tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20078729570144702752024-03-19T02:30:54.310-07:00My Name is EileenAnd I'm a Girl With Too Many Interestsleeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-76082003294199438662013-04-15T21:40:00.001-07:002013-04-15T21:40:09.873-07:00Thoughts on BostonI just got back from a run that I needed to take in order to clear my head after the horrible bombings today at the Boston Marathon. My mind keeps wandering back to all of my finish lines, for marathons and shorter runs and triathlons, and I keep thinking about all of my friends and family who have waited for me at those finish lines. Today, some runners had their friends and family injured or taken away at the race today and I can't imagine their pain and sorrow. And some runners, who have been dedicated to their training for this race are injured and many are emotionally wrecked.<br />
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The feelings at the end of any race are exhaustion, utter elation and every other emotion that you can think of. But the vibe at every race is always overwhelmingly positive. The running community has to be one of the most supportive, encouraging and positive groups of people out there. Every person around you at a race is cheering you on and pushing you to do your best. I can't wrap my mind around the fact that some horrible person (people) felt the need to destroy such a beautiful day and event. Marathons aren't political or controversial, they are a gathering of people dedicated enough to finish a marathon and the people that support them. The only reason to attack a marathon is hatred of humanity and the desire to destroy it.<br />
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These people must be brought to justice, but no matter what the outcome, I know one thing. The running community will get together and support Boston, the lives lost and those injured will be remembered and this beautiful community of people from all different countries, backgrounds and athletic abilities will continue to be a positive place for anyone with a desire to move their feet.leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-24991838940194065592013-04-14T13:31:00.000-07:002013-04-14T13:38:38.226-07:00Easy & Casual Dinner Party<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The other night we had friends over for Bad Movie Night. We played a round of Apples to Apples and then settled in to watch Re-Animator. It was definitely a hokey, bad B-movie classic. Bad acting, bad effects and an over-the-top plot.<br />
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Because we were hosting on a Friday night, after a full day's work, I wanted to keep the menu simple and easy to do ahead. Five spice pork lettuce wraps and raw veggies for dinner followed by chocolate black-pepper cookies and homemade salted caramel sauce with vanilla ice cream.<br />
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<a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/five-spice-pork-wraps.html">Five Spice Pork Lettuce Wraps </a><br />
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My aunt and uncle have made this for us a few times and it's so good and perfect to make ahead, I think it's even better than cooking it on the same day. Making it the day before means you can refrigerate it, and skimming cold fat off of a recipe is always much easier than tediously spooning off liquid fat.<br />
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I used <a href="http://chinese.food.com/recipe/homemade-hoisin-sauce-312992">homemade hoisin sauce </a>in the pork recipe and to serve the wraps with.<br />
I subbed almond butter for the peanut butter and used honey instead of molasses, and it turned out quite well.<br />
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For dessert, I made Chocolate Black-Pepper cookies from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewarts-Cookies-Stewart-Magazine/dp/0307394549">Martha Stewart's Cookies</a>. </i>I made the dough the weekend before and froze it until the night before the party, so I could bake them off for the next night. For the salted caramel, I used another Martha Stewart recipe from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/CAKES-CUPCAKES-MARTHA-STEWART-LIVING/dp/B00BCTJOE6">The Best of Martha Stewart Living Cakes & Cupcakes</a>, </i>it keeps for quite a while in the fridge, so it's another easy thing to make ahead. Then I just served the two with good vanilla ice cream to round everything out.</div>
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<i>Chocolate Black-Pepper Cookies</i></div>
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Yield: 3 dozen</div>
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1.5 cups all-purpose flour</div>
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3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder</div>
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1/4 tsp. coarse salt</div>
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1/4 tsp. finely ground pepper, plus more for sprinkling</div>
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1 Tbsp., plus 1 tps. instant espresso powder (I used a Via packet)</div>
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1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon</div>
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3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature</div>
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1 cup granulated sugar</div>
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1 large egg</div>
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1 1/2 tsps. pure vanilla extract</div>
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Coarse sanding sugar, for edges (I used gold sanding sugar, for extra fun)</div>
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Sift together flour, cocoa, salt, pepper, espresso powder and cinnamon into a large bowl.</div>
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Cream butter and sugar in your stand mixer on medium until pale and fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and start adding dry ingredient mixture. Mix until combined.</div>
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Turn out dough onto parchment paper and roll into a log and roll up in the parchment. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (or freeze for a week, like me).</div>
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If you've frozen your dough, remove it from the freezer a couple of hours before you want to bake the cookies, if it was in the fridge just set it out for about 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll log in sanding sugar and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment or silpats. Sprinkle with black pepper.</div>
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Bake cookies until the center is just set, about 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.</div>
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<i>Salted Caramel</i></div>
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4 cups granulated sugar</div>
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1/4 cup light corn syrup</div>
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1/4 cup water</div>
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2 cups heavy cream</div>
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1 tsp. coarse salt</div>
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1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes</div>
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Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Keep brushing until sugar is dissolved and then continue to cook without stirring. Seriously, don't touch it. Cook it until it is dark amber and then remove from heat. Carefully pour in the cream and stir until smooth (it will spatter and steam, so watch out). Put back on heat and cook until it reaches 238 degrees (I didn't have a candy thermometer, so I just put in for a couple of minutes, until it bubbled for a bit). Pour caramel into medium bowl, stir in salt and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter, 1 cube at a time and cool completely.</div>
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This makes quite a bit of caramel sauce. I've used it as a filling for a cake and the sauce for this party and on random things for a couple of weeks, and I've still got some left.</div>
