Hanging Planters

I got two different gift certificates to Dandelion Acres for my birthday, $55!!! I was super excited to go down and spend money on something I really wanted. I wasn't sure what I was wanting, but realized that hanging planters for the living room was really going to help my living room become cohesive.
Mom and I spent a lot of time looking at the different styles of hanging planters, putting them side by side, and here is what we came up with!

This is planter number one.

This is planter number two.

This is the last planter.
I bought the different sizes with the plants that are in them in mind. Here is what they look like hanging together.

B-day Dinner at Moms

Tonight was my birthday dinner up at Mom's. It was fantastic! We had filet mignon on the grill with sauteed onions and mushrooms, baked potatoes and a killer salad. The meal was ended with angel food cake, strawberries, and vanilla ice cream.
Joe and Mel were there, and they got me this really neat watering can planter with cala lily bulbs! I cannot wait to get it planted and watch it grow. I love all types of lilys so it couldn't have been more perfect.
I got money from Lynda, which is always a hit, and a hilarious card!
The best came from Mom. There was a print titled Cape Cod Summer with a mermaid and an octopus entwined hanging on the wall at the cottage on the Cape that I have always loved.

My cousin Launi and I both wanted it, so it was decided to leave the print at the cottage. As much as we both wanted it, we knew to be fair, neither of us should have it. For the past 3 years I have been looking online trying to find the print; a couple of months ago I actually found it! It is done by Winnie Fitch, and while it is a poster, and not an original print, it is still amazing. My mom got it mounted on a board with a black border and I have it hanging in my living room as I type! I was super stoked. It evokes such memory and emotion for me.

Launi's birthday is coming up, and Mom had an identical one made for her! I can't wait until she gets it. It should be soon as Mom already mailed it to her.

Almond Butter

I much prefer almond butter to peanut butter, although both are wonderful. There is a company called Barney Butter that makes almond butter from almonds grown within 20 miles of their facility. They don't process other nuts, making them a safe almond butter for someone who might be allergic. I heard about them through EatLiveRun.com.
When I visited the site, I found that I could order a sample! This almond butter was creamy, smooth, and super tasty. I cannot wait to order some to have at home!

I am nearing the end of my fall semester, and while the work load is not heavy, I am feeling it weigh on me as I find myself wanting to be outside more.

Weekend

All week long I have felt like I have been left out of enjoying the sun, getting my hands dirty, and really enjoying spring. Not this weekend!
I got the car cleaned, inside and out, which felt so good since it hasn't been done since before winter. While I cleaned my car out, Jeremy helped Mary at the carwash and earned a few bucks which was nice.
Then, today, I got to play in the dirt. Mary decided to dig up an old garden that had been over run with weeds. There were some big nasty roots from trees that were sending out root babies, and it took a lot of shoveling and yanking to get them out, but when we did, she has a nice beginning to a new garden. She is hoping to fill it with lots of different vegetables, and a few flowers.
Oh yeah, and we spent several hours shooting guns. I was super excited about how accurate I was with both the 22 and the 30-30. I am really looking forward to taking Hunter Safety and being able to go hunting hopefully this coming fall.

Tomato Plants

I cannot wait to put them into the ground and watch them GROW!

Baby News!!!

With so much spring in the air, it is the perfect time to announce the new life that has crept into existence!

I can't wait to find out if it is a boy or a girl, although I am really pushing for a girl.

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WE HAVE A BABY CHICK! Mom has a chicken that has been sitting on a few eggs for a while now. At least one egg broke, 3 eggs either were never fertilized or got too cold when she got off the nest one day, but there was one little egg. One egg was fertilized, never got too cold, and was ready to meet the spring.
It's little cheep cheep cheeps were so cute, and while Mom was struggling with how to handle food and water, it was so busy exploring its little home. In the past, when chicks come through the mail, she always picked up the chicks and one by one dipped their beaks into the water and food. She wasn't sure if she should do that, if the chick would figure out how to eat and drink on its own. Moments later, after watching the mama chicken eat and drink, the little chick was drinking water and eating food. It was amazing to watch the chick learn to eat and drink without human help.

