Sunday, May 15, 2011

tea and coffee

o.k. it can be hard finding places that serve good high quality tea. There's nothing worse than going into a coffee house of cafe that has tea just to find out that they serve Lipton or generic no name brand. Well i a new place just ( JAHO, jaho.com )opened up in the south end right off of mass ave. i was pleasantly surprised when i walked in and discovered a wall of loose teas to choose from that's right i said WALL of teas. They also have mighty leaf tea which is very yummy too. I didn't get anything to eat but the food looked interesting too. I think i will be making another trip there at some point in the future.

Monday, February 21, 2011

mmmmm Sweets

I have a very pushy sweet tooth, so, to go along with the cooking i have been doing lately i decided to make some sweets too. I have a recipe for Candy Corn that i have been wanting to try for a while now so i decided to make it last Sunday afternoon.





It was time consuming but easy to make. Instead of using the traditional orange white and yellow i used pink and white for valentines day and gave them out to friends. I wanted to put the recipe on here but i can't seem to find it at the moment :( I am sure it is around somewhere so when i find it i will post it.



last night i made "Chewy Nutty Granola Bars" it calls for almond butter and almonds i did not have almond butter so used peanut butter and peanuts. this recipe has a lot of versatility. These bars would be great with almond butter cranberries and coconut or sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and cranberries. Or oh this one just came to me now, almond butter, dried pineapple and coconut. You could also use maple syrup instead of honey and add walnuts with dries apricots......


















Well enough of that here is the recipe:

1/2 cup honey
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cups OLD FASHIONED ROLLED OATS
1 1/3 cups slivered almonds
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup almond butter
1/4 cup Brown sugar

- pre- heat oven 325
- melt butter an 1/4 cup honey in small pot
- pour butter and honey over oats and nuts mix well
- spread oats on baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes stirring half way
- let cool add raisins
- butter 8 inch square pan
- combine 1/2 cup honey, almond butter, and brown sugar in a small pot. cook stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil and sugar is dissolved
- pour over oat mixture mix well and transfer to baking dish, firmly press into dish
- place in refrigerator for 1 hour then cut into squares

Sunday, February 20, 2011

comfort food

as we all know it has been a looooong and cooooold winter. I myself have been feeling a bit cabin feverish. So i have been seeking out things to do to keep my mood up, my mind busy, and my belly full.

I have been doing some cooking, baking, and candy making. ( hey that rhymed lol) Last Saturday i made pasta fagioli and it was easy to make and very very yummy.



The recipe made eight servings there was only three of us eating so i split it in half.

Pasta Fagioli


2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 diced onion
1 bunch fresh kale (i used baby spinach)
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 can diced tomato
2 cans white beans
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups small shell pasta
Grated Parmesan for serving

1- heat oil in a large pot, cook onion for 5 minutes add garlic cook 1 minutes.

2- stir in broth tomatoes 3 cups water. bring to simmer. add pasta and Italian seasoning. cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

3- stir in beans, salt and pepper and baby spinach. heat through and serve.

260 calories; 5g fat; 13g protein; 48g carb; 8g fiber

I served it with Italian bread.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

x-mas 2010

It is the end of x-mas day and i do have to say that all went well ( there was a little grumpiness is the house but not to bad ). My mom liked the x-mas stocking i made her ( i have to get a picture of it before it gets packed away)i did not finish hers socks in time so i wrapped them still on the needles, i only have a few more inches left to finish. However my mom didn't seem too impressed with the socks, she looked at them laughed and stuffed them back in the bag :( she hasn't been feeling to good so i won't take the reaction too seriously.

I got pj pants, socks ( ankle socks .... in the winter? ), miss matched socks, map for my car, turtle pin, white cocoa, calender, fancy cookies...






Dinner was really really yummy.... we had roast pork tenderloin marinated in a ginger sauce, roasted potatoes, and broccoli MMMM apple pie with ginger snap ice cream for dessert.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

holiday season

hi all. the holiday season is upon us which for me means lots of baking, cooking, and crafting. i have put any knitting that i was doing for myself on hold until i finish knitting socks for my mom for Christmas. I am knitting both socks at once and i am 2 or 3 inch's away from the heel. I should have a problem finishing them in time. Of course now that i have said that out loud...

