Apple Blossoms & Golden Finch

Tags

art, bedroom, birds, canvas, craft, destress, fine art, flower, flowering tree, golden finch, guest room, hobby, home decor, home making, paint, painting, postaday2011, relax, relaxation, stencil, tree

Rainy Saturday
I’ve been extremely stressed recently, on top of work, two weeks before the end of my course, my professor decided to extend the class! Can she really do that? We’ve stalled on our home projects. There are still walls to be painted and boxes to be unpacked… I often forget how much painting relaxes me. Painting canvases, not walls…  played around with the idea of flowering branches and birds. I played around with a silhouette idea, but didn’t like it for my walls. The inspiration has to hit at just the right time.

Blossom Detail

Today, while checking out a local community yard sale (during the pouring rain), I saw a cute stencil. Now, I’d never stencil flowers and birds on my walls (and I was quite harsh about the ones on the walls when we bought our first house), but I saw a cute stencil and thought that it would be great as a painting. For 25¢, you can’t go wrong.

Quickly after we got home I was playing around with the stencil. I was going to use it on my canvas, but it had three layers of stenciling craziness and the result would become a mess. So I looked at the image on the packet and used the images to guide my painting.

I rummaged through an unpacked box to find my paint brushes and acrylic paints. I kept my blank canvases handy, knowing that I’ve been itching to paint. I still need to spray it with a clear coat before Hubster hangs it on the wall. This is what I created…

Apples Blossoms & Golden Finch

This painting is perfect for my guest room, It’ll tone down the green walls and matched the bird-cage theme.

What did you do yesterday???

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Hubster Finds The Kitchen

Tags

cooking, food, foodie, husband, love, marriage, married life, postaday2011, spouse

Between prepping my lessons for teaching and completing my lessons for my intensive course, I have not spent much time in the kitchen. Or anywhere else but in front of my computer, and unfortunately not on my blog. When I have made it into the kitchen, it hasn’t been to cook the delicious foods I like to prepare (and consume). It has all been boring, basic and quick.

Hubster does not cook… ever. Okay, he’ll cook his own venison… he’ll make a very occasional grilled cheese (I think I last had one over a year ago) and recently he’s mastered the art of brewing a cup of coffee (which I do not drink). Now in all fairness, he does work many late nights and is exhausted when he gets home, so I don’t really expected him to do any of the cooking.

Then one magical night (last week), we were driving home from school together (Hubster actually had an early week!!!) and Hubster asked me what I was making for dinner. I responded that I had defrosted some chicken and that I’d probably heat up some frozen veggies and cook some potatoes. Quick, easy and boring. After we were home and took care of our fur children, I busied myself with my homework. I wanted to complete a major assignment before I started dinner. I heard the tea kettle whistle and Hubster asked if I wanted tea. He is pretty sweet & considerate and will make me a cup of tea now and again…

Then I heard the magical words, “How do you make this chicken?” I said I had planned on coating it and baking it. “How do you do that?” I jumped up and lined 4 bowls on the counter. I scooped flour (salt, pepper and paprika) into the second one and breadcrumbs in the last. I told him to use milk and eggs, as I pointed to the remaining bowls. And I just as quickly sat down. He questioned me like crazy (which meant that even though he was being thoughtful, I wasn’t getting any work done in this time), so I was careful to give him very clear precise directions, but remained at my laptop.

Hubster managed to bake breaded chicken tenders, steam a vegetable medley and slice & pan fry some potatoes. Even though the chicken was a bit dry (shhh, don’t tell him) and the potatoes were extremely peppery, it the most special meal I had in a long time. Hubster was quite proud of himself too. Afterwards, I asked Hubster if he would be making chicken any time again soon. He was quick to tell me, probably not. Another reason I love Hubster? He never ceases to surprise me.

Hubster Finds The Kitchen

How has your partner surprised you recently?

Breakfast On The Go

Tags

breakfast, brunch, cheese, food, foodie, meal, pastry, postaday2011, quick, quick meal, recipe, roll, sausage, sausage rolls

Got breakfast?
Back to school is the perfect time to play around with quick grab and go options. And breakfast rolls have so many possibilities, it’s difficult to get bored. Any combination of meat, cheese, veggies, and condiments will work. You can prep these ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze. Simply microwave in the morning and enjoy.

Breakfast Rolls

Sausage Roll Ingredients:
puff pastry (or other quick baking dough), turkey breakfast sausage, cheddar cheese, Dijon mustard

Ham Roll Ingredients:
puff pastry, turkey ham, swiss cheese, Dijon mustard

Pancake Roll Ingredients:
puff pastry, turkey sausage, maple syrup

Monte Cristo Roll Ingredients:
puff pastry, turkey ham, smoked turkey, swiss cheese, provolone, maple syrup

Apple Roll Ingredients:
puff pastry, apple slices, cheddar cheese

Banana Roll Ingredient:
puff pastry, banana, peanut butter

Bacon & Egg Roll Ingredients:
puff pastry, cooked turkey bacon, scrambled eggs, any cheese or condiment

Berry Roll Ingredients:
puff pastry, red raspberries, dark chocolate chips (just a few)

Breakfast Roll Directions:
Cut the dough into rectangles, layer with condiment, cheese and meat. Roll dough up and press closed. Place seam side down and bake about 375°F for about 10 minutes, or refer to dough directions.