Plants

My plants are all starting to look so good. One of my trays of lettuce got too tried out, there was water in the bottom, just not enough. Other than that, I have mesclun mix looking vibrant and yummy. My roma tomatoes are starting to poke up, moved them to a more well lit spot. My heirlooms have been moved into the living room to get more natural light.
The peppers and eggplants have a little bit to go as they were started later than the tomato plants were.
I am getting so excited to be putting things into the ground, making use of what we do get, and knowing what works well and what doesnt.
Out of the tray of heirloom tomatos, only 2 seeds that I planted didn't grow!!!

I am going to try to take a picture with my phone when I get home, see how it turns out :-)

I have been trying to eat a healthier diet as of late, and my new FAVORITE snack has become Chobani greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey. It is creamy and yummy! I have also fallen back in love with the peanut butter and banana snack. The things that you grow up with, and forget about!

Dunkin Donuts

Ok, so I decided to look for free samples online. I found the best one ever :-)
FREE DUNKIN DONUTS!!!

I will never understand...

In Memory

Maddie

&

Thalon

Mucking

This weekend was spent house sitting at Mom and Lynda's while they went to the Cape. They had the dogs, so it was a matter of keeping the kitties and horses fed, and making sure the chickens got in each night.
Jeremy and I had planned to try to get the garden beds weeded and turned and ready for planting, along with a load or two of manure to each location. That got waylaid when we decided to muck out one of the horses run-ins. During the winter, Cupcake gets closed into the run-in because Iris bullies her away from her food. Between the snow and freezing, it is difficult to clean out daily, so in the spring, Mom mucks it out, laying lime, sand, and fresh sawdust.
Since the run-in was where we were taking the manure from, we decided to just keep going and muck out the entire space. It took us a little over 2 hours to clean out, lime, and sand. Mom said she would get sawdust when she got home to put down.
After hoeing out, before lime and sand.



Today, we were supposed to tackle the garden beds, but with the temperature in the 20's and SNOW, it has to wait for a bit warmer of a day.

We celebrated April birthdays yesterday at Dad's and had a great meal. Spent some time with Jeremy's sister and her kids, and didn't make it home (Mom's) to go to bed till midnight! It was a late night, and I am glad we stopped at Mom's before we went to his sisters to feed the animals.

Today was brunch with Jeremy's parents at The Steakhouse on the Barre-Montpelier Road in Barre. The food was ok, nothing great. Then we had an awesome Sunday drive home.

Beef Stroganoff

I finally made beef stroganoff. It was DELICIOUS! Keep in mind, this is my version of beef stroganoff, made how I like it.

I will have a few tweeks at the end that I plan on making next time!

I used my left over roast beef for this, although you could brown up beef or burger if you don't have left over roast beef or steak. Amounts are negotiable!

Beef Stroganoff
3 cups diced left over roast beef
1 16oz package sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion
2 large cloves of garlic
3 bouillon cubes
3 cups water
2 tbs flour
1 cup sour cream
1 lb egg noodles
1 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil

Boil water and cook egg noodles till al dente.

In sauce pan, melt butter and olive oil and add mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Saute till brown and soft, season with salt and pepper. Pull the mixture off of the stove and place into food processor and blend with one cup of hot water and bouillon cubes. Meanwhile, toss the beef with the flour and add to the pan to heat through. Add the pureed mixture to the beef, add 2 cups more water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add in the sour cream, and mix with the noodles. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve!

I puree the vegetables as I really like the flavor of mushrooms, but have not been able to get past the texture of them. If you dont want to puree, don't, won't hurt my feelings!

Next time I would omit the flour and use 1-1 1/2 cups less of water, and up the mushrooms and the onions and the garlic. I would also add fresh parsley at the end.

Enjoy!

Personality Tests

Thanks to Katy I took the Meyers-Briggs personality test again. After reading how she has grown and changed since then, and finding that her results were the same, I was intrigued as to how I have or have not changed.

