Have you seen this beautiful Farfalle pasta by Torino?  I was shopping at World Market’s Cost Plus, when this jumped out at me!  Look at the beautiful colors.

It cost more than what I like to spend on pasta, but I couldn’t pass this up.  They call it “designer” pasta.  I’m not into designer fashion, but apparently I’m a sucker for designer pastas now.

The recipe on the back of the box made my final decision.   It’s SO simple to make and it tastes so fresh and earthy!

Farfalle with Mushrooms and Sausages

Adapted from Torino pasta recipe

8.8 ounce farfalle pasta

6 ounce mushrooms (possibly porcini or 2 ounce dry porcini put in water to soften for 2-3 hours)- I used a package of wild Italian mushrooms I found at World Market

6 oz fresh sweet sausage-I used Italian sausage from Whole Foods

5 oz white wine

1/4 white onion

1/2 clove garlic- I used whole

1 oz extra virgin olive oil

2 oz light cream — I used whole milk

3 oz grated pecorino or parmesan cheese- I used both

pepper and salt to taste

In a skillet, sautee x-tra virgin olive oil with garlic and onion–finely chopped.  Add the sausage without skin, and cook for 5 minutes to color.  Add the mushrooms and cook slowly and add the white wine.   When it looks ready, add the salt and pepper and light cream.

Cook the pasta al dente in plenty of salted water.  Drain pasta and place in the sauce skillet mix on top of stove for 2 minutes and then serve with cheese.

The mushrooms are SO earthy!

I served it with chardonnay

ENJOY!

Simple enough for a weeknight meal, and flavorful enough to impress company.

Spanakopita or Spinach Pie

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Adapted from a recipe posted online–years ago–by Jack Roemer

14 Phyllo Pastry sheets

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 Tbsp olive oil + 4 Tbsp melted butter

spray olive oil

40 ounces frozen spinach, chopped  OR 2 – 16oz pack

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian(flat leaf) parsley

1/4 cup chopped sweet onion

3  Tbsp fresh chopped dill

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup cottage cheese –I use lowfat

1 egg

6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

a light sprinkling of white wine vinegar- approx 2 tsp

Instructions:

Thaw and drain the 2- 16oz packages of spinach.

Crush the garlic and drop into the olive oil and butter. Set aside.

To make the filling, squeeze the spinach between your hands to remove most of
the liquid.   Place in a bowl or in a food processor.   Add the parsley, onions,
dill, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in the cottage cheese, egg and
feta.  –NOTE- I do it all in the processor except for the feta. — Combine well. Lightly coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Lay one sheet of phyllo in the bottom of the dish and drape the edges overthe
sides of the dish. Spray lightly with cooking spray and cover with another sheet of phyllo dough.   Brush that sheet with the garlic-olive oil mixture.

Layer a total of four sheets, coating each alternately with nonstick cooking spray and olive oil. Spread half the filling over the prepared phyllo dough. Lay another sheet of dough over the filling and coat lightly with cooking spray.   Lay down another sheet and lightly coat with olive oil mixture. Continue alternating spray and olive oil for a total of four
sheets. Layer remaining spinach filling on dough.  Sprinkle on the vinegar-as evenly as possible.

Continue layering phyllo dough over the filling, spraying the first sheet and alternately brushing with olive oil and spraying subsequent sheets.  The last layer has 6 sheets.

When finished, brush the surface with olive oil mixture and roll the edges of the doughin ward to create an attractive rim around the outside.  Score the surface with a sharp knife into 12 portions.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake for 40 minutes until golden.  I turn on the broiler at this point for 1-2 minutes (keep pan in center of oven) WATCH IT,  or you will burn the top layer!  Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 12 portions.

Test kitchen notes: Phyllo means “leaf” in Greek. The dough is usually available in the frozen food section of most supermarkets or in Greek or Middle Eastern markets. For best results, allow dough to defrost overnight in the refrigerator.   Keep it covered with wax paper and a damp towel while making pie.

The Gardens in April and Early May

I’ve decided to post my gardens once a month.  I want to document the stages of growth.

This is the time of year I start to get excited about gardening.   I love my flowers, but I especially love the vegetable and herb gardens.

