Easter Tree

Last fall, I purchased a metal tree by Carolee's Creations at Memory Bound. It was intended to be used for Christmas but my plan was to make decorations for various seasons so that the tree could be used throughout the year. So far, I've decorated the tree for Halloween and Valentine's Day. Last week, I put together an Easter tree.

I've always loved vintage Easter cards so I decided to go with that kind of theme for my tree. With that in mind, I started looking for a set of eggs with the right kind of look -- not too bright and NO PINK, thank you very much.

I finally found a carton of 12 beautiful eggs at Pier One. While I was there, I also found some adorable porcelain bird ornaments which happened to match.

I replaced the birds' green and white ribbon with narrow cream satin ribbon. Then I attached the same satin ribbon to the eggs using a pin with a small round head and a bit of Glossy Accents glue to hold it in place. I let the pins/ribbon dry overnight, then the eggs were ready to hang on the tree.

Meanwhile, I found several vintage Easter card images on the internet. I chose a few to match the eggs and printed them on cream cardstock. There were plenty of vintage Easter cards to choose from, so of course I selected a few with kittens --as well as the more typical bunnies and chicks!

I re-sized the images in MS Word to fit these coasters from Memory Bound.

I purchased some vintage-looking paper at Memory Bound (these sheets are by Paper Loft) to put on the back of each coaster, then I cut all the pieces to fit. I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink around the edges then adhered the pieces to the coasters.

Finally, I added a bit of tulle and clipped the coasters to the tree.

And here is the completed tree! It's hard to get a good picture of it but hopefully you'll get the idea. It's fun to create many different kinds of decorations and completely change the look of the tree for different seasons throughout the year.

Feline Friday: Baby Lily

I recently ran across 1,000 pictures of Lily as a baby and -- like any proud cat mom -- thought I'd whip out a few to share.

Truly, have you ever seen a sweeter face?



May I point out the tiny smile? And of course the sweet little paw pads? And the soft belly?

Anytime was a good time for a nap!

And here's one of my favorite photos of both girls!

Recipe: Basmati Rice & Chicken Salad

I found this recipe a few months ago in the Penzeys Spices catalog. My mom used to get the catalog in the mail and now my dad passes it on to me when it arrives. I've found several good recipes in the catalog and even more on the website. Of course, I occasionally have to go to the local Penzeys store to pick up a few spices...or just to sniff around. That little shop is a true feast for the nose!

I've made this salad several times over the past few months and I have to say that it is now one of my all-time favorite dishes. It's one of those salads which gets even better after a day or so in the fridge so be sure to squirrel away some leftovers for yourself!

Basmati Rice and Chicken Salad
Penzeys Spices Catalog
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Salad:

• 1 cup uncooked white or brown basmati rice (You CAN substitute brown rice but basmati is best!)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (3/4 tsp. minced garlic)
• 2-3 cups chopped cooked chicken meat, no skin (I typically use rotisserie chicken)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (4-6 green onions)
• 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (drain well if oil-packed) (By all means, use the oil packed kind!)
  
• 1 tsp. grated fresh lemon rind
  
• 1 16 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzos), drained
• 1 8 oz. can or bottle artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 3 TB. lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon)
• 3 TB. olive oil
• 1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
  
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
  

Cook the rice with the garlic, according to package directions. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes after cooking. Cool in a large bowl. Add the cooked chicken, onions, tomato, lemon rind, chickpeas and artichokes. Stir gently to combine. Combine all of the dressing ingredients and mix well. Drizzle over the salad to coat. Serves 6 (well, maybe!).

A Silent Plea from the Cat

I can tell that it must be cold in this house because poor Tinsel is continuing to perfect her burrowing skills. First she constructed a series of Towel Tunnels and now she has moved on to Cat Caves.

Sheesh, can we turn up the heat already?

These Peeps are Calorie-Free!

I have kind of a love/hate relationship with Peeps, the sticky yellow marshmallow confections that probably no one should eat. Maybe I like the IDEA of Peeps more than the actual taste because, let's face it: They're REALLY sweet. Almost sickeningly so.

When Peeps start appearing in stores, I always think I want a box. But I only have to eat one Peep before I start to wonder why I bought them in the first place. I guess I'm drawn in by the cute factor...and that slightly crunchy, sugary exterior.

