blessing the one above

Really a big shout out is in store for the almighty G-d who has created all of this amazing world, as it shines in all of its glory, boasting of little other than perfection. how incredibly blessed we are to witness the wonders of creation. From the small colorful silk worms to the soaring hawks in the sky, the mountains and the valleys and all the many unique and beautiful plant life. Even the fungi are worth living to see, their exquisite colors and marvelous shapes. The most incredible part of it all? So much can be seen from so close to our homes. If we know where to look and pick ourselves up and search, we will find it, find all of G-ds infinite creations. *sigh* how much do I love summer and the ability to spend my days amidst nature. Pure rejuvenation: just the recipe to combat the long cold winters the inevitably lay ahead. 

And on a slightly different note, may i say that i love asparagus season, especially when it comes in the form of a dear friends asparagus nettles soup which is absolutely out of this world and if i had nettles laying around I would probably make it right now. 

I made a great sandwich today which is probably worth sharing. See the thing is that in the summer all I want to eat is cold items (unless maybe its a juicy burger off the grill...). Basically, the more salads and sandwiches I eat, and the less stir fries or baked veggies or soups, the happier I am. I have been eating a lot of salad lately, yummy, definitely, but it was time for a change of pace (and something a little less time consuming. So I toasted up some bread, spread on a lil butter, added a nice think layer of smoked salmon, a layer of avocado, a few layers of spinach, a thin layer of some really great mustered and enjoyed!. It was probably one of the better sandwiches I have had in awhile. 

 

back to the omlete

ok, omelets are officially amazing....although, they are time consuming, well if they are good that is. Todays omelet you ask? I went southern. Full on tomato, chives, parsley, onion, spinach and a whole bunch of pepper jack cheese. OH BOY WAS THAT GOOD!

tastes of summer

oh how I love the taste of summer. in all its yummy flavors and colorful expressions. and its here! finally after waiting on the edge of my seat for months, it is finally here. there are few things that make me as happy as wandering into the grocery store and seeing that the selection of local produce went from zero to 70% over night. so i went a little produce happy this week. we dont need to go into details....

i have been eating the yummiest salads for breakfast every morning. spinach and tomatoes and and cucucmbers and avacados and bell pepers and feta cheese....all organic, most local. *sigh* thank you g-d for bringing summer to us once again.

i have also jumped back onto the stir fry boat. as much as i love food in all the many forms it can come in, it seems that i have two main staples. soup in the winter, stir fry in the summer. and so, finally, i made s stir fry for the first time in probably 6 months. and it was, incredible. again, full of color and flavor and yumminess.  heres a picture for inspiration. (hint: love the ginger, just LOVE it)

and now that my body is nourished and revitalized after a little too long of not really feeding it anything worth noting, i am happily looking forward to a long summer full of variety and excitement that will help my stomach forgive and forget all that mistreatment. 

beads and graphics

I made a necklace the other night. Im very pleased with it. I have had the beads sitting on top of my desk for quite sometime now and it feel so good to finally put them to use. I have every intention of wearing it this weekend. It has been so long since I last managed to squeeze in some art time, its like a breathe of fresh air to have utilized some of my creative energy again. (picture soon!) 

I am also in the middle of working on a design manual for green roofs. WOW has it been a long time since I busted out some solid layout design work. I forgot how much I loved it, how I wanted to make a career out of it....why it was that I thought being an art major would be a good idea. Well, you cant rewrite what has already happened, but at the moment, I am very open to the idea of rekindling that career path. There is this adrenaline rush I get from it all. Maybe I'll link it, or parts of it up when it is done next week. It has been so long since I have done work like this I just feel the urge to share it with people...receive feedback...progress in a positive direction. Actually, it is really making me want to head back to the box of old books in my closet, where my dusty old yearbook from senior year of high school lays. When that book came off the press I could not look at it I was so annoyed with the drama that surrounded its creation. But now, so many years later, with a renewed love for design, I think its the perfect time to pull it out and rediscover my accomplishments in layout design. 

three small words

mushroom ginger omelets 

they are amazing. everyone should try one. and then eat them everyday.

Socks and Soups

Well it has been a while, but I am back to report on my latest happenings. The most exciting thing for me right now is the long awaited completion of my socks. The are done, and on my feet right now as I write this. Oh, have my feet longed to feel the warm fuzziness of this colorful pair of wool socks.  I think I will start a new pair soon. Its such a fun and simple project and I can always use a new pair of socks right? Im thinking a solid color, with a different colored toe and heel... and maybe some sort of pattern. Im gonna make the next pair taller, I like how these turned out but I prefer them to come up a bit higher on my legs especially when its cold outside! 

