Pretty In Pink

Pin It You might remember in my last post (here) that our grand-daughter, Eloise, shared her wish list with me for decorating her new room and big girl bed that is soon coming.  Nothing could have delighted me more than a little three year old asking for pillows - pink polka dot pillows!  Ideas have been swirling in my head ever since.  Her timing was perfect as JoAnn was having a HUGE sale for Memorial Day Weekend.  Thought I'd share some eye candy with you of the stash that filled my cart.  It seemed like every pink polka dot fabric in the store was singing - Miss Eloise, Miss Eloise, make me yours tonight!! 

PINK

Salmon Pink...Coral Pink

So Soft Baby Pink

Little Girl Pink

Pink Polka Dots

Little Pink Flowers

Pink Plaid

 



Pink Buttons

Pink Ribbon

Pink Paper

Pink Flowers

Pink Boxes

Pink Smiles

Pink Hugs

Do you have any idea what I'll be making?

Let them eat quiche!

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Just getting back from visiting our grand-daughter in San Francisco.  It was a long weekend filled with ice cream, playgrounds, story books, baking, tea parties and puzzles.  All of the wonderful things a 3 year old delights in.  She will soon be getting a big girl bed and has put in her requests - lots of pillows, a cover, a banner with her name on it, a night light and more toys for on her new bed - all in pink polka dots.  Looks like I'll be busy in my studio over the next weeks!



Today, I thought I'd share with you a recipe for a super easy and very tasty quiche.  The main vegetable is zucchini but you could easily substitute say asparagus or such.  This is a crustless recipe which uses bisquick.  I make my own bisquick (always trying to save a penny); the recipe is posted below.  Today I'm serving it with Tomato Basil soup and sweet watermelon.  In the summer when the zucchini is out of the garden, I usually serve it with something from the bay like salmon or shrimp cocktail and some fresh fruit on the side.  I've also served it for breakfast and brunch when entertaining along with a make-ahead french toast (recipe coming in another post). 

Left:  Before baking     Right:  After baking

Zucchini Quiche           

3 cups zucchini, sliced thin

1 cup bisquick

1 teaspoon grated parm cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup oil

4 beaten eggs

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Pour into a 10-inch pie dish.  Bake 30 minutes at 350 degF until golden brown.  Be sure center of quiche is firm.

Homemade Bisquick

6 cups flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup Crisco



Sift dry ingredients.  Cut in Crisco until mix resembles fine crumbs.  Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to four months.

Enjoy the weekend! 

Linking Up:  Little Brick Ranch Foodie Friday





My Sweet Mama

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A glimpse into Mother's Day on Otter Hill ...

As my mom's senses are heightened as a result of chemotherapy,
she now finds fragrant flowers unpleasant. 
A crepe-paper nosegay was made as a substitute for real roses

Mom's favorite cupcake - Devils Food
(Recipe here)

A colorful surprise awaits her at the breakfast table!

The lady of the day!  Love her smile!

Breakfast lovingly made by my husband -
Poached eggs, buttermilk pancakes, bacon,
sweet cherry tomatoes with olive oil and navel oranges.

Dinner:  Seared Scallops with Lemon Pastina and Shrimp (recipe below),
Fresh asparagus from the garden (to die for!)
Cupcakes served with strawberries and kiwi with honey glaze.

Seared Scallops with Lemon Orzo
(Recipe here from myrecipes.com)


Cooking spray
1/2 cup prechopped onion
1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sea scallops (I used a mix of 1 pound of scallops and 1 pound of shrimp)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper


Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in pasta, broth, wine, and thyme; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente. Stir in chopped chives and lemon juice. Keep warm.


Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops evenly with salt and pepper. Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with pasta mixture.

Her children rise up and call her blessed
(Proverbs 31:2)

To all of the women who have blessed my life, I wish you all a Happy Mother's Day!

Another Make It Monday Challenge

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Another week - another Make It Monday challenge.  This week's Papertrey Ink challenge is to make a project usings least one Papertrey product and uses the impression plates/dies as shown in this week's video.  Unfortunately I don't have any Papertrey Ink impression plates so I used the Happy Birthday Cuttlebug impression folder along with a PI Make A Wish die.  This was a new technique for me and something I would have never come up with on my own.  I can see this coming in handy for future holiday cards. 

There are no shortage of birthdays coming up in our family.  Someone will be receiving this little pretty in a package soon! 

Have you done any thing creative lately?

Hi There!