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leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-21649785755193520582013-04-07T12:35:00.001-07:002013-04-07T12:35:23.754-07:00So, I'm 30 Now...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I turned 30 about a month ago, and so far, it's been pretty great. I decided to update my 30 before 30 list and, I've also decided to revise the list to my 30 before 30 <i>is over</i>. <br />
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<li><strike>Run a half Iron Man</strike><i> I just finished this one on 03/30. I didn't really train enough, so I wasn't sure I would finish, but I did and it felt amazing. I'm currently scheming for my next one.</i></li>
<li><strike>Run a half marathon in 2:11 (10 minute miles)</strike><i> I did this one last June, I even got it down to 2:06:35!</i></li>
<li>Run a full marathon in 4:45 (I never said I was a fast runner)<i> I did run a full marathon last summer trying to attempt this, and it took me a little over 5 hours, but my hip was hurting so much that this one may never happen.</i></li>
<li><strike>Complete my ARE (architect's registration exam) </strike><i>Finished up this one by the end of 2012!</i></li>
<li><strike>Make croissants from scratch</strike> <i>Totally tried this and they were gross, will have to try again, though I've technically done it.</i></li>
<li>Make a new quilt for our bed <i>I'm currently making one, it's in the early stages, but it's going.</i></li>
<li>Go to New York <i>This may happen this year as a 30th birthday celebration for the hubs and I.</i></li>
<li>Develop remaining black/white film <i>No progress on this front</i></li>
<li>Make a legitimate wedding album <i>I made a test album with adorama pix to see the quality, so I've decided on a company</i></li>
<li>Go to either Central or South America <i>This is the other option for 30th birthday celebration with the hubs and I, looks like only one will get done this year though.</i></li>
<li><strike>Make macarons from scratch</strike> <i>I've done these a couple of times now, and may I just say,<a href="http://www.mynameiseileen.com/search/label/macarons"> yum</a>.</i></li>
<li>Sell something on Etsy <i>I've set up a store, but haven't added anything to it yet, maybe soon.</i></li>
<li>Design and purchase fabric from Spoonflower <i>Agh, I really just need to do this already, I have so many viable designs.</i></li>
<li><strike>Get my IRA into a proper mutual fund</strike> <i>Adult goal: achieved</i></li>
<li><strike>Add something every month to my IRA for at least 6 months</strike> <i>Ditto!</i></li>
<li><strike>Paint something worth framing</strike> <i>I just realized that I did this last year, I painted a portrait of my husband for his parents and they framed it</i></li>
<li>Ride a century <i>So far my furthest ride is the 56 that I just did in the half ironman, but this is still possible</i></li>
<li><strike>Fill a sketchbook with drawings, not to do lists</strike> <i><a href="http://www.mynameiseileen.com/search/label/sketch-a-day">Check</a>!</i></li>
<li><strike>Learn some French</strike> <i>What's your definition of 'some', I listened to some language cds before I visited there, counting it!</i></li>
<li>Help and encourage T to make a short film <i>Well, he's a little busy with his master's degree in the evenings, but I guess it's still possible.</i></li>
<li><strike>Have a vegetable garden</strike> <i>I grew exactly one tomato on my balcony last summer and basil and mint, I'm calling it.</i></li>
<li>Get licensed (the architectural variety, I can already drive)<i> I just have the California Supplemental Exam left, it will happen.</i></li>
<li>Learn Revit <i>Absolutely no progress has been made on this front.</i></li>
<li>Learn how to use manual settings on my camera <i>I'm about 60% there</i></li>
<li>Make 2 new dresses <i>I need a sewing room</i></li>
<li>Make a pair of pants (or shorts)<i> See above</i></li>
<li><strike>Read 20 books</strike> <i>I've finished this one many times over, I should have been more ambitious on this item</i></li>
<li><strike>Blog every weekday for a month </strike><i>Did<a href="http://www.mynameiseileen.com/search/label/sketch-a-day"> this one</a>, though it was clearly a <a href="http://www.mynameiseileen.com/search/label/photo-a-day">while ago</a>, it's been crickets around here lately</i></li>
<li>Write a short story <i>Not done yet</i></li>
<li><strike>Photograph something every day for a month</strike> <i>Again, <a href="http://www.mynameiseileen.com/search/label/photo-a-day">done a while ago</a>, haven't pulled out my real camera much since the iPhone cameras have gotten so much better.</i></li>
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So, the list is almost half done, I have got to get my butt in gear on some of these items.</div>
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I think I was high off of the endorphins from this race for days!</div>
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And for my 30th birthday, I decorated cakes at <a href="http://www.duffscakemix.com/">Duff's Cakemix</a>, like 30 year-olds totally do. I made flowers, out of fondant this time!</div>
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leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-79641984733536630942012-11-20T23:09:00.006-08:002012-11-21T00:16:41.997-08:00My Interpretation of Grandma's Dressing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My grandma grew up in New Orleans and her dressing is herbaceous and buttery because of this. I've been making it for a few years myself now, so I've altered the recipe a bit, but the mix of poultry seasoning, butter and bread just makes me happy. I thought it might make you happy too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmgOTtja358OtRFCGd40fE1kEuKqFR_Kc9pUt7dRrYI_0dgxPfdDhKK7OYqbK9NyoMzfA06HsJfqMPyqpG3DbwySfcL2EhFrufHbSiUlZFoKoAMHBK71yUEgUGMNV16cnyGlflmB2gEE/s1600/stuffing+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmgOTtja358OtRFCGd40fE1kEuKqFR_Kc9pUt7dRrYI_0dgxPfdDhKK7OYqbK9NyoMzfA06HsJfqMPyqpG3DbwySfcL2EhFrufHbSiUlZFoKoAMHBK71yUEgUGMNV16cnyGlflmB2gEE/s1600/stuffing+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Creole Dressing</b></div>
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<i>Makes 1: 9x13 pan</i></div>
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1 1/2 boules of good sourdough, cut into 1-inch cubes</div>
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2 cups onions, finely chopped<br />
1/2 cup green onions, chopped (white parts only)</div>
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1/2 cup parsley, chopped</div>
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1 pint of crimini mushrooms, sliced (Grandma uses oysters, I didn't grow up in New Orleans, so that's not my thing, but if it's yours, go for it)</div>
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2 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped</div>
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1 Tbsp. fresh thyme </div>
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1 stick (or 2) of unsalted butter</div>
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Salt, pepper and poultry seasoning* to taste<br />
1-2 cups of chicken or veggie broth<br />
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Cube the bread the night before and leave it in the oven on a sheet pan to dry out overnight. If this isn't an option, you can turn the oven on the lowest temperature (mine has a 'warm' setting) and dry the bread out for an hour or two. <br />
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Think of the bread as a sponge, the more of the bread's moisture that you can remove, the more it can be filled up with butter and broth.<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter your pan.<br />
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Dice and chop all of the veggies and herbs and get your biggest pot/pan ready with about 1/2 stick of butter. Start sweating the veggies, onions first, adding salt, poultry seasoning and pepper with each addition. Celery second, then mushrooms, green onions, and finally the herbs. In total, I probably end up using 1 Tbsp. of poultry seasoning, 1 tsp. of salt and a 1/2 tsp. of pepper. You just want everything limp, not totally browned.<br />
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Set aside all of the veggies in a bowl and add 1-2 Tbsp. butter to your pre-flavored pan. The next step is to brown the cubes of bread in some butter, you just want them lightly toasted. It takes a few batches to get through all of the bread, just set aside each batch and keep on browning until you're done.<br />
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Now mix the veggies with the bread and add broth throughout the mixing until the bread has soaked up as much as it can, but you don't want it soggy and dripping, everything just needs to be moistened. Then pat it all into the pan and bake for about a half hour. You want a little brown on the top and everything warmed up, but you don't want it to fully dry out. <br />
