spring soup

literally.

 The calendar says

spring

the flowers and trees

are singing

spring

even the pets

shedding fur 

confirms

it's true

but

(you heard it coming)

the temperatures 

have me sitting under a blanket

at night

starting the fireplace

to warm things up a bit

and

making soup

I could call it

soups last

hurrah.

I've made

peppers and potato stew

or as I enjoy calling it

pepperonata di patate

with an Italian flair

Chili 

a pot of warmth

topped off with

cashew sour cream

and traditional saltine crackers

and

Creamy Corn Chowder

with Corn Muffins

served in a mug

that I could wrap my hands around

as I ate

to steal its heat

served right along side

my spring

centerpiece

as a reminder of the season

all has been delicious

but this particular soup was

special

which is why i am sharing it here

with you

as a way of sharing a snuggle

:)

click to enlarge

an allrecipes.com recipe

that I have made my own

a couple of musts...

unsweetened soy milk

and

Yukon gold potatoes

oh yeah...

and

Isa's Corn Muffins

at post punk kitchen.

In a word...

Spring soup.

A delicious way to

usher in 

the warmth.

yoga nidra :: the BEST phone app EVER

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sluggish

a little uninspired?

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yeah!

Are your thoughts

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scattered

chaotic?

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relaxation
clarity
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Shazam

my gateway

to trying

yoga nidra

for the first time

and discovering

its benefits

whenever

or wherever

I am in need 

welcome to yoga nidra

yogic sleep

sleep with awareness

beginning in corpse pose

savasana

stilling your mind and body

breathing quietly

as thoughts drift by

like butterflies

guided gently to complete release

through body scanning 

imagery

feeling a letting go 

as you enter a state of

bliss

finally

rising

with a feeling of 

rejuvenation

and

clarity

and in these early spring days

my southwest facing deck

offers the ideal location

for my practice

the hardwood absorbs the heat

and even on cool days

such as this 50 degree moment

I feel cradled in a warmth

that aids in

my yogic nap

subtle sounds of nature

surround me

as I travel

inward

to a place of

pure joy.

Smart phones.

Get smart with it

and

get your

nap 

on.

~this moment~

Easter egg hunts

girls in twirly dresses

bubbles in the air

ah...

what a beautiful moment 

indeed.

Wishing you moments

such as these.

:)

sewing reflections

it's been a long time

since i've done this kind of sewing

with tissue-paper-pattern-pieces

layout to assembly

following directions

how could I help

myself?

found this temptation on the

clearance shelf

at Barnes and Noble

and it was

love at first sight

our local B&N

just so happens to be

located right next to

Jo-Ann Fabric

it was destiny.

in a time crunch 

i gave myself one rule

don't over-think

 fabric choices

pick 5

with sister sue's stamp of approval

and drive

relying on my early days

of sewing techniques

pre-wash

press

pin

cut

read directions

(color inside the lines)

and sew

it was like visiting

 an old friend

now i need to confess

right here

that the instructions called

for a muslin mock-up

which I didn't do

I did flat-pattern measure

and made some customization

(enlarged the waist just a tad)

but in the end

i think it was a bit roomy

and i would have preferred it a wee

bit tighter...

hug my hips 

rather than

well, here

let me show you

as you can see

i didn't fuss over

staging

i threw on a top

stepped into some sandals

donned some winter-white legs

and unpainted toes

to show you

the possibility

enjoyed the fun detailing

a single pocket

a ruffle hem

rick rack trim

but 

you heard it coming didn't you?

i remembered a few of the reasons

i stopped sewing 

like this

first of all

you can't really

try-on

and decide if the look is for you

and

if not

return it!

secondly,

the cost.

factoring in the book,

fabric

 @ $10 a yard

adds up

quick!

notions...zipper, interfacing, thread,

trim.