That said, I planted an assortment of flowers from seed this year.  I rarely do this, but my cousin , MaryAnne, who lives in upstate New York, sent me seeds from her own flower gardens and a packet of Honey Bear Sunflower seeds, which means I might have a new passion.  I’ll post on those as soon as the seeds germinate.

The terracotta pot above is my husband’s great find.  It is from Mexico, and I thought a few coral colored begonias,  double pink impatiens, along with a few chicks from my Hens and Chicks plants, would look lovely in this pot.

The portable greenhouse is filled with starts and seedlings:

Tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, artichoke, basil,  and squash are waiting to go under the cloche of the front gardens.

Flowering seeds are in their little seed pots too.

As you can see, the backyard garden has plenty of cool weather plants:

lettuce, radish, beets, onions, spicy mixed lettuces, carrots, broccoli,  and several herbs.

Due to my health issues, the flower beds have suffered most.  They need some serious weeding and pruning, but look at that lavender!

I’ll be posting the front gardens in my next post.

I was fascinated by this lone yellow tulip.  I don’t know if it was mistakenly relocated or if I had never noticed how beautiful it looks up against the purple color flowers.

Next year, I’d like to have a spring bulb garden.

]]> http://angelninascottage.com/2010/05/02/spanakopita-and-gardening-in-aprilmay/feed/ 9 Angelnina spano2 spano mexpot gardenapr lavender1 mushroomgnome yellowtulip http://angelninascottage.com/2010/02/25/banana-blueberry-raspberry-and-pecan-bread/ http://angelninascottage.com/2010/02/25/banana-blueberry-raspberry-and-pecan-bread/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:00:55 +0000 angelnina http://angelninascottage.com/?p=2339 ]]> Quick post to share a wonderful recipe I found online.   With only 3 Tbsp of oil in 2 loaves, I thought for sure this would be too dry, but it wasn’t!  I did add an extra banana that I had frozen.  I only had a cup of blueberries, so I threw in a cup of raspberries.  I forgot to add the pecans to the batter, so I spread them over the top and pushed them down a little.

They baked much faster than the time in this recipe, so check them super early

Delicious!  Lowfat!  YUM!

CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL RECIPE

Keep in mind I made several changes and you can find them

behind the cut, so click below to see mine…

Changes I made to the recipe are as follows:

• 2 1/2 cups flour– I used half whole wheat pastry flour and half all-purpose
• 1/2 cup sugar– I used organic sucanat
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoonbaking powder plus
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon– I used 1/4 tsp heaped
• 1/4 cup coconut– I used unsweetened
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup milk- I used a little more milk due to the ww pastry flour
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoonsvanilla
• 3 medium mashed bananas– I used 3 fresh ripe + an extra frozen banana
• 1 cup chopped  pecans
• 2 cups  frozen blueberries- I used 1 cup frozen blueberries and 1 cup frozen raspberries

It will be here sooner than we think, and I’m planning on baking a 3D lamb cake for Easter

]]> http://angelninascottage.com/2010/02/25/banana-blueberry-raspberry-and-pecan-bread/feed/ 10 Angelnina bread tulip2 http://angelninascottage.com/2009/11/19/pears-poached-in-red-wine/ http://angelninascottage.com/2009/11/19/pears-poached-in-red-wine/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:40:31 +0000 angelnina http://angelninascottage.com/?p=2190 ]]>

I’ve eaten a few poached pears in my life, but none like the one I ate in Napa Valley while on vacation with my husband.

The hotel we stayed in offered brunch every morning, and it was there where I discovered the beauty of fruit mixed in wine.

This is a simple recipe.   Play with it.

Next time, I will experiment with cloves.

I used a Merlot for the red wine.

Pears Poached in Red Wine

Adapted from “How to Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman

Time: Overnight , largely unattended.

A light simple and classic dessert.  Use not-quite-fully-ripe Bosc Pears if at all possible.

4 Bosc pears, ripe but not mushy

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups red wine (I used Merlot)

3/4 cup sugar

1 lemon, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

1-  Peel pears;  use a melon baller to remove the core from the blossom end, leave the stem on.  (I did not, I halved the pears and removed the cores.  I preferred halves to wholes.)

