Welcome Spring!

We are well into the first week of March and these tulips are just so lovely.  Our little cottage by the lake is bright and sundrenched with it's huge windows, a perfect place for these treasures.

Anyone who knows me, knows about my obsession with blue Mason jars!  

This one hangs at an angle on the side of my kitchen cabinet. I wrapped the neck securely with some copper wire, and made a simple loop.  Then, I hung this with a simple screw-in teacup hook.  Super easy and how darling is this!?

I love to put fresh peonies or big pink carnations in there!  :)  

I hope this inspires you to do something similar, sometimes simple is best!

Have a lovely weekend!

_/\_ namaste

Karen

Layered Salad - YUM YUM YUMMY!

Truly, this is the easiest thing in the world, the hardest part of this is the prep, and that's not even a big deal!  But this dish packs a wallop if you have been asked to bring s dish to pass and there's never a tiny bit left!

Of course, you can add or delete any ingredient you like, and a glass bowl is an absolute must! I love this bowl because the sides are nice and high, highlighting all of my pretty layers.

Here's how this is done:  I"m not going to be super specific as far as amounts, or types of veggies, so that you can use your own creativity.  

Layered Salad

Lettuce (I use romaine mixed with dark leaf lettuce)

Green pepper

Carrot ( I use my peeler to make ribbons)

Roma tomato (seed these)

Frozen sweet peas (OMG DON'T use canned peas!)

Hard boiled eggs ( I added 5)

Sharp cheddar cheese

Bacon bits (make your own or use store bought REAL bacon bits

Mayo

Sour Cream 

Sugar

Salt and Pepper

Parmesan cheese.

Let's build our salad

First, prep all veggies.  Once everything is chopped, peeled, boiled, and ready to go, begin assembling!

Here, I layered, in this order, lettuce, carrots. tomatoes, peas, green pepper, more lettuce, cheese, eggs, bacon and then my dressing.

In between each layer, add a bit of salt and pepper, not too much. Press each layer down, make this nice and compact.

To make your dressing (again, make to your own preference, taste as you go along), I used  a cup and 1/2 mayo, a cup and 1/2 sour cream, two tbsp sugar (really, don't skip this), and 1/4 tsp salt and a good amount of freshly cracked pepper.  

Spread this generously across the top, sealing at the edges.  Cover and let this sit in your fridge for 8 hours.

When ready to serve, add more grated sharp cheddar, pepper, and some fresh parmesan.

You could also add some croutons.

My husband doesn't care for onions, but I love a sprinkling of red onion, adds lots of color and flavor.

I hope that this inspires you to try your own recipes, I would love to see photos of your creations!

Happy salad making!

Namaste _/\_

~karen~

What's Up, Puddin' Cup?

YUM YUM YUMMY!

This is our favorite.  Homemade chocolate pudding must be one of the most satisfying comfort foods around.  And, while I have to believe that my version is much healthier than the Jello boxed mixes or the type that are found in the refrigerated section at the grocery store, this is in NO WAY a "health food!"  But I'm sure you know that.  This is strictly comfort food and it will cure what ails you.

Here, I have served this up with some whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry, but these small Mason jars come with screw on rims and lids for *ahem* single serving sizes, which will keep in your refrigerator for a while.  I have no idea how long, as this dessert never stays in my house for more than a couple of days. 

Here's my recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 
  
  

Directions

• In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa, semi sweet chocolate chips, cornstarch and salt. gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Spoon into individual serving dishes. Chill until serving. 

If you like, you may cover your warm pudding with some plastic cling wrap to avoid the "skin"....personally, I love the skin, and I think it gives the pudding homemade "cred." 

ENJOY!

Karen

Grand Haven in Winter

Isn't this just gorgeous?  It isn't even very cold.  Today is March 1, and everything here is "melty"...if you're a Michigander, you'll understand that term perfectly.

In two months, we will have lived here for a full year now, originally from Land Locked Lansing (or, more specifically, the Lansing area of Michigan), and we could not be happier.

Leaving all of the hurtful people and events that controlled our lives was only the beginning.  Now, we have the lake, the sun, and a brand new family.

But  this is only the beginning of our adventure. Soon we'll be gone from Grand Haven, too.

Another wonderful day, a snow day that I got to spend with my precious little Matthew.

Little Carved Carrot Hearts

We do not vaccinate.  

SO...with that, we count on fresh air, lots of fruits and vegetables, lots of sleep, copious amounts of clean, cold water, and carved carrot hearts.

Today, I made a delicious turkey and vegetable soup, with chickpeas, kale, corn, celery, garlic, onion, and...lots of little carved carrot hearts.

Not only is this just the cutest thing ever, it's well known to have great power to keep illness at bay, I swear!

We've made it through this cold/flu season without incident (so far)....knock on wood! :)

I'm sure it's the carrots.

These are rather self explanatory to make....simple, even.  Cut a "v" shape in the top, then use your peeler to shape the rest.  Easy peasy...it's the love that goes into this extra step that keeps illness at bay.

Enjoy!

Paleo Friendly Baked Eggs in Avacado Halves

These are heavenly.  

While baking, the shells of the avocados take on a smokey flavor and enhance the entire dish.  JUST delicious.

So here's how:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Halve your avocado, sprinkle inside with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, some cracked sea salt and some thyme.

Crack your (preferably organic) egg, discarding about half of the white, into the cavities.

Sprinkle top with a tad more extra virgin olive oil, more thyme, and a bit more sea salt.

Bake for about 10 minutes, checking your eggs every few minutes after that, and when they are done to your liking, remove from the oven.

Here's the hard part:  Let them cool a bit so that the flavors can continue to meld just a little.

Then, enjoy.  I like to have a piece of fruit alongside, these are savory and salty and smoky and just amazing!  

I hope you love these as much as I do.  Zero preservatives, zero high fructose corn syrup, no artificial anything, just simple, delicious, whole foods.
ava