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If you're taking it to a dinner party, bring some broth with you to pour on the stuffing for re-heating, so that it doesn't get dried out.<br />
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<i>*Side note: I get my poultry seasoning from Penzey's spices, and I like it a lot.</i><br />
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leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-41257751341719637852012-10-21T15:18:00.000-07:002012-10-21T15:21:34.131-07:00EATZ<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Late this summer, my friend had her 'golden birthday' and her husband scored a million husband points by throwing her a party at <a href="http://www.eatzla.com/">EATZ LA.</a><br />
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Love the pomegranate apron!</div>
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She knew they were going to a cooking class, but she didn't know that all of the other attendees would be her friends until they arrived. Sneaky and amazing! <br />
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The menu was French, the chefs were so fun and I learned some new stuff. When you arrive, there are drinks and appetizers for everyone and you quickly get started with the cooking.</div>
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This is called 'bathing the baby', it's the totally technical way to poach an egg.</div>
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Then you put lardons on it and call it the salad course, mmm!</div>
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Apple slices, sage mayo, ham and cheddar grilled up to perfection. </div>
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Things I don't like: mayo, ham, cooked or warmed fruit. Things I love: this sandwich, which combines all three of those things. It's a conundrum.<br />
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Main course: ratatouille and porcini crusted filet.</div>
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Apparently the trick to a perfect steak is high heat and finishing off your steak by basting it in butter, then you top it with more butter to serve. It's worth the calories.</div>
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Dessert was raspberry white chocolate creme brulee, and you get to use a blowtorch, which is key.</div>
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I'd totally recommend <a href="http://www.eatzla.com/">EATZ</a> to anyone looking for a fun cooking class that results in a fantastic meal, some great drinks and a good time. The staff are professional, but super laid back and very fun. And you get all of the recipes e-mailed to you later so that you can re-create your favorites.</div>
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Now, my 30th birthday is coming up next year and the hubs has a major celebration to match. Just kidding, sort of.</div>
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leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-41064003801876412362012-10-15T00:11:00.000-07:002012-10-15T00:11:19.020-07:00Mini Chocolate Waffles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sorry about the hiatus, been busy since I got a job! Yeah, that's been great, and as the weather has cooled down, I've felt like getting back into my kitchen and making yummy stuff.<br />
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Today's goodies are mini-chocolate waffles with a dark chocolate glaze.<br />
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<b>Mini Chocolate Waffles</b><br />
Adapted from a recipe in <i>Martha Stewart's Cookies</i><br />
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Makes about 4 dozen<br />
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3 ounces unsweetened chocolate<br />
8 Tbsps. of unsalted butter<br />
1/2 c. applesauce<br />
4 large eggs<br />
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract<br />
1 c. granulated sugar<br />
1/2 c. brown sugar<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon<br />
1/2 c. cocoa powder<br />
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour<br />
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<b>Dark Chocolate Glaze</b><br />
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2 Tbsp. unsalted butter<br />
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder<br />
1/4 c. confectioner's sugar<br />
1 1/2 Tbsp. milk<br />
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For the waffles:<br />
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Melt chocolate, butter and applesauce in saucepan over low heat.<br />
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Mix eggs, vanilla and granulated sugar in large bowl of stand mixer, mix for 4-5 minutes until thick and pale yellow. Mix in chocolate mixture, salt, cinnamon, cocoa powder and flour.<br />
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Heat waffle iron until hot (with my waffle iron, I use the 6th highest out of 7 settings). Place 1 Tbsp. batter onto center of each waffle iron square and cook until your waffle iron beeps.<br />
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Transfer to wire rack or paper towels to let cool.<br />
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For the glaze:<br />
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Melt butter, then add remaining ingredients. Stir until smooth.<br />
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Once the waffles have cooled, dip one side halfway into the glaze. Just the raised edges of the waffles should be covered in glaze.<br />
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These are super quick to make and come out nice and cakey. My favorite adjective in a cookie recipe, if I do say so.</div>
leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-48298462647880242782012-08-21T16:29:00.000-07:002012-08-21T16:29:30.437-07:00Birthday Boy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My cousin's littlest boy is turning TWO!</div>
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His nickname is BOO!</div>
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We made him a <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/railway-train-cake-pan/">cake</a> that goes CHOO CHOO CHOO!</div>
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That is all.</div>
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leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-8779017644137580562012-08-06T08:00:00.000-07:002012-08-06T08:00:05.184-07:00Sculpted Flowers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This one was a while in the making. It's my mom's combined mother's day and birthday gift and it was still late on both counts. Oh well, I think that hand-delivering it to her in Texas makes up for that.<br />
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This is easily my favorite of all the pieces I've made recently, and that favoritism is directly proportional to how much time was poured into it.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The peony alone took a couple of days.</span></div>
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After seeing some of my flowers in other work, Mom requested a floral piece in 'Tuscan' colors, and I think that I delivered.<br />
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Because I couldn't find any 'Tuscan' frames with enough depth behind the glass for the flowers, I decided to give frame-making the old college try. I picked up some trim lumber, a miter saw, and wood glue and went to town. I also added decorative hinges to the corners of the frame to add a bit of detail. It's certainly not perfect, but it was quite a learning experience.</div>
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Anyone have a good source for frame-making supplies and/or instructions?</div>
</div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-79887023465356633702012-07-30T16:32:00.003-07:002012-07-30T16:32:55.534-07:00Wedding Papercut<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Some friends of mine were recently wed (on a lavender farm!!!), and I decided it was the perfect time to do a little papercutting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrC2slTaSj7HWd480cb1GnX2RXHIAIOXgHdI7d3gWYt4IISmU4pBFQNcWIrjypjS1y_bAs-eQGHwLQfFTBw9E6BASCX1MbwrzV98aHs5Wgc7xdxnNNK7Q7sO4ZuHEuMjAVBMzERI_6DbI/s1600/unframed+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrC2slTaSj7HWd480cb1GnX2RXHIAIOXgHdI7d3gWYt4IISmU4pBFQNcWIrjypjS1y_bAs-eQGHwLQfFTBw9E6BASCX1MbwrzV98aHs5Wgc7xdxnNNK7Q7sO4ZuHEuMjAVBMzERI_6DbI/s1600/unframed+pic.jpg" /></a></div>
