Michelle Suzanne

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- Trying really hard to break my habit of saying alrighty at the end of work calls. I never say this outside of work!
  
  Jan 23, 12 from Twitter for Windows Phone Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- The bus smells like garbage.
  
  Dec 27, 11 from Twitter for Windows Phone Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- I lost my bus pass with two weeks left in the month. Ughhhhhh!
  
  Dec 19, 11 from Twitter for Windows Phone Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- My bus broke down! Walking and a ton of fog just came out of nowhere!
  
  Dec 16, 11 from Twitter for Windows Phone Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Headache. Heading home. Heater. Hunger games.
  
  Dec 07, 11 from Twitter for Windows Phone Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Enter to win a new Canon 5D MK II camera body from @Adorama and Scott Bourne. Please RT. Info at: http://t.co/JmjFmHVS
  
  Nov 29, 11 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- An awesome deal!! One Pair of Glasses or Sunglasses http://t.co/1L80XMEh via @LivingSocial
  
  Nov 28, 11 from Tweet Button Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- got a haircut and won a contest today! Not bad for a Monday!
  
  Nov 21, 11 from Twitter for Windows Phone Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Most magical house ever. http://t.co/R7P1PpMJ
  
  Nov 10, 11 from Tweet Button Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Watching the pilot of Grimm while home alone. 2 minutes in and I'm already scared.
  
  Nov 06, 11 from Twitter for Windows Phone Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- i love Murakami so much. http://t.co/5lZpuyNJ #Kindle
  
  Nov 04, 11 from Kindle Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Started Murakami's 1Q84 and wish I could be reading it all day instead of working!
  
  Oct 27, 11 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Happy anniversary to me and Portland! Four years ago today I arrived in this glorious city. Dear Portland, I love you!
  
  Oct 26, 11 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- And today is the beginning of six months of frozen toes.
  
  Oct 25, 11 from WindowsLive Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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- Classics, a 10 Year Reading Project
  
  Jan 02, 12
  
  When I turned 30 in 2011 I set a goal for myself to read as many 'classics' as I could before I turned 40.
  
  This seems a daunting task, and I know I can't ONLY read classics, so I try to mix them in with the more modern books that appeal to me.
  
  In 2011 I read 5 classics of the 21 books that I read in total during the year. Here are my quick review/summaries and I highly recommend that everyone read more 'classics.' It is surprising to me how relevant some of these are.
  
  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I thought I would get bored with the book and never finish it. Instead, I was instantly entertained, curious, and interested in Jane, her surroundings, her view of the world, her cohorts, etc. The story surprised me a few times, and I never did get bored. The ending left a little something to be desired, and in a way I just wanted the story to continue. I wanted to know about her and Mr. R. growing into old age, and I wanted to learn about their children and wanted to meet Adele as a grown lady, etc. I take not wanting a book to end as a sure sign that I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I can understand why this is a classic! (February 2011, 5 stars)
  
  Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - I loved Lord Henry and his views on everything! the ending surprised me. (March 2011, 4 stars)
  
  This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald - I didn't like this book nearly as much as I thought I would. I struggled to finish it even though I liked Amory and his adventures for the most part. (April 2011, 3 stars)
  
  Silas Marner by George Eliot - I was excited to read this book, as it came so highly recommended, but I was a little bit scared that it would be above my head, based on the person who recommended it. However, I really enjoyed this book from the start and loved all the characters. The general moral that I took from the story is that money can't buy happiness and to appreciate what you have and enjoy it to its fullest. (June 2011, 4 stars)
  
  First Love by Ivan Turgenov - I think Novellas are the perfect length. Nothing gets too drawn out and nothing is too rushed. I thought this was a lovely little story about a 16-year-old's first encounter with love. Some really nice passages and a somewhat tragic ending. I liked this novella very much. (October 2011, 4 stars)
  
  Do you have any classic or just very old amazing novels that I should put on my to-read list??
- Year End Book Summary 2011
  
  Jan 02, 12
  
  In 2011 I read 21 books. Not a stellar amount but at least it is consistent with the 20 that I read in 2010.
  
  Some books I just jam through and some I lag and don't read as often as I should (as is the case with a book I am currently reading). I only gave 5 books a rating of 3 stars, most of them 4 stars, and only 5 with 5 stars.
  
  Let me tell you about these 5 faves of mine.
  
  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I set a goal for myself in 2011 when I turned 30 to read as many of the 'classics' as I could by the time my 40th birthday rolls around. I don't have a set list I am referencing but just when I hear about this book or that book or a book I never read but probably should have, I am making a note of it or downloading it to my kindle. This was the first classic that I read (mainly because I saw a trailer for a movie that came out in 2011 that looked good) and I was absolutely shocked at how much I loved it right off the bat. My instant reaction upon finishing Jane Eyre was this: I thought I would get bored with the book and never finish it. Instead, I was instantly entertained, curious, and interested in Jane, her surroundings, her view of the world, her cohorts, etc. The story surprised me a few times, and I never did get bored. The ending left a little something to be desired, and in a way I just wanted the story to continue. I wanted to know about her and Mr. R. growing into old age, and I wanted to learn about their children and wanted to meet Adele as a grown lady, etc. I take not wanting a book to end as a sure sign that I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I can understand why this is a classic!
  
  Tinkers by Paul Harding - I didn't know much about this book but for some reason I kept wanting to read it. Finally I dug into it and was so glad that I did. It was gorgeous and sad and as I wrote initially upon finishing Tinkers: About half way through this book I wanted to start over from the beginning and pay more attention. I will definitely be re-reading this one.
  
  The Help by Kathryn Stockett - I know everyone and their mother read this book in the last couple years and finally I gave in to the hype. I expected it to be hokey and ridiculous but instead I really loved it. I laughed, I cried, I didn't want it to end.
  
  Room by Emma Donoghue - This was the first book I purchased for my kindle and it took me a few months to actually decide to read it because I was scared it would be too depressing. I loved it right away as is usually the case when I read books told from the perspective of a child. I find it so refreshing to look at things in a fresh, if slightly naive, light once in a while. While this story is pretty sad, Jack's view of his own life isn't and that is what kept it from being too hard to read. I really wanted to give Jack a big hug. I wrote when I had just finished reading Room: I found it very easy to feel immersed in Jack's world. I could totally understand why he felt scared/anxious about everything, wanting to return to comforts he was familiar with, though they seemed crazy and scary to everyone else. I was a pretty scared little kid, very afraid of the unknown and quiet, so I could relate to Jack in a way. At the end of the book, I wished it would have kept going.
  
  1Q84 by Haruki Murakami - I love everything Murakami does, and I might build him up a bit much to people sometimes because I just love his books so very much. Maybe he is not for everyone but I simply can't imagine someone not liking his style of surreal things taking place in a very realistic world. I had been waiting for this book to be released forever, in fact I preordered it about 6 months before it was released so I would be sure to get the first US edition. 1Q84 was not a disappointment and I read the more than 900 pages in one month, which for me is no small feat. My first impression upon finishing 1Q84 was this: I loved this book from the start, had a hard time putting it down, and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. This was a perfect combination of Murakami's amazingly magically surreal style and a sweet love story. I was sad to reach the end and could have read 900 more pages.
  
  I really liked a lot of the other books I read in 2011, and honorable mention goes to Galore by Michael Crummey even though it was much different than I expected it would be. I also really liked The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins!
  
  (If you would like to read reviews for all of these, here is My GoodReads page.)
  
  Here is a fancy grid of the books I read in 2011:
  
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- Movie Log 2011, Fourth Quarter
  
  Jan 01, 12
  
  Go back to: First quarter, Second quarter or Third quarter.
  
  In theater:
  
  -The Skin I Live In: This was quite a strange film. I guess Almodovar's films are usually on the dark and odd side, but this was extremely weird. A few loopholes and a slight creep factor. I'd watch it again just to see other peoples' reactions.
  
  Via Netflix:
  
  -Marwencol : This was a super interesting and strange documentary about a man who suffered a traumatic brain injury and created a fictional 1/6 scale world to obsess over.
  
  -Sylvia : This is a movie about Sylvia Plath. I was worried this movie would be extremely depressing, and it was a bit depressing, but mostly it made me appreciate my life and feel very sorry for people with serious depression.
  
  -The High Cost of Living : I had a hard time believing Zach Braff as a drug dealer, but this movie was good. I didn't get bored and definitely a dark sort of rom-com.
  
  -Tiny Furniture : This was a quirky comedy/coming of age sort of thing. I liked it very much except for the ending.
- Movie Log 2011, Third Quarter
  
  Oct 01, 11
  
  Go back to: First quarter or Second quarter.
  
  I was slacking in the movie watching department this quarter! I'll have to catch up before the Oscars!
  
  In theater:
  
  -Bridesmaids: So funny and great. I just love Kristin Wiig!
  
  -The Help: I loved this book and the movie was also pretty great. I was not sure how they were going to pull it off, but it was a good adaptation.
  
  Via Netflix:
  
  -Winter's Bone: Beautiful and haunting but a bit slow and anti climactic.
  -Gonzo: Interesting but I felt like it started dragging during the last half hour or so.
  
  -Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father: This documentary was very sad and almost unbelievable but also very touching. I really liked it even though it was pretty depressing.
  
  -Gonzo: I forget the full title of this but it is a relatively recent documentary about Hunter S. Thompson. An interesting film about a man I knew very little about.
  
  -Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired: This was a very interesting movie about Roman Polanski and all the drama surrounding him. I liked it very much.
  
  -Bill Cunningham New York: I had heard a lot of great things about this documentary and finally it popped up on Netflix Instant. I loved this movie from start to finish. I wish Bill Cunningham was my grandpa.
  
  I watched a few others, but nothing notable and I was bad about writing my instant impressions.
- Movie Log 2011, Second Quarter
  
  Jul 01, 11
  
  Second quarter of movies I have seen this year, 2011. (Go back to first quarter...)
  
  In the theater:
  
  Black Swan: Wow, so intense! From the start, not a dull moment. Thought the black swan character could have been more developed, but nonetheless, loved it.
  
  Jane Eyre: A good interpretation of a great novel. I don't see why they had to start in the middle and tell the story in flashbacks but felt the essence of the love story remained intact. Loved it.
  
  The King's Speech: This movie was a lot more entertaining than I thought it was going to be, though still a tad slow. I liked it a lot, nevertheless, and even watched a show on PBS about the real story the following day.
  
  Beginners: I got to go to a free screening of this film and didn't expect too much from it. The movie was probably the best film I have seen in the theater in a very long time. It was very real and sad, about love and loss. Ewan MacGregor with an American accent is just a little bit weird though.
  
  Midnight in Paris: Owen Wilson and Woody Allen found that time machine I have been searching for forever, and it's in Paris! This movie was so magical and I loved every minute of it, even though Owen Wilson usually kind of annoys me. When it ended I felt a little sad that it was over, the same way I feel about books that I love.
  
  Water for Elephants: I read this book so long ago that I barely remember a lot of the details. I thought this movie was pretty good. I probably would have seen it even if I hadn't read the book, simply because I love circus stuff. But Reese W. and that kid from Twilight just were not very believable. The elephant was the star, obviously.
  
  Netflix:
  
  The 400 Blows: Watched this many years ago and was not disappointed with this revisit. Such a wonderful story of youth.
  
  Dorian Gray: A newish interpretation of the Oscar Wilde story that came out in 2009 I think with Colin Firth playing Lord Henry. Recently read the book and figured why not watch the film? I kind of hated this movie and wished I did not watch it. They really kind of twisted the story, especially the ending and made it into a weird mystery, all while dragging the story on and on for no reason.
  
  Pie in the Sky: A documentary about Brigid Berlin, an artist from the Andy Warhol factory days with OCD. A super interesting lady and I loved this movie.
  
  The Joneses: When you are feeling Californication withdrawals, this dark comedy with David Duchovny and Demi Moore will fit the bill, even if the story is a bit ridiculous.
  
  My Father, The Genius: This documentary focuses on a daughter following around her father, an architect, learning a lot about him and trying to understand him. I liked it quite a lot.
  
  Dogtooth: This was the most disturbing movie I have seen in quite some time. Not unwatchable, very interesting and unpredictable. Netflix definitely had it categorized right under "dysfunctional family movies."
  
  The Kite Runner: For some dumb reason I never read this book or saw this movie. I really enjoyed it and even cried a little bit. Now I wish I had read the book!
  
  Hounddog: This movie sounded like a less depressing version of Precious. However, it was still pretty depressing even if it was filled with Dakota Fanning singing Elvis. Also, I hated the ending. (What gives with endings?!)
  
  Beneath Our Skin: This was a very interesting documentary about Lyme Disease. An eye opening look at this overlooked disease and a peek into a handful of sufferers lives and doctors who treat the disease. I know this sounds boring, but it was seriously very interesting.
  
  Upsidedown, The Creation Records Story: This documentary about Creation Records out of the UK was very entertaining even though it was quite hard to understand at least 1/3 of what everyone in it was saying. A great music documentary, especially if you are into shoegaze or britpop.
  
  Pushing Daisies: Okay this isn't a movie, but I watched almost all of the 22 episodes in two weeks and that show was so great and cancelled too soon! (I am waiting to get the second season from the library to finish the last few episodes!)
  
  I was hoping to get to see a bunch of movies at the Cannes Film Festival in May but that did not happen at all. Bummer.
  
  Any recommendations???
- Trip of a lifetime.
  
  May 09, 11
  
  A while back you might remember I posted about a little film that Matthew and I worked on which won the 48 hour go green competition in Portland and was going on to be screened in Las Vegas along with the other winners from each competing city.
  
  Shortly after finding out that we won for Portland, we found out that we had been picked as one of the top five films out of all the films (hundreds?) that participated in this worldwide competition!
  
  So, what does that mean? It means that our film is being screened at the CANNES FILM FESTIVAL.
  
