if not now...when?

crafty, creative, and inspired

i always find that i enjoy the fall. the colors suit my home. the flavors please my palate. i love summer but there is just something about the fall.

i made the bakerella pumpkin pie bites. now i know how to cook. bake even. but, still, i don't think bakerella will have to worry about me stealing any of her well-deserved thunder. my pies tasted fine, but they just weren't as cute as hers...

 

i have most of my halloween decorations up. i still have to some work on the outside, and i think i am missing a box of decorations. 

 

getting ready to decorate. i made a new vintage-y frame/bulletin board to put over my fireplace. it's home to a spooky spider and some bats right now, but i need to venture out this week for a web to finish if off. i'll take pics when its done. but i am always happy to see my trick or treat banner from paris to the moon and my adorable felt pumpkin garland from kerry (who has an awfully cute new fall blog banner BTW).  

i did some shopping today. ventured out to south coast plaza. i used to love that mall before i had kids (well, and before i gained weight after having kids, but i digress...). today, i really just felt like it wasn't for me anymore. it's just too much. i love some the stores like williams sonoma and sur la table, but i can get those much closer to home now. i did find this amazing art collage in the window at a surfer/skater store called element. LOVE this - don't really know what the art in the window had to do with the store, but i'm glad it was there.

 

i know beth will love this... maybe i can make her one for christmas! ;)

off to ikea after the mall to get a small table for the kids computer. they had the most interesting concept there. i have always loved the little housing vignettes that they do in the store, showing a small house completely decorated in their furnishings. well, they have taken that to a whole new level. they have put up two small manufactured homes in their parking lot. one is just under 1,100 sq ft, and the other is about 1,700. completely decorated with funky ikea decor, but actually really nice homes in themselves. very cute and very effective marketing, both for ikea and the manufactured home seller. i loved this wall decor - i've seen this done many times on many blogs over the past couple of years. thought this one was very nicely done.

yes, everything in the house has an ikea price tag on it. very funny!

have a great rest of the weekend!    

 

i love san clemente

i wanna live there when i grow up! ;)

i miss my hometown, even if i just live a few miles away.

taken today at the san clemente farmer's market and around del mar.

 

 

   

     

hope everyone had a lovely weekend. i know i did! :)

i can't be a farmer, but i can shop at the farmer's market!

  visit my flickr!

as summer starts to race upon us, there is no better way to celebrate the season than to visit your local farmer's market!! we will be at the beach this summer, and i am really looking forward to being able to visit this great little farm. they have the BEST strawberries EVER!!

the LA times has a columnist writing about farmer's markets, recipes, and farm market fare. i wish the register would add this kind of info to their food column online... more of a focus on orange county. here is a google map that gives locations and times for southern california farmer's markets.

***ETA: YAY oc register - they are starting a farmer's market section!! i wonder if she read the same times article that i did?? ;) ***

View Where to find your local farmers market in a larger map

slow foods usa also has links to local chapters that can guide you to local markets and other sources for good, natural food. 

i just really enjoy getting outside in the beautiful weather - getting some good, fresh food from some hardworking people who actually care about food. i try to buy mostly organic fruits and veggies all year round, but the spring and summer bounty make the farmer's market practically irresistable! :-)

also looking forward to finishing this book: lots of recipes and even more reasons to eat real food.

 

looking forward to a holiday weekend, complete with night at the museum II and another weekend at the beach!

'tis the season...

for appetizers!

these little frittatas are soooo good. i made them in a mini cupcake pan. it worked perfectly. they weren't hard to make, but they did take a lot of work, if i remember correctly...

from cooking light (can you tell i like that magazine?):

Individual Potato-Bacon Frittatas

Yield

6 servings (serving size: 2 frittatas)

Ingredients

• 3/4  pound  small red potatoes (about 6)
• Cooking spray
• 1/2  cup  chopped onion
• 1/2  cup  chopped red bell pepper
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese
• 4  bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (drained)
• 1 3/4  cups  egg substitute
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook 25 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool slightly. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat. Stir in potato, cheese, and bacon.

Combine egg substitute, salt, and black pepper. Spoon vegetable mixture evenly into 12 muffin cups or 6-ounce ramekins coated with cooking spray. Pour egg mixture evenly over vegetable mixture. Bake at 375° for 18 minutes or until set. Remove from muffin cups, and cool slightly.