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Font used: <a href="http://www.dafont.com/cafe-lounge-19.font">Cafe Lounge 19</a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">(As usual, I printed out my text and then altered the text and flourishes with pencil before using it as a cutting template.)</span></div>
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The butterfly, poppy and water detail are all elements in some of the couples' tattoos. And I chose an art nouveau looking font because the bride was using that style in her invites. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYUk9Icg2bX7nk-5gMWQ8buImWAljlm-fjciM8JBe5Voq3FePb4XTCIjuSMiGMUUTp60ssKi2NEyr0_g8-LwZ0yj3ojCJnydA24GoALYagHFKITgxgNDM_LCmrvlfqpgd7weHbObMVcw/s1600/poppy+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYUk9Icg2bX7nk-5gMWQ8buImWAljlm-fjciM8JBe5Voq3FePb4XTCIjuSMiGMUUTp60ssKi2NEyr0_g8-LwZ0yj3ojCJnydA24GoALYagHFKITgxgNDM_LCmrvlfqpgd7weHbObMVcw/s1600/poppy+detail.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenTKpvMbrKkNm4ZGHVQ1nIF5iYXmPDMIXUPpXllk8mxIL6LpnygtI_zPaJknrdy8giuJh-utUHCdKGLC5OQ3Y7n5uifhFedgQ-RH9II-W9y7KedXfRKVR17EiLtWN4aqAfD-CPieXSa8/s1600/butterfly+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenTKpvMbrKkNm4ZGHVQ1nIF5iYXmPDMIXUPpXllk8mxIL6LpnygtI_zPaJknrdy8giuJh-utUHCdKGLC5OQ3Y7n5uifhFedgQ-RH9II-W9y7KedXfRKVR17EiLtWN4aqAfD-CPieXSa8/s1600/butterfly+detail.jpg" /></a></div>
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So... I'm that weirdo that made the bride open her gift at her wedding. I love gift-giving because you get to see people's reactions to something I usually put a lot of thought into. Then my friends and I styled this as it sat at the wedding party table. Good thing the bride and groom are laid-back.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0lbAyLSIg4kFlFbQxYGahSCMgqzXSQPH6muutk5jQL_HA1w4RvSnOYdsIEFFLcgztrljlPzVEmg-6b1FKVF8J99hGR_nJqyx_PsLyQoO51ZThuOzL9FDL5NuII8klM9NzuyQjwJS_3k/s1600/styled+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0lbAyLSIg4kFlFbQxYGahSCMgqzXSQPH6muutk5jQL_HA1w4RvSnOYdsIEFFLcgztrljlPzVEmg-6b1FKVF8J99hGR_nJqyx_PsLyQoO51ZThuOzL9FDL5NuII8klM9NzuyQjwJS_3k/s1600/styled+pic.jpg" /></a></div>
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Did I mention the wedding was at a lavender farm...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCwzx2NzWXOQO3-P2gg14_6SOcqOertie00CppAPx4gUlKGCy5cdp9Q_cBZXeE7YYFENduxYjVozIEYJh2RMOva0auNDiFfYaVTv5rhN6lE4b-Xoisftv1DSiiHk4YZ9Ty9MlI8xBCKM/s1600/lavender+field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCwzx2NzWXOQO3-P2gg14_6SOcqOertie00CppAPx4gUlKGCy5cdp9Q_cBZXeE7YYFENduxYjVozIEYJh2RMOva0auNDiFfYaVTv5rhN6lE4b-Xoisftv1DSiiHk4YZ9Ty9MlI8xBCKM/s1600/lavender+field.jpg" /></a></div>
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And this is where I mention how much I miss the Pacific Northwest... so beautiful.</div>
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<br /></div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-63216310867015257522012-07-26T11:49:00.000-07:002012-07-26T11:49:31.927-07:00Wedding Monogram<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My cousin recently wed her sweetheart, so I whipped up a monogram for the happy new couple.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijX2Tf9f7ec7FD8hgaYY6S3Lec3tac-aR6cFcbzk0iC6zdJ1XFB_h2uHQMgMZ6IQ61K5jx9b-rHqK3BWIT3F9qEcttKSYcnQeUYrsHU4I47_v0QNlt9xJFrKUbcU8udhNvx4ehJiimjbI/s1600/monogram+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijX2Tf9f7ec7FD8hgaYY6S3Lec3tac-aR6cFcbzk0iC6zdJ1XFB_h2uHQMgMZ6IQ61K5jx9b-rHqK3BWIT3F9qEcttKSYcnQeUYrsHU4I47_v0QNlt9xJFrKUbcU8udhNvx4ehJiimjbI/s1600/monogram+small.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I really like the little heart in the bottom of the 'L'.</span>
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To make this one I drafted the letters onto the paper, taking lettering styles from some old calligraphy books given to me by an aunt.<br />
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I'm excited that my work is getting a little cleaner, which brings me to a favorite tool; <a href="http://www.dickblick.com/products/faber-castell-perfection-eraser-pencils/">eraser pencils</a>. They're so handy for cleaning up lines in tight spaces. Just remember to clean up the lines before any glue goes over them, glue will just seal that pencil line in.<br />
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<br /></div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-82469254111915048532012-06-03T21:04:00.000-07:002012-06-03T21:04:38.229-07:00For Helen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My grandma's best friend, Helen, passed away last week. She was a spitfire up to the last and I'm very grateful I had the opportunity to visit with her while I was in Texas over the holidays.<br />
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She had white hair and beautiful blue eyes, and I always remember her loving pastels. Her living room was bright and airy with white wicker and florals. So I made this piece for my grandma, in memory of her. I'll do my best to carry on her feisty ways.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHi4a082nvnH1KZJA-pzmpFg5-EW28754IeOVkYXJqWUgQ1vQFhBFFXllQ-PdyDG7TPwrlNljsW-LQH24Lendm6gAUcdALi1L6KQDYhhYKa4bco16oH9peIQgqYMthxieCFORktiw_09k/s1600/paper+flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHi4a082nvnH1KZJA-pzmpFg5-EW28754IeOVkYXJqWUgQ1vQFhBFFXllQ-PdyDG7TPwrlNljsW-LQH24Lendm6gAUcdALi1L6KQDYhhYKa4bco16oH9peIQgqYMthxieCFORktiw_09k/s1600/paper+flowers.jpg" /></a></div>
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I did a watercolor wash for the background and used different colors of Canson Mi Teintes papers for the flowers, stems and leaves. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-DmfNjHO-30r9AWUvNrWFMkemZB4tINJEV2UBs0I_Z5DKCjwVcEvgWtvmxIiGYCT1UvPlv0jtny_W1z3Gs05cck8f4qZtVlEqzQ6zMC06bAJvgedOHXxUIC9IGfJNQ09yuYKMc1S4yw/s1600/paper+camellia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-DmfNjHO-30r9AWUvNrWFMkemZB4tINJEV2UBs0I_Z5DKCjwVcEvgWtvmxIiGYCT1UvPlv0jtny_W1z3Gs05cck8f4qZtVlEqzQ6zMC06bAJvgedOHXxUIC9IGfJNQ09yuYKMc1S4yw/s1600/paper+camellia.jpg" /></a></div>
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The stamens are yellow trace paper, and some of the petals have watercolor washes or prismacolor pencil details.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0Y7xxY5ArWobHNB0tVeYJJakVa3gVnAScUSOjzhuf5rhVudi6OxYE8vgEQNN7Vp-4Et1nBG6aQxpESHUt73V83ch2f5k3hv9EcrZbPyB6qkLtwCYjZyTHu78ci5EqXhD9Nz3hhtPDzw/s1600/paper+lettering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0Y7xxY5ArWobHNB0tVeYJJakVa3gVnAScUSOjzhuf5rhVudi6OxYE8vgEQNN7Vp-4Et1nBG6aQxpESHUt73V83ch2f5k3hv9EcrZbPyB6qkLtwCYjZyTHu78ci5EqXhD9Nz3hhtPDzw/s1600/paper+lettering.jpg" /></a></div>
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The lettering is a lighter colored paper with prismacolor pencil over the top for a little bit of texture and depth.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBU6eQcCDNh2EcITI41mtnf4Kf6oZrz2zz2_Vqbj9Pl7zUzxQFg4apGx3ih03Nf2Gf8aO9B9o8SGcDtu8t7tfek4Tz9U3kTKYY1PxIoOka7Te0eO0vtWprGuAu-rEe2QjKU9c9KcT_qKs/s1600/paper+butterfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBU6eQcCDNh2EcITI41mtnf4Kf6oZrz2zz2_Vqbj9Pl7zUzxQFg4apGx3ih03Nf2Gf8aO9B9o8SGcDtu8t7tfek4Tz9U3kTKYY1PxIoOka7Te0eO0vtWprGuAu-rEe2QjKU9c9KcT_qKs/s1600/paper+butterfly.jpg" /></a></div>
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I think you can see that I was influenced by Carol Gearing's Paper Cut <a href="http://carolgearing.com/2009/01/02/growing-seeds/">Florals</a>, Just as I was back during my wedding for my paper <a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/2009/09/20/more-paper-flowers/">flower</a> <a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/2010/01/21/faux-to-booth/">wall</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2wffCPqMS6dP_7grxjqyqtMFgftc3WjzBOiKDYcl5F72p39Cy4FPftZ8RFOoxWCuwtdu6y5FEmqP-zwzSl_63yo_tZ4p4VuwRwsWrntbKROjdnW8oq7IP6kWFnUBfZ54F_1ydO1qifE/s1600/framed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2wffCPqMS6dP_7grxjqyqtMFgftc3WjzBOiKDYcl5F72p39Cy4FPftZ8RFOoxWCuwtdu6y5FEmqP-zwzSl_63yo_tZ4p4VuwRwsWrntbKROjdnW8oq7IP6kWFnUBfZ54F_1ydO1qifE/s1600/framed.jpg" /></a></div>
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I was pretty happy with this frame job, I just have to find a decent frame first and size the artwork to it. The other way round is very difficult. This way sort of limits my layout and such, but the end result is cleaner.</div>