What combination are you going to create?

 

Pasta Fagioli

Tags

autumn, beans, dinner, food, foodie, lunch, pasta, pasta e fagioli, postaday2011, recipe, soup, vegetarian

When the stars make you drool, just-a like pasta fagioli, that’s amore…

Maybe I’m just an overly sensitive person, but with the shock of the flooding and the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, it has been an emotionally draining week. With the damp cold clinging to the autumn air and the soggy ground seeping through my shoes, it is soup time in my kitchen. So until the sun decides to finally show its face, the soup will warm my body, mind & soul.

This is not the Olive Garden copy cat recipe, so turn away now if that’s what you’re after. I’m trying for a bit more authentic. I’m pretty sure that this is a traditional peasant dish and therefore wouldn’t have meat in it… After all, the two namesake ingredients, pasta and beans, are the most inexpensive ingredients one could use. Modern recipes do add meat, but today I do not… (maybe when I need to make it a little heartier in the cold winter).

Pasta Fagioli

Ingredients:
3 c. cannellini beans, 3 c. red kidney beans, 1/2 lb. cooked radiatori, 1 c. diced tomatoes, olive oil, minced onions, garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 grated carrot, 2 stalks of celery, 1″ chunk of pecorino romano, vegetable broth, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, fresh cracked black pepper.

Directions:
Warm olive oil in bottom of soup pot. Chop celery into small pieces and add to pot with onions. Saute until tender.  Add broth and cheese and bring to a boil. Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat to low and simmer. Let stand for 10 minutes and discard bay leaves before serving.

Serve hot with a crisp salad and yeasty bread. Top with fresh grated cheese if desired.

What is warming you up today? 

PA Flooding

Tags

Bloomsburg, flood, flood of 2011, flooding, natural disaster, Pennsylvania, postaday2011, storm damage

I haven’t posted in a while. Back to school is always busy and I’ve also been taking a really intensive class. Not much time to even spend with Hubster & Pumpkin now.

This week we only had 1 1/2 days of school due to the flooding going on in our part of PA. Bloomsburg seems to received the worst of it. I was there for the flood of ’06, it was pretty scary and that’s nothing compared to what they’re going through now. Going to college there and living there for 6 years, this really breaks my heart. Many were evacuated, many are without water & power. My thoughts & prayers are with everyone who was effected by this flooding.  These photos are not of Bloomsburg, as all the roads were closed. This is the flooding directly around where we live.

Bathroom at local State Park

Our Way to Work

Playground

Street Signs

 

Since we haven’t even unpacked our bedroom yet, I’m going to clean out Hubster & my closets and see what extra clothing we have to donate. 

Were you effected by the flooding? Or another natural disaster recently?

Black Bean Soup

Tags

beans, black beans, dinner, food, foodie, peppers, postaday2011, recipe, soup, tomatoes, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian

I’ve mentioned several times before that Hubster isn’t a soup fan. Since soup was my father’s forte, I just can’t accept Hubster’s dislike. And soup in summer? It just tastes incredibly better with garden fresh veggies. Besides, our nights do get chilly here…

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1 qt. vegetable stock, 4 c. cooked black beans, 2 medium tomatoes, ½ c. shredded carrots, ½ red pepper, ½ green pepper, 2 scallions, 1 lime, fresh cilantro, ½ tsp. cumin, ½ tsp. coriander, fresh cracked black pepper, fresh ground sea salt

Version 1 Directions:
Dice tomatoes and peppers. Chop cilantro and slice scallions. Zest and juice lime. In a large soup pot bring vegetable stock, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, scallions, salt & pepper to a boil. Add beans, tomatoes, carrots and peppers, cover and allow to simmer. Serve hot and garnish with a spring of fresh cilantro.

What’s not to love about fresh garden veggies?

Chicken, Spinach & Pepper Sandwich

Tags

chicken, food, foodie, hoagie, hometown, lunch, postaday2011, provolone, recipe, red pepper, roasted red peppers, roll, sandwich, spinach

Back home there’s this pizzeria and it makes the most delicious chicken sandwich I’ve ever had. Part of what makes them so fantastic, are the local Amoroso rolls. Unfortunately, I can’t get them here. So I do my best with what I’ve got. I know this is easy and you don’t really need a recipe, but I just wanted to share my hometown favorite.

Chicken, Spinach & Pepper Sandwich

Ingredients:
rolls, chicken breasts, marinade (I like to use Italian or balsamic vinegar),  baby spinach, roasted red peppers, provolone cheese

Directions: 
Use chicken into small bite size pieces and marinate overnight. Cook chicken in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Once chicken is finished, add spinach and sauté. When chicken is wilted, add roasted red peppers to warm. Top with provolone and heat until melted. Stuff the yumminess into a roll and enjoy.

Is there a sandwich that you just love?