My Thanksgiving Weekend

It turns out that a friend of mine from HS, Hraefn, lives in SLC...has for years and never knew it.  He is in business with a amazingly talented gal, Jennifer McGrew, owner of McGrew Studios.  (Okay, they are both amazingly talented.)  Jennifer made the elf costumes for the downtown alliance this year and Hraefn asked if I might be able to help in the finishing touches.  (I really did very little, but I'll take credit whenever I can.)  I mainly just stitched the leather cuffs so they'd stay in place.  Jennifer came up with the design AND did the darling shoes!  If you are ever downtown, go to Pierpont Ave. and stop by her shop.  You'll love it!

Look at Me!

I have to show off my new outfit.  I feel so stylin' I can't even stand it!  It was just the thing to wear to the Utah Short Film Festival at the U a few weeks ago.  (By the way, you should check some of them out.  I voted for "Cops and Robbers" - http://filmstudiospa.com/2011/11/08/cops-robbers-film-festival-update/  and "Nuit Blanche", which I've posted here ~watch it on full screen for the best effect.)  The evening was so enjoyable and felt fabulous in my lah-de-dah fashion!

Here's a Smile for You

I know this is a few months old, but I just love it.  It makes me want to twirl alone or with those I love.  Check it out and go twirl today.  You'll feel better for it.

I made a Hat

As some of you know, my friend Emily puts on a fabulous Witches' Tea Party every year.  It is something I look forward to, and once summer comes around I start thinking of my costume.  This year I wanted to do a non-traditional hat.  I researched photos on the web and finally knew what I wanted.  With the help of my sister Jennifer, I got my posterboard, purchased THE last black rose in the state and with much trepidation set out to make the perfect hat.  Well, it is by no means perfect, but I love how it came out.

Whajathink?  I know; I know ~ I'm so la-de-da you can't stand it! ;-)

Then I made a Cape

Okay, now that I had the perfect hat I decided I MUST have the perfect cape to go with it.  Actually, I had started making a cape for last year's costume and ran out of time.  So, in September I pull out my supplies from last year and got started, and what do you know......I didn't buy enough of the absolutely amazing fabric I wanted to line the cape with.  I went back to the store and of course they no longer carry this fabric.  Well, it was just too divine to toss, nothing even came close to its diviness, so I "made it work" (to quote Tim from Project Runway).  The cape is totally reversible and even without my fancy-smancy hat, the hood is fun to wear and makes me oh so mysterioso.  
So here I am in all my glory off to Emily's fabulous party.  She out does herself every year and I had a wonderful time.  (I've included a photo of my spooky cupcakes that I brought.)

Knife Knowledge

For my birthday my mom gave me another cooking class. I decided to learn the proper way to weld a knife. Let me tell you, there are WAY too many things to think about: curve your fingers, rock the knife back and forth, stay in the center two inches...oh, and don't cut your finger off. As you can tell from the lady next to me, I was the star pupil. I learned some great techniques and didn't cut myself once! I call that success.

My New Shoes

For my birthday Paul and my in-laws gave me these tres fab shoes. Totally LOVE them! Everyone wants to be me now. If you want shoes like these, you can go to zazzle.com and choose from a plethora of artists. These shoes are by Jasmine Beckett-Griffith, or "strangeling" as she calls herself. You find an artist you like and then choose from their selection of artwork and then you get to design your own shoe: you choose the color of the material, laces, thread, soles, and more. It is soooo cool!

Problems Commenting

I know some of my vast followers are having a dificult time commenting on my blog. I am having the same problem with many blogs that I follow. I have tried changing formats but nothing seems to work. What I have to do to post a comment is make certain that when I sign in I UNCLICK the "stay signed in" box. I am usually able to go back and post under my login. Otherwise I have to be "annonymous". I hope to have this worked out soon, but in the meantime I hope that helps if anyone has been trying to comment on my few and far between posts.

