Thursday, November 29, 2012
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Full of Hot Air!
Last weekend I found out that about 30 minutes north of us there is a Hot Air Balloon Festival held each year. There is tons of stuff to do, but I was really interested in what they call the Balloon Glow. So, I dragged Jeremy along on another photo adventure.
We were supposed to pay $8 per car to enter, but apparently since we got there at the tail end of the evening, we got a free pass! Come to find out, they were worried they wouldn't be able to do the glow because of the winds. See, winds are great for flying a balloon, but not so much for making it sit on the ground, stationary.
This balloon was called the flying purple people eater....ala "One Eyed, One Horned Flying Purple People Eater....sure looks strange to me!" (Please tell me that song is now stuck in your head too)
I loved seeing the HUGE flames to create the hot air to inflate the balloon.
They had to do the glow when they could get the balloons up, so anytime anyone got theirs up and stable, we would count down and they would GLOW!
Almost all lit up!
This was one of my favorites and stayed lit for most of the show.
All 5 lit up!
Then at the very end, skydivers with pyrotechnics....fireworks in normal terms....on their FEET came down from the sky. Yep, as if skydiving wasn't enough of a thrill, they had to attach exploding balls of fire to their feet. Hmmmmm, wonder if I could do that tandem??? :)
We were supposed to pay $8 per car to enter, but apparently since we got there at the tail end of the evening, we got a free pass! Come to find out, they were worried they wouldn't be able to do the glow because of the winds. See, winds are great for flying a balloon, but not so much for making it sit on the ground, stationary.
Then at the very end, skydivers with pyrotechnics....fireworks in normal terms....on their FEET came down from the sky. Yep, as if skydiving wasn't enough of a thrill, they had to attach exploding balls of fire to their feet. Hmmmmm, wonder if I could do that tandem??? :)
Friday, April 29, 2011
Sprocket Spunky!
Something about the circle appeals to me in the way color wheels do....hmm there's an idea....maybe I should make a ROY G BIV version!
The backside. I might have to do a double sided sprocket with multiple fabrics on both sides! So much fun!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Latest Project
I used a simple stripe for the backside.
I found a blog that I love! She has the most beautiful combos of fabrics and lots of fun ideas. They aren't even all quilts so check it out even if you don't want to quilt.
But anyways, this is her tutorial that I used for this quilt. It was not difficult but very time consuming.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Food Mood
Its been a while. I have been cooking....just not blogging. We have our house on the market and so any time not spent on anything to do with that has been spent doing other things....outside. Except this week Ohio decided to plunge itself back into winter. Its snowing out right now....for realz!
I apologize....I somehow became a 14 year old there for a sec.
Anyways, here are a few things I have made lately
Huevos con Chorizo (Eggs with Sausage....mexican style!)
I bought some yummy fresh Mexican Chorizo at Findlay market. I finally got my husband to go. ( I had to go once I found out about it when I moved to Cincinnati....while he has lived here his whole life and had never been.) Now he's hooked! He loved it and even convinced his ma and pa to go down....I think they are hooked too.
Anyways, just cook 2 chorizo in a skillet (remove it from the casing and cook like ground beef.) In a separate bowl, whisk 6 eggs with a bit of milk. Move browned chorizo to one side of skillet and pour eggs into the other side. Scramble eggs and then combine with chorizo. I added a couple tablespoons of salsa here in this step.
This is an extremely quick, cheap and yummy meal.....and actually pretty healthy!
Chicken in Cream Caper Sauce
This is a modification of a recipe that a friend made for me coupled with an allrecipes recipe. I will tell you the modifications I made to the allrecipes version below.
I read a bunch of the comments and took different advice. Hopefully you can follow what I did.
Seasoned chicken with S&P and dill.....no lemon pepper.
Cooked in skilled according to AR( All Recipes)
Deglaze the pan with juice from half a lemon and a swish of white wine. (I don't measure much....sorry!)
Then begin to add the cream, but double it....every review said you needed more sauce for 4 pieces of chicken, plus its so yummy I wanted to put it on everything!
If you are impatient like me and you want to thicken the sauce quickly, remove about 3 Tbsp. of the sauce and add 1 tbsp of arrowroot powder or cornstarch...mix thoroughly and then add back to pan. (You must do this or you will just have lumps of cornstarch....YUCK!
In addition to the capers added at the end, I grated about 1/4 cup of Parmesean cheese into mine and gave another good squeeze of lemon at the end.
Served with Jasmin rice cooked in chicken stock and green beans......oh and the sauce went on everything. It's super yummy!
Blackened Mahi-Mahi, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Quinoa and Green Chile Corn Muffins
I know what you are thinking....at least what my sister is thinking....brussel sprouts? Have you gone crazy!?
My parents gardened a lot when I was little and while I don't remember eating much of it, my sister does.....and they aren't always fond memories.
Not to mention the fact that when we got married, Jeremy wouldn't eat anything but meat and potatoes.....and by meat I mean red meat. I once tried to use ground turkey instead of ground beef. That brewed into an argument about how I was trying to poison him! :)
He has become such a different eater! He will try anything! In fact, he suggested the fish and the brussel sprouts!