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here is a fun holiday/wintery event i found for this weekend. these snow events are always fun. i would be going if sarah wasn't sick... :(

20th Annual Winter Wonderland

Saturday, December 6th

10:30am-1pm

Bonita Creek Park (3010 La Vida, Newport Beach

Celebrate the warm sounds of holiday mustic and enjoy 100 tons of snow with the Recreation and Senior Services Department during the 20th Annual Winter Wonderland Event. Bonita Creek Park is transformed into a winter escapade, with sledding, snowman building, holiday crafts and more. Although Santa and his elves are busy, they will make a special visit. Throughout the festivities, food and photos will be for sale. Additional parking and shuttle service is available in the lot located at 1701 Camelback Street.

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here is a link for a map to a christmas light display in aliso viejo. greenbriar is the main street with the lights, but they are really kind all over the whole area. i haven't been this year, but there were lots of good displays here.

apparently, i don't have street addresses saved for a lot of the really good lights that we go to every year. i will be on a MISSION this weekend, out finding them and bringing them to you. i hope that there are a lot of you who love christmas lights like we do! :)

i actually scrapbooked last night for the first time in about 6 months. when i get all my stuff organized, i'll post some pictures of the merry day album i'm working on! it was so fun to get out and see some friends! ;)

3 weeks and counting people!!! :D

button lovers, check this out!

from martha stewart, look at this totally darling button wreath!

how fun and easy this would be to make with your kids. i know that i am not the only scrapbooker who got caught up in buying 2,968,563 buttons. time to dig into the stash. ;) martha has a bunch of other button ornaments that you can make, but i love the simplicity of this.

i was wondering in anyone has ever made homemade marshmallows? i saw a recipe for them here, and i wondered if they are worth the trouble? one of the commenters over there said they taste just like store-bought. i thought the little stars were soooo cute... it makes me want to make hot chocolate! :)

*happy thanksgiving to you*

we had our cute little politically incorrect thanksgiving feast at the kids school today. they all made macaroni necklaces and pilgrim and indian hats. they ate a turkey feast, and chased each other around the playground. we dodged the rain - whew! here are a couple of pics of the kids in their finery. :)

next year, they both get to be pilgrims - they are very excited! :)

i took my pumpkin crunch cake to the feast that we prepared for the teachers and staff. they got "real" food. i don't know how "thankful" we would appear if we made them eat that school food. **shudder** everyone loved the cake and wanted the recipe, so i thought i'd share it here. it's not my recipe - i'm not even sure where i got it, but dang, it *is* good!

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

1 can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) -- (29 oz.)

1 can evaporated milk -- (12 oz.)

1 C. sugar

3 eggs

1/4 tsp. cinnamon  (i use a little cinnamon and a little allspice)

1 box yellow cake mix

1 C. chopped nuts (i use pecans)

1 cup butter -- melted and cooled

Frosting:

1 pkg. cream cheese -- (8 oz.)

3/4 C. Cool Whip

1/2 C. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9" x 13" pan with waxed paper. Mix pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and cinnamon together and pour into pan. Sprinkle yellow cake mix (dry) over pumpkin mixture and pat nuts on cake mix. Spoon melted butter over nuts evenly. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then carefully invert and peel off waxed paper. Let cool for about 30 minutes. Mix frosting ingredients together, frost cake and refrigerate.

BEWARE!!!! this dessert is terrible for you, but you won't be able to stop eating it, and anytime you take it to a gathering, people will want you to bring it forever and ever and they'll also want the recipe! ;) it's sooooo good!

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to my so cal readers, here is something you might want to look into for some serious christmas fun. the fillmore and western railway up in fillmore, CA (west of valencia and magic mountain) offers a christmas tree train. you and your family take an old-fashioned train ride to a local christmas tree farm to pick a fresh christmas tree. your tree is cut down and loaded on to a train flatbed for your trip back to their vintage train depot. they also offer a north pole express train and dinner with santa. fillmore isn't exactly close to orange county... but we don't have too many options for fun things like this locally. they have pictures on their website. i don't know if i am going to make it up there this year, but i would love to hear about it if anyone does. we have gone up there for the thomas and friends days, and it is a great daytrip for something really unique. :) and with gas prices way down, this might be a fun way to spend a day!

i hope that everyone has a wonderful thanksgiving full of family, food, love, and lots to be thankful for. we will be spending the day with family tomorrow, and i just feel with all of the uncertainty in the world right now, it is important to remember how much we DO have to be thankful for. it's easy to forget when we hear so much doom and gloom in the news. i know that for me - we have our children and everyone is happy and healthy. seriously, what more could i ask for? yep. lots to be thankful for in my neck of the woods. (((((hugs))))) to all my friends out there. i am also so thankful for YOU! :) happy thanksgiving!

the cooking begins...

i'm not hosting thanksgiving - thank god - but tonight, i made homemade cranberry sauce from scratch. i'm actually not a huge thanksgiving food fan, but i might like cranberry sauce now. :)

(and the following is one of the reasons why i'll never be like the pioneer woman or those other fancy food bloggers - the light in my kitchen completely bites... :P)

it was my first time! thanks, cooking light.