Speed of Light

As most of you know, Sunday night we had some fabulous lightning and thunder! I LOVE storms! I decided to take a photo of the fabulousness. I grabbed my camera and tri-pod and headed out the door. My umbrella turned inside out after the first step, which caused me to get a fit of the giggles. I must have been quite a sight, standing in my jammies, in the dark, getting soaked, while taking pictures of a dark grey sky.

I had a glorious time snip-snapping away. After about 30 shots, my batteries went dead. I went inside to see my wonderous photos and this is the only thing I got on the very last shot.....

Chicken Pot Pie

Last week Paul and I went to Faustina, a restaurant downtown.  We had this yummy appetizer that was a delicious chicken gravy in a round puff pastry, with whipped potatoes next to it ~ their version of a chicken pot pie.  I liked it so much that I made a simpler recipe here at home this week and thought I'd share it with you.  To make it fancy, I piped the potatoes out of a decorators tube, but you don't have to.  Adding a creative touch makes me like cooking more and give the family something to smile about, but it all tastes the same.
Anyway, enjoy!
(This takes 1 hour from start to plating.)

Deconstructed Chicken Pot Pie
1 package of puff pastry shells
    (not the little cups)
2 chicken breasts, cut into sm. pieces
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 cup frozen peas
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
3 mushrooms, diced
3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. white wine
2 tsp. salt (divided)
pepper to taste
5 Tbsp. butter (divided)
5 potatoes
2 Tbsp. cream cheese (optional)
2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
sprig of rosemary (optional)
1 bay leaf (optional)
*In this recipe, you will use the same liquid many times to enhance flavor, so don't discard the water until the end.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees or temp. recommend on pastry pkg.
1.  Dice chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions, and mushrooms into small pieces.  Place carrots, onions, 1 garlic and bay leaf into med. sauce pan.  Boil in 3 cups water about 5 minutes.
2.  While veggies are boiling, saute diced mushroom with 2 Tbsp.  butter in a skillet for 3 minutes.  Add balsamic vinegar and white wine and saute another 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and scrape all ingredients into a small bowl to be used later.
3.  Remove veggies from heat and strain liquid into a bowl.  Reserve liquid!!  Place veggies into a bowl to be used later.  Discard bay leaf.
4.  Place puff pastry shell disks in the oven as directed.
5.  Reheat liquid from veggies, adding enough water to boil the diced potatoes.  When water is boiling, add potatoes and 3 chicken bouillon cubes and sprig of fresh rosemary.  Boil until tender, about 12 minutes.  Remove sprig of rosemary about half-way through, unless you want pieces of rosemary in your potatoes, which is fine.
6.  Heat oil in the same skillet and add diced chicken.  Saute about 3 minutes over high heat.  Reduce heat to med. high and add the second diced garlic and 1 tsp. of salt.  Saute another 2 to 3 minutes.  Add pepper and peas and stir. 
7.  Reduce heat to medium.  To the skillet pan, now add 2/3 can of soup (you can use all; I don't because I like less sauce) and milk.  Stir.  Add reserved veggies and mushrooms.  Stir well about 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and cover. 
8.  When potatoes are done, add 1/2 cup of the liquid to the chicken mixture and stir and cover.  Now strain the potatoes, discarding the liquid. 
9.  Place potatoes in a mixing bowl (I actually just return them to the saucepan).  Add 3 Tbsp. butter, 1tsp. salt, and cream cheese to potatoes and mix with a mixer or potato masher until well blended.
10.  Remove pastry from oven.
11.  To plate:  Scoop or pipe potatoes onto corner of plate.  Place puff pastry next to it.  Spoon chicken gravy last.  Wha-la!  La-de-dah Chicken Pot Pie!!

New Blog

I have met sooo many people here in Utah that have never really taken time to discover the wonders of Salt Lake City.  So, I have created a blog to share my finds with the world!  It is called: Salt Lake City Gems .  I encourage everyone to explore the cities around them, if not SLC than your own home gem.