In high school, I was an ENFP. ENFPs are initiators of change who are keenly perceptive of possibilities, and who energize and stimulate through their contagious enthusiasm. They prefer the start-up phase of a project or relationship, and are tireless in the pursuit of new-found interests. ENFPs are able to anticipate the needs of others and to offer them needed help and appreciation. They bring zest, joy, liveliness, and fun to all aspects of their lives. They are at their best in situations that are fluid and changing, and that allow them to express their creativity and use their charisma.

Today, when I took the test, I have changed. I am now an ESFP, which is only one letter difference, but a pretty substantial difference.

ESFPs are friendly, outgoing, fun loving and naturally drawn to people. They are quite enthusiastic and exuberant, and are usually well liked by others. They are good at meeting people and helping them enjoy themselves. They are sympathetic toward people and generous with their time and money. At their best, they are able to realistically meet human and situational needs in a fun and lively way.

Part of me is really surprised at the change, as the description of an ENFP seems to fit me really well. Part of me is not surprised as I seem to fit the ESFP description as well.

A Slow Day

After a slow day of doing nothing, I ended up not making dinner tonight! We ate at Jeremy's sisters so the beef stroganoff is going to have to wait until tomorrow.

Last night, or should I say early early this morning, I didn't hit they hay till almost 2am. Not something I should have done, but we got sucked into the show Intervention. It made for a rough morning, early afternoon, as I didn't get out of bed till about 12:15. I havent slept in like that in over a year and the last time I was SICK SICK SICK.

I have been left feeling overly lethargic with an unusually low lack of motiviation. I think I will be off to bed early tonight, so that I can get up and feel good to go to work tomorrow. I know how important sleep is to my health, but I had forgotten how important until today.

I have found a new favorite snack! A plain Chobani drizzled with honey. The thickness of greek yogurt is so much more satisfying than the thin oozy yogurts I grew up with. Greek yogurt also has a bit more tang to it which I find I enjoy more than the sickly sweet of light yogurts.

Leftover Dinner Mess

After last nights awesome roast beef dinner, I had to come up with something to do with the leftovers. I have plans for the roast beef, tomorrow night it will be turned into some sort of beef stroganoff!

Tonight I made a pasta dish with the left over broccolini and sweet potato.

The pasta water was put in, and in the meantime; I cut up and lightly sauteed the left over sweet potato, and set it aside. I had a chicken sausage in the fridge which I sliced up and put in the pan to warm up; I also tossed in some pepperoni for a little bit of spice.

The pasta went into the salted boiling water, and I started on the cream sauce. A little butter, a little olive oil, and some flour started off a roux. I added a bit of 2% milk, so it wasn't completely unhealthy, a generous amount of salt, pepper, and garlic and herb seasoning.

When the cream sauce got thick, I dumped the chopped broccolini in with the pasta to heat it through. After draining the pasta, I mixed everything together and was more than pleasantly surprised at how good the dish tasted.

I called it leftover dinner mess because it looked like a big mess in a bowl!

Roast Beef Dinner

Under the impression we might have company for dinner, I decided to make a roast beef for dinner. The days are back to being a bit cool (IT WAS SNOWING TODAY) and a nice hot meal was just what was needed. I served it up with baked sweet potato and steamed broccolini. (Company never came.)

The roast went into the oven at 325 for just over an hour and a half. It was a 4lb roast, so it was a little over 20 minutes a pound. While still tender and tasty, it ended up being a bit tougher and over cooked for my taste. I poked several holes into the roast, filling each one with a small clove of garlic; sprinkled the top with salt, pepper, and a dusting of flour. The flour mixes with the melted fat and creates a beautiful crust.

The sweet potatoes were rubbed down with olive oil and baked with the roast. Normally sweet potatoes take about an hour at 425, but since the temp was a bit lower, the longer time was necessary. Since they were so huge, Jeremy and I split one. The two leftovers will be used somehow for dinner tomorrow night. The broccolini was simply steamed, with plenty left over for dinner tomorrow night as well.