Basic Cranberry Sauce

Make this tangy-sweet sauce up to two days ahead, and refrigerate it. Serve with turkey, chicken, quail, duck, or ham.

Yield

14 servings (serving size: 2 tablespoons)

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup  packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2  cup  fresh orange juice (about 2 oranges)
• 1/4  cup  water
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  honey
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground allspice
• 1  (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries
• 1  (3-inch) cinnamon stick

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Discard cinnamon stick; cool completely.

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i hope they don't all want the canned stuff! ;)

here is another recipe i totally want to try - this would be great if someone was having a small-ish dinner for one of the holiday - really good for NYE! from ina garten, how GOOD does this sound??

Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese

Preheat the oven to 375; get a bunch of pears (Anjou pears, ripe but firm) one for every two guests you'll have. Cut the pears in half, scoop out the middle, cut a sliver off the back of the pear so it'll sit flat in a baking dish. Toss the pears with lemon juice so they don't turn brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish (or a few baking dishes, depending on how many pears you're roasting.)

Mix together 3 oz. crumbled blue cheese (like Stilton), 1/4 cup dried cranberries, and 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts halves (using more of each in equal proportion for more pears; this recipe is for 3 pears) and stuff the pears with a ball of the mixture. Finally, mix together 1/2 cup apple cider, 3 Tbs port, and 1/3 cup light brown sugar--then pour over and around the pears. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until tender. Set aside and let come to room temperature.

Take a bunch of arugula, dress with lemon juice, olive oil, and some of the basting liquid from the pears. Mound on plates and place a pear on top; easy and beautiful.

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i MUST make these pears. :)

THANK YOU so much to all of you who still read my blog and had the awesome words of encouragement for me to come back. it made me feel all warm and happy inside! :) and tell me, what are YOU having for thanksgiving this year?

we made butter!

and it was oh, so fun and satisying! :)

i stumbled on to this cool website after stumbling around a bunch of eat local websites. she had a cool little post about making your own butter with your KITCHEN AID! sarah was anxious to help after we bought this apron for her at anthropologie today. (it's a little bit big on her.)

but anyways....  this is when i really, really wish that i had better lighting in my kitchen. hmmm, we have the lights ordered. i guess i  need to see when they are getting installed. it sucks to take pics in there. but here we are.

my old, old kitchen aid. if it ever dies, i promise to buy one of the big, colorful mixers they have at williams sonoma! but this trusty little thing has been with me for for gosh, 15 years?

 

but it is still whirring along...

and we have butter!! not only that, we have buttermilk, too! :) just in time for pancakes sunday morning!

the instructions (which originally came from here) said not to use ultra-pasteurized whipping cream, but that was all i could find. :( i went to two different stores - and the best i could do was horizon organic. i'll have to keep looking around and see if maybe whole foods has it. i'd like to see what difference it makes...

but really, this ultra-pasteurized version tastes great to me! it was pretty exciting to see whipping cream transform itself like that. i really am a city girl, aren't i?

maybe there is still hope for this one. isn't she cute?

and in a little bit of blogging housekeeping, it doesn't look like i have been hit with this new typepad posting format that i keep reading about. i'm a little skeered - it sounds a little messed up. i guess they haven't rolled it out 100%, and they haven't switched me over. i'm anxious to see what it's like.

we saw indiana jones and the crystal skull yesterday afternoon. the kids and i really enjoyed it. not as good as raiders or the last crusade, but better than temple of doom. we were entertained, and that says a lot since we rarely go to the movies. much more excited about this!! i cannot wait. and if carrie and big don't get married, well, i am just going to cry!

what we've been doing...

finally, after a week of clouds and gloom, it is sunny and springy again here in california. thank god. it's may!! what is up with the early june gloom?? *grumble grumble*

here are some pictures we took today. we have a little birdy who made her nest right outside our front door. i love that! she is such a good mama - always watching over her nest. spring has come to our yard!