Fair Fiona

I walked into the kitchen tonight to see our dog Sophie with her nose pushed up against the screen door. This is what was looking back at her. It seems our neighbors got a new pet ferret, Fiona. I must admit that ferrets freak me out ever since an albino ferret crawled up my bed, under the covers, on my first night at a new home on my mission. I felt something moving and then a big rat-like animal popped its head out right at my nose. I screamed, grabbed it, and threw it across the room. I only felt slightly sorry. It had no business in my bed. It wasn't hurt, which was good, but it never visited my bed again. But to this day ferrets and I have an arm-lengths relationship.

My Little Boy Graduated

Sniff, sniff. Matthew is officially done with high school and is getting ready for college. Where did all the time go? I was putting together a photo book for him and got all teary eyed looking through the pictures of him as a little boy. Someone once said you never look back and think "I spent too much time with my kids". That person is right. But at least I can cherish the memories and be proud of a great son.

Blogger is a booger

I have been having problems posting blogs and commenting on other's blogs for over a month now. Sorry if you haven't been able to leave comments, etc. You can only by choosing "annonymous" and then it's still a bit tricky. I hope this is resolved soon.

U2 360

Tuesday night Paul and I went with my sister Patricia and her husband Justin to the U2 360 tour. It was fabulous! Even if you aren't big fans of U2's music, no one can deny they know how to put on a show. Patricia brought her two oldest boys with her. My older children chose not to come, but I think they would have loved the experience. The stage is unlike no other. We ended up in the inner circle, just a few feet from the stage and with the outer stage behind us. What a view! I got some great photos and danced the night away! Thanks U2, and Patricia and Justin!

So Toxic

The Airborne Toxic Event has a new album out (came out a few weeks ago). It is superb! I especially like "Strange Girl" and "Changing".

Check it out and feel happy.

Undies or no Undies....That is the Question

Joseph and Jensen have started outdoor soccer. It is Jensen's first time to play any sport. He was getting his soccer clothes on a few days ago and started yelling for me. "Mom! Mom!" "What do you need Jensen?!" "Should I wear my underwear or not when I play soccer?" he yelled down to me. I started laughing, I could barely reply. "Mom! Should I take off my underwear?!" I finally managed, "Of course you should wear your underwear! even when you play soccer." Cracked...me...up! Last week he put his new undies over his old ones and wore two pairs to school. He's got some undie issues. =)

Copycat Kneaders La-de-da Cupcakes

I had this cupcake (a lemon raspberry cupcake) at Kneaders. I loved it so much, I decided to come up with my own version. They are better at Kneaders, but more pricey too (at least at the dozen level). So here you go if you would like a tasty treat to tantilize and impress your friends and family. (If you want to know how they were originally conceived, go to: http://scottandkersten.blogspot.com/ and read how the pastry chef herself created this fabulous cupcake!)

Ingredients:
1 French Vanilla or White cupcake mix
1 Tube of Raspberry Filling from Harmon's Bakery*
1 pkg. Guittard white chocolate chips
(Guittard is the BEST for melting)
1 pkg. vanilla candy coating
1 16oz container Duncan Hines Whipped Frosting
Cream Cheese Flavor
1 8 oz Extra Creamy whipped topping
Raspberries (optional)
Raspberry flavoring (optional)
Lemon flavoring (optional)

Directions:
Make cupcakes as directed on the package. When they are cooled, remove cupcake wrappers. (I tried when they were still hot and it failed miserably.) With the big end of a chopstick or something similar, poke a hole on the top of the center of each cupcake. Try not to go all the way through and slightly move the stick around to hold enough filling. Pipe filling into each cupcake hole using a frosting bag or piping instrument (I call them thingies because I don't know the proper name, but don't tell anyone.) In a glass bowl, add 1/2 cup white chocolate chips and two sections of candy coating (chopped). Heat at 12 second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each interval to avoid burning. It shouldn't take more than 30-40 seconds; it melts FAST. (You will need to melt more chocolate, but it's best to do this in small batches because the chocolate hardens quickly.) Dip each cupcake into melted chocolate and turn upside down on cookie sheet to cool. Repeat until desired number of cupcakes are made. When they have cooled (about 20 minutes) turn over again and place in a new cupcake wrapper.