2-  In a medium saucepan. Bring water, wine, and sugar to a boil.  Turn heat to med-low and add the lemon slices, cinnamon stick, and pears.  Cover pan, simmer until pears are very tender, at least 20 minutes.

3- Remove pears to a bowl and continue to cook the sauce, over med-high heat until it reduces by half and becomes syrupy.  Strain syrup over pears and refrigerate overnight.

4- Serve chilled pears whole, with little of the syrup poured over them.

These would be excellent for the holiday table.

]]> http://angelninascottage.com/2009/11/19/pears-poached-in-red-wine/feed/ 9 Angelnina pp4 ppdone http://angelninascottage.com/2009/10/05/canning-more-goodies/ http://angelninascottage.com/2009/10/05/canning-more-goodies/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:05:26 +0000 angelnina http://angelninascottage.com/?p=1889 ]]>

I LOVE apples!

Homemade applesauce is just plain yummy!  I make mine with cinnamon and brown sugar.

It’s a very simple process.

Here is how I do it.  Keeping in mind sweetness is individual taste–I add about 1/2 cup brown sugar and then increase as needed.

Angelnina’s Homemade Chunky Applesauce

About 15 apples–I used a mixture of gala and golden delicious

approx. 1/2 c to 1 cup brown sugar–more if you prefer

1-2 tsp cinnamon-you can drop in a cinnamon stick or two if you’d like

fresh nutmeg grated

1/8 tsp ground cloves–more if you’d like

small piece of lemon peel (opt)

Peel and core your apples, then chop them into large chunks.

Throw the quartered apples  into a large pot–they’ll cook way down.   Add the apple cider or water.  Cook and stir on medium or medium low heat, until apples become very soft–then mash with potato masher.   I keep mine chunky, so I do not strain.   I do remove the lemon peel piece (if I use it) and make sure the cinnamon sticks are taken out after cooking.

After they are softened, I add the sugar, cinnamon, and other spices to taste.  Taste for sweetness.

Keep stirring until most of the liquid is cooked out.

In the meantime, have sterilized canning jars (I filled 4 pints) at the ready to can water bath style.

Fill jars, leaving 1/2″ head space.  Place new lids on and bands–Process in your water bath canner for 20 minutes. Any  jars that do not seal, can be kept in the fridge.

NOTE: If you’ve never canned before, I  recommend reading the Ball Canning Recipe Book.  Follow instructions closely for safety purposes.

Next I made grape jelly out of my green grapes!

In order to avoid arm wrestling the squirrels and raccoons, I decided to pick all of my grapes and put them to use.

Click below to read and see more

I smashed them with a potato masher

Strain the juice through 3 or 4 layers of cheese cloth,  into a bowl

I managed to squeeze out a few cups of juice.

I cooked the juice with sugar until thickened to a syrup consistency.

I did not use pectin, so my jelly is more like a jam.  Pectin would be best for jelling, but I didn’t want to waste an entire box of pectin on a few jars of jelly.

The results taste exactly like purple grape jelly–only the color is more like a peach jam.

HAPPY AUTUMN!

Remember the chile peppers from my last blog?    Well, I gathered up 2 pounds–I threw in a few cayenne to make it an even 2 pounds–and decided to pickle them.

Jalapenos can be green or red, or somewhere in between.  The red ones have simply ripened longer.

I highly recommending wearing gloves when working with hot chiles.  I used to think gloves were for scaredy cats–that is until I burned my fingers when I got hold of the hottest chile pepper north of  the Mexican border.

True story–I had white blisters under my fingernails!   Who knew blisters under finger nails are so painful they can keep you up at night?

Pickling liquid

Water Bath Canner (You can find these at most thrift shops!)

Pickled Jalapenos!

This is such a simple process.  I’ll be adding pickled peppers to my canning list every year now!

These are  HOT HOT HOT !

Mark used a few in chili last night, and they are just right!  Flavorful and spicy little chiles.

I found a wonderful recipe for Pickled Jalapeno Peppers.