At one time

sewing saved money

and that's still possible

if

you purchase sale fabric

use a pattern repeatedly

raid your stash of stuff

i didn't do that

so I won't be revealing

the final cost...

i will just say,

gasp!

 finally...

i enjoy creating

my own look

through re-purposing

clothing found

at

second-hand stores

Goodwill

my attic!

in the end

it was fun seeing and

catching-up

with this old friend of mine

sadly,

we departed 

with the knowing that sometimes comes

like a realization

that 

with all those great memories

you share

your lives have taken a different path

gone down different roads

with detours

that caused a change

in your relationship

and although you may not 

get-together often

they still pop in your mind at strange times 

and you know

you'll always be happy

to see them.

triptych tuesday

what does

fun

look

 like?

need i say

more?

~this moment~

a movie filled with

moments...

Highly recommended!

letting light in

growing up
the family home

was oriented 

as a home

should be

with
an east-facing kitchen

so when you arose

you were greeted by the

sun

with your cup of coffee

mine is a 

west-facing kitchen

which i've come to enjoy

for the pleasure of preparing

the evening meal

with plenty of

light

and this is what

my morning looks like

this glorious day

and that is the ceiling light

that caused the

extended painting session

so worth it

since my focus

unbeknownst to me

was all about 

bringing in the light

those dishes are such 

a welcome sight

first thing in my a.m.

showing that James did his chores

before

going to bed

:)

 a little sidebar

on a recent trip to

target

i was strongly considering 

buying a rug that was on clearance

the short of it

i passed

when i got home and started

rearranging things

i remembered this baby

which was pulled from the attic

and put in its

rightful place

old stuff looks new

when things have been 

painted and tidied-up

like this old daisy trim

that has been waiting in the craft room

 to find

its purpose

which was discovered

in this

spring clean-up

a dainty edging

perfect with the tissue white cotton

tier curtain

that offers minimal privacy 

and maximum 

light 

 precious light

 filters through

radiantly

speaking of light...

do you know

where 

the 

sky

is

always

blue?

right here

at my kitchen 

window

achieved through the measly price

of a small

sky-blue

paint sample

now

 when i stand at this sink

no matter what the weather outside

my blue sky ceiling

colors my world

in

happiness

an idea 

i borrowed

from my side porch

as i remember it

a southern tradition

that is said to

ward off evil spirits

i find

it facilitates

a calming effect

creating

a happy place

whether

 doing dishes

getting a drink of water

sitting on a porch swing

or taking pictures

to blog

that blue transforms

not only a ceiling

but

my mood as well.

Stay happy, my friends!

Paint your skies blue!

triptych tuesday

because sometimes

the story

is better told

in 

triplicate

soil turned

chives and oregano

are welcomed home

garden plans

in

 the making

oh
what a difference
a night makes

:)

Happy Tuesday, y'all.

what's for dinner

with morning under way

and work 

outside of the house

upon me

 my thoughts are already

turning to dinner

because when i have a plan 

especially on busy days

dinner not only happens

but

it happens 

deliciously

thanks to
Isa Chandra
and
Post Punk Kitchen
i can type in the ingredients
i have on hand
and the menu develops
Mac & Cheese
sounds like a great
Thursday meal



Mac & Shews even better
with sauerkraut in its arsenal
i find i crave this comfort food
at the oddest times
like at 7:21 in the morning
for instance

cashews are now soaking
to give this mac its special
creaminess

it needs a green side
because
it would be so lonely all alone
i have broccoli
in the frig
typed it in
and...



Roasted Broccoli
haven't had that yet
and can't wait to try it
sounds like the perfect pairing

the only thing left
is to prepare it
when i get home...

that's the fun part!

Thank you,
 Isa
for making my Thursday evening
something to look
forward to.