Now for the frills and thrills: Place half of the frosting in a bowl. If desired, add 1 tsp raspberry flavoring OR 1/2 tsp. raspberry flavoring and 1/2 tsp. lemon flavoring, into the frosting and mix in. Then you can add 7 or 8 drops of red food coloring and 5 drops blue food coloring (more or less) into the frosting for brilliant color. Now mix in half of the whipped topping and stir until well blended. Place in decorating bag and top each cupcake in a creative fun way. Then top with raspberry for a truly la-de-da extravaganza!

*The raspberry filling comes in a large plastic tube. I only used 1/3 of a bag on 48 cupcakes. It costs $8. You could go in on one bag with several ladies or store the rest for later use. Any nice grocery store bakery should carry this for their doughnuts and should sell it to you if you ask.

Number Of Servings:24 cupcakes

Yep, You Guessed it

I don't think many read my last post, but it was an April Fool's joke. Actually everything was true except the broken ankle part. It was my second time skiing; I did fall down 3 times; and I suck; but I didn't break my ankle. My knees hurt for 3 days and my calves are still sore, but the ankle is fine. lol Anyways, sorry for being a stinker and April Fools!

I'm really 73

Here we are smiling at the top of the mountain, oblivious to the pain ahead. Ignorance is bliss.

Wednesday Joseph and I went skiing one last time this season. It was my second time this year and third time since I was 16. Needless to say, I pretty much suck. I went down a green three times and discovered I'm MUCH older than the calendar says. For awhile I thought I was getting it down. But pride comes before the fall they say, and that's exactly what happened. I was going to fast, caught an edge and took a fall. I landed wrong on my ankle and snippety snap, I broke it. Thanks to nice medics, I got patched up and should recover in 3 to 4 weeks. I think I'll stick to the bunny/baby slopes.

Skintastic!

This is an odd little post, but I've been thinking about how fabulous our skin is!

It's the largest organ in the body.

If you get a little sliver, the skin can absorb it.

If you get a big sliver, the skin produces fluid around the foreign body and forces it to the top of the skin to be removed.

It constantly regenerates itself. (On average the top surface renews every month!)

It can bond together after even severe lacerations!

It can register temperatures and even emotions.

It's a great protector.

And on and on....

Instead of worrying about the color and the wrinkles on our skin, I think we should just joy in how miraculous it is!

Flashback Friday

I thought I might do a few of these from now on. Today I heard "Bennie and the Jets" from Elton John. It took me back to 1976. I was living in Lincoln, Nebraska and was about to start 3rd grade. We lived in a duplex. I heard it during a movie on tv and it became my favorite song that year. I've loved it ever since. My friend Lori had a 45 record player and she had a record of her favorite song "Philedelphia Freedom". We would listen to it over and over as we dressed up our Barbie dolls. These songs take me back to a happy, simple time and the songs are classic.
.

Best Present Ever!

In our family we drawn names for Christmas. This year my sister Jennifer got my name and brought my gift with her when she came from Florida last week for a visit. TOTALLY LOVE IT! It's perfect for me. My very own CHEF'S JACKET!! It has "Chef Teresa" on it and everything! The one problem is I love it so much I don't want to risk soiling it. Here I am in my "Iron Chef" pose...such a pro I can't stand it!

We Have a Winner!

The answer to "What is it?" is..........A Lamp Post! Angie is the winner! Way to go Angie. I loved reading your logic and deduction. I wondered if anyone would pay attention to the ice patterns. I tried to give clues in the photo to help everyone. I just loved how the snow stuck to only one side of the post and how you could see the crystals. It just struck me as beautiful. I'll be posting your prize this week. Enjoy! And thank you to everyone who took a shot at a guess.