<br /></div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-30511421058698525142012-05-21T00:06:00.000-07:002012-05-21T00:08:48.763-07:00Partial Eclipse of the Sun<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This title is obviously sung to the tune of <i>Total Eclipse of the Heart</i>. Well, glad that song is now in your heads... Tonight there was a partial eclipse over SoCal. I was on the beach for a 9 mile run, and half of my run was spent staring at an eclipse (you know, that thing you're not supposed to do), luckily it was cloudy. T was at our picnic setup taking pictures after his shorter run (still recovering from an injury) because we got a late start running.<br />
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Here's a picture I took after my run, which was towards the end of the eclipse.</div>
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And here is the very first gif I've ever made, it uses some of the pictures that T took of the eclipse.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlvcxj8ztVNnnAJ5WmHp8hqYwEXWtQtRzDmAX_7-z-1XxDDJtoPFba5b6KG5rpD9gtauyG_EY_jEP1E6Z65yIjBa_OJjq0kc8bMfz8CrV5Rh5QroA1ifh2lhQ2ALROyMXYw29px-sb9Q/s1600/partial-eclipse-of-the-sun.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlvcxj8ztVNnnAJ5WmHp8hqYwEXWtQtRzDmAX_7-z-1XxDDJtoPFba5b6KG5rpD9gtauyG_EY_jEP1E6Z65yIjBa_OJjq0kc8bMfz8CrV5Rh5QroA1ifh2lhQ2ALROyMXYw29px-sb9Q/s1600/partial-eclipse-of-the-sun.gif" /></a></div>
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Gifs are fun, and totally easy.</div>
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</div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-74396685323673143552012-05-13T23:06:00.001-07:002012-05-13T23:06:51.093-07:00Quilled Cross<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My cousins' Opa (grandpa) passed away recently, and their family collects crosses, so I made a memorial cross for them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2XuHJqKu0DAMVGRhf-G4OjxxaOonIulpJmYEaGPl3mOMKlxnIxMbrOulVfNucqHm4OyISdSQPbRtcfGRjFPGqSe2VcomvfIYm3DfHauNOJw-XncCehEyIioS4z_G2YTSiuHQoFPxJeM/s1600/cross+detail+resize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2XuHJqKu0DAMVGRhf-G4OjxxaOonIulpJmYEaGPl3mOMKlxnIxMbrOulVfNucqHm4OyISdSQPbRtcfGRjFPGqSe2VcomvfIYm3DfHauNOJw-XncCehEyIioS4z_G2YTSiuHQoFPxJeM/s1600/cross+detail+resize.jpg" /></a></div>
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He was a deacon and the family were all Texas Aggies, so a cross done in maroon seemed an appropriate way for the family to have a reminder of him and his warmth.<br />
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I drafted the cross onto the paper and then just went with my gut for the fill and flourishes. I even did some intersecting lines for the interior, that was new to me.</div>
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I printed the text out and free-handed some details and connected some letters until I liked it, then I cut it out with my x-acto knife and raised it off of the paper for a shadow effect. I simply cut very thin strips of the ivory paper (about 1/16") and glued it to the back to stand the text up off of the paper. The dates were simply glued to the paper.</div>
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I made my own quilling paper for this project; the outline of the cross is done in 1/4" thick strips of black construction paper and the colored paper is 1/8" and 1/4" thick strips of Canson Mi Teintes paper in maroon, and a bluish grey. The white is pre-cut quilling strips. The background is an ivory Canson paper, it's thicker than the Mi Teintes, but I don't remember what it's called.</div>
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I then framed it and sent it off, but I'm still behind on the learning curve for the framing part. Any quillers out there have tips on where to get decent quality frames?<br />
<br /></div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-52383787847106202222012-04-29T22:54:00.000-07:002012-04-29T22:54:05.974-07:00Descanso Gardens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On a recent beautiful Sunday here in SoCal, I headed over to <a href="http://www.descansogardens.org/">Descanso Gardens</a> to play with my camera and do a little painting. The flowers were beautiful and the light was gorgeous. I definitely recommend a trip over there if you haven't been, it's only $8 and they have a tea garden, a camellia forest, a rose garden, California natives and more. <br />
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While there, I got to test out my new<a href="http://www.shopatron.com/products/productdetail/Koi+Watercolor%2C+Pocket+Field+Sketch+Box%2C+24+colors/part_number=XNCW-24N/294.0.1.1.8826.1010128.0.0.0?pp=8&"> Koi Watercolor Sketch Kit.</a> I had to buy a new one, because I can't find my old one for the life of me, but it worked out, because I like this one quite a bit and it has more colors. The brush is pretty neat too, it has a water reservoir in it.<br />
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I painted this:<br />
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It was fun to sit out on a bench in a shady spot and stare at a flower for a while.</div>
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I was doing a little research for a floral paper project that I am working on, and I went a little crazy with the flower pictures. OK, now for an overload of pretty flower pictures.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZkXa95upz518B4nD_zj3i67l_SeA7lWMusLIrbi12lGuQJH4U4xI9NcYp3dLbOcjOH6Mu1l4bN2ZiQFTBcgEX_23ncgJfGH0av35pE9EEa0fBs2dcTukwsYyDEop5W68SyUv2pnGAK4/s1600/pink+rose+close.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZkXa95upz518B4nD_zj3i67l_SeA7lWMusLIrbi12lGuQJH4U4xI9NcYp3dLbOcjOH6Mu1l4bN2ZiQFTBcgEX_23ncgJfGH0av35pE9EEa0fBs2dcTukwsYyDEop5W68SyUv2pnGAK4/s1600/pink+rose+close.jpg" /></a></div>
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The rose garden smelled amazing.</div>
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The branches in the canopy of the tea garden were like water flowing in the air.</div>
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Backlit camellias are the best.</div>
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Backlit flowers in trees are also pretty good.</div>
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That pink came from nature, nuff said.</div>
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I don't think I realized how much I liked camellias until walking through trees and trees of them in full bloom.</div>
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Tulips = spring!</div>
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There was a whole area full of lilacs, and their fragrance was overwhelmingly lovely.</div>
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Tiny little blossoms in a tree.</div>
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<br /></div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-63957129459691560162012-04-21T12:38:00.000-07:002012-04-21T12:41:09.685-07:00New Leipzig School Inspiration<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Back in early 2007 I went to an <a href="http://fryemuseum.org/past_exhibitions/">exhibition at the Frye gallery</a> in Seattle of work from the New Leipzig School (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #565656; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><strong style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold;">Life After Death: New Leipzig Paintings from the Rubell Family Collection)</strong></span>. The stark and architectural nature of the work has always stayed with me and I decided to interpret this in a painting recently.<br />
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I'm not sure I love the results, but it was great to pick up a paintbrush again.<br />
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It's acrylic with some embroidered faceted things up in the corner, because what's blog art these days without facets?!<br />
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Some process pics.<br />
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I do like the color base though.</div>
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My favorite artist from the exhibit is David Schnell, the dreamy perspectival quality just draws you in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9xsfaEjxRB3DbSs35fJJxVKDksxCsZWTMwSotpOm4AS6r2MpK25zDdRzG4aLYTFbWlSPn33T-beyPW5OauXtHVRszME5uOOcK__ze905p2If5fn5dxWMaCLvitsnlP3wl5VRB4m43VY/s1600/David-Schnell-Bretter-Planks-2005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9xsfaEjxRB3DbSs35fJJxVKDksxCsZWTMwSotpOm4AS6r2MpK25zDdRzG4aLYTFbWlSPn33T-beyPW5OauXtHVRszME5uOOcK__ze905p2If5fn5dxWMaCLvitsnlP3wl5VRB4m43VY/s1600/David-Schnell-Bretter-Planks-2005.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://arthistory.about.com/od/from_exhibitions/ig/lifeafterdeath/lad_frye_04.htm">link</a></div>