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It's time for another Make-It-Monday challenge

from Papertrey Ink.

This week's Papertrey Ink challenge is to create a project using

at least one Papertrey product and a drawn frame.

This simple little card is headed to my new Send Love Today

assignment and a second is going in the Operation Write Home basket.



Papertrey Ink's vintage buttons were placed in the middle of each flower for added dimension.



Papertrey Ink's Stamp Set Flower Fusion #1 was stamped on
PTI's scored notecard.  A hand-drawn frame was added afterwards.



This simple sentiment was stamped on the backside of the envelope
to greet the recipient.

Hope you are having a wonderful day! 

P.S.  I'm up to 40 hand-made cards (see tally counter on right sidebar)!

Blueberry Banana Bread

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I love when there are a few extra ripe bananas sitting in the fruit bowl.  It gives me an excuse to bake something tasty!  There also happens to be a few bags of frozen blueberries in my freezer from last year's harvest.  This recipe for blueberry banana bread was just jumping off the page waiting to be embraced.  And embraced it was!  The loaf was almost gone as soon as it came out of the oven.  I barely was able to snap a photo of a slice before it was gobbled down. 



Blueberry Banana Bread

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

2 cups + 1 Tablespoon flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk

6 Tablespoons melted butter

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degF.  Mix blueberries with 1 Tablespoon of flour (this helps to keep the blueberries from falling in the batter while baking).  In a separate bowl, blend fry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  In another bowl, whisk bananas, buttermilk, butter and egg to blend.  Stir flour mixture into wet mixture until moist (note: batter will be stiff).  Fold in the blueberries.  Pour batter into a greased loaf pan; sprinkle with oatmeal streusel (press in lightly).  Bake for 60-70 minutes until a inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Oatmeal Streusel:

In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup rolled outs, 1/4 cup chopped banana chips (optional), 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (packed) and 2 tablespoons of butter (cut into chunks) and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.  Mix all ingredients with fingers until fine crumbs form.

Happy Baking!


Linking Up To:
Sweet Tooth Friday

Olympic National Park - A Land of Contrasts and Variety

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Photo Courtesy of the National Park Service

These majestic mountains reside in my backyard!

I wake up every morning to see them glistening in the distance.

In a short 20 mile drive, I can be in the Olympic National Park.

Who's a lucky girl?!

The Olympic National Park is surely the most diverse of all of our grand national parks.  Within its boundaries are miles of coastal and tide lands, the largest old-growth forest with trees over 1000 years old, temperate rain forests, hot water springs, sub alpine meadows and magnificent glaciers.

Map of Olympic National Park (courtesy of gorp.com)

One of my favorite hikes is at Hurricane Ridge located 17 miles straight up the mountain from Port Angeles.  It is a favorite of our guests who have made the trek.This past week, while my dad was in the dentist's chair in Port Angeles, my mother and I took a drive up the mountain - I thought you might enjoy seeing photos of our little adventure.



Top: Photos of the drive up the mountain. Snow started only a few miles up.
Bottom: 'Looks like Christmas!' Deer nibbling the new growth along the road.



View of Straight of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island in the distance.
Tidbit: At 7,980 feet, Mount Olympus is the highest peak
 in Olympic National Park and has the third largest
glacial system in the contiguous U.S.



Even though there was snow everywhere, it was a beautiful day at the crest.
My mother wanted to take in the sun so I attempted to wheel her up the path,
but alas we only made it a short distance.  We saw two guys strapping on
skis for a back-woods downhill adventure.  Woo hoo!!



I  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE  our national parks!! 

If you are not familiar with our National Park Service, check it out.  Chances are there is a national park, forest or monument close to you. 

This is what Hurricane Ridge looks like in July and August - wild flowers replace the snow!
Tidbit: 95 percent of Olympic National Park is designated as Wilderness.



2011 Fee-Free Days:  April 16-24, June 21, September 24, November 11-1

Many of the 394 our national parks NEVER charge an entrance fee.

Reduced fee passes

Annual pass (one year from date of issue): $80

Senior Lifetime Pass: $10 (62+ years)

Disabilities Pass:  Free

Volunteer Pass:  Free (500+ hours of service)



If you find yourself in Seattle, perhaps departing for a cruise to Alaska, consider staying an extra week or two so that you can venture out to the Olympic Peninsula and the Olympic National Park.  Guaranteed to be a highlight of your adventure to the Pacific Northwest!



Linking up to: TidyMom