  Matthew and I, along with the rest of the Monsieur Soeur team, are going to fly over to France to support our film, take a real vacation, get some sun, spot some celebs, drink loads of wine, eat fancy cheese, and take advantage of all the free museums!
  
  Having never been anywhere outside of California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada nor been on a trip longer than seven days in my life, nor been on an airplane for longer than three hours, I am over the top excited/nervous and it feels like the last month and a half have been dragging on and on.
  
  I have no idea what to expect. I am hoping to: sleep on the plane, not get lost, wear only dresses, meet friendly people, enjoy lots of sun, eat lots of delicious food and wine, see some great films, take lots of photos, and spend lots of time with my favorite guy. And as that lovely poster just above tells me, it's always sunny in the Cote d'Azur, which sounds absolutely magical.
  
  We leave in about 24 hours and will be pretty out of touch for the duration of the trip. Wish me luck, and I'll be back in a couple of weeks!
- Movie log 2011, First Quarter
  
  Jul 01, 11
  
  I set out to see as many movies as possible in the theater during 2011 as my new year's resolution. I am going to post a quarterly rundown, including my immediate reactions. I am also going to include notable movies that I watched at home via Netflix instant watch, which tend to be documentaries!
  
  Here goes...
  
  In theater:
  -True Grit. Loved it! Have to see the original now.
  
  -The Fighter. Marky Mark and Christian Bale were both good but overall the film was too violent for me. Made me very nervous/anxious. Also the ending was stupid.
  
  -Somewhere. Was excited to see this and it thoroughly bored me. An uninteresting and unfunny version of Lost in Translation. Another stupid ending.
  
  -Tron Legacy in 3d. Creepy computerized Jeff Bridges aside, the movie was pretty cool.
  
  -Barney's Version. Meh. A sad story about a not very likeable guy. Pretty forgettable. Kind of feel like I wasted my free movie ticket on this one.
  
  -Red Riding Hood. I feel like this had the potential to be awesome but it was pretty much just like Twilight but with a little more artsy look and no vampires.
  
  Via Netflix:
  -Finding Sean. This was a random documentary I found on Netflix and loved. It centers on a 6 year old boy who grew up in the Haight district of San Francisco in the '60s. Really great footage from that time period.
  
  -Exit Through the Gift Shop. This documentary was so great. I did not really know much about Banksy or street art or this film before I watched it which probably made me like it all the more.
  
  -Alice Neel. I found this on Netflix after watching Exit Through the Gift Shop and was so glad I chose to watch it. Never had heard of this fantastic painter but now am a big fan! The film was made by her grandson which made it all the more personal.
  
  -The Cats of Mirikitani. Another art documentary found from Netflix, this was a very touching and interesting story of a Japanese artist living in New York I had never heard of. His story was very interesting, and it has a happy ending.
  
  -District 9. Finally watched this. My feelings are mixed. It was disarming, stressful, extremely engaging, interesting, sad and maybe too real. Liked it a lot but wouldn't want to watch it again, too draining.
- I'm an aunt.
  
  Mar 22, 11
  
  Last week I took some time off work to go visit my little sister, her husband, and their new baby! My little nephew Evan Matthew.
  
  He was kind of scared of me at first, or just a little confused why I looked so much like his mom but wasn't actually his mom and kept taking pictures of him!
  
  But he came around pretty quickly. I feel like he grew up noticeably just in the 4 days I was there! By the last day he was almost smiling! Little Evan is so super adorable and his big brothers are so excited to have another brother! I had a great time visiting with all of them and hope to get back soon.
  
  Enjoy this video of the little guy hiccupping which is the cutest/funniest ever.
  
  The rest of my trip was filled with lots of friends, gin, dancing, delicious food and fun. I miss California but was so glad to get home to Portland.
- Watch our film! To the Land of the Setting Sun!
  
  Apr 21, 11
  
  Hey friends, here is the latest film that Matthew and I worked on!
  
  This film won Best Film, Audience Choice, and Best Writing in the 48 Hour Go Green 48 film competition in Portland! The film is now going on to be screened in Las Vegas along with the other competing cities' winning films.
  
  We are so proud of this film and hope you enjoy it also! We have a very talented and fun team and I am glad to be part of it.
  
  Watch the film here! (Vimeo won't let me embed it!)
  
  See the rest of the film race films by Monsieur Soeur on Vimeo.
- Random things
  
  Feb 24, 11
  
  I don't have anything super important to post but since I am home from work due to a fine dusting of snow covering this fine city, I thought I ought to try to make some sort of cohesive blog post!
  
  It is snowing like crazy outside, and I am so glad I stayed home from work. The coolest thing I found on the internet today while I was catching up on reading blogs is this super awesome stop motion video of a magical book shelf organizing itself!
  
  The sheer patience and time it takes to create something like that is just astounding to me!
  
  Tonight is a screening for the most recent film race that Matthew and I have participated in. I am super excited about this film and hope everyone loves it. I will post a link to the video when it is online. You can watch the one we did a few months ago here! I did most of the illustrations for it and am super happy with the way it turned out.
  
  I finally listened to the new Radiohead Album, The King of Limbs, today and it is quite lovely. A little more mellow, ambient, toned down from In Rainbows but it is nice. I like it. It seems to fit my wintery mood of late. I intend to listen to it over and over and over again until I know it as well as In Rainbows which I LOVE.
  
  I feel like 2011 is already zipping by and there are already so many plans for the rest of the year. Trips planned for March, May, July, August, October and December, not to mention all the awesome BBQs and hang outs that will be happening once summer hits! I can't wait. Sunshine that is actually warm! Quite a novelty.
  
  In book news, I recently finished reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and was genuinely surprised at how much I loved it! I am excited for the movie, even though I have my doubts that the movie will stay true to the book. Here are a couple of quotes I liked: "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being, with an independent will; which I now exert to leave you." "Even for me life had it's gleams of sunshine." "Love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the wellbeing of one's companion."
  
  I have made a sort of long-term goal (maybe ten years?) to read my way through as many of the supposed classics of literature as I can get through. In between each I will read something modern probably, just to break things up a bit and refresh my brain.
  
  I am currently reading The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman and am about a third of the way through it so far. I like it just fine, am finding it easy to read and interesting, but it isn't blowing my mind or anything. Sort of comes across as a collection of short stories with loosely intertwined characters. We will see how it winds up.
  
  What should my next classic be???? I have Picture of Dorian Gray and I think something by James Joyce on my Kindle so maybe one of those. I am completely open to suggestion on this, so help me out!
  
  For Valentine's Day, my favorite gave me a Diana Mini. It is blue and covered in adorable little fluffy white clouds and I am anxious to see how the photos turn out! Another reason to wish for sunshine--prettier photos on real film! I will post some highlights here probably.
  
  Ok going back to watching the snow and listening to jams.
- Admiration/Inspiration
  
  Jan 12, 11
  
  I am so excited to get this blog back to a regular blog. You know, where I can post whatever I want and not feel restricted by (or guilty about not) posting photo projects.
  
  One thing I want to do is to interject artists that I am mildly obsessed with once in a while. I see so many amazing artists around town, and also online all the time thanks to blogs like The Jealous Curator and Art Hound and I want to share my faves.
  
  So, I was at The Woods, in a pretty grumpy mood, playing Bingo and drinking Bourbon. I went to the bathroom and what did I find? The most amazing paintings on display. Giant and colorful and perfect. I stood and stared far longer than anyone waiting for the bathroom. I immediately made note of the artist and spent quite a while the next day ogling and reading and marveling about Joan Hiller.
  
  Swoon.
  
  I love love love the paint by numbers style of the paintings and they were even more gorgeous in person, not to mention giant and I want one! She does commissions, too! I have a birthday coming up, I'm just saying. :) She is having a show at Tiga in March, so I might have to save up and get one of these magical paintings.
  
  This reminded me, I have had an idea in my mind of embroidering based on old paint by number canvases, but have yet to come across any that I like. Maybe I should try my hand at creating my own.
- Books read, 2010: A Memoir.
  
  Jan 03, 11
  
  This post might be a bit obnoxious, and my original plan did not work because of java.
  
  In any case, in 2010 I did not top my 2009 record of 27 books read, as I only finished 20 books. However, of these 20 I really loved a lot of the books I read and rated only four of them with a 3 or 2 star rating! I am a pretty generous rater, but still. 16 out of 20 books rated with 4 or 5 stars is a pretty good ratio if you ask me.
  
  I reread a handful of books I have loved in the past this year which is something I don't normally do, but I am glad I did with these few (Kafka on the Shore, Geek Love, People of Paper) because I really do love them all!
  
  Again I am not going to post reviews for every book, check out My GoodReads page to see more review type stuff. However, I will tell you about a few of my faves.
  
  My favorite of the (previously unread) books that I read this year was Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. While I did not bother to write anything about this book when I originally finished it, I would like to say now that this book surprised me by making me laugh and cry, and I really thought the description on the cover and on amazon did not do this book justice at all. Beautifully written and I really did not want it to end, which is how I feel about all of my favorite books. Recommended to me by my Mostly Stitches counterpart, Vanessa.
  
  My second favorite was No Wolf by Richard Stofle. Now I may be a tad biased because I have worked with and known Mr. St. Ofle (as he is known in certain circles) for quite a few years by now. But, again I have to say that this book surprised me. I did not know that Richard had this very creative and entertaining and interesting and heart wrenching writer inside of him. If I haven't recommended this book to you in the past year, now is the time. I would loan it to you, but struggling artists and what not, you should just buy it. (You can also read a chapter of the book on that website if you wish!)
  
  My third favorite was The Secret History by Donna Tartt. This book had been recommended to me by a friend multiple times over the past few years and for some reason I never picked it up. It sounded too pretentious, too deep, too hard to read. But instead I found it immediately interesting, pretentious in the best almost comical way, and perfectly dark. I read it extremely quickly, loving every page. Definitely read this one if you haven't! And thanks again Mandy for recommending it!
  
  Honorable mention goes to What is the What by Dave Eggers. I don't even care if half of it is made up, I enjoyed it even though it made me very sad. The hopefulness was astounding.
  
  I got a Kindle for Christmas from my most favorite person so if you are wondering what to get me for my birthday (January 27th, I'll be 30!), Amazon.com gift cards or items from my Wishlist or even just book recommendations are more than a girl could ever want.
  
  Now here for a lovely grid of the 20 books I read in 2010.
  
  Books read 2010
  
  Michelle's favorite books »
  
  Happy reading!!
  p.s. this is my 100th post on this blog!
- Photo a Day 2010 is complete!
  
  Jan 02, 11
  
  Day 365. December 31, 2010. Spent New Year's Eve with the best people eating the best food and having the best time.
  
  There were days when I felt like this project would never end, but actually 2010 went by pretty quickly. It was a great year and I am looking forward to 2011!
  
  My only real resolution is going to be to go see more movies in the theater, because I just love it and I think I only saw like 5 movies in the theater in 2010, which is just crazy. I also am going to work on trying to think more positively and manage my money better. No promises on those two, though.
  
  Happy New Year!!! :)
- Days 352 to 363! Only 2 days left!
  
  Dec 30, 10
  
  Most of these photos are Christmas related, but here is the absolute best one, maybe of the entire year! Hope everyone had a truly magical holiday!
  
  Day 355. December 21, 2010. An army of Santas is creepy and awesome.
  
  See all the photos from my photo a day project here!
  
  One more post about this photo a day project and then this blog will get back to normal. Books, food, adventures, and fun times all sprinkled with photos. :)
- Days 333 through 351, almost done!
  
  Dec 21, 10
  
  So close to finishing!!!
  I am only posting two photos from this bunch. One is just miraculous and one is just too adorable.
  
  Day 336. December 2, 2010. How can you not marvel at this magical leaf!?
  
  Day 337. December 3, 2010. Itty bitty deers and colorful lights to decorate the mantle.
  
  The next photo a day post may be the last!
  View all of the photos from 2010 here.
  
  Merry Christmas!
- Days 322 to 332 of 365
  
  Nov 28, 10
  
  Wow only about a month left! Here are my favorite three photos out of this group.
  
  Day 324. November 20, 2010. Drove over the Burnside Bridge and saw the new Portland, Oregon sign! I approve.
  
  Day 330. November 26, 2010. Experimenting with bokeh effects from a rooftop during the tree lighting downtown.
  
  Day 332. November 28, 2010. Trekked to Sherwood to Chop down a Christmas tree! The tiny ones are so cute!
  
  p.s. See all photos from this series on Flickr!
- days 307 to 321
  
  Nov 18, 10
  
  Wow, two weeks behind again!
  Here are a few of my favorites from this group!
  I cannot believe how fast this year has flown by.
  
  Day 308. November 4, 2010. Church marquee wisdom on my walk home made me smile.
  
  Day 318. November 14, 2010. I always marvel at how pretty the St. Johns Bridge is, every time.
  
  Day 313. November 9, 2010. Fall trees are the prettiest trees.
  
  Day 321. November 17, 2010. The rain has definitely started and that bus better get here soon.
- Days 293 to 306!
  
  Nov 02, 10
  
  Only 2 months left!
  
  Here are two of my favorite photos of these 14.
  Day 296. October 23, 2010. 72 hour film race creations made by me and Meghann!
  
  Day 302. October 29, 2010. This tree outside my work was wearing a scarf, and it wasn't even very cold outside!
  
  See the full set of photos from 2010 so far here.
- Days 284 through 292 of 365
  
  Oct 20, 10
  
  Here are my three favorite photos out of these nine! Fall is the best.
  
  Day 285. October 13, 2010. The sky filled with chemtrails as I wanted for the bus.
  
  Day 288. October 15, 2010. I just love the pretty fall trees!
  
  Day 291. October 18, 2010. I walked right past this guy and then went back to take his picture while crossing my fingers it would not sting me!
- 27 Days: 257 through 283
  
  Oct 12, 10
  
  It has been a busy month, friends.
  
  Here is my favorite photo from the last 27 days. I wanted to pick this guy up and bring him to work with me!
  