In addition to finally getting some more knitting time, I now have a new favorite soup. Potato, Leek, Mushroom. Its creamy and full of yummy flavors, Im so glad that I have some sitting in my freezer right now, because that is the perfect thing to warm up after a long day (unless of course you have a yummy homemade lasagna sitting in your fridge, like I do at the moment. Oh cheese, how I love thee.)

Thank G-d for the little comforts (and warm afternoons we are finally getting). Sometimes it feels that there could never be a light at the end of the tunnel, and then you stumble on the perfect soup recipe while perusing the selection of organic mushrooms at Whole Foods. Or you come back from a wonderful break to piles of work you have neglected for too long when you find the few minutes to put the finishing touches on a snugly pair of something fuzzy and everything simply seems so much easier.  :) 

the perfect breakfast

Thanks to the wonderful encouragement of a friend I rediscovered my love for omelets this week. My current favorite recipe (yield 1):

dice and saute about 2 Tbl of onion and a large clove of garlic

• thinly slice one collard leaf and add to onions
• stir on med heat to onions have caramelized and collards are soft, remove from heat
• blend three eggs and pour in pan
• place cheese around half of the eggs and add veggies and dill
• fold in a half, cook and ENJOY

soup for the soul

well I am back on a soup kick. I made butternut last week and i just made a  veggie medley tonight. I wish I could tell you that I cant wait to dip a spoon in the pot and try it but I cant. I made that oh so fateful mistake of opening the big side of the basil (ya know the small side has all the little wholes and the big side has just one big opening for pouring rather than shaking). So shook...on the pour side...and then I had pot of basil, with some soup. My whole apartment smells of basil right now, its making my nose twitch. But I suppose that come April I will be craving veggies, even if they are covered in basil flakes....

The downside of February

Well....I am sad to report the downside of February. As much as I love the cold days and endless expanses of snow...this month has to come with the beginning of yet another semester. The readings are backed up, the papers are settling in and all hell is about to break loose as my life switches from the enjoyable chilly evening that is accompanied by a relaxing project and a nice hot cup of tea to that of barricading myself into the library with only a bleak hope of arriving home in time to get a decent amount of sleep. While the courses themselves may well be interesting, there is a half of butternut squash in my fridge that desperately wants to be made into a pie and the beginnings of a hat that my fingers are itching to finish. If only I could find the small chunk of time necessary to work on the parts of life that carry substance not just another set of interesting facts.

On a more positive note? I may have found a small way of earning some local money. The details are yet to be worked out, but it involves organic granola bars, like those mentioned in the previous post. The biggest problem? ah yes, that time problem again.

Hopefully more cheerful news next time...

Crunchy Granola Eating Hippy

Did I mention that I love snow? I took a walk today in the woods behind my house. With every step i went crashing into the fresh layer of snow. It felt so wonderful. Nothing around me but ice covered trees that glittered in the sun and white as far as the eye could see. It was the perfect temperature for a winter walk today. Crisp yet warm all at the same time. Being out there made me wish I knew how to ride a horse, horses are for sure a most wonderful companion in the heart of the winter. But I suppose thats an acquirement I have yet to gain. 

I made my granola bars today. I love that feeling of being domestic. It's funny, I spent my whole life fighting for equal rights for women. Now that I am finally part of the age group that should actually want those rights all I want to do is stay home, bake and add a few rows to my latest knitting creation. Anyway, the bars were simple and fun to make. I look forward to spinning off the recipe and coming up with various new ingredient lists for an even tastier treat. 

And now, with knitting in hand and a fresh cup of tea at my side, I am going to sit back and enjoy that quite of the evening. 

color in the dead of winter

Oh to wake up to the snow falling and that beautiful announcement that school is closed for the day. I have missed you snow. Please stay for a while longer...

I spent the whole day in hibernation today. Mostly curled up under a blanket on the couch enjoying a variety of wonderful winter activities like sipping hot tea and reading. And of course, knitting. I finished a new scarf today. It is rainbow colored and so soft I don't know if I will ever be able to take it off. If only I had bought a few more skeins of that wool, it would make a wonderful sweater... 

My skirt is coming along. I finally finished the back, now for the front! Im not sure if I'll make my goal of wearable by April, but I am trying...

I went shopping on Sunday for yummy ingredients for some homemade granola bars. Hopefully I will find some time tomorrow make them. I have missed my kitchen oh so much while I have been gone. The cooking ideas are popping out of my ears! I am planning on making another squash pie over the weekend. I found a new recipe for crust that sounds oh so delicious that I can hardly wait for it to come out of the oven! 

Well I think that's for now. Stay Warm!