(Here is another photo with a different perspective that will probably let you see exactly what it was.)

What is it?

Like all of you, I woke up to a winter wonderland! As I was shoveling, I saw a simple, fascinating site and had to snap a shot. I have a $10 See's gift card for the first one to identify the item in this photo. If no one gets it right, the prize will go to the closest guess. Good luck and Stay Warm!

4+ Years and a Million Cramps Later....

Once upon a time, a little girl sweetly asked her mother to crochet a blanket for her. Not just any blanket, but one that would cover her double bed. The mother, not being able to resist the innocent blinking eyes and angel smile, lovingly agreed. She took her daughter's hand and together they skipped to the store to choose the yarn and brilliant colors. Little did the mom know, but the soft, crinkly, adorable yarn the girl chose was really a devil's web in disguise, just waiting to tangle and be downright stubborn...but for now all was peace and joy and the bells rang out the happiness of the moment....

Flash, or should I say crawl, forward almost 5 years and the blanket is FINALLY finished!!! It's about 6 feet by 4.5 feet. My hands are crippled and the air is still heavy with all my cussing and curmudgeonness, but it is done! Okay, so it took so long mostly because of my procrastination, but I really do HATE that yarn! Never again! Plus, it took almost an hour per line...urgh.... But, as is the case with me in most things, I still feel great pride and accomplishment when I look at the blanket and love to show it off, so here it is in all it's glory! Yes, you may post your praise. ;-)

Katie Melua

Katie Melua is the hottest solo female artist in Europe/England right now. She was born in Georgia (formally part of Russia) and then moved to England as a child. I have heard a few of her songs and enjoy her thoughtful, mellow qualities. You're probably familiar with her version of "Just like Heaven" from the movie with the same name.) Recently I rediscovered her. Here is one of her songs from her latest album. Katie's videos are fascinating! You should also go to www.youtube.com and check out "Nine Million Bicycles"...amazing videotography. Enjoy!

Exquisite

When I arrived at my painting class at the Bountiful Arts Center last week, I saw this paining in the sky...done by a true Master.

My Landscape

In my painting class last week we did landscapes. Here's my first attempt. A class is definitely the way to go.

A Valentine Entre'e

As many of you know, I love the show Top Chef. A few weeks ago Richard Blais made a delicious fish dish that many of you may like. I made it yesterday, and even the kids liked it (well, not the younger one, but he has a fever, so it doesn't count). Nadine didn't think she'd like it, but was surprised when she did. It's relatively healthy and uses items that may be new for you. I'm including a revised recipe because some of what Richard uses isn't practical for the home chef. Also, you can make this without the sauce and it will taste just fine, but I recommend it if you can ~ it makes a nice little extra touch. From prep time to plating, this dish takes 1 1/2 hours to make. Bon Appetite!

Chicken Fried Codfish with Brussel Kraut
Serves 4 adults or 6 in a family
Sauce:
1-2 inch piece of fresh ginger
1 12 oz. bottle of ginger beer
1/3 cup honey
1 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup beef broth
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
1 red chili pepper
1 tsp. corn starch
Method:
Get this simmering right away. The longer the better. Peel and slice ginger. Cut top off chili pepper. In the cup of chicken broth, add the corn starch and whisk until clearly blended. In med. sauce pan add all the ingredients and heat over med.-high, stirring occasionally. When the rest of the dish is ready, strain sauce through a sieve before drizzling around each plate. You can save this in the refrigerator in tightly sealed bowl for up to 2 weeks.