PICKLED JALAPENO PEPPERS

2 lbs jalapenos, washed, and stems removed (most of my peppers were red off the vine)

2 cups vinegar ( I used white)

2 cups water

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tsp Kosher salt

2 tsp pickling spices

I like to cut a slit down the side of each pepper.

Next, pack your prepared peppers into the jar-leaving about 1-2″ from top

Bring remaining ingredients to a boil over med high heat-stirring to dissolve salt.

Pour boiling sauce over peppers–leaving at least 1/2″ head space

Place lids on and screw on bands tightly

Process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes

Remove bands when cool (I don’t)

Make sure jars seal, those that do not should be refrigerated immediatey.

Store several weeks before use.  (You can use them at any time, but they are more “pickled” weeks later)

Recipe says it makes 3 pints,  but I ended up with 4 pints

NOTE: If you’ve never canned before, I  recommend reading the Ball Canning Recipe Book.  Follow instructions closely for safety purposes.

My son, Sean, was visiting a few weeks ago and he asked me why I have more than one of several different kitchen gadgets.  I told him I was hoping one day he would need one and I would have it!   I gave him my extra Italian pasta maker, and now I have an ice cream maker with his name on it.   I think he believes I am some kind of kitchenware hoarder, but no, I knew, one day, he would love to cook too.  Moms just KNOW these things!

I like having at least two of these because I can make two different kinds of ice cream for one gathering.  You actually only need two of the freezer bowls, but since I found them secondhand, the machine cost me less than buying extras bowls separately.

For my “Big Night” I wanted a special drink and the following recipe fit the bill.  The sorbato recipe is considered a blend of sorbet and gelato.  It is very good in this drink or on its own!

The second recipe is for a sorbet.   I have read that in ancient Rome, Emperor Nero would have snow brought from the mountains and flavor it with fresh fruits to produce a dessert similar to what is now known as sorbet.

Strawberry Sorbato and Prosecco Floats

Adapted from Bon Appetit April 2009 issue

• 2 pounds ripe strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 750-ml bottle Prosecco, chilled

Mix strawberries, sugar, and salt in large bowl.  Let stand until juicy, about 30 minutes. Puree mixture in batches in blender.  Mix cream and lemon juice into puree. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions–I do it for 25-30 minutes.  Transfer to container; cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.  If it gets too hard–take it out of freezer and set on counter for about 10 minutes before serving.

Place 1 scoop sorbato in each of 8 glasses. Fill each glass with Prosecco (sorbato will float to top).

NOTE: Original recipe presses strawberry mixture through a fine strainer before processing in ice cream maker.  I don’t mind the seeds or pulp and I skip this part.

Hazan’s  Mandarin Orange Sorbet is not a plain orange flavored sorbet.  The flavor of the Prosecco and the lemon takes thisover the top!  The perfect palate cleanser.  Very refreshing in the summertime  too.

Mandarin Orange Sorbet (Sorbetto al Mandarino)

Adapted from Giuliano Hazan’s recipe in  “How to Cook Italian”

Makes about 1 qt

6 fresh whole mandarin oranges  (or enough to squeeze out 1 1/2 cups juice)

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 cup Prosecco (Sparkling Italian wine)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Peel the zest from two of the oranges  (try to keep in long strips-using a potato peeler–just the zest)

Place the zest in a small pan with the water and sugar.  Cover, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil.  stir until sugar is completely dissolved and then remove from heat.

Squeeze all the oranges to make 1 1/2 cups juice.

Discard orange zest and put the sugar mixture in a medium bowl.  Add the Prosecco, mandarin orange juice, and lemon juice.  Mix well, refirgerate until cold.

Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.  I let it run in my Cuisinart for 25-30 minutes.  Transfer sorbet to a container.  Cover and freeze for a few hours before serving.

I have a million recipes to post.  I apologize, as I know my recipes are not all listed on the RECIPE page.  I need to get on it pronto.

I’ve been cooking and baking my tail off.  I ended up shopping at Costco–which is extremely dangerous for me.  I beeline it straight to the kitchenware, and the book section, where I proceed to load up the cart with my, “Only an idiot would pass up this deal!”, mentality.

After the old man loads up the cart with his Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements, we head toward the cheese section.  HUGE mistake. For one thing, there are only 2 of us, and Costco sells packages that serve 800.  Apparently, that didn’t frighten us.