  Day 281. October 8, 2010. On second thought, I should have moved this guy out of the middle of the sidewalk but I was in a rush!
  
  As always, you can see all the photos from this photo a day project on Flickr.
  
  I found a great site that will let me print a book filled with all of these photos! I think I will make that happen after this project is over, and this blog can get back to normal.
- 249 to 256
  
  Sep 15, 10
  
  Wow, this year is almost over! I finally switched my camera to widescreen, don't know what the hold up was before. Here are my fave 3 photos from this bunch of 8.
  
  p.s. keep your eyes peeled to Mostly Soup as I intend to kick start it back to life with soups and stews and maybe even bisques and risottos over the fall and winter.
  
  Day 249. September 6, 2010. A drive over the beautiful St. Johns bridge on a dreary evening.
  
  Day 251. September 8, 2010. Celebrating Vanessa's birthday with lots of pasta and wine.
  
  Day 256. September 13, 2010. Was surprised to find this mysterious pink glob was hard, like a seed pod.
- 240 through 248
  
  Sep 06, 10
  
  Day 240. August 28, 2010. Saw these pretty and perfect rose buds in the neighborhood
  
  Day 241. August 29, 2010. Sunday morning scones with blueberries from our yard!
  
  Day 242. August 30, 2010. Walking home I noticed the mailbox that thinks it is a tree.
  
  Day 243. August 31, 2010. Out way past my bedtime having fun, waiting for the bus in the rain.
  
  Day 244. September 1, 2010. Late night happy hour at Gustav's with our buddy, Buck.
  
  Day 245. September 2, 2010. The final batch of coconut rum cupcakes for Cory & Perry's wedding. Pretty and tasty!
  
  Day 246. September 3, 2010. In Salem for the weekend, a whirl of color.
  
  Day 247. September 4, 2010. Setting up flowers for the reception while family photos are being taken is a fun job.
  
  Day 248. September 5, 2010. Walked through a creepy deserted part of Salem before coming home to Portland.
- 236 through 239 out of 365
  
  Aug 28, 10
  
  Here are photos from the last 4 days. Enjoy!
  
  Day 236. August 24, 2010. After a lovely evening with friends, this was the last thing I saw before I fell asleep.
  
  Day 237. August 25, 2010. This adorable owlie keeps watch over our house when we are away.
  
  Day 238. August 26, 2010. These flowers make me think of Halloween.
  
  Day 239. August 27, 2010. The tiniest, cutest succulents. Each was about 1/4 inch across!
- 226 to 235 of 365.
  
  Aug 23, 10
  
  Here are my three favorite photos from this batch of 10. At this point I am pretty dang close to quitting this project every other day.
  
  Day 227. August 15, 2010. Late night slow exposure macro shots are my new fave.
  
  Day 232. August 20, 2010. Walked up to meet some friends for happy hour and found this tiny bike rusting away outside.
  
  Day 234. August 22, 2010. Heard lots and lots of this lovely sound thanks to a new amp that my favorite bought.
- 224 and 225
  
  Aug 14, 10
  
  Day 224. August 12, 2010. Walking home from Hollywood Theater, these neon lights caught my eye.
  
  Day 225. August 13, 2010. Found this 'single molecule of a good neighborhood' in the park by Lloyd Center.
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- Fun & Easy Birthday Party Decorations
  
  Sep 26, 11
  
  I was going to wait and let Vanessa write about her own birthday party decorations, but I just can’t wait. She is in Spain having a blast and I am in rainy Portland wondering what happened to all these cute paper flowers we made and thinking about how I can work some of them into my new office decor at home.
  
  So without further ado, here are a few cute things we made for V’s 30th birthday picnic in the park. These would all definitely work for any age birthday party!
  
  V’s mom made some delicious red velvet cupcakes, 30 of them to be exact. We made cute little flags out of colorful banjo covered wrapping paper, glued the paper flags to toothpicks, and stuck one in each cupcake.
  
  So festive and fun! This paper also set the color scheme for our table cloth choices and for the Vanessa banner.
  
  The banner was made from a cute orange gingham fabric. We cut letters to spell out V’s name in colors matching the little banjos and glued them to the fabric. We punched holes in the corner and tied them to the tables using cute ribbons.
  
  And last but not least, my fave of these crafts was inspired by this crepe paper flower tutorial (from ohhappyday.com) combined with this crazy expensive but oh so pretty photo backdrop (from bhldn.com). We created a long garland of flowers of various colors using tissue paper rather than crepe paper, simply because it was more readily available. Once we got to the park we cut the garland up into various lengths and tied them from tree branches.
  
  It was a bit difficult to capture how great they looked hanging from that tree. But believe me, they looked darling! Like something from Alice in Wonderland!
  
  I am kind of obsessed with these flowers. They were so super easy to make and so stinking cute. I wished we had made about three times as long of a string of the flowers as we did.
  
  The finishing touches were hand written labels for all the food, a mermaid pinata filled with gum, airheads candy and various little toys and things, along with two giant balloons: a 3 and a 0. There was a bit of a fiasco with the 3, one flew away the night before the party, but we were able to get another one and made sure it stayed put!
  
  All in all it was a super fun and super cute party for one of my most favorite people and I am happy that I could help her create all of these darling decorations. So glad she is in my club finally!
  
  Do you have any adorable and easy party decorating crafts to do on a budget?
- We are for real now!
  
  Sep 08, 11
  
  Hello there, friends! Welcome to our new home!
  
  We are totally for real now because we have this fancy website with a real .com address and all! Plus, on top of that, we have lots of fun stuff to share in coming days! Have a look around and say hello!
  
  P.S. Today is V’s 30th birthday so send her an extra special hello!
- How did it go?
  
  Jul 31, 11
  
  I know you have all been waiting patiently for an update about how our sale at Last Thursday went.
  
  It went pretty well, considering our sort of off the beaten path location and it being our first time. We had fun and got a lot of compliments. Our booth looked darling and once the wind died down a bit, it was a piece of cake. The Koi Fusion tacos helped also!
  
  Here is a peek at the super cute hand dyed (with all natural ingredients) napkins that we will be selling in the etsy shop soon! A variety pack or a set of all the same color, your choice! Custom made! We could even add some little embroidered embellishments if you want!
  
  We will also be dying tote bags and any other things we think might be fun to dye.
  You can see a little bit of the totes in this picture of our booth.
  
  Overall, we didn’t sell as much as we hoped but it was still fun and we are going to do it again next month. If you missed us last week, you will have to come visit in August!
- Last Thursday and Hello Again!
  
  Jul 27, 11
  
  The last post on this blog was on April 6th! That is just so sad. We have been busy with lots of crafts and projects but somehow none of them have made it here.
  
  We finally got a Facebook page set up, so go click the thumbs up at facebook.com/mostlystitches!
  
  We are going to be selling some items at Last Thursday on NE Alberta this week, in the lot across from Radio Room! Come by and say hello and see our precious goods in person!
  Here is a sneak preview of some of our new fave creations.
  
  Lots of lockets:
  
  (my personal fave is the robot followed closely by the feather!)
  
  Pretty hand dyed sweaters using all natural materials (which will be available to custom order):
  
  Sweet embroidered vintage pillowcases, each one is one of a kind:
  
  Fun hand cut felt all purpose greeting cards:
  
  and a few other tidbits of darling items made with love.
  
  We are also going to be offering handmade custom banners such as this very soon via Etsy:
  
  and whatever doesn’t sell will be in the Etsy shop this weekend.
  
  So keep your eyes peeled to Facebook for updates and we hope to make something for you soon!
- New lockets for sale on Etsy! Finally!
  
  Apr 16, 11
  
  Made this precious tiny landscape embroidery for Jane.
  
  And posted a few other lockets in the Etsy Shop!
  
  Have any ideas for tiny things I can stitch into these??
- Organization Craftiness
  
  Apr 07, 11
  
  Wednesday night, home alone. I have some naan bread and chicken curry from Trader Joe’s waiting to be eaten, but I’m not hungry yet.
  
  I think to myself, hey you should stitch up some more lockets to put in the etsy shop. I pull down my box of embroidery floss (and other various tools) and decide it is time to put an end to this madness.
  
  I started wrapping the floss colors around my fingers but quickly realized they would all get tangled super soon. Matthew was in the midst of hacking his new ipad cover to fit the old ipad and it dawned on me, I can hack some stuff too!
  
  I grabbed an empty beer six pack box and cut it up into little cardboard trapezoid shape thingies to wind my floss around!
  
  I put on Amelie mainly because I wanted to hear the lovely music and thought it would keep me from getting bored while wrapping and wrapping and wrapping floss. It had been so long since I watched the movie that I found myself actually watching it more than I had planned so this took probably twice as long as it should have.
  
  I didn’t get any stitching done tonight, but I did get all my floss neatly organized and it makes me happy. I don’t know why it took me so long!
  
  ooooh rainbowy!
  
  Do you have any crafty organizational projects to share?
- Craft Night: Easy and adorable felt brooches
  
  Feb 27, 11
  
  Check out these super cute brooches we made at our last craft night! Inspired by various things Jane found online, we each whipped up our own little brooches with felt, embroidery floss and little pinbacks. Jane didn’t quite finish hers but here are Vanessa’s, Megan’s and mine pinned on a previous craft night project, a tote bag!
- Two more tiny lockets
  
  Dec 30, 10
  
  Here are two more tiny lockets I made for Christmas gifts. One for V and one for Holly.
  
  A blooming deer, this is the same locket as the bird hat lady that I posted last.
  
  A colorful heart for Holly. This locket is a bit smaller than the other.
- Locket of Love
  
  Dec 21, 10
  
  So so proud of this first little locket I made for my dear friend Meredith. More of these coming soon, and to be sold in the etsy shop. Suggestions of miniature arts I can stitch in there?
- Pom Poms-Not Just for Cheerleaders
  
  Nov 22, 10
  
  I saw this DIY wreath post on Apartment Therapy and followed it to Bleubird Vintage’s blog and found the cutest wreath ever. (Also, the cutest blog ever but that’s another story) The colors she used work for both Thanksgiving and Christmas but you could really use any colors you want. We made this our next project for our weekly ladies craft night. The first time I made one of these cute little pom poms I was squealing and texting Michelle with their cuteness, only to find she was on the other end doing the same. We got a head start on making the pom poms but overall it only took a few hours collectively to make enough for the 3 wreaths that we made. Bleubird suggests making about 40 pom poms for each wreath but I felt I could’ve used more in the end to cover more surface area. It took us two evenings as a group to make them, one to make the pom poms and one to assemble the wreaths.
  
  We all found this project to be super simple and everyone loved the end result! To make your own pom pom wreath check out this post on Bleubird’s blog!
  
  Pom pom haircut trimmings
  
  The first of many to be made
  
  So cute!
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- Sausage and White Bean Cassoulet
  
  Jan 21, 12
  
  This is one of those recipes that you would be proud to serve to company yet it's ridiculously simple. My favorite recipe type by far. While it could definitely be gussied up by adding some confit, some homemade bread crumbs, or maybe serving it over some sort of puree, I liked it just the way it was. Served with some french bread torn right off the loaf, a glass of wine and a simple salad with nothing more than red leaf lettuce and some homemade vinaigrette. Yup, this was winter Friday night staycation worthy alright. Follow it up with a documentary and some downloading of Nico records and I'm in heaven.
  
  I modified the recipe a little and added some spices to the tomatoes before they went into the oven. I also added much more than a "glug" of wine...I like to drink my wine in as many ways as possible. Enjoy!
  
  Sausage and White Bean Cassoulet
  recipe from Sweet Sugar Bean
  
  2 pints of cherry tomatoes
  4-6 hot Italian sausages OR Chorizo sausages
  4 large garlic cloves, smashed
  1 onion, cut into wedges
  extra virgin olive oil
  balsamic vinegar
  coarse salt and pepper
  few sprigs fresh thyme OR rosemary
  3 cups cooked white navy beans or white kidney beans OR 1 19 oz can (540ml) of white beans, rinsed and drained well
  chicken broth or white wine(optional)
  
  Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 *F.
  Scatter tomatoes over bottom of dish (reserve about 1/2 cup to add later). Add garlic, onion and sausages over top. Drizzle with balsamic and olive oil. Toss on rosemary and sprinkle with S & P and other spices if using. Bake about 25-30 minutes, for sausages to be golden and tomatoes start to burst. Remove from oven and stir in beans and reserved 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes. If you'd like a bit more sauce with your beans, add a glug or white wine or chicken stock. Return to oven and bake 20 minutes longer or until beans are cooked through. Serve with bread and butter for dunking; green salad on the side. Makes enough for 4.
  
  Snug as a bug
  
  In go the beans
  
  C'est fini
- Hot and Sour Mushroom, Cabbage and Rice Soup
  
  Jan 09, 12
  
  This was seriously the most delicious thing that I have made in a while. The moment I saw this recipe in my email from The Kitchn I knew I had to make it as soon as humanly possible and I am so very glad I did.
  
  I have always loved hot and sour soup at Chinese restaurants, though I have not had it in a very long time. This soup was not quite exactly the same as how I remember traditional hot and sour soup, but the flavors were very similar. This soup is much different than soups I typically make, flavorwise, but I loved it. I never thought I would create such a close replica of hot and sour soup at home as quickly and easily as it was with this recipe.
  
  I modified the recipe a touch from the original, but only adding an onion and shredded chicken. I didn't have any home made stock to use, but store bought worked great for me. I could not stop oohing and aahing over how delicious it was! In fact I think as soon as I finish with this post I will go eat another bowl of it.
  
  I highly recommend making this soup if you are in dire need of a winter blues remedy, as the original post suggested. It definitely made me happy. This could very easily be made vegan by omitting the chicken and using veggie broth. I also think it would be great to add more vegetables like carrots or using brussels sprouts in place of cabbage or tossing some spinach in or any other veggie that needs to get used up. The broth is so flavorful!
  
  Without further ado, here is the recipe as I made it.
  