and finally, some blue sky. it has been a while since we have seen any of that! ;)

mother's day was very nice - we went to visit my in-laws, and i got some cool stuff. my mom is out of town, so we didn't get to see her. here is a picture of my favorite mother's day gift!! ok, now i had to order it myself, but my husband was happy that i got something i love! :)

seriously, this girl, lisa leonard, rocks this jewelry! and she's a california girl. check her out.

i also got a tent (don't laugh - i asked for it!!), a gift certificate from sephora, and roses, along with the goodies the kids made for me at school. sarah's class made little jars of cinnamon sugar - so cute! :) it was a good day! :)

we have been doing some crafting around here... maybe it has to do with the weather being too crappy to even want to leave the house.... here are some goodies i have made! :) my beading skills are getting better. (however, my photography skills could use a little brush-up.)

bracelets i made for myself - i really like these!

a little necklace i made for sarah - she has the matching anklet, but who knows where it has ended up...

and i have been working on my little house from lori marie's class at artistic affaire. i am really enjoying this project. i am not an experienced embroiderer, but i do enjoy it. :) it can be relaxing. my little house is far from finished, but here is my doormat! ;)

another sure sign of the season - strawberries from one of the few farms remaining in orange county. i love this place - i know i have blogged about it before. i was going to join their CSA with my parent before the left town again. but since they are going to be gone a lot, we have just been going down there every week and picking out some goodies. aah, the food of the gods, if you ask me:

fresh farm grown organic strawberries, organic shortcakes, and fresh whipping cream. i could seriously live on this stuff. too bad real whipping cream has 50 calories (and all 50 of them are FAT) per TEASPOON! :P

and last, but certainly not least, last week, i ventured down to northern san diego county - beautiful area - valley center, northeast of escondido. very rural, horse and chicken and llama farms. my kinda place! so pretty. BUT i was not there for the country life - far from it! i went to the duran duran concert at the valley view casino. it was an interesting place - actually, it was a nice venue. SMALL - which is great! and the boys did not disappoint! love them so much - they could not be any cooler, even if simon is turning 50 this year!!! holy crap - that makes me feel old!! :P loved hearing notorious, last chance on the stairway, sunrise, save a prayer, reflex... so many good songs. i don't love their collaboration with timbaland and justin timberlake, and they did play a lot of new songs, but the oldies and goodies more than made up for it. i love them so much! :D

i couldn't get very good pictures with the crappy little point and shoot. the lighting on the stage was just too much for it to contend with... but i'll leave you with a little shot of simon! ;) have a great week!

happy spring!

spring is here, spring is here! it's warm and sunny here, aside from the fog in the morning. one. more. day. of school before spring break! woo hoo! i am JEALOUS of all of you out there with multi-week spring breaks. we don't even get good friday off. *pout*

i did some scrapping last weekend. used some new *pink paislee* (and i have LOTS more to use!!), cosmo cricket, and the freckle friends march collection. i'll have a couple of layouts up tomorrow or saturday. here is the cover of a little book i did for jack of our trip to JPL last year.

         

i posted some pics of the inside over in my freckle friends gallery. i got to use some of the new cogsmo paper - very fun!

i didn't get the sweater from the last post. i got these (and a little melon sweater) instead. the buttons weighed down to the blue sweater too much...                         

a little more color that i usually wear, but i got a lot of compliments on the little red tunic shirt. :)

walking 4 miles, 3 days per week, and feeling pretty good about that. :)

we are going for an easter egg hunt and brunch at my mom's house. i'm thinking about taking this sausage and cheese breakfast casserole from cooking light. i'll have to let you know how it tastes. i love the column in cooking light where they make over high calorie, high fat recipes... and i also love that they focus on healthy, good food, moreso than "fat free" or sugar free. (although, i have started getting "light" sour cream and cream cheese, and reduced fat cheddar. i have so impressed by the taste. BUT i have been getting horizon organic brands of those products. i wonder if that makes a difference? i saw a recipe in a magazine at the gym for a lemon mousse, and it was made with splenda. ick. i guess you can just interchange splenda and sugar in equal amounts, yes?? does anyone know for sure? i would just rather eat a little sugar instead of eating all of those chemicals. it makes me shudder.... and hey, that is one of the reasons i like organic. no chemicals, no genetically modified food. holy crap - we are all going to turn into mutants if we keep eating this crap...

too many crappy things going on in the world - gang wars in LA, budget cuts in our schools, the supermessy presidential race. anyone else feel like just cocooning in their houses and growing some good tomatoes?? ;)

but, like i said, beautiful spring is here. the hills are quite green from the rain this year. i think i'll just soak that in and enjoy life. i hope you will, too! :) have a wonderful weekend!