Clay Pub Class

Sunday, March 31, 2013
A couple weeks ago Kelley found an add for "Pottery Night" at Tap Room. I guess the idea was to have a beer and make some pottery? Sounded like a fun plan to us, so we signed up. Marta, a local artist and owner of Mez pottery, taught the class. She provided us with pre-rolled slabs of clay, from which we cut out shapes to make mugs.



Mug number 1!

We left the mugs with Marta and she fired them for us. I was surprised how much of the clay detail was lost after the firing process, however I still liked the effect. Here is a look at the finished product:
Mug #1: Bear Claw Mug


Mug #2: Flower Mug


Fun ladies night!


3 years ago: Africa to Houston?
2 years ago: Green Grass
1 year ago: Bloody Hundredth

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Stamp'in Up

Wednesday, March 27, 2013
A couple weeks ago Sierra and I went to another Sunday afternoon stamp club. Check out the cards we made!
Sierra, my stamp'in buddy.

Showing off card #1


The fish was so intricate!


A 3D pop-up card! First time I've ever made one of these. Love how it turned out too...

No Hallmark stamp on these cards.

Here's a few demo cards from previous stamp clubs:



I really like this one! I have a thing for owls :)

I really enjoy "crafting" with the ladies-- Lots more to learn!


3 years ago: Baaaa
2 years ago: Longer Days
1 year ago: Bloody Hundredth
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Meet Nellie

Tuesday, March 26, 2013
There's a new puppy in town... Meet Nellie!

Don't worry, she doesn't live at our house.

Nellie the lab lives with Erik and Liz.


Liz and her pup



Nellie meets Bronson- and really likes his toys.


So cute! Doesn't this make you want a puppy now?


3 years ago: Captain Night Owl
2 years ago: Mom's First Break-Up
1 year ago: Ladies Night Out
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Date Night, Captain Cook

Monday, March 25, 2013
Ross and I had date night on Saturday. We try to have a special date night once a month.

Ross is all dressed up.

We ate at Crow's Nest, on the to floor of the Captain Cook Hotel. The sunset views are amazing.


At the Crow's Nest, they have a special item on the dessert menu called a the Diablo, which is basically a booze fest. They peel an orange, stud it with cloves then pour 4 different kinds of liquor down it while they light on fire. Then it's mixed with coffee and served to you, enough for 4 people. We did not order this, but our neighbors did and we go to watch the show.



Our meal was delicious:
Appetizer: Ahi Tuna tower

Ross's Ribeye

My Elk. It was so good I asked Ross if he could go kill me an elk.

Dessert: Molten chocolate cake with raspberry sorbet. Celebrating Ross's bday, among other things :)


After our meal we went to a trendy wine bar called the Whale's Tail, then stayed the night at the Captain Cook hotel (thanks to Expedia!)

Great date night!

Do you need some grey pup in your life? If so, check out the link below for "Coming Home" there's a video of Roma :)

2 years ago: This and That
1 year ago: Coming Home
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Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka

You're going to like this recipe! It cooks overnight in the slow cooker, but let's be honest here- who doesn't love coming home from work to a ready made meal? Delayed satisfaction can indeed be worthwhile. I had leftovers for 3 days and it was good down to the last bite. :)

Behold, Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka.




Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons garam masala
  • 2-3 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups light coconut milk
  • 10-ounce bag frozen peas, thawed
  • Basmati rice
  • cilantro
  1. In a large bowl, combine chicken, ground coriander, cumin, and salt. Toss to combine. Stir in yogurt, coating chicken evenly. Marinate for at least 10 minutes.
  2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken and cook until browned on both sides. Transfer to slow cooker. Repeat with remaining chicken.
  3. In same skillet, add 1 more tablespoon olive oil. Add onions, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes and saute until onions are softened and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Add 1/2 tablespoon salt and garam masala and cook 1 more minute. Add tomatoes and sugar, turn heat to high, and bring to a boil. Pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cover and cook for 5 hours.
  5. Whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup heavy cream and add to crockpot along with remaining heavy cream and peas. Stir to combine. Cover and continue to cook 10 minutes.


2 years ago: Cookie Duet
1 year ago: Mango Chicken Salad

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Pup Park

Wednesday, March 20, 2013
We've had some beautiful, yet chilly, weather for the last week or so. When I look out the window and see a bright sunny day, I always expect it to be warmer outside than it is. So it goes during spring time in Alaska. On the plus side, sunrise is about 8 AM and sunset is about 8:30 pm right now- coming out of the darkness!

We took Roma out to the pup park to burn some energy.







3 years ago: Ranch Pictures
2 years ago: Volleyball
1 year ago: Stuffed Chicken
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Quinoa Cakes

Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Have you discovered quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) yet? I'm particularly fond of this grain/seed superfood. I like to keep a bag of quinoa in my pantry, mostly as a back up side-dish or salad topper. I've had my eye out for more substantial quinoa recipes and this one jumped out.

Hello delicious little quinoa cakes.

The combination of green onions, melted cheese, and tender quinoa makes these a real winner-- I will definitely make these again.