  Hot and Sour Mushroom, Cabbage and Rice Soup:(makes about 8 servings)
  
  Ingredients:
  -1 tablespoon canola oil
  -1 small onion, julienned
  -1/2 pound cremini or shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced
  -1 to 3 jalapeno peppers, finely diced (I used 2 red peppers because the store didn't have jalapenos, and I wish I had used more, but topping the finished soup with Sriracha chili sauce did the trick!)
  -6 cloves garlic, minced
  -One 3-inch lump ginger, grated, or 1 tablespoon ginger puree
  -3 limes, zested and juiced
  - 8 cups broth — turkey, chicken, or vegetable
  -2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
  -1/2 cup jasmine rice
  -1/2 small head green cabbage, cut in half and shaved thin
  -2 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more to serve
  -Chili garlic sauce or kimchi, to serve
  
  Process:
  
  -Heat the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent.
  
  -Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes without stirring. Toss the mushrooms after 5 minutes and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until well-browned.
  
  - Add the diced peppers, garlic, and ginger and cook for about five minutes or until fragrant and slightly softened. (This smelled incredible!)
  
  -Add the lime zest, chicken, and broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
  
  -Remove chicken from pot, add the rice, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the rice is just barely soft.
  
  -While the rice is simmering, shred the chicken.
  
  -Once the rice is barely soft, add the shredded chicken back to the pot along with the shaved cabbage, lime juice, and soy sauce.
  
  -Simmer for another few minutes or until cabbage is hot.
  
  -Serve with extra soy sauce, lime wedges, and kimchi or chili garlic sauce.
  
  Now I'm hungry. Enjoy!
- Chicken Pot Pie
  
  Oct 06, 11
  
  We arrived home from a two week trip to Spain to find that fall has hit in Portland! Which is just dandy by me, I sure do love this season. All the traveling and hotel hopping left me yearning to spend the day in my kitchen so I decided to spend my Sunday making this very involved, from scratch, chicken pot pie that I got from the new Bon Appetit magazine. It was the perfect cure for fall weather and the need to cook. I went above and beyond on this one and even pulled the meat from the chicken carcass with my bare hands, a first and most likely a last for me. I'm not as carnivorous as I may have thought after shirking my vegetarian upbringing some 12 years ago. Overall, this recipe turned out really well but I think I prefer Ina Garten's Chicken Stew with Biscuits more. It's an all time favorite. This recipe can be a close second though and one to keep around should I ever need to impress anyone with my chicken ripping skills.
  
  Chicken Pot Pie
  slightly altered from Bon Appetit
  
  Crust
  2 cups all purpose flour
  1 cup whole wheat flour
  1 teaspoon baking powder
  1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
  1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  
  Chicken
  2 cups peeled, coarsely chopped carrots
  1 large onion, coarsely chopped
  1 leek, coarsely chopped
  1 3-pound whole chicken
  4 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
  6 sprigs thyme
  1 cup dry white wine
  1 tablespoon salt
  1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  1 tablespoon tomato paste
  
  Filling
  2 tablespoons dried chanterelle or shittake mushrooms
  1 cupo 1/2" slices of carrots
  1 cup fresh (or frozen, thawed) peas
  1 cup fresh (or I used frozen already peeled) pearl onions
  1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  3/4 cup all purpose flour
  6 fresh sage leaves
  4 thyme sprigs
  2 sprigs rosemary
  1 cup button mushrooms
  1 cup 1/4" rounds sliced fingerling potatoes
  1 egg, beaten to blend
  coarse sea salt and ground pepper
  
  PREPERATION:
  
  Crust
  
  Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor. Add cubed butter and shortening and process until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size lumps. With machine running, add 1/2 cup ice water and process, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry, until dough forms. Form dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 12x9 1/2" rectangle, about 1/4" thick. Place on prepared sheet and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Chill. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep chilled.
  
  Chicken
  
  Preheat oven to 400°. Place carrots, onion, and leek on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a large pot fitted with a lid. Add chicken, breast side down, celery, thyme sprigs, wine, salt, and peppercorns to pot. Add 8 cups water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat, cover, and poach chicken until cooked through, about 35 minutes.
  Remove chicken from pot and set aside until cool. Reserve broth. Shred meat; discard skin and bones. Set a large strainer over another pot. Strain broth into clean pot. Stir in tomato paste. Return to medium heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 5 cups, about 40 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cool. Cover chicken and broth separately; keep chilled. Rewarm broth before continuing.
  
  Filling
  
  Place dried chanterelles in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup hot water. Let steep for 10 minutes; set aside. Reserve soaking liquid. Cook carrots in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium bowl. Add peas to saucepan; cook for 1 minute; transfer to bowl with carrots. Add onions to saucepan and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside; let cool. Peel onions. In a large heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Whisk in herbs and warm broth from chicken. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chanterelles to saucepan. Pour in soaking liquid, leaving sediment behind. Simmer for 20 minutes. Set a strainer over another large pot. Strain broth into pot; discard solids. Add chicken, carrots, peas, onions, mushrooms, and potatoes. Bring to a simmer. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cool; cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before continuing. Preheat oven to 400°. Spoon filling into an 11x8x2" or 2 1/2-qt. round baking dish. (Add pie bird, if using.) Top with pastry, pinching edges to seal. If not using pie bird, cut a 1" slit in center of crust for steam to vent. Brush pastry with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, if desired. Place pot pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 45 minutes.
  
  Poaching the chicken and making the stock base
  
  Stirring the roux
  
  The filling. so good
  
  et voila
- Chicken and Orzo Stew
  
  Sep 25, 11
  
  If you find yourself home alone on a Sunday with a bit of rain outside and a hankering for an easy, delicious and hearty soup, this is the recipe for you.
  
  I got this recipe out of The Big Book of Soups and Stews and went to the store during a brief sun break to get a few ingredients.
  
  Here is the recipe as I made it.
  
  Ingredients:
  -2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil
  -2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes with juice
  -1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
  -3 cloves garlic, minced
  -1 teaspoon dried basil
  -1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  -1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
  -1 teaspoon salt
  -pepper to taste
  -2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), cut into bite-sized chunks
  -1/4 cup dry white wine
  -1 1/4 cups uncooked orzo
  -1/2 of an onion, diced
  -8 oz mushrooms, quartered
  -2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices
  -2 large handfuls of baby spinach
  
  Directions:
  1. Warm butter in large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, saute until soft. Add mushrooms, saute for about 5 minutes until mushrooms are soft.
  
  2. Add broth, tomatoes, garlic, basil, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
  
  3. Add chicken, wine, orzo, and zucchini. reduce heat to one step above low and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through and orzo is tender.
  
  4. Stir in spinach.
  
  5. Once spinach is wilted, serve and enjoy!
  
  This was seriously so quick and delicious. I would recommend cutting the zucchini slices into half moons so they would get a tad squishier, they were a bit too crunchy for me.
  
  Enjoy!
- Chicken with Tomatoes and Mushrooms
  
  Jul 14, 11
  
  I had a very hard time choosing what to make for dinner last night. I knew I would have the house to myself, and could take my time and make whatever sounded most delicious. I decided I should make something that would provide lots of leftovers for lunches the rest of the week. I wanted something with tomatoes and I wanted to soak up the yummy juices with delicious bread. I figured chicken would be cheapest. After scouring the internet for what felt like forever (how hard does it sound to find a recipe that suited my needs??), I finally decided to make this recipe from Martha Stewart. Below is the recipe as I made it, with only a few adjustments:
  
  Chicken with Tomatoes and Mushrooms
  
  Ingredients:
  
  -about 2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken. I used 2 breast halves and 4 small thighs.
  -Coarse salt and ground pepper
  -1 tablespoon olive oil
  -a little over 1 pound mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
  -4 garlic cloves, minced
  -1 large can (28 ounces) whole stewed tomatoes
  -half of an onion, quartered
  -1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  -1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  -a few dashes of paprika
  -a few dashes of cayenne pepper
  -delicious hot bread to soak up all that juice (or rice if you prefer)
  
  Directions
  
  1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large (5-quart) saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium-high heat; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Cook chicken, turning when it easily releases from the pan, until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  
  2. Add mushrooms; cover, and cook until softened, about 5 to 10 minutes.
  
  3. Add garlic, tomatoes, onion, oregano, thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper, and a little bit of salt and pepper.
  
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until tomatoes have broken down, about 20 minutes.
  
  5. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan; cover, and cook until chicken is opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn chicken to coat with sauce, and serve.
  
  I felt like something was missing from this, and it might be because usually when I make something like this it is spicy. This was not spicy at all but it was super tasty. I ate it with a ton of bread for dinner and then boxed up the rest with rice into FOUR perfect lunch containers.
  
  I liked the chicken breasts more than the thighs, and I think this would be delicious without meat, just maybe with some portabella mushrooms in place of the meat. Or steak! I think I will be making many variations of this dish in the fall.
  
  Enjoy!
- Lemon Rolls with Cream Cheese Lemon Thyme Glaze
  
  Apr 06, 11
  
  There were a million things pointing me towards making these sweet wonderful rolls. First off, I planted my first herb garden this last weekend! I'm pretty excited about it and I keep smiling every time I walk into my kitchen and see a window sill of fresh herbs smiling back at me. I've managed to use them in just about everything I've made since then but the one that has by far stolen me away is the lemon thyme. Just rubbing your fingers on it leaves the beautiful refreshing smell of lemon on them. It doesn't get much better than that. Secondly, I ran across a recipe for these lemon rolls on The Kitchn that I remembered I had bookmarked some time ago so I stocked up on lemons at the grocery store the very same day.
  
  Those lemons came in handy later that day when I started feeling sick. I must've had about 15 lemon, hot water and honey drinks over the next 24 hours trying to chase the bug away. But alas, I'm home sick today with nothing to do but bake to make me feel better. I realized while making these that yellow is one of my favorite colors and I sure do have a lot of it in my kitchen decor. It's a brighten your day kind of color. The next thing you know I'm stumbling across this post on Poppytalk alerting me that today was in fact declared a day of yellow for Spring Colors Week. Sometimes when you get a good idea it doesn't take a lot of convincing to carry it through but it sure does help when the universe is there to back you up. So, here's my own little tribute to yellow.
  
  I made the recipe as it was posted but I added some fresh lemon thyme to the cream cheese glaze. I also modified the lemon amounts a bit as I think my glaze and filling were a bit too wet and it needed to be adjusted into measurements instead of just whole lemons.
  
  Sticky Lemon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
  Makes 12 large breakfast rolls
  
  Lemon Roll Dough
  1 envelope (0.25 ounces, or 2 1/2 teaspoons) active yeast 
  3/4 cup milk, warmed to about 100°F (warm but not hot on your wrist)
  1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
  1/4 cup white sugar
  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  4 1/2 cups flour
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  2 eggs
  2 tablespoons of grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
  
  Sticky Lemon Filling
  1 cup sugar
  1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
  1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
  3 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
  1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
  
  Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
  4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  1 cup powdered sugar
  1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  2 tablespoons fresh lemon thyme
  2 tablespoons grated lemon zest for garnish (about 1 lemon)
  
  Make the dough:
  Zest and juice the lemons. Divide the zest into three parts. Divide the juice into two parts, and set aside.
  
  In the bowl of a stand mixer sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a few minutes. With the mixer paddle, stir in the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, and one part (1/3) of the lemon zest. Stir in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft yet sticky dough.
  
  Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and pliable. (If you do not have a stand mixer, stir together the ingredients by hand, then turn the soft dough out onto a lightly floured countertop. Knead the dough by hand for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, pliable, and stretchy.)
  
  Spray the top of the dough with vegetable oil, and turn the dough over so it is coated in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let the dough rise until nearly doubled — about an hour.
  
  Make the filling:
  In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the nutmeg and ginger, then work in the second part of the lemon zest (1/3) with the tips of your fingers until the sugar resembles soft sand. Slowly pour in one part of the lemon juice, stirring. Stop when the sugar and lemon juice form a wet, clumpy mixture. (You may use all of the reserved half of the lemon juice; you may stop before completely adding that half of the lemon juice.)
  
  Assemble the rolls:
  Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking dish with baking spray or butter. On a floured surface pat the dough out into a large yet still thick rectangle — about 10x15 inches.
  
  Spread the dough evenly with the 3 tablespoons of softened butter, then pour and spread the lemon-sugar mixture over top. Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the top long end. Stretch and pull the dough taut as you roll, to keep the lemon sugar firm inside. Cut the long dough roll into 12 even rolls. Pinch the bottom of each roll closed and place each one, open and cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.
  
  Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rise for an hour or until puffy and nearly doubled. (You can also refrigerate the rolls at this point. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake the rolls, remove the pan from the fridge, and let them rise for an hour.)
  
  Heat the oven to 350°F. Place the risen rolls in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into a center roll reads 190°F.
  
  Make the glaze:
  While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze. In a small food processor (or with a mixer, or a sturdy whisk), whip the cream cheese and the lemon thyme until light and fluffy. Add the remaining lemon juice and blend until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and blend until smooth and creamy.
  
  Finish the rolls:
  When the rolls are done, smear them with the cream cheese glaze, and sprinkle the final remaining lemon zest over top to garnish. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving, but do serve while still warm.
  
  My Inspiration
  
  A little before and after
  
  My pretty tea towel with the dough rising
  
  Makes my mouth water just looking at 'em
  
  Another before and after
- Labor of Love-Macaron Making
  
  Mar 10, 11
  
  This past Valentine's day I took as an excuse to tackle a long time goal of mine-french macaron making. Michelle got me a detailed book on the subject for my birthday last year that I've been studying intently for the last 6 months. I invested in all the necessary equipment and we also got to use my new Kitchenaid mixer for the first time. A day of firsts indeed. Michelle came over to lend a hand in the kitchen and also for all the adorable crafting we did for our Valentine's gifts that we passed out to our loved ones. This was an all day project, with a couple of fails and do-overs, luckily we were smart enough to fit in pedicures and champagne drinking.
  