Fish:
1 lb. codfish fillets
3 eggs, whipped w/ fork
1 cup flour
1 tsp. hot sauce (optional)
1 cup Panko
2 Tbsp. Parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
2 cup cannola oil for frying
Method:
Cut fillets into equal pieces (4-6). Place eggs, flour, and panko in three shallow dishes. Divide salt between eggs and flour and mix. Add pepper to flour and blend in. Add hot sauce to eggs and whip. Mix parsley into panko. Dredge fish first in flour, then egg, then Panko crumbs. (Panko can be found near the bread crumbs in most stores. I got it at Reams for $1.59 a box. It's Japanese coarse bread crumbs.) After the fish is coated, set aside until the Kraut is made. When ready to fry, heat oil in large frying pan over med. high heat. When oil is hot, place fillets in oil and fry each side for 2 minutes, or until lightly brown. This goes fast so, stay close. Turn with metal tongs (I use my salad tongs.) When fish is cooked, place on a paper towel covered plate. (The fish will continue to cook after removing from heat.)

Brussel Kraut:
4 oz. uncooked bacon, small dice,
about 4 slices
5-6 brussel sprouts, shredded
1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. powdered ginger
juice from 1/2 lime
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
1 potato, peeled, small dice
1 med. tomato, small dice
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
In frying pan, on med. high heat, cook bacon, ginger and potato, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add shredded brussel sprouts, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Finish with tomato, herbs, lime and butter. Stir to mix well, about another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cover until time to serve. When kraut is done, start the fish.
To plate: place a spoonful of kraut on plate, top with fish, drizzle sauce around the plate. Enjoy!

Humans vs. Technology....Technology Wins

I've noticed lately that Paul increasingly sounds like a facebook post......uh oh..... I think I'm starting to speak more and more like a blog post....um......I better go...I gotta call a communication therapist...........oh dear....the therapist just TEXTED an available appointment time.....I think we're doomed!

Christmas Present

Santa was very generous to me this year. I got just about everything a gal could want for watercolor painting. Because I like to please all my adoring fans (wink, wink) I'm sharing with you all the first painting I have done with my presents. It's a small little thing, and let me tell you that the photo is better than the painting itself, but I've checked out all the how-to books from the library and so expect perfection in no time. =) Enjoy!

Shining Star

One of my favorite movies is "Stardust". The heroine is a star come to earth. She saves the day when she hugs her hero and does what a star does: "Shine". I've been thinking quite a lot lately of how much joy I feel when I see others shine, as well as the thrill I get when I shine myself. My son Jensen was star for the week. He was so happy. I think we should be stars for a lifetime!
Have you noticed how often the world can dampen our light, or make us feel uncomfortable doing our best and enjoying the best of others. It's not pride; it's uplifting! One great thing about this is that we can shine even when we aren't very good at something, but we still revel in it. Sharing in our joys is one of the best ways to make friends as well ~ honestly loving what makes another person shine. I've made many dear friends by sharing the same passion for an activity or delighting in the same thing.

As an example: When flying home from Florida, I met an incredible man named John. I told him I loved gardening. He smiled and said he did too...then shared that he enjoyed it so much he became a horticulturist. Instant connection! He is the head Gardener for Martha Stewart of all things! We continued talking and I revealed that another passion of mine is gourmet cooking. And what do you know...he used to be a chef! He owned his own business and was a chef at the Ritz in Paris! Amazing! It was one of the most delightful flights I have ever had. I may never see John again, but our shared loves has made him a true friend that I will never forget.

Even when we don't enjoy the same things, I find such joy in watching a person truly shine in what they love. I may not relate to the activity, but I can totally relate to the experience of feeling real happiness doing something I love.
Stars aren't just in the sky or in Hollywood. They are in all of us. And one of the best ways to live a life is to put effort into all we do and shine at it; and then support others as they do the same. Here's to a bright 2011!

It's fun to Deviate

My niece, Aurelia, told me about this cool web site years ago, but I have just now started to really check it out. There are some talented people in this world, that's for sure. This web site allows artists to showcase and even sell their artwork. Some people are well-known and others are beginners. Anyone can post their work here, even Aurelia has joined. So if you want a fun trip into an artist world, go to: www.deviantart.com and have fun exploring. (A few artists you may want to check out: Elena Dudina @ elenadudina.deviantart.com and Anne Stokes @ ironshod.deviantart.com )