I enjoy baking, mostly i bake cookies. I have made cupcakes a few times but usually cookies or brownies. Well today for the first time ever i made biscuits from scratch!!!!!



that's right baking powder biscuits from scratch!!! They came out pretty good, i may have over worked the dough just a little. The biscuits had a little more chew to them than i would of liked but all in all they weren't bad.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Tea time


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Things that r good...                                                                                      Pop overs with jam, loose leaf tea, and knitting on a saturday afternoon :-)                                                      Mmmmmmmmmmmmm pop overs
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Friday, February 12, 2010

Knitting goals for 2010

well i have several knitting goals for this year, right now it is still just a list. i have not refined or set the exact details for any of these goals. well here goes:

1. knit a pull over sweater ( one that actually fits )
2.there is a circular vest i want to tackle
3.finish the knit picks project bag kit that i got for x-mas
4.complete my ravelrympics ( or however you spell it ) vest in the
two week time allotted
5.i want to complete at least two pairs of socks
6.i would like to make a triangular shawl
7.there is a vest that buttons down the front and has a collar that i want to make it looks like it will be a challenge

well that is it. the goal is to do all of this in a years time i think it is possible. i won't be surprised if this list changes several times over the nest ten months.

Friday, February 5, 2010

hi again

o.k so i have been pretty lazy about writing on here, sorry.
let's see what have i been up to, well new year new me.
I have decided that this year i need to focus on my personal life. I joined an online dating site chemistry.com it has been three weeks. I have had one date it went well. I had a good time the conversation flowed well. we went for lunch and had hot pot in Chinatown. I had never had it before it was really really good and kind of fun. You have a pot of boiling broth in front of you, they bring out veggies and whatever type of meat you order ( it is sliced very very thin). You put it in the broth to cook, it cooks really quick so if you leave it too long it will get dry.
so anyway, he was nice kind of nerdy (but that's one of my types) if he calls again fine if not that's fine too. There weren't any real sparks or anything. I am talking to two other guys on chemistry right now so we will see what happens.

I also have some knitting goals too. I will list those another time i am kind of tired it has been a loooooooong hard week so i think i will go have some tea, a slice of the applesauce cake that my mama made MMMMMMMMMMMMM that will make me feel better and because the cake has applesauce in it it has half the fat you would find in other cakes ( so i don't have to feel guilty eating it)

chow yall

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Pictures of the sweater


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Here are a couple of pictures of the finished sweater.  While it didn't turn out exactly as planned (due to sizing problems) i do think it came out pretty nice and i really like the color.
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Sunday, January 3, 2010

I finished the sweater before the end of 2009 !! I am trying to post pictures but my computer won't cooperate :( i will keep trying.

Monday, October 5, 2009

October

well it is October already, this year just seem to be flying by. I don't like October for reasons i won't get into right now, just not in the mood to get into all of that at the moment. I have so many things to take care of i feel like a attach to a tread mill the just keeps going and going..... two more teeth that need work done on the (PPPPPPPPPPPPPP) i need to get to the eye doctor it has been three years and my glass's are on their last legs... i primary care doc just up and left her practice with telling her patients so now i need a new..... i have yet to find an endocrinologist that i like ( thyroid doctor ).. i need to get my brakes checked.... i could go on forever but i won't. I guess it is just Monday. sorry i am not in a better mood.

Monday, September 7, 2009

september

how can it be September already? where did the summer go? don't get me wrong i love fall weather the only problem is it is followed by winter.

well, any hoo. there is a lot going on with the career front. I have decided that i can't do the job i have anymore mostly i can't put up with other peoples crap, low pay, and poopy diapers. I have been burnt out for a while but up until recently i liked the people ( most of them have left ). A few things have happened at work over the summer that have changed me or at least the way i feel about the childcare field. so i have been thinking and looking and i decided that while i want to leave the childcare field i do still want to work in education. I have sent out 4 resumes and i have four more to send out. I am mostly applying to different public schools not for teacher positions for support staff (instructional aid, the inclusion program.......) i also sent a resume to the children's museum, and two after school programs.

I realize that the school year has already started and that most schools will already be fully staffed, but, i found that some are still looking and a few others have anticipated vacancies that they will need to fill part way through the school year. so now i just have to wait and see what happens ( of course i will keep looking ) and do some follow up.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

back to the real world.....

hi, i just got home from my vacation today and i go back to work Monday. The Berkshires were fabulous, I was surrounded by mountains and had a view of the most beautiful lake. In the morning there was big puffs of fog rising up off the mountain tops and the air was soooooo clean smelling. I went for nature walks, i walked the labyrinth every day, i learned a lot about healthy foods and why they are good for us, i participated in a drumming circle, and i ate some really good food!

I left there on Thursday and went to Albany N.Y. for two days to visit my best friend who had a baby about six months ago. She said i could be auntie Donna whoo hoo i am an auntie! The baby was soooo cute she has red hair and the best smile ever. I will have to visit more often.