*all images are from her amazingly easy
wildly delicious
vegan website

check it out.

the business end

ever have one of
those

mornings

where you 

hit the ground running?

wasn't the plan

it just 

is.

could 

have something to do with

special droppings

delivered

by a shih tzu
who gives you a look
of complete confusion
by your unanticipated
reaction

could be that.

bad girl

very bad girl

echoed through the

house.

quickly followed
by a loud
Kenmore

with heart pumping

i follow

this drive forward

blankets in the laundry

disassemble a couch

for a good sweeping

and deodorizing

air out pillows

curtains down 

in preparation for

another load

(of laundry, that is)

windows washed

at 7 a.m.

i am already congratulating

myself

on a day 

well lived

if my accomplishments are

any reflection

the base boards have been painted

with a shout of

fini

everything back to normal

ladders put away

brushes cleaned

paint cans in storage

a wonderful dinner served

with a smile

and a glass of wine

lest i forget

a trip to the fabric store

 a sitting at the machine

where four new pillow covers

are constructed

to welcome 

Spring

yeah...

that kind of morning.

all because

a dog and her owner

had a little

spat.

triptych tuesday

on monday

because sometimes

you can't wait 

to

present an idea

not one more day

a single photo is nice

but

three is 

thrice as nice

and somehow tells

the whole story

first
 a brief
back-story

since they were wee lads
my boys tended toward
extreme
be it
skate boarding
bmx biking
quad racing
or

with words like

unresponsive yoyo

man on the flying trapeze

brain scrambler

you know

things have gone to the

next level

not to mention 

the sunbeam spotlight

screamed 

photo op

Hope your day 

is filled with

moments

such as these.

~this moment~

Enough said.

Have a lovely Spring weekend.

something exciting

is about to happen...

but first
step into
my busy kitchen

truth is

I like it that way

a fun haven

a place where i can

experiment with new and exotic 

ingredients

chop

saute

boil

sip on some wine

 eat

and repeat

a routine that

I enjoy

on a normal day

lately

it's been anything but

food prep 

has been made more interesting

with a slight

remodel

to dance around

what should have taken

a weekend

has somehow segued into

its second week here

in my abode

but 

as you know

life marches on

things happen

like 

Sleepover Saturdays

Lazy Sundays

uninspiring

rainy days

 stupid moments

after patching a crack in the ceiling

then sanding

then priming 

then painting

I found

a new light fixture

I had to have

darn that home Depot!

it doesn't sound like it should

have been a BIG deal

but

when the old came down

Is it really necessary for me to describe

how ugly it was under there?

not to mention the bases are

different sizes

in other words 

more patching

more sanding

more priming

more painting

giving the whole shebang

a second 

bright white

coat

phew!

Unfortunately

 stomachs

wait for no 

woman

preparing even the simplest dish

has me scrambling to find

relocated

kitchen supplies

and cooking now

doubles as a workout

cool

another excuse to

 skip the gym

in all that

living

trying to eat right

which in my world means

whole-food

plant-based

cough-cough

for the most part

diet

It must be 

Spring!

if my morning crave is any indication

smoothies

Strawberry Fields

Chocolate Banana Cream 

most of my smoothies

begin with

frozen ripe bananas

instead of buying those bright yellow beauties

I go right to the 

discount bin and gather

the real prize

brown spotted

oh, so sweet

ripe

delicious 

cheap

bananas

pop 'em in a container

and in the freezer they wait

to give my smoothies

an unbelievable creamy texture

like a malt

then 

there's the ever popular

Green Smoothie

with kale 

and 

dates for sweetness

 looks wrong

but

tastes so right

Which brings me to

 the exciting part of this post

No!

this will NOT be a kitchen reveal

as I said 

still a work in progress

staring down week three

Drum roll please

...

Heather 

from 

Beauty That Moves

is offering her

Spring

30-Day Vegan Workshop

just click on her web page

on my sidebar

and 

take a moment to meet

Heather Bruggeman

I could tell you how

wonderful

genuine

informative

she is

but I'd rather you find that out

when you go for a visit

this week

she is offering her

bring a friend special

basically

two for the price of one

I highly recommend this

journey

it truly has transformed the 

way I eat

and think about food

PLUS

she has the

most amazing recipes

All those I have mentioned above

are from this course

Hand's down

my favorite go-to recipes

So

if you've ever thought about

trying on a vegan lifestyle

to see what all the

hullabaloo

is about...

this is your chance.

I will be participating again

because

it is that

good!

Won't you join me?