Another Challenge-ING Week

I'm back to my old ways... posting at the last possible moment! I guess I'm just happy I had a chance to participate in the Diva's Weekly Challenge again! YAY! This is Challenge #184 : ING. The funny thING is I just posted a photo I drew of ING last week along with the UMT Challenge. I briefly considered being v-e-r-y lazy and reposting it since I knew I had a busy week... but. that. would. be. cheating. and. that. would. not. be. good. I wanted to experiment  with the pattern a little more than I have, so it was fun to fashion it into a frame with a combination of large and small zig zags. I enjoyed filling it with a variety of tangles; paradox, crescent moon, and some tripoli inspired fillers. It seemed appropriate to call this one "Frame-ING."

Diva's Weekly Challenge #184 : "Frame-ING"

Cami and I taught a Beyond the Basics String Theory Class this week. I had so much fun trying to figure out what my special gift would be to the students attending this class... I considered many, many options... and then one day I was sitting outside admiring my collection of beach rocks that I keep in a basket... that's when I knew what I would do! I selected a variety, washed them well, painted on a sealer, and then I watched the bijou video again! I took notes of all the bijou-isms that appeared. So now... my continuing students (intro class students receive a name place card-click here for post) will have the opportunity to collect a new tangled rock with bijou-ism at each class they attend! Here is a sampling...

Bijou-isms : Student Gifts

This week's class was very small, but AWESOME! We LOVE our students! The kindest, most inspiring women! Here are a couple photos of class mosaics and art that they completed...

Gorgeous, aren't they?!

This is the Zentangle® Class Postcard I posted earlier this month at the yoga studio. I made a little business card holder that is next to it. 

Okay... the best for last... Here are the cookies I baked for class this week... (by the way... feel free to take one, but one MUST be saved for the Duchess... I promised her last week...) 

Yummmmmyyyy...

These are the super, delicious Peanut Butter S'more Cookies! Thanks for stopping by... enjoy the cookies! These are best with a nice, cold, glass of milk. There's plenty of delicious milk in the fridge... help yourself!

I DEFINITELY want S'more...

Today has been a little gloomy and cloudy… It's the type of day to bake up a new cookie recipe. I looked through my list of "to try" and knew this would be the one for just this day! It's a Peanut Butter S'more Cookie!!! I don't know if there could be anything better (at least not right now at THIS moment!)! I decided to make them for my family self. Just kidding… I did share! (…not that I wanted too…) Cami definitely wanted S'more too! These cookies are so good they have made the holiday cookie plate rotation for this year… Yummmm…

S'more Cookies

(recipe from Cuisine at home)

Be sure to let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet, otherwise the weight of the marshmallows may cause them to sink through the wire rack gaps.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Total time: 25 minutes + baking

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup fine graham cracker crumbs

1/2 teaspoon EACH baking soda and kosher salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened (8 Tbsp.)

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup EACH granulated sugar and packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

24 large marshmallows, halved horizontally

48 Hershey's chocolate bar pieces (4 bars)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
3. Cream butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until incorporated. Blend in flour mixture on low speed just until incorporated. 
4. Scoop dough with #60 scoop (about 1 Tbsp.) onto ungreased baking sheets.
5. Bake cookies 4 minutes. Top each with a marshmallow half and bake until golden, 4-5 minutes more. Let cookies rest on baking sheet a few minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. Press chocolate pieces on top of cookies and let cool 5 minutes more. 

Easy print here!

These cookies were super quick and fun to make! We won't even discuss the how delicious part again… You'll start drooling, you'll get the drool on your keyboard or iPad… Not good… Just go make them!

Leave me a note… Let me know if they were a hit in your home or if you plan on giving them a try!

Day 44 : 02-13-12

Day 44 : 02-13-12, a photo by ha! designs on Flickr.