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On a different note, I spent several hours yesterday taking the hard drive out of my old computer and placing it in Jeremy's parent's computer and getting all of my photos and music off of it. That felt so good, as I was extremely scared I had lost all of those photos!

http://www.vt251.com/user/sirenical

Today I signed up for one of my summertime goals. Being a native Vermonter, I would like to be able to say I have visited every town in the state. Some of these towns I have already visited, but would like to take on the challenge of visiting all 251 this summer and documenting it through pictures.

If you would care to join me for a day, please let me know! I will be biking, hiking, driving, and walking depending on the day and location.

http://www.vt251.com/user/sirenical

Pizza Sauce

I made two homemade pizza sauces the other day. Both were delicious! I don't think I will ever make pizza with bought sauce again.

I had four tomatoes that were about to go bad and I knew I would never have the chance to eat them fast enough. So I cut each one in half and placed them in a greased pie plate cut side down. I wasn't sure what I would ultimately use the tomatoes for, so I kept the seasoning fairly simple. They were drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt and crushed time. After setting the oven to a low 250 degrees, I placed them in and let them slowly cook. After about 4 or 6 hours, I really don't remember how long, but when I pulled them out they had collapsed and looked like bright red cow pies. There were caramelized spots, and the smell was heavenly.
Once they cooled, I didn't know what I was going to use them for, so I threw them into the freezer.

To make the pizza sauce, I pulled the tomatoes from the freezer and let them thaw out. Once thawed, into the mini food processor they went along with several small garlic cloves and a pinch of salt. I thought about adding a little bit of fresh parsley, but decided against it. The sauce got spread over the crust and was perfect! It was a bit loose, but really infused the crust while baking. It could have been placed into a sauce pan and reduced a little bit to make it thicker if that is your preference, but I didn't want to wait.

We also made homemade pesto sauce! I had used store bought wilted basil to make a recipe the other day and it was only so so. Jeremy went shopping at GTG Hydroponics looking for fertilizer for our tomato plants, and they had herbs growing in AeroGardens to show how they work. He was able to bring home a beautiful, fragrant, bunch of fresh basil. The difference in color, texture, and smell was unbelievable. I will never make the mistake of buying basil in the store again.

Back to the pesto! The basil went into the mini food processor along with a handful or so of parmesean cheese, several cloves of garlic, and a glug of extra virgin olive oil. I forgot to add the salt and pine nuts, but it will still delicious.

My camera is finally getting fixed, so pictures will be coming soon!

Getting Ready for Spring

Spring is just around the corner and I am ready for it. I have some seeds started, anticipating the ground thawing out soon. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, along with lettuce that I am hoping I can harvest from inside.

Stitchi-n-Bitch

I have been knitting and crocheting up a storm.
I finally finished a scarf I started, it was really simple but I ran out and had to go buy a new skein to finish it.
The felted bag I am in the middle of making is knitted and just needs to be felted, so next time I am at Dad's I should be able to finish it!
I just started a Grannie Square afghan for myself in really pretty purples, green and taupe.
When I finally get my camera fixed I can start posting photos of things I am making.

Apples and Pork

For dinner the other night I made a really simple, comforting meal.
I started out by carmelizing some onions, mixing in some sliced apples, a bit of chopped garlic and salt and pepper. I then pushed it all to the side, added a bit more oil and browned up some pork steaks that I sprinkled with salt and pepper.
I also boiled up some diced potatoes that I mixed with butter and salt and pepper after they were drained. Some peas on the side, and it was so simple and so tasty!

Apple Sauce and Pie Filling

Today was supposed to be a rainy nasty day and it turned out to be beautiful, so I went apple picking with Bethany. Adams Apple Orchard in Williston was doing pick your own apples for a decent price. I got a whole bushel for $26 (a bushel is 40lbs) and spent the rest of the day making apple sauce and apple pie filling. It was great, my mom came up to help and brought some stuff that I didn't have to make it easier.
At the end of the day, I came away with 11 quarts of homemade apple sauce, and 7 quarts of pie filling. I can't wait to do it next year, and to make some fruit jams and perhaps some pickles and relish!