  These little cookie monsters are hard to make but I think we had success in the end. They turned out really well, as did the darling packaging we made. We ended up making two different kinds of macarons. The first was a fig cookie with orange liqueur buttercream filling. The second was a pink colored cookie with fresh strawberry buttercream and a sprinkle of Dagoba's spicy chocolate powder on top. We did half of the strawberry batch with coconut on top but unfortunately those didn't turn out because we didn't cook them long enough. In the end we impressed ourselves with pulling off this baking feat. It left me wanting to experiment even more with the french macaron! Here is the detailed process of this labor of love.
  
  Fig Macarons with Orange Liqueur Buttercream or
  Pink Macarons with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream and Spicy Cocoa Topping
  Adapted from I Love Macarons by Hisako Ogita
  
  Macaron batter:
  2/3 cup (3 ounces/85 grams) ground almonds
  1 1/2 cups (5.25 ounces/150 grams) powdered sugar
  3 large egg whites, at room temperature
  5 tablespoons/65 grams granulated sugar
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
  Additions:
  2 tablespoons ground dried figs or
  red food coloring
  
  Orange Liqueur Buttercream or Fresh Strawberry Buttercream:
  7 tablespoons (3.5 ounces/100 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  3 tablespoons (1.4 ounces/40 milliliters) water
  3 tablespoons (1.4 ounces/40 grams) granulated sugar
  1 egg
  vanilla extract
  Additions:
  2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or
  4 tablespoons fresh strawberry puree
  
  Toppings:
  shredded unsweetened coconut or
  Dagoba's spicy cocoa powder
  
  To make macaron batter:
  Cut a sheet of parchment paper (or silpat) to fit your baking sheet. Draw 1 inch circles on paper, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart. This patter will be your guide for squeezing out the macaron batter. In a food processor, grind almonds and powdered sugar together to a fine powder. Sift the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve twice. Set aside.
  
  In a stainless steel mixing bowl, beat egg whites (in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer) on high speed until they are foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar to the egg whites. Add vanilla and continue to beat the meringue until it is stiff, firm, and has a glossy texture. Make sure this is VERY stiff. Just when you think it's stiff enough, beat a little more. This part is crucial to not ending up with runny macaron circles (we found out later).
  
  Add half of the sifted flour mixture and stir with a spatula while scooping it up from the bottom of the bowl. Add the rest of the flour and mix it lightly in a circular motion. At this point add any flavors, such as the fig bits, or coloring you desire. Feel free to experiment with a variety of dried fruits or coloring, we did! After you run out of flour or have added your flavoring, press and spread out the batter against the bowl's sides. Scoop the batter from the bottom and turn it upside down. This is called making the macaronnage. Repeat this process about 15 times but not more than 20. When the batter becomes nicely firm and drips slowly as you scoop it with a spatula, the mixture is done. This is called the macaronner.. Attach a 0.4 inch tip to a pastry bag. Twist the bag to hold the tip tightly. This prevents the batter from leaking out. Place the pastry bag, tip down, inside a deep measuring cup and pour the macaronner batter into it. After pouring the batter into the bag. clip the bag top to prevent the batter from coming out. You can also use a rubber band. Using the parchment outlined in circles, squeeze small circles of batter onto a cookie sheet, making sure that the batter is firm and does not run. At this point sprinkle any coconut or cocoa or other powdered toppings you may want onto the circles.
  
  Rap the baking sheet firmly against the counter or other flat surface. This helps the macarons hold their rounded shape and helps the pied, or "little foot", to form. Dry the batter at room temperature, uncovered, for 15 minutes. A slight crust should form on top of the macarons. On rainy days, it helps to dehumidify the room. If the batter circles do not stick to your finger when you touch them, the drying process is complete. On a dry and sunny day, the drying process takes approximately 30 minutes.
  
  After the macarons have sufficiently dried you are ready to bake them. Place the oven racks in the center of the oven. Preheat to 375 degrees. Stack the baking sheet with the batter circles into an empty baking sheet and slide both into the oven. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until slightly crisp and crackled on top. If the insides of the macarons are still soft after 15 minutes lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees, cover the tray with foil, and bake for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and cool on a wire rack. When the macarons are completely cooled, remove them from the baking sheet.
  
  To make buttercream:
  Cut butter into small pieces and put in a medium bowl. Stir the butter with a spatula until it becomes smooth and creamy like mayonnaise, set aside. Put water and granulated sugar in a small saucepan and stir well. Heat the mixture over medium low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture begins to become syrupy. Scoop some syrup with a spoon and drop it into a small amount of water. Then try to scoop the syrup out of the water and make a ball with it using your fingers. If you can do this, the syrup is the right density. While heating the syrup, break an egg into a bowl and beat it lightly with a hand mixer. Pour the syrup like a thread into the bowl and beat it at high speed. Reduce the speed to medium and then to slow, and continue beating until the bottom of the bowl is no longer hot and the mixture becomes white and heavy.
  
  Add the creamed butter in 3 batches into the syrup beating with the hand mixture each time you add it. When the mixture is well mixed the process is done. Stir a drop or two of vanilla extract and whatever flavoring you are adding. When the mixture is well stirred it is done. Spread the cream between the macaron puffs and sandwich together. Now they are ready to eat!
  
  Not runny, very important
  A sprinkle of cocoa
  Little feet
  Getting creamed
  Stuffed!
  Valentines presents ready to go
  Just a peek at the goods
- Crack Cake aka Pineapple Upside Down Cake Reinvented
  
  Mar 05, 11
  
  Lately I've got a case of the winter blues. I thought Portland was going to skip over its rainy storm weather since we've had a very mild winter thus far. But after 5 years I should have known better 'cause we've been getting slaughtered lately. It's enough to make a girl start looking at last minute plane tickets outta here and spend long periods of time dreaming of warm sun and fruity drinks. So when I saw a large pineapple display at the store this week I thought, well, it's a start. I got that pineapple home and starting chopping it up only to realize it's not quite pineapple season and that sucker was tart. Like lip puckering, tawlk lawk dis tawt. So I immediately thought what if I made a pineapple upside down cake, not like the ones of olden days with canned pineapple and maraschino cherries, but a really amazing fresh and well done version.
  
  I went in search of a recipe and whaddya know that wonderful blog Smitten Kitchen had a perfect recipe, yup, of course it did. And it just so happened I had all the ingredients I needed at home. Any recipe that starts with a homemade caramel is aces in my book and this one did NOT disappoint. I took it out of the oven and the smell was intoxicating. I waited until it was just cool enough, slapped some vanilla ice cream on a slice, and immediately proclaimed (to no one at all) "that's some crack cake right there!". This is going to make many a reappearance come pineapple season. Mark my words.
  
  Pineapple Upside Down Cake
  Source: Smitten Kitchen
  
  Topping:
  1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored
  3/4 stick unsalted butter
  3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  
  Batter:
  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  2 teaspoons baking powder
  1/4 teaspoon salt
  3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
  1 cup granulated sugar
  2 large eggs
  1 teaspoon vanilla
  1 tablespoon dark rum
  1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
  2 tablespoons dark rum for sprinkling over cake
  
  Preheat oven to 350°F.
  
  Make topping: Cut pineapple crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick pieces. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and simmer over moderate heat, stirring, four minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a 9" cake pan. Arrange pineapple on top of sugar mixture in concentric circles, overlapping pieces slightly.
  
  Make batter: Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and rum. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended. Beat in pineapple juice, then add remaining flour mixture, beating just until blended. (Batter may appear slightly curdled.)
  
  Spoon batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly. Bake cake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cake stand for five minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Invert a plate over cake pan and invert cake onto plate (keeping plate and pan firmly pressed together). Replace any pineapple stuck to bottom of pan. Sprinkle rum over cake and cool on plate on a rack.
  
  Serve cake just warm or at room temperature. And add some vanilla ice cream, you won't regret it.
  
  Do ahead: Cake may be made one day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.
  Caramel making and nesting
  Batter making
  Some rum for sprinkling on the final cake
  Pretty as a picture
- Slow Cooker Beef and Mushroom Stew
  
  Feb 28, 11
  
  I have said it before, and I will say it again: I love mushrooms. LOVE.
  
  This stew is very beefy but also has a ton of mushrooms and is quite a crowd pleaser. I made this for Matthew and my 3rd annual Christmas Party as a step up from the Hungarian mushroom soup I made the prior two years. I wanted to make something I didn't have to hover over while getting ready for the party! I forgot to take pictures the first time but luckily I had a special request to make it again recently and made sure to document thoroughly. The recipe makes a ton of food, so serve it for a dinner party!
  
  The recipe I used is from Sunset magazine and I found it on MyRecipes.com. I didn't follow the instructions to a T, mainly because I am a pretty lazy cook and look for shortcuts wherever I can.
  
  This is a little more work than a normal slow cooker recipe, simply because you make a sauce to pour over the meat and cook the mushrooms separately. But don't be discouraged! The stew is definitely worth it. To make it easy on myself this last time, I made the sauce and poured it over the meat the night before and let it marinate all night in the refrigerator. In the morning before work, I turned the slow cooker on and when I got home from work I cooked the mushrooms. It worked out perfectly and made it seem like less work.
  
  Here is the recipe as I made it:
  
  Ingredients:
  -3 pounds boned, fat-trimmed beef chuck
  -1 orange (2 1/2 in. wide), rinsed
  -1 onion (about 8 oz.), peeled and finely chopped
  -3 cloves garlic, chopped
  -About 1 cup beef or chicken broth
  -1 cup red wine
  -1/2 cup port
  -1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  -2 tablespoons soy sauce
  -1 teaspoon dried thyme
  -5 very thin slices of peeled fresh ginger (quarter size)
  -2 pounds mushrooms
  -3 tablespoons butter
  -1/4 cup flour
  -Salt and (lots of) pepper
  
  Preparation:
  1. Rinse meat; cut into 3 to 4 inch lengths (for chuck, about 1 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches wide) and place in a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker.
  
  2. With a vegetable peeler, pare orange part of peel from orange and sliver it; save orange for other uses.
  
  3. In a 2-quart sauce pan, combine orange peel slivers, chopped onion, 1 cup broth, wine, port, vinegar, soy sauce, thyme, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  
  4. Pour liquid over meat. Turn slow cooker to low.
  
  5. Put cover on slow cooker and cook on low until meat is very tender when pierced, 6 to 7 hours.
  
  6. Rinse and drain mushrooms; trim off and discard stem ends. Cut mushrooms into quarters and place in a 12 inch frying pan with butter.
  
  7. Skim off and discard fat from liquid in slow cooker. Ladle 1 cup of liquid from slow cooker into pan with mushrooms. Stir mushrooms often over high heat until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are lightly browned, 13 to 17 minutes.
  
  8. When your mushrooms are almost finished (liquid almost evaporated), eyeball the remaining liquid in the slow cooker. There should be plenty of liquid covering the meat, about 2 cups. If you think you don't have enough liquid, add some broth. You want the meat to still be covered with liquid. (Sorry I forgot to take a picture of this!)
  
  9. Add the cooked mushrooms to the slow-cooker.
  
  10. In a small bowl, mix flour with about a cup of the hot liquid from the slow cooker. Whisk vigorously until flour is dissolved. Pour evenly over meat and mix gently to blend with liquid still in slow cooker, trying not to break up the meat too much. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the mushrooms and meat mingle together for about 20 minutes in slow cooker.
  
  11. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice! (I prefer potatoes to rice, and haven't tried egg noodles but think it would be delicious!)
- Winter Comfort in a Bowl-Vegetable and Sausage Cobbler
  
  Feb 21, 11
  This is one of those recipes that surprises you with its astounding goodness. In search of something wintery and cozy to serve my craft night buddies I had been sitting on this recipe from Moosewood Cookbook called Vegetable Cobbler. It sounded a tad strange since I've only had cobblers of the sweet kind. But I figured it had biscuits on top and well, as you may know from my last post, biscuits are one of my favorite foods.
  
  The result was something so cozy and delicious that it sent some folks back for seconds. We decided it was a cross between Shepard's pie and chicken pot pie. I'm really glad I took a chance on this one as it's definitely something I'll be making again and again (I ended up making it again 5 nights later). I added some basil garlic chicken sausage to the recipe and altered the vegetables I used a bit as I wasn't in the mood for corn or white potatoes. And if you don't fancy yourself a baker don't let the biscuit part scare you; drop biscuits don't require any rolling out or cutting. Here is the recipe as I made it.
  
  Vegetable and Chicken Sausage Cobbler
  adapted from the Moosewood Classics Cookbook
  Serves 6
  2 tablespoon olive oil (or butter)
  1.5 lbs bulk basil garlic chicken sausage (or any type of ground meat you prefer)
  1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onions (about 1 large onion)
  1 fennel bulb, core removed, thinly sliced
  2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
  1 teaspoon salt
  1 to 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  4 to 5 cups sliced mushrooms
  1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  2 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes (or butternut squash)
  2 cups peeled and chopped carrots (or parsnips)
  1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  3 cups mushroom stock
  3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water
  1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
  1 tablespoon soy sauce
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  Dash of hot sauce (optional)
  Biscuit Topping:
  2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1 tablespoon baking powder
  1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  6 tablespoons melted butter
  1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt (I used nonfat yogurt)
  1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill (or any herb you have on hand)
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 X 13-inch baking dish.
  2. Warm 1 tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the sausage and saute just until all of the pink is gone. Remove the sausage and all of its juices and set aside in a bowl to add back later. Warm the other tablespoon of oil in the same pan. Add the onions, fennel and garlic, cover, and cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the salt, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, mushrooms and mustard. Cook until the mushrooms start to release their juices, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the sweet potato, carrot, black pepper and water or stock, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender.
  5. Stir the dissolved cornstarch mixture into the simmering vegetables, stirring constantly. When the liquid starts to thicken, mix in the peas, soy sauce and salt. Add the cooked sausage back to the pot. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. (You can also add a dash of hot sauce.)
  6. Pour the vegetable/sausage mixture into the prepared baking dish, and set aside.
  7. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter and buttermilk or yogurt. Combine the wet and dry ingredients with as few strokes as possible to make a soft dough.
  8. Drop the biscuit batter over the vegetables in the dish in six equal mounds. Sprinkle the dill over the dough.
  9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of a biscuit comes out clean. Serve immediately.
  Into the oven it goes
  Done!
- Angel Biscuits
  
  Jan 06, 11
  
  Growing up I remember my grandmother making homemade biscuits as any fine grandmother does, more specifically my grandmother made Angel Biscuits. I'm not sure what exactly is angelic about them, I'm guessing it's a reference to being light as air, but what I do remember is helping her cut the biscuits and always hoping there would be raw dough scraps leftover. My grandmother would hand them to me and I would chomp on the yeasty sweet dough. It's one of my favorite childhood memories. When I was in my early 20s I began collecting all of these family recipes in a small notebook so I could use them for years to come. Somewhere along the way, between many moves, I lost the recipe book and hadn't seen it in years.
  