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In short, I've got a long way to go before I do any paintings that I'm super proud of, but one always has to start somewhere.</div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-42757707843039999812012-03-04T15:00:00.000-08:002012-03-04T15:00:06.843-08:00Quilled Owl<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My cousin is having a baby boy, and the nursery is owl themed, ergo, this happened.<br />
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I'm in love with it! I started with this <a href="http://sweetclipart.com/cute-owl-line-art-30">owl image</a> and add added the baby's name in 'bookman old style bold'. <br />
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I made the quills very feather-like and started adding some of the fill done with curved lines that I've been admiring in all of the work I've seen online.<br />
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Symmetry is not quite my strong suit yet, but it was a fun way to spend 10ish hours.</div>
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Then I framed it using some pre-framed 'art' from Target, it's a shadow box frame that just had some generic picture in it. I removed the staples from the back, inserted and secured the owl and then actually put the staples back in after putting glue on the tips, because I didn't have a staple gun handy. Ah, resourcefulness.</div>
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Now, I just can't wait to meet her baby boy!</div>
</div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-85822935103686791832012-02-26T21:59:00.000-08:002012-02-26T21:59:22.715-08:00Pizza Party!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday, T and I hosted a pizza party! It's such a fun way to do a casual dinner with friends. We buy our dough from Trader Joe's and then pre-grill the dough until it's about halfway cooked. Then we set out all of the sauces, cheese and toppings and let everyone go to town. Then it's just a few more minutes in a 500 degree oven until everyone has their own personal pizza pie. Mmmm, and now our fridge is full of extra dough and toppings, that's a plus.<br />
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I kept it all pretty simple: $8 worth of flowers, a bunch of red wine, some appetizers, a good variety of toppings and homemade pudding for dessert.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixT7Pd9mCDqTGRKIIurIYbA2kWHXEU5iYNGpJ4YmvdNSZMDsHIDiuieVGaCrjZcqtRshTwn0eeLKnexSevwYgW6anzpi8TlrkXN3G546UeAVGH-plv1jTgUCTii5kninoObKg-dBSe7s/s1600/pizza+party+layout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixT7Pd9mCDqTGRKIIurIYbA2kWHXEU5iYNGpJ4YmvdNSZMDsHIDiuieVGaCrjZcqtRshTwn0eeLKnexSevwYgW6anzpi8TlrkXN3G546UeAVGH-plv1jTgUCTii5kninoObKg-dBSe7s/s1600/pizza+party+layout.jpg" /></a></div>
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I don't iron my linens, ha! </div>
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The apps were strips of London Broil that I cooked in olive oil with pepper and black lava sea salt, then I drizzled some good balsamic over the top and let it rest before slicing it up. It's paired with roasted bell peppers in olive oil, salt, pepper, your favorite Italian herbs and a bit of balsamic. Put a piece of each on a toothpick, et voila! Yummy.<br />
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For toppings, I made the meatballs and tomato sauce and then just bought pesto, lots of cheese (fresh mozzarella is key), mushrooms, spinach, basil, tomatoes and pepperoni. <br />
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And for dessert, I used <a href="http://joythebaker.com/2012/02/chocolate-hazelnut-pudding/">this recipe</a> from Joy the Baker. Chocolate, hazelnut, and whipped cream... it can't be anything but good. And it was, even though I forgot the fancy salt that I had to put on it. Oh well, I have some leftover, it's OK.<br />
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And now I'm cleaning my red wine and pizza sauce stained linens, that's how you know it was tasty.</div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-1651967988218856612012-02-19T18:31:00.000-08:002012-02-19T18:31:55.657-08:00I Quilled Again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been sucked into quilling, it's so fun and there's so much of it to look at on the internet. I'm loving '<a href="http://www.allthingspaper.net/">All Things Paper</a>' for inspiration. Everything from quilling to papier mache and some pretty great links to artwork.<br />
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I've been seeing <a href="http://www.designsponge.com/2012/01/state-pairings-by-jhill-design.html">couples monograms paired with prints of their home states</a> lately, and loved the idea. Alas, T and I are from the same state, but we are from two different cities. So I quilled the great state of Texas with hearts in our hometowns and our initials below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_lnlWO55QFRZXH5MbaWz6Ht0esqFvn1_cEn10jnw2zRABLlZMOib5bOz5KZydDlkXgZ4wTdJJYVGGxMKuD00ux4D-CoiFd8pHI_XeXTInUybCUUcG6GxxolpRFCrLQmyAthseTVNzF0/s1600/texas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_lnlWO55QFRZXH5MbaWz6Ht0esqFvn1_cEn10jnw2zRABLlZMOib5bOz5KZydDlkXgZ4wTdJJYVGGxMKuD00ux4D-CoiFd8pHI_XeXTInUybCUUcG6GxxolpRFCrLQmyAthseTVNzF0/s1600/texas.jpg" /></a></div>
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I still don't think I've achieved awesomeness with this one, but it's my second quilled piece ever, so that's okay. I do like this one a lot more though. I like the mixture of tight and more open curls and flourishes and I started out with the outlines printed on the paper this time, much better for accuracy.<br />
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I'm still encouraging people to try it, such low start-up costs and so easy to do (not master, but do). Now I have to think of what I'm going to make next.</div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-60922861297986508912012-02-14T11:26:00.001-08:002012-02-14T11:28:58.281-08:00Happy Valentine&apos;s Day!Everyone needs a little ganache in their life.<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJ8uixgtdUB-JIGrySucgVSoPpUiELoWpGqD954qrIa6c8-ahflejGuIuWCziGocCw56Xh9QVf5dXhwEeAOd61rhndvJulNFv056mo15IluEDP0DSOwtN-51tXxZzKmhnd04cQvFcvVE/s640/blogger-image--1204337711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJ8uixgtdUB-JIGrySucgVSoPpUiELoWpGqD954qrIa6c8-ahflejGuIuWCziGocCw56Xh9QVf5dXhwEeAOd61rhndvJulNFv056mo15IluEDP0DSOwtN-51tXxZzKmhnd04cQvFcvVE/s640/blogger-image--1204337711.jpg" /></a></div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-89615024567630152782012-02-12T11:51:00.000-08:002012-02-12T11:51:16.146-08:00My First Time: Quilling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The other day, I <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/88101736430243089/">pinned</a> this quilled piece by <a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/Miscellaneous/2743483">Sabeena Karnik</a>, and then I immediately ordered a <a href="http://www.quilledcreations.com/eshop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=400">beginner's quilling kit</a> from <a href="http://www.quilledcreations.com/">Quilled Creations</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSc3hrEJkVlRySvqKwdQgHgkZrtLp3W7KpI0h0Hp8PAtoEYRbFjo57KvrEbv69qdqPJMRnFQv1s1h4S8IoC71mRCbVd6oTPHHn9_8y0CnxSCneJGI1wYusL7WEPRE2lXIn-SqHrwgw3sc/s1600/sabeena+heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSc3hrEJkVlRySvqKwdQgHgkZrtLp3W7KpI0h0Hp8PAtoEYRbFjo57KvrEbv69qdqPJMRnFQv1s1h4S8IoC71mRCbVd6oTPHHn9_8y0CnxSCneJGI1wYusL7WEPRE2lXIn-SqHrwgw3sc/s1600/sabeena+heart.jpg" /></a></div>
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Sabeena's heart is utter perfection and her typography is awe inducing (so, go look at her site), but I wanted to give it a go myself and this is what I came up with.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NarqcwuSgA4/TzgXB-f5YvI/AAAAAAAACfw/N-qQtB25fqA/s1600/quilled+amour.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-kFUcAOpQEr01aajU_rI68XVXphR9_d2W4Q-kRV-9nI2_DCE1hgMhN-JOgctAogEY_cVuvkblaUddOdrhHV7jJ4vxxz3kbnbRmMOxiPlTP7qKIPRNtnrNgitrE0mwihvhsbzcJks9gA/s1600/quilled+heart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-kFUcAOpQEr01aajU_rI68XVXphR9_d2W4Q-kRV-9nI2_DCE1hgMhN-JOgctAogEY_cVuvkblaUddOdrhHV7jJ4vxxz3kbnbRmMOxiPlTP7qKIPRNtnrNgitrE0mwihvhsbzcJks9gA/s1600/quilled+heart.JPG" /></a></div>