Anyways, I just use the spices from this recipe and cook the fish for about 3-4 minutes a side in a cast iron skillet.(I don't use the recipe, just the ingredients)
The brussels were baby sized and super fresh. I cut them in half, threw them in a bowl with olive oil, lemon juice and S & P and tossed, put them on a baking sheet in the 450 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes. They get sweet, tender on the inside and have a nice crust on the outside.
I cooked the quinoa with 1/2 onion sauteed, 1 clove garlic, 1 tsp cumin and red pepper and chicken stock.
Green Chile Corn Muffins are a Paula Deen recipe that is naturally GF....it only uses corn meal. (No, Jiffy is not just corn meal...you wouldn't believe how many people think the corn muffins they are used to eating are just corn meal....they usually aren't!) Although, I had to add some sugar because we always had sugar in our cornbread growing up.
I saw a few new recipes today that I want to put on my menu for next week so I thought I would share them with ya'll!
Slow cooker Chicken Curry
Beef with Peppers Stir Fry
I apologize....I somehow became a 14 year old there for a sec.
Anyways, here are a few things I have made lately
I bought some yummy fresh Mexican Chorizo at Findlay market. I finally got my husband to go. ( I had to go once I found out about it when I moved to Cincinnati....while he has lived here his whole life and had never been.) Now he's hooked! He loved it and even convinced his ma and pa to go down....I think they are hooked too.
Anyways, just cook 2 chorizo in a skillet (remove it from the casing and cook like ground beef.) In a separate bowl, whisk 6 eggs with a bit of milk. Move browned chorizo to one side of skillet and pour eggs into the other side. Scramble eggs and then combine with chorizo. I added a couple tablespoons of salsa here in this step.
This is the brand my store sells. Go with whatever you find!
I serve this with refried black beans....read again: black beans. Super super full of flavor and better than their normal counterparts for your waistline. So, back to what I serve this with, refried black beans, sliced avacado, sour cream, corn tortillas, cilantro and queso fresco. There are a bunch of different mexican cheeses that even Kroger now carries. They are usually in the Hispanic aisle refrigerated case.This is an extremely quick, cheap and yummy meal.....and actually pretty healthy!
Chicken in Cream Caper Sauce
This is a modification of a recipe that a friend made for me coupled with an allrecipes recipe. I will tell you the modifications I made to the allrecipes version below.
I read a bunch of the comments and took different advice. Hopefully you can follow what I did.
Seasoned chicken with S&P and dill.....no lemon pepper.
Cooked in skilled according to AR( All Recipes)
Deglaze the pan with juice from half a lemon and a swish of white wine. (I don't measure much....sorry!)
Then begin to add the cream, but double it....every review said you needed more sauce for 4 pieces of chicken, plus its so yummy I wanted to put it on everything!
If you are impatient like me and you want to thicken the sauce quickly, remove about 3 Tbsp. of the sauce and add 1 tbsp of arrowroot powder or cornstarch...mix thoroughly and then add back to pan. (You must do this or you will just have lumps of cornstarch....YUCK!
In addition to the capers added at the end, I grated about 1/4 cup of Parmesean cheese into mine and gave another good squeeze of lemon at the end.
Served with Jasmin rice cooked in chicken stock and green beans......oh and the sauce went on everything. It's super yummy!
Blackened Mahi-Mahi, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Quinoa and Green Chile Corn Muffins
I know what you are thinking....at least what my sister is thinking....brussel sprouts? Have you gone crazy!?
My parents gardened a lot when I was little and while I don't remember eating much of it, my sister does.....and they aren't always fond memories.
Not to mention the fact that when we got married, Jeremy wouldn't eat anything but meat and potatoes.....and by meat I mean red meat. I once tried to use ground turkey instead of ground beef. That brewed into an argument about how I was trying to poison him! :)
He has become such a different eater! He will try anything! In fact, he suggested the fish and the brussel sprouts!
Anyways, I just use the spices from this recipe and cook the fish for about 3-4 minutes a side in a cast iron skillet.(I don't use the recipe, just the ingredients)
The brussels were baby sized and super fresh. I cut them in half, threw them in a bowl with olive oil, lemon juice and S & P and tossed, put them on a baking sheet in the 450 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes. They get sweet, tender on the inside and have a nice crust on the outside.
I cooked the quinoa with 1/2 onion sauteed, 1 clove garlic, 1 tsp cumin and red pepper and chicken stock.
Green Chile Corn Muffins are a Paula Deen recipe that is naturally GF....it only uses corn meal. (No, Jiffy is not just corn meal...you wouldn't believe how many people think the corn muffins they are used to eating are just corn meal....they usually aren't!) Although, I had to add some sugar because we always had sugar in our cornbread growing up.
I saw a few new recipes today that I want to put on my menu for next week so I thought I would share them with ya'll!
Slow cooker Chicken Curry
Beef with Peppers Stir Fry
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Cleaning, Crafting, and Chinese food!