  I'd pretty much written the book off until I was home for Christmas this year and my aunt walks up to me and asks, "Recognize this?" and holds up my long lost collection of recipes. I squealed with excitement and realized that they were actually using the book for a couple of recipes for Christmas dinner that evening. So after thinking it was long gone I had such a good time browsing through the book and got really excited for being able to recreate these recipes again. The first thing I made when I got home was Angel Biscuits. And fortunately for me, I was the only one around to eat all of the leftover dough scraps. These biscuits are slightly sweet and can be served with jam but they also work well as a dinner roll. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have (and will)!
  
  Angel Biscuits
  original source unknown
  
  1 package active dry yeast
  2 tablespoons warm water
  5 cups self rising flour (or make your own by adding 1 tsp baking powder for every 1 cup of all purpose)
  1/4 cup sugar
  1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  1 cup shortening
  2 cups buttermilk
  melted butter for pans and tops of biscuits
  
  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease two 13x9 inch pans with melted butter. Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside to activate. Meanwhile, stir flour, sugar, and baking soda (and baking powder if using) together. Cut in shortening until mixture is pea sized consistency. Mix buttermilk with yeast and add to flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Roll the dough out onto well floured surface until 1/2 inch thick. Cut with 2 inch biscuit cutter or a pint glass works just as well. Place close together in buttered pans. Allow to rise one hour. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly brown. Brush tops with melted butter.
  
  Cutting the shapes and my dough scraps
  
  Rising and fully baked
  
  with some apricot jam
- Morrocan Lentil Soup
  
  Nov 29, 10
  
  I was so excited to have friends visiting during cozy fall and thought what better way to spend an evening than sipping wine and making soup with some of my most favorite ladies. I hunted high and low for the perfect vegetarian friendly recipe that we all would devour and found this one!
  
  Though the recipe called for red lentils, I only found generic 'lentils' at the store. I was pretty annoyed but I honestly have no idea if red ones taste different or if they are just red for show.
  
  Everyone ate lots of this soup and it made way more than enough for us four girls and my mister. He and I continued to eat this soup all week!
  
  We doubled most of the spices in the recipe linked above. You could blame the wine we were drinking, but we all agreed more spices could only mean more flavor and who doesn't want that?! I was so anxious to eat this that I forgot to add the frozen peas that the original recipe included, and I was cursing myself on that one. I love little snappy peas in thick stew-like dishes.
  
  Without further ado, here is the Morrocan Lentil Soup as interpreted by Mostly Soup (and friends):
  
  Ingredients:
  -2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  -3 small onions, chopped
  -5 cloves of Garlic, minced
  -2 Celery stalks, chopped
  -1 Carrot
  -3 tsp Turmeric
  -3 tsp Cinnamon
  -4 tsp ground Cumin
  -1 tsp fresh Ginger grated or 1/2 tsp ground
  -about 4 dashes of cayenne pepper
  -salt and pepper to taste
  -8 cups of vegetable stock
  -12 ounce pack of lentils
  -1 tablespoonp Tomato Paste
  -3 potatoes peeled and cubed (you could also use sweet potatoes or squash!)
  -1 can stewed Tomatoes (I got tomatoes stewed with sweet peppers and onions)
  -Sour cream and fresh parsley for serving
  
  1. In large soup pot heat oil over medium heat. Cook onions, carrot, garlic, and celery, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5-10 minutes.
  
  2. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
  
  3. Add veggie stock, lentils, tomato paste, potatoes and tomatoes (including juices), breaking up tomatoes with spoon. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until lentils are cooked to desired consistency.
  
  (3 1/2. This is where you would add in the frozen peas and let them cook for about 5 more minutes if you are using them!)
  
  4. Once your lentils are perfect, taste the broth and add salt/pepper as needed. Ladel into bowls. Dollop each with sour cream and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with pita bread!
  
  My favorite thing about this soup was the tomatoes. They were so tasty, bursting with all the flavors they were simmering in for what seemed like ages! I wish I would have frozen half of this to eat later!
  
  Enjoy!
- Cranberry Apple Butter
  
  Nov 09, 10
  
  I remember my grandmother making apple butter year after year when I was a kid, always thinking it tasted nothing like butter (and a tad disappointed with that fact). I'm not sure how she was making hers but I remember thinking how insanely talented my grandmother was. If only I knew how easy she was getting off. This is one of the easiest recipes you'll ever make. I guarantee it. That fact is largely due to using a crock pot and an immersion blender but you can still make this recipe even if you don't have those tools.
  
  This recipe was very good. I would've preferred it a little bit thicker, however, I loved how the tartness of the cranberry played off the sweetness of the apple. This recipe made quite a bit of apple butter so this would be a perfect gift to jar up and hand out for the holidays. Impress your friends with your grandma-like skills. We ate this on pumpkin bread and regular toast for breakfast for weeks. Enjoy!
  
  Slow Cooker Cran Apple Butter
  source: Mommie Cooks
  
  10-12 Apples, Chopped
  3 Cups of Whole Cranberries
  1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar
  1/2 Cup of White Sugar
  1 tsp of Cinnamon
  1/2 tsp of Nutmeg
  1/4 tsp Ginger
  1/4 tsp Cloves
  4 Shakes of Salt
  Instructions
  Throw it all in your slow cooker and cook it on low for 12 hours. You can also do this using a dutch oven in your regular oven at 400 degrees. Emulsify it smooth with an immersion blender or by batches in a regular blender.
  
  All lined up ready to be chopped
  
  The beginning
  
  12 hours later
  
  Pretty in jars
  
  Even better on pumpkin bread
- Chicken and Pepper Stew With Olives & Cranberries
  
  Nov 02, 10
  
  I know, this sounds like a strange combination of flavors. That's exactly why I wanted to try it. I thought to myself, "That sounds weird, but I like all those things so let's try it out!" V came over for some pre-halloween crafting and I made us a feast.
  
  The original recipe arrived in my email from Real Simple. I realize that I post a lot of recipes from them, but its just so convenient to have recipes that are delicious randomly emailed to you daily! I cannot keep up with all the amazing recipes out there on the internet!
  
  In any case, to get back on track, Here is the recipe as I made it, only a few substitutions. (dried cranberries instead of raisins, chicken breast tenders instead of thighs, and just less of everything because I didn't want to feed 8 people.)
  
  Chicken and Pepper Stew With Olives & Cranberries
  Makes about 4 to 6 servings, depending how hungry you are!
  
  Ingredients:
  
  1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (but regular would work too)
  kosher salt and black pepper
  10 boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders (about 2 to 3 pounds)
  1 tablespoons olive oil
  1 each of red, yellow and green bell peppers, sliced.
  4 cloves garlic, sliced
  1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  1 cup pitted olives (I used kalamata)
  1/4 cup dried cranberries
  1 cups long-grain white rice
  
  Directions:
  
  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. In batches, brown the chicken, turning, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate as it browns and add more oil as necessary.
  3. Add the bell peppers, garlic, 1/4 cup of the broth, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the pot. Cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until the peppers begin to soften, 4 to 6 minutes.
  4. Add the olives, cranberries, and the remaining 1 cup of broth and bring to a boil. Nestle the chicken in the vegetables and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
  5. Uncover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. (Maybe longer, I might have also used too much liquid)
  6. Twenty minutes before the stew is done, cook the rice according to the package directions. Serve with the stew.
  
  I thought this would have been pretty tasty with some feta cheese on top but I didn't think of it when I was at the store. It was kind of a salty sweet combo with the olives and cranberries. The chicken was falling apart and would have been extra delicious if I had used thighs, but the chicken tenders are what I had on hand. This also heated up nicely for lunch the next day!
  
  I always forget to take pictures of the process, but seriously, this was delicious!
- Sweet & Spicy Black Bean Soup
  
  Oct 20, 10
  
  I was craving cornbread. V's brother suggested black bean soup via Facebook and I set off to find the most delicious black bean soup I could find. Plain old black bean soup sounded kinda blah so I chose this recipe as a starting point.
  
  I cheated a bit because I was too impatient to make my own black beans or to let canned ones stew for a while for added flavor. Instead I bought Trader Joe's Cuban black beans in a can because they are already a little bit spicy. If you want to stew your own or spice up a regular can of black beans, check out the original recipe that I linked to above! I also omitted chipotle powder because I didn't see any at the store and I added bacon and chicken andouille sausage to the mix.
  
  Here is the recipe as I made it:
  
  Sweet & Spicy Black Bean Soup
  
  2 cans black beans (Trader Joe's Cuban black beans were perfect!)
  4 slices of bacon, diced
  2 spicy chicken andouille sausages, diced
  1 1/2 onion, 1/4 inch dice
  2 celery stick, 1/4 inch dice
  2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch dice
  4 cloves garlic, minced
  1 tablespoon cumin
  2 tablespoons medium heat red chile powder
  a few shakes of cayenne pepper and garlic powder
  14 oz can diced tomatoes
  4 cups chicken broth
  1/2 orange bell pepper, diced
  1 cup frozen corn
  salt and pepper to taste
  juice of 1 lime
  Cilantro, minced for garnish
  
  Cook the bacon and sausage in a large soup pot until brown. Remove from pot and set aside.
  
  If needed, add some oil to the pan and toss in the onion, celery, and sweet potato. Saute until lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes.
  
  Add the garlic, cumin, chile powder, cayenne, and garlic powder along with some salt and pepper. Saute a few minutes more.
  
  Add the beans, tomatoes, broth, bell pepper, corn, and salt. Simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered. Puree 1/2 of the soup. Return to the pot. Add the lime juice and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve with cornbread!
  
  This recipe made a ton of soup, a giant pot that my boyfriend and I ate all week. It was perfectly spicy, a hint of sweetness from the corn and peppers, and it was extremely delicious. It tasted even better the second day. Cornbread was a perfect accompaniment, and I will definitely make this again!
- Beef and Sweet Potato Stew
  
  Oct 12, 10
  
  The lovely and generous V gave me a crock pot! It was my turn to host Mad Men Monday so I decided to use my new slow cooker to make a hearty beef stew. The only thing I had made in a crock pot prior to this was pot roast, so making a stew was kind of new and I was a little unsure about seasonings, etc.
  
  I searched the internet high and low and found this recipe on Taste As You Go. I liked the idea of using sweet potatoes and made a few modifications. Here is the recipe as I made the stew:
  
  2 pounds stew beef, cut in 1-inch cubes
  1/4 teaspoon salt
  1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  olive oil
  1 large white onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
  4 cloves garlic, minced
  2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  1 14.5-ounce can beef broth
  1/2 cup beer
  1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  1/4 teaspoon dry nutmeg
  1/4 teaspoon thyme
  1 cup frozen green beans
  Salt and pepper, to taste
  
  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Brown beef on all sides, working in batches if necessary.
  
  Place sweet potatoes in the base of a preheated 4-5-quart slow-cooker. Layer on the browned beef, onions, garlic and ginger. Pour in beef broth, beer, and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle in nutmeg and thyme.
  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
  
  Remove about cup of the broth and place in a bowl. Whisk in heaping teaspoon of flour until there are no more lumps. Add the broth and flour mixture back to the slow-cooker. Add frozen green beans and cook the stew for an additional 15-20 minutes.
  
  I served with cous cous, but bread would have been better. The sweet potato didn't come through as much as I would have liked, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it! Definitely was a satisfyingly hearty cold evening meal.
- Ratatouille Throwback
  
  Oct 06, 10
  
  In my fourth year of high school I was in french class and one of our assignments was to partner up and make a classic french recipe. My partner decided upon ratatouille and well, it sounded french to me. When we made the recipe I kept expecting there to be a grand finale but it turned out it was just a bunch of sauteed vegetables. I was underwhelmed thinking we picked the most unexciting recipe possible. Maybe it had something to do with being raised a vegetarian and more veggies was the last thing I needed to see. Some years later I have a much different take on this classic french recipe. I realize now that its beauty is in its simplicity. Paired with some crusty french bread and a glass of red wine and the meal feels downright decadent.
  
  My inspiration for this comes from it being french week over at The Kitchn. DP and I took the opportunity to pick up a bunch of fresh veggies at the Kruger Farms roadside stand here in St. Johns and I was set. The recipe I got from The Kitchn was perfect, no revisions needed. I served this with some homemade garlic bread and a glass of red wine. Natch.
  
