition of having burgers and fries on Friday nights and renting a movie. I have been wanting to get more fish in our diets. B is not a big fan of fish. So I told him that Wednesday nights would be fish night. He said that he thought maybe he could stand to have it once a week so it is my job to make it tasty. I joked that if he didn't want the fish that he could have Peter Pan on bread. (This is in reference to a big argument we had the night before regarding the brand of peanut butter that I bought. I won't pursue this train of thought any further.) So anyway I think I am losing track of time because it was actually Tuesday night that we had fish. Last night (Wednesday) we had lamb.

So anyhoo we started with this beet salad. B loves beets. My mom makes a beet salad that I have copied. Chopped beets, celery, walnuts, diced Swiss cheese with a vinegar and oil dressing. We love it. This salad was similar. Arugula greens mix, sliced beets, feta, chopped chives, chopped pecans and a honey-lemon vinaigrette.



Our main course was a study in yellow and green. Halibut baked with a dash of butter and capers, potato gnocchi with sour cream and dill, and sliced zucchini and summer squash cooked in a bit of chicken broth and capers.

havarti-stuffed chicken breasts

Cut a 2-inch pocket in the thickest part of chicken breast. Stuff the pocket with dill Havarti cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a T olive oil and a T of butter in in a large skillet over med-high heat. I dusted my chicken with a little Wegman's pan searing flour. Cook the chicken til golden brown on both sides and then turn heat to low and let cook longer for maximum tenderness.

I served this with a mesclun salad containing dried cherries and chickpeas along with a homemade Dijon Vinaigrette.

I had this piece of cauliflower that was a bit past it's prime so I cut off any dark spots, cooked in microwave until soft and then pureed it along with a roasted red pepper, salt, pepper, a dab of butter, a dab of sour cream and a dash of milk. Very pretty and tasty veggie side dish and I didn't have to toss that cauliflower in the garbage.

steak w/ hot checkerboard potato salad

I decided this week to put some of my many cookbooks to use. I selected a Real Simple Dinner Tonight: Done cookbook for inspiration. I rarely make recipes exactly as written. So I selected Steak with Potato Salad and Blue Cheese Vinaigrette. But then I didn't make the Potato Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette. Instead I substituted my own recipe....Hot Checkerboard Potato Salad as the starch dish. I did make the Romaine Salad with Tomatoes and Bacon from the cookbook though.

For two people

half a bag of romaine salad
2 slices of cooked bacon (I made this easy with Wegman's precooked bacon that you heat in the microwave)
as many half cherry tomatoes as you see fit
two or three chopped chives or scallions

Dressing:
1/8 c olive oil
1/8 c grated Parm
1 T sour cream
1 T rice vinegar
salt and pepper



Pan cooked Tenderloin steak medium rare and here is the p salad

Two red potatoes peeled and cubed
2 purple potatoes peeled and cubed
Microwave in a covered dish with a T water until cooked but still firm. Add chopped raw onion and chopped raw celery, a splash of rice vinegar and a splash of olive oil, sea salt and ground black pepper to taste. Cover and let sit a minute or two to warm the raw veggies.



Dessert from the same cookbook

Chocolate-Ricotta Icebox Cake

Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with 2 crisscrossed pieces of parchment paper, spraying between layers and leaving an overhang on both sides.
In food processor, puree the 2 15-ounce containers of ricotta( I used part-skim) with 12 ounces semisweet chocolate ( melted and slightly cooled)until very smooth.
Layer with crushed chocolate wafer cookies, layer of ricotta, layer of cookies, layer of ricotta, layer of cookies, layer of ricotta. Refrigerate at least an hour.

I halved this recipe and use a small loaf pan. I also used a few too many cookies causing it to fall apart. I also suggest freezing instead of refrigerating. If you freeze let it sit out a few minutes to soften for cutting.