Felted Bag - Finally Finished

Ok, so the bag I started back in March for a birthday present for Katy, whose birthday is in April, is finally finished! It has taken me a long time from start to finish, although there was a lot of time in there that I wasn't actually working on it.

I was originally going to add a liner to the bag, but after three attempts at making the liner, each time making some sort of large error, I gave up and decided to finish the bag!

Happy Birthday Katy! :-)

Turkish Beef Stew

Ok, so I forgot to take a picture of what I made yet again! I really need to remember that part.

For dinner last night I made a version of Rachael Ray's Turkish Beef Stew.

This is the recipe as it reads on her site.

3 1/3 TBS butter
1.5 lbs stew beef
1 cup canned chopped tomatoes with juice
1 cup beef broth
1 TBS white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
salt
pepper
1/2 lb wide egg noodles
1/4 cup chopped parsley

1. In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat, add half of the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate. Repeat with another tablespoon butter and the remaining beef. Set aside.
2. Stir the tomatoes and beef broth into the saucepan, reduce the heat to low and stir, scraping up any browned bits. Add the reserved beef, the vinegar, cinnamon, cloves and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; bring to a simmer over low heat. Cover and cook until the meat is fork-tender, about 1 hour.
3. About 10 minutes before the stew is ready, cook the egg noodles according to the package directions. Toss with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir the parsley into the stew and serve with the noodles.

The changes I made were substituting a can of crushed tomatoes for the diced, and completely taking out the beef broth, instead using a bouillon cube. It made for a thicker, heartier sauce.

All in all, with having the spices at home already, it only cost me a whopping $3.87 to buy the stew beef, the noodles, and the crushed tomatoes. I took advantage of beef that was going out of date the next day so it had a discounted coupon on it! Great way to save a bit of money if you know you will be using the meat that night or freezing immediately.

Womens Beginner Mountain Bike Clinic

When I started biking last summer, I spent a lot of time riding on roads with my friend Bethany. Towards the end of summer, we decided to take a shot at mountain biking. The weather was perfect! Rainy drizzle, wet and muddy trails, it couldn't have been a better way to get introduced to mountain biking. After breezing up the 90 degree hill, the roots and rocks were a snap, the turns a bit curvy. You sensed my sarcasm right? I had to walk up the hill, had to stop and climb off the bike to get over some of the rocks, and on one sensational curve, went ass over tea kettle. In the process of falling, my calf took my saddle and turned it sideways. I had to hobble out of the woods, had trouble walking for a few days, and a contusion that lasted the rest of summer into the fall.
Last week, a week ago today actually, I participated in a womens specific mountain bike clinic with the Bellaship at Catamount Family Center. It was the hardest two hours of my life! Ok, so that is an exaggeration, but my muscles got quite the workout. This getting back on the horse experience was the best one yet. I rode in the woods, I rode over rocks and roots, I learned how to approach and lift over a larger rock or a small log in the way. Speed became my friend, brakes my enemy, and that looking where I wanted to go applies to everything I seem to enjoy doing.
I cannot wait for another clinic, and another mountain ride!

Sausage Biscuits and Gravy

I am still on the Cape and made sausage grave and biscuits for breakfast. This is a meal that is so satisfying, so warming, so UNHEALTHY, and should only truly be indulged once or twice a year. Of course, Jeremy loved it and wants me to make it again sooner rather than later.

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

Jiffy Mix
Milk

Follow recipe on box :-)

1lb bulk breakfast sausage (I used McKenzie)
4-6 TBS flour
1 quart half and half
salt
pepper

Brown and crumble sausage in skillet, when cooked scoop with slotted spoon and set sausage aside. Add flour to the pan and whisk to form a loose paste or roux. When a nice light brown color is achieved whisk in the half and half and cook for a few minutes till it thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste, I do recommend a fair amount of each though. Mix in the reserved sausage and spoon over biscuits and enjoy!

Deuces Wild Chili

I am at the cottage on the Cape, enjoying some rest and relaxation. With the cool weather, its the perfect time to make chili. It is one of Jeremy's favorite meals.

I was originally planning on making a small batch of chili, just enough for one meal and a serving or two of leftovers. That plan went right out the window when I started shopping! I made enough to serve a small army, or a large family.