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Not nearly as cool, but definitely fun and a low cost craft. It will take a lot more practice for me to come up with anything amazing, but that is just about time.<br />
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And, in the kitchen, I made these <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1008892">scones</a> for our V-day breakfast today. They're from <a href="http://www.theppk.com/books/vegan-with-a-vengeance/">Vegan with a Vengeance</a> by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and they are T's favorite scones. We're not vegan, and we totally consumed them along side bacon and eggs (and some fruit), but damn near everything I've tried out of that book is amazing. I added cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the recipe and, for half of the batch, I added about 1/3 cup of oats and 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips, then I sprinkled the tops with red and gold sanding sugar for a little bit of a festive feel.<br />
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<br /></div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-51863780883030605022012-02-08T23:44:00.000-08:002012-02-08T23:44:26.862-08:00Flora & Hearts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
With Valentine's Day coming up, I've had flowers on the brain, I've also been taking lunchtime walks at my new job. These two things, combined with my fave app (hipstamatic) have led to these pictures. I love SoCal in February!<br />
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Ah, the perfection of a succulent.</div>
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Speaking of Valentine's Day, here's a list of all things pink and heart-filled from my past posts.<br />
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Packaging up homemade candies with links to recipes: <a href="http://www.mynameiseileen.com/2010/03/valentines-gifts.html">here</a>. <br />
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Brunch complete with heart shaped butter and waffles: <a href="http://www.mynameiseileen.com/2010/02/valentines-breakfast.html">here</a>.<br />
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Handmade valentines: <a href="http://www.mynameiseileen.com/2010/02/handmade-valentines.html">here</a>.<br />
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My version of <a href="http://iambaker.net/heart-cake-tutorial">I am Baker's Heart Cake</a>: <a href="http://www.mynameiseileen.com/2011/02/handmade-heart-lips-cake.html">here</a>. That is still my favorite red velvet cake recipe, FYI.<br />
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The pink macarons, with chocolate ganache filling, from my <a href="http://www.mynameiseileen.com/2012/01/winter-tea-party.html">winter tea party</a> would be lovely.<br />
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Heart shaped sable cookies: <a href="http://www.mynameiseileen.com/2010/02/cookies-sable-cut-outs.html">here.</a> These are the easiest cut out cookies I can think of, the dough is just sturdy enough.<br />
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Enjoy! <br />
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<br /></div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-84675922233629778592012-02-05T12:01:00.000-08:002012-02-05T19:03:50.552-08:0012 Weeks are Up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Man, it's been a busy three weeks, sorry about the pause. In these past few weeks, I finished up the 12 week meal and exercise plan I was on, got new glasses and started a <b>new job</b>! Hooray! <br />
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But for this post I want to talk about the <a href="http://www.mynameiseileen.com/2011/11/stopping-sugar-rush.html">12 week plan</a>. I finished up last Sunday. As with my <a href="http://www.mynameiseileen.com/2011/12/day-12-dietexercise-update.html">last update</a>, it's painfully clear how bad I am at following a meal plan, but I still love the exercise routines that <a href="http://www.facebook.com/completephysique">Ali</a> introduced me to. <br />
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Now for the results: I lost 4 pounds and a total of 4.5". Which, I feel, is awesome! I'm not sure I have a ton to lose, so, a bit over a pound & inch/month is not too shabby.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidyGKOU0k_Z8-dozkPBWC-PCPPUiQ96IJwpjQ0GNM-JUswhvRrD0ZAJ0xWO1oOJhr6sUlX-upKafwv2yEdReqkekVasuBGG0Bc_EQWMcMT1-bEhmq4cgxXSuxKgy2jh1iWniuiaExAb3o/s1600/after2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidyGKOU0k_Z8-dozkPBWC-PCPPUiQ96IJwpjQ0GNM-JUswhvRrD0ZAJ0xWO1oOJhr6sUlX-upKafwv2yEdReqkekVasuBGG0Bc_EQWMcMT1-bEhmq4cgxXSuxKgy2jh1iWniuiaExAb3o/s1600/after2+copy.jpg" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The After, pretty similar, but the stomach looks a touch flatter and there are the new glasses.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTsCcfumdM_zfIJlcFHtFEOmP0s85xMaf_xF-BuRN7GZzgKo0rAmFI_VuY0_-M8Nlgl-SBc66DspIeYXmFC8tBH81Ao4IY_C5fKi29hzp8Hhzja3Rac6jsuA542IMD6iT6-JN2RtKqNQ/s1600/before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTsCcfumdM_zfIJlcFHtFEOmP0s85xMaf_xF-BuRN7GZzgKo0rAmFI_VuY0_-M8Nlgl-SBc66DspIeYXmFC8tBH81Ao4IY_C5fKi29hzp8Hhzja3Rac6jsuA542IMD6iT6-JN2RtKqNQ/s1600/before.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The before, for reference</div><br />
I did almost completely remove dry, processed cereal from my diet (maybe 4 bowls of cereal over the 12 weeks!). My breakfast now consists of a small bowl of oatmeal, greek yogurt and blueberries. That's protein, fiber and fresh fruit every morning, I'd say that's a significant improvement from straight carbs and some skim milk. I now eat more protein and fresh produce, and rely less on carbs, I also greatly reduced my cheese intake (I did not realize how much cheese I was eating). The biggest lesson I learned from following a meal plan (or attempting to) was <b>porti</b><b>on control</b>. After measuring my food out, I now know what a proper serving looks like, big lesson. <br />
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On to my strength goals: I'm so excited about these! Adding Ali's exercises helped me shave 3:32 off of my 10K time (over 30 secs/mile!). I had been stagnating a bit when it came to my running speed, I'm convinced that squats and sprints helped me out on this front. I also love my running club, a little weekly competition and some friends to pace you never hurt. I'm feeling much stronger in my upper body, which is still a new concept for me, I'm kinda loving that my shoulders are looking straighter and stronger, and I feel muscles all over my body that I didn't notice before. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3elzuzXN1qaLkekRAKp4ZGX-R8mro9nELfKoW35fGPVjfMQMNu-_Okm5gfGeSHF0Eb-r8BVMn9Hwd2NMp5R1oaHs3b0c-vsZJKl4XTewA0r8m3f7HJ5ndn94KoF6qjGQMVRTw7wcXdcU/s1600/bicep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3elzuzXN1qaLkekRAKp4ZGX-R8mro9nELfKoW35fGPVjfMQMNu-_Okm5gfGeSHF0Eb-r8BVMn9Hwd2NMp5R1oaHs3b0c-vsZJKl4XTewA0r8m3f7HJ5ndn94KoF6qjGQMVRTw7wcXdcU/s1600/bicep.jpg" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I have no idea if I'm doing that correctly, but I feel strong. </div><br />
The part where I failed was sweets, though I have baked far less in these last 12 weeks (which means no half pan of brownies in a couple of days), I still eat something sweet most days. I think I'll try to work on that when I'm not trying to change up everything all at once. But that may have to wait until after Valentine's Day, I love to bake for V-Day.</div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-64459456564797168212012-01-16T00:21:00.000-08:002012-01-16T00:21:27.346-08:00Yoga Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You might have seen the<a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/21daychallenge/intermediate/"> 21 day Yoga Challenge </a>floating around on the internet, and I'm here to recommend it. I'm on day 7 of the intermediate series and it's great. I've already learned multiple new poses and stretches, and since my hips have been bothering me for a while now, I really loved the hip opener series on <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/21daychallenge/intermediate_day4">day 4</a>. There's also a meditation that accompanies the challenge. You can sign up for it to receive a daily email reminder along with a daily recipe to try out. I don't know if it will still be available online after the challenge is over, but the website has a bunch of <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/video/">videos</a> to try out.<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlWYRsPCX4Tq5XNlA2zD1W8HkCpe8lnIvimErKfTsnA8CaSHEth_KyO3sHV_cYFBL1VF1gHZq0X_clUw52m_spW3Qk3BPqObY8bnd2kmBIZ-p4b3ff15j66fhBzrAS-taZBr0yoWCwew/s1600/yoga.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlWYRsPCX4Tq5XNlA2zD1W8HkCpe8lnIvimErKfTsnA8CaSHEth_KyO3sHV_cYFBL1VF1gHZq0X_clUw52m_spW3Qk3BPqObY8bnd2kmBIZ-p4b3ff15j66fhBzrAS-taZBr0yoWCwew/s1600/yoga.JPG" /></a></div>
