I am completely infatuated with the watercolor paintings at Golly Bard! It’s almost like Holly raided my childhood treehouse and painted what she found there—jars filled with strange collections, bones, bird eggs, feathers, bugs, seeds… How did she know?
Buy Golly Bard original paintings here, and read Holly’s blog here.
Whether you pronounce it “pee-can” or “puh-con” these are delicious!
1 egg white
1 tablespoon of water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound pecan halves
3/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of salt
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees (F).
Beat the water, vanilla and egg white in a large bowl until foamy. Stir in the pecans.
In a separate bowl combine the sugar, ground cinnamon and salt. Gradually add the sugar mixture to the pecans making sure every nut is coated.
Pour the pecans into a 9″ x 13″ pan and roast for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Let the pecans cool and store them in an airtight container. (Not that you will be storing them very long because they’re addicting!)
I think this getup gives off a Judy Garland vibe. Well, a “Judy Garland starring in my two favorite Judy Garland movies” vibe. The shirt, pants, and belt could be straight out of Summer Stock, and of course the red suede pumps are reminiscent of the ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz.
1 Lacquered Disc Earrings from Forever21
2 Goddess of the Glossies Blouse from ModCloth
3 Pilcro Crops from Anthropologie
4 Gather ‘Round Tote from Anthropologie
5 Blooming In Burgundy Belt from Anthropologie
6 BDG Suede Pumps from Urban Outfitters
Sometimes I like to play with my food.
peanut butter + a silly straw = one fun afternoon
Spring has yet to arrive, and the birds have been draining our feeders every week. So, I thought I would make them a special treat. Technically this is not a suet cake. Making a traditional suet cake involves melting a big chunk of animal fat into liquid form, and the thought of that smell filling my kitchen makes me cringe. So, I used shortening instead of suet. I’m not sure how well this will hold up in summer weather—the shortening might melt in the heat. But, it’s perfect for cool temperatures. These would make great gifts for bird lovers!
The verdict is in. The birds love it! I took this photo only a few minutes after I put the cake out, and there has been a steady stream of feathery visitors ever since.
1 cup shortening
1 cup peanut butter
3 cups cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 cup peanut pieces
(You have wiggle room on the ingredients and amounts. Birds aren’t picky!)
1. Line an 8×8 pan or baking dish with wax paper and set aside. (If you crinkle up the wax paper up first it will conform to the shape of your dish more easily.)
2. Melt shortening in a saucepan over low heat. In the meantime crush or chop your peanuts.
3. Once the shortening has completely melted, stir in the peanut butter until smooth. Then mix in the flour and cornmeal and remove from heat.
4. Stir in the rolled oats, breadcrumbs and peanuts. Pour the mixture into the prepared 8×8 pan and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Place in the refrigerator to set.
5. When the cake has solidified pull it out of the dish and flip it over on a plate wax paper side up. Peel off the paper, cut the cake into quarters and wrap each piece in wax paper. Store in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to pop them in your suet feeder!
Here’s something that I love—white lamps. I see them everywhere, and they all want to come home with me. Sorry lamps, you are amazing but I can’t adopt any more of you. My husband would have a fit!
1 3-D Chandelier from Urban Outfitters
2 Kathryn Table Lamp from Crate & Barrel
3 Ada Table Lamp from CB2
4 Hutton Table Lamp from Crate & Barrel
5 Mariposa Floor Lamp from Z Gallerie
This was my first attempt at making bread from scratch. You know—with yeast, and kneading, and rising, and punching. Before I show you my bread you must promise not to make fun of it, because it looks a little…different. It tastes delicious, but it’s not going to win any beauty contests.
Ok, here it is.
If any of you experienced bread makers out there have any tips for making normal looking bread I’m all ears! I used this recipe from allrecipes.com.
1 (.25 ounce) package rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup melted shortening
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons butter
Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water.
Combine milk, 1/4 cup water, shortening, honey, salt and wheat flour in food processor or bowl. Mix in yeast mixture, and let rest 15 minutes. Add white flour, and process until dough forms a ball. Knead dough by processing an additional 80 seconds in food processor, or mix and knead by hand 10 minutes.
Place the dough in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise for 45 minutes, or until almost doubled. Punch down, and divide dough in half. Roll out each half, and pound out the bubbles. Form into loaves, and place in buttered 9×5 inch bread pans. Butter the tops of the dough, and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
Let rise in a warm area until doubled; second rise should take about 30 minutes. Place a small pan of water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until tops are dark golden brown. Butter crusts while warm. Slice when cool.
Have you seen the Bloganistas group on Flickr? It’s a place where bloggers can prove they don’t wear pajamas all day. I have yet to participate, but here are a few of my favorites!
I sketched some fruit and veggie cross sections—possibly because I feel guilty for skipping the gym all week.
How can kiwis be so delicious but look so vomitous? Hair on fruit is all wrong.