Deuces Wild Chili
2 lbs ground beef
2 onions - minced
2 red peppers (or color of choice) - minced
2 cloves of garlic - minced
2 6oz cans of tomato paste
2 23oz cans of crushed tomatoes
2 14.5oz cans of diced tomatoes
2 14.5oz cans of whole tomatoes
2 14.5oz cans of kidney beans
2 14.5oz cans of black beans
2-Alarm Chili Kit
1-2 tsp black pepper (to taste)
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
2 tsp garlic powder
olive oil

Sweat onions, peppers, and garlic in olive oil till soft. Add ground beef and brown. Mix in tomato paste, 2 alarm chili kit, garlic powder. Stir in crushed, diced, and whole tomatoes, and beans. Bring up to a simmer, lower the heat and simmer at least 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

*** Sometimes I like to add 2 diced carrots as well!!!

Final Project

Graveyards have always drawn me in. I can spend hours wandering through them exploring. For this final project, I decided I wanted to show them for what the stones can be: art. I chose a day with blue sky, but some overcast shadows so there wasn’t a lot of glare. My favorite technique for this shoot was from the hip, and while that meant using automatic features, I was able to get some angles and points of view that I might not have gotten otherwise as I tend to over think my shots.

I wanted to keep the lighting as natural as possible, but used the shutter speed to help blur the background a bit. Editing was simple, I used curves to help balance out the light and dark, and saturation when I wanted the image in black and white.

Barbara Kruger - Homage

Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1945, Barbara Kruger is considered a conceptual artist. Her use of photographs and existing images with bold aggressive statements is the trademark of her work. This is seen with black and white images with the statements written in red, or white on red bases. Working as a graphic designer, art director, and picture editor rounded out her career. Her work questions her audience on ideas of “feminism, classicism, consumerism, and individual autonomy and desire” (http://www.barbarakruger.com/biography.shtml).

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My favorite shot in the series.
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Journal 5 - Documentary Day by Day

With the idea of taking a photo each day, and telling some sort of story, I decided to take pictures of what I put on my feet each day.

Wednesday - Hanging out at home
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Thursday - Out to dinner with Jeremy
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Friday - Bookclub
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Saturday - Dancing with the girls
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Sunday - Couch to 5k Run
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Monday - Work
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Tuesday - Work Again

Journal 6 - Cross-Processing: Color to Evoke Emotion

I started playing around in Photoshop and wondered if there was a way to make photos look like old school postcards. I found a tutorial online for cross-processing and here is the before, the after, and the post card.

I love the feeling of nostalgia that is created with the cross-processing of the images.

Original
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After
***Postcard
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Exercise 6 - Combining Images

These images were created by taking 3 different shots to create a single image.

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New Tat

I have always had a love for mermaids. My first mermaid tattoo was done on my foot, this one as you can see is on my shoulder.
This one is an Olivia de Berardinis of Bettie Page.
Patsy at Fast Lane Tattoo laid the ink in 4 hours, I highly recommend him to anyone looking to get an amazing tattoo.

Exercise 5 - Playing with Layers

Corned Beef and Cabbage

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I made corned beef and cabbage for dinner. Turns out, Jeremy doesn't like corned beef and cabbage, but was willing to try mine anyway. I love it, so there was just more for me. Good thing I bought the smallest piece I could find!

Corned Beef and Cabbage
1.5 lbs corned beef trimmed of as much fat as possible
1 TBS peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 small or 1/2 large head of cabbage - quartered
3 carrots - cut into large pieces
1 onion - quartered
3 cloves garlic - popped with knife

Place corned beef in pot with peppercorns, garlic, and bay leaf. Fill with enough water to cover meat, place lid on and simmer for roughly 2 hours.
Add onions and carrots and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
Add cabbage and simmer for another 15 minutes or until cabbage is done to your liking.

Use slotted spoon to remove meat and veggies. Serve with mashed potatoes.

While this is not a meal I would want to eat all the time, once or twice a year it is as comforting a meal as they come.