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Go ahead, stretch and de-stress a little bit.</div>
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Side note: I love pedicures and hipstamatic.</div>
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</div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-54895204343416144212012-01-06T15:57:00.000-08:002012-01-06T15:57:05.967-08:00Winter Tea Party<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Happy New Year to you all!<br />
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After a month of daily posting, I took a small break to travel back home and regroup. Some of you may remember that I wanted to make French macarons before the year was out, and I did! These were made on Dec. 29th for our winter tea party the next day. I am totally deeming these a success, they're really not as hard as I was expecting them to be from all that you read about them.<br />
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Mini-macs for the kiddos.</div>
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The (kid-friendly) tea party menu:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSV39ESE6gcKqtKn5I4H308Rc4oY0k4_7lAP1aOFlW4nOuJl2ox2cgc-A9paBY6CCQM2QcYIo76pCfyrHBLPWqYOSd5L-dOtDeGEMJ9jJklt1sXlwyriDdV_C5t3N7qtfRb1qqYdLW-M/s1600/christmas+2011+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSV39ESE6gcKqtKn5I4H308Rc4oY0k4_7lAP1aOFlW4nOuJl2ox2cgc-A9paBY6CCQM2QcYIo76pCfyrHBLPWqYOSd5L-dOtDeGEMJ9jJklt1sXlwyriDdV_C5t3N7qtfRb1qqYdLW-M/s1600/christmas+2011+026.jpg" /></a></div>
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The cucumber sandwiches are cut out in flower shapes with flower bread toppers.</div>
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Cucumber sandwiches (whole wheat bread with a spread of hummus and cream cheese topped with thinly sliced cucumber)<br />
Ham, muenster and butter on sandwich thins<br />
Egg salad buns (these were a little big, the plan was for my sister to make some tiny ones, but she fell ill and these worked in a pinch)<br />
PB&B's (peanut butter and banana on cinnamon raisin bread)<br />
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Chocolate chip scones<br />
Cinnamon scones<br />
(served with jam, homemade lemon curd and homemade clotted cream)<br />
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From <a href="http://www.nadlers.com/">Nadler's Bakery</a></div>
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I'm in love with all of the silver trays.</div>
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macarons<br />
mini cheesecakes with strawberry santa hat's<br />
Vanilla and chocolate petit-fours (bought from a local bakery)<br />
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Christmas mocktail (green sugared rim, fill glasses with sparkling cider and pour in about a tablespoon of grenadine)<br />
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Various teas and hot chocolate<br />
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After eating, we cut out snowflakes and then played outside with some party poppers and T was our stand in prop (as termed by one of the girls).<br />
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Loving the fancy dresses and fascinators</div>
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We got 4 hats on him the next night</div>
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Recipes used:<br />
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The scone and clotted cream recipes from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tea-Party-Occasion-Fabulous-Gatherings/dp/0307346439"><i>Tea Party</i> by Tracy Stern</a><br />
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<b>Basic Scones</b><br />
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2 c. all purpose flour<br />
3 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. sugar<br />
1 Tbsp. baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp. salt<br />
6 Tbsp. chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces<br />
1 large egg<br />
1/2 c. plus 1 Tbsp. light cream or half and half<br />
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(I made a double batch and added 1 Tbsp. cinnamon, 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 tsp. cloves. Then I split the dough in half before kneading and added 1 cup of chocolate chips to one of the halves)<br />
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Preheat oven to 400 F<br />
Combine flour, 3 Tbsp. sugar, powder and salt. Cut in the butter.<br />
In a separate bowl, whisk egg and 1/2 c. cream. Add egg mixture to dry mixture until moistened.<br />
Turn dough onto floured surface, knead until smooth and then roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into desired shape and arrange on parchment lined cookie sheet. Brush on cream and sprinkle with remaining sugar (we used sanding sugar).<br />
Bake 12-14 minutes until golden brown, cool on wire rack. Best served warm with clotted cream.<br />
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We prepared the pans hours before baking and they were just fine.<br />
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<b>Clotted Cream</b><br />
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1 c. heavy cream<br />
1/2 c. sour cream<br />
1 Tbsp. powdered sugar<br />
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Whip heavy cream to soft peaks, whisk in sour cream and powdered sugar. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.<br />
(I actually did this by hand and it didn't take that long, so if you don't have a mixer, you'll be fine)<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/348239/lemon-curd">Lemon Curd</a> </b><br />
We were visiting T's family right before this and his dad grows Meyer lemons, so that's what we used. Can I just say, "homegrown Meyer lemons, wheee!".<br />
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<b>Parisian <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/319525/parisian-macaroons">Macarons</a></b> (I added red food coloring during the folding process)<br />
My piping was not very accurate, but I could pair most of them up really well (in terms of size/shape) before filling them.<br />
The one thing I noticed is that you have to leave them in the oven long enough for the foot to happen, sometimes it took longer than the recipe called for, but once they had the foot and looked right they were done.<br />
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<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/343907/chocolate-ganache"><b>Chocolate Ganache Filling</b></a><br />
I popped it in the fridge for a few minutes to thicken it up before spooning the filling onto the cookies.<br />
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For the <b>cheesecakes</b>, I stole <a href="http://daisyt13.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/santa-hat-brownies/">this idea </a>from my cousin, who found it on Pinterest, obviously. I don't remember which cheesecake recipe we used, but any will do. And we used whipped cream instead of icing for the hat's fur trim.<br />
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<br /></div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2007872957014470275.post-1494510646782448922011-12-31T17:52:00.000-08:002011-12-31T17:52:36.866-08:00Day 31<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today's Prompt:<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Where do you hope to be on Jan 1, 2013?</span>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bKmRUMa8Auc/Tv-8SCZu0vI/AAAAAAAACck/kV0ZWXMsUgc/s1600/dec+31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bKmRUMa8Auc/Tv-8SCZu0vI/AAAAAAAACck/kV0ZWXMsUgc/s1600/dec+31.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span><br />
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Next year, I hope to be healthy and content, but I also hope to have passed all of my licensing exams and have figured out a bit more of my career.<br />
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And can I just say, woohoo, December is over.<br />
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Happy New Year!</div>leeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00440739267736212497noreply@blogger.com2