Arugula-Quinoa Salad- Back to Health Monday!

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I am always looking for new healthy salad recipes, especially those that use ingredients I already have in the refrigerator. This recipe started with my idea to use wheat berries, but, I didn't have time for the 10-18 hours of soaking. So, easy for me, I used my fancy, smancy colorful quinoa, I bought at Whole Foods in the bulk section. I see a recipe as more of a guideline and not a code. Usually, if you like the ingredients, you will like the outcome!

Pepper Popper's

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Remember this beautiful arrangement I made for Cinco de Mayo? Well when the tulips wilted, I was left with 25 little peppers! So, I decided to make pepper popper's! Wee Bear's fraternity brothers were flying in for golf, fun and reminiscing............... 

Three mushroom risotto....KILLER!

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I really haven't had a problem thinking what to offer on the blog!! There is so much in my head, recipes, quilts, crafts. Add to that, the many requests!

As promised, here is a risotto we love, inspired by my daughter. Holly works full time and takes the time to create tasty, health conscience meals, with her husband Nate Dogg!  We love creating in the kitchen or at the barbeque together, we laugh and joke and have so much fun creating and learning from each other. Warning: This is great for the arm!! So, if you have a little jiggle in that arm, make this!

It's back to Health Monday!! Flank steak with Mango salsa

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What a perfect weekend! So, much to be thankful for. I am hoping that everyone had a fun filled weekend with family and friends.

 Warm Spring days are here and there is one thing I can hardly wait to taste. Luscious, sweet mango's!  Today, I am offering Flank steak with a peppy, sweet mango salsa, and guess what! It is so easy to prepare! This figure friendly recipe is just in time for the sweet mango's that are coming into our super markets. I recently bought two six packs of champayne mango's at Costco, JACKPOT!!

 A comfort food. Mango's really can make you feel better! Beyond being delicious and rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, mango's contain an enzyme with stomach soothing properties similar to papain found in papayas. These comforting enzymes act as a digestive aid and can be held partially responsible for that feeling of contentment we experience during and after our daily mango ritual. I have a mango every morning with raspberries and blue berries. Yes, it is quite natural to crave those mango's!

 To tell if your mango is ripe, check the area around the stem. If this area appears to be plump and round, the mango is ripe. Beware! Most mango fruit sold in stores are not quite ripe. Leaving the fruit on the counter for a few days at room temperature will help to ripen the fruit.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! Lemon Madeleine's

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My Mom, she is in her 20's and hunting with my Father. She could have been a pin up girl! Beautiful! If you look closely, you will see the deer walking behind her. I am not sure if this is real, or my Father was ahead of his time with photo shop!!(my Father took photography classes and was very creative and ahead of his time, I am suspect, but either way, he was clever and had a sense of humor) However,  I am told it is real! "Mom...look behind you!"

Let's make a footed cake plate for MOM!

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 Happy 1st Mother's Day!

Wee Bear and I are exuberant, we have two newborn grandchildren! One born October 16, 2011 and the second born April 26, 2012, almost two weeks old. Needless to say, we are thrilled. Seeing our children go through the various stages in their life, and now to be parent's themselves, couldn't make us more proud and happy. It is a special Mother's day for our two new Mom's, Congratulations  and Happy Mother's Day to Laura, Mother to Julia and to Sarah, Mother to Emma.

Cousin's! These two precious beauties will grow up together and share lots of fun memories together. What a miracle.... these little lives.

Cupcake Bouquet for Mom!

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My cupcake bouquet was a Thank you for our security staff, they were thrilled!!

  I have seen the Cupcake Bouquet on Pinterest and a few blogs, but,  I couldn’t find a good guide on making them, so I put together a step by step photo tutorial for you so you can make one too. It’s really not that hard – put them on some toothpicks into a Styrofoam ball, and pipe on the butter cream frosting.   Done!

I think a cupcake bouquet would be a pretty gift for Mother’s Day. It would be nice for so many other occasions too – graduation, bridal or baby showers, birthdays, as a get well gift, or just as a thinking of you gift, for a dear friend who needs a smile (and yummy treat). This is the first one I’ve made and I like how it turned out.  I used tissue paper, but, silk leaves would work as well as, cello wrap. I thought about fondant, but, after some careful investigation, I found out it would dry and crack and fall off. (Wee Bear was thrilled to be a part of this investigation;-)

The tip is a Wilton 1M and the pastry bag is a 16" Featherweight. The hole that is cut on the bag is too small. Just take your scissors and cut a tiny bit off, and fit the tip into the bag, until you can see the 1M prongs completely (about 1/3inch). This may take a few trims of the bag, but, be careful, don't trim off too much. You can use the disposable bags as well.

What you will need:

cup cakes ( I did mini's)

a flower pot

1/2 styrofoam ball (JoAnn's or Michaels)

pastry bag

flower tip

toothpicks

floral wire

tissue paper

Put the styrofoam 1/2 ball into the pot.

Make holes into styrofoam with toothpicks. There will be two toothpicks in each cupcake.

Take the toothpicks out of the styrofoam and wiggle/twist into the cupcake carefully.

Put all the cupcakes into the styrofoam, carefully. then pipe the frosting on, starting at the center and moving in circular motion all the way out to the edge.

Next, take about three inches of floral wire and fold over. 

Make strips of tissue, about 3-4" long and 2" wide and attach each to the folded wire with a tiny piece of scotch tape.

Poke them in between the cupcakes, and into the styrofoam.

Total time including making the cupcakes, approximately 2 hours.

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     Happy 2 month Anniversary to my BLOG!!

 Thank you to my viewers, which now number over 3000!! I have reached every continent, but Antartica!! With many viewers in France, Switzerland, Germany, UK, Italy and 75% of you are U.S.A.!! I am thrilled!! Keep your e-mails, comments, and FB e-mails coming, I am getting to your requests as quickly as I can!! This week, will be all about Mother's Day, with some inexpensive, fun ideas to make for Mom! Some of the projects are child friendly!! Thanks again to YOU, my audience!! Cheers! Joan

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                            Update on our little Mommy in our flower pot.

                                  Her little chick was born, so cute.

                                                   2days old

                                               8 days old

                                  Congratulations to our Mama!