I loaded up on fresh mozzarella, and a number of other “must haves”.

After unloading our stuffed car trunk, we had to think about what to do with all the food.   After packing the freezer, the fridge, and the pantry, I set a plan into motion.

MOZZARELLA

ABOVE: Stuffed Shells

Stuffed

Ready to eat!

Stuffed Shells

box of pasta shells (12 oz)

3-4 cups of marinara or here-- or meat sauce

4 cups ricotta 2 cups shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan (Plus a few Tbsp for topping)

2 eggs

Tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Follow package cooking instructions on box of pasta shells.  When al dente (or less), strain and prepare to stuff.

Mix together remaining ingredients–reserving a little mozzarella and parmesan for topping.

Pour and spread about 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of the baking pan.

Stuff each shell with cheese mixture.

Layer shells in a baking dish.  Pour remaining marinara sauce over top, sprinkle on reserved cheeses.

35 minutes.  Pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy!

AND

Click to see more…

Tired of the same old boring grilled cheese sandwich? (Who am kidding?  Does anybody get tired of a grilled cheese sandwich? I think not.)

I’ve heard several people say a panini grill is a waste of money.  They may be right.  I’m not a purist-I like gadgets and appliances that I will actually use.  I use this.   Sure you can use a skillet and a brick or flip it with a spatula, but it won’t be done in 3 minutes, and you just might end up with tomatoes on the side.  I love my panini grill.  I bought this one at Target about five years ago, and it still grills perfectly.

I used homemade farmer’s white bread, but the Artisan bread works good too.

A few slices of a ripe tomato, slices of fresh mozzarella, olive oil, salt, a little garlic, and a drizzling of balsamico.

Mmm. Mmm.  Seriously.

Other ideas for using up mozzarella?

PIZZA!  (Click here for my recipe). Need I say more?

By the way, I just pulled a loaf of the Artisan bread out of the oven.  I added the Herbs de Provence like a friend suggested, plus I added chopped garlic in olive oil–which I brushed all over the top before baking.  It looks and smells like Heaven in my house!

More food to come…

]]> http://angelninascottage.com/2009/04/14/shopping-in-bulkfresh-mozzarella-stuffed-shells-and-paninis/feed/ 2 Angelnina stuffed-shells shells shells-sauce1 dsc_0219 dsc_0224 dsc_02321 dsc_0234 http://angelninascottage.com/2009/03/20/seattle-mexican-pottery-and-angel-hair-pasta/ http://angelninascottage.com/2009/03/20/seattle-mexican-pottery-and-angel-hair-pasta/#comments Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:46:17 +0000 angelnina http://angelnina.wordpress.com/?p=1075 ]]>

I took this photo at Alki Beach in West Seattle.

Alki is one of my favorite places to go and hang out.   The views are amazing.

When my son was a teenager, we used to drive here, do homework at the Alki Bakery and talk for hours.  He was 16 and we were both in college.  He remained in college, and I left after a year.   I miss those days.

ABOVE:  Western Avenue in Seattle, sits just beneath Pike Place Market

I just love the artwork on this building.  Driving by it I am reminded of the wildlife we have so close to the city. I’m also reminded of all the wonderful artists who live among us.

Mark and I were lucky enough to see a pod of beautiful Orca Whales on a visit to the San Juan Islands.  It’s about an hours drive, plus a ferry ride, from home.    On this winter day, I was satisfied with the Orca painting.

I was in the city to visit the market, World Spice Merchant, and The Spanish Table.

If you love to cook, the Seattle area is a great place to live.

I am grateful to live in Western Washington, for many reasons, and near the top of my list, is the fact that we have so many wonderful second hand shops, estate sales, and antique stores.  I can usually find whatever I need, and it’s always good to know I’m recycling at the same time.

The Mexican pottery serving bowl, above, screamed out to me when I spotted it a few weeks ago.  I have been searching for Mexican pottery, unleaded of course, to serve my Mexican or Spanish dishes in.    I was inspired by the cookbook “Frida’s Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo” (which I scored at a second hand store!)