There's nothing like the smell of baking bread... I love how the aroma fills the house! Tomorrow I'll post an entry with the recipe. {Posted! Click here for link!}

It was a baking day today. I also made individual Oreo Cheesecakes to have for Valentine's Day dessert. I know that Norm and Cami will love them!

I am so happy and grateful for so many things... Simple things... Like feeling good and having the ability to make things and play in my studio... And big things like my family... my heart fills when I think of them and I know that I couldn't be luckier.

smells of home...

My house smelled like a home today... A delightful mix of home baked Orange Cranberry Bread and Spicy Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Noodle Soup. Deliciously fragrant AND simple to make!

So let’s get to it and share these recipes! 

Pin It

Orange Cranberry Bread (Bread Machine)

ha! designs (adapted from Zojirushi)

Yield: 2 lb. loaf

Ingredients:

1 1/8 cups milk

1 large egg, beaten

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/4 cups bread flour

4 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon dry milk (baker’s special dry milk)

2 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon orange peel

1/8 scant teaspoon fiori di sicilia (citrus vanilla flavoring)

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 cup dried cranberries

Preparation:

Add to your bread machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Add dried cranberries at your addition time. Separate cranberries prior to adding. 

NOTE: I LOVE King Arthur Flour and use their flours as much as possible. The baker’s special dry milk and fiori di sicilia flavoring is also from King Arthur. You can click on them to take you right to the product page. Both are FANTASTIC!

Print Here!

Spicy Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Noodle Soup

ha! designs (adapted from Cooking Light, December 2008)

Ingredients:

4 cups water

3 cups fresh spinach leaves

1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed and cut in half crosswise

1 (5 3/4 ounce) package pad thai noodles (wide rice stick noodles)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/4 cups thinly sliced shallots

2 teaspoons red curry paste

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups, fat free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 (13.5 ounce) can light coconut milk

2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2” strips

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can straw mushrooms, (drained and rinsed)

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped, or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 red jalapeño, seeded and chopped

Lime wedges

Preparation:

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add spinach and peas to pan; cook for 30 seconds. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large serving bowl. Add noodles to pan; cook 3 minutes. Drain; add noodles to spinach mixture in bowl. 

1. Heat canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and the next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth to pan, and bring to a boil. Add coconut milk to pan; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken, green onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, sugar, and fish sauce to pan; cook for 2 minutes. Pour chicken mixture over noodle mixture in bowl. Stir in cilantro and chiles. Serve with lime wedges.

Print Here!

Pin It

I hope you enjoy these recipes and that your house also ends up smelling like a home...

What could be better...

...than a delicious meal of hearty soup and crusty bread...

It's just sooo satisfying!

Harmony turned me on to this recipe! I substituted fat free half and half for the heavy cream the recipe called for. It was wonderful! I did have to serve an "appetizer" of lactaid pills for Norm because of the dairy addition, but I think he thought it was well worth it! (Thanks again Harmony!) 

Cameron loved dipping the wonderfully fragrant rolls into the soup. I think I may have to try that dough as a pizza crust one day... I think it would be scrumptious!

I again made this little photo collage with the photos I took on my iPhone along with the app. As you can see I had a shadow on the soup and not quite enough lighting for the rolls... but I think it still looks yummy!

I have a break from cooking tomorrow... Norm's talking about picking up Versailles (cuban food) or maybe ordering some Wood Ranch (BBQ). It's going to be a hard choice!

Mmmmm.....

Today I did a little baking...

They are so very yummy! The Maple Lemon Butter I made to go with these delicious little muffins is wonderful too... It's been kind of gloomy outside today, it's been nice to warm up the kitchen with the wonderful smell of lemon and fresh blueberries. 

A couple of days ago I discovered a new "app" for my iPhone. It's called "Lifecards." It's like having a small Photoshop program in my phone! I took the photos of the muffins with my phone and then made this postcard... all while sitting at the table sipping my tea and enjoying one of these fabulous delights! The app has lots of templates and it's fun to pick and choose which one to use. I think I'll use it often. 