We had to run a couple of errands. One for some baby bok choy and other veggies to make this meal from my meal plan. I haven't done much home chinese cooking but they turned out really yummy and didn't take a lot of time....and they are pretty cheap! Only downside is that they made a lot of dirty dishes!
The other errand was to pick up some fabric to make this!
My friends just adopted their first baby and I was honored to photograph him last weekend. His room is decked out in argyle so I came up with this idea for sprucing up a plain gray hoodie. I didn't take a before shot, but it was an inexpensive hoodie from Target. With a little bit of fabric (could have used scraps if I'd of had any that I liked the pattern and color for) some interfacing and fun colors of thread, this is what I came up with!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Food Mood....spring is coming
I don't have a whole lot of super springy meals this week, but I am leaning away from comfort food and towards using more veggies and stuff again....and the grill!
#1 Porkchops with Mushroom Risotto
I seasoned the porkchops with salt and pepper, basil, parsley, red pepper and coriander. Its a nice herb blend that is just a hint of flavor. Grill on medium heat for approx 7-8 minutes per side for a 1" thick chop.
The link for the mushroom risotto is above.
I also just steamed some green beans.....and cooked some crescent rolls for Jeremy b/c he says he never gets any "real"(meaning gluten filled) foods! :)
#2 Lasagna Rollups
These can be made from a bunch of different recipes online and also can be prepared and frozen to be cooked another night. BONUS!
I just brown 1 lb ground beef in a skillet with 1/2 onion and 2 cloves garlic. Mix into bowl with 1 container ricotta cheese. Add in any spices....we like Italian seasoning and red pepper. You can also add 1/2 package frozen spinach drained to this for some health benefit. While the ground beef is cooking, boil water and cook lasagna noodles till they still have some bite. Then simply roll up your rolls, putting some of the beef/cheese mixture into each noodle and placing seam side down in a 9x13 pan. Pour marinara sauce over the top and cover with Italian cheeses. Bake until bubbly at 350. About 20 minutes.
#3 Spinach Meatloaf & Potatoes
This is based on a meatloaf I saw the other day on some HGTV show. They used turkey, feel free to do the same, but we have lots of ground beef b/c we bought 1/4 of a cow back in the fall. Its all grass fed and hormone free so I never feel bad about eating it. You don't even have to drain the meat after browning b/c its so lean!
Mix together 1 lb ground beef with 1 egg, 1/2 breadcrumbs (GF of course), Italian seasoning, and 1/4 cup marinara sauce. Spread mixture on parchment or aluminum foil on sheet pan. Take 1/2 pkg of frozen spinach and drain (squeeze to get all the moisture out) spread over the meat. Sprinkle 1-2 cups of mozzerella cheese over spinach. Roll meatloaf up and place seam side down on baking sheet. Brush more marinara sauce on top. Bake at 350 until cooked through. Serve with oven potatoes or mashed potatoes.
#4 Egg Foo Yung
this is a new recipe for me so if you make it, let me know how it turns out and how you like it.
#1 Porkchops with Mushroom Risotto
I seasoned the porkchops with salt and pepper, basil, parsley, red pepper and coriander. Its a nice herb blend that is just a hint of flavor. Grill on medium heat for approx 7-8 minutes per side for a 1" thick chop.
The link for the mushroom risotto is above.
I also just steamed some green beans.....and cooked some crescent rolls for Jeremy b/c he says he never gets any "real"(meaning gluten filled) foods! :)
#2 Lasagna Rollups
These can be made from a bunch of different recipes online and also can be prepared and frozen to be cooked another night. BONUS!
I just brown 1 lb ground beef in a skillet with 1/2 onion and 2 cloves garlic. Mix into bowl with 1 container ricotta cheese. Add in any spices....we like Italian seasoning and red pepper. You can also add 1/2 package frozen spinach drained to this for some health benefit. While the ground beef is cooking, boil water and cook lasagna noodles till they still have some bite. Then simply roll up your rolls, putting some of the beef/cheese mixture into each noodle and placing seam side down in a 9x13 pan. Pour marinara sauce over the top and cover with Italian cheeses. Bake until bubbly at 350. About 20 minutes.
#3 Spinach Meatloaf & Potatoes
This is based on a meatloaf I saw the other day on some HGTV show. They used turkey, feel free to do the same, but we have lots of ground beef b/c we bought 1/4 of a cow back in the fall. Its all grass fed and hormone free so I never feel bad about eating it. You don't even have to drain the meat after browning b/c its so lean!
Mix together 1 lb ground beef with 1 egg, 1/2 breadcrumbs (GF of course), Italian seasoning, and 1/4 cup marinara sauce. Spread mixture on parchment or aluminum foil on sheet pan. Take 1/2 pkg of frozen spinach and drain (squeeze to get all the moisture out) spread over the meat. Sprinkle 1-2 cups of mozzerella cheese over spinach. Roll meatloaf up and place seam side down on baking sheet. Brush more marinara sauce on top. Bake at 350 until cooked through. Serve with oven potatoes or mashed potatoes.
#4 Egg Foo Yung
this is a new recipe for me so if you make it, let me know how it turns out and how you like it.
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