Maybe rather than eating Peeps, I should just amuse myself by putting them in the microwave. If you've never done that, you should. A Peep in the microwave balloons to the size of a basketball then quickly deflates. This makes for a delightful minute of entertainment. (Note: I would not recommend eating a microwaved Peep.)



But I digress! If Peeps aren't on your diet this spring, you should consider coming to my April mini-album class at Memory Bound. We'll be using the Peeps line by We Are Memory Keepers, and these Peeps are calorie-free! And even cuter than the marshmallow kind, I might add.

Feline Friday

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Thanks to my friend Fonda for finding this sheet music on a recent antiquing trip. Something about it made her think of Lily. :)

A Visit to B-Town

We spent another too-brief weekend visiting Daughter at Indiana University in Bloomington. This time, we took along one of her good friends from home, which made the trip even more enjoyable. We also got to meet a few more of her college friends. They're smart, funny, and incredibly talented -- and no doubt a big part of why she is so happy at IU.

Of course, we enjoyed a bit of music while we were visiting -- notably, a private marimba concert. What a treat it is to hear her play this beautiful instrument!

This semester Daughter is taking a string methods class. She serenaded us with "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and some lovely scales on the violin. We were duly impressed!

As usual, we also enjoyed great food during the weekend. Friday evening, we checked out a new Thai restaurant. Saturday morning, Spouse and I visited a coffee shop tucked away in an old house where the specialty was all different kinds of brioche. How about cranberry-date-walnut brioche with a mug of dark coffee? A very fine start to the day.

Saturday we visited Five Guys for burgers and fries. And more fries. The fries come in a large (nearly grocery-sized) bag. And they are way too good!

Sunday morning we enjoyed brunch at a place I've been wanting to try: The Runcible Spoon. It was exactly as I expected it to be -- very cozy and eclectic. And the bathroom (which has apparently been featured on the Travel Channel) was a complete delight. The bathtub has been made into a fish tank, complete with a running faucet and some very happy koi.

As always, the weekend passed too quickly and soon we were on our way back home again, feeling incredibly thankful that she is thriving at IU. We absolutely treasured every minute could spend with her while we were there!

Recipe: Orange Chipotle Chicken

We just returned from a wonderful weekend visiting our daughter at Indiana University. I'll try to post some photos from our visit tomorrow. Meanwhile, here's another recipe I'd like to share. If you're looking for something to make for dinner tonight, this would be a good choice.

In a recent blog post, I mentioned picking up a copy of Clean Eating magazine. I had Spouse look through it and pick out a few recipes to try. So far, everything we've tried has been great but this one worried me a little bit. I normally don't care to mix sweet with savory flavors, but I decided to give it a whirl. I was pleasantly surprised! This recipe is very easy to make and not overly sweet at all. It's another keeper!

Of course I forgot to take a photo of the completed dish at dinner that night, so here's a photo from the magazine. It didn't look quite this good when I made it, but it was close! :)

Orange Chipotle Chicken with Cilantro Rice
(Clean Eating magazine)
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1 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt, divided (I used regular salt)
1 tsp safflower oil (I used olive oil)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), rinsed, patted dry and pounded to 1/2-inch thick
Juice of 1 medium navel orange (or 1/2 cup orange juice)
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (IMPORTANT! Use just 1 TEASPOON -- not 1 CAN, as I did recently when making a different recipe. YIKES!)
1 tsp orange zest
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 packed cup chopped cilantro leaves

In a small bowl, combine chile powder, cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Tilt to coat bottom lightly. Season both sides of the chicken with spice mixture and cook for 3 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the center. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add orange juice and syrup to the pan juice and cook for 1 minute to thicken slightly (until it measures 1/4 cup liquid), stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in chipotle, chiles, and orange zest. Add chicken back to skillet and cook for 1 minute on medium-high heat, turning constantly.

In a medium bowl, combine rice, cilantro, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. Serve chicken over rice and spoon any excess glaze over top of the chicken pieces.

