Stepford Wife

OK, I'm all set to become a Stepford wife, now that I've got this nifty little cookbook holder. Can't you just picture me in my Jimmy Choo's, vintage apron tied around my impossibly tiny waist, wooden spoon in my manicured hand and a four-course gourmet dinner on the stove?

You can't?

Neither can I. But I thought this cookbook holder, with it's creamy white chippy paint and charming little bird, would look great on my kitchen counter.

But now I have to actually cook something.

Darn.

It's a Soup Night

Try as I might, I can't seem to speed spring on it's way. Although yesterday was fairly warm, it's about 17 degrees here this morning, and tonight is definitely a soup night. We're having Italian Hot Sausage and Potato Soup.

This recipe is a sort of happy accident. I had set out to duplicate a sausage and white bean soup I bought at the supermarket one day. My husband decided that he wasn't in the mood for beans, so I substituted potatoes. Here's what resulted.

Italian Hot Sausage and Potato Soup

In your soup pot, saute chopped onions, carrots and celery in two tbsp. olive oil until soft. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, brown two Italian sausage patties, or four to six sausages removed from their casings. Break up the meat as it browns. You can use hot or sweet sausage. I used hot. Yum.

After the sausage is browned, remove it from the frying pan and add it to the vegetables. In the empty pan, brown one or two potatoes, diced. When these are browned, add them to the vegetables also.

Now everything is in your soup pot. Add two cartons of chicken broth, or eight cups water and four chicken bouillion cubes. Also add one package frozen chopped spinach. Simmer till the spinach is warmed, and everything is cooked through -- about 30 minutes. Serve with lightly toasted Italian bread, dipped in a good quality olive oil.

Mangia!

Spring Fling

Lets have a spring fling, shall we? I'll set the table, you bring the snacks. I've been dying for a tiny piece of cake, or one of those little fruit tarts. Do you think you could bring some of those?

I'm a dish-a-holic, and the daughter of a dish-a-holic, so I have loads of mismatched plates that are just crying out for a chance to get together. So no two table settings will match, but you don't mind, do you?

Would you care to choose your setting? They are all from the thrift store, or from my mother's collection.

Which is your favorite?

Donna's Art

Oooh look, a pretty package! Just what I need to chase away the winter blahs.

It's beautifully wrapped, isn't it? And look, a sweet note from the sender, along with a handmade bookmark.

This particular package is from Donna, of Donna's Art. In case you don't happen to know her, Donna is a very sweet lady and a wonderful artist who has created a blog filled with artistic inspiration. I always enjoy visiting Donna to read about her cute little dogs, Otis and Riley, or to wander through her amazing garden, and to see what wonderful creations she is currently working on.

That is how I first saw this charming little painting of a bird's nest filled with speckled eggs. As soon as I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for my kitchen. And so it is. Thank you so much, Donna -- I absolutely love it, and it brings a smile to my face every time I see it!

You can visit Donna's blog here, and her etsy shop here. Go take a peek, there are lots of wonderful things in store for you!

Do I Look Fat?

Do I look fat?








Because I've been thinking maybe I need to lose a few l-b's. Know what I mean?








Actually, I really think I'm just a little short for my weight...








'Cuz when I stand up really straight, I don't look fat at all, right?








What, you think maybe I should cut out the carbs?




Really?











Mmmfgbbb.

Lunar Eclipse

We had a good view of the lunar eclipse on Wednesday night. Here are a few (somewhat blurry) pictures. This was an amazing sight to watch, and one of the few things that could get me out of the house (in my pajamas, no less) at nine o'clock on a weeknight. Aw hell, who am I kidding? Even on a weekend, I'm pretty much ready for bed by then. So to see me standing on the front lawn in my pj's, busily snapping away with my camera, was (I'm sure) quite a novel sight for my neighbors. After all, as Mr. Bennett says in Pride and Prejudice, "For what do we live except to give sport to our neighbors..." or something like that anyway. :)

Have a wonderful weekend, dear bloggers!

