Tuesday, July 14, 2009

An Office Birthday


For my boss' birthday I made a limoncello tart (with homemade limoncello, no less!)

I also got some heavy cream and whipped it up with a little lemon juice, confectioners sugar, and lemon extract...



I was afraid there wouldn't be enough tart to go around and so I figured people could have the cream with the tart or with the extra berries, which I had put on the side.






I don't fool around... :)

xo

Limoncello Tart from The Houston Chronicle
  • 2 large eggs
  • Yolk of 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1/4 cup limoncello
  • 6 tablespoons butter, cut in pieces
  • 1 (9-inch) pie crust
  • Seasonal berries to garnish

Bring water to a simmer in bottom of a double boiler.

Meanwhile, place eggs, yolk and sugar in top part of double boiler, and beat together off the heat.

Whisk in lemon juice and zest, and place mixture over simmering water, making sure pan doesn't touch the water.

Whisk until curd thickens, about 5 minutes, being careful not to let it boil.

Remove from heat. Stir in limoncello and butter until butter has melted.

Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, and spread in pie shell. Chill until set, at least 6 hours. When ready to serve, garnish with berries.

Makes 6 servings.


I bought a ready-made graham cracker crust...and found that even after setting up in the fridge for over 24 hours, the pie was very soupy. I'm going to improvise with it and make it more of a pudding or trifle...I'll post, of course.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Letting The Love Flood In...

A lot is going on in Lion Land!

So...where to start?

I went to CT for the 4th of July...and there were some lovely moments. Spending time out in the yard behind my Mom's house...watching fireworks, making S'Mores, and walking barefoot on the beach, hugging my adorable nephews, spending Sunday with my Cousin Elana (aka Sweet E) and her hubby...and beer...of course. My Mother even tried some beer (Blue Moon).


My gorgeous Black and Tan @ The Black Sheep in my hometown: Niantic, CT



Tuesday I was alerted to Waterboys tickets...for special Dublin Shows in March of 2010.

Boo hoo right? Wrong!

I was spontaneous! I conferred with my friend Krissy (aka Madame K) and Christina (who turned me on to the wonderful Waterboys) and what did I do? I bought 3 tickets. For a show in Dublin. And I am in New York.

Hee Hee.

And I am visiting Scotland in the Fall.

So I am creating some lovely seasonal bookends...Scotland in the Fall and Ireland in the Spring.

Now, keep in mind that I only have a concert ticket. No hotel, no flight, no plan...other than to be in the same room as and listen to Mike Scott, Steve Wickham and the other musicians that are currently making up The Waterboys :) And see Ireland, of course.

I think it's a GREAT (non) plan.

Today I got to work and had an e-mail from my good friend Jen entitled "Findhorn." Seems she knows some people who know some people...you know how it goes...

Well...swoon. I have been thinking about/wanting to return to that part of Scotland since I returned last August...spend some serious quality time there because I ended up there "by accident" last summer...and it was clearly a place I was meant to go to. I'm checking out Iona in October...

I jokingly thought..."Wow. I buy Waterboys tickets and my world opens up!"

But essentially, I really do think there's something to this. I made a spontaneous, out of character, move with buying these tickets (and Ireland has been stalking me for a few months...I keep seeing ads for it on buses zooming by me while walking to the subway). So I will cheerfully keep insisting that all good things come from The Waterboys...LOL.

I felt lighter and happy because, in a way, I was taking back some control...I had started feeling a bit overwhelmed and in the darkness about stuff.

I had been firmly entrenched in the narrow thought of..."Going to Scotland in October...only have two weeks :( ...then back to New York...blah...blah...wah..."

And now...I'm a traveler.

XO


Sunday, June 28, 2009

True Blood Brunch

These days I am 30 going on 13. I have become addicted to the HBO show "True Blood" and am fortunate in that a lot of my good friends are also fans and we can be silly 13 year-olds together :)

For example...my good friend Krissy came over last Saturday and we had brunch and watched the show (I have recently been introduced to the wonders of HBO OnDemand...)

The True Blood Brunch Menu:

A scramble with tomatoes, basil, garlic and mozzarella
Coffee (of course)
Ham
Cherries
Toast

and of course...wait for it...blood orange juice!

Hee Hee








Monday, June 22, 2009

That Rumi Sure Had a Way With Words...

Photo Courtesy of Victorian Traditions


I've been trying to put my mood into words these days, and I can't do any better than this:



Fastened to a Pole

by Rumi

I keep turning around this misfortune,
this troubled illusion I call myself,

when I could be turning around you,
the giver of blessings, origin and

presence. My chest is a grave you
made a rose garden. What goes in the

grave? What fits in that two-by-two-
by-seven? Not a soul, soul cannot be

contained by the sky! I turn around
God. I have become a mirror, yet I

turn for these few days around a piece
of white wool. If I were a rose in

this spring, I would change into a
hundred rose bushes. I turn around this

frustrated body, tethered in a barn
of words, when I could be free in the

infinite pasture. Free, why do I keep
turning as though fastened to a pole?

Thursday, June 18, 2009

A New Endeavour...



I have recently signed up to be a Shaklee distributor...I've put the link to my site on the upper right hand side of this blog and there it will stay!

But to formally announce it...

Get Clean With Shaklee!!!

