i am going computer free this week. largely because it's not working. and so it will go to the mac shop today and i will hope that it still has a few years to give. until then, have a lovely rest of the week and i will see you monday. Continue reading

he would be there indefinitely if he had his way:: this was the latest pick from his favorite cookbook. he was a bit disappointed with the outcome. these were like a gourmet fudgsicle. i think the recipe was a little too heavy on the espresso powder and not heavy enough on the sugar. i have a better version on the docket that should cheer him up, and it's much healthier to boot. not that this set back deterred him in the least. he just flipped a few pages and went on to the next recipe. i better get him going... Continue reading

after years of collapsed-taco-shell frustration and failed attempts at arranging and propping up, i finally figured it out. so, just in case you are as slow on the uptake as i am, i thought i'd share my revelation: just flip them over:: perfectly toasted shells. open! ready to be filled. happy taco night! don't say i never taught you anything :) Continue reading

better than the best. the ultimate! last weekend i organized my bookmark folders. i went from the overloaded "baking" and "cooking", to many new and more precise folders. isn't this story exciting? at any rate, i now have a "salads/dressings" folder and realized i've been sitting on this amazing recipe for a long, long time. i used scallions in place of chives and black pepper in place of white:: this is so simple and so quick and so unbelievably good. here are the steps: 1. make it. 2. try not to drink it straight from the jar. that's it. you... Continue reading

thank you pinterest for a cute and simple, sweet treat. the perfect after school snack activity for my crew, half of whom are feeling the end-of-the-school-year blues:: they all left the kitchen feeling a bit more sunny side up! Continue reading

full, full, full. and sunny too! Continue reading

big knit update. has it really been three months?:: it is slowly moving along. things would be at a more impressive stage had i not forgotten i wanted to make the larger size. meaning, after knitting 5 rows at 400 stitches, i had to rip back to nothing and cast on 416. then it was indy's birthday. if i can just get it done before the humidity that would be nice. but i think i already said that. happy weekend! Continue reading

i'm sold on bon appetit. literally. i bought myself a subscription as a very early birthday present after grabbing this pasta issue off the stands. i tried the ditalini with chickpeas and garlic-rosemary oil (this was the february issue):: so hearty and delicious. that garlic rosemary drizzling oil was like the cherry on top. maybe this was beginners luck, but i'm going to keep positive and say i've found a really excellent culinary mag that has already added a new dish to my recipe rotation. i've been gifted martha's living magazine for a while now and lately i'm realizing how... Continue reading

jamie! you are now on my list of people i am indebted to. you made our rainy day. three kids came running in off the bus yesterday to warm, delicious, perfect corn bread. with a little butter on top, because it was raining, and that calls for a little extra comfort right?:: would i like some corn bread with that butter? apparently not. don't worry, i only ate one piece like that, while the kids weren't looking. i told you it was raining right? and it was a cold rain. this is quite possibly the best corn bread i've ever... Continue reading

one more celebration and we can officially close the books on indy's sixth. well, the treat portion of it anyway. i still need to finish that crocheted project. today she'll celebrate with her class:: another cake pop moment inspired by angie. these were so much fun to make. you really can't mess them up. in fact, messing them up makes them more realistic. the gloppier the better! Continue reading

i wish i could remember the source for this idea, but i bookmarked it in my head, which is never wise. at any rate, i had almost given up hope for these themed cupcakes. they were meant to be served on a rustic wooden cake stand. i waited all week for an idea to come to me. the night before the party i still had nothing. frustrated, i was about to hot glue a bunch of moss to a serving platter and call it a day. no tiers or anything. not to mention the fact that 'frustration' paired with 'hot... Continue reading

i finally made the pinto beans with skillet cornbread from ree's book. the beans were simple and satisfying. if you hold off on the bacon, you could easily mash and fry the leftovers to use for nachos. yum, i may do that soon. but the cornbread.... the cornbread was not good. i really wanted it to be, but it wasn't. i think the main problem was that the recipe didn't call for any sugar. isn't cornbread supposed to have sugar? i tested my theory by sprinkling a little on a chunk and problem solved! i am now determined to find... Continue reading

happy birthday to indy, who turned six yesterday! keeping with tradition, i made her a special breakfast in bed. an integral part of that tradition is that you get to pick whatever you want for breakfast. a pancake the size of your plate? sure! a giant waffle with a face on it? done and done! waffles and sushi?? uh, okay, sure! yes, you bet, waffles and sushi:: you only turn six once! love you indy bell!! Continue reading

finally. that felt like a very long winter:: happy discoveries: not only did our parsley patch winter over but my first ever rose bush is looking lively as well:: and just like that, we're right back to weeding and working in the garden! Continue reading

i have something important to tell you and you have to listen to me: you NEED to go out and pick up a copy of baked. i've blogged about it before, but this time it's serious. really serious. kai has been digging through our cookbook library working on a new list of recipes to try. this was what he started with, partly because we had some old cans of pumpkin that needed to be used up:: pumpkin whoopie pies. these were just incredible. so, so moist. so delicious. if you make them for thanksgiving next year you will be the... Continue reading

not quite as scary to draw onto a pattern as i had thought:: much, much more time consuming than scary, as it turns out. perhaps the most frightening part though, is realizing that after committing all of this time to tracing and adding in the seam allowances, and even though i measured myself beforehand, it's looking like this dress will be of circus tent proportions. there are pleats involved though. they are my only hope at the moment. i'm just going to keep going because that's how i do. i always like to see a potential train wreck through to... Continue reading

an april fools day delight. or an april fools day disappointment, depending on your age bracket. i got this idea from bridget and used the recipe listed on her post for the "cupcakes":: it's meatloaf and mashed potatoes everyone! did you see that coming? my kids definitely didn't:: reactions were priceless, as you can imagine! the meatloaf recipe was very delicious. i don't have a meatloaf recipe of my own and this was the first time i ever even tried making it, so i was happy with the results. i know for certain i overcooked these and they were still... Continue reading