  Dad's Authentic Ratatouille
  Source - The Kitchn
  Ingredients (feel free to play with proportions as this is a more or less situation):
  2 large eggplants, peeled and cubed into 1-inch cubes
  6-8 zucchini, coined
  3 bell peppers, roughly chopped (red are classic, but use what you have on hand)
  5 cloves garlic, whole
  3 cloves garlic, minced
  2 yellow onions
  1 bay leaf
  3-4 sprigs thyme (fresh thyme is the key to making this Ratatouille taste right)
  1 can whole tomatoes or 4 large tomatoes that are nice and ripe
  1 tablespoon olive oil
  In a large pot sauté the onions in olive oil until brown, then add peppers and allow to soften. Stir in whole garlic cloves, tomatoes and bay leaf and turn heat down to a simmer and leave for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, sautee eggplant and zucchini (they tend to get mushy if you throw them in with everything else but that can be good too and is easier than dirtying a second pan) until browned and softened.
  Add the zucchini and eggplant to the simmering pot along with the sprigs of thyme and some salt and pepper (to taste) and allow to simmer at least another 20 minutes. Simmer longer if you want the flavors to really get good, or just reheat it the next day and you'll have the same effect.
  Add the minced garlic on top or serve with some extra garlicy french bread as I did. And don't forget the red wine.
  Separate but equal
  All together now
  The grand finale I was waiting for
- Chicken and Dumplings-Trial One
  
  Sep 17, 10
  I recently met a friend at a bar here in St. Johns which is somewhat known for its chicken and dumplings. I'll admit, I've never had chicken and dumplings before and I didn't that night either. But my friend did and as I looked at the dish I thought, hm, just seems like thicker chicken pot pie without all the fuss, I could probably swing that. And it just so happens that DP loves chicken and dumplings. Probably because he likes to say dumplings but really, who doesn't? I went in search of a recipe and ended up with one from Real Simple that looked easy. I didn't change much about the recipe except for I poached some chicken breasts and shredded them instead of using a store bought rotisserie chicken. Oh yes and I added mushrooms. And peas.
  
  I liked this recipe but it lacked the thickness that I wanted. Next time I'd probably try using a slurry or a beurre manie to thicken it up. I'll definitely give this another go during the approaching fall! I have posted the recipe as I made it.
  
  Chicken and Dumplings
  adapted from Real Simple
  
  Ingredients
  3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  2 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
  1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
  1 leek (white and light green parts), halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
  1 1/2 cups of crimini mushrooms, sliced in half
  3/4 cup of frozen peas, or fresh if you have 'em
  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  1/2 cup dry white wine
  kosher salt and black pepper
  3 medium sized chicken breasts (2 1/2 to 3 lbs), poached and meat shredded
  1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  1/2 cup sour cream
  1 large egg, beaten
  2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  Directions
  First poach the chicken. Cover chicken with water in a medium sauce pan. Add any spices you like, I usually go for ones that dissolve easily. After about 15 minutes of boiling, check the chicken. Be careful not to overcook it as it will cook a little bit more later in the recipe. Once it's done, put it on a plate and shred it using two forks.
  Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, leek, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with ½ cup of the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (do not let it darken). Stir in the broth, wine, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and reduce to a simmer.
  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of flour with the baking soda and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir in the sour cream and egg.
  If soup doesn't seem thick enough, this is where I might add in a slurry to thicken it up. Add the frozen peas. Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough into the stew and cook, covered, until the dumplings are plump and cooked through, 15 to 17 minutes. Sprinkle with the dill before serving.
  
  Siamese Mushroom!
  Chopped up
  I really missed Mich for this one, she's a master shredder
  Sauteing
  This was the fun part
  and done.
- Blueberry Streusel Scones
  
  Sep 06, 10
  
  Having newly discovered my love of baking, thanks to those cupcakes I posted about whenever that was, I decided to make some scones last weekend for breakfast. Scones are another new love of mine, since I recently discovered that scones are delicious and flaky like a biscuit and not hard as rocks as I had been led to believe by a certain big coffee company's poor excuse for scones! In any case, I had been wanting to make something with the blueberries that popped up in our front yard and I found this tasty recipe on Joy of Baking.
  
  Without further ado:
  Blueberry Streusel Scones!
  
  Ingredients:
  Blueberry Streusel Scones:
  -2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
  -1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar
  -2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
  -1/8 teaspoon salt
  -6 tablespoons (85 grams) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  -1 cup (150 grams) fresh blueberries
  -1 large egg, lightly beaten
  -1 teaspoon (5 grams) pure vanilla extract
  -1/2 cup (120 ml) milk or cream
  -Brushing tops of scones:
  -Milk or Cream
  
  Streusel Topping:
  -1/4 cup (55 grams) brown sugar
  -1/4 cup (35 grams) all purpose flour
  -1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  -2 tablespoons (30 grams) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  
  Directions:
  For the Scones: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the blueberries. In a small measuring cup combine the cream, beaten egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.
  
  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 11/2 inches (4 cm) thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream or milk.
  
  For the Streusel Topping: In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until crumbly. Top each scone with a teaspoon or two of the streusel mixture. Cover and refrigerate any leftover streusel mixture.
  
  Bake the scones until nicely browned, about 18 - 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. These are best eaten the day they are made but can be covered and stored for a few days. Makes 8 scones.
  
  Note: I did not have any baking powder! so after a little bit of research, I put in about 1 teaspoon of baking soda and about 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. I also discovered mid mix that I did not have vanilla! I just threw in a tiny extra sugar. The scones still turned out delicious though probably not perfect. We ate them all up over the next few days and I marvelled at my newly acquired baking skills. These also weren't nearly as sweet as we expected they would be, given the streusel topping. Super tasty and a great consistency, even with my jankity improvisations!
  
  Sadly, none of my photos turned out so hot, but you can get the idea:
- Coconut Rum Cupcakes!
  
  Aug 28, 10
  
  I was asked to make cupcakes for my boyfriend's little sister's wedding on Labor Day weekend and V pointed me to Ming Makes Cupcakes. I drooled over all the recipes there for a while before deciding I definitely wanted to make something with Coconut. T he bride to be let me pick whatever kind I wanted and I chose to make Cupcake 30, Coconut Rum Cupcakes with Coconut Creem Cheese Frosting.
  
  Since I am not much of a baker, not that I thought it would be hard, but simply because I wanted to make sure the recipe worked okay, I did a test run a couple of weeks ago and a bunch of people (including Ms. Co-blogger V) came over to help me and Matthew eat them as well as to drink the rest of the coconut rum, which was fun and everyone said that these cupcakes were amazing.
  
  Coconut Rum Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting.
  
  Ingredients:
  Cupcakes -
  -2 cups flour
  -1 tsp baking soda
  -½ tsp salt
  -1¼ cups light brown sugar
  -1 stick of butter
  -1 egg
  -1 cup buttermilk
  -⅓ cup coconut rum
  
  Frosting -
  -4 oz. cream cheese
  -½ stick of butter
  -2 cups confectioners sugar
  -3 tbsp coconut rum
  
  Directions:
  Cupcakes-
  Mix flour, soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream brown sugar and butter until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add buttermilk and flour mixture alternatively while mixing. Add rum and mix well. Pour into lined cupcake pan. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
  
  Frosting-
  Mix together all ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Frost cupcakes.
  
  This recipe was simple, and I am glad I bought a little electric mixer for $8 to help me with the process because it was about 95 degrees the day I did my test run. Everyone agreed that they were delicious and not too sweet. They were almost like muffins but I loved them. I topped them with shaved coconut by Bob's Red Mill and thanks to all of my taste testers, these were gone within 1 1/2 days!
  
  Can't wait to make these again in a few days for the big day!
- Birthday Cakes are the Best, especially Carrot Cake
  
  Jul 14, 10
  I love volunteering to make birthday cakes for people because I really don't get many excuses to make cake. I'm not one to spend the time on something I'll undoubtedly end up throwing away. But birthdays are occasions to celebrate which means I get to spend time making pretty cakes in honor of the ones I love. And when the ones I love request carrot cake, well, that just turns out to be one of my favorites as well. My mom has spent the last decade or so using a great recipe she got from Bon Appetit long ago. I was having trouble finding my copy of that one so I went in search of a new recipe on the blogs of my favorite food bloggers. I settled on one from Simply Recipes. It turned out absolutely divine. It was moist and beautiful, dense and light, all at the same time. And as the birthday girl said, this cake was all about the cake and not so much the cream cheese frosting which carrot cakes have a habit of drowning in. I made a couple of modifications to the original recipe. I have posted it as I made it.
  
  Carrot Cake
  Adapted from Simply Recipes
  
  Cake:
  3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  2 cups sugar
  1 teaspoon salt
  1 Tbsp baking soda
  1 Tbsp cinnamon
  1 1/2 cups olive oil or grapeseed oil
  4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  1 1/2 cups shelled walnuts, chopped (more whole or chopped for topping)
  1 1/2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
  2 cups of finely grated carrots
  1 cup of drained crushed pineapple
  Frosting:
  8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp (I accidentally used a whole stick and it was fine)
  2 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  2 Tbsp lemon juice
  Method
  Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9 inch cake pans. Cut out rounds of wax paper and place at bottoms of cake pans. Butter the top of the wax paper rounds.
  Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in chopped walnuts, coconut, carrots and pineapple.
  Pour batter into pans. Set on the middle rack of oven and bake for 45-50 minutes (shift positions of cakes front-to-back if necessary about halfway through), until edges have pulled away from sides and a toothpick or sharp knife tip inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a cake rack.
  To prepare frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl. Slowly sift in the confectioners sugar and beat until mixture is free of lumps. Stir in vanilla and orange juice.
  Once cakes have cooled, frost. Sprinkle top with chopped walnuts or arrange walnut halves in a crown around the top.
  Serves 12-16.
- Summer is here! And so is this salad.
  
  Jun 24, 10
  
  Yes. Summer, or what seems like summer, has finally arrived. As all of us Portlanders rejoice and pray it's not a wolf in sheep's clothing, I snagged the moment to make a quintessential summer salad. I saw this recipe in Sunset's latest issue and boy was it pretty in pictures, which made me want to make it immediately. I made a few modifications. I added an avocado because, well avocado is good, you see. I also added mustard to the vinaigrette because I thought it needed an emulsifier. The other thing I liked about this salad is that it's basically a potato salad but no mayonnaise and with all the other veggies added, it's light and breezy. Just like our fair city.
  
  Potato Salad with Corn and Cherry Tomatoes
  Adapted from Sunset, July 2010
  
  3/4 pound purple potatoes
  
  3/4 pound fingerling potatoes
  
  1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  
  3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  
  1 tablespoon stoneground mustard
  
  1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  
  1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
  
  2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-in. dice
  
  3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  
  3 large ears yellow corn, kernels cut off
  
  1 pt. multicolored cherry tomatoes, halved
  
  1 avocado, pitted and diced
  
  1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh marjoram leaves
  
  Preperation
  
  1. Bring potatoes to a boil in a medium pot of well-salted water just to cover. Reduce heat and simmer until just soft when pierced (or cut one in half and try it).
  
  2. Whisk 1/2 cup oil, the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a small bowl.
  
  3. Sauté onions in remaining 2 tbsp. oil until translucent. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds, then add corn and heat until just warmed through. Season with remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and let cool.
  
  4. Drain potatoes and let stand until just cool enough to handle. Taste a shred of skin; peel if bitter. Cut potatoes into bite-size pieces and toss with 1/2 of vinaigrette.
  
  5. Add cooled corn mixture, tomatoes, avocado and marjoram. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette to taste and gently mix together.
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
  
  Jun 17, 10
  
  Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic recipe but one I don't find myself craving very often. So when the time struck I went in search of a recipe that would satisfy. One of the first places I look for recipes is on the food blog Smitten Kitchen. If you haven't already please check out one of my favorite blogs. This woman manages to be funny and interesting while pulling off food that looks effortless and beautiful despite her small NY kitchen and having a newborn in tow. So when I came across a spaghetti and meatball recipe on her site that was an incarnation of a Barefoot Contessa (also one of my faves) recipe, I looked no further. And I'm glad I didn't because this recipe was flawless, which was to be expected. We stretched this dish for three meals and I dare say I won't be craving spaghetti and meatballs for quite a while.
  
  I went ahead and used her suggestion on increasing the amount of sauce you make. I also didn't use any veal and just did a combination of pork and beef since my local grocer didn't have veal available. I re-wrote the recipe as I made it.
  
  Spaghetti and Meatballs
  Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
  
  For the meatballs:
  1 lb ground beef
  1lb ground pork (I used the italian pork and I highly recommend this)
  1 1/4 cups fresh white bread crumbs (about 5 slices, crusts removed)
  2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  2 teaspoons kosher salt
  1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
  1 teaspoon onion powder
  1 extra-large egg, beaten
  Vegetable oil
  Olive oil
  
  For the sauce:
  1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
  1 large yellow onion or 2 small ones, diced
  3 large cloves of garlic, minced
  Pinch or so of red pepper flakes
  3/4 cup good red wine
  1 (28-ounce) can pureed tomatoes
  1 (14-ounce) can chopped or diced tomatoes
  2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  3 teaspoons kosher salt
  1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
  For serving:
  1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
  Freshly grated Parmesan
  
  Make the meatballs:
  Place the ground meats, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, onion powder, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs.
  
  Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don’t crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don’t clean the pan.
  
  Make the sauce:
  Heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.
  
  Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.
  
  Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.
- Hot and Spicy Chocolate Chip Cookies
  
  Jun 21, 10
  
  This is one that Michelle has been bugging me to post about for quite some time. These cookies were a bit out of the ordinary for a chocolate chip cookie, which can be hard to do. Who would've thought that adjusting the seasoning ever so slightly would create a whole different experience? I really liked these cookies and not only for their spiciness. The texture of them was fantastic as well. So if you're tired of the same old same old, add some heat to your cookies and make them hot and spicy.
  
