Saturday, October 31, 2009

Dinner for Chilly Nights in Alaska




Chicken Slouper

Serves 6
Cooking time 50 to 60 minutes
Prep time 20 minutes
2 whole chicken breasts with bone and skin
1 small bag of peeled baby carrots
1 red sweet pepper
1 orange sweet pepper
1 yellow sweet pepper
2 russet potatoes
1 large onion
1 bunch Purple Kale
1 pound aspargus
5 large gloves of garlic
5 cups water
seasoning: 1 teaspoon Poultry seasoning
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smokey paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery salt


Clean/rise all veggies. Peel and then chop onion into large chunks. Top the peppers and take out seeds, slice in half, then quarters (each 1/2 should have 4 slices then). Leave peel on potatoes, dice into large chunks. Clean kale take off stem and chop roughly. Slice asparagus into 1/2 inch slices. Peel garlic leave whole. Cut breasts into halves.

In large cooking pot (at least a 5 qt) add water and chicken,seasoning, onion, peppers, carrots and kale. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Take breasts out at this point, remove bone and skin. Chop two of the halves into large pieces, leave the other two whole. Place back into pot, add rest of ingredients, simmer on medium heat for another 20 minutes until potatoes are cook through.

Serve in bowls over cooked yolk-less noodles, along with warm slices of herb cheese bread.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Hats a plenty and dreams of Magic on a Website

Secrets passions of mine: Two shops that fill these passions!



Besides my passion for cooking and crafts I have a couple that make me all girly girl. 



One is  heels~~ LOVE THEM ~~ but one learns all too soon Alaska is not High Heel friendly because snow, ice and freezing air is not so nice as toasty warm boots in winter.  So I only have a several pairs of heels that thrill me when I do wear on those rare times that I'm dressed to the 9's.  It's super my life partner is very very tall!


But the one thing about being a midwestern Gal in a state where winter is most of the year...I get to wear Hats.  I have hats for summer, hats for spring, hats for fall, hats for winter, and hats just because their cute.  From baseball caps, to a drop dead black creation by Liz Clairborne, to knit skull hats to silly fleece hats.  Its if it fits and I like - I buy.




At Victorian Crossroads a very dear member is delightworthyn ART/wares.   She creates one of my passions.  And its not for my feet!


I had a hat that I craved of hers.  Then I twittered about that beauty and dang if someone didn't steal it right under my eyes, plus a couple other of Delights' hats. Once you visit her shop you will see why -  they are delightful!


So this picture is another hat but not the one I am saving to purchase!  I don't want anyone stealing that beauty from me.  This little red number is sweet but that black one I have my eye on will be mine some day!





I greatly admire anyone who has talent of creating items that one can use for different websites that require GRAPHICS.  As a beginner with my Publisher and Photoshop Elements I've so far behind the eightball it's not even funny! I wish I could say I am a graphic designer, but the sad truth I'm not.  Beginner just does not cut it!


I'm in total awe of  the talents of this graphic designer artist: Bearcengic.  Her shop at Etsy has a great following.  With over 1,000 sells You can trust she knows how to please the pickest of graphic buyers!


As a person who sews, I found this banner speaking to me.  If I own a shop that still marketed sewn items I would buy this in 2 seconds flat! Visitors comments I know would be total praise!


http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28385504






I invite you to take a stroll through Bear's shop and discover her wonderful artwork that she has turned into various creations for websites.  From Banners, to avators, to postcards she does it all! She will build/design items just for you.  Don't wait any longer to get a fanatastic design for your website!



Monday, October 26, 2009

Reflections and Shops To Be Visited

In life I often do many things on my own.  Visit art shows, shopping, traveling, and just running around town doing different things.

I have a life partner who is as I am  ~ free  ~ we are two birds following where ever the wind blows us.  We share some common interests and but for the most part we are very different people in regards to interests.  He is heavily into ancient history BC and mine begins more in the 1700's to modern.  He world revolves around his daily bike riding and mine is the center of all things handcrafted.

One area we both enjoy is of course my cooking And we both enjoy the internet.


He is the one who started us on the internet way back in 1994.  Thinking back ~ OMG those computers where so slow lol it's a wonder that the internet survived...most likely it did only because technology was constantly changing and gets better, faster, and is the "new world" for exploring for mankind until we leave planet earth.

I love finding what others do for fun and creativity online. Belonging to a couple of selling venues, groups, and markets I am developing new friendships and finding fellow folks with same interests as myself, or their creative outlets are so much better than my own.

This week I'm going to be show casing several folks I think you need to meet!



Baubles Buttons & Beads at 1000markets  This shop has the greatest jewelry ~ old and new are mixed together in awesome pieces for your wrists, or necks and even your ears!  The shop owner has so much joy and enthusiasm it's so nice to be in the same market that Deb is!  We both belong to Victorian Crossroads at 1000markets.
http://www.1000markets.com/users/baublesbuttonsbeads


 
Cakes by Sugar Plums over at Etsy, a classy lady whose baked goods are a pure delight to ones eyes!  Her real life shop just moved into newer and bigger quarters and even though moving is a headace, Patty remained cool and classy.  Both of us are members of Etsy's Team EEAT plus Patty and I also shared a life time thrill - SugarPlums also went to the Emmy Awards Gifting Suite!
http://cakesbysugarplums.etsy.com

I invite you to visit these two shops and treat yourself to something beautiful to wear on date night or something edible & unique for your tastebuds.

Folks who like Edibles