It's even better if it's served like this:



Recipe taken from MarinMommaCooks:


Ingredients
  • 1 3/4 cups (14 oz/440 g) quinoa
  • 1 1/3 cups (11 fl oz/345 ml) vegetable stock or water - I used vegetable stock as it adds more flavor
  • 1 cup (5 oz/155 g) all-purpose flour
  • 5 ounces (155 g) low-moisture mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (6-mm) - 5 ounces is about half of a standard sized mozzarella rectangle, or 3 1/4-inches by 21/4-inches if you want to be exact. If you go over or under a bit on the cheese, it's totally ok!
  • 1/4 cup (1 oz/30 g) grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper (optional)
  • 4 green onions, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 large egg yolks - only use large eggs here, not extra large
  • canola oil or olive oil for frying - You can use any high heat oil of preference here. I used olive oil.
Instructions
Heat up a heavy-bottomed saucepan (I used my Le Crueset Dutch oven) over medium-high heat and add the dry quinoa.
Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly until lightly toasted and aromatic, about 5 minutes. You will hear the quinoa make a crackling sound almost like popcorn popping as it's cooking. You will also smell a nutty aroma.
Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Mine boiled right away as I used my cast-iron Dutch oven.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until all the water or broth is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, but with a bit of a bite remaining at the center, 10-12 minutes. You should take a peek at the quinoa at the 7 minute mark just to see how it's coming along, and give it a quick stir as well. Once the quinoa has finished cooking, remove it from the heat and pour it into a large bowl to cool completely. I use the same bowl that I'm going to make the patties in. If you want it to cool faster, throw it in the fridge for a bit.
While the quinoa is cooling, lets prep the rest of the ingredients. Cut up your 5-ounces of mozzarella cheese into small 1/4-inch pieces. The cubes by no means have to be exact in shape and size, (it's not baking here) you just want them to be small enough as they are going to be in the quinoa cakes and you don't want huge chunks in there.
Wash and thinly slice your green onions.
Separate your two egg yolks.
Lastly, measure out your flour and Parmesan cheese. Don't have grated parmesan on hand but have shredded? Here's a quick and easy trick to get some grated parmesan. Measure out your shredded cheese and then get out your mini food processor, process the cheese and presto, it instantly turns into grated cheese. I do this often as I usually don't have grated cheese on hand. You can also do this trick with solid parmesan cheese.
Add to the cooled quinoa the flour, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Toss gently to mix, using your hands or a rubber spatula. I just use a spatula here and make sure that I scrape up from the bottom and mix well. The mixture will resemble a whole-wheat flour mixture.
Add in the green onions, whole egg, and egg yolks.
Stir until the mixture comes together and resembles a soft dough. I used a spatula at first to mix everything around and to get the eggs blended in, and then I just went in there with my hands so that it all got mixed together well. I mean you're going to be making the patties next with your hands, so why not just get them messy.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape the mixture into 10 cakes, each about 2-inches (5 cm) in diameter and 1 1/2-inches (4 cm) thick. It's truly like making burger patties. You just press down and mold the patties in the palm of your hand. The dough actually mixes together very easily, almost like play dough. Your hands will get a bit sticky and by the end of making these cakes, your hands will be covered in a somewhat sticky flour and quinoa mixture.
Set each cake on the prepared baking sheet as you finish.
After all of the cakes have been made, place them in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to set.
Line another rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Get out a large non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet, and pour in the oil to a depth of 1/4-inch (6 mm). I don't measure out 1/4-inch exactly, I just put in enough to cover the bottom of the pan and then some.
If you don't want to use that much oil, then I will show you another way at the bottom of the post. I do have to say that I prefer the cakes when cooked this way.
Heat the skillet and oil over medium-high heat until the oil is simmering, but not smoking. You will hear some pops and then you will know the oil is ready.
Take 5 cakes and put them in the hot pan.
Fry the cakes, turning once with a spatula or a pair of tongs, until golden brown and crisp, 2-3 minutes per side.
Transfer the cooked cakes to the prepared baking sheet to drain.
Repeat the process with the remaining 5 cakes. Remember, the second batch cooks up much quicker than the first, so keep an eye on those cakes. I love how the cheese oozes out of the cakes as they're cooking ,and then it gets all brown and crisp, almost like a grilled cheese sandwich. Yum!
Now, I really prefer to cook the quinoa cakes the above way because I feel like the cakes get crispy and all gooey and melty in the center and the sides of the cakes seem to get browned up as well, but if you feel at odds with using so much oil, I get it. I cooked up this below batch with just 2 tablespoons of oil. I did add a touch more when I flipped them over. They are great this way as well! It's all about personal preference here. You can try and cook them both ways and see which you prefer.
Serve these up warm alongside a nice kale salad or soup.
Got leftovers? Just throw them in a 250-degree oven to warm them up.



2 years ago: Date Night
1 year ago: Boys will be Boys

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Brandi and Weston's Wedding

Monday, March 18, 2013
We went to Brandi and Weston's wedding on Saturday. It was held at the train station at the airport on a beautiful evening. I pretty much loved the wedding color because it is also my favorite color... PURPLE!

Brandi's dress looked stunning and there was a photo booth at the reception. How awesome that? It took some convincing to get Ross to don some props (hat, feather boa, sunglasses) and have some fun with the pictures, but it was a success!

Tom, Emily, and Eddie 

Reed and Catherine

Brandi and Weston playing the "shoe game"

Guests watching the shoe game. You can also see what the wedding party wore.



Time to cut the cupcakes

Social Hour. Charles just got off the slope, I think he's still readjusting to social settings.

Charles and Kelley

Lovey.


3 years ago: House Guests
2 years ago: Chena Landscapes
1 year ago: Albondigas Soup
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HBD to Claire and Ross!

Such a fun birthday weekend for two of my favorites! Claire turned 8 and Ross turned… more than 8 :)  Date night picture--