Anyone in North America can order from the site...and anyone else can make arrangements through yours truly. :) This totally fits in with my dream of working from home...wherever home may be ;)

I began replacing my caustic household cleaners with the Shaklee Get Clean products a couple years ago when I started my green journey...I never realized that cleaners didn't have to make me cough or do the whole "Spray and then promptly run out of the room to take a breath" thing. It was quite an eye opener...also, the fact that these cleaners can cause asthma in children...and I was a child, and then adult, with asthma...coincidence? Maybe...but I certainly feel better these days.

I fell in love with the non toxic dish and laundry soaps first (totally blows Seventh Generation away) and then the scour off and Basic H2, which are both gentle and tough at the same time.

I will be doing some in-home events that will combine cooking with cleaning in the near future...let me know if you'd like to host one or check in at the Facebook Group to see when/where they are taking place. I'm thinking...tea party :)

Here's some info on Shaklee's Basic H2:





10 Reasons to Love Basic H2®


1. Stop living in a toxic home

Some of the most questionable chemicals used regularly
in household products are ammonia, chlorine bleach, phenol,
butyl cellosolve, and formaldehyde—all of which can be
found under your kitchen sink. Basic H2 is nontoxic and safe
for your family.

2. Everything and the kitchen sink
Basic H2 cleans it all from kitchens and bathrooms to
appliances, woodwork, mirrors, painted walls, and floors—
it even does windows. So, toss those single-purpose
cleaners like sink and tile cleaners. Mix ¼ teaspoon in 16 oz.
of water in a Get Clean spray bottle for all purpose cleaning,
and 2 drops in 16 oz. of water to clean windows.

3. Eliminate your ammonia-based window cleaner
Basic H2 cleans windows without streaking while being
a great alternative to leading brands. Basic H2 window
cleaner is equivalent in performance to Windex® Original.*

4. Removes the impossible
From lipstick on a linen napkin to crayons on a painted wall,
full-strength Basic H2 comes to the rescue.

5. Great for cutting grease
Tough on greasy barbecue grills, ovens, and even oil spots
on concrete. Mix 2 oz. per gallon of water for a superdegreaser
formula.

6. Does odd jobs
One tablespoon of Basic H2 in a bucket of hot water lifts off
old wallpaper. One and a half teaspoons in a half gallon cleans
sticky paintbrushes. Just soak for 24 hours and rinse with
hot tap water.

7. Saves money
One 16 oz. bottle of Basic H2 diluted per label directions
makes 214 bottles (28 oz.) of ready-to-use all-purpose cleaner.

8. Camping and traveling companion
Take along a small size of Basic H2 to keep clothes, dishes,
and everything else clean. And you’ll help by keeping the
great outdoors unpolluted.

9. Easy on the planet
Biodegradable and environmentally friendly, Basic H2 handles
even hard-to-clean jobs without phosphates, borates, nitrates,
or other stuff the planet doesn’t appreciate.

10. Less in the landfill
Basic H2 is superconcentrated, so you’ll use fewer bottles
of cleaning products throughout the year.


*This performance comparison was conducted on June 6, 2006 and is valid only for the
named product marketed at that time. Trademark is the property of its respective owner.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Chasing the Happy...

The Royal Mile, Edinburgh


When I started this blog, I swore that only good energy would enter here...so what to do when I'm feeling less than good?

Hide out? Not write blogs? Keep all culinary delights to myself for a while?

Post all ill will on Facebook and Twitter???

Well...yeah, I could do all that. I'm sure I have.

Or shall I admit to my readers that I'm not always, as my Friend Kim deems me, "a source of light?"

Well, my friends...without darkness there can be no light.

I'll admit that I'm relatively new to the whole "Puppies and Rainbows" world. In my more balanced moments, I fully realize that there will be some down time. I am still navigating my way around these waters and finding my way. I have seen what a difference love and optimism can bring to my world...in fact...it has brought me life.

Yes, I've been spending a lot of time in my cave...thinking and worrying about the "hows" and whys...and where has it gotten me? Honestly? With a giant pile of worry weighing me down.

So, today I am going to try to chase the happy...to feel the glee that I have delighted in in the past...and will again in the future. I will now have gratitude for all the love and light that I've been shutting out.
  • Love
  • My wonderful friends
  • My Family
  • Beautiful music
  • Sunshine and Rain
  • Scotland
  • Beer
  • Whisky
  • Cooking
  • Nature
  • Crafting
  • Knitting
  • Photography
  • The "Silly Hour" at work
  • I'm seeing Paul McCartney in concert again soon!!! Woohoo!
  • True Blood!
  • Acting like a 13 year old girl with my friends
  • I ordered the Waterboys album I've been dying for...through a shop in Edinburgh ;)
  • The smell of the fresh peach sitting on my desk
  • Puppies and Rainbows

A puppy on The Royal Mile...


Seriously...there's a lot to be happy about. What are some of the things that fill you with light?



XOXO

Sunday, June 14, 2009

One of My Amazingly Talented Friends...

Gorgeous Bracelets...


Because my friends and I are all like soccer moms...I'm going to talk one up today.

My friend Kimmy!!

Kim Fraczek, to be more professional and cool :)

She is an amazing glass artist and makes beautiful hand blown glass jewelry. Krissy and I had the pleasure of helping her with an art show in Philly and I took the following photos...

Earrings...


Seed pod necklaces filled with Swarovski crystals...



My favorite! Orange "Petal Print" necklace




You can check out all her beautiful collections @ http://kimfraczek.com

I love you Kimmy!
XOXO