Thursday, February 28, 2013

Coconut Soup with Chicken (Tom Kha Gai)


On Sunday M made a delicious Thai coconut soup with chicken (also known as Tom Kha Gai).  He included chicken, coconut milk, shrimp stock, carrots, broccoli, bamboo shoots, baby corn, mushrooms, fish sauce, Thai chili paste, basil, cilantro, ginger, lime juice, lime zest, lemon grass, butter, salt, and sugar. 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Mindfulness Collage Postcard

Using some quotes that I pinned on Pinterest and old Yoga Journal magazines, I created a mindfulness collage for this month's postcard.

My friend and I were inspired by a mutual friend to partake in a yearlong postcard project. Each month - for one year - we create and send postcards to one another.

Namaste.  

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Spinach, Red Pepper, and Bacon Quiche

Tonight for dinner I made a spinach, red pepper, and bacon quiche.  I used the base recipe that I usually use for quiche, with a few minor changes.  


Spinach, Red Pepper, and Bacon Quiche Ingredients:

10 ounces baby spinach
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 eggs
6 slices of bacon
1 red pepper diced, plus 10 slices for the top 
handful of fresh basil, chopped 
1/2 teaspoon thyme 
1/2 teaspoon oregano 
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste 
3/4 cup milk
8 ounces cottage cheese
1 pie crust
baking spray 
quiche dish, or pie pan 

Method:

1. Heat oil in saucepan.  Sauté onions, chopped red pepper, basil, and garlic. Add thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Next add the baby spinach and cook until spinach is wilted. Set aside to cool.

2. While the vegetables are cooking, fry the bacon in a separate pan.  Or if you're like me, microwave your bacon on a microwave-safe dish in between paper towels.  Four minutes was the perfect time for six slices of crispy bacon, but that may depend on your microwave. Years ago, with a lesser-powered microwave, the rule in our house was one minute per slice.  

3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl.  Add milk, cottage cheese, and spinach mixture to the eggs. Stir until blended. Set aside. I add a bit more thyme, oregano, salt and pepper here too. 

4. Spray the bottom and sides of a quiche dish/pie pan and unfold the pie crust into the pan.  You may have to stretch it, depending on the size of the dish. Poke bottom of pastry crust with a fork.  

5. Pour the spinach mixture into pie crust and arrange the 10 slices of red pepper you saved for the top, like flower petals.

6. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Enjoy!

NOTE - Do not forget to spray your dish before you put down the pie crust.  

Monday, February 25, 2013

Spinach Oatmeal Smoothie

M and I have been on a daily smoothie/juice kick for the last few weeks.  Our drinks are healthy and delicious - not sure why it has taken me so long to blog about them.  Therefore, you'll be seeing our favorite drink recipes in the upcoming posts. 

Today we had a spinach oatmeal smoothie, which was sweet, satisfying for breakfast, and such a pretty green. I never thought to add oatmeal to our smoothies until I saw some posts on Pinterest, like this one, or spinach for that matter.  Oh the power of Pinterest! 

For this recipe, you'll need:

1 cup cooked instant oatmeal with milk or water
1 banana
about 1/2 cup strawberry Kefir
about 1/2 cup orange juice 
a few tablespoons of chia seeds
handfuls of  fresh spinach

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients to the blender and liquify.

Na zdrowie! (Polish for drink to your health.) 

Sunday, February 24, 2013

I Love You Felt Ornament


I saw the I Love You (in sign language) ornament here and traced my own hand for M.  This ornament and several felt hearts were all placed on our Valentine's Day tree

Valentine's Tree


I used the same Christmas tree branches for Valentine's/Anniversary tree. Our anniversary is the day after Valentine's Day so I created a heart for each year, as well as an I Love You ornament.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Paint Chip Heart Garland

 
I ❤ this heart garland that has had a home in our kitchen archway since last Valentine's Day or so, when I saw this pin. It was simple and easy to make with a Martha Stewart heart-punch, some paint chips, and red DMC floss. 

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

V Day Paint Chip Postcards

This year for Valentine's Day I sent handmade postcards to my parents and Baci and Dziadziu.  I used a Martha Stewart Crafts Heart Punch to make the paint chip hearts.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Stuffed Heart Doily

 
 
Look at the hand-made stuffed heart doily my mother sent us for Valentine's Day!  She re-purposed one of my great grandmother's doilies into a Valentine sachet.