There is another app I've been having lots of fun with... It's "Words with Friends." Leila turned me on to it. She and I have been having fun playing Scrabble with each other on it... I get a little note from the app when it's my turn... I can see if she's looking at the game at the same time (cute little eyeballs show up!) and we can "chat" from within the game. It has been VERY fun to do this with her... although she is totally kicking my butt.... (that's not very nice, Leila...) Although it is very fun, the app has been having some crashing issues. I've had to delete and reinstall the program a couple of times. Hopefully the company we'll have it all sorted out soon so I don't have to do that anymore!

Well... look at the time... I'm off to my chauffeuring job now... 

more party preparations

The backyard is ready! The grill is ready! I was starting to get a little nervous about the grill... Norm got a new grill recently. We changed over from propane to gas. We had a plumber out to put the switch on the gas but we didn't have the right hoses so he didn't hook up the grill. Norm got all the parts he thought he needed but needed a professional to make sure we didn't blow up the neighborhood! I'm so glad that one of our dear friend's dad (the professional) was able to come over and finish plumbing the gas for us. Super nice of him to come on a holiday too! I'm so glad that it's all hooked up. This party will be our "break in" for the new grill. I had been teasing Norm that our BBQ was going to end up being a pizza party if it didn't get hooked up soon! :)

I posted a few photos on flickr of our new backyard furniture arrangement. It's amazing what a new arrangement can do! I loved how we had it before... but now it just seems perfect! We replaced the outdoor rug and I LOVE it. I found one that had swirls that imitates the swirls in the paisley pillows on the couch (plus it was 50% off!!! Hallelujah!). The new lights around the exterior added a nice touch as well. The torch lights on the coffee table are new also. We have matching torches that are on the hill side of the pool. I can't wait to see them all lit up tomorrow!

It was baking day today. Here are SOME of the cookies I made today! I made oatmeal chocolate chip, Reese's and Snickers filled butter tarts, lemon bars, AND cheesecake. My house smells wonderful... sniff... mmmm.... Tomorrow I have TONS to do! Norm is in charge of the BBQ and I handle all the other stuff. I guess I better make it an earlier night as I'll be up early. It's party day... almost! :)

brownie cards

Mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm.... here's a photo of the peanut butter with fudge brownies I made Norm for his birthday last month. They were delicious AND pretty! I had printed out a couple of the photos to make a set of cards with and I finally listed them today. As I was putting them together, however, I realized I had made an error on the final size... I still put them together (a big step for me!) and they look really nice, but not perfectly matted. I listed them at a REDUCED price because of this little mistake. (Oh my gosh... as I'm writing this I'm looking at the photo and I'm getting a MAJOR sweet tooth... look away...)

You know... I have my bakery etsy site all set to go. I reserved the name back in August! I just haven't had the courage to list anything there yet. Another problem is that I procrastinate (surprise!). I know I have a tendency to "over think" each step and this can really get in the way of progress! I think my major hang up has been figuring out the best way to package the cookies so that they arrive in great condition. I think I'm going to have to do some trial runs so that I can overcome this worry. Hmmmm, I might have to see if I can find some volunteers who are willing to pay for shipping and a nominal "material" cost. That way I could do some initial orders at my other shop, test out the shipping, AND get feedback! I'm going to have to come back to this idea another day... My brain is too tired to think this out completely right now!

Hey! I felt good again today!!! AND I was able to play volleyball tonight! YEAH! I had a great time although I did feel like I was a half step behind all night. Sorry team! Did I mention how much I love my current team?! So much fun AND great personalities! Even when we lose (which we did twice tonight - at least we won one) we have a good time and no one gets crazy. I'm going to miss playing on Wednesday's for a couple weeks. My team has a bye next week and then the following week we'll be on vacation! It's just around the corner. Summer is REALLY almost here... ahhhh...

ps... got a call from the surgery center... EGD is scheduled for July 10th.