  Hot and Spicy Chocolate Chip Cookies
  from No Recipes
  1 1/2 sticks of butter at room temperature
  3/4 C packed dark brown sugar
  1/2 C granulated sugar
  2 large eggs at room temperature
  1 tsp vanilla
  2 tsp cinnamon
  1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  2 C + 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
  3/4 tsp baking powder
  1/4 tsp kosher salt
  1 1/2 C bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks
  Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 325 degrees.
  Cream the butter and 2 kinds of sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix till combined after each addition. Add the vanilla, cinnamon and cayenne pepper, mixing until combined.
  In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add it to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir in by hand.
  Scoop roughly 1/4 cup of batter for each cookie onto a baking sheet (it’s okay if the balls are jagged) leaving enough room for them to spread. Bake 1 sheet at a time for about 12-15 minutes each or until the edges are set, but the middle is still soft. You may need to experiment with your oven to figure out the perfect cooking time. As these cookies bake, they go from chewy to cakey to crisp, so you can change their characteristic by the amount of time you bake them for.
  To get the chewy center, allow them to cool on the pan (not on a rack).
- Infallible Lemon Blueberry Muffins
  
  Jun 14, 10
  
  Alright, people. I've been on hiatus, yet again, and during that time it seems I lost my ability to bake. And not just to bake well, but to bake the easiest thing of all, what some may call my specialty - the muffin. Luckily enough for me I managed to pick what would appear to be a recipe so good it's impossible to mess up. Because I tried, not once, but twice. You see, when a recipe tells you to cream the butter and sugar, don't forget the sugar until the last minute, when upon licking the beater it occurs to you that something is off. And certainly don't add the lemon juice in early instead of said sugar, making it nearly impossible to cream the butter. But if you do both of those things, most definitely do them with this recipe. Because despite all that drama I still managed to put forth muffins so lemony and crumbly that I couldn't eat less than two in one sitting. Six times in a row.
  
  Alice’s Blueberry Muffins
  From Sweet Savory Life
  Ingredients:
  4 tablespoons butter, softened
  2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  1 cup of sugar
  zest and juice of 1 lemon
  2 eggs
  2 tsp. of vanilla extract
  1/2 cup of sour cream
  2 cups of AP Flour
  2 tsp. of baking powder
  1/2 tsp. of salt
  1.5 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries
  *optional 1/4 cup turbinado sugar/sugar crystals
  Directions:
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter, oil, lemon zest, and sugar for 3 minutes until light in color and creamy. Add eggs, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla beating for an additional 2 minutes. Add salt, baking powder, and all-purpose flour gently mixing everything for an additional minute until everything is fully incorporated, approx. 2 minutes. Batter will be nice and thick. Gently fold in blueberries and pour batter into muffin tin lined with paper cups 3/4 cup full. Top each muffin with a sprinkle of turbinado sugar or sugar crystals.Bake for 30 minutes or until done. Makes 12 regular sized muffins.
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- Jan 16, 12
  
  This just made me smile from ear to ear. :D
- Jan 14, 12
  
  (via Art Hound) I LOVE this. I wish I could have this in my bedroom!
- Oct 18, 11
  
  Whoa horsie!
  
  laughingsquid:
  
  Amazing Redheaded Stallion Hairpiece
- Oct 17, 11
  
  Everything is better when written in neon.
  
  thosewhosufferlove:
  
  TRACEY EMIN
- Feb 10, 09
  
  copycats:
  
  Well…All Right by Albert Hammond, Jr.
  originally by Buddy Holly
  (posted by bunkercomplex)
  
  I love unexpected covers of Buddy Holly songs.
- Feb 06, 09
  
  sundaymorning:
  
  protzik: Drive-In
  
  I love this photo! It’s by O. Winston Link. I saw it in an art gallery a couple years ago and swooned.
- Jan 30, 09
  
  Another Giant! Hope there are no people in that house!!
  
  ffffound:
  
  Franck Juery
- Jan 28, 09
  
  (via unicornology)
  
  I’d like to own these glasses, please!
- Jan 26, 09
  
  Why are Giants so cool????
  
  ffffound:
  
  Yay Hooray | Best use of Live Journal (Official)
- Jan 23, 09
  
  ffffound:
  
  FormFiftyFive - Design inspiration from around the world
  
  wow, i love this!
- Jan 23, 09
  
  via upload.wikimedia.org
  
  love!
- Jan 22, 09
  
  via www.pposti.com
  
  oh gosh look. She’s A Giant!!
- Jan 12, 09
  
  ffffound:
  
  ZooBorns: Tiny Twins at the Lakes Aquarium
  
  I want one. My birthday is in 16 days!
- Jan 02, 09
  
  robotsandunicorns:
  
  saramcpherson:
  
  Here, I drew this.
  
  … Robot love never quite gets old, huh?
- Dec 30, 08
  
  The Jazz Age 1920’s (via Aaron1912)
  
  so so so cute.
- Dec 18, 08
  
  White Christmas (via thenosesdotcom)
  
  I have had this song in my head all day, while walking around in the snow. Makes me happy.
- Dec 17, 08
  
  ffffound:
  
  Computerlove™ | Connecting Creative Talents.
  
  This lady is amazing.
- Dec 17, 08
  
  sundaymorning:
  
  The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song
  
  Love love love love love this song (and everything else by them).
- Dec 11, 08
  
  Toxel.com » Incredible Nikon D700 DSLR Cake
  
  Coolest cake ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well Canon might be better.
- Dec 09, 08
  
  ‘Indelicate’ - Gold edition (via Seb Lester)
- copycats: Well…All Right by Albert Hammond, Jr. originally by Buddy Holly (posted by bunkercomplex) I love unexpected covers of Buddy Holly songs.
  
  603 plays
- sundaymorning: The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song Love love love love love this song (and everything else by them).
  
  32 plays
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Norwegian Wood

The House of Mirth

The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, #1)

1Q84

First Love

Galore

A Confederacy of Dunces

Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman

Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef

The Traveling Death and Resurrection Show: A Novel

The Corrections

The Magician's Assistant

Room

Silas Marner

The Help

Tinkers

This Side of Paradise

Great House

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Imperfectionists

Jane Eyre

The Dirty Parts of the Bible

The Temple Of My Familiar

A Reliable Wife

Ghostwritten

Hector and the Search for Happiness

What is the What

Notes from a Small Island

Sharp Teeth

Collected Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Secret History

The Monsters Of Templeton

No Wolf

Geek Love

The People of Paper

Let the Great World Spin

Kafka on the Shore

Bel Canto

To The Lighthouse

Portland Noir

Memoirs of a Beatnik

The Sun Also Rises

The Book Of Dead Philosophers

On Love

Into the Beautiful North

The History of Love

Olive Kitteridge

Oryx and Crake (MaddAdam Trilogy, #1)

The Year of the Flood

Memories of My Melancholy Whores

1984

Laughter in the Dark

Other Voices, Other Rooms

Everything is Illuminated

Drown

The Time Traveler's Wife

Rant : An Oral Biography of Buster Casey

Below the Root (Green Sky, #1)

Breakfast at Tiffany's

The Road

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: A Novel

Eeeee Eee Eeee

The Dud Avocado

Forever

Franny and Zooey

The Time Traveler's Wife

Revolutionary Road

Never Let Me Go

Girlfriend in a Coma

Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Under the Big Top: A Season with the Circus

Water for Elephants

The Circus in Winter

Haunted

The Facts of Winter

The Pleasure of My Company

The Rum Diary

Women

Vapor

After Dark

Lunar Park

Life of Pi

Pulp

Diary

Ham on Rye

The Land of Laughs

The Wicked Pavilion

Apathy and Other Small Victories

Shopgirl

The Tesseract

Sputnik Sweetheart

Bring Me a Unicorn: Diaries and Letters of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 1922-1928

On the Road

The Stranger

How To Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion

Cat's Cradle

Deadeye Dick

The Little Prince

The Handmaid's Tale

The Catcher in the Rye

Nine Stories

Running With Scissors

Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction

Copping Free: A Novel

Dry

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles

The Robber Bride

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

A Wild Sheep Chase

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

Go Ask Alice

Dance Dance Dance

Underground

Tony Takitani

The Virgin Suicides

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman

Twilight (Twilight, #1)

Memoirs of a Geisha

Eclipse (Twilight, #3)

Lullaby

Invisible Monsters

New Moon (Twilight, #2)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The Bell Jar

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Lolita

Breakfast of Champions

Despair
Posts

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Feed
- Do you like pie? « Flickr Blog
  
  Jul 11, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  cutest pies ever!
- Because I'll probably have bangs the rest of my life.
  
  Jun 16, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  Truth.
  Because I'll probably have bangs the rest of my life.
- Historically Inaccurate: SIDESHOW! embroidered
  
  Jun 16, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  Oh my, two great things. circus+embroidery <3
  
  SIDESHOW! embroidered
- Box Stories
  
  Apr 22, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  Will I ever tire of miniature things/dioramas??? http://www.flickr.com/photos/boxstories/
  
  Artist Gatz created an amazing series of shadow box installations using various found objects and miniature figurines. The characters that populate Gatz' fantasy world are often involved in grandiose situations-from lovers flying to the moon to angry dejected boyfriends smashing giant hearts.
  
  Find out more about Gatz' work here.
- What Would He-Man Say?
  
  Apr 20, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  hehe these make me giggle.
  
  Toy Stories by London-based designer and illustrator Aled Lewis. Prints of the series are available here. The first is definitely my favorite.
  
  .
  
  .
  
  .
- Up-Inspired Flying House
  
  Mar 10, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  Oh man I wish I was watcing Up right now!
  How utterly charming! Earlier this month, National Geographic and various specialists made fiction come to life with their Up-inspired balloon house launch. More at My Modern Met. Yesterday morning, March 5 at dawn, National Geographic Channel and a team of scientists, engineers, an...
- Micromachina
  
  Feb 28, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  Wow creepy/awesome mechanized taxidermy bugs!
  Scott Bain's series "Micromachina" examines what makes the insect world tick, and considers our attempts to control nature and the consequences. This exhibition experiments using real taxidermy beetles as mechanised shells, to show how we mistreat our fellow inhabitants, forcing them to do our wil...
- YouTube - Organizing the Bookcase
  
  Feb 24, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  Super amazing magical books organizing themselves!
- oh, hello friend: you are loved.
  
  Feb 24, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  Pretty castles! <3
- Islands
  
  Feb 24, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  Islands, miniatures, and catastrophe. Magical!
  For his "Islands" project artist Markus Hofko (aka Rainbowmonkey) created an amazing series of crater like sculptures populated by tiny people and animals. Each of these sculptures depicts a different scene, from a circus train that got in an accident to a crowd gathered around what l...
- The signs are obvious; I follow the red line.
  
  Feb 24, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  This tumblog is my favorite right now!
  The signs are obvious; I follow the red line.
- i’m jealous of irina werning
  
  Feb 24, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  I love this!
  What do I love more than vintage photography? THIS! I love this more than vintage photography! Yep, vintage photography reenacted decades later {right down to the bubble bath, grass skirt, and raised eyebrows} by Buenos Aires based photographer Irina Werning. Here is her description of th...
- new book clocks
  
  Feb 02, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  Look at these cute clocks made from books!!!!
  Alla de här bokklockorna finns nu i shopen! All these book clocks are now available in the shop!
- Folly
  
  Jan 31, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  Creepy/awesome!
  Beth Katleman's sculptures and installations combine rococo decoration with icons from popular culture. Beth uses 1950's squeaky toys, corporate mascots, miniature buildings, cartoon characters and dolls which she finds in secondhand thrift stores and flea markets. These trinkets are cast i...
- Technocolor Landscapes
  
  Jan 30, 11
  
  Shared by Michelle
  Ooooo dreamy!
  I saw these psychedelic prints of the Alps (?) on Design for Mankind and thought they were much too cool to keep all to myself. The artist, Tchmo, is Australian but lives and works in Montreal. His prints (including these) and t-shirts are for sale on society6 and his pillows and textiles are for...
- Burning Love
  
  Oct 21, 10
  
  Shared by Michelle
  "With every piece finished, came an urge to burn it."
  
  Chicago-based architectural designer and multimedia artist Pei-San Ng has an interesting hobby, she loves making sculptures out of matches: "With limited resources, my husband suggested using matches instead of balsa. Thus began my matches series. With every piece finished, came an urge to burn it."
  Find out more about Pei-San's work here.
  
  Foaund via The Best Part
- i’m jealous of leo & pipo
  
  Oct 21, 10
  
  Shared by Michelle
  I love this! Close to time travel, no?
  
  As if you need another reason to go to Paris, but I’ll give you one anyway… well, two actually… Leo & Pipo. They are the artists behind these beautiful, and kinda ghostly, life-sized portraits that can be found on lonely concrete walls all over Paris. Maybe it’s because Hallowe’en is just around the corner, but I have to say, that boy on the roof scares me a little bit… not enough to stop me from buying a ticket to Paris mind you, but enough to freak me out in a “sixth-sense/I see dead people” kind of way.
- i’m jealous of kaarina kaikkonen
  
  Oct 21, 10
  
  Shared by Michelle
  I can't decide if these are creepy or awesome.
  
  I love searching through thrift shops, trying to find that perfect little jacket, or a cute vintage top… but it never would have occurred to me to find hundreds of them to hang as public space art installations! Finnish artist Kaarina Kaikkonen, however, has done this repeatedly all over the world. I was lucky enough to see some of her work in person, and it was magical… but don’t worry, I didn’t take any of the clothes, regardless of how perfect/cute they might have been!
- Shoebox Living
  
  Oct 19, 10
  
  Shared by Michelle
  Dioramas are so cool
  
  Earlier this year Kids Company and the Bryan Adams Foundation hosted “Shoebox Art” a unique auction of art from leading artists. In support of Kids Company's work with vulnerable children, each participating artist recreated a room from their childhood inside a shoebox.
  Find out more about the project here.
- A house with a view of water from every window is my fave
  
  Aug 27, 10
  
  Shared by Michelle
  Wish I could go live here for a month!
  
  Remember how I said I was considering a house boat? Changed my mind, I want a window filled mansion set on a private island. That way there's less chance of motion sickness and shark attacks.
  
  Can you believe this house was purchased for only $3600?!
  
  via Ebb and Flow

Michelle Suzanne

Books read 2010

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SIDESHOW! embroidered