Feline Friday: Bullying Behavior

Let me tell you a little secret about Lily: As sweet and smart as she is, she's a bit of a bully to Tinsel. She never bites or hisses but rather bullies Tinsel by intimidation. For instance, if Lily sees Tinsel doing X, she wants to do X, too -- even if she has no real interest in it. It could be watching a bird out the window, sitting on a special chair, playing with a certain toy, or especially EATING -- she slinks up to Tinsel and moves in on poor Tinsel's territory. Tinsel does not stand often up for herself, so Lily generally gets her way.

And so it goes in the daily struggle to be the Alpha Cat at our house.

Recently I happened to catch this bullying behavior with my camera.

Tinsel was sound asleep in The Sunny Spot and Lily was nowhere in sight.

But Lily had followed me to the family room. She immediately spotted Tinsel in The Sunny Spot and wanted it for herself. She sauntered over to Tinsel and started moving into her space.

Tinsel growled and hissed at Lily. Lily batted back. This little back and forth continued briefly until...

Lily took The Sunny Spot.


Poor Tinsel sat in The Shady Spot, defeated and dejected.

I immediately picked Lily up and moved her from The Sunny Spot to The Fuzzy Bed. (It's currently sitting inside The Big Box which she has also claimed as her own.)

And I returned Tinsel to The Sunny Spot.

So peace was restored at our house.

(Until I left the room, at least.)

Recipe: Lentils with White Wine, Herbs, & Tomatoes

Last fall, I read a wonderful book called Lunch in Paris and wrote about it here. I would not consider it a "recipe book" but rather a book with recipes -- and that's what I find so appealing about it. After I finished the book, I saved several recipes to try. It has only taken me five months to get around to making the first one -- Lentils with White Wine, Herbs, & Tomatoes.

This lentil dish makes a perfect dinner on a cold winter's evening. Keep in mind that it makes a LOT but the leftovers freeze well and can be made into a soup (see below). I also found out (after the fact -- should have checked first!) that Spouse is not a huge lentil fan but in spite of that, he still enjoyed the dish. Served with a green salad and a loaf of crusty bread, this is comfort food at its best.

Lentils with White Wine, Herbs, and Tomatoes
Recipe by Elizabeth Bard, from Lunch in Paris

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2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, roughly chopped
4-5 small shallots or 1 medium onion, roughly chopped (I used shallots)
2.5 cups dried Puy lentils (I used whatever the grocery store carried - nothing fancy)
6 cups chicken broth
1 16 ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 cup dry white wine
A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, including some of the stems, chopped
1 bay leaf (fresh, if possible)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Condiments:
Sour cream or creme fraiche
Chopped fresh cilantro
3 limes, halved

In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and carrot and saute for 5 to 10 minutes until the onion is translucent.

Add the lentils and stir to coat with the oil.

Add the broth, tomatoes, wine, parsley, bay leaf, and a good grinding of pepper. Leave to simmer over a low heat with the cover ajar until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 1 hour.

(Can I tell you how incredibly good this smells simmering on the stove?)

The author doesn't mention anything about a CAT in the kitchen, but I think it always helps to have a bit of supervision.

Serve in shallow bowls with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of chopped fresh cilantro, and (essential!) half a lime for squeezing. Serves 6.

The author suggests topping the lentils and sour cream with a pan fried or broiled salmon fillet for easy entertaining. Leftover freeze well. They also make great soup; just throw in a bit of extra broth and a dash of white wine and puree. Serve with the same condiments.

Class Kits Inspire!

I believe that one of the most important steps in teaching a class is putting together a well-thought-out kit.



Although it can be time-consuming, I really don't mind putting together class materials because I believe that a good kit (together with a good set of instructions!) makes it easy for students to put together a project, either in class or at home.



There is also something about assembling kits that inspires creativity, sort of like a new box of crayons. All the "raw" ingredients are there, just waiting to be put together into a cohesive project! I get this feeling every time I go to a workshop or put together kits for one of my own classes.

If you've ever watched HGTV's "Divine Design", you might know what I mean. As designer Candice Olson works on her plans for a client's room, she piles all the selected materials in a wire basket -- fabric, wood samples, metal finishes, etc. All the ingredients for the completed room are there -- just waiting to be incorporated into the design. I love the look of materials in that basket!

I'm obviously no Candice Olson :) but I think the combination of colors, patterns, and textures in a packaged kit can have the same inspiring effect!