I got back today and i go back to work Monday. back to the real world, i don't want to can't i live in my vacation world forever? well i guess if i stayed there forever it wouldn't be much of a vacation would it. so back to the real world i go like it or not.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

the berkshires ( don't know how to spell it )

hi all,

in about a week i will be going to a retreat/spa in the Berkshires!!! i went last august and loved it !!! i can't wait to go back. it was just so calming waking up and seeing the fog rise up out of the mountains. oh, yea did i mention that this place is surrounded by mountains! the food is so yummy and it is all organic and mostly vegetarian...... there's a tea bar..... i can't wait to walk the labyrinth....

There will be a lot of self reflection going on witch i think i need right now. They have lots of interesting workshops and movement classes. It is the best place to sit and knit, oh yea, there will be knitting.

I am going for three nights. Last year i went for two nights and it didn't seem to be long enough, however i think four nights would be too long for me. I had such a good time last year that i hope this year can live up to my expectations.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

FOOD

Yes i am talking about food again. We all know about the bad for us things that are put in food now a days? Trans-fat ( bad for you ) preservatives ( bad for you ) and let's not forget sodium ( very bad for you ) of course i try to stay away from these things but it is hard especially since i don't like to eat tree bark lol.

There has been a lot of talk about how high fructose corn syrup is really bad for you. did you know that it actually makes you grave more sugary foods and research has suggested that it can affect the brain development of children!

The other night while eating dinner with my family i said " i wonder how hard it would be to eliminate high fructose corn syrup from my diet" my mom said " oh, that should be too hard to do " I took a look at the ingredients of the food in my house. Well half of the food in my house contains it. I went to the super market and looked at labels and this stuff seems to be in everything! If it is soooo bad for you why is it in everything? now of course i could shop at a whole foods market and pay double the price for my groceries but my retired mother and I can't really afford to do that. I am still going to try and cut back on my intake of high fructose corn syrup. I will let you know how that goes.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

what to write????

let's see.... well it has been a very quick work week for me it seems to have zipped by. That is always a good thing and tomorrow is PJ day at my school that means i get to where my PJ's to work, yup that's right i get to work in my PJ's and i get to see all of the children in their PJ's whoo hoo and it is a Friday whoo hoo!
sometimes i really do like my job :)

It is supposed to be nice out this weekend :) and the brand new LL Bean store in Dedham is having a grand opening this weekend. I love that store and now there is one 15 mins. from my house whoo hoo!

well i will talk you ya later

yall have a nice night now

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

blah blah blah

hmmmm never thought i would be this persons out of site out of mind friend....

kinda feels like high school... you know when you can so easily be replaced by that new kid or you get told " hey gee we had so much fun at ( insert activity here ) to bad we couldn't make room for you to go too, next time for sure "

yup it's true people really do suck.

Monday, June 29, 2009

PPPPPPPPPPPPP

not in too good of a mood :(

- On the down side i need a root canal on the up side i get to keep me tooth

-down side someone important let me down i should be used to it i always end up being the expendable friend. up side? i really only need myself to be happy. while this is true it is nice to have others around who actually care how you feel.

-down side in a bad mood and sad. up side i am still looking for the silver lining and grabbing onto every little happy moment i can, as i always say " lemon aid, people, lemon aid "

-down side baby head butted me today (right where my bad tooth is). up side baby hugged me and patted me on the back and there was giggling involved

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

VACATION

I went on vacation to wiliamsburg Virginia for a week with my brother, this is the second time we have visited this area. It was very pretty with a lot of fun historical things to see.

the main area is the historical village it is a mile long with lots of side streets to go down. First we had a tour of the governors palace and his garden. The governors garden was my favorite, it is big and beautiful. It had a water feature and a large maze made out of tall hedges. It was designed for children to run through and find their way out but i of course could not resist running through it myself. I even started a really fun game of Marco polo with my brother and the other children had to join in.

We also visited york town Battle field and the James town settlement both very interesting. York town had a working historical farm with lots of turkeys running around.

Let's not forget the "food glorious food" One night we ate at an old time tavern, the food was yummy and the price was right but the best part of this dinner was the location. the dining area was located in the basement which is made of bricks and lit by the candles mounted on the wall. All of the staff was in colonial costumes and there was a man playing what i think was a mandolin and singing. We even had dessert MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

The last night we were there we ate at a Fancy shamcey restaurant that had a seafood buffet. My brother had 4 plates of food ( he got his moneys worth) there were king crab legs, shrimp, salmon, cod, scallops, crab cakes, honey glazed pork, grilled chicken, mashed potato's (MMMMMMMMM) home made bread, sushi ( we passed on that ) I am not a huge fan of seafood but i really enjoyed the cod fish and crab cakes the pork and chicken were good too. Oh, i made two trips to the dessert station, they had bread pudding to die for and lots of different types of mini tarts (MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM)

We took a lot of pictures too but it was with my brothers camera so i have to wait for him to put them on the computer, he won't let me do it. So once they are on the computer i will post them here :)