Expectations

Here's what we have:

Here's what I want:

Maybe I should lower my expectations, huh?

We had a snow day today -- got the call at 5:30am, so everyone here just slept in. Happy Friday, dear bloggers!

Look What's Brewing!

My dear high school friend, Toni Ann, gave me this great little tea infuser recently, along with an assortment of yummy herbal teas. I've never been a coffee drinker -- I love the way it smells, but don't like the taste. I used to drink Irish Breakfast tea, but I switched to herbal tea when I was pregnant with my son, and never switched back. Now I'm a definite herbal girl.

I'm really enjoying the whole process of infusing the loose tea. It makes a new morning ritual for me. So far, my favorite from the assortment is Farmer's Market Blend -- apples, papayas, rosebuds, mint and flavoring. Here's what the loose tea looks like. Actual rosebuds! It smells heavenly and tastes delicious.

The tea is made by Todd & Holland in Forest Park, Illinois. They have a wide variety of traditional and herbal teas, and you can find them online here. Go see what's brewing! :)

Uncle

OK, I give up. I surrender. "Uncle!" I can't take one more minute of winter, so I am posting some pictures of my summer garden, all the while whimpering softly and splattering my keyboard with salty tears.

I'll be spending the rest of the winter curled in a fetal position. See you in April or May.

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Actually, I'm just being a tad dramatic. But I'm going through all my garden pictures, to help me look forward to the coming season. :) Does anyone else have some flowery pictures to share?

Feelin' Blue

This is definitely a little red house, and it is filled with lots of red -- in the wallpaper, in the dishes, in the prints on the walls. But I'm feelin' blue lately, so I've been searching hard to find some lovely blue things to show you. Here they are -- enjoy!

Bad Hair Day

photo taken Wednesday, February 13th

Be sure to click on this guy to enlarge the picture -- it really is hilarious!

photo taken Thursday, February 14th

What a difference a day makes! One day, wet and bedraggled; the next, rockin' the electric blue mohawk.







Don't you wish you had a blue 'do, too?

My Spring Dream

A challenge came from Pearl, at A Storybook Life: make a creation under glass. Use anything of you own choosing. I love an assignment like this -- the only limit is imagination itself. Because I have been longing for spring (as you may have noticed, haha), I decided to use a delicate teacup strewn with violets, and some pale pastel bird's eggs. My spring dream.

Give yourself a treat, and stop by A Storybook Life to see all the wonderful "Creations Under Glass." And have a wonderful weekend, dear bloggers. :)

Magpie

Do you ever feel like a magpie, seeking out shiny things to bring back to your nest? I do. These are a few of my favorites.

How do you feather your nest?

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Edited to add: Please take a minute to go on over to A Storybook Life, where two of my photos have been included in a post about "Creations Under Glass." The post is filled with luscious creations by very talented women, and I'm honored to have been included.

Have A Sweet Day!

Wishing you all a happy Valentine's day!

Fabric heart by Kathy, of Kathy's Cottage.

Surprise!

When my husband opened the door to leave for work Monday, here's what he saw.

It was so cold overnight that a skim of ice had formed on the inside of the storm door. The ribbon from the wreath (yes, my Christmas wreath is still up) had stuck to the storm door.

Brrrr.

We had about four or five inches of snow yesterday, which turned to freezing rain overnight. It's raining now, and the temperature has risen, so the world outside is now a slushy and sodden mess.

Ick.

Can you tell I hate winter? :)

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My daughter's school has a delayed opening this morning -- we got the call at 5:30 am. We slept in and I'm running a little late, so please bear with me. Hope to post some more cheerful pictures later today. :)

Edited to add: Here are a few pictures that make me happy. I'd prefer to forget this horrible weather -- the backyard is a lake and the basement floor is puddling.

And it is still raining.