I’ve been enjoying reading through this cookbook.  The recipes all sound unique, and the photographs are amazing.  I have made the Mexican Red Rice, and it is a favorite now.  Simple too.

ABOVE: Angelnina’s Version of Karen’s Angel Hair Pasta

After a day of shopping, I wanted to make a flavorful, but quick, dinner.  We didn’t stick to the Spanish theme, but I love this Angel Hair Pasta dish.   It is adapted from a recipe emailed to me by a woman in San Francisco, and I think it was called: Karen’s Pasta. I’ve since changed the recipe quite a bit, so for now, it remains nameless.

For the recipe and a a few of my gardening notes, please click to keep reading…

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 Tbsp fresh chopped garlic

pinch red crushed pepper (optional)

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/4 cup fresh basil

* 1 lg can plum tomatoes (buy whole and chop them yourself) *-SEE NOTE

2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes,packed in oil, chopped

1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped

6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

12 ounces angel hair pasta, cooked al dente

1/4 cup grated parmesan reggiano

1 Tbsp fresh Italian parsely, finely chopped

Heat olive oil and garlic with optional pinch of dried crushed red pepper.  Don’t let your garlic brown–as soon as you see sizzling garlic–move on to next step.

Add chopped can tomatoes (with some or all juice).  Let simmer about 20 minutes or less.

Add  fresh chopped tomato, salt, pepper, basil, and sun dried tomatoes.

Cook over medium high heat until fresh tomatoes begin to wilt.

Add spinach and pine nuts.  Cook until spinach wilts.

Add feta cheese and cooked pasta.  Toss well.

Transfer to a serving plate and top with parmesan and fresh chopped Italian parsley.

Make a nice dinner salad, and pour yourself a glass of wine– enjoy!

*NOTE:  You may cook this dish without the canned tomatoes–just add 1/2 cup olive oil, rather than 1/3 cup and skip this step if you prefer your pasta with an oil sauce for a night.

ALSO, you may add the canned tomatoes, chopped, with half the liquid or all the liquid–suit your taste.

Gardening Notes:

The Spring gardens should be in by the end of this weekend.  I’ll take some photographs to share.  I see shallots, garlic, chives, artichokes, fava beans, and collards are all up–alive and well.  I will need to move the vegetables, that aren’t ready to eat,  to a more permanent perennial garden.  My raised beds need compost, and I didn’t plan the garden as well as I could have.  I’m still finding my way as I go.

I planted rhubard, given to me by my step-sister.  I don’t think it will produce this year, but I really don’t know.  I just love a fresh rhubarb and strawberry pie.   Speaking of strawberries, my plants have sure multiplied, and it looks like I’ll have to move those too.   The raspberries all grew buds before I had the chance to move them to my backyard.  I think I’ll leave them sit again for this summer.  I just don’t want to risk losing a single berry.   If I don’t act fast, I’m going to have a raspbery patch blocking the front of my house.

If any of you wonderful gardeners have suggestions, please pass them along.  I have learned more from word of mouth than from any gardening book I’ve read.

I think I’m finally getting my energy back!

It’s been a long time.  I grew tired of the physical and occupational therapy.  I actually quit.  I decided enough is enough, and I’m ready to get back in the game.

The first thing I did was hit the thrift shop!

I have always wanted one of those rainbow wooden spoons, and the measuring cup/scoops are my greatest find!  They are stainless steel, and perfect for bread baking.

The vintage colander went to my son and his fiance.  I swear by vintage colanders, and the star pattern is my favorite.

I decided to get my hair cut yesterday.  The color had grown out, and I missed the ease of shorter hair.

This is how shaggy I was looking a few weeks back….

ABOVE: Castlerock Winery -Concrete, WA

I haven’t had a chance to get a picture of the shorter cut, but at least the big hair is somewhat under control.

Food wise, I’ve discovered a very easy and healthy snack.  It makes it easy for me to get an apple, an orange, and a banana down–all in one dish.

No cooking required.  Simply chop an apple, slice a banana, peel and chop an orange–squeezing the juice from half the orange into the salad, add some shredded unsweetened coconut, and chopped pecans.  It tastes like dessert!

Have a